Plague of divinity

Chapter 29

The crowd bustled, watching him intently as he stood before them, inadvertently showing off his toned body.

"Shhh it's happening,"

"Look at all those tattoos,"

"Hey no pushing!"

They instantly quietened down when Aldrion raised his hand as a signal to hush.

"Well everyone, I must say I look forward to seeing you all in three days."

He gave them a wide smile.

"And remember, don't tell anyone in the temple about this. We all know what they would do if they found out,"

He winked in a joking manner, causing some of the crowd members to chuckle, before he turned around to face the pool of blood. He handed the tea cup back the person who had offered it to him nearby, giving them a thankful nod. He could already feel the effects of the tea starting to kick in, filling him gently with drowsiness and slight nausea.

Just as he slipped out of the bottom half of his robe, a cry rang out in the crowd as a blade suddenly protruded from someone's stomach, blood spilling from their mouth as the weapon was dragged up and then slid out. They fell to the ground as the crowd, upon realizing what just happened ran for cover. The follower that had handed Aldrion the tea stood defensively in front of him but it was obvious they were practically frozen in fear, even if they were putting on a brave face.

Aldrion turned his head drowsily towards the commotion and felt his heart almost stop when he noticed the familiar figures before him. Priests. Shit.

He turned around and did his best to look intimidating, bending slightly to murmur something quickly to the follower in front of him.

"I'll handle this, you get somewhere safer,"

The follower glanced at him worriedly, obviously fearing for his safety, but decided to listen to him anyways and instead scurried to watch from the shadows of the trees nearby instead. Aldrion was touched to have such a devoted follower but it wouldn't be fair for him to use them as a human shield, not against these kinds of people.

Aldrion had been off guard to their arrival, but he supposed he was hoping either they wouldn't have realized at all what was going on or he and his followers would be fast enough with the ritual that they wouldn't have the chance to interrupt... could someone have tipped them off? He couldn't think of anyone he knew who would do something like that. Mags and Enrick... they hadn't shown up but... they were probably just busy right? No way those two would be the only ones missing, they were probably just the ones he noticed and besides... they wouldn't do something like that... right?

Once the follower had scuttled out of the way, Aldrion turned to the priests approaching him, offering them a toothy smirk.

"And what would some fine examples of human beings such as yourselves be doing out here on a night like this?"

His tone was sarcastic and dripping with hate filled spite.

The old priest at the front gave a laugh before returning to Aldrion with a conceited smile.

"My dear Aldrion, I should have known I'd find you out here like this, naked and drugged up,"

"Oh come on, we all know you're just jealous because you don't have half the balls I do,"

The priest looked him up and down with an unamused eyebrow raised.

"Yes but I don't need to get naked for people to believe I have any-"

The priest shook their head in slight annoyance as they realized they were getting off topic.

"Anyways, I think we both know why we're here."

Aldrion raised his own eyebrow, he was starting to see double but was trying to play it cool.

"Oh do we now?"

The priest came even closer, a dangerous smile on their face, the few other priests staying back.

"Yes. You see, we're the heroes in this scenario, saving the town from your repeated reckless and destructive antics,"

"Ah yes, great heroes you are, using stabbing as a greeting. You know a simple 'hello' works too right?-"

"We're here to-"

"-And I suppose that means before you came I was the charming rebel who kept getting away with things because you couldn't catch me?"

The priest raised their eyebrow once more, almost as a suggestion for Aldrion to take a look at himself.

"Something tells me that won't be an issue this time."

Aldrion narrowed his eyebrows in a challenging manner.

"Oh yeah, what gives you that idea?"

It probably would have been better for him not to say that.

He didn't realize what had happened until he looked down and saw the hilt on the weapon sticking out of his midsection, the priest's hand still attached to yank it back, making sure to leave the wound nice and wide. His eyes widened as he felt bile rising in his throat; considering his inside juices were becoming outside ones at a startling rate. Shit. Fuck.

"Aldrion no!"

The cry echoed from the shadow of the trees as Aldrion felt his face forced into the blood pool behind him. He wasn't sure if it was the tea or the new hole he had acquired but he could feel his consciousness depleting quickly. He couldn't make out much, but the last thing he recognised before being plunged into darkness was the voice of his wound inflictor calling out.

"Trap him in there. Let his grave be a testament to the others."

He couldn't figure out what happened after that, but that's usually what happens when you're on one hell of a drug trip... and losing a significant amount of blood of course. He was usually better at getting out of situations like these, hence the reason the priests had such trouble trying to catch him before, but then again, when they had nearly caught him in the past, he hadn't usually been on drugged tea and butt naked.

What a way to die.