Knights Apocalyptica

Chapter 135: Old Man

Breaking up the potential fight between Enide and Colin wasn't a tiny thing. But, with some stern words from the expedition leaders and Erec and Garin taking the two apart to talk them down, they finally explored the mystery Colin opened up.

The interior was no less unsettling than the exterior, for as big as it was outside, there was only a single room. Taking up the center of the room was a massive statue made of an odd white metal. It was shaped in the form of a man, a fact that Erec found as unnerving as the script changing on their return on the plaque outside.

The man had a long beard that went to the tip of his toes, a balding head, and a thin nose. He was hunched over, a cane in his hand. Not the sort of heroic pose or depiction Erec was used to seeing on statues like this. If anything, the man looked rather exhausted. He loomed above them all as if he’d lived long and witnessed little but tragedy. Far bigger than any statue within the Kingdom, even the first King’s ornate depiction was nowhere near that size.

To see a statue like this in such a strange location in another world…

Chained to the base of the statue was a plethora of books, wrapped around and around and staked in the stone support. Why or how they were here made as much sense as anything else. Nor did the fact that there was no ceiling once they walked further into the room. A night sky completed with a tapestry of stars lit the place from above.

Enide was transfixed by the stars above. “Stunning…” she muttered, not that anyone could disagree.

“Ah, more of those books,” Colin said, strolling further into the room. Boldwick grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Don’t touch,” Boldwick commanded.

“Of course, I won’t touch them. I wanted a look like I assume all of us do. If you wander into a peculiar room based on the riddle with Knowledge as an answer and happen across books bound to a strange statue, what else is the natural reaction.”

“Keeping your distance.”

“…Compelling point.” Colin lowered his head. “Noted.”

“Caution is the tool of the wise, sons and daughters of Lavinia, but is unneeded in the present,” the statue spoke, the old man's head tilting and turning, the metal-like skin. The way it spoke the Goddess’ name felt like a fist smacking Erec’s chest; a weight to the name carried by that deep wizened tone and voice shook the entire room. Erec pulled his weapon, but everyone else seemed frozen; the Pendragon’s legs trembled. Seeing them affected, he put himself between the group and the statue as much as possible.

The old man bowed and sagged at their reaction, then softly tapped his staff on the pedestal.

“Fear is a natural response born of ignorance. I do accept your fear, yet there is no need for it in this temple or my realm. I am no equal to Lavinia and would not wish to give Her cause for the attack. An outcome She most certainly would seek, should I inflict intentional harm on those who still harbor Her flame in my plane. An excuse for violence is all that one craves, and I will not provide it. Even without that protection, I have no wish to cause undue harm; you’ve conducted yourselves reasonably in my realm and may yet solve my problem.”

Once again, at the mention of the Goddess’ name Erec’s heartbeat an unnatural quickness. But those around him were hit much harder. They sunk to their knees, clutching their chest.

“Please stop with Her name,” Erec found the words leaving him before he could think. Seeing them suffer from the effects… He couldn’t help himself.

“Ah, I forget. Names have a certain power, and Hers carries a heavy weight in those warmed by Her fire. Apologies.”

“It’s fine,” Boldwick said through gritted teeth as he climbed to his feet.

Erec offered a hand to Enide, which she took. With a gentle yank, he helped her up as the rest of the group collected themselves; the statue let them regather their bearings, its empty eyes staring at them with an eerie silence. Was it a puppet like one of the Stag’s? A simple tool for whatever entity using it could conduct itself.

“Who are you?” Boldwick asked, staring up at the statue with a defiant look that was somehow conveyed in his body posture, despite the ton of steel clad around him and the absurdity of staring down a statue much larger than him.

“There are certain questions you can ask that will do you no favors to have an answer. Since your time on my plane is limited, I’ll spare you the grief that knowing my name would cause and cut to questions you haven’t asked, which matter the most. Seven-Snakes, the human you want, is headed to my tower. You will stop him long before he can arrive there and make a grave mistake. Then you will bring him back to your world. After which, you will destroy the pathway to here.”

“That sounds like a command,” Boldwick said.

“It may appear that way, and that’s because it is. Fret not for it’s in your best interest. Were you to do none of these things, you would eventually loose my librarians upon your world; an outcome none of us desires. Here I can satisfy their thirst for knowledge, there they would have no choice but to consume your world, and then move to others. It is not a thing I wish to risk.”

“Your librarians?” Erec found himself asking as Boldwick quietly considered the statue’s words.

“You met my librarians. One satisfied its need for knowledge on the other side of the bookshelf from your group, do you recall? They’re quite voracious devourers. To assign them a term you can understand, a single one would constitute a ‘cataclysm-level’ threat upon your world.”

The room went cold, and Erec’s skin crawled. Memories of the Stag and how it’d taken over the people of the Kingdom ran through his mind. That thing had been in the shape of a man and appeared dangerous from the other side of the shelf. But he’d had no idea how close to true danger they came. From how the statue made it sound, there was more than one in this place. Destroying the path here… Yeah, that was unquestioningly the right decision.

Boldwick paced in front of the statue, thinking over the information presented to them. “How can we trust any of this? You say that you understand and are working for our best interests, but we have nothing but your words to go on.”

A weight pressed down on the room again, even with the silence, and he felt a bead of sweat run down his brow as the statue looked over them all. It was the exact sort of blunt question he expected from the Master Knight. You couldn’t trust anything you didn’t know, and to do so would be foolish.

“In this instance, I shall provide you aid in return for removing the interloper and his cohorts from my domain. On this, I swear upon the name Lavinia. Perform this task, and you and yours will leave this realm in peace.”

Erec flinched upon her name being uttered, holding up Enide. He hadn’t let go of her yet. The weight of the name caused people to again fall to their knees. It was odd that the word didn’t affect him, but the atmosphere felt different upon this use. Swearing a vow on her name held power to it; for this entity to do so, knowing it didn’t want anything to do with their Goddess, held some weight. Enide looked at Erec as she got her bearings; her face flushed, and she pointedly looked away.

“We’re here for Seven-Snakes anyway. I think your oath means enough, as long as you lead us to him, and we’ll take him back to our world.” Boldwick pressed a fist to his chest and turned to leave the temple, motioning for the rest of the group to follow. Even if they were going to comply with the demands of this thing or person, the Master Knight likely wanted to keep his distance from it as much as possible. Which made sense, the Kingdom didn’t have a good historical record with things from other worlds, especially the more intelligent ones, vow to the Goddess or not.

They began to pull away from the statue as it went silent, unsure of how it might help, but given its promise, it would find a way. It wasn’t until they made it halfway out of the door that it spoke again.

“Halt. Our business is not concluded.”

Everyone turned as slow as a glacier, staring at the statue. The chains on one of the books snapped; once, twice, and thrice, and the metal splintered and skittered across the brickwork ground once, twice, and thrice. Despite what it said about not harming them, Erec couldn’t help but reach for his weapon again. His chest filled with flames, and his blood pumped fire as the barest bit of Fury caught, ready to combust and launch him into action if anything happened.

“As I am bound, you who answered my riddle must step forward.”

Colin hesitated but ultimately complied. Ignoring Boldwick’s command to stay put. Maybe it was because he feared pulling the statue ire to the rest of them. Or maybe there was something to that voice that commanded him to action, despite his own instinct for self-preservation.

“Y-yes?” Colin asked, awe and fear an equal mixture in his voice.

“For answering my riddle, you will receive a gift as I am compelled. The moment you passed my threshold, I peered into your potential futures. In many, you are selfish, envious, and fearful. These factors drive you, and in some of them, you might’ve broken past them, yet it is far too late to matter in most. Within you is a desire for Knowledge, kin of my essence. You’re aware you could be better, change, and grow. All it takes is the right spark. In this case, I do not think She is the one to do so.”

The book that broke free from the chains floated directly toward Colin. Dame Robin and Boldwick moved to put themselves between him and the object, only for a flash of light to shoot down from the ceiling and stab into the ground, glowing and blocking the way forward.

“It is not your place to interfere in a boon. What do you say, young one? Shall you take on the challenge of Knowledge and shift your fate?”

Colin stared at the tome floating in front of him; a deep black cover that looked near burnt, its edge hemmed with gold. His hand slowly reached towards the book. When his metal gauntlets grasped the cover, Colin’s head rolled back; light flared out from underneath the helmet as he stood there, his body shaking even with the Armor to stabilize him. The book vanished from his hand, disappearing as if it was never there.

The statue stopped moving as Colin hit the ground.

“Colin!” Erec yelled, running past the streaks of light that’d stopped the Knights before. No more shot from the ceiling; if they had, he’d have sliced it to shreds with his axe.

“My Talent!” Colin gasped, “I have a Talent!”