“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”
- Ruyard Kipling, If— (1895, 2nd Era)
Chaos erupted like wildfire; it took an hour after the wounded made their report and orders to reach the camp. Two of the scouting parties never returned.
Two armies of silent ones were amassing in the wasteland outside the city, blocking the direct path back to the Kingdom. It seemed that the Master Knights intended to move quickly and leave before any fighting could occur.
They packed away supplies at twice the speed as tension thrummed in the air. Even the priests dropped their demands to contribute to the workload. Time was of the essence, and there wasn’t any left to question those in charge. Humanity had survived long enough to realize that certain moments called for action and cooperation for survival.
So, it was a shock when Sir Alister tracked Erec down and yanked him away, only to drag him to the Master Knights.
Boldwick looked aged, yet there wasn’t any scent of wine or spirits in this war room, which was surprising since Erec had associated this sort of distressed appearance with drinking. No, the Master Knight was dead sober.
Master Knight Fulton gave him a nod, then ashed his cigarillo as he stared at the map; the third Master Knight remained quiet to his side. Alister made a fist to his chest and sat behind Erec, which thankfully kept Erec from being alone with the three Master Knights.
“Do you sense any silent ones?” Boldwick asked, cautious. “Have the dreams worsened?”
The question caught Erec off guard. It seemed they’d bought the lie that he’d sensed the Stalker on the roof, but now for it to be brought up again—he hedged the truth the best he could. “I think that was a strange circumstance. I had a nightmare of that building before—but since then, I haven’t dreamed of the white stag.”
No, all he’d dreamed of was the world burning and billions crying out as they died on behalf of the Goddess.
Boldwick gave a slow nod and a sigh. “I don’t know why it was attacking that old-world machine. But… we did find something of value.”
[What?]
Something caught it by surprise?
“I sent scouts to the location your squad found the android; on the fifth floor, we found a discarded map. We summarized that the android mapped out a route to the west coast—that’s right, the place with the water as far as the eye can see. It paid special care and attention to marking a couple of points, deeming them ‘population centers.’”
[Ply him for more information. Now.]
That information hung in the air. Erec’s eyes went wide, though Alister was calm beside him.
Why the hell is he—
“Why am I disclosing confidential information on that level to you?” Boldwick replied with a bit of a grin. “One day, we’ll work on hiding expressions. I’ll be blunt here. Many of our Knights believe that those outside the wall are sinners and no longer human as they’ve turned from the Goddess’ grace. Once they find out they exist at all. Yet you have a reason not to think that way, don’t you?”
“You mean my mother.”
“What if I were to say that out of anywhere in the world, I know of a place that might know where she went? That it might be one of the places marked on this map.” Boldwick strode up to Erec with a mad look in his eye. “If I were to say that, what would you think?”
“…I’d want to know where that place was.”
“Yes, you would. And if you wouldn’t tell another soul, especially if I planned to drag you with me to investigate such a place and others on this map in the future?”
“I’m—I’m an initiate.”
Boldwick snorted. “No shit. Do you think the most useful Knights start out as useful? No, they learn, grow, and gain power; but even the ones with the best potential turn to shit if they’re planted in crap soil. I intend to investigate the map in time—and I’ll need a team I can trust. Now, I know old Fulton here and Caesar are loyal to a fault, but they don’t have the freedom lower-ranking Knights do; It’s much easier to justify leading a small scouting mission myself. Even easier to keep it secret. I saw your drive, boy. And I intend to use it to my benefit.”
Erec kept quiet at that as the thoughts turned in his head. Was this why they’d decided to pull away quickly? This information must have been vital for Boldwick to make the call to retreat and give up on the white stag.
And now, he was swearing Erec to secrecy?
“…What is it you want me for?”
“Alister told you, didn’t he? Right now, you’ve swung at him on a level that gave him pause. In a year? Might be up there on Knight Errant level if we push you quick enough. At that point, it’s good to get out into the real world and see the sights we’ve never seen before. We’re not like the other Orders; we like to get our initiate's hands dirty.” Boldwick shook his head and sighed. “You’re a prime candidate to never side with the church, with how they did your family.”
“You dislike the Goddess?”
"I dislike the church. Not the Goddess. Never forget the two are two different things; keep the separation firm in your mind since it's a source of power to them when you forget it." Boldwick cracked his neck.
Erec let that sink in, wondering if the two should be separate. Though, the Goddess hadn't been the one to decide to fine his family as punishment and to push the confiscation of their property.
"…This is all talk for the future, for once we get back. Expect your schedule to escalate; I need you in better shape. And don't forget this. If you fail to meet my standards, you're out. That's what my old mentor would've called the 'carrot' and the 'stick.'"
Erec gave a nod of understanding. This was the encouragement he wanted to drive Erec further, and he'd rise to the expectations.
Likely, it was because he was one of those Boldwick had taken under his wing—presumably, Gwen, Robin, and Alister would also be going on such a journey, but…
"Sir, is there… Is there any possibility you'd consider Garin and—"he hesitated before adding the last name. "—Colin?"
Boldwick frowned.
"I get your friend. But the Duke's son?" He scratched at his face and looked at the ceiling. "As to Garin—I'll be brutally honest, I don't trust him to keep a secret; too easygoing for my taste. But the Unbroken General's brat—he's just bad, a disgrace to his name, on top of his family connection."
“Aw, give’em a chance.” Alister half chuckled.
"Garin can change. They both can if they have the chance. I'm sure of it." He tried to stem the bit of anger in him rising at those accusations. They weren't untrue but undoubtedly unkind, but he felt grateful for Alister’s support at least.
“I doubt that, but I’ll consider it, maybe test to see if they’d rise to the occasion. I have a couple of others in mind as well. What of that other runt running around with you? That girl?”
Erec gave a small cough and looked away. “I don’t trust her.”
“Ha. Is my paranoia already rubbing off on you? Good intuition. She’s in the pocket of the Luculentus duchy, so it makes her an ideal candidate if she’s strong enough.”
Wait, what?
Boldwick walked away back to the other Master Knights and glanced at the sheet of paper they were working on. “Dismissed.”
— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —
Erec settled into his bed. It was to be a short rest. At the first light of dawn, they’d break camp and move.
Thirty minutes passed before an alarm tore through the encampment. Everyone scrambled to their Armor, already on edge, as chaos broke loose. Erec found his Vallum model with backpack still attached, and ran back outside.
Flashes of light and fire dominated the night. Screams and smashing of wagons as Knights fought back against fifteen-foot tall giants.
The monsters were eerily human-like if one disregarded their two heads and skin with the texture and color of stone. Their dark charcoal eyes looked blank as they rushed in, crushing Knights and hammering into the defensive line as an army of silent enemies came from the city itself.
They’d set scouts on the silent ones in the wasteland, but no one had predicted this; somehow, the force hid away in the dense city. Their attention was toward the enemies in the wastes.
Smaller creatures spilled past the giants, sliding in through the weak points in the shattered wagon defensive line. They were little malformed monsters with long snouts, dead eyes, and the same stone-like skin as the giants. That wasn't the only similarity, as they, too, moved in complete silence like the giants. They were throwing themselves at the Knights and trying to ambush those running around without Armor.
One was running right at an initiate. The poor boy couldn't see it since he was holding a bleeding eye.
Erec yanked his war axe free and threw himself between the monster and man; his axe swung and cracked against the monster's stone skin.
It rocked the creature and left a nasty crack but did next to nothing.
They were durable—annoying bastards. Erec growled as a second of the monsters came to confront him—he shoved his fellow initiates off, determined to hold these back. Just as one rushed him, a flare of white sidelined it, cracking its face as traces of light flooded and broke apart half of its head.
Olivia slid next to him on the battlefield.
"Surprise attack?" she asked out of breath. "Have the Master Knights given any orders?"
In the distance, Erec saw the greatest of their Knights clashing against the giants storming their encampment. Fire, lightning, and ice pressed back against the advancing enemy. Even the priests were busy healing the wounded as the Silver Flames joined in with a holy barrage to buy time for the unprepared.
Erec shook his head, the fire sparking in him. How dare they attack this encampment?
He’d do his best to protect those here.
He looked at Olivia, bit his lip underneath his helmet, and took a deep breath. “I need to ask a favor.”
"Oh?" The girl asked as she sent another flare of light slamming into their remaining enemy; it pulled back, no longer a threat to the person they'd defended.
It was clear that in his current state, Erec didn't have the power to damage or even really slow these bastards. With battle so close, Fury was a hair's breadth away from surging forth of its own accord.
"Back me up. I don't know if my axe will be able to do enough damage to save everyone we could—but I know I'll give them a target. Garin's off with Colin—but I need you; they seem weak to your prayers."
"You wish to fight as one?"
"…Yeah, I'm sorry I might not be the most reliable ally to fight with, but I need you."
"I like the tone of that. Lead the way, Sir Erec; you'll find I'm more than capable of matching the dance of any who ask me to." Olivia gave a slight bow in her Armor—an almost ridiculous gesture that made Erec suppress a laugh.
A minute later, with her at his back, he let his beast out of its cage.