Chapter 85: Zeri
A sense of urgency hung in the air, and from afar, a harrowing trumpet blast signaled danger. In that small civilization, these barbarians had learned to survive in the harsh desert. The young and the old, when the monstrous cloud approached, would hide like chicks during a storm. The arrogant would cower, the drunks would sober up, fearing they’d be buried alive. Even the stray dogs had learned to save their own lives.
Whenever a ritual took place, a new corpse was expected, no older than ten years. The victims of the organization were not from the Barbarian city but children from various parts of the world reached by the Shadow of Crux. The Barbarian city was an abandoned place, and no one dared to welcome its people, who were seen as a lower class of society with no future. Many viewed this place as full of criminals—people who were outcasts from their own countries and had found their way here to form their own civilization. They were children inheriting the bitter lives of their parents, a chain seemingly passed down to them for a lifetime.
The Shadow of Crux was known for supporting the hungry barbarians in exchange for their loyalty and service, such as remaining silent about the organization. The people supported Queen Zeri of the Shadow of Crux; whatever they saw, they would act as if they were blind and deaf. They had heard the name Marguel, but they had never seen even a shadow of him. They knew that the queen of the Shadow of Crux was the former wife of a priest whom many believed to be possessed by a demon because of his obsession with the power of darkness.
Queen Zeri’s goal was to avenge her husband, the priest, who was crucified and died in the country of Cypriox. And now, she followed the orders of the Entity of Triangulum. The organization was formed, which was once only fighting for the justice her husband had sought due to the false judgment of the high priests. Eventually, it grew into an organization, a sect, and would soon become even more powerful in the world.
Zeri had a son with the priest she loved, and they named him Marguel. Queen Zeri peered out a large window, watching the sandstorm. Her beauty, which had captivated the priest’s heart, stood before the approaching storm. The black cats that followed her felt the strong howl of the wind from a distance and scurried to her feet.
"Where is Marguel? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? The ceremony has begun. This will cause great damage if it’s not completed soon!" the queen said to her servants.
"Queen Zeri... The rock mechanism that will open the Teleportation from the sky is now working," said one of the magician’s disciples. A beam of light pierced upward and through the dark clouds.
"Should we now pour the magic made of pure energy?" another disciple added.
"Not yet," the queen replied, still staring into the distance. Her long black garment, which clung to the limestone floor, looked like a turkey’s dangling feathers.
The queen’s palace was made of limestone, white rocks, and clay. It was not tall but built underground like a cave, a design meant to adapt to the complex desert environment. Squares and rectangles were the common shapes found inside, and even the vastness of the interior had a unique symmetry.
The smell of the limestone, its color, and the lack of majestic architecture had made her sad ever since she left her former life in Cypriox. Her fate had become challenging. She accepted this destiny because she loved the priest named Covinnther. As she watched the light rain upward, she remembered the priest she loved, Covinnther Ruez.
The priest Covinnther Ruez was a brilliant priest and was greatly admired by the Cyprioxians. Before he became a priest, he loved to invent amazing things—ideas that scholars couldn’t understand. Because of Covinnther’s immense intelligence, which often seemed impossible to realize and were just imagination in the eyes of scholars, he was called a madman by the recognized intellectuals in the country of Cypriox. His "crazy" inventions, however, were used by people in their daily lives as alternative methods, which made the people admire his skill even more. The concepts he had placed in a book were tried by experts, and the kings who boasted they could solve the sciences and mysterious charms of ancient people in Cypriox could only scratch their heads. When they discovered it was difficult to understand the formulas that were beyond their minds, they said it was pure madness, especially since there was no basis that the things were real or existed in the present time, and perhaps they were just made up to make people think he was a clever priest.
But even though the scholars thought Covinnther was crazy, creating ideas that weren’t real, the people greatly praised and admired him. His inventions indeed provided convenient solutions for their daily tasks. For example, he created a wooden mechanical device that helped in drawing water from an old, deep, and mossy well, and he solved the diseases that spread among the crops of the farmers. All of this was solved. He needed to live with the people in the town because that was the challenge a student priest had to undertake. It was more favorable for him to show off his wisdom in solving problems with equipment, social problems of the local people, and even environmental problems.
Zeri’s family was wealthy. Every Saturday, she helped her parents with musical theatricals for the western church of Cypriox. While Covinnther was teaching the children on the side of the church, Zeri noticed him for the first time. She listened happily to Covinnther as the children threw many questions at him. When he explained, they listened like students. Zeri was amazed because he taught differently; he could be said to be even better than the teachers in the city’s schools for the rich. Even in public, he also taught the citizens how to work with wisdom in things. Zeri saw Covinnther as a happy young man because of the wisdom he conveyed to the people. So from then on, she decided to follow the young man. She entered the convent even though it was not her parents’ dream, which was for her to be a great singer. But because Zeri had entered a sacred duty, her parents thought that maybe it was the destiny the divine Crux wanted for their daughter. However, a divine calling was not her reason, but her admiration for Covinnther. Even though Zeri knew it was a violation of the sacred law of Cypriox that a priest could not marry or have children, she secretly watched and followed the young student.
When Zeri entered the convent, she understood Covinnther’s true character even more. Besides the exciting ideas that came out of his mouth, his hands could also create amazing things because of his intelligence. Their relationship became close, like best friends. Until Covinnther became a true priest, she continued to support his ideas, and sometimes she used the power of her own family to make Covinnther’s ideas happen. Covinnther continued to show his wisdom and genius in invention to the public.
And that she begin to fall in love with the priest even if this is a bad to their religion, Zeri was a good woman, her name, her family was known in the north Cypriox, she is a good singer, but her ability is like a feline , she turn herself into a cat.
But, many believe, black cat is a bad omen to the lives of human. So, her ability was keep secrets until one day, Coventher discover her true form.
Coventher didn’t hate her or curse with Crux spell or oracion, he encouraged her to show her true ability in front of him. And so, they became friends and Zeri ability can escape from enemies restraint.
Coventher was alleged to be one of the rebel why many believer of Crux religion goes against the system.
The three kings ordered to punish those who were caught from revolting to the government of Cypriox. Though, they suspect that Coventher was one of them . So, they arrested the priest without any conditions. But, many followers was reacted. So the three kings was angered to the citizen, but, they make up stories to make the image of Coventher ruin in the community. So, they start haring the priest, they heard, the priest was in relation to the woman who is zeri, his helper.
Coventher, reputation was destroyed, many followers was hated him, even though there is no evidence yet. But, then, his heart, later on no longer pretend to be a priest, but to become a lover.
He confessed his feeling to Zero, so many people was totally agreed to give him a punishment. A crucifixion or a everlasting imprisonment in the dungeon of Cypriox. Near at the Sanctimum Oprys.