Here Comes The Son (Ghost Band / Papa Emeritus fic)

All Minds Aligned

In the crypt, only minutes after Matthias and Lydia had left, four men had descended the stairs; their mission to hide Mountain's body in one of the other arches. Lifting the ghoul was proving particularly difficult, it seemed as though he was made from solid granite. Deciding to drag him instead, two men on either side taking his legs the group pulled Mountain, still face down, into the nearest arch and covered him with tarpaulin.

"No wonder, the cardinal couldn't do it!" One remarked, unaware that he hadn't even tried.
"Who knew they were that heavy?" Another commented.
"What about the blood?" The first asked.
"I've got the stuff for that," a third commented as he knelt to scrape up the red-black substance, stuck to the floor, handing another some cleaning solution.

Once cleaned up, the four examined their work, unaware that Copia was locked in the arch opposite and having drifted into a deep tormented sleep, overcome by the shock to his already weakened body. Satisfied that Mountain was hidden and his blood removed, the four left the crypt, locking the door again on their way out.

Under the tarpaulin, a small tinkling sound went unheard.

*

"Aurora, do you have any idea what the Unholy Scrolls are?" Swiss asked as they walked back from the Religious and Occult Artefact and Antiquities Department.
"No, never heard of them," she admitted. "I don't really know much about artefacts... well, nothing really. Do you know?"
"No, but I'm wondering what's in them that Matthias wants? It sounds like he's kept them for a long time."
"We should ask. Maybe she'll have a copy?" Aurora agreed, turning as she walked, pausing as Swiss did the same. "I mean it could be for a mass, like with the thurible but I don't trust him. Pulling a knife on Papa and calling it a joke makes him suspect number one in my book."
"I agree, it's strange," Swiss nodded. "The whole, I did it to show you you're vulnerable on your own thing doesn't wash with me. He could have just told him, you know, like a normal person. But Papa's too trusting."
"He's been through a lot," Swiss shrugged. "I think that would make some people never trust again and others, like Papa, want to trust all the more."
"You know, Swiss, sometimes when he's not paying attention, I look at Papa and all I see is pain. Not just recently. He's always looked a little sad. He's not confident like the other Papas. He is on stage, but not so much otherwise. I do wonder what happened to him. He loves us so much, but when we say we love him, he always seems surprised. It breaks my heart sometimes."

Swiss heard the catch in her voice and he turned her towards him. Placing a hand on her arm and stroking her hair with his other, he merely gazed at her, a tender and warm expression lingering in his eyes in particular.

"You're so beautiful, inside and outside. Your heart is so big!" He went to place a hand over her heart, but didn't want it to be misinterpreted, so put his hand over the right hand side of his own chest. "Such a kind, loving heart."

Aurora blushed as she placed her own hand over Swiss's and smiled as she felt his heart beating faster than would be normal.

"Room for two?"
"I do hope so," he smiled.

Returning back down the maze of corridors, the pair paused as ahead of them they saw Cardinal Matthias; in his hands he held the replica of the North Sword. Pressing herself and Swiss back against the wall and throwing a glamour over both of them to appear briefly invisible. She covered his mouth to ensure he didn't speak, even if just to ask what was happening, but he could see the urgency and panic in her eyes and made no attempt until she deemed it safe to even move, let alone speak.

As she lowered her hand, Aurora took down the glamour also.

"Did you see that?" She whispered; even though he had now walked away and was out of earshot, it still somehow felt unsafe for her to talk at full volume.
"No," Swiss shook his head, "what did you see?"