Brother David and the two knights, Andre de Troges and Renaud of Flanders leave the basilica and head to the docks to consult with Brother Merrivac. Passing through Venetian territory they are witness to the continuing suffering of the people of the city.
At the docks they see Brother Merrivac’s leper ship, the “Restice”. Brother David talks with some Greek sailors who let them use their boat to approach the vessel. On board the group meet with Brother Merrivac of the Order of St Bartholemew, a saint martyred by having his skin flailed from his body.
Whilst obviously not a leper himself, Brother Merrivac has a strange discoloured patch of grey skin near his mouth. His room is dark and he is obviously anemic.
They consult with him and he speaks of a cult that worships “The Skinless One”. He shows great interest in the talk of the Devil’s Simulare. He shows them an old scroll that displays the Simulare separated into many pieces.
He says that when viewed at an oblique angle in sunlight it is visible on the wearer and that striking it with sufficient force can remove it from their person. He is distainful of the cult and warns that the real threat is a Turk named Sedefkar.
He claims the ritual that the knights seek can indicate where the suit can be found. He asks them to find the ritual and return it to him, which they agree to do.
Returning to the docks the knights recruit some fellow crusaders to help them and head back through Venetian held areas of the city towards the Church of Mercius where they believe the ritual to be. The streets are quieter but many buildings are in ruins from the siege.
Strange things occur as the knights continue to their destination. They encounter two Frankish priests who are being tempted by a naked prostitute. They ignore her advances and pray in silence. Nearby hangs a Greek man and, scattered around them, the bodies of four dead Greek commoners and three Frankish Knights.
On seeing them approaching the two priests, in obvious relief, drop to their knees and kiss the knights feet. They explain that the dead knights had brought the hanging man to the priests saying that he had used Frankish blood to summon the Dragon that now stalks the city. The other Greek men arrived and it ended in slaughter. They move closer to the Greek man and hear him muttering “The dragon will rise”. Andre cuts the rope and ends the man’s life.
The prostitute, drunk and raving, tells that she has seen the dragon herself.
Arriving at the church they learn from some frightened citizens that many Venetian knights have already entered but there is an underground route through a cistern into the catacombs beneath. They find the steps to the cistern and descend. There are strange marks and jelly-like blood on the steps. A terrible odour that emanates from within.
In the large, water filled chamber they hear the splashing of something moving in the darkness. A small rowboat is moored nearby the entrance and a long walkway extends around the chamber. The knights enter the boat whilst Brother David attempts to sneak around the edge.
On the far wall is a large, marked area with strange burns on it. Hooks are hammered into the wall near strange sigils which Brother David identifies as being components of a demonic summoning ritual.
At that moment a tentacled beast emerges from the black waters, spewing a noxious fluid that burns and kills one of the accomanying men at arms. The Dragon! Renaud strikes the beast but finds its skin to be as tough as metal. He notices that the space below the thing’s belly looks softer. Both he and Andre attempt to strike the creature there.
The two Frankish knights fight boldly against the creature whilst Brother David rushes up into the catacombs to attempt to find some form of assistance. The other man-at-arms is slain horribly. Whilst Renaud is thrown across the chamber by the creature, Andre thrusts his blade deep into its belly, slaying it.
Now only three again, they ascend through the catacombs and into the body of the ruined church. The knights of the cult have already searched most of the statues of the Virgin Mary but the Franks discover a smaller statue that has been overlooked. Digging in the earth beneath it they find their prize and attempt to sneak away. Renaud is spotted as they flee and charges the enemy to hold them back. He kills one of their pursuers but is then confronted by an eye-patched priest who, chanting strange words, magically begins to peel Renaud’s skin from his body.
As Renaud dies the other two escape to the catacombs to continue their quest…
