ARC 3 - HALLOWED

CHAPTER 18 - HALLOWING

“I remain unconcerned about Templar Edelgard’s personal affairs, Arnulf,” Dulius said with a wave of his hand. “He’ll be busy enough with the trial soon enough. What else do we know of the Angels? And what news of the Church’s attempts at bringing them to the public’s attention?”

Arnulf gave no reaction to the poor reception of the information, instead remaining expressionless in front of Dulius’s desk. The room took on the red hue of the draperies hung along the windows as the fading sunlight trickled into the Highlord’s study.

“The Council of Seven seems to have become…distracted with their usual proceedings, Highlord,” the Chief Inquisitor answered. “Any talk of a ceremony regarding the Angels has been put on hold. As for the Angels themselves, no progress has been made towards Ascension. Uriel returned with Justicar Caloman some time ago but their journey proved fruitless. I’m told that Haniel continues her daily ritual in one of the fonts beneath the Citadel, but she has made no promises.”

Dulius thrummed his fingers atop his desk. The illusion of having any choice in the matter weighed heavily on his thoughts. The Angels were powerful even as they were, more so than any human, at least. Their power once ascended touched that of the Divine, though, and that Heavenly strength would be sorely needed if the Void War were to begin anew. An idea that had been lingering in the depths of his consciousness surfaced and his mind itched in an unpleasant way. It was less of a curiosity and more of a…concern.

What if not all could re-ascend? Which of the Angels would benefit humanity most?

Historical records said that Leliel was once the strongest among them, but she was missing and presumed dead by her companions. Haniel and Sarathiel were close seconds, yet the latter proved temperamental and wanted little to do with humanity and the former, despite her efforts, seemed to be failing as well. Even Ananiel, the apathetic girl who had surprised him with putting forth the most effort initially, had become oddly quiet about her attempts.

Dulius coughed several times, dryly, before suppressing the urge and taking a haggard breath. “Thank you, Arnulf. That will be all.”

The Chief Inquisitor left the office silently and Dulius eyed the meat pie on the corner of his desk. It looked rather soggy and had long since gone cold. He leaned over to slid it toward him, stretching his back and groaning softly as he did so.

Seven shits, he was tired. How he longed for the first days of taking the mantle of Highlord - when money and recruitment numbers had been the greatest of his worries. Damn that Oswald for setting such an impossible standard as the first Highlord! To not only face the end of the world, but survive it and emerge victorious—the man must’ve been impossibly strong.

Yet here I sit, Dulius glowered, weakening with each passing day under the mere thought of pending doom, not even the real thing.

Dulius chewed his lip so hard it nearly bled. He could not fail the Order. Not when he had been entrusted with its legacy. Not when Lucas and Erkan had once thought so highly of him when he’d thought so little of himself in comparison.

Why the compliments disguised as taunts from the short Inquisitor and words of encouragement from the valiant but deceased Justicar came to him now he did not know, but Dulius found some much-needed comfort in the memory.

Fuck you, Erkan, he chuckled to himself while taking a large bite of the pie.

Raegn shifted in his seated position so that he was resting more on his shoulder. For ten days Rue had been diligently working on the cuts across his back and they were healing well. Even so, they were still too tender to bear the rough stone of the large, open window he sat in near the top of the watchtower. Not even the layers he wore as protection from the wind gave enough cushion. Raegn pulled the cloak higher up his shoulders as he shifted in an effort to fend off the bitter kiss of cold pressing against him.

Below, Elysium sprawled out in almost every direction. The streets were aglow with countless lanterns, most hung along buildings, but gloved hands carried others as patrons danced along. They looked much like a dense sea of fireflies, illuminating the grass at one’s feet. Faint sounds of music wove their way up towards Raegn’s perch and for the past hour or so he’d entertained himself by trying to pick out individual songs from the dozens of tunes being played on street corners. It looked to be a wondrous evening, just as Rue had said.

The bells throughout the city began to toll again, marking the fifth Archangel that had descended to the realm of man. This swelling of the celebration would be for Camael, Raegn knew, and he tried not to roll his eyes. All the stories of Camael spoke in sheer awe of his power, for while the other Archangels were mighty, the sheer devastation Camael unleashed on every battlefield was hard to describe - even by the best of poets. Probably killed a lot of the humans he was fighting to protect, too, Raegn thought.

A gloved hand fished out another handful of dried fruits from the pocket beneath his cloak. He chewed idly, wishing there was a bit more sweetness in the taste, while Elysium renewed itself in celebration beneath the sound of the bells fading back into the night. With the loud tolling gone, Raegn caught the faint sound of boots on stairs and turned to watch the wooden hatch that allowed entry into the top room of the tower.

If Templar Montaire had come back to finish up the shift there wasn’t much of a need; Raegn had taken the trade knowing full well he’d miss the entire celebration. To his surprise, however, it was Nalani’s head that popped up through the hatch. She smiled widely at him before hauling herself up the two ladder rungs at the top of the stairs and dropping a sack filled with unknown contents near the center of the small room.

More surprising was that Tera was right behind her. She’d returned to her more brooding ways lately, though still tried to sneak a glance his way before hiding her face. Neither of the girls said anything as they began to unpack the bag and organize its contents on the floor.

“What are you doing here?” Raegn asked while they worked. “You should be out celebrating.”

The two girls paused and Tera seemed to look to her friend for some sort of support. Nalani bounced her head a little, hardly visible with the hood that covered her dark curls, and Tera shifted in his direction.

“I’ve spent a lot of Hallowing’s alone,” she said without looking directly at him. “Spending them with friends is better.”

“We thought you could use the company,” Nalani added.

Asking after the contents of the sack was the next question, but before he could Raegn’s thoughts were interrupted by more footfalls and heavy breathing from outside the hatch. A large bundle of wood was heaved through the opening and a moment later Kai’s head appeared.

“Fuck, that’s a lot of stairs,” the islander panted and hauled himself onto the plank floor of the room.

“You’re supposed to be in shape,” Nalani teased him.

Kai gave her a mocking scowl in return, then turned his attention to Raegn. “’Let’s go keep him company,’ they said. ‘We can even bring food and drink,’ they said. Well guess who got told to bring the wood so we didn’t all freeze to death?” Kai stuck a thumb toward his chest before pointing a rigid finger at Raegn. “You’re welcome.”

Raegn rolled his eyes and chuckled softly. It was a relief that the upcoming trial hadn’t fully divided their group. Not yet, at least. Tera was still concerning, for if anyone were to drift away it would be her. Three out of four of them at a higher rank? Knowing her it would only make her feel weak. There had to be a way for her to break through her mental barrier. If only she would—

“Come on then,” Nalani said while pulling the rope off the bundle of logs. “Let’s get them lit.”

The group set about making a small fire and getting a pot set up above the flame while Raegn continued his watch of the city. Only those with the ability to enhance their sight were ever assigned to the post, it would be impossible for anyone with only normal vision to see much at all other than rooftops, but even then there wasn’t much for him to do. Usually, a lookout would watch for intruders heading to the island, either by boat, swimming across the river, or by sneaking along the bridge. Kids making silly bets were about the only ones that ever attempted that, though, so Raegn passed the time scanning what he could see of the markets and streets, watching the celebrations from afar.

“Here,” Nalani said and pressed a mug into his hands. “You’re on duty so you can’t have the stronger version, but the spice in the wine is good. Even better warm.”

The mug was indeed hot and Raegn gave an equally warm word of thanks before taking a tender sip of the liquid so as not to scald his tongue. The aroma alone was enough to fill the senses and the taste somehow made him feel more connected to the season. There was a strong taste of cinnamon and…apple? It was as though the earthy yet sweet taste of it might allow him to withstand the cold forever.

Kai came and on the ground beneath the window once the food was prepared, offering a small plate as he did so. It was stacked high with slices of salted meat, hunks of various cheeses, and assorted nuts and berries. Raegn put the entire meal away with ease while making idle talk about the upcoming trial. It was only a season away now and Raegn could sense a hint of nerves creeping up against the islander’s determination to succeed.

“So, going to get trained by the High Justicar himself, huh?” Kai asked while Raegn gulped down another handful of cheese.

He gave a light shrug to afford him time to finish swallowing. “Suppose so.”

This wasn’t a topic he wanted to dwell on for any notable period of time. For one, he felt guilty that the same opportunity wasn’t offered to his friend, though Kai had made it clear he didn’t want to become a Justicar, only a Crusader. The higher title would only mean more time spent away from his lover, after all.

“Well, it certainly won’t hurt your chances,” Kai noted.

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Raegn teased.

“Oh, sure,” Kai shot back. “Very jealous of the cruel test you’re about to take. You do realize how few people actually become Justicar, right? It’s damn-near torturous, what they go through.”

Raegn flexed his brows at that. He knew. Or thought he did, at least, based on what he’d heard from others within the Order. The small blessing here was that Kai wasn’t upset about the fact that they would no longer be training together. Everything else lumped together much like the knot in his gut. The food had been good, but now that he’d eaten so much Raegn regretted it. The coming days were likely to be some of his hardest.

Upon the conclusion of his discipline, the High Justicar had approached Raegn and informed him that training would be necessary. A time and a place were given, the second dawn after Hallowing at the Citadel’s bridge, and nothing more. Raegn tried to imagine what might lie in store, but the only things that came to mind were the sessions Ulrich had put him through.

There was also the matter of Highlord Orgeron’s second act of discipline: the moment Raegn was healed he was to begin instructing his fellow Templar. A way to share experiences that benefits the Order, the Highlord had called it. Raegn knew it for what it was. The Highlord might as well have told him to sink or swim before his peers. Raegn had made it this long in the Order by keeping a relatively low profile and a small group of friends. Whether the other Templar would be open to receiving his knowledge about fighting the Void was yet to be seen. If they rejected it, Raegn imagined he’d have a hard time justifying commanding any of them even if he passed the trial.

The bells began to toll again, this time celebrating the Jophiel, Archangel of Wisdom. They would ring only once more, a final celebration to celebrate Netzach, but the coming dawn was still a distant thought in the minds of those in the streets as they renewed their dancing and refilled their tankards.

Raegn broke his gaze away from the city and the light-flooded streets to look at his friends. Kai and Nalani were leaned against the wall of the circular room on the far side, the warmth of the fire probably barely reaching them. They were snuggled close as Kai fed small bits of food to Nalani while she rested her head on his shoulder. They looked as in love as any two Raegn had ever seen and he chuckled at the thought of Kai proposing the moment he passed the trial.

Tera sat on the floor to the side and much closer to the fire. Her knees were tucked close to her chest and she periodically stretched her hands out to feel its warmth. Raegn watched her, studying the patches of pink that the cold brought to her cheeks and the tip of her nose and marveling at the way the fire lit up her face.

In time, he too found himself lost in the mesmerizing beauty of the flames. The small fire crackled away happily, popping now and again as small pockets of sap met their end. Tera’s movement wasn’t enough to break his stare initially, for she only reached for the mug set beside her. When she rose and took the first step towards him, however, Raegn broke his eyes away to look back out the large open window.

“What are you thinking about?” Tera asked softly as she took a seat next to him.

The ledge they sat on was wide enough for one person to sit comfortably, but with two Raegn had to shift perilously close to the edge to allow Tera a full seat. Even then their shoulders were touching.

“Oh, nothing in particular,” he mumbled.

Tera unfolded a blanket that he hadn’t seen her carry over and wrapped herself until she was thoroughly cocooned, though she left her arms free to have access to her drink. She plans on sitting here for a while then, Raegn noted. It had been just short of a full season since she’d said they needed to be apart to work on themselves, whatever that meant. What in Heaven’s name was he supposed to make of this?

“Here,” he said, offering her the hair clip he’d kept in his pocket. “If you’re going to be a Justicar someday you can’t be fixing your hair mid-fight.”

Tera’s head cocked to the side as she eyed the small item. She leaned over to set her drink down on the floor below and then delicately took it from his hand.

“I don’t have anything for you,” she said softly and with a noticeable pout.

The corner of Raegn’s mouth rose a bit into a faint grin. At least she hadn’t outright rejected the gift.

“I wouldn’t have expected you too,” he answered. “In truth, I got it that day we left the library and met Rue. Seemed a waste for you not to have it, even though…” he trailed off, realizing he was headed down a touchy path.

Tera set the lock of hair behind her ear as she’d done many times before, then fastened the clip in place. A single raven strand still hung down around the edge of her brow, but the asymmetry of it only added to her charm.

“How does it look?” she asked.

“Good.”

A simple answer, but fitting in the truest of ways and with more substance than any single word had the right to convey. The ivory color was a stunning accent and the way her hair now framed her face offered a better view of the point at which the jaw met the ear. So much so that Raegn had to tear himself away from the allure of her profile; he could still remember all too well what it was like to run his fingers up the side of her neck and cradle her in his hands.

Tera hummed in pleasant acknowledgment and settled down onto the ledge. Raegn kept his focus outward over sprawling city, though as time drew on he felt her slump into him. She continued to slide downward, her body yielding to its own weight as sweet sleep began to carry her into the night.

“I wish things could be different.”

Tera whispered the words like a half-dreamed thought and, though they reached Raegn’s ears, they failed to register in his mind. His eyes had become fixated on the bridge below; his attention stolen by the lone figure standing at its center.

They were of delicate figure, with tips of blonde hair falling from beneath a hood and onto the front of her shoulders. Raegn hadn’t the slightest idea how long she’d been there, but even if it was only a moment it wouldn’t have quelled the unnerving feeling that rose in him.

The Angel was motionless, but her eyes were bright, something easily seen even at the distance. And she was staring up at him.

END OF ARC 3