"Sir Scott, I'm sure you must see how serious the situation is" said Blood Brother Martyn, pacing up and down his study. Scott put his elbows on the desk and leaned forward.
"I do, my blood brother. But it are serious accusations. Lord Chatterley is a very powerful man, the richest man in Cardiff. His army of friends have high ranks. Jason is the captain of the special British squadron, and Abidin and Sean are mayors. Plus that, if Richard Chatterley can prove he's innocent, the brotherhood will be in bad daylight once again and lose a lot of money."
"I know!" martyn exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "That's the problem. I can't prove it, but I am very sure his wife is a witch. Lord Chatterley is a mere victim. But the only way to ban the evil is to destroy it. We can't take risks."
"But lord Chatterley is ill, and his wife is pregnant!" Scott protested.
"Well, you must try to go over there and find out for yourself. You can get in with the Chatterleys. The brotherhood is already capturing the armymen. They knew we were searching for them, because they left Cardiff yesterday, but they will get caught again."
"What?! Why do I not know of this?"
"It's for the best if people don't know you are a part of the brotherhood, Sir Scott."
Scott nodded. He was already a part of the holy Blood Brotherhood for six years now. They worked indirectly for the royal church, and sought and exterminated suspected witchcraft. The witch burning might have stopped the century before, still they worked underground using the same repulsive methods to dispose of the things they didn't understand. Sometimes Scott did feel sorry for the men and women he killed, but then he made himself remember they were evil.
"The false soldiers will hang by sundown" Martyn said, and Scott nodded grimly.
Early that afternoon he rode out to the enormous cottage of the Chatterleys. Sir Richard Chatterley was a young man with brown hair and big, light blue eyes and usually a smile on his fave, for he was a happy, uplifting person. Scott rather liked him, and found it hard to believe he was related to the Cult. Richard Chatterley was very ill. He had had a hunting accident some time ago and didn't seem to be recovering anymore. As soon as Scott was led into his room, seeing the exhausted, emaciated man and heard his raspy, raw breath he knew it wouldn't matter too much to Richard if he was hung, because he was dying.
"Sir Scott" said Richard suddenly after a long time of silence between them. His voice had once been powerful, strong and deep, but was now only a shadow of that, like the man himself. "A Blood Brother. How particular."
"What? How do you..." Scott's surprise let him drop all courtsey and defence.
"Does it really matter? You know I am a Cultist."
"I hoped it wasn't true."
"How noble. I ensure I can live with it perfectly though. It's very touching you care about me but I would care about yourself first. You're in trouble, by the name Blood Brotherhood."
"You're dying, man. You were brought into temptation..."
"Oh please. You were. By fame and fortune. You won't have any of this. You're a traitor, a traitor of honest men and women who have every right to live like you and your wife."
"I defend my country, to which the Cult is a threat. Cultists are touched by evil and can only be helped by being exterminated."
Richard sounded exasparated in his reply, like he was talking to stubborn child. "You know better than that, Scott" he said, dropping his mask of politeness.
"A cultist killed my nephew" Scott answered between clenched teeth. "She was a witch."
"And he raped here because she liked to sit around a fire with similar thinking people in the forest. Of course the Cult is more than that but I'm not into a theological discussion on my dying bed.Besides that's not what you're after. You're ambitious and the Brotherhood can offer you what you want, and not even killing innocent people is going to stop you."
Scott sighed and closed his eyes, getly rubbing them. "I know he was wrong. But how can you be in the Cult when your wife...I mean they say she killed you."
"Lady Chatterley IS the Cult. I trust you this. What will you do?"
Scott breathed deeply. In his heart he knew the Cult was no threat to society. They only thought differently, and like many people he had been afraid for them. But the brotherhood was a threat. Tonight, three innocent men would hang.
"Pay your debt" Richard whispered. "It doesn't matter when. Make sure Sean, Abidin and Jason live.'
"What about you?"
"I don't have to be saved. Go now. The temptation will die as your debt is paid."
Scott rode harder than ever before. His expensive clothes were soaked with rain, but he had to be in time before sundown. He spurred his horse to hurry along the road to Cardiff. Jsut as the sun went down behind the city walls he reached the gates and galloped through. he didn't slow down and rode straight towards the square where criminals were always hung in public. When he jumped off his horse, the last sunbeams went lost between the houses. He looked up at three lifeless figures against the evening sky. He swallowed hard. He was too late.
Will Scott be able to pay his debt almost three centuries later..?
Scott shot up from his bed and put a hand to his forehead. He had had the nightmare again. Next to him he felt Kerry stirring and her sleepy voice asked :"What's the matter darling?"
"Nothing" he replied. "Just a nightmare." he softly stroked her hair untill she fell asleep again. He didn't go back to sleep however but thought about his dream, that he had had many times before already sine he had been in the band. There, he could see Rich lying ill in his bed, and himself talking to him, but he could never hear the words. When they were spoken out he would rush away to a city, a old city and there he would see his other bandmates, hanging dead in soldier clothes from long ago. A huge feeling of disappointment and guilt would fall over him and he would wake up. Usually, the dream ended there, but this time, Rich had appeared again, and said:"You still have to pay your debt, blood brother. Wacth out for temptation."
What the hell was that supposed to mean. In a dream, Rich was even more incomprehensible than usual. He decided to talk to him though, 'cuz if there was a person who knew it would be Rich.
"Well yeah, that's rather odd, isn't it?" Rich replied calmly when Scott had told him about the dream. Scott rolled his eyes.
"Really?" he asked sarastically. "I would never have guessed. Do you have any idea what it would mean?"
"Hm. Let's see. A debt. That could mean you still have a debt open from a former life, that something has to do with the lads."
"That's a little deep" Scott said frowning.
"The warning is real though, Scott. Just make sure not to come into temptation and watch out for J, Sean and Abs."
"What about you?"
Rich gave him a long glance . "I don't have to be saved." he answered.
Scott's world spinned. He'd heard those words before.
Three months later Scott had quite forgotten about his conversation with Rich as they were recording songs in Sweden. He was happy to be doing new songs with the group but some sort of restlessness had come over him. Rich knew but didn't say a word about it because he knew his bandmate well, probably better than Scott thought he knew himself. Scott's temptation wasn't far away. One afternoon, Scott was alone in the studion when a big boss of Stargate approached him. Scott didn't know his name, but that didn't matter when the man offered him this.
"We really like you for a new label. We are impressed and want you to be the first one to sign up."
Scott was brought in serious temptation. He was really very ambitious, and after all can no one resist flattering. A strong feeling flood over this temptation. the knowledge of what this would do to what he loved more than himself: Five. Scott brought up the will to look into the eyes of the man and say no.
"No thanks. I cannot be interested as I am already in a band I do not intend to leave. Thank you again."
A glimpse of hatred slid over the face of the man. "Very well then" he said stiffly. "Go with your band then." He turned around quickly and Scott's knees felt weak when he saw him walkng out and it felt like something major had happened.
"Scott!" he heard Rich's cheery voice on the other end of the studio, entering through the other door. He turned around andsaw his other bandmates. All of them.
"They're here to support us. Isn't that nice now?" Rich said with a knowing smile to Scott, and Scott smiled automatically, but meaningfull back. Done. And done.
