Chapter 104: Maricha

Chapter 104: Maricha

Crucis continued reading the book about Sobhraj, occasionally writing in his notebook to keep track of anything interesting. As Sharak roamed the room to check on the other books, Crucis overheard his conversation with Vladimir and Konstantin, who had been given one Russian book to pore through together.

Vladimir raised the book, with a hint of reverence. "This book is named тре (trre)- um, 'Third Empire.' It is about Kingdom of Russia, I think 'fiction'? But not only."

"Yes, has also people from history, a bit," Konstantin said.

"I guess might be old book, they were imagining future," Vladimir said. "Is fancy future, Russia goes back to Emperor like Ivan, and fight many wars. Not sure if exactly what happened, but I think is good story. Our leader did get 'emergency power' recently to deal with big riot, so maybe will become Emperor, I don't know."

"I see. So, would you recommend the machine train on it?"

"Absolutely! But would like to read it sometime, it is good way to pass the time."

"Sure, sure. We'll get it translated in a few days, then when we have a translated copy we can send this one to the bookstore and tell them that one of you guys will collect it."

"Thank you. What should do now?"

"While I'm sorting through the books, you can all have a look at the automatons. Wait for a minute or two, while I collect the rest."

Soon, Fahiz appeared and summoned the group into the room containing the automatons. Crucis leapt up quickly, curious about what the automatons looked like.

While slightly bemused by this tale of a sermonising sable, he read the text carefully.

However, as he reached the end, he heard a loud roar to his left. Turning, he saw that one of the automatons had stood up. Its head was carved in iron, patterned like a medieval helmet, but the eyes were hollow. Its long, metallic black arms were raised in the air as it staggered menacingly towards him. It bent down slightly and let out an incredibly loud, earth-shaking screech at him, then launched forwards with its arms slashing wildly down.

However, as if by instinct, he held forwards his right palm, and a deep black spot formed in the air in front of it. This expanded into a void, and the aggressive automaton fell into this and disappeared. He clenched his fist, and the void disappeared.

The memory faded. He had felt almost as though he was caught in the memory, acting out the fight with the automaton, but he had actually been standing still in this room beside the door.

"Thanks," DicingDevil said as he passed.

The rest of the group were slowly filing through, and thought that Crucis was just standing beside the door politely to wait for the rest to enter. Well, let them think that.

"No problem," he said, and drifted slowly towards the automatons as the last member of the group, Danemy, entered the room.

As Crucis regained his bearings, he began to focus more calmly on surveying his memory of the room, and found that he remembered more about the context. Peculiarly, his name at the time had seemingly been something like 'Aécio' or 'Ezio.' He didn't recall this name. He had always been known as Karel or Karl.

Some details of the scene he had just envisioned also seemed off. For instance, he was sure that he hadn't read a passage about a sable in that old room. It had originally been a slightly surreal story about a man burning a lamb on a crucifix, and then going to church and listening to a priest named Martin sermonise about the Lamb of God. As the sermon ended, the crucifix on the altar burst into blood and white fire. A ghostly voice boomed across the church, saying, 'You are no victim. You have more power than you could dream of, for I know you are King of the Jews. O, honest man, you are a liar!' Crucis remembered that, at the time, he had wondered if this voice was some twisted rendition of Jehovah, but now it struck him that it might have represented Pilate.

Perhaps exploring this room might clarify something.

Curious, he scanned the automatons, checking if any of them resembled the automaton that had attacked him in the memory.