I feel as though we’ve been imprisoned. We once soared through the sky, purging the darkness where it dared show its face. Now we are confined to one small island for our own supposed protection. Only when I am most calm do I see the logic in the decision. We exist to the fight the Void and the Realm believed the war to be won some centuries ago - it remains unclear to me what gave them that impression.

ARC 5 - PARACLETE

CHAPTER 5 - PRICE OF PEACE

The last time Raegn had ridden in a wagon it had been just as stuffy. An absent smirk crossed his lips as he recalled how, a year ago to the season, he’d been on his way to Elysium. This time, however, held several key differences - and some were even positive. For one, he wasn’t recovering from near-death and, rather than be jostled about on the wooden floor, Princess Victoria’s wagon was actually a covered carriage with padded seats. The primary drawback was that he was now clad in the most ornate armor he’d ever worn and despite the helmet resting on his lap, with four people in the small cabin there was little room to move about or stretch his legs.

Nora sat across from him, her feet crossing by his on the floor as they vied for what little territory there was to claim. To her left Victoria sat, her dresses and hands both neatly flattened atop her lap. Next to Raegn, and across from the princess, was her primary retainer and the sole person Victoria actually knew that would be able to stay with her during the trip. The Tsurat family would have been insulted were she to bring a full array of servants, apparently. Victoria had hardly spoken a word other than a greeting when they’d been waiting at the carriage for her. Since entering, she’d kept her eyes downcast, inspecting a cuticle here and there, but otherwise ignoring everyone, even her retainer. That was a bit of a feat considering the woman droned on and on, reminding the princess of all she was to be aware of once they were in Shaktika. Thankfully, after the first two hours or so, the woman, Mistress Edolie if Raegn correctly remembered the introduction some several thousand words ago, had finally shut up.

“I get the feeling this trip is designed for you to be uncomfortable,” he remarked.

He held his eyes on the princess until she was willing to return the gaze. She did little more than shrug faintly in reply.

“For all your father’s statecraft, two guards and a single retainer were all he could convince them to let in?” he pressed.

“Raegn!” Nora hissed and kicked his greave.

The metal on metal made a loose clattering noise, but there was no pain with it. Maybe there was some benefit to be had from the gaudy armor. Raegn threw a momentary frown her way to show his annoyance at her scolding.

“What?” he asked. “The four of us are going to spend a lot of time together. She’s a princess, but she’s still human.” He turned his attention back to Victoria. “Do you want us prim and proper for the next two seasons straight or would you prefer us drop the illusion when we’re alone?”

“Normal conversation is fine,” Victoria said softly while smoothing her already pristine dress.

“See?” Raegn shot an annoyed glare back at Nora but got another kick in return. He winced a bit at that one. She’d found a tiny gap in the armor around the side of his knee and the impact shot up into his hip.

Fine as it may have been, however, keeping any sort of conversation going proved problematic. Victoria seemed to have little interest in it, Mistress Edolie apparently needed permission to talk to anyone other than the princess, and there wasn’t anything to discuss with Nora. Light, they’d spent three straight days planning for every possibility that might occur on this trip. There wasn’t anything in his partner’s mind related to the next two seasons that he didn’t already know. Not until they entered the Shaktikan Empire, at least, and saw for themselves what they’d be dealing with.

“So, an arranged marriage? Is that something you wanted?”

Nora groaned louder than the axles of the carriage could ever hope to and Raegn thought her head might fall off her shoulders she dropped it into her hands so hard at his question.

“I don’t suppose I ever thought about it,” Victoria answered, much to his surprise. “Do they arrange marriages in the Far East?”

Raegn blinked absently, thoroughly unprepared to have a question asked of him in response.

“Somewhat?” he said with a shrug. “The parents of young lords and ladies set them up from time to time, but I’m not sure it’s anything is as forced as this. Saying no is always an option.”

“Must be nice,” the princess muttered. Her eyes widened in surprise at her own words. “I-I mean to say, it must be nice to have their parents—”

“You don’t want to,” Raegn answered for her. Somber eyes met his, then disappeared to focus on restless hands. Nora, suddenly comfortable with no longer maintaining airs worthy of a royal presence, reached out and gave Victoria’s shoulder a light squeeze.

“He’s your father,” Nora told her. “Have you told him?”

The princess shook her head after a moment and Nora continued. “Maybe if you explained it—”

“My father wanted a child for the wrong reasons,” Victoria admitted, her hands now tightly clasped. Mistress Edolie tried to interrupt, but with a subtle raise of a hand the retainer was silenced. “A marriage and a child show commitment to the Kingdom beyond one’s own life,” Victoria continued. “My father is a shrewd man. I’m his daughter but, more importantly, I’m a piece of his designs - evidence that supports his arguments and decisions. He acts as though this marriage is an inconvenience to him when it’s really just another part of the games he plays to maintain control.”

“And when he eventually passes, he’s alright with a Shaktikan taking the throne?” Raegn asked. “Seems hard to believe.”

“He’s never told me the whole plan, but I think he’s already found a way to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

Raegn frowned. “So who becomes the ruler of Elysia? You?”

“I am his heir,” Victoria snapped, a sudden defiance in her voice. “And rest assured, when the time comes I will not run from my people.”

Mistress Edolie gave a gasp and that and brought a hand over her face as if it were somehow going to hide the shock from her plump cheeks. Raegn glowered until Nora let out a snort - then he glowered even lower.

So the princess thought she knew everything there was to know about him, did she? Well, how well did she think she would’ve done in his place? Raegn scorned her as he bit his lip to keep the words in his head. She’d stand there and piss herself if a single voidling came at her. And then she’d die.

With the only true noble having the final word, the cabin fell back into stuffy silence. The carriage rumbled along the road, its rattling wheels fighting against the sound of the two dozen horse's hooves from the retinue that would accompany them to the border. A bead of sweat slid down Raegn’s forehead and nestled into his brow. He didn’t bother to wipe it away. More would come.

It did fly from his face, however, when he perked up at the sound of shouts in the distance. It was too far to be any of the Crownguard on horseback outside the carriage, but their escorts began to call to one another as well in response to the distant commotion.

“What’s happening?” Nora asked loudly as she threw up the shade covering one of the open windows.

“A portal,” one of the Crownguard said as he rode up alongside. “You can see it there, just atop that hill.” He pointed somewhere, though Raegn couldn’t see past the ass-end of the man’s horse. “Think there are some fieldworkers that are caught up nearby.”

Raegn’s hand was an inch from the door handle when Nora grabbed it by the wrist.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Going to close it.” He pulled his arm free, but she caught it again before he could get the carriage open.

“That’s not for us to deal with,” Nora growled. “We are to protect the princess.”

A simple reminder, perhaps too much so.

“Not for us to deal with?” His words were a muddled mixture of baffled hate. “It’s the very reason we exist! What justice is this, hmm?” he asked, gesturing to the carriage they were stuck in. “People out there will die!”

“And the Order will come to deal with it,” Nora said, matching his volume with ice in her tone.

“The Order is here!” Raegn yelled with a jab into Nora’s breastplate. “But fine.” He rounded on the princess. “Tell me to go save them. Tell me to save your people!”

Victoria’s eyes were wrought with fear. They darted between his and Nora’s. They even tried Mistress Edolie, but the woman was too taken aback by the outburst within the carriage to summon the ability to speak.

“I-uhh,”

“You want to mock me for not leading my people? What sort of queen lets her own die?” he yelled at her.

“We’re acting as Crownguard,” Nora interrupted. “We can’t be seen using the Light.”

“Oh for—” Raegn began ripping at the various belts and fasteners that kept the ornate armor against his body. In quick order, he’d gotten the breast and back plates to come free and was nearly done with the legplate as well. All while the princess failed to speak. He leaned forward and pounded on the front wall, a signal for the carriage to stop.

“Raegn, enough!” Nora said, pushing him back onto his side of the cabin.

“I’m not sure it’s wise…” Victoria muttered meekly.

Wise? Raegn nearly laughed in dismay. Wisdom hadn’t determined his suitability to become a Justicar.

“What would Cenric say if he could see us now?” he asked with a hard glare at Nora. “What would Raguel think of us?”

That, mercifully, hit deep enough that the seasoned Justicar didn’t have an immediate response.

“Our calling is higher than…” Raegn gave a quick look in the princess’s direction. It wasn’t her fault. She’d been kept within a castle her whole life, most likely. The Realm wasn’t ready for what was coming. She wasn’t ready. “This,” he said, leaving the implication open-ended.

Nora stared at him and he stared right back. He was right. He knew. She knew it. She only had to make the choice. Her hand hovered over a buckle at her side, one of many that would need to be removed. Raegn willed her to pull. He’d be gone in another moment no matter what she chose. He’d leave even if he had to blow the side of the carriage open.

“You can go.”

They were quiet and lacked any solid foundation, but the words were enough.

Raegn was out the door as Nora ripped at the buckles of her armor. He plucked his spear from where it had been fastened on the side of the carriage and took off in the direction the shouting had come.

Perhaps she might come around, Raegn thought as he ran. He was torn as to whether he’d actually expected her to give in or make a decision. He wasn’t even sure what difference it made at the moment, for Nora’s fingers had pulled on that first buckle a second before, but at least it absolved them of any guilt. Not that he felt any, but Nora would. And that meant she’d make eventually make him feel it too.

The Crownguard’s assessment was correct. Half a dozen fieldworkers must have been nearby when the portal opened. They ran in his direction, shovels and other tools-turned-weapons in hand. One man had been wounded already, a cut across his back, perhaps. He had his arm slung over another and the two were hobbling along a good bit behind the others, a pack of voidlings scurrying after them.

Despite Raegn’s speed, the distance was too great to cover in time - he wouldn’t make it. Not to put himself between them and the threat, anyway. Stopping to fire a lance would only delay his arrival and with the stumbling run the two men were in as they crossed the plowed field he was liable to hit them. He needed to stall the Void, if only for a few steps.

He threw up a barrier, projecting it as far out in front of him as he could. The air turned to a golden shimmer several strides behind the two men and two voidlings barreled headlong into it like children too distracted to see a tree as they ran. The voidlings crashed to the ground, then scrambled to regain their footing on pointed legs. By the time they were upright, Raegn was upon them. He leapt and drove his spear through one as it turned to face him, its jaws gnashing for him even as putrid blood poured from its torso. A shockwave from his off-hand flattened the other back onto the ground. He hit it twice more in quick succession, each of the next two forceful blasts carrying thrice the power as the last and aimed directly downward, cracking the voidlings carapace like a nut under fist. A third came from the side, but caught a spearhead in its side in a quick thrust. Nora ripped the sharp point back out only to drive it in again, this time clean through the neck.

The immediate threat handled, Raegn surveyed the battlefield. A hundred paces away the portal floated; surrounded by lines of blackened dirt where vile tendrils had lapped outward from its edge. In those hundred paces, ten more voidlings scuttled towards them, their chittering filling the air over the muffled hits of their hardened legs into dirt.

Raegn grinned. It had been some time since he’d gotten to face the Void outright. Other humans playing with the darkness were just as much a threat, but spilling black blood never brought the same pang of regret that red did. He took to the fight as an old artisan would their craft. Spear and Light were but tools in his hands as the Void fell around him. With Nora at his side he needn’t worry about being flanked or surrounded. Twenty voidlings and they might have had to vocalize some sort of strategy, but ten? A warm-up.

When the enemy was belly-up, their legs twitching and horrid forms left lifeless, the portal stood as the lone poison left on the land. Nora approached it, her caution abated by victory’s ease of arrival.

Too close.

Raegn caught her arm and nodded towards the portal when she turned to question why. A hissing vine of deep violet wriggled into the air, then fell to the ground where her foot would have been before slowly retreating back into the portal’s edge. Her hand instinctively went to her sword, readying a retaliatory strike. Hesitation took hold and the blade did not come free.

Certain precautions must be kept. They’d been permitted some leeway, but they were still bound to their assignment. Like a dog, they’d run out of leash.

They’d taken off their armor and used the Light, but they would be returning to a carriage and a princess traveling to a land where affinity was monitored - and they were supposed to have none. It would be easy enough to resume their Crownguard identities and say that two Justicar happened to be close when they were traveling by. Or perhaps, even, that the Justicar escorted them as far as the border. So long as Raegn kept his hand gloved to hide the signet ring of his family and took the surname for bastards of the Far East, he would be overlooked. Just another unplanned child named after Bastion’s heir. They’d been assured Shaktika had little idea who Nora Caloman was. Her father’s name was worthy of a merchant or traveler’s memory, but it had been over a decade since his passing - there was little chance anyone spoke of him or would relate the two.

A heavenly relic, though? A sword forged in the fires of absolution? That was the type of detail that made a story worth telling. Nora had already wrapped the hilt in cloth to hide the winged handguard and brilliant craftsmanship, but drawing that blade might doom them.

Raegn saw the resentment weighing on her shoulders. She might have been able to cut through the portal. Not the way he was accustomed to closing them, if accustomed was even how it could be described, but it would certainly be efficient. Yet she forbade herself to even try.

“Do you want to show me how?” Nora asked glumly as her hand left the hilt.

It was defeat that drained her. Like an eagle without its talons, she’d soared into the hunt only to find that, at its end, satisfaction eluded her. She needed the release of victory. Far more than him.

“A beam, right at the center,” he told her. “Maintain it until it overwhelms the portal.”

The corner of her mouth pulled upwards, even if only the slightest bit, and she gave a nod.

Just over a year since portals opened and allowed the Void within Bastion’s walls. One year since Raegn had first seen an abyssal disc be filled with white roots until it faded back into nothing. One year since Archangel Camael, Aspect of War, destroyed his home and anyone too slow to escape in order to prevent the darkness from spilling into the Realm. Yet here he was, over a fortnight’s travel away, watching a portal be sealed.

The Void had made it through.

It was the darkest of thoughts; that perhaps all his efforts had been for nothing. Bastion fought and died thinking itself one noble sacrifice away from victory, only to have been made insignificant by ten dead voidlings in a farmer’s field.

The other Crownguard were silent as the two Justicar walked back through their loose formation. The carriage leaned to one side as he and Nora climbed back inside. Every squeak of the axle and every divot the wheels dropped into were a deafening racket in the small cabin. Breathing settled, blood cooled, and sweat slowed. They were by no means comfortable, not in the small, stuffy cabin, but when they no longer felt they would melt into nothing, they resumed their new role. He and Nora took turns, wordlessly helping tighten the straps on one another. One by one the bits of armor detailed with the features of an owl were set into place until their bodies were once again covered by plate.

“This reminds me,” Nora said quietly. She dug into a small pouch on her side and pulled out a bracelet. “Wear this at all times,” she said and fastened it around Victoria’s dainty wrist. “If you’re ever in trouble, cover it with a hand and crush it against your arm. Raegn and I will come.”

The Princess gave a shallow nod. Raegn watched Nora as she went back to cradling her helm, staring at the resemblance of a beak and feathers that surrounded the holes for her eyes. Owls were said to be a symbol of wisdom. An odd association in Raegn’s mind, for the only association he could see was that owls tended to look old and, by some secondary association, age was considered to carry wisdom. An equally ridiculous assumption. He’d met plenty of old men who were as dumb and foolish as a child. Regardless, the Melrose bloodline had chosen an owl as their sigil, for King Kennard Melrose claimed not to be strong or righteous like other rulers, but wise.

Victoria had tried to say convince him with something along that line. “Not sure it’s wise,” she’d said. Ludicrous. Words were useless against the Void. The only thing it responded to, the only solution, was to fight with steel and Light.

They’d done the right thing here, that much Raegn was sure of. They were Justicar first. Their oath demanded they cleanse the Void wherever they might come across it. Was that not both wise and just? Could they not do both - could they not be both - despite working for the King?

Raegn glanced over at Victoria. She was studying the bracelet Nora had given her, letting it dangle some from her wrist. Hers was more fitting for a princess, the small white gem nestled into a metal setting attached to tiny silver links rather than the plain leather band he wore around his own wrist. She was so…timid. He’d damn near bullied her into allowing them to fight. He wasn’t even sure she'd been convinced or simply given in to his will. More importantly, he supposed, was if she was liable to do the same again if it came to it. If she would, then there was hope that their Justicar duties might not interfere with her protection. They might even find a balance between the two.