Sanglante de la neige: 1

Sanglante de la neige: 1

As the hooves of the three horses stomped down the snow the youngest of the three riders let out a scream. Lining the camp in a circle where the bodies of Russian Cossacks hanging from trees. The bodies were naked, and horribly mutilated. The throats were cut and the genitals cut off and shoved into there throats. The Maréchal slowed his horse to calm the boy. He spoke softly but still paternally, "Listen my boy, these Cossacks aren't men like you and me, they are monsters, throwbacks from before the enlightenment of humanity." The boy shivered as the three riders dismounted.
A voice from the darkness boomed, "Bienvenue, mon bon Maréchal!" And as the riders walked toward the fire Camille stood up. Beside him were two Moors decked in their traditional garb. Their names were Amin and Bashir. The two had come back with the French after the emperor had conquered Egypt. Amin slowly drew his dagger and stared at the riders. The Maréchal began with the same paternal inflection, "Are those corpses really necessary?" Camille retorted, "Oh my great and wonderful Maréchal these corpses are exactly why we are so safe. And besides I remember your words so clearly. So terror in the countryside, make the Russians think the demons in hell are fighting alongside then battalions of France."
A moment of crushing silence overtook the six men. It was finally broken by the warm laugh of the Maréchal, he laughed and then embraced Camille, "Oh my young brother you were always too thorough." Camille smiled at his brother "Isn't that why I am out here in the first place?" Amin returned his little dagger to his scabbard. And with this signal Bashir and Amin walked off to sit with the rest of Camille's men. The Maréchal began. "Camille, my dear brother, your men exceed even my high expectations of you. Our spies tell us that even now the Czar prays to his false god for deliverance. One even claimed to hear Alexander I claiming that Napoleon was the antichrist himself. It is all too splendid. But your band of cutthroats and ne'er-do-wells will not be needed for much longer."
Camille's slips pursed a gentle smile "Zut Alors! Do you mean to tell me Napoleon and Alexander have decided to stop acting like spoiled children and enter into negotiations?" The Maréchal snapped into a white hot rage, "Camille if you weren't my brother I would have you shot for such treasonous babble!" Then slowly calming down, "Our great and glorious emperor has another job for you. There have been rumors of ancient pagans in the dark forests of Lithuania. Our spies seem to think they have harnessed a dark and evil magic so powerful that their priests can live forever." Camille laughed answering incredulously to his brother, "Ah my good Maréchal, you mean rather than continue a rational guerilla and terror campaign against our enemy I am to run off to the woods in search of ancient pagan non-sense?" His laughter echoed brilliantly around the camp. Until the third rider took his hood off.
Standing before Camille was an ancient man. Scars adorned his wrinkled cheeks. The man looked almost a hundred, life worn completely down by worries and pain. And his eyes were as black as night. "I am a priest from Königsberg. Our monetary was founded during the crusades. The Prussian knights were slaughtering the Lithuanians with impunity, but we balked at this. A man of god wants the sheep to come to the fold not be fodder for the wolves. Our order began preaching to the villages, trying to make their lives a little more fulfilled. However the people thought the Prussians, all of us Germans to be monsters. they clung to their false gods, and we let the knights from all over Europe cut them down."
Camille laughed "Oh the kindness of Christianity!" The Maréchal stared at him "Finish your story old man." And the priest began again, "In a desperate attempt to hold off the crusaders the high priests made a pact with their pagan gods. In exchange for the strength to fight the Franks their souls would be forever cursed with a horrific disease. It mutilated their body and gave them an insatiable desire for human flesh. The high priests went mad with this curse, and retreated to the forests. They abandoned their people when they needed them the most."
Camille interjected again "It sounds like priests in general." The Maréchal slapped his brother, then smiled "Continue my friend." The old priest looked up at them "After the wretched pagans accepted our lord the knights set up a brutal dictatorship. Our order was merged with the Teutons. We joined them to hunt down heretics where ever they were. However in the deep dark pagan forests the priests still lived. They sustained themselves off of human sacrifice and the people prayed to the old gods for salvation from the Christians. We hunted these priests down. We killed them. The first time I laid eyes on one of them I was fifteen." Camille retorted "And it was 1193 right?"
One of Camille's men approached. His name was Alojzy. Alojzy smiled and began to speak, "We have heard of these demon priests in small towns in Poland they are used as bed time stories. You threaten little children. If they don't behave they will be fed to the old gods. It is mostly wives tales and non-sense, but..."
The Maréchal interjects, "Listen Camille your orders are to investigate these priests of the old gods. The emperor has special interest in immortality. This priest and the boy will accompany you. If you can pull this off you might earn yourself a pardon. In the meantime head for Lithuania, and take these maps from the middle ages. The priest should help you find one of the covenants. Now, I must make haste to meet up with the grand army it seems Kutuzov plans to meet us in an actual engagement.