Michael James Collier's Sanctum

Often was House Evolution, the largest and most influential of the Houses within the lands under guidance by the Federation, under careful watch by The Order. As was typically the case, the greater the power a House would wield, the more likely they would use it to turn against the Federation for their own selfish gain. In times of war, in times where life itself was teetering on the brink of extinction, the luxury of dissidence could not be tolerated.

House Evolution, however, was not the foremost subject of the careful eye of The Order. No, for in spite of all their revelry and wizardry, they still did abide by the laws of the land and tenants of the common faith, at least for the most part. The same, though, could not be said for House Temerity.

House Temerity was among the smallest and least renowned of the Houses that comprised the Federation, and it was without doubt that they were the under the greatest scrutiny by The Order. They were an ancient and wretched House, one comprised of outcasts and madmen, one which has long been considered marked for expungement from Federation records and lands alike. But in times of war, during days where an eclipse might be an onslaught, when fires at night might be approaching infernos, the luxury of absolute righteousness could not be upheld. Not if life was to persist.

For within those decrepit, darkened halls, where not only servants of House Temerity stood vigil but so too did Inquisitors of The Order, who outnumbered the servants two-to-one, lied a deep and terrible series of secrets.

Secrets few beyond the walls of the House and Order knew of, and that fewer still had dared to bargain with.

Demons.

These were not the typical demons Explorers fought against; these were not the creatures who wore dust for flesh and had ash for blood. No, these instead wore ephemeral forms that wavered in and out of existence. While their physical forms had long since been removed from existence, their essences -- not souls, never souls, for demons of these sort had forsaken them long ago -- were trapped, held firm in place by countless wards, anchors, and totems, all which worked against and beside one another.

One ward shackled the spirit called Tazyrten, while a totem imbued with blood spilled in its name granted it its power. Another sigil ensured the eidolon known Aj-Lrev never possessed another corporeal form, but the anchor of a branch hewn in two, wrapped with cloth dyed yellow, kept it within those terrible, subterranean halls of House Temerity.

Even if they had -- by force or by penance, it mattered not -- turned their powers against their infernal masters, they were still demons, affronts to existence.

And yet with the power they contained, the raw fury of Hell which all knew was almost without equal, it fell to House Temerity to levy such strength and use it to protect the icons of the Gods, not tear them down. While some members of the Order shouted time and again this was an affront to the sacrifice of Arceus, none could contest that the powers granted helped to stave off the ever-rising tide.

"Do you understand, then, why we do what we must?" echoed a tired and stern voice. It belonged to a Golduck with a cracked gem and an eyepatch over his left eye, and who wore the greatcoat of House Temerity upon his shoulders. He, looking from his seat in the council flanked by four others -- two which wore similar robes, and two that donned the regalia of The Order -- stared down onto the Inteleon who stood before them.

Even given the Inteleon's great height, he had to look up in order to meet Golduck in the eye. His voice was sharp-witted and full of tempered anger, and as he glanced upward the censer around his neck swayed slowly back and forth against the simple white cloth of an aspirant.

"I understand well, High Lord of the House. And likewise I believe in the cause. I want nothing more to... no. I can right now fight against them as an Explorer, that I know. Nay, I wish to use their own terror against them, to know that the flesh and ash I would annihilate would be done so by cause of their own powers used by the righteous. I wish to become a warrior that bears the name of this House. I wish to join the ranks of the Temerity"

"And do you know," cried out a shrill voice, one that belonged to a pompous Ampharos wearing the badge of an an Inquisitor for The Order, "what that entails? Do you understand what you lose should you proceed?"

"I do."

"Truly? Gone will be your knowledge to those who care of, expunged the moment of the pact being made."

"Already are all those who know me departed."

"And what of those who you know not? As an Explorer you might carry the honor and name of your family, have it be repeated by the millions. To continue is to be frowned upon, spoken of in whispers by your companions, forever tied to this... House."

Golduck only gave Ampharos an unpleasant glance as the Inquisitor awaited the Inteleon's response.

"I would rather my actions be my legacy. And to serve any House in the name of the Gods is as high an honor as any."

"Truly?" was Ampharos's response. "Truly you think so? And will you be beside the Gods once your pact inevitably turns against you?"

No one spoke. Not Golduck nor Inteleon, nor the other Inquisitor of the Order nor the two other Lords of House Temerity. It was only after many heartbeats of silence that Ampharos broke the silence and said, almost pleadingly, "Your very afterlife is forfeit if you go down this path. Truly, are you willing to lash against your soul infernal energies that Arceus surely would not welcome beside Him?"

Ahab the Inteleon only had to recall the demonic incursion that set him upon this path. He knew that if he refused to proceed, then in due time he would once more be reunited with his family. But he knew also that, were he to die not avenging them a hundred times over, then his afterlife would be one of regret.

And it is far better to cease to exist than to be forever embroiled by lament, thus Ahab answered, looking not at the Ampharos but instead at Golduck, saying, "I know how great the toll is upon my being, but I know likewise that the toll will be many times higher upon the forces of the damned. I choose to proceed, O honored Lord."

Kamil Orman-Janowski's Belly of the Beast

Golduck smiled and nodded his head, but Ampharos only shook hers. Only the most hardened of souls, after all, could be considered able to withstand direct demonic influence, lest they find themselves beside the forces of Hell. Good souls, ones that should be worthy of Explorers, ones that the Gods above would surely be delighted to have in their presence, now forever lost, tainted by damnation.

She waved a flipper in the air. "So be it. The Order, then, allows for the pact to be made. You may proceed... carefully."

The other Inquisitor, seeing Ampharos's approval, likewise joined her in assent, leaving the remaining three Lords of House Temerity to speak amongst themselves, Ahab standing silently before them as they spoke, discussing the finalized terms they had set into motion many moons before.

Finally, it was not Golduck but instead Taillow who stood up from her perch and gestured with a wing for Ahab to follow. And, with no further command, so too did two warriors of the Order, their weapons stayed but ready to be drawn as they flanked Ahab.

Down the halls they went, down the spiral staircase where guards were posted as densely as bricks.

Taillow stopped at the door and turned back. She scowled -- the best a beaked creature can scowl, that is -- and spoke to Ahab. "Tradition dictates that I go no further, that you alone would go and speak to the contained demon. However, given the... influence of The Order, you will be accompanied by these two warriors. Pay them no heed and fail to acknowledge their presence before the demon. Do you understand?"

Ahab nodded. He knew the ritual well enough; walk forward, straight, and give no response to the taunts and promises the other chambered demons made. He had only sight for the one called Beidat, All Seeing, and by fortune and misfortune alike Beidat only had sight for him. He knew the terms by heart, having studied them time and over again, so much so that they were as etched into his memory as was the face of his sister.

Ahab spoke. "I do."

"Proceed, then. Ah, the censer. Here, allow me..." said Taillow, who hopped forward and struck a match, holding it below the censer that dangled against Ahab's neck and waiting for smoke to appear.

Once it did, she flew backwards, looking Ahab up and down before saying, "You may go forth, Ahab."

Thus he went forward, swinging the door open and walking carefully, ignoring the whispers and vows of power the other demons he cared not for spoke of. So too did the warriors, though Ahab thought he could see from the corner of his eye one of their gazes look upon the demons for longer than what would be deemed acceptable.

Five, ten, thirty paces in sum, and he found himself before a smooth-flowing wisp of blue miasma that could be mistaken for a cloud of mist, if not for the terrible grin it wore on its beak. Beidat, All Seeing, spoke with an almost whistling and upbeat voice, a remnant of the chatot body it no longer had.

"Come, come! Come closer, Ahab, and speak to me. I see you are more nervous that the time of last we saw one another, hmm? But I knew, oh how I knew you would be the one. Come, come! Are you ready for the pact? And what of your friends there? I don't want to deal with them, surely you understand. I want only you, dear friend, but always I welcome more witnesses to our unity."

The two guards were silent and still, leaving Ahab to dodge the question and say, "I come to you, Beidat, he of the ville of Sipton, the far-seer, he who gave rise to the cult and betrayed his fellow pokémon, he who was captured and restrained, made to serve good once more 'gainst his will, I come to you with an offer, with a pact."

"Oh!" chirped Beidat, uncaring of the charges raised against him, "Do tell. Do tell what you wish to gain from me and I from you, dear friend."

Ahab proceeded as planned, saying, "I ask for vision, for sight for six miles and two-thirds a seventh, for sight that I might use to strike down the demons, like those you have summoned, and cultists, like those who left you to be captured."

Beidat nearly spat at that before chirping excitedly once more. "Revenge? Revenge! Oh, how I long to see their faces when they get what they deserve. How captivating a proposal. But that distance? That long and true a sight? Oh, you ask for much... much power of mine. Nearly all. What might I get in return, Ahab, dear friend?"

"In exchange for your vision, I offer my own: from my left eye you can see the exercise of your powers, from my left eye you can see how your powers will guide my weapon against the enemies of Arceus, those who betrayed you."

Beidat hovered and shimmered with an ethereal glow as he responded, "Oh? Your left eye? With what weapon, dear friend? That crossbow you brought before me last time, that which is certainly too unwieldy to use 'lest you've some mighty power to assist? Come, bring it forth and let me see!"

Ahab, hesitantly, gave an almost imperceptible nod to one of his escorts. The pokémon left then returned, dragging back the oversized harpoon. He handed it to Ahab. The inteleon grunted beneath the weight as he presented it before Beidat, who cooed and cawed as the shimmering blight inspected it. Then said Beidat, "What a weapon! Oh, that would indeed be a sight to behold, to see my powers letting you wield such a thing! As for the hunted you promise, do tell, would it be only here? Would you be only guard of this House or another, or would you go about and make the offensive against them? Tell me, Ahab, dear friend: if this pact is made, are you to be assigned to the Cerberus?"

Another imperceptible nod and another bright and giddy tweet. "Wondrous! I wish to see so many different lands, oh to see how the touch of my true God has blessed this world! So be it! So long as you extinguish the flame in that foul-smelling censer, dear friend, then your terms will be met."

Ahab, now, gave no response, offered nothing other than stillness and, after waiting for half-a-minute, a frown.

The All Seeing chirped once more. "I had to try, dear friend. Oh, what you ask for is much, but what you offer I cannot pass. I, Beidat, seer-of-plains and preacher of salvation to the pokémon of Sipton, betrayed by my own, fellow adherents to the God above the Gods, accept your terms, Ahab. You will be my sight renewed, and I your strength imbued."

From outside the guards shifted uncomfortably as the sounds an inteleon would make when his left eye felt like it was being clawed away by the talons of a demon echoed through the hall. Before them, Taillow prayed to Arceus that the Divine Agony Ahab was facing would soon come to a close, that He might guide Ahab's bolts into the hearts of His enemies, and, above all else, that The Order's belief would be false, that a soul willing to sacrifice itself in the name of driving back the enemies of the Gods would be welcome beside Him.

The screaming stopped, replaced by a tired panting. Then, echoing throughout the halls as all stood in silence, the sound of wood being at first dragged at first, then no sound at all.

The door flung open. The guards raised their weapons, then lowered it. The inteleon, holding firm in his grasp his weapon of war, stood before them all, his censer ablaze and his left eye no longer his alone.

"We cannot trust them. Let them die in the field and be forgotten. Why, you ask? Simple: Those who commune with demons will be brought by degrees to wield their swords.”