Marduk’s Mark [18]
Disappointed
While Donovan’s men continued escorting Karlos past the city gate and into the guardhouse, he did not join them. He put a young guard in charge of the escort, one that had accompanied him to the Junex property. “Make sure that he is treated fairly until my return,” he told the young guard. He nodded at Donovan.
“I won’t disappoint you, captain!” the guard replied enthusiastically. Donovan smiled at him.
“I know you won’t, Lieutenant Argento,” Donovan said and nodded at him.
When they reached the fountain in the main city square, the guard unit proceeded north and Donovan turned east. He went down a flight of stairs at the end of the street he was walking through and found himself facing a tall fence. He lowered his eyes when he saw it and kissed a locket hanging from a leather band on his neck. He then looked for the gate and located the lock. It was an unwieldy thing with a rotating combination dial. Three turns to the right, landing on thirty-five. One turn to the left, making sure to go over the thirty-five and then stopping at seven. Another turn to the right, stopping at twenty-two. He heard a satisfying click and pulled on the lock to expose a keyhole. He removed the leather band hanging from his neck and manipulated the locket, which sprung a key from it. Going back to the lock, he opened it with the key, then he pushed it back into the locket and wore the band on his neck once more. Finally, he went through the gate and then locked it again.
He arrived at a long, winding street. He followed it to the end until he arrived at a four-way intersection. He turned right, following the street into another flight of stairs. He went down the steps then turned one-hundred and eighty degrees as he reached the end of them, walking in the opposite direction on this lower level. At last, he thought to himself as he found an old, abandoned shrine. Its most notable feature was an eroded statue of what seemed to be a lion. He put his hand inside the supposed lion’s mouth, feeling within it until he found a lever. He pulled on it and heard a distinct click.
One of the shrine’s walls slid to the right in a smooth, silent motion. He went into the tunnel and stepped on a plate that lowered slightly from his weight. That triggered another mechanism that closed the wall behind him.
“Judicar be my light,” he said, and pretty soon he was able to see inside the dark tunnel. Even though the shrine he entered through was abandoned and in ill repair, the tunnel was in excellent condition with not a speck of dust in the ground. Impressive columns made out of the finest marble surrounded him as he walked through the tunnel which was lined with columns that were constructed to hold the weight of the city above him.
After a few minutes of walking in the darkness, he reached a wooden ladder that he climbed eagerly. A trapdoor welcomed him at the top of the ladder and he went through it, finding himself inside a rectangular room that received light from stained glass windows. There was a concrete throne at one end of the room, and a shut door on the opposite end. He walked towards the throne in the room and sat down, letting out a sigh.
“Is this justice?” he asked out loud, but there was no reply. Of course not, he thought to himself. Most disappointing of all, he expected that he would have been able to handle a Marked Deelamn, but he let the Junex dictate the course of action. “Is that your will, oh wise Judicar?” Disappointingly, there was no reply yet again. Donovan took a deep breath and exhaled.
