Chapter 17

Knock-Knock

The two waited before a small shack materialized by various scraps of metal. Dozens of similar constructs surrounded them, forming a neighborhood with an appeal not too different from that of a junkyard. Orange flickering lights were welded into each of the shacks, which were connected by a non-discrete wire that powered the dusty bulbs. The area held terrible lighting as shadows lurked between every building. Surfaces that were shined upon were no more visible than if they were illuminated by a candle.

With no response, the man adorned in his white officer uniform knocked again.

Knock-Knock

Soon after, steps could be heard from the other side. A faint click was followed by a slow and obnoxious creak as the door opened. An elderly woman stood at the frames. Her face was overtaken by fatigue and her clothing tainted by dirt. She stared blankly at the two well-dressed individuals who wore near matching attire.

“May I help you?” The elderly woman questioned meekly.

“I am Knight Henrik and this is Paladin Emma. Are you the guardian of Liam of the Fourteenth Rifleman Platoon?”

The elderly woman’s eyes widened as she inquired with a panicked voice.

“Yes, what happened?! Did my son get hurt?!”

Henrik straightened his stance and cleared his throat.

“Liam, the Outsider and honored Ensign of the Fourteenth Rifleman Platoon, perished in the siege of Whitfield fortress.”

The woman froze and her body trembled. Her hands clasped onto her mouth, desperately trying to hold in her whimpers as the knight continued.

“Through his bravery, the Order shall prosper eternally and endlessly. Through his selflessness, the lives of many were spared as he fought unceasingly in the name of the Ancestor Gods. Through his sacrifice, he brought us closer to putting an end to this conflict once and for all. The Ancients smile upon him as he ascends into the realm of the divines.”

Henrik quickly pulled out a large envelope.

“As stated during enlistment, your status as an outsider and a second-class citizen will be revoked. You will now be allowed to purchase and reside within properties outside of the specially designated districts. The pension is granted to the next of kin of the deceased.” The man handed the envelope to the elderly woman.

She did not attempt to receive the packet and instead fell to her knees.

“I-I don’t care about your damn citizenship! I don’t care about your pensions! J-Just give me back my son!” The woman screamed as tears streaked down her cheeks. “He promised me… that he would come back and… we’d live together in the city… Liam… Give him back! Give back my baby!”

Emma could not help but feel anguish at the heartbreaking scene. She reached for the elderly woman in an attempt to comfort her.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” The woman slapped the paladin’s hand. “DON’T PATRONIZE ME! You killed my child and now you think money will make up for it!? Get out of my sight!”

“An assault or insult directed at a paladin is a crime punishab-”

“Enough, Knight.” Emma interrupted Henrik’s spiel and squatted near the weeping woman. “It was my incompetence that resulted in the death of your beloved son. I can never hope for your forgiveness, however, I will do what I can for the families of my men. Liam’s courage and perseverance will never be forgotten, by me, nor by the Order.”

Emma handed the envelope to the grieving woman.

“This is not the price of Liam’s life, for nothing can match his value. We are simply paying what is owed.”

The woman hesitantly opened the envelope with her still quaking hands. Peeking inside, she could spot a payment note along with a colored photograph of her son in uniform. Bordering tears again, she held the envelope tightly against her chest.

A melancholic wave hit Emma as she witnessed the sight. Slowly, she stood up and turned around.

“Wait!”

Hearing the woman’s call, Emma turned to her.

“W-Was it painless…? How my son… died?” The elderly woman sniffled as she requested for closure.

“He fought fearlessly ‘till the end,” the paladin replied with a soft smile. “He suffered no pain.”

***

The steady drone of the engine filled the cabin as the two drove through the roads. Although most would find this noise to be bothersome, Emma found it calming as it helped pace her thoughts. The two remained mostly quiet, except for the occasional exchanges that were void of meaning. Henrik focused his attention on navigating the unkempt roads while Emma gazed at the scenery outside. Rows upon rows of shacks idled on either side of the pavement. Some of the better-fated inhabitants were able to claim the still standing concrete structures and made it their homes; others made due with what they could. Long queues mapped a living path to each of the nearby soup kitchens. Crackling fires illuminated the areas where the dull lights could not reach.

“Paladin, please rest as you are scheduled to deploy soon. An individual of your status is not required for these tasks. I cannot stand by while civilians, much less outsiders, show you such disrespect.”

Emma’s attention did not deviate from the passing scenery.

“What of it? I was an outsider as well.”

“But, Paladin, even if you were not born within our borders, through merit, you’ve proven yourself to be a true descendant of the Ancients.”

“So have they, Knight. Again, what of it?”

Hints of annoyance bubbled within Emma’s reply, thus Henrik decided against further discussions on the subject.

“Forgive me, Paladin. I was disrespectful.”

“…” The cabin remained silent for an uncomfortable amount of time as neither the driver nor the passenger even glimpsed at one another.

With his free hand, the knight attempted to tune the radio to the only station available. Unable to devote his full attention to the task, static afflicted the broadcast.

“Weeks ago, the brave brothers and sisters… static… bringing an end to the conflicts within the Northern Regions. Under the leadership of now Paladin Emma… static… stunning victory… static… true decedents. Elder Adonis urges all able-bodied citizens to enlist… static… now is the time for the Outsiders to repay our kindness… static… full citizenship rights as well as… static…”

“Turn it off.”

“Y-Yes, Paladin.” Henrik quickly spun the dial, shutting down the transmission and allowing the uneasy quietness to return.

In what seemed like hours, Emma dismissed all of Henrik’s attempts to converse.

“I lied,” Emma spoke suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Paladin?” The Knight was unsure of what Emma meant by those words.

“That woman’s child, Liam…. I told her that he died heroically and without pain… I had lied.” Emma’s solemn voice only added to the gloomy atmosphere. “The truth is… I didn’t even know who Liam was… With every minute passed in battle, dozens were killed… Each with their own memories and ambitions, each with someone waiting for them at home. My men were the ones who sacrificed everything to ensure our victory, and yet everyone praises me. For what!? Sending the young off to their deaths…?”

She paused for a moment.

“I’m terrible… aren’t I?”

“That isn’t true! It was due to your hard work and natural talents that we were able to successfully push out the Cultists. You are well-praised among the Order because we focused on the lives you had saved, rather than the lives that were lost. To many, knowing that they were a part of a greater good and that the ones they love will live in safety, is enough for one to die a blissful death.”

“A family…” The Paladin rested the side of her head against the window. “I wonder… when my time comes, will anyone mourn for me…?”

“There is not a single soul within the Order who wouldn’t lament your demise. We may not be blood kin, but we are all still family. Some of us more hopeful that…”

“Now is not the time, Knight.”

Faced with his second rejection, Henrik blushed and hastily apologized.

“Sorry, that was inappropriate of me.”

...

“Stop the vehicle!” Emma suddenly gave the command. “Right now!”

“What? I don’t understand what you mean, Paladin.”

“Stop the vehicle right now!”

With a loud screech, they came to an abrupt halt. Still unsure of the situation, Henrik sat dazed while Emma immediately rushed out of the vehicle.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Emma shouted as she saw the sight laid out before her. A mass grave, roughly twenty feet wide and ten feet deep, was dug. Rows of prisoners were forced onto their knees at one end of the hole by gunpoint. She glanced at their attire and recognized it to be the robes of the Cultists. An armband pinned onto their arms noted their positions.

“I am Paladin Emma. In my name, I command you all to cease immediately!”

“You do not have the authority, Paladin.” A deep voice contested. “For this decree was dictated by the Council of Elders.”

She faced the imposing individual who refuted her order.

“Paladin Silas, what is going on here?!” Emma glared at the large man heavily plated with combat armor.

“In the power invested in me by our Ancestor Gods, the Ancients.” The man pounded his chest with his fist. “I sentence these prisoners to their execution for their role in conspiring with the Cult.”

“They are prisoners, Silas!”

“They are dangerous. It is naïve to believe that they are harmless simply because they are stripped of weapons.”

Infuriated, Emma approached Silas and grasped his collar.

“These are noncombatants! Do not tell me that they are ‘dangerous’!”

Able to see the fury in the woman’s eyes, Paladin Silas sighed before removing her grip.

“Paladin Emma, do you know that I once had a wife and child?”

“I don’t see how this is relevant.”

Disregarding the woman’s complaints, Silas continued.

“My son, he was afflicted by a plague long cured by the Ancients… The Cult, in their moment of ‘righteous’ crusade, destroyed any remnants of the cure. Black blisters formed all over his body as he coughed blood and wailed in pain… Unable to bear the sight of her child suffering alone in quarantine, my wife approached him despite all cautions against it… Soon after, she too became ill…”

Emma’s eyes widened as she backed.

“I watched both my wife and child die in a ruthless fatality…” Silas clenched his jaw and glowered at Emma. “The Cultists needlessly ravaged technology, decades of progress, lost in their crazed worship. Devices and medicine that could have saved thousands upon thousands of lives, machines that could have restored the former glories to our godforsaken world, forever absent in our times of need. You tell me, Paladin, are they not ‘dangerous’?!”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Humph. “If you are truly sorry, then leave me to my obligations.”

Unwilling to accept the massacre of the prisoners, she refused to concede.

“With all due respect, Paladin Silas, your tragedy does not justify genocide.”

The man sighed disapprovingly and stared at the grave with emotionless eyes.

“Paladin Emma…

The Cultists, they are no different from cancer.

Its origin embeds deep within the body while its tumor swells on the skin…

You can scrape away at its surface, even cleave it at the flesh.

But, it will grow back, ever more treacherous...

That is the nature of the Cult and why we must resort to such profound measures…

Some may question our right to condemn an entire people to their death.

But those who truly understand will know that we have no right to let them live.”

“OPEN FIRE!” A nameless voice directed from the distance. Deafening gunshots immediately followed, ringing throughout the air as the lifeless bodies tumbled into the ditch.

Silas closed his eyes.

“In times of life, I shall show no reluctance.

In times of war, I shall feel no remorse.

In times of death, I shall have no regret.”

He then turned to face the dismayed Emma.

“That was the oath we swore… And this is the reason for it.”