Chains of Vengeance

Chapter 21: Power and Rage

Narinder walked steadily toward the confessional, his gaze fixed and determined. He had made a decision, and nothing would stop him from fulfilling it. Upon arriving, he called out in a deep, authoritative voice:

"Allocer, come here."

Allocer, one of the four religious witnesses of the ancient faith and a former servant of Shamura, took only a moment to enter the confessional. The design of the place prevented them from seeing each other directly, something Narinder had planned to ensure Allocer wouldn't notice the excitement he felt thinking about his brothers' relics.

The atmosphere was dense, and Allocer could sense the expectation of his new god. Narinder left no room for pleasantries.

"Allocer," he began, his voice cold and cutting. "I'll be direct. I'm not here to discuss your sins or matters of faith. I want you to tell me, what do you know about the relics of my brothers? And since you were close to Shamura, where is his skull?"

Allocer, though loyal to the new faith after being forgiven by the Lamb, could not hide his surprise at the request. He tried to maintain his composure, feeling the weight of Narinder's expectation like a sword hanging over his head.

"Well, my lord..." Allocer started, his voice tense. "Those relics were the greatest treasures of the bishops. Even in their battles against the Lamb, they refused to use them. The four made a solemn vow not to resort to them, fearing they would fall into the Lamb's hands and be used against them."

Allocer swallowed hard, aware of the gravity of what he was about to say. He knew that his next words could unleash Narinder's wrath.

"As for the location of Shamura's skull..." Allocer paused, weighing his words. "I'm afraid I don't know. Shamura never revealed it to me. In fact, no bishop shared the location of their relics with their witnesses. I can even assure you that the other bishops didn't know where the others hid their relics. It's a secret known only to Shamura... just as each bishop knew theirs."

A deadly silence fell between them. If it weren't for the thin wall of the confessional separating them, Allocer would have seen the fury burning in Narinder's red eyes. Those eyes, usually filled with cunning and coldness, had now become a pure image of uncontrolled rage.

Feeling the tension, Allocer decided to withdraw from the confessional, fear coursing through his veins. He knew that Narinder's wrath was something he should not confront directly, especially when it came to such cherished relics.

Narinder, for his part, remained silent for a moment, processing the information. The fact that even the witnesses of his brothers didn't know the exact locations of the relics was irritating. However, he fully understood why: it was Shamura's strategy, designed to protect those powerful objects, even from their own brothers.

He clenched his fist tightly, the power containing his inner rage. He briefly considered the idea of resurrecting the other three witnesses to interrogate them, but he knew it would be futile. Shamura had crafted the concealment of those relics so that no one could find them easily, not even Narinder.

He thought of the other relics of the ancient gods that Chemach possessed, but he knew they wouldn't provide what he sought. The relics of the ancient gods were not connected to him, and absorbing their power would not give him the advantage he craved. However, the relics of his brothers were another matter. He knew they would share a connection with him, a divine bond that would allow him to harness their power and draw closer to his goal of reclaiming his lost divinity.

With a deep sigh, Narinder left the confessional and headed straight to the temple. The thirst for power still burned within him, and his eyes glimmered with fierce determination. He felt the need to wield that power and knew exactly whom he was going to sacrifice that day.

Allocer's fate was sealed.

Upon entering the temple, Narinder paused for a moment in the center of the room. With a single motion, he extended his claw and touched the sacred bell. The deep, resonant sound reverberated throughout the place, calling his cultists from the darkest corners of his domain.

One by one, the followers began to fill the hall, bowing their heads in submission, attentive to their god's words. Narinder, with a cold and calculating gaze, watched his flock as they knelt before him. Feeling their power, he raised his arms and began his sermon.

"Power," he began, his grave and authoritative voice filling every corner of the temple. "Is the most important thing in life. Without power, there is no control, no destiny. I am death, the end of all that exists. And when the end of each of your lives arrives, all the power you possess must fall to me. That is the unbreakable law."

The cultists listened with devotion, their hearts beating fervently at each word. Narinder smiled as he felt the flow of faith coming to him, nourishing his divinity. It was like a torrent of energy strengthening him, affirming his place as the supreme entity in their lives.

However, satisfaction soon gave way to fury. Narinder closed his eyes for a moment, the rage building in his chest burning like a fire that needed to be released. Then, his gaze darkened, and with a voice laden with contained anger, he uttered the name of the one he had decided to sacrifice that day.

"Allocer," he said, the fury bubbling just beneath the surface.

The former witness of Shamura, who had faithfully served both the ancient faith and the Lamb, felt a pang of fear course through his body. He shut his eyes with resignation, realizing that his last conversation with Narinder had sealed his fate. He didn't have the answers his god needed, and he knew the price of that ignorance was death.

The air in the temple grew heavy. Narinder raised his hand, opening a dark portal beneath Allocer. A huge, sinister tentacle emerged from the abyss, writhing with eagerness to fulfill its duty. Allocer had no time for more than a sigh before being seized and dragged into the world of the dead.

Narinder watched silently as Allocer's body disappeared into the void, his soul being devoured by darkness. As Allocer's life extinguished, Narinder felt the pure power emanating from the innocent life he had snatched away. Although Allocer was not to blame for not knowing the location of Shamura's relic, venting his anger on him had been a catharsis. He felt the satisfaction of having demonstrated his absolute power, and that filled him with a dark joy.

He allowed himself a smile, broader than he had anticipated. The anger still bubbled within him, but now it was more controlled, more directed. There was something comforting in the fact that, although Allocer's fate had been unjust, he had fulfilled his purpose.

Narinder let the echo of the bell resonate once more in the temple, marking the end of the sacrifice.