The Sorrows of the Church
The dripping kept him awake. "Another rainy night..." he thought to himself as the candles started burning out, indicating that it is already late and the guards have returned to their quarters while the clergy are busy with worldy matters. His paws sore, his ankles chaffing on the cuffs that shackle him to his cell, and nothing more than a piece of hard bread for supper. "I knew I shouldn't have denied those clergymen. Now I'm languishing here in a cell awaiting trial when I can be working at my smithy," Sloane thought in his head.
Sloane, a black wolf, was a young smither who had just inherited his fathers smithy from which he crafted tools that gave him quite a fortune for the quality it presented to the townspeople. Unfortunately, during his fathers time this was also the beginning of the Sorrows of the Arkhanite clergymen, spiritual leaders who were charged and trusted with leading and caring for the peoples who are faithful to Arkhos and his virtuous teachings. Not long after inheriting the smithy he was imprisoned for outrageous grounds such as accusations of heresy and other crimes that seem unlikely to be linked to him, one thing was certain though, he was being extorted and blackmailed and these so called shepherds have succumbed to worldly desires just like lay people despite their dogmatic faith.
Sloane gave up trying to break his chains having attempted over the course of weeks with no sign of freedom. His trial was nearing he could sense it, he was one of the few prisoners left, most have gone free by promising to pay money to the Church as part of the ruling council tax, others however who refuse to submit end up being executed as heretics and blasphemers.
Suddenly the prison door slammed open! A guard was rushing towards Sloane's cell quickly his steps silent and light, he grabbed something from the armoury and opened the cell door and made his way to Sloane. "What the hell are you doing???" he shouted as the guard was manhandling him. The guard remained silent and pushed Sloane to the door just as he took his first step the guard bashed him in the head with a club and knocked him out.
"Ughh.... Where am I?" Sloane groaned, "You have been brought here to the High Spiritual Court of Arkhos to attest for your transgressions against the dogma!" shouted a voice. Sloane looked up to see he was once again cuffed before a high bench where three dire wolf archbishops sat as judges. "Sloane Mjolnir, you have been brought to this court for heresy and threatening behavior towards clergymen!" shouted the bishop, "What? But I just turned them down because I wasn't interested in such matters! This is unfair!" Sloane protested, "Silence! We of the High Court are convinced of your guilt and lies! The council has already taken this matter and gives you two choices, you may pay us a sum of money so that we as merciful as that is asked of Arkhos' blessed may be able to grant an indulgence for you or perhaps you'd like to spend the rest of your life attoning for your sins?" He said with a rather sly tone.
"I deny it all! You and your clergy treat us like dirt yet you claim to be just and morally upright followers of Arkhos' ways you are nothing but the hidden hands of twisted puppets amongst us..." Sloane spat at the court, there were several shout outs and yelling from the jury, they looked poised to riot. "Silence! Silence!" shouted the judge "Very well you have given up your last chance, we the council of Arkhos, find you guilty and sentence you to prison until you prove yourself attonement for your sins!" spat the judge.
PART 1 END