It was extremely tense in Chief Acolyte Zaphyr's quarters. The three senior clergy present were silent as stone and rigid with paranoia. Any sound outside the closed wooden door sent heads turning and muscles tightening. Every beast present was well aware of the danger of plotting against Azmeritus.

When the conspiracy was first born, its culmination seemed distant and theoretical. Now with only days until the final ritual, the coup seemed rushed and haphazard. It had become difficult for the conspirators to meet, each felt they were being watched, each felt that someone loyal to the mongoose was aware of their betrayal. Despite this feeling of impending doom, they were still committed to their goal of removing him from power, they did not feel they had anything to lose. If Azmeritus succeeded in raising the Ürgod, their lives would eventually be forfeit in its cleansing of the world, if they were discovered, their lives would simply end sooner. If Azmeritus was deposed, they would flourish, they would become powerful and wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

The last few weeks had been frustrating for the conspirators. Three times they had planned the mongoose's assassination and were ready to act. Three times Azmeritus had changed his schedule and avoided injury. It was as though he could read their minds and it unnerved them. Now the High Priest remained in the sacrificial cave throughout the day and night, never straying outside its confines for any reason and guarded always by armed brothers loyal to his goals.

The air of desperation was thick in Zaphyr's quarters as he addressed his co-conspirators.
"Time has run out, we must act immediately or we are all doomed. What we need are suggestions...now! Well?"

Prester Tor, a weasel, meekly raised his hand and ventured a suggestion.
"Perhaps we could poison him?"

Zaphyr shook his head.
"He cooks his own meals there in his cave. He has enough food and drink stockpiled to last months. Poisoning is not an option."

"We should simply get our followers and attack the cave and slaughter him where he sits," Bishop Armis, a fox, stated flatly.

Once more Zaphyr shook his head.
"The access to the waterfall and cave along the cliff is long and narrow. Only one beast at a time can traverse it. The dozen or so guards could hold off an army for a month...then it would be too late," Zaphyr stood and paced across the room, "we cannot simply give up... we need a solution."

"Perhaps we are looking at this from the wrong angle," Prester Revus, said pensively.

"What do you mean?" Zaphyr asked.

The stoat clergybeast continued.
"We have been focusing on killing Azmeritus to prevent the awakening of the Ürgod. Why don't we sabotage the final sacrifice so it will fail? If the ritual fails, Azmeritus' followers will begin to doubt him making him far more vulnerable to attack. Instead of killing the mongoose, let's eliminate the final thirteen supplicants. They are all high-born and not easily replaceable..."

Zaphyr interrupted excitedly.
"Not replaceable at all! Azmeritus had me select them, saying it was vital for the success of the ceremony that they all be of noble blood. I went through every brother on land and sea and barely found the number required," He laughed loudly, "...excellent Revus! That is our answer! We will eliminate the royal supplicants, they are in our compound, surrounded by beasts loyal to our cause. It will be an easy matter to poison their food!"

For the first time since the meeting began, optimism spread through the room. A wave of relief swept over the conspirators as hope re-seeded within their hearts.  This mood was instantly dispelled as a loud knock on the door echoed through the room.

"Who's that?" Prester Tor asked nervously.

Zaphyr addressed the priests sternly in a quiet tone.
"Stop acting guilty. We have meetings concerning Brotherhood business all the time. I'll answer the door." He walked to the door and opened it to find Bishop Skaar standing outside.

"Chief Acolyte," the bishop began, "I hope I am not disturbing you."

Zaphyr forced himself to smile.
"Not at all, bishop. We  were just concluding our meeting... rescheduling devotions and such," he paused, "what can I do for you?"

"Nothing for me, eminence. Azmeritus wishes to see you. He'd like you to bring Deeb Shatus with you." Skaar answered.

"The Deev? But why?"

"He did not confide in me, nor did I ask. Is there a problem?"

"No Bishop, none at all," Zaphyr answered quickly, "when?"

Skaar laughed coldly.
"Now, of course and it would not be wise to keep him waiting." The bishop turned and left without another word.

Zaphyr turned to his co-conspirators.
"I had best see what he wants, we don't want to raise his suspicions. The rest of you go back to the compound and set our plan in motion. I don't want any of the supplicants alive at dawn!"

Zaphyr walked across the Deev Castle grounds at a brisk pace on his way to the Brotherhood compound. There were large groups of monks, readied for battle everywhere he looked. The castle walls were lined with lookouts and archers, alert and ready to defend against any attacker.

The front gate was well guarded by several squads of heavily armed warrior-priests under the command of a human Prester named Bort, who had been a captain for Khalis prior to joining the Brotherhood. After recognizing Zaphyr, he quickly had the gate opened and acting on the Chief Acolytes request, assigned several of his soldiers to accompany him to the Scarlet Brotherhood compound where the noble supplicants, including Deeb Shatus were housed.

The Brotherhood compound was even more densely manned than the castle, since it was not only significantly smaller, but served as a bivouac for newly arriving Brotherhood troops.

Zaphyr quickly made his way through the grounds and entered the building which served as quarters for the noble supplicants awaiting their sacrifice. The room in which the supplicants were housed was spacious and laid out with a banquet suitable for kings.

Of the thirteen doomed nobles, a dozen were gorging themselves on the wide variety of delicacies and wines available, chattering and engaging in a hedonistic range of fatalistic drunken revelries.

Only Deeb Shatus sat alone in a far corner, silently staring into space. Zaphyr approached him and beckoned him to follow. The former Deev stood and passively followed the Chief acolyte out of the room and back to the Deev Castle.

Zaphyr's mind raced as he led Deeb along the narrow cliff-face leading to the sacrificial cave alongside the cascading waterfall crashing down into the Narrows. He noted the soldiers guarding the path and felt re-assured that an attack on Azmeritus here would be fruitless. After being stopped by the guards, he waited until permission was granted to proceed. That having been done, he and Deeb continued through the spray of the waterfall and entered the sacrificial cave.

Azmeritus was seated at his table next to the Abitar studying the Prophecies. Bishop Skaar and two other brothers stood to the mongoose's right. Azmeritus pointed to a chair opposite him and smiled.
"Thank you for bringing Brother Shatus so promptly, Zaphyr. Please...have a seat."

Zaphyr sat. He waited wordlessly while Azmeritus stood and approached Deeb Shatus. The Deev, who till now had only stared blankly into space, suddenly seemed aware and turned his head from side to side.

The albino addressed him with a perverse affection.
"Brother Deeb, I shall miss you. You have been the ideal follower, the perfect Scarlet Brother," he put his paw on Deeb's shoulder and stared him squarely in the eye, "do you understand what I am saying brother?"

A glimmer appeared in Shatus' blank eyes and he nodded slowly.

"Good," Azmeritus continued, "I am going to give you instructions, you will follow them precisely...do you understand?"

Once more the former Deev nodded.

"Excellent," Azmeritus smiled, "you will go with Bishop Skaar. He will take you to the harbor where a small skiff is waiting. You will board the boat and make your way around Xenoth to its furthest point. There you will go ashore and settle. You will never think of the Deev or the Brotherhood again. You will be reborn as a blank slate...do you understand?"
Again the Minge nodded. Azmeritus turned to Skaar.
"Escort our former brother to his ship and see him off."

"Yes eminence." Skaar responded. He escorted Deeb Shatus out of the cave. Zaphyr sat in total confusion as Azmeritus returned to his seat and faced him. They sat silent for a while until the High Priest smiled broadly and spoke.

"You seem befuddled, Chief Acolyte."

"I don't understand, I thought Deeb was required for the final sacrifice." Zaphyr responded.

Azmeritus did not answer immediately. He spun the Prophecies around so that the text was legible to the Chief Acolyte, the pointed to a paragraph at the center of the page.
"Read that section aloud, would you Zaphyr?" he asked pleasantly.

Zaphyr looked at the verse and recited it.
"Let's see...

'The deathless brother will the god not serve
But flee to further shores upon the unknown land.
No longer ghost or minion he,
Before rebirth he rides the sea...'."

The Chief Acolyte looked up quizzically, " So the thirteenth noble is not truly needed for the awakening?"

Rather than answer, the mongoose flipped a few pages and found another verse which he pointed out to Zaphyr, who read it out.

"The empty throne must now be filled
by noble blood two times distilled.
The traitor's heart redeemed at last
As Xenophus' bless'd repast...'."

Zaphyr's eye's widened in horror as the implication of the verse dawned on him. He could not speak, instead stared blankly at Azmeritus who smiled wickedly and spoke in a menace-laden tone.
"You see Zaphyr, you are saved. If I am not mistaken, your great-grandfather was a duke, thus making your blood twice distilled with the blood of commoners," seeing the distress on his minion's face he continued, "don't be sad, Zaphyr, be joyous. You have been given the honor of being the thirteenth supplicant in Deeb's place.

"There is no need to thank me, your treason is forgiven. These two brothers...," he motioned to the guards who sidled up to either side of Zaphyr and took his arms, "will take you to your new quarters."

Zaphyr could not speak and meekly went along with his escort back to the Brotherhood compound. He had given up completely and now only hoped that his conspirators would be successful in poisoning the supplicant's food, thus allowing him a peaceful exit from this world. It was preferable to him to being eaten by the terrifying thing which Azmeritus wished to awaken.

This final hope was dashed as he approached his new home. There at the entrance to the supplicant quarters he noted a new decoration with horror. Three poles had been driven into the ground by the door. On their tops rested the heads of his co-conspirators, Armis, Revus, and Tor. He hung his head and entered the quarters of the doomed.