The cold pierced to her very soul, freezing and burning her from the inside out. As Engel's dark tendrils coiled around her and crushed her, she felt the very light of the Pancreator being stripped away from her as though salvation was being torn away from her by the dark forces that permeated the air. Vistas of infinite and terrible darkness seemed to open up before her, and something dark and demonic leered upwards above her. The skeins of the future seemed to spool out in front of her, stretching away to a multitude of futures. In each future she saw Orion striding forward against the darkness, towards a vast statue an a blasted plain. From the statue he seemed to multiply striking out in various directions. She saw him commanding fleets, leading armies, kneeling before the thrones of Emperors and Patriarchs, each threat that was spun from beyond the statue glowed with the light of the Pancreator. In an instant she fathomed the things purpose, at least as much as any human could understand such a thing. It wanted to sever Orion's thread now. That wasn't its only puprpose, there were glimpses of other designs, dark and terrible yes, but each secondary to the goal of snuffing out the life of an insignificant knight. And it had succeeded. Succeeded because she had failed, because she had been unable to overcome Engel and his antimony to fulfil her part of the plan. Guilt, darker and blacker than any she had ever experienced washed over her and she leaned forward, wishing for the release of death as completely as she had ever wished for anything.

The darkness around her shattered with the suddenness of a lightning strike. She fell to the ground in a half swoon, her limbs and core suddenly burning with the absence of the chill of damnation. As the light faded from her eyes she caught a brief glimpse of Orion, shining with the same light she had seen in her vision, only for a moment before it faded and he was just a man with a bloody sword in his hand. In her last moment of consciousness, her lips curved into a smile.  

"What did he hope to accomplish?" the Duke declared as he paced the great hall. Orion was shocked by the change he had seen in the nobleman in the two days since Engel's death. Eyes that had been filled with confusion had cleared, and though the Duke seemed physically weaker, his resolve had evidently been strengthened by enduring whatever ordeal he had face while under his chamberlain's heretical spell. The palace guard had arrested Orion and Ragnar as they carried the unconscious Annika from the bowels of the palace. The Priestess had been taken for medical treatment by the Sanctuary Aeon, under guard but treated well. Orion and Ragnar had been thrown into prison cells and might have rotted there if salvation hadn't come from the most unlikely of souces. Brother Mobian had strode, bloody and limping from the catacombs and, with flame gun in hand, ordered the guards to release Orion. Ragnar had been freed too, though this was likely an oversight. The Avestite had then marched them into the presence of the Duke who while evidently free of Engel's witchcraft, had still been dazed and confused. Within minutes of Orion explaining himself, the Duke had mobilized not only the remainder of the cities garrision but also his own well equipped palace guard, and hurled the Vuldrock, alreadly bloodied by Orion, back in full retreat. Allies of Engel's had been rounded up to be questioned by Mobian as well as a Reeve in order to ensure the Inquisitor did not let his faith get the better of him. Of Annika little was said, other than she was alive and recovering and that the sisters would not countenance her being disturbed at this time. What Mobian's opinion of this was remained unknown, though his face twisted in distaste whenever the subject was mentioned.

"Who can say what a heretic plans my lord," the Inquisitor responded.

"Especially after you burned all his papers," Ragnar guffawed. The zealot spun on the pagan with a look of cold fury on his face.

"You dare insult the...!" Mobian began eyes wide and filled with indigation but the Duke quelled the outburst by stepping forward and placing a hand on the Avestite's shoulder.

"He means no insult, he is a pagan and thus unaware of the proper way of things," the Duke consoled the priest.

"For myself, I find myself pleased that his heresy was cleansed so thoroughly. You have my thanks Father." The Duke smiled and stepped past the priest to stand before Orion.

"And you Sir Pentecost, we find ourselves in your debt, how may we ever begin to repay your valiant aid in this dark time?"