Ghosts of the Paladins

The grass glistens yellow in the morning, I don’t know if many people from my old world know that, but it’s true. Every morning dew when the sun first touches it, it washes out the color of before. The blades shine with radiance just bright enough to alert you to day but soft enough to not make you look away. These were the only thoughts I could think about the next morning.

Such a simple reason, but I don’t know if Charlemagne is the person that Grimalkin remembers him as. I don’t think I can ever get those haunting words out of my mind, he gave me bread. It wasn’t the words themselves, it was the look in his eye, the accusing look he gave everyone in the room. It was as if he was asking us if we would have done the same, if we would be able, even, to do the same.

I wouldn’t have, not at the same age they were… that I know for a fact. I’ve seen Vansen’s impotent rage and I wouldn’t wish that upon any child, especially myself at that age… But then again… I shake off the thought as I walk into the main hallway of the carriage.

Napoleon was eating in the main travel room, Charlemagne was just now coming out of the shared bedroom and heading to the latrine. Grimalkin and Themis have already gathered, Themis having found a massive meat leg of some kind and was gleefully gorging on it. “Okay Old Man, you owe me a silver, the Paladin is out of bed first.”

She laughs and gives me a good slap on my back, causing me to tumble forward and catch myself. “I’ve been awake for a bit, old habits die hard.” With all three of them looking at me like I'd said something random, I soon remembered I have a new body. “I… uh…. It’s a personal thing.”

Napoleon perked up from what appeared to be hot oatmeal and a side of some fruit, honestly, the cinnamon spell was driving me up a wall. “That’s the subject of today actually, once Charlemagne is finished waking we should all convene, it is time for our party to truly know who they are fighting with.”

Grimalkin and Themis, however, looked at each other with a disgusted look and then almost simultaneously said, “I don’t think we need to know THAT much.” Their misunderstanding leaves me with a blush.

We all heard a flushing sound, apparently, early on this society figured out how to make flushing bathrooms. Charlemagne comes in the room, drying his hands, as we all look at him, not on purpose per-say, but he was the last one to get here after all.

Napoleon started when Charlemagne took his seat. “Now, we will all be fighting together, it’s only two days until we reach Thebes. As is my tradition, only those willing to shed blood with me may hear my story.”

Grimalkin and Charlemagne both sat forward, Grimalkin’s ears twitching with glee as Charlemagne rubbed his hands together. “Settle down you two, I know you’ve been wanting to hear your Papaw’s story for a long time Grimalkin. It’s only right, especially considering your own bravery yesterday.”

Charlemagne looks very confused now, I gently laid my hand on his back, bringing his attention back to the speaking Paladin instead of the horror story he missed.

Napoleon’s voice sounded distant, “I was born in Kentucky in 1892, to a little town named Boonsboro. I grew up a pretty normal life honestly, working on the farm, helping out in town where I could. Back then we were still a lot like this society in ways I don't want to think about.”

“I’m sorry to say not much of note happened in my life until then, that’s when we entered the war. I was one of the first to sign up in the year of 1914, ready to do my country proud, defend it from all enemies, I was gonna be a hero. Oh, how wrong I was. You see, war, war is something that should never be glorified. There were people killing each other for political reasons no one understood much less held dear enough to kill another human being over.”

“So there, I was, in a hole in the ground, killing my fellow man with the weapons of war. Literally, weapons that are so horrible that I cannot even describe them to you, by the will of the Deity themself. And then, one day, it magically ended. We don’t have anything like this yet here, but in our world, one day of the year, everyone is supposed to come together in mutual love for each other.

“And so, on that day in 1914, my world changed forever. I was fluent in the enemy's language you see, my pappy told me it was good business to speak to everyone ya could. So when both sides put down their weapons for one day, singing together, exchanging gifts, I was one of the people chosen to help coordinate my squad with the enemies. You see, our families had sent us traditional gifts, and we had too many of one thing and not enough of another. And so, by the power of our mutual need and want, we came together to reach peace on the battlefield.

Themis balked, tossing her head back in frustration. “You’re lying old man, if you wanted me to get on your side, you should come up with a more convincing story.”

“I assure you, everything he says is true… It’s in the history of my world, it’s known as the miracle of 1914,” I say as I leaned back in the chair, there’s no way he got brought here over a hundred years ago.

“May I continue?” He waits until all four of us nod at him. “Anyway, that night, as the stars came out, I tried to find a secluded place to use up some of the supplies we’d gotten from home. Candy, alcohol, between the trading we had so many goodies it was truly Christmas.

“That was when I ran into the most beautiful woman of my dreams. She was putting on lipstick in one of the trenches that commonly traded back and forth between sides. She looked scared, tried to run away, catching her was the best decision I ever made. Speaking her language, I released her arm, telling her that it was fine, and I understood. She was afraid that I would kill her, even with the ceasefire on, she was an enemy soldier wearing lipstick after all.

“Wait… I thought, back then…” I started to say but quickly caught myself, my thoughts leaking out of my head as I put all the details together.

Napoleon looked at me calmly, like a father chiding his kid. “She was a woman, she wore lipstick, she dressed, she sang, she was a woman.” There was no anger in his voice, just a soft grandfatherly tone of someone trying to pass on some wisdom.

I stayed quiet, letting him continue his story, unsure what to do after hearing that… He was right, and it isn’t my place to say a thing. “We danced, we kissed, we talked about the things we loved to do, oh, she just loved making chocolates. Meanwhile, I couldn’t shut up about business, my papaw taught me well. She gave me her address, to maybe visit once the hell to end all hells was over.”

“After the war ended, I did what I said I would, went to Germany and swept her off her feet. A local Jewish priest was a friend of the family and chose to marry us even if it wasn’t legally binding. I soon grew friends with my wife’s doctor, a Mister Hirschfield. The years during the sweet time of growth before the fall, oh, if only each of you could have seen it in its heyday…” Napoleon trailed off, the faraway look in his eyes getting more and more distant before he quickly snapped back to the story at hand.

“After the event that shook the world, the crashing of the global economy, many starved. I did my best to take care of my wife, I was a businessman after all! But many chose not to buy from me for whatever reason. I kept us afloat through the worst of the money troubles, but then the Demons rose.”

Charlemagne, Themis, and Grimalkin all shot up upon hearing that last bit. Looking over at me, to confirm, “Yeah, I hate to say it, but he’s right… but you see, the Demons from the world we live in, they aren’t a race, even if they want to think they are. They’re an idea… And in truth, I don't know if that makes them better or worse… But yes, Demons existed then, we defeated them, but it seems you can’t kill an idea, even if it’s one that should have never been made…” I trail off as Napoleon averts his eyes, taking a handkerchief out of Grimalkins pocket he turns away solemnly.

After around a minute of us respectfully waiting in silence, Napoleon turns back. “Now then, gotta finish the story, where was I?... ah, the Demons. The Demons were funny at first, they were so hateful and angry that we just had to laugh at them… None of us took them seriously until the beatings and disappearances. Even then it was hard finding anyone willing to listen, for fear of getting taken themselves.”

“It wasn’t too many years after that, the shiny-boots pretty-boy patrol came knocking around the neighborhood. Once my wife had hidden away I looked outside. The old Jewish man who had married my wife and I, a man who wouldn’t harm a soul… The officer held this old man’s life in his hands, kneeling on the ground, ready for execution. I’d had enough!

“First my wife's doctor got beaten so badly they thought he had died, I was not ready to let any more evil go… And so I jumped out of the window, so no one saw me leave the apartment, climbed down the escape and charged up the stairs. The officer was still gloating, Demons tend to be long-winded but not say very much, which I was thankful for at that time.

“So, I did what I was trained to do, I disarmed him, and, in the mistaken thought that the authorities would arrest this man, held him for detainment… When the police arrived, they bared their fangs against the old man… and I jumped in front.” Napoleon hangs his head down, his cheeks still wet but his tears had long stopped flowing.

He continued after a long silence. “After that, I was here, body young and powerful again. Someone told me people needed help and I had to slay a monster… So I slew a man and became a monster...”

“Wh-what happened to your wife?” Charlemagne was the first to break the silence… I couldn't blame him for the question, but I feel that I know the answer. So I just patted him on the back.

Pulling the green-robed priest close and holding him, I didn't know if it was more for me or him after that ordeal, I whispered in his ear. “He’s a warrior who’s come to terms with his actions, let him have the mystery.” It honestly felt more for me than him, how can I tell him what eventually became of the people who went missing… how can I tell him his wife was right near the top of their list?

None of us said another word for another ten minutes, unsure how to respond, Napoleon had left to go to the pantry after that, Charlemagne was still in my lap While Grimalkin was standing up between the two parallel benches. Themis, on the other hand, had gone with Napoleon.

Before bed the night before, I had read more of Holy Paladin Cedric's chapter in the ledger. Death camps, state-sanctioned and funded slavery, experiments… While, not a one to one comparison, yes, those people at any time are indeed demons.

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Log of the Honorable Themis

Month 7 Day 16 Colonial year 427

I believe I have been accepted somehow into the group of the Paladin, with them knowing full well my status according to Leere. Paladin Napoleon has displayed trust in me that I confronted him about later.

Upon asking why he has not turned me in, he would only smile and ask what the reason would be for. Once I had explained the obvious his only response to me was:

“I don’t see a Demon here, do you?” He is a strange man, but not an untrustworthy one.

Tomorrow we will learn the status of Thebes now that it is under the control of the Spiral Mercenaries and plan a surprise assault on their base. I pray we rescue as many as we can.

I will also use this as a chance to determine if the Spiral Mercenaries are being paid by the noblemen of the Blue City.

Keep my family safe. I have been reminded of their value tenfold once-more.

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Charlemagne rocked back and forth in my lap, after he’d calmed down from Napoleon’s story he was marveling at it. “So does that mean Napoleon himself fought the Demons, was the ‘Pretty Boy Patrol’ a group of demons? He beat them! That’s amazing!”

I nod, “Yeah, it truly was amazing, but if he’s so old, how’s he uhm, still around, and I mean he doesn’t look…” The calculations took longer than expected, “...one hundred and twenty-something!”

Grimalkin piped in, “Papaw loves bragging about that, apparently, if you get reborn in this world, your body will be your ideal. Aged roughly twenty years old, so even though he’s over One Hundred, he’s sixty-five, eighty-five at oldest.” He rolled his eyes slightly but then smiled again. “I really don’t know what I'd have done without him.”

Themis and Napoleon soon came back to the room. Themis shouted happily, “Okay, it’s your turn nooby.” I know she was completely innocent in asking. She was bouncing as she walked in the room, the normal upbeat chuckle in her voice

I knew it was my turn, Napoleon had given such a tale that I feel obliged. The world feels like it’s going in slow motion, my skin feels like electricity is surging over it and I can't stop it. I slowly push Charlemagne off of my lap, his crying abated. I hold my head and pull my legs up to the front of my chest as everyone gets close to me.

Themis reaches close, she’s so slow but I inch backward. Everyone’s eyes are on me, I'm being weird, I’m being weird AGAIN! oh no.

No, I gOt OvEr ThiS.

My blood is racing in my veins, it feels so fast, so fast, am I okay? Oh no, everyone’s looking at me. I open my mouth, my throat feels like the sand of a baseball field is filling it.

“I……..I………...s.so……...r…...ry,” Oh now I can’t even speak now, how will I ever be able to get their respect again? SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! I can’t even speak, if I can’t speak then I can’t lead them into battle. Wait?! I’m supposed to lead them into battle!? I got turned down from the army! I wasn't up to snuff! BRoken BoDY BrOKeN bOdy Broken Body.

What can I do, they all look so worried, they look worried about me? Why are they worried? Am I worried? Should I be worried?

I gOt oVer THiS, i Gott OvR ThEs.

What am I just thinking about? They look so scared, no, I don’t want to scare them, Napoleon….

Grimalkin’s gotta sneeze.

Grimalkin’s face is scrunched up, looking at me, trying to be serious, but he has to sneeze.

It’s like those cute video’s you’d share with your family members for fun, he’s kind of adorable. Oh, he’s leaning closer, his lips raising, showing some teeth, he’s gonna…

“AAAAAAAAHCHOOOOOOO!” Grimalkins face scrunched and his head shot back kind of like a small wind punched him in the face. He shakes his head, rubbing from his ears to his nose. And then, suddenly I feel more in control, I look up, around them, considering everyone else in the room.

My head is spinning as I recover from my pulse skyrocketing, I thought that wouldn’t happen anymore, I got a new body and everything.

Napoleon covered me with the cloak he wore whenever he stepped out, shielding me from their eyes. The fear rises in me again, but Napoleon is there, he must get it, he was a soldier…

The smooth, southing, old country voice at his base came out, he was so quiet that I could only hear the wheels on the road, rolling on. The wheels are rolling forward and Napoleon was talking, I only caught the end, everything else felt like it melted out of my mind whenever I stopped focusing. “It’s a curse, Charlemagne, most likely warrior’s cane.”

Warrior’s cane? At least it sounds stronger than anxiety or panic attacks…

“Just don’t pressure him, he will speak when he regains his strength.” Napoleon’s voice was honnied, but slower, like molasses.

Themis came over to me, making sure I heard her movements, her steps sounded heavier than normal, but not aggressive. “H-hey…” her voice was more quiet than I've ever heard, slow and careful, she sounded kind of sweet, like blackberries. “...I would be honored if you would let me assist.” Her normal brash demeanor was gone, as if a switch flipped in her head.

From under the blanket, I saw her massive clawed paw-like hand, the palm looking up at me if I wished to grab it. A sense of peace seemed to overflow from Themis. I took her hand, holding just her pinky finger, wrapping my whole hand around the digit that seemed smaller than ever before.

In that same, quiet, fragile sounding voice, Themis continued. “You don’t need to tell us whatever you don’t want to, okay?”

I nod under the cloak, catching my breath, in and out. In and out.

Some time passes, five minutes, twelve hours, it’s all the same to me until it’s over.

I finally feel somewhat better and open my mouth, beginning to speak.

“Thanks, uhm.” Napoleon stops me, his hand on my shoulder. Themis looked at me, I hadn't let go of her finger, I hadn't even noticed my hand naturally going to Grimalkin’s as well. he had just always been there, so I hadn't even noticed when he sat on my left side and had taken ahold of my hand other hand.

“It’s okay, we get it, we record all curses in this world, magical and non. My mom had that too, certain questions messing ya up, I get it… as in I get it too sometimes.” Themis gives me a very soft hug, really giving me an appreciation for the control of her strength.

Grimalkin was biting his lip in the corner, “Yeah, the funny sneeze face always helped calm Hephy’s dad down too, and she always did it for me.”

Charlemagne just gave me the biggest hug he ever could, which, through the really plush fabric of his robe, felt akin to a snowman made out of pillows cuddling you. “I,” Sniff, “I, I am just.” Sniff, “I’m just glad you’re okaaaaaay!”

I pat his back, comforting him and ruffle his hair, he could be quite cute. Themis brings me a large glass of water that I down quickly, not realizing how thirsty I had gotten, my skin was shining in the light of the magic candles.

“Just, just understand that I'm going to leave some important bits out, okay? People look at me differently when they find out, start walking on eggshells and treating me differently and… I just don’t want to tell you that part yet. Not until after we fight, I don't want to risk it. I’ve not done anything bad but……”

Themis had taken out a pair of small bones, some jewels, and a copper coin, she showed them right before tossing them in the air and catching them with her hand. “Stand Witness” Her hand glows bright golden when she touches Herself, Grimalkin, Napoleon, and even Charlemagne at his protest. They all glow the same golden color and then it fades.

Themis looks at me, a smile on her face, big and goofy, but also kind of scary considering she has the face of a badger. “That was my skill, ‘Stand Witness’ until we drink again, we cannot lie. Heh, and people wonder why nobles and merchants hate me.” She Pauses. “Nothing you say will make me doubt you as long as you did nothing to harm someone.”

The other three all nodded to each other upon the declaration, saying in unison. “Us too”

I smiled at the four of them, glowing golden in front of me, radiant as the morning dawn. Then I reached forward, grabbing her hand and touching it to my chest as well. “No backing out for me if I’m doing this then I guess.” The four of them smiled at me

With a knot in my stomach, terribly unsure if I should share any of this with the Demon Lord or an obvious plant. But here I go, “Growing up, my mom was an ER nurse, my dad worked in the military, he wasn’t around all that much because of that though. Ever since I was a kid, I thought I might get my dad’s approval, a little thumbs up, if I joined the military, thing is, I was my mom's kid too.”

“I couldn’t think of hurting anyone, not really, truthfully I wanted to be a nurse, or a surgeon, maybe mental health… But anyway, I trained all my life. Right up until I was nineteen, but I'll get to that in a bit. Around the time when everyone else's voice got deeper or higher, my body felt wrong. Kind of loose, and everything hurt, my mom and the docs all thought that I just had growing pains, so I thought they were normal.”

“Turns out, not normal. The feeling of things drilling into your joints, the sudden loss of energy, hard to get to sleep, and worst of all the feeling of if your skeleton were made of a regenerating broken glass substance. Ya see, no matter how much it felt like I got injured, it turned out I could feel even MORE injured.

“So, I grow up, thinking this thing is all in my head, train with the weapons of my military, learn medicine from my mom before I plan on going into the army as a medic. My mom died around the time I was sixteen and my dad came to live in the house I grew up in with me.”

“It wasn’t easy and he was a stern guy, but he did teach me to be the best I could be. Then, after high school, I go to get my exam… And I get turned down. Remember how that pain wasn’t all in my head? Turns out it was all over my body, I didn't have any collagen really, the stuff that protects your joints from moving around too much. I wasn’t eligible… I should have been let down right? But I was ecstatic, my dad had already seen my determination and hard work, I'd gone as far as I could. There was no way he wasn’t proud of me, doing all of that, while disabled, only to be turned down. But after that, I sorta floated for two years.”

“After couch surfing and a string of bad roommates I wound up at a concert, it was loud, and a guy comes in with this spell that can destroy an entire building full of people… so I jump on him, and poof, then I’m here.”

The room went silent for a little while, not dead silent, everyone was mumbling to themselves a little, which, I actually took as a good sign. Stunned silence was what I was dreading the most, the, ‘Oh you poor, poor soul’ and then they act weird around me. Charlemagne was looking at my arms and legs, I guess trying to see if anything looked missing, he was a medic, after all, I guess I can tell him what this stuff is later. Who knows, a little attention from the Paladin might count as a miracle to a few people that don’t even know it yet.”

“Thanks for sharing your strength,” Themis gripped my hand this time, lightly, but protectively.

“You think that made you fragile? You made it through the fire, forged and strong.” Grimalkin hugs me tight, as Charlemagne piles on the two of them…

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Speaker of the Deity Vansen’s private log.

Month 7 Day 16 Holy year 427

I called in that stooge Leere today, informing him of the Paladin’s exit from the city. Charlemagne was pulling his weight swimmingly. The boy is such a powerful healer, giving him to the paladin was truly for the best. While he was gifted medically, he didn’t have the drive or ambition that would make a great priest such as myself. The Paladin’s party and even Charlemagne think that he’s a double agent, of that I have made sure of.

Upon hearing that we had a man on the inside, the buffoon asked if we could just manipulate him… “Seriously, if you’ve gone through all this hard work, what are you doing not activating him?”

My powerful voice easily forcing him to cower in submission. “Charlemagne is not to be activated, the boy does not have the stomach for it. He is only with the Paladin to keep him on his toes until the Demon Lord takes our bait and tries to kill him before the Paladin slays the beast.

Leere feebly asked up at me, on my high throne of gold and jewels. “But Honorable Speaker of the Deity Vansen my Lord, why do you need the Paladin jumpy?”

I know my poor college brother is slow, but I guess I really do have to spell it out for him and all of history to know my brilliance. “The Paladin is a bleeding heart, he has been compromised. If he was to kill the Demon Lord and the Demon Lord to kill him, because he didn’t trust the MOST CAPABLE MEDIC IN THE CHURCH, then truly I could have done nothing more to help him?”

He squeaked like one of the soulless rodents at me, a god compared to his lower life, “But what about if he lives and comes back.”

I left him to ponder that, it will do his pea brain good to bask in my genius and to figure it out for himself. His businesses serve the most profit from the emergency legislative session I am putting through tomorrow, so he owes me more than his life, he owes me his money.