Knights Apocalyptica

Chapter 185: To Burn Down A Church

War never changes, just the place, the time, and the people involved.

At least, that was the first claim Boldwick made to Erec as he sat down in the man's office. It was a scarce and practical room; scarce in that only maps, a desk, and seating made up the space. Practical in the fact that the seating was truly comfortable and anything a Master Knight might need to plan was within arms' reach of the desk. The maps lining the wall were marked up, fresh ink still on them from their latest expedition beyond the wall.

A little over three weeks passed since their return from Vega, destroying the Vortex Industries facility on the coast. Consequently, the journey exposed the general public to the fact that people lived outside their walls.

Not only that, but some of those people were now allies, with even more potential on the horizon.

It'd be beyond wrong to say things were returning to normal.

But it wasn't only Erec and Boldwick crammed in the office; the Master Knight poured out four glasses, the clear crystal-like bottle of amber whiskey neatly divided into cups and then divvied out to the others. Dame Robin was next to him, standing on the other side of the desk. Her arms crossed and a sour expression on her face.

Gwen was next to Erec, also sitting. Her legs folded, and she had a confused expression on her face at this whole event. They'd been dragged out of their morning routines out of nowhere for this little meeting.

"I've told the Grandmaster what Erec told me," Boldwick confided, grabbing his glass. He didn't need to tell the others that the rest of the whiskey was meant for them—they mirrored him, holding their cups.

"Which is?" Robin asked.

Boldwick nodded, and then a glyph appeared in his hand; the red sigil formed and a small wave of flames washed out like a pulse. Erec felt it pass over him, his skin warmed by it, but otherwise, the flames passed by; once they hit the room's edges, they returned inward to the sigil and vanished in a puff of gray smoke.

“Wards are intact, short of Grandmaster Lotus listening in—which he’s unlikely to do, and even if he were, by now Oak has probably debriefed some of the Grandmasters. We should be safe to talk freely.” Boldwick swirled his cup of whiskey, and then tipped it back, downing the whole thing in a single gulp.

Gwen and Robin exchanged a look, and Erec settled into his seat, knowing where this discussion would go.

“War with the Church is inevitable. I’ve cleared it with Oak, and he came to the same conclusion, everything points in that direction, even without our latest revelation. I know none of you has particularly strong ties to the clergy, but it is understandable for anyone to have reservations about that statement; it has been a cornerstone of our society since the start. However, what you do not know is why this is so vital. The secret I’m about to share here cannot be repeated outside of special circumstances to anyone; as my students, you have my trust, and in the coming days, I will need you to be tools to progress what must be done.”

“You have my blade, as always, Boldwick,” Robin said.

“’ Course, we’re with you,” Gwen said, with a bit more hesitation, touching the back of her neck. In another life, maybe Erec would have felt the same fear of running against the church. He knew Gwen didn’t have a particular love for them, but it was an insane declaration taken without context.

With what he’d seen and how they’d treated him and his family, this was a long time coming, even before his mother told him the truth.

“What we know as the Church is not an entity that worships the Goddess. Its priests are connected to a woman spawned by the silver fires that the Goddess brought upon our world—our best guess is that her talent has allowed this to occur. It’s a safe assumption that her Strength is well into a cataclysm level. Perhaps even Armageddon if we sat there speculating the potential results of accumulating power to rival the Goddess for three hundred years… With their ritual, the priests connect to her. The full details of the mechanisms of this and her exact power, location, or even if she’s still present in this world are subject to investigation. However, it’s suspected to be parasitic. We do know, however, through Erec’s mother—a former Knight—that this secret is why she left the Kingdom in fear. We also know that anything the priests witnessed is as good as witnessed by this mysterious entity.”

There was a hush from the two other Knights in the rooms. Gwen inhaled sharply, and Robin didn’t know what to do with what she’d heard, which was fair enough. Erec expected that news of this caliber and type would cause such reactions.

He didn’t expect Robin’s eyes to turn to him, soft and with an air of care and sadness, nor that Gwen would grab and squeeze his hand. Eric shook it free and refused to meet either of their eyes. He didn’t need the support.

His mother, now in her heaven, was as good as dead to him. Though he hadn’t found the courage yet to tell his father or brother about it either—outside of the Knights and the few reports he’d had to deliver to the higher-ups about her personally, he didn’t feel like letting anything about her come out of his mouth, even talking about the selfish woman brought a sour taste to his tongue.

“So that’s why you were worried about someone hearing in,” Robin said softly.

“I don’t see what we can do.” Gwen put it simply.

“I’m not interested in making blades that cut blindly, and for me to show that I have trust in you is payment for the trust you’ve put in me to take your lives in my hands. Some in the Knighthood would insist the point of us is to be unquestioning blades wielded by those above. Knowing why we must do something, I believe, is what makes a Knight. If we are not to see the reasons behind what is being asked of us and can square it with the vows and commitments we’ve given to this world, then how can we truly act with all of our hearts in pursuing what is right.” Boldwick set his empty glass on the table, going to pour more whiskey inside of it. Erec nursed his glass and considered the words carefully.

Telling Gwen and Robin was a risk; he supposed it was the Master Knight’s call on which risks were worth it. In the end, though, them being in the know of this change didn’t affect his plans.

None of this had. From the moment he’d heard the truth of this matter from his mother's lips, he’d known what path he’d take. That man—or monster, or… Whatever you call an intelligent being from other worlds that he’d met in his mother's heaven had it right about him. He would walk a path of death and line it now with the corrupting force that sought to throw him from the Kingdom. That broke his family. That even now, would hate him for the shape of his soul. He would burn the church down ashes and spread those ashes over the wasteland.

“The coming days will be trying, and we will have to rely on one another. Because in the chaos of what will be a defining moment for this Kingdom’s future, each other may be all we have left in the end. War is like that; it takes, and that has never changed, in the old world or in this.” Boldwick said starkly, then finished his second glass.

The rest of the others joined him. After that, there wasn’t much talk, but the four found company in one another, with a common goal of finishing the bottle.

— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —

When Erec returned from the trip to Boldwick's office, he found Garin reclined on the couch in their dorm. Munchy was currently defacing the wall of greenery by the south-facing window. His whiskers were twitching a mile a minute as he sniffed and navigated the vines with his far too chubby frame. As for his master and Erec’s best friend, Garin hadn't a care in the world. His textbook sat unopened and unread on the table, and his coursework barren without even a scratch of pencil on it, despite being due in less than twelve hours.

Though Garin slacking off wasn’t a new sight or odd in any measure, Erec found it… A little grating. Especially given that there was a ticking time bomb of a problem in the Kingdom that was set to explode any moment.

Not that Garin knew that. Still, after what they’d seen and what they’d done, the ease with which his friend slipped back into non-nonchalance and court life back in the Academy was almost startling.

“You’re losing your edge,” Erec said as he crossed his arms.

Garin looked up at him and smiled, “No, just taking a much-deserved break. Conserving my energy.”

“For what? Were you planning to ask me to go sparring when I got back?”

“No, nothing like that. I’ve been invited to another gala down on the second cavern this weekend; Olivia invited me, and now that the King is talking about opening trade routes outside of the walls... I expect plenty of higher nobility will relish the chance to discuss our expedition with the people personally involved.”

“That’s… Not the best use of your time is it? I’m not saying to go crazy with training, but… You never know what’s coming around the corner.” Erec asked.

“Matter of perspective. I made some contacts, not as many as I might have hoped, you know, when we weren’t out and getting into fights or stuffed in my hotel room as a punishment.” Garin rolled his eyes, and Erec recalled the trouble they’d landed in after the first night in Vega. To this day, Erec still wasn’t even sure what those people accused Enide of that landed them in so much trouble to break out into a fight with the Casino. Card counting? Wasn’t that the point of the game—to count to twenty-one?

It didn’t matter, though, he supposed. This version of Garin didn’t match what his friend had been saying on the road—the guy who didn’t want to fall behind.

“Trust me, you’re going to want all the Strength you can get soon,” Erec promised.

“Connections are a form of that, Erec.”

“Connections aren’t what stops a blade from landing on you, nor, as you demonstrated yourself, allow you to track down escaped prisoners. Might I remind you that you found Seven-Snakes by pushing your power to its limits.”

“…Might I remind you that my power involves making connections with animals, and you used me—your connection—to find Seven-Snakes.” Garin raised a hand and sat up; his eyes had a sheen of delight to them. He was having fun with the conversation. And he’d had a point, even if he’d expertly danced around Erec’s point.

Erec sighed. His friend was in one of those moods; he knew Garin. Right now, to him, everything in the world was peachy. Not for the first time did he envy that ability to see nothing but optimism or to turn everything into a sign of good. It made him not want to rain on the parade, so Erec cut himself short. Would only that he could spell out why hard training might be the best course of action in this lull of violence, but to do so would say secrets that would endanger Garin. Secrets he’d promised to keep to his chest.

Instead, he went over and sat next to his friend, leaning back on the couch. Garin threw an arm over his shoulder and let out one long contented sigh.

“You know, the Pendragons should be back this weekend.” He said, with a bit of a smile.

“They will.” Erec agreed, trying to tamp down the excitement. He’d made a few people he’d call friends among their number, but one in particular it’d already been too long without. Enide would be with them and she’d be seeking him out the moment she came through that steel curtain.

“And… I think you should take her to that gala I’ve been invited to.”

“I wasn’t invited.”

Garin rolled his eyes. “Slayer of the White Stag—Hero of the Kingdom—with the stories that’ve been rolling through the courts about your adventures in the wastes, I’m pretty sure you’re invited to almost any event you wish. I can confirm with Olivia, but I’m sure House Luculentus would be delighted to have you there. Besides, the more you show up at court with your girlfriend, the more the nobility will have to accept what this new future looks like.”

“No thanks, I think I’d rather enjoy my weekend.”

“Trust me on this: I wouldn’t push so hard to make you if I didn’t think the message it sent wasn’t worth it. For you and for Enide.”

For Enide? There was a seriousness now in Garin’s face, one that Erec couldn’t put away. Though the idea of attending a gala almost made him want to rush back to Boldwick’s office for another glass of whiskey, he could sense something to this he couldn’t see. Maybe it was the booze talking or the cast of his friend’s face, but… “Alright, fine.”

Garin settled back down once more, relaxed again. “Wonderful. Oh, by the way, we’re taking Colin and his betrothed too… You’re in charge of dragging him along since we need him there too.”