ARC 3 - HALLOWED

CHAPTER 12 - DANGEROUS PLANS

Dulius stepped into his office. The moment the doors behind him closed he ripped the clasp from his cloak and flung the heavy garment across the room. Heavens damn those arrogant fools! How can they not see the danger in what they ask?!

His silent tantrum was interrupted by two loud raps at the door.

“What is it?!” he snapped.

A Templar timidly poked his head around the large barrier. “Crusader Crowmere, to see you, Highlord. And another. A…cook?”

“Crusader—?” Dulius broke his mind from the anger that clouded him and reminded himself that most of the Order was unaware of the existence of the Inquisitors. Letting the Order’s spies masquerade around as the other ranks offered them complete anonymity, but one of these days he was bound to slip and reveal an identity.

Dulius sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He’d had enough difficult conversations for one day. If Arnulf and Erkan were requesting an audience it could only mean another frustration—and he had little restraint left. The Council of Seven had already worn his patience thin.

He waved towards the Templar to signal permission for them to enter. He crossed the room and gathered his cloak from the floor just as the two crossed the threshold. His new guests were opposites in more ways than one. Arnulf stood tall as always, his hawkish nose and eyes towering above the stout Erkan who had his thick hands buried deep into the pockets of his apron.

“Highlord Orgeron.” Arnulf accentuated his greeting with a slight bow. Erkan remained upright. And silent.

“It’s not yet time for the incident report, Arnulf. Is this pressing?” Dulius asked.

“Somewhat, Highlord. I believe you will find the information of value.” Erkan chuckled, but Arnulf continued, unphased. “It does, however, have to do with your meeting with the Council of Seven.”

Dulius raised a brow. He’d walked straight from the Church back to his office in the Citadel. There was already news? “Alright, let’s hear it.”

Chief Inquisitor Crowmere stepped forward, assuming his usual position in front of the desk while Dulius took a seat behind it. Dulius noted that Erkan took up a chair in the back corner of the room, as far from the daylight beaming through the windows as he could be.

“An informant passed a small piece of news, Highlord. Upon your dismissal from the Council’s chambers they immediately set into motion plans for a reveal of the Angels.”

The bastards! Have they no restraint?! Dulius seethed beneath an icy stare. He’d acquiesced to numerous requests from the Council, all in the name of the Seven’s patience with the Ascended. The Seven believed that a reveal to the Realm would bring celebrations and wonder. Could they not see how it only played into the growing dread? The Angels were originally raised to combat the Void. Now a Shield City had fallen and they’d suddenly awakened. What else could it mean if not another war for existence?!

“What are they planning?” Dulius growled.

“Multiple events, it would seem. A presentation of the Angels within the Church which would surely fill the grounds was foremost among them. They also plan to petition King Melrose for use of the royal court. A large gala, it seems, is their intent. They believe a joining of the Church and royal family shows strength and unity within the Realm.”

“This is ridiculous!” Dulius snapped. Neither of the other two men in his office gave any reaction. Arnulf held his head high and Erkan continued to pick at his nails. “They’re not fully Ascended! Their safety is paramount and yet the Council wants to flaunt them for the world to see?!” Dulius huffed, then realized how loud he’d been and smoothed his doublet. “I tire of these political games. Unity is a lie, both in the Realm and between the Church and the Order. What are we doing about it, Arnulf?”

“I’ve already sent word to those Oracles faithful to us, Highlord. They will delay at every turn. I can also have some of my Inquisitors sabotage meetings, payments, and the slow the spread of information. All non-lethal and untraceable.”

“Good. See it done.”

“Of course, Highlord,” Arnulf said with a bow.

“Is this what the Inquisitors are reduced to?” Erkan scorned. “Forging documents and stealing from errand boys?”

Arnulf glanced to the side, but maintained his rigid posture. Erkan, having earned no response, flexed his brow and returned to his self-grooming.

“Will that be all, Highlord?” Arnulf asked.

“Yes, Arnulf. Thank you.” Dulius watched the Chief Inquisitor depart, his footsteps silent on the rugs. How does he do that? Dulius wondered. The carpets quieted footsteps, but the boards below should have creaked. Never for Arnulf, though. Erkan cleared his throat with a sharp cough.

“Yes?” Dulius asked.

“Ah, good. Thought you forgot about me.”

“Impossible,” Dulius muttered. “And do you have to tease him so?”

“Yes,” Erkan answered flatly.

“You could have been in his position, you know, if you hadn’t run off for all those years.” It was a reminder that Dulius brought up often, if only for the fact he wished for a friend to be his confidant. Not that he didn’t trust Arnulf, the man’s record was impeccable, but a personal relationship would make him feel slightly more at ease when he had outbursts that verged on words of treason.

Erkan sighed and heaved himself up. He sauntered across the room and plopped into one of the large chairs in front of Dulius’s desk. “I’m well aware. Part of the reason I left, in fact.”

“Are you ever going to tell me where you went?” Dulius asked. “What you did while you were gone?”

Erkan pulled his lips together in a thoughtful gaze. “No,” he said after a time.

“I’m just to forever accept that you disappear, causing who knows what ruckus around the Realm, and then reappear with an infant girl in your arms begging for shelter?” Erkan gave a blank stare, the signal that this part of the conversation was over. “Fine,” Dulius said, exasperated. “Are you here to harass me about my health again?”

“No, but I wouldn’t pester you about it at all if you’d eat more than one full meal every three days, Oggie. My cooking is far better than whatever slop you ate prior to my return.”

“I’m fine,” Dulius grumbled.

“Course you are. You’re the Highlord. Nothing’s ever killed a Highlord before.”

“Enough, Erkan.” Dulius set aside the inkwell on his desk. If this was to be another frustrating conversation he wouldn’t want to spill it if his patience ran out again. “Why are you here? Is there some gossip in the kitchens worthy of my ear?”

“Plenty of gossip, but I imagine Crowbags fills your head with that drivel each day,” Erkan said. “I only want to talk about the punishment you gave me.”

“Punishment?”

“The lordling that graces me with his presence each day,” Erkan explained.

Dulius leaned back in his chair. The cook wanted to talk about Raegn? What, another body in his small kitchen was a nuisance? “I’d heard you’d come to appreciate his help.”

“Crowbags tell you that?” Erkan said with a single brow raised. “Hear what you like. I saw him talking to one of your Angels a few nights back.”

Dulius sighed. “The Angels agreed to stay within the Citadel grounds and try to avoid contact with anyone. I can hardly imprison them. They were bound to talk to some of our members at some point.”

“So you have no concern?” Erkan asked incredulously.

Dulius’s eyes narrowed. “Why would I?”

“I read the same reports you did.” Dulius opened his mouth to object to Erkan’s rummaging through restricted documents, but thought better of it. He could do little to stop the man, anyway. Erkan continued without any indication he thought his actions inappropriate. “I distinctly remember the conviction with which Arnulf wrote about Lord Edelgard’s testimony before the Council.”

“You’re talking about when he met Camael?” Dulius clarified.

“‘Appears to harbor a deep disdain and hatred for the Divine entity’, I believe the words were.”

Dulius let another sigh slip through his lips. “You think Raegn would try to harm one of the Angels?”

“You just told your Chief Inquisitor their safety is paramount. You have someone who has openly expressed a certain contempt for their kind.”

“And what would you have me do? Restrict the Angels to the manor? Excommunicate Templar Edelgard?”

“Neither—yet.” Erkan leaned forward and held Dulius’s gaze. “I only bring it up as an example—to help you see more.”

“More of what?”

“It’s coming, Dulius,” the stout cook said, rising to leave. “You can feel it. I know you can. The only question is when. Tomorrow? Next year? The next lifetime? Day-by-day the Realm grows closer to its doom. Whatever you do, it will come. Maybe we win, maybe we don’t. I’d prefer us to at least have the chance, though, and we have to be alive for that to happen. Don’t miss the pawns moving beneath your nose, or we’ll lose before we can even try.”

“I feel that our Templar legions have reinforced Bulwark,” Dulius replied coldly. “I feel that the Angels have yet to learn their purpose in this era. You’re not a doomsayer, Erkan. And you’ve always hated prophecies, so forgive me when I don’t believe you when you give one.”

The cook paused halfway to the door. “What’s coming isn’t a prophecy, Oggie. And we’re not ready.”

Dulius sat at his desk and stewed on the words while one of the Templar pulled the door closed from the outside. Regardless of what Erkan said, he refused to believe that Raegn would attempt to harm an Angel. For one, the young lord would lose in a straight fight—horribly so. Plus, the boy had dedicated his life to fighting the Void. He would never deliberately sabotage that cause.

No, there was some other reason Erkan brought it up. Dulius had spoken true—he was not fully convinced that another Void War was upon them, but he could simultaneously admit that all signs were pointing that way. So who else besides Raegn moved beneath his oversight? The Inquisitors saw all and Arnulf never failed to report on all levels of matters. Dulius cursed under his breath. Whatever it was, it could wait just awhile longer. He rose and refastened his cloak around his shoulders. There was one more event to attend to on this day. One that he could not miss.

The title of Highlord came with much responsibility. It may have seemed a noble endeavor to him once, but no longer. Dulius took the long walk to the Hall of the Fallen, reminding himself that each choice he made, no matter how simple, was paid for not by him but by his people.

“What’s all this?” Raegn asked as the group exited the Great Hall and stumbled into a mass of people all moving in the same direction. Initiates, Templar, and Crusaders alike mixed as they slowly made their way southward down the pebbled path.

“They’re headed to the Hall of the Fallen,” Nalani said quietly.

Raegn caught the islander woman bow her head and whisper a quick prayer. The group watched the procession for a time and even caught the Highlord among the crowd. Dulius Orgeron stood out not only for the deep blue cloak he wore over pieces of silver and gold armor, but by his size as well. The man was nearly a full head taller than those around him and looked every bit the imposing leader of the Order.

“Someone important?” Kai asked, noting their leader’s presence.

“You haven’t heard?” Tera and Nalani spoke at the same time, then shared a reserved smile.

So alike, Raegn thought. Were he and Kai that similar? He was thankful his friend had asked, though. Raegn hadn’t heard either, but being the one to admit to it would only open oneself to scorn. A fact he would love to admonish the girls for. He and Kai spent their time training, not gossiping.

“We clearly haven’t,” Kai scolded.

Yep. Very alike, Raegn chuckled to himself, careful to hide his amusement from the faces of the solemn crowd making its way towards the southern portion of the Citadel grounds.

“One of the Justicar died. Rumors say it was an Angel that killed him,” Tera explained.

Raegn’s face twisted into a pondering scowl. The idea of it made no sense. A Justicar and an Angel were both pure representations of the Light. They shared the same cause, so how would they end up fighting? “Where’d you hear these rumors?” he questioned.

“Around,” Tera said idly. “People talk at shift changes, in the dining halls, the training grounds. Light, you work in the kitchens Raegn. All the Initiates do is gossip down there. Don’t you listen to it?”

“No,” he said curtly. “Half of it is lies only said to make the mundane sound interesting.”

Kai nodded in agreement, but Nalani shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “There have been whispers within the Crusader ranks about the same. Apparently this Justicar wasn’t the first, either. They even went so far as to call her the Angel of Death.”

“Her?” Kai gave a puzzled look.

“Is that a surprise to you?” Nalani asked incredulously. “What, all Angels have to be muscle-bound warriors covered in ornate armor?”

Kai muttered a quiet disagreement.

“Well, some of the old stories do say that they forgot their humanity. It was one of the sacrifices they made for the power to defeat the Void,” Tera offered.

“That’s ridiculous,” Kai shot back. “They were chosen because they were the best humanity had to offer. Plus, the Angels don’t speak to anyone that isn’t directly appointed by the Highlord. How would anyone know anything if they can’t even talk to them?”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Raegn said, earning him several questioning stares. “What?” he asked in an attempt to fend them off. “I’ve met two Divine entities now. Camael certainly didn’t seem to have any humanity and the second talked to me without any reservation. That disproves both of your points.”

Kai huffed, but couldn’t pinpoint a counter argument.

“You talked to one of the Angels?” Tera asked. “Which one? And when?”

“I don’t know which one,” Raegn said, “but it was a few days ago. She had blonde hair. Then a brunette one came and led her away.”

“Ever a hit with the ladies, eh?” Kai teased. “Better watch out, Tera—Angel’s gonna steal your man.”

Tera’s face set into a deep pout and Nalani put a backhanded slap into Kai’s chest.

The days rolled by and each brought crisper wind from the north. Raegn’s time in the kitchens ended without fanfare and each morning after he longed for the added warmth of the ovens and the fresh smell of breakfast. Instead, he spent each dawn patrolling the still-bustling streets of Elysium or shivering while standing guard at the Citadel’s bridge or the gates of the Church. Luckily, his friends were able to secure matching shifts. In the afternoons he continued to spar and exercise with Kai and they were even graced with a few rare appearances from Nalani. In the evenings Tera joined them for dinner and games of cards until late into the night.

The temperamental girl was surprisingly good. Tera’s cold gaze was impossible to read and she bluffed and bet better than any tavern patron could ever hope to. Raegn and Kai had lost an entire shifts pay to her on more than one occasion, though she never accepted the winnings. Raegn asked multiple times if she ever wanted to train with them in the afternoons, but Tera admitted that she had no desire to. More shocking was that she was spending that time in the library at the Church, a fact that Raegn discovered when he was fulfilling a favor for another Templar in exchange for saving some desserts.

Tera sat there, studiously bent over a series of books while seated at a worn table under one of the numerous stained glass windows. The colored sunlight shone upon her otherwise plain Templar outfit and gave her a captivating beauty. A strand of hair fell from her ear and she brushed it back without a thought before turning another page. Always with that hair coming loose. Raegn smiled at the thought. If it were longer it might stay in place better, but the shorter length fit Tera’s oval face. He passed off the bundle of scrolls he’d been asked to bring to an Oracle and wandered over to her table.

“Studying something?” he asked.

She apparently hadn’t noticed his arrival and jumped at the sound of his voice. “Oh!” she exclaimed and brought a startled hand to her chest. “Don’t sneak up on me!”

Raegn chuckled and took a seat next to her. “I wouldn’t call the way I walked across the middle of the library sneaking, but I’ll keep it in mind for next time.”

Tera shot him a small glare out of the corner of her eye before returning to her book. Whatever she was reading must have required a good bit of focus. The thought occurred to him that he might be a tad jealous she was paying the worn pages more attention, but the way the corners of her mouth pulled together in subtle mouthings of the words as she focused was too pleasant a scene for him to feel the envy.

Instead of interrupting, he scanned the titles of the other texts while he waited for her to reach a stopping point. A Study on Criminal Organizations, History of Cults, Investigations into the Occult, Irregular Combat Tactics, Logistics of Maintaining an Army, and several dozen scrolls of reports from Templar patrols lay strewn about the table. Raegn frowned. These were heavy topics. And quite dry, judging by the size of the things, he mused. Stories of legend were never more than a few dozen pages. Only academic works with all their complex words and mind-numbing explanations of mundane topics would comprise the thousands of pages stacked on the table.

Tera gave a soft sigh and earmarked a page before closing the book in front of her. “What are you doing here?” she asked as she laid the book atop several others.

“Just dropping off some reports to be archived,” Raegn replied. “Is this where you spend your afternoons?”

“Not always, but lately,” Tera admitted.

“Why?”

Tera scanned the library, then leaned in toward him and spoke quietly. “Something caught my eye when I was collecting the patrol reports a few nights ago. I can’t remember what it was exactly, but with all the rumors of a coming Void War I remembered something I’d learned in a history class I took a few years ago.”

Raegn shook his head slightly and rubbed his jaw. Ulrich had always been around to teach him before, even when he was training to fight. He’d been more than happy to be done with academic lessons the moment he became a Templar. The absence of learning had been a pleasant break for his mind, but he did have to admit he felt some guilt in abandoning any and all studies.

“So what were you looking for?” he asked.

“Hundreds of years ago, when the Void spread across the Realm, there were groups of humans that tried to switch sides.”

Raegn could feel his own face twist in disgust. “What? They tried to join the Void?”

“Yes,” Tera said with her hands waving for him to keep his voice down. “They couldn’t fight alongside the darkness, obviously, but they tried to help it spread. There are even some accounts of them opening portals in Elysium itself.”

“That’s insane,” he muttered.

“I know,” Tera agreed, “but I happened to read your account of what happened in Bastion…” she trailed off.

Raegn sensed that she was hesitant to broach the topic. He couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t spoken about it with anyone other than Kai and thankfully the islander had been more interested in learning how to fight the Void than what had actually occurred in Bastion. If he was to continue spending his time with Tera, though - and he fully intended to - conversations about his past were bound to happen.

“Tera, if you want to ask, just ask,” he said.

“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that…well, I can tell it still hurts,” she murmured. Raegn gazed at her until she had the confidence to look him in the eye. He gave her a faint smile in the hopes that it would encourage her. “What were the portals like?” she asked. “How did they open, I mean? Did one of the creatures do it?”

“No.” Raegn fought off a wince as he remembered the sound of lightning cracking against the cave and the overwhelming hum of the ellipse expanding out of thin air. “I only saw one open. It was just an orb, a small ball of the abyss. Then it split open and grew into a large disc. They look flat no matter which side you see them from and it must take some force to cross through. All the Void sort of…struggle to push themselves into our world.”

He shook the memory from his vision and found Tera staring at him in wonder. It wasn’t really fair how soft her eyes could be when they were normally so stern. Their warmth drew a smile from his face. “Does that answer your question?”

Tera swallowed and set about organizing the books into a stack. “Yes, thank you.”

“Everything okay?”

“Sometimes it’s just hard for me to remember what you’ve gone through,” she said in a huff. “I joined the Order thinking I would help protect the Realm, but in reality the fight was so far away. Where you were.”

“Well, I’m glad you were here and not there,” Raegn said.

“I’m not so sure the fight isn’t here now, too, though. The reports I read make it seem like a Void Cult still exists in Elysium.”

The group sat at the end of a long table in the Great Hall, its wood surface worn smooth and covered in stains from spilled ale. It was a late meal and most of the other Templar had already cleared the room and headed off to the baths or bed. A luxury, then, that they could talk openly. Tera had started the conversation as planned, but so far their friend had been reluctant to agree.

“No,” Nalani said. “I’m not going along with this little plot of yours, no matter how many times you bring it up.”

“Come on, Nal,” Tera pleaded. “Without your signature, we’d technically be breaking the code.”

“You’re dangerously close to breaking it anyway,” Nalani pointed out. “I knew I should’ve just eaten in the Crusader Wing. This is why we’re told not to mingle with the Templar! We just get harassed for favors!”

Raegn noted the single white stripe on the left sleeve of Nalani’s uniform. It was the most intricate attire that was provided and reserved for those who had achieved the Order’s highest tier. Light gray trousers were tailored to each individual’s size, a crisp dark-blue overcoat fit snugly over the torso, and a crimson sash divided the two. Nalani hadn’t passed the trial more than a full season ago, yet passing alone earned each Crusader the angled white line that divided the upper arm. Higher ranking Crusaders would wear two along with all of the Justicar, though the enforcers of the Light’s justice were rarely seen in a dress uniform. Still, Nalani now outranked the majority of the Order’s members and would soon have a legion of Templar at her command.

“Kai,” Tera urged, “a little help here?”

Kai looked up over his plate, pretending to be surprised. “Help? No, I couldn’t possibly use my personal relationship to sway a Crusader’s mind.”

Nalani shot the other islander an icy scowl, then turned to Raegn. “And you? Just going along with it because Tera told you to?”

Raegn hazarded a glance in Tera’s direction. She gave a subtle upward tilt of her head and thrust of her chin. He wasn’t sure why he bothered, she’d already told him what to say. “I think that the Order is flooded with reports,” he cautiously explained while bringing his gaze back to Nalani, “and many slip through the cracks. If a few Templar want to spend their night off better serving the Order by picking up an additional assignment then it doesn’t seem like it’d be any harm.”

Nalani rolled her eyes. “By the Seven, she’s got her hooks in you good, doesn’t she?”

Tera’s face flushed at the comment and she suddenly refused to look directly at him. The group sat in silence, Raegn looking to Tera now that their planned conversation had reached its end. Tera looked down at her hands clasped together beneath the table. Kai, bless him, sat at the end of the table chuckling to himself and stuffing mouthfuls of lamb steak in his mouth to muffle the sound.

“Fine. I’ll sign,” Nalani suddenly acquiesced. “But I’m going with you,” she added quickly. “Something tells me you would’ve kept prodding or just blackmailed some other Crusader anyway. At least this way I’ll be there to be the voice of reason when you inevitably get carried away and drag my name through the mud.”

Tera’s face flashed a smile and she leaned into Nalani to give the other girl a hug. “Thank you!” Tera said, then scurried around the table. Raegn was grabbed by the arm and hauled from the hall. “Come on, we’ve got planning to do!”