A Curious Little Key Vol. 1
Prologue
Beginning the Beginning
Year 704 A.D.
No one was really sure where exactly the prosecution was being held. The audiences, as well as the security forces, were all transported via portal, either to make sure the location would remain a secret or to create a threatening atmosphere. Before the six court justices was a single aging man in ragged robes. He was being convicted of something only the people who were transported here actually knew anything about; Magic.
To be more specific, he was being charged with saying that faith had nothing to do with magic, and was caught demonstrating. Judging from the progress of the trial so far, getting caught may have been part of his agenda.
The monk stood tall (metaphorically; he was actually only a little over five feet tall) and confident as he brought out his own accusations.
“What do you, the supposed guardians of the darkness, have to say about this history of heresy!? What pitiful excuses do you have to deny my claims!?” the monk pointed at the judges despite being surrounded by armed jailers.
The court consisted of six representatives each in a shrouded white cloak. One of them stood at attention. “Your little claims are biased and with little concrete evidence. Not only that, but speaking out loud against the lords is-“
“You’re contradicting me on bias and offense to the lords? This is coming from the men who have gone together with God, Allah, Yahweh, and who knows how many damn more! This is coming from the men who have made firestorms, earthquakes, and plagues instead of researching their magic on food and healing!”
The court’s spectators went from docile to bloodthirsty when the monk on trial held out a piece of bread, and with a flash of violet light made it into a pile of grains spilling out of his hand. Before him was court of six judges, each with a crest of their respective church’s insignia.
“You lying bastards!”
“Faith benders!”
“Give us what we need not what you want!”
The Order representatives didn’t stir a millimeter at the barrage of accusations.
The Order, or be more exact, six shadow organizations working behind each of their church’s backs in secret charged with the research, utilization, and hiding of magic, needed to show discipline. If their respective churches actually knew about this secret and powerful alliance, they would no doubt all be executed. But, luckily for them, real occult practices and magic was beyond their sects’ knowledge and moral perimeters.
Before them and surrounded by guards was a man who riled up countless cults and supporters to make a single plea.
The judge continued. “Nonetheless, you deliberately researched the arcane without jurisdiction from either church, and so, despite your so-called advances, you broke the law.”
“Law?” the monk scoffed at the six. “What law holds that I need to listen to the six organizations that don’t even exist? Why do we restrict the gifts of our worship to a bunch of bloodthirsty and power hungry inquisitors? I’ll tell you why; because you’re all a bunch of corrupt heathens that are bending the sacred texts to bend the people to your will!” he looked as if he was about to laugh at a bad joke.
Another judge stood and signaled the first one to sit back down. “There is no evidence that suggests we have done anything like that. What you’re saying is nothing but rage fueled slander to mock a power that you know you cannot disprove.”
“Oh but that’s where you’re all wrong. Where in the Bible does it say that monks and nuns must remain without spouses?” the monk turned to the crowd with a grin and his finger wagging. “Where in the teachings of Buddha does it say that monks need to learn martial arts? Where in every damn text does it say that it is right to slaughter and pillage peaceful people just because they believe different things? Nowhere does it say that you can force your petty ideals on others!”
The audience was now in a chaotic panic between hatred and support for the man.
“Petty?” another one of the justices stood from his seat from anger. The one earlier motioned him to remain seated but was ignored. “You ungrateful little heretic! If it wasn’t for these formalities you would be-“
Another sitting justice raised his hand. “Silence. No need to bind unto this man’s scheme. Remember, we represent our church’s mastery of the occult, and I doubt this angry monk has anything to back his claims besides a bunch of useless rants and baseless accusations.”
As he finished, the previous justice sat back down with evident disdain. The other one followed with evident respect for formalities.
The monk smiled to the judges and turned away from the court. He faced the crowd and opened his arms which caused the guards around him to turn their blades in his direction. Despite the peaceful demeanor, his knowledge of the occult meant that special precautions were needed to make sure he didn’t suddenly decide to make a twister to kill everyone.
“Friends, I, a single man, has created magic for food and cures for the countless plagues that have taken your loved ones. How could I, a travelling monk, have given to you all more than a few false assurances for free instead of taking your coin and stashing away the books of knowledge?” he announced.
The crowd screamed a seemingly endless list of random accusations from lies to power to greed, but the monk simply shook his head at all of them. Even the guards looked worried and some even lowered their weapons. The court whispered among them nodded to each other.
“I could do this because I am not scared of the gods not existing. I say this because I can create all of these miracles that only the churches can do, but I don’t believe any of the gods exist!”
If everyone was expecting something, it wasn’t that. The court and half of the guards were so tense that the only thing keeping them from cutting the man down on the spot was their protocols and formalities.
After confirming that there was no one rebuking him, he continued. “How can a man who denies worship perform these? It’s because magic is not divine, but a simple trade. It is a formula, a code, an art, but not a miracle from above. They are afraid that others will realize the truth and will topple their small empires of the shadows.”
Magic was the art of performing miracles. Only the secret sects under the churches could perform these miracles, yet this man who denied every faith performed magic across the world. He claimed that faith was a lie, and he himself was the greatest evidence.
“Ask yourselves, just what has magic brought to the world? Only a few can use it, yet those few have brought no change for the better. Are every church’s teachings not instructions for the talented to help the weak? Is it really okay to lie about what makes such miracles possible!?”
To help the weak and educate the powerful; words that none could speak of. The justices gave each other a few grim nods and whispers.
“No punishment could possibly be enough to make up for that heresy.”
“None.” agreed one of them.
“Indeed.” said another.
The one who ordered the previous justices to sit disagreed. “Wait, there may be one…”
The council exchanged hard looks of disapproval and stern content. One by one, they each nodded to each other. Not a word was needed for what they had in mind.
An offense to a church has always led to a punishment of near impossible cruelty.
To insult six was on a whole new level.
The six justices all stood up in unison. “Manath Valnithe, we have made our decision.”
The monk known as Manath didn’t look very concerned. In fact, his smug smile seemed be saying the words, “Punish me and you’ll only prove my point.”
“Oh really now? A crucifixion or some public spectacle perhaps?” asked Manath in a falsely concerned voice. Obviously, he didn’t consider these grim punishments to be very threatening when backed by enough occultist magicians to take over a small country.
“No, much worse and secret than that. You will have the glory of feeling the full power of your lies by binding with our most powerful treasure. Feel the weight of your sin as your body rots Manath and your souls feels the harsh justice of our creed for many days to come.” answered the justice.
Before he could object or flee, the guards seized the monk’s arms and began to drag his kicking and struggling frame away. The crowd was berserk now and the only thing keeping them from rescuing the monk was the guards’ weapons.
“No! NO! This won’t end like this! Mark my words you tyrants that this will only end when your precious churches burn to the ground!” Manath seethed as the guards dragged him out of the court and the gate slammed shut.
Part 1
October 19, 2029
How to Ruin a Perfectly Innocent Story
1
Graduation was next year, and to be honest 2029 was just a pain in general, but in January when the year finally changes, See Ya high school and Hello College! Kaine recalled about how this stupid little thought brought him into a situation that involved running like hell from a mob with his friend who probably hated him by now.
“Do you think we’ll get out of this!?” he asked.
“Hell no! Now stop talking and keep running!”
Next to him, and slowly outrunning him, was Kaine’s childhood friend, Diana. In normal circumstances, the two of them would’ve simply stood their ground and beat off whoever was either stupid or cocky enough to fight them.
Kaine, a boy with a head of short, mahogany hair which was somehow always perfectly straight despite the fact that it was never kept, had a long history of being picked on and countering with a pretty bad temper and a fist.
Diana on the other hand was about a head shorter, had long, straight black hair tied into a ponytail and was a member of their just-about-average high school’s track team. Despite different having different social classes and lifestyles, their shared short fuses and violent attitudes naturally brought them together. They were both seventeen, and basically sore losers at the bottom of society.
The fact that it was the beginning of fall, with plenty of leftover summer heat in the middle of Florida didn’t make running any easier.
“How long do they plan on chasing us anyways!? We didn’t even steal anything.” Kain managed to stutter while panting.
Behind them though, was a mob of what seemed like twenty people with half of them armed with various sports equipment and one of them had what seemed suspiciously like a miniature metal Buddha statue.
“Well I don’t feel like having Buddha beating me into Nirvana anytime soon, and just so you know if you fall behind then I’m not going to help you out.” yelled Diana who surprisingly showed no form of evident exhaustion despite the fact that she was sprinting and talking at the same time.
The reason they were being chased was because the pair decided to attempt making some extra money. Kaine was renown throughout Baldwin Florida as the best lock-pick the city had to offer, and so far his skills had allowed him to gain access to records, stashes, other peoples’ houses, and school administrative offices which so far ended up in the form of pranks, thievery, and the occasional diary theft.
The problem was a rumor about a secret stash of illegally imported cocaine in a locked apartment that was only two miles away from duo’s apartment complex. They did get the door open, but they didn’t expect the place to be packed. Even thugs were smart enough to reason that two people who forcibly opened a locked door were thieves.
“Of the all the things you had to have thought of….it had to be a drug heist didn’t it!? Did you honestly believe you could get away with something like this with your lock picking skills!?” Diana seethed between breathes.
“Hey! You agreed to come along too you know! Plus, I did get in, and I am getting away now so shut up and don’t even think about tripping me to get away!”
Suddenly, an evil glint appeared in Diana’s eyes.
“No. NO! I know what you’re thinking you witch and don’t think that I’ll just let y-“ Kaine couldn’t finish because Diana suddenly and mercilessly kicked Kaine in the shin.
Diana happily waved goodbye as he fell to the ground. “I’m glad you volunteered to sacrifice yourself for your friend in need. I’ll remember to add a little memorial of you in my room.”
Next thing Kaine knew, he was falling face first towards the pavement and seeing Diana waving her hand in good-bye while here running feet were getting further away.
“You backstabbing little b- bph!” was all he could manage before he felt his face hit the road.
-Elsewhere. Same Time-
Inside a nearby apartment, no one saw a figure completely shrouded in black. The fact that it was the dead of night, the lights were off and the figure’s head was covered with a hood made it impossible to tell the person’s age or gender. Though the voice was that of a boy, there wasn’t anything else to actually prove it.
“Ha ha! Oh god I swear this guy’s life never fails to amaze me. Oh damn! That Buddha looking thing is going to leave one hell of a mark.” he laughed as he peered at the scene from a pair of binoculars.
It was clear from a giddy smile and the fact that the mystery person was seeing the entire event with a pair of binoculars that he was enjoying the show. But it became an annoyed pout as the figure pulled out a vibrating cell phone. With a sigh, the phone was clapped open, and immediately a two letter long text message in neat type appeared.
HURRY UP. -X
The figure then called the number and answered with the voice of a high school boy.
“You know, there is such a thing as talking and unlike you, I’m doing my job.”
The voice from the other side of the phone had a much deeper and refined tone that was completely put off by phone connection.
“If you call watching a non-stop running gag while laughing your ass off working than I’m practically creating world peace.”
The cloaked boy stared in disbelief at his cell phone. “HUH!? How’d you know what I was doing!?”
The caller, unlike his recipient, seemed calm though somewhat annoyed.
“I didn’t. You’re just too stupid and predictable to hide anything from anyone. Now hurry up and see what potential this guy has. If he turns out to be a failure, then just mug him. We’re not the only ones after whatever this guy has you know.”
“Yeah Yeah I know. But come on, at least let me prepare for one hell of an intro.”
“Just get the job done and try not to get yourself or anyone else not involved in this killed like last time.”
“Sorry, but I can’t make promises if he ends up having connections to ‘them.’”
“Just do your job.”
The boy clapped the mobile phone shut and then, for reasons unknown, tossed it out of the window.