by Ink Bamboo
Now, looking at Argent with embers of fury in his eyes, the man of faith opened his mouth to dryly voice a few words, “It’s still not over.”
Facing the tenacity of a zealot, Argent simply smiled. He had known men like him back in his earlier days as a novice in the Church of Death. For their faith, they were willing to throw everything away. Even their dignity was never as important as that of their god’s. Oh, how he despised them. To him, the path of faith was the path of a coward, a road that lead to nowhere. Then again, his followers behaved in much the same way.
Compromise was required.
“Say, cardinal, do you dare to duel me one-on-one?” taunted Argent. “You can send anyone from your side. If they can manage to inflict an injury on me, I’ll let them go — no strings attached.”
Magnus’s eyes opened wide when he heard those words. A mage’s oath was his binding. Argent had started as one way before he joined the Church of Death, and therefore, he was quite likely to stand by his promises. As far as Magnus was concerned, this was a chance for him and Erin to make it out alive of this ordeal.
Alas, his hopes were crushed before he had the time to voice his request. “Not you, Magnus,” said Argent. “I extended this offer to the cardinal, for I wish to see what a man of faith cares about the most in a time of crisis. Everything now is up to him.”
Silence.
One, two, three seconds went by without anyone voicing their opinion. Whoever was mentioned next would have a chance to make it out alive. Even if their pride compelled them to fight to their deaths, many of the priests and paladins present were hoping to be selected. Whether it be to alert the headquarters of the church or something else, they had successfully rationalized their own survival as part of a greater good.
Therefore, it was no surprise that the cardinal’s words shocked them to their core.
“My goddess is always by my side,” said the man of faith. “I will always choose her.”
Giving those around him no chance to react, the cardinal plunged a dagger through Erin’s back, driving it directly into her heart. With this, the silence was finally broken. Lacking any wariness towards her instructor, the young Chosen had failed to dodge, giving her no chance but to gasp for a cold breath of air the moment the dagger fully sunk into her body.
This was one of the final trump cards under the cardinal’s hand. Something he had saved only for the worse of outcomes. The ultimate price for the ultimate blessing.
Drips of crimson flowed out from the wound, followed by a scream full of insanity.
“You bastard!” yelled Magnus, his expression morphing into one of devastating pain. The exhaustion from fighting for an entire day and night straight had consumed all of his energy, making him unable to react in time. Never in his mind did he imagine the cardinal was willing to sacrifice Erin without any regards for his presence. He had to stop the cardinal before he did anything else.
With a swing of his hands, Magnus shot an orb of white flames towards the cardinal, threatening to engulf the zealot in a raging fire. This was a blaze conjured through the use of his life-force, something that showed Magnus’s determination to kill the man. Anything else would lack the firepower to actually endanger the cardinal’s life.
Unfortunately, Magnus didn’t account for the man’s determination. Without caring for the flames sticking to his body, the church’s representative twisted the dagger further into Erin’s body, paying no attention to the way his robes and jewelry were being burnt away. Not even the smell of burnt flesh was enough to distract him from his mission.
For him, this pain was but a small price to pay for what was to come.
Feeling the dagger piercing the other side of her body, Erin’s eyes opened wide, the book in her hands dropping to the ground for the first time in her life. Her gaze turned to look at the man responsible for the attack, sparks of doubt clouding her mind in regards to what she should do. Time was ticking, and she had to make a decision. At the rate she was losing blood, she would be robbed of her consciousness in the next few seconds.
Before she could settle on a course of action, however, a gracious voice sounded in her head.
“I accept your sacrifice, child. Now, welcome my embrace.”
Chapter 28
Descent.
It was the second day of their march when Zaros and the rebels finally saw their target in the distance. Nyx, the capital city after which the kingdom took its name. It was now so close, yet so far. The last remaining mile seemed to exist only to remind the troops how long it had taken them to achieve their goal.
Unimpeded by the blazing sun shining on their backs, most of their journey had been surprisingly uneventful. Facing their old home had changed all of that, however. It left them excited, ready to confront whoever tried to block them from claiming the city for themselves.
This was the reaction the council had aimed for. The soldiers were riled up, eagerly marching with more strength than before. Unlike the confrontation at the fort, it was now their turn to attack. The chance to personally vent the resentment they had accumulated over the years had finally arrived, and now that there was little danger to do so, no one was willing to pass it by.
Glory, revenge, and freedom — a multitude of purposes had brought them together as one. For years, they had fought with these goals in mind, facing the slow erosion of their hopes. Therefore, it was incredibly relieving for them to finally be able to put this conflict to rest.
“It’s funny how things change with time,” said Richard. He was attentively watching the city that had once exiled him, a smile full of schadenfreude taking shape in his lips. “I don’t think my brother imagined this day would ever come.”
“To be honest, neither did I,” admitted Jan. “I always thought I would die before this conflict was finally over. In that sense, the church’s offer came just at the right time.”
“I still think we shouldn’t have dealt with them,” said Nolan. “The fact that we haven’t seen them since before the battle tells me that they must be planning something else.”
“We all knew their intentions weren’t as clear-cut as Magnus presented them,” said Katherine. “Even then, we agreed to take the risk.”
“That’s good,” said Arkus, “because we might just have to face them.”
“What do you mean?” asked Richard.
Arkus turned to look at the council members, giving them a disappointed look. Their lack of attention to military affairs really worried him. If not for his presence, he was sure they would have already lost this war. At the very least, he hoped they wouldn’t need him in the future. A kingdom without war… that was something worth aiming for.
“Haven’t you noticed it?” asked Arkus, sighing in defeat. “All the grass we’ve been riding on has been recently trampled. Not by us, mind you.”
Jan turned to look at the ground and his eyes turned grim. “I see,” he eventually said. “Looks like we’ve got company.”
“Not just any company,” said Arkus. “Look at the depth of the footprints, that’s not something a normal convoy would leave. And I would dare to say there is not a single merchant group in the region with the wealth required to hire an armored legion. It leaves only one other organization to consider.”
“The Church of Light?” asked Katherine.
“Yes,” confirmed Arkus.
Silence fell amongst the council members, causing them to order a full stop of the troops behind them. They were only half a mile away from the city and this was the last opportunity they would have to rearrange the soldiers. Any changes they came up with had to be performed immediately.
“Can we assume they’re hostile?” asked Katherine. There were some traces of hope on her voice. It was evident she wished for a better conclusion than this.
“If they weren’t, they would have surely sent someone to greet us by now,” answered Jan. He agreed with Arkus’s assessment of the situation.
“Now what?” asked Richard. “If we marc
h inside to confront them directly, we will look like we’re in the wrong. We might even garner the populace’s rejection, making our rule increasingly complicated. Is there no other option?”
“I don’t think you should be thinking about that,” said Nolan, pointing to the sky. “We might just have a bigger issue to worry about.”
“What do you mean?” asked Arkus, turning to look in the direction of Nolan’s finger. What could the old punk notice that he had couldn’t? He would be damned if someone who had missed the marks on the grass was able to notice something he had not in the middle of the clear skies.
“Oh,” eventually muttered Arkus. With his mouth dropping wide, the bronze-skinned captain managed to realize how wrong he had been.
Out of nowhere, a pillar of light had descended into the middle of the city, slowly forming a bridge that connected the heavens with the earth. Golden rings of energy circled around the towering ray of light, forming a vortex in the clouds. It was a scene none of the council members would have ever even dreamt of, let alone thought of as possible.
“I guess that’s a perfect excuse to march in as you intended,” said Jan. “I know I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“It’s a better excuse than anything we could have wished for,” said Arkus, turning away to face the troops. “What do you think is responsible for this visual phenomena?”
“I’ve heard rituals to the gods usually involve flashy displays of power,” Katherine explained. “I guess they might be trying to employ it to gain the noble’s favor now that we’re so close to the kingdom.”
“Perhaps,” said Jan, clearly unconvinced by Katherine’s explanation. His instinct were telling them there was much more to this. “We can’t afford to let it go on for long then.”
“I guess this is it then,” said Richard. “Get the troops ready to charge inside.”
✽✽✽
A soft wave of force pushed away everything in the vicinity, leaving a petite girl with golden hair standing on her own. Her eyes shone with brilliant light as her dignified gaze scanned her surroundings. Cold and distant, she finally huffed. The way she had looked at everything and everyone made it obvious she only truly cared for herself.
The girl slowly examined every inch of her skin, going as far as to look below the robes covering her chest. The frown on her face made it evident she wasn’t pleased with what she was seeing. Especially so when she noticed the gaping wound where her heart was meant to be.
Placing her hand in front of her heart, she voiced words no one was expecting to hear, “Tch, how bothersome.”
Immediately, the wound on her chest started to close, not even leaving a scar behind. The pale skin on her body had returned to its previous pristine state, leaving only the torn, blood-stained pieces of her robe as evidence of what had transpired. Still, that didn’t seem to satisfy her needs. With another wave of her hand, she materialized a golden-white dress out of thin air, seemingly burning away and replacing the robe she was wearing.
At that moment, everyone knew she was no longer the Erin they were familiar with. No, she was now an existence of a greater caliber. Someone who wasn’t meant to walk alongside mortals.
“Goddess,” said the cardinal, tears falling off his face. If there was anyone who was still in the dark about her identity, the cardinal was now making it evident. “This humble servant has failed you. I implore you to deal with this enemy who dares to threaten the souls of your servants.”
As someone who was used to bowing to no one, the cardinal was going out of his way to make himself appear as humble as possible. Not a shred of his usual pride was displayed. Facing his goddess, the blistering wounds on his skin did nothing to deter him from repeatedly smashing his forehead in the ground as a display of reverence.
“Please, forgive my incompetence,” he insisted. “Deal with the blasphemers, for they have challenged your authority.”
The girl turned to look at the cardinal, the frown on her face returning to a neutral smile. “Do not worry,” she said. “The souls of my followers will forever be protected in my divine kingdom. Those who refuse reincarnation shall eternally rest amongst my realm. Thus commands the old covenant.”
“Now,” she continued, turning to look towards Argent, “Are you the reason I was called?”
Bowing, Argent courteously replied, “I’m afraid so, your holiness.”
“I never thought a mortal would be able to incorporate so much of Amro’s knowledge in such a short period time,” she said, looking momentarily at the walls of the kingdom’s capital. Her look was one part curiosity and three parts disgust. “I honestly thought soul-puppeteering arts would become extinct after the events of that day. I guess we underestimated the potential of this generation.”
“It would be a shame for perfectly good knowledge to disappear,” said Argent, shaking his head from side as he explained his reasoning. “I simply took it upon myself to preserve as much of it as I’ve found possible.”
“Perhaps,” said Alexandra. “It is still something none of my kin will be happy to hear about.”
“I see,” said Argent, sighing after a small shrug. “Won’t it be okay if they don’t find out, then?”
“What makes you think they haven’t already?”
“I’m not as ignorant as you think I am,” Argent answered. “I know you’re only a fragment of your true body’s consciousness. As long as you’re inside that girl, you’re limited by the conventional restrictions we mortals are under. Without leaving me to my own devices, you won’t be able to let them know about all of this. Of course, that would mean breaking the covenant your kind has with your followers.”
For the first time since her descent, Alexandra frowned. Knowledge about a god’s avatar was severely restricted by the different churches around the continent. She was sure not even Amro was reckless enough to leave something like this available for those of his church to learn. The fact that the man before her knew about this, however, was enough to classify him as a far bigger threat than she had originally estimated.
“Oh, so even gods are capable of emotions,” noted Argent, clearly pleased by Alexandra’s reaction. “Your kind is truly full of surprises.”
“You’re playing with fire,” Alexandra warned.
“So what?” questioned Argent. “This body is only a puppet, much like your own. There is little you can do to me from where you stand.”
“How much are you willing to bet on that?” she asked. “With enough time, I’m sure I’ll be able to find a nice way to punish you for this challenge.”
With a taunt, Argent simply scoffed, “Do your best.”
✽✽✽
Being under the presence of their goddess, none of the surviving priests and paladins dared to raise their head. It was only Magnus and Argent’s followers who remained on their feet. Magnus, for he had been shocked from start to finish. His mind was in a near-catatonic state, barely grasping what it meant for a god’s avatar to take control of his granddaughter’s body. Argent’s followers, on the other hand, did so for they refused to bow to a deity who represented another faith. The threat of death wasn’t enough to force them to their knees.
Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that only they were able to see the moment when Alexandra disappeared from where she was previously standing, leaving only a flash of light in her stead. It was only through her words that they later realized where she was. That, and the white, glowing sword of flames she was using to stab Argent through the back of his heart.
“Don’t think I don’t know what your intentions are,” she warned, further driving the sword into the king’s body that Argent had possessed. “You’re touching upon something you shouldn’t. Do not make the mistake of thinking we won’t take measures to stop you.”
Starting from the place where he was stabbed, Argent’s body was lit into flames, white threads of fire rapidly threatening to consume his very existence. Following the area of impact, the flames had started to expand all a
cross his body. His voice, however, remained unaffected.
“Impressive!” he said. “I’ve only heard stories about the true might of your church’s flash step. What a wonderful technique. To see it with my own eyes, it is truly an honor.”
Seeing that her target was still capable of speech, Alexandra’s face remained stoic. Soul-puppeteering permitted the controller to decide how much of his puppet’s senses he was willing to share. Therefore, she wasn’t surprised at how Argent’s will managed to remain intact. He had probably chosen not to share the sense of touch, protecting himself from the smoldering heat of her flames.
Not that it mattered anyway. Her attack intended not to damage the flesh of her target, but his soul. At least that’s what she thought until he heard what he said next.
“Still,” said Argent, his voice now coming from the amongst the kingdom’s citizens. “Don’t you think it is rather wasteful for you to use your energy like that? You need to realize I still have a little over six thousand of these, but you only have one. At this rate, your host won’t be able to make it out alive.”
Turning to look at her blade, Alexandra’s realized she wasn’t stabbing the king any longer. The man under her sword wore the clothes of a peasant instead, or at least what was left of them under the heat of her weapon.
“Tch, I forgot how ridiculously stiff a mortal’s body can be,” said Alexandra, rubbing the shoulders of Erin’s body. She now realized that before her blow had landed, Argent had managed to change his position with that of another of his puppets.
Evidently, the omniscience a god normally possessed under their realm was no longer at her service. Constrained by her mortal body, she was no different from a bird with clipped wings. Something she despised with every ounce of her consciousness.