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Chapter Text

“Wwaaa! I’m going to be late!” 

A scream broke through the air of the bustling capital city of Dogmatika as a young girl raced through the hall of the castle like church of said order, the organization that founded the city, and to whom she was a member. She was adorned in white armor with a white headdress that held her long, blond bangs out of her light gray eyes with the rest held behind her head in two braided buns that were almost falling apart. A short cape was draped around her shoulders with long tassels that hung down the front and a massive hammer was strapped to her back, which was a strange weapon of choice given how small the blond was. 

However, that didn’t draw anywhere near as many eyes as the strange mark on her forehead. 

Tattoos were banned within the ranks of the Dogmatika church, so the fact that she had it made her stand out when compared to her peers. 

See, the mark on her forehead wasn’t a tattoo, but what was called a Stigmata. A special mark that all members of the holy order bore. Embodied with magic power that they could draw on, it was something that was normally placed on an item to enchant it and grant it incredible powers. 

But in the case of the blond girl, it had been placed on her body, something that many within the order openly viewed with scorn and distain. After all, only one other had their Stigmata on their body. And that person was special, to say the least.

However, none of that mattered to the blond as she raced through the corridors. She had a very important meeting that had already started! And if she didn’t get there, she would have to face HER wrath.

As she turned a corner and sprinted toward a set of large double doors, reaching them in a heartbeat and throwing them open with both arms revealing a huge, circular room with a large table at its center with several occupied chairs set around it. All of whom turned  to stare as the girl stumbled through the door.

An awkward silence filled the room and the blond felt herself beginning to turn red. Maybe throwing the door open hadn’t been her best idea ever. But hey! At least she had made it on-.

“Ecclesia!” 

Immediately the blond girl, Ecclesia, flinched as someone from the table rose and began making her way over. Her anger making each heavy, armored footfall seem even louder than normal.

The person in question was dressed head to toe in heavy, white armor adorned with a golden cape. Her massive shoulder guards as well as the horned helmet making her seem even taller than her normally impressive height. 

A huge sword hung by her waist, easily as tall as she was and probably twice as heavy as Ecclesia’s hammer. A white shield was also visible on her person, but instead of at her side, it was strapped to her back with a single leather strap hanger off her shoulder, dangling next to her hand. So in a pinch, she could pull it off in an instant.

Though under these circumstances, she didn’t need either to make the blond feel scared for her life. 

“I believe I made myself quite clear yesterday, did I not, lieutenant? I said, make sure you're not late for the meeting.” The woman scolded, coming to a stop a few feet away. Hands tucked behind her back as she glared at the girl. “Tri-brigade activity has increased significantly since the start of our sacred pilgrimage, and you can’t even be bothered to get out of bed at a reasonable time? Is this the kind of attitude of someone on their way to becoming a captain? Hmm, Ecclesia?”

“No, lady Fleur.” The young woman replied, lowering her head to her superior. 

The woman, whose name was actually Fleurdelis, let out a sigh before turning back to the table and walking back toward it.

“The head saint has always returned to high eminence Maximus’ chambers. So I’ll brief you on the plans for this year's grand pilgrimage.” She said coldly as she reached a seat at the very end of the table, a seat that had been set aside explicitly for Ecclesia. “The rest of you are dismissed. Once our soon-to-be captain is up to speed, I’ll handle her disciplinary measures.”

With a resounding “yes ma’am,” the other captains stood up and began making their way to the door, walking past the blond without spearing her a second glance. 

Well, almost all of them.

“Ouch!” Ecclesia cried as one of the captains shoved into her shoulder hard, knocking her off balance and sending her stumbling into the door frame. 

“Oops. So sorry about that.” The young man said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He had greasy dark hair that hung over his face that looked even dark from the white cloak’s hood he always had up, though it did little to hide the sneer that seemed to always be stuck to his thin face. Light armor covered his chest and limbs with some dark cloth mixed with the church’s white attire. Unlike the other captains, he didn’t have any visible weapons, however Ecclesia knew he never went anywhere without his claws that were hidden under the armor covering his arms. Something he always liked to use to bully and threaten others with. 

“Don’t ‘sorry’ me, Ashiyan! You did that on purpose!” The young woman immediately fired back, standing up straight and stomping her foot as she glared at the taller man. “Don’t think just because you’re a captain now you can push me around like you tried to do back when we were kids! Your three years older and I bet I can still make you cry, you lanky beanman!”

Immediately the sneer on the man’s face immediately turned to a scowl as his face turned red with rage.

“How dare you speak to me like that, you impudent brat!” The man, Ashiyan, snapped, claws immediately extending as he raised them in front of his face. “A nothing like you has no right to diss me! I’m your superior! Show some respect, you worthless little bitch!”

“I’d rather shave my head and live in exile!” Ecclesia shot back, returning his glare, unfazed by the taller man. “A bully like you, who’s just trying to hide his own insecurities deserves neither respect or even his rank! I bet you still pee in bed at night when you’re all alone! Tell me, do you still want your mommy to step in and help you when the big bad Ecclesia sits on you again?” 

Immediately Ashiyan’s face turned red at the memory. Steam practically poorer out of his ear and nose as his face became a mask or rage. 

“Why you little brat! You think you’re better than me just because you won a couple of fights when we were kids?!” He bellowed, raising his hand threateningly. “Guess I’ll just have to teach you some manners brat! And when I’m done with you, you’ll-!”

“She’ll what exactly, captain?” 

Immediately the two squabbling crusaders froze as the stern voice of Fleurdelis, the captain of all guards, echoed through the room. Though quiet, the unmistakable danger in it was obvious to both, instantly breaking any will to fight. 

Slowly, they two sent each one last hated glare before turning away from each other with a huff. 

“Tich! Fine whatever.” Ashiyan grunted, making his way out of the room. “That little shrimp isn’t worth my time. She’ll get her comeuppance eventually. Being the favorite of both the head captain and lord Maximus won’t last forever. And when it does, she’ll be the one crying for the mommy. Too bad she doesn’t have one.” 

Bristling at his stab, the young woman turned and began making faces at his retreating figure. Sticking out her tongue and putting her fingers in her ears and wiggling them around until a loud cough pulled her attention back to her commander.

“Ecclesia, stop being childish and come here. And shut the door while you're over there.” Fleurdelis ordered, her stern voice seeming massive in the now empty room, making the blond’s stomach start to writhe with guilt and shame. 

Lowering her head, Ecclesia shut the door behind her before making her way to the table and sitting in the chair her mentor had pulled out, swallowing hard as she braced herself for her scolding.

However, instead of the older woman tearing into her, she felt Fleurdelis gently reach down and take one of the sloppy braided buns and begin to undo it.

“Honestly, you really can’t help yourself, can you?” She said in a much gentler tone, carefully undoing the girl’s hair. “If you're going to be late, the least you can do is make yourself look presentable. Just how late were you up last night? This is worse than normal even for a sleepyhead like you.”

Ecclesia let out a quiet chuckle as a smile spread across her face, relief spreading through her body as she had been afraid this blunder would damage her relationship with the older woman. As she didn’t just see her as Fleurdelis, captain of the guard, but Flaur. The loving older woman who was practically a sister to the lone girl. The one who had been willing to accept her into the guard when none of the other captains had would give her the chance. The one who trained, taught, helped her grow into her own. Without her guidance, there was now doubt in the girl’s mind that she would have never gotten as far as she had, even with lord Maximus constantly telling her she had a special gift. 

“I’m sorry, Iris.” The blond said as she leaned forward, letting the older woman fix her hair a little easier. “I was just so nervous about today I couldn’t sleep. Then I decided to raid the kitchen for a midnight snack and ended up eating so much, I was sent into a food coma that made me sleep through my alarm. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble, I just-.”

“Don’t apologize, I understand.” Fleur said gently, now rebraiding her hair into straight, perfect braids. “It’s not even your first day yet. Everyone gets the jitters right before a promotion. It’s normal. Though I do have questions about your coping methods. You do know that you’re always eating, so I fail to understand how that’s supposed to calm you down.”

“Hey!”

The older woman laughed at Ecclesia's protest, gently putting the blond’s hair into the two buns as she puffed up her cheeks and let out a hum that was supposed to be a growl as she pouted. 

“Now, now. Nothing wrong with having a healthy appetite. If there was, you wouldn’t have been chosen to for this promotion.” Flaur said said with a chuckle. “But with that said, if you want to be a captain, you need to start both looking and acting the part. Nobody’s going to follow a leader who is always late.” 

“I know! It’s not like I mean to be late! It was an accident! I’m trying! I just…” The blond snapped with a little more fire than she meant, then her gaze turned down to her hand as a more solemn expression replaced her fiery one.  

“I’m really trying to live up to the expectations placed upon me. It just, whenever I’m place in charge, I just mess everything up.” With that, Ecclesia’s head slumped, her hands tightening into fists in frustration. 

“Last mission when the Tri-brigade escaped, it was my fault.” She confessed as her voice started to shake. “I could have stopped them, but I let them go because I didn’t have faith in Theo. I shamed him and myself by not only pulling out, but also rushing him to the medical unit instead of trying to catch the enemy. And now, if anyone dies because of them, it’s partially my fault. If I had-! I just wish I didn’t screw everything up.” 

With that, Ecclesia’s head slumped down, though not because of anything she was feeling, but because Fleur had slapped her in the back of her head.

“Ow!” The girl cried in surprise and pain, both hands immediately reaching up to clutch her head as she spun around to face her mentor. “What was that for?” She demanded.

Fleur, in response, pointedly rolled her eyes at the girl as she folded her arms and cocked her hip to one side.

“You really need to stop putting yourself down.” She said sternly. “What you did back there was admirable. Saving the life of a comrade is far more important than killing the enemy. I know Theo’s injuries weren’t that bad, but you had no way of knowing that. You made the right call given the information you had and that’s what matters. Besides, it’s not like you returned empty handed. The information you gathered, which might have been lost if you hadn’t pulled out, will be critical to their ultimate defeat. And when it is, I’ll make sure everyone knows it was you who got it. So stop with all the self doubt stuff and puff out your chest a little. Everyone that matters knows you're destined for great things.”

Leaning forward, the older woman reached out and poked the mark on the girl’s forehead. 

“Remember, you are the only crusader who bares their Brand on their body. That’s an honor that’s shared only by high eminence Maximus himself, the sole savior of this desolate nation. And more than that, I’ve seen you in both the training room and on the field. You work twice as hard as everyone else. It’s the reason why the pope recommended you for this promotion himself. And the reason I backed him.” Fleur smiled as she saw Ecclesia’s eyes go as wide as dinner plates and her mouth fall open. She had deliberately kept this fact hidden from the other captains to avoid any more roomers spreading. 

And while she originally planned to keep it a secret from the blond, she ultimately decided it was probably for the best if she knew.

“Really? You’re not joking?” Ecclesia breathed out, barely above a whisper. However the second the girl saw her mentor nod, she leapt out of her chair and grabbed the older woman’s hands as her eyes began to sparkle. 

“Seriously!?! Lord Maximus chose me himself?! Like actually by name?!” She squealed, her voice giddy with excitement as she practically bounced up and down on the spot. “You’re not just saying that to make ‘em feel better?! He actually, really, truly wanted me to be a captain!?!” 

Her voice echoed through the room making the knight chuckle under her breath as she nodded once again. The energetic girl was always fun to watch when she got all excited about something. And while that was normally food, seeing her hard work finally start to pay off was something they both could be proud of.

Even if they expressed it in different ways.

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Ecclesia cried as she let go of her mentor’s hand and began doing a happy dance while turning on the spot. “Aw, yes! I can’t believe it! I actually got lord Maximus’ attention! This had got to be the best day EVER! I can’t believe that he actually acknowledged me! This is awesome!”

With a playful roll of her eyes, Fleur stepped forward and placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder, bringing her to a stop and making her turn around. 

“Yes, he did ask for you specifically. But don’t forget, me and the saints can shoot the proposal down if we feel like you're not ready.” She said in a firm yet gentle tone. “And don’t think that I’m going to make exceptions for you. You want the position, you better prove you’ve earned it. So I hope you’re ready for some serious leg work during the pilgrimage, little lady. Because I plan on putting you through your paces this year.”

Smiling, Ecclesia slid her feet together and straightened her shoulders as she gave the older woman a salute. 

“Yes ma’am!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A little while later. 

Ecclesia, after being briefed on the plan for the great pilgrimage, had started her routine patrol through the capital city of Dogmatika. There, massive white buildings as far as the eye could see with the church at its heart as a symbol of the order’s power. 

Here, the young girl found herself in the company of her two good friends and teammates, Theo and Adin. The three of them served on the same squad under Fleurdelis for years now and had even come with her into a special squad when she was promoted to head captain. A squad that was for the most part, tasked with the bigger, more important jobs such as, hunting the Tri-brigade or guarding the important relics that were kept in the treasury. 

But today, they just got to relax and catch up during a standard patrol. 

“So, you’re really going to be prompted? Congratulations! Now maybe you can see if you can make it a rule that people aren’t allowed to leave their drinks in the break room anymore. Because that’s been seriously annoying whenever you-know-who can’t be bothered to clean up after himself.” Said Theo as he casually tucked both hands behind his head, trying to act annoyed so the others wouldn’t pick up on him not wanting to say goodbye to his blond teammate.

Theo had never been good with saying goodbye. The tall man might act like a bit of a goofball, but beneath his light brown hair hid a sensitive man who considered his squad his family. And considering his blood ties, Ecclesia couldn’t really blame him. She had only seen his parents once and only for about ten minutes. But their rich, snobbish attitude and their constant belittling of their own son for the smallest thing told her everything she needed, or wanted to know. 

And while the boy had come from old money, everyone could see how little he cared about it.

“Now, now. You know she’ll just be a captain, not a saint. She’ll be enforcing rules, not making them. Besides, throwing away a couple cans is hardly a difficult feat.” The calm voice of Adin piped in on Ecclesia’s other side. The man was only slightly shorter than Theo putting both of them above a head taller than the short girl. Atop his head was a green headdress that covered his white hair. He wore robes of white, green and gold with heavy armored shoulder pads. Tucked under one arm he carried a large grimoire which contained the ancient magics of a long lost civilization, one he had been gifted for locating an artifice during one of his earliest missions.

Adin was slightly older then Ecclesia and Theo, but despite this, he had no problems being passed up for the promotion to lieutenant in favor of the blond. He had even recommended her for the position. Saying that if it was her, he had no problem waiting a bit longer for his turn.

“Ug. Fine! I’ll just wait until our little girl becomes a saint before trying to poison her mind with my ideas.” Theo said with a playful tone, rolling his eyes as well. “Until then, I’ll put up with the ever building trash in the break room. Just know the second you’re named saint, I’m going to use your title to completely throw my weight around. And seeing as we won’t be on the same squad anymore, I’ll bet it’ll be years before you find out.”

“Theo, stop being so dramatic.” The girl giggled as she elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “I’m being promoted, not sent into exile. I’m still going to be living in the church and eating in the cafeteria. It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again.”

“True, but you're such an airhead I bet you wouldn’t notice if I lived right across from you.” The boy said, turning towards her with a mischievous grin. “I mean, how long did it take you to learn the way to the inner sanctuary? A month? Two? Didn’t you grow up in the church or something? How did it take you that long to learn to navigate your own home?”

“Hmmm!” Ecclesia huffed as she puffed up her blushing cheek in a pout. Then she closed the distance between them in a single step and began lightly hitting him in the chest repeatedly.

“Stupid Theo! Dummy Theo!” She said loudly as her face burned with embarrassment, ignoring his grunts of “ow” and “ug”. “I might have been raised in the church since I was a child , but I was never allowed outside the nursery! I got the grand tour at the same time as you and the other recruits. And for your information, it’s surprisingly difficult to find new routes in an area you're familiar with!”

“That doesn’t quite sound right to me.” Theo said between grunts from the girl’s barrage. “If you know the area really well, wouldn’t that make it easier to find new routes because you never noticed them before? That just sounds more-. Ow!”

The boy cut himself off as Ecclesia hit him with much harder right in his chest. And while not enough to do any real damage, more than enough that even with his armor, he could feel it. 

“Dumb Theo! Moron Theo!” The blond yelled slightly louder, her insults growing slightly more offensive causing some passersby to turn and look at the members of the sacred Dogmatika order behaving like children, earning a chuckles from some, a disapproving shake of the head from others. 

Beside them, Adin let out a sigh as he watched his friends fight. He hadn’t said it yet, but he was going to miss it when she got promoted and started her own battalion. The squad would be sorely missing both her skill on the battlefield and the light she brought where she went. Of course with that said, he should probably step in and stop this before any of the other squads saw.

“Hey, knock it off you two.” He called stepping forward and reaching out for the girl’s shoulder. “You’re causing a scene. Cut it out before-.”

“Oh. Is that you, Ecclesia?”

Suddenly all three stopped in their tracks looking over their shoulder to see a large, red haired woman in an apron and bandanna tied over her hair standing off to the side, smiling at them. 

“Ms. Wetherman!” The blond cried, immediately breaking it from Theo and rushing over to greet her friend, leaving her squad mates to chuckle as they watched her.

“How have you been? Bakery still booming? Any new delicious items on the menu? Are the kids behaving or do you need mean, old Adin to scold them again?” Her questions drew out a hearty laugh from the woman. (and an annoyed hey from the man in question.) 

“Is my husband as useless as a lame ass?” She replied in a thick country accent. “Of course there are. I’m always trying to expand my recipes! But with that, it’s been so long since you’ve visited, there are actually three new items for you to try.”

“Three?! No way! How am I supposed to pay that bill?!” The girl cried, throwing her hands to her head where she began messing up her hair. “Three new items? How can I even start?! I bet they're all as delicious as the last! No way can I afford them all! Mrs. Wetherman, I don’t suppose you could give me a t-?”

“Not a chance!” Both Theo and Adin said, immediately punching the girl on the top of her head, sending her to her knees where she held her head with both hands. 

“You’re terrible with money. The last thing someone like you needs is a way to put yourself in debt.” Theo said. “Last time you tried, you didn’t even know how to figure out how much you owned or even how to pay them.” 

“And I’m sure you remember the time you almost fell for one of the fake get-rich-quick gurus? How much money did you dump into them before we stopped you?” Adin added, folding his arms as he chastised his friend. “You’re lucky we caught him before he could spend it. Otherwise you’d have to start taking out loans just to get by. A tab is the last thing you need.”

“But Mrs. Wetherman’s cooking is so good!” Whined the girl. “And it’s not like before! I actually know her bakery, so I can actually pay her back! And what’s the harm in just having one or two pastries? It’s not going to kill my wallet.” 

With a laugh, Mrs. Wetherman reached into her basket and pulled out a loaf of bread with a cream filled center and handed it to the girl.

“Well, seeing as your my best customer, I’ll give you this one on the house.” She said. “Think of it as a thank you for all the hard work you do protecting us from the things that roam outside our city’s walls. Besides, with the pilgrimage so close, I’m sure I’m going to get a nice, big paycheck to cover the loss of a single loaf.” 

Immediately, the girl leapt to her feet and grabbed the woman’s hand with both of her’s, eyes shining like the stars. 

“Really?! Thank you so much!” Ecclesia cried. “I promise to come by soon and spend a ton of money there to pay you back! That way, you can continue to provide this city with your sacred service!” 

“Wow, even the local bakery is trying to bribe officials now? What is this world coming to?” Theo joked with a chuckle. “This an investment to buy the loyalty of our little aspiring saint? What’s the endgame? Planning to open a business inside the church?”

Mrs. Wetherman looked up from the girl who was now happily stuffing the bread into her mouth, a mischievous smirk playing on her face.

“Oh no, my devious plan is much more clever.” She joked raising her hands to the side to assume a position similar to that of a monologuing super villain. “I simply need to put all my other competition out of business. Then I’ll have a monopoly on the baking industries here in the capital! From there I’ll make sure none can rise up to challenge my goods! Mwaha!”

The four shared a laugh at their own antics, even when Ecclesia suddenly began choking, prompting Theo to start giving her the hindlick.  

These moments, this peace, this was the whole reason the young women had worked so hard. While many within the church might consider something like this mundane or trivial. To her, it was the reason why the crusaders existed. Not for glory or fame, but for the people who called the city home. 

And while she knew things would soon change, she knew that no matter what trials she faced in the future, or the pain they would bring, this place would always be her home. 

If only she knew the depths of the trails that awaited her, then she would know just how shallow that point of view truly was.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In a burning, fallen city shrouded in night, a lone boy dressed in a black cloak adorned with gold with red cloth sewn on the inside ran through the desolate streets. His short, white hair with red highlights whipping around his head as he went, his black pants with dark tassels (also adorned with gold.) doing little to slow him down

Under normal circumstances, one might easily mistake him for an ordinary you man. However, that thought would go completely out the window the moment anyone saw the pure white gem implanted on his forehead and chest, or his piercing red eyes of a beast that no human could ever possess.

The boy skidded to a halt as the road came to an end in a massive stone plaza, his eyes scanning the area for his missing prey. 

“Up here!” A cackling voice called from the top of a destroyed bell tower, immediately drawing the boy’s eyes up where they fixed on a lone figure.

There stood another young man, no older than the first. His feet closed tightly around the roof of the tower as he grinned down at the other. He was dressed in fine black garments with a coat with high collar and a black and white checkered pattern on the outside and a red on the inside. A beautiful silver brooch with a red gem at the center was bonded to his skin on his chest, as if grafted to him by some power that could defy logic. 

The boy’s face was obscured by a black and gold mask with only a mane of red hair sticking out the back as an identifiable feature. However even from this distance, the white haired boy could tell this was his theft from his scent. That same horrible smell of death permeating every inch of his body. The very same as from their last encounter, even if he had a very different form from back then.

“Give me back the Brand or I’ll rip you into pieces!” The white haired boy yelled, his voice more like a roar than a shout. Claws extending from his hands and ripping straight through one of the nearby buildings with terrifying efficiency as steam began to trail from his mouth. His threat of violence clearly not an empty threat.

Despite this, the other boy didn’t seem fazed. In fact, a grin spread across his face as the boy snarled up at him.

“Oh! Alas! My beautiful scheme thwarted by the noble dragon of yor! The stolen Brand is the key to thou's survival, yet noble dragon wants it back! Whatever shall one such as I ever hope to do.” He said, leaning back, placing the back of his hand over his eyes with the other over his heart in an overly dramatic fashion. 

And while this show irritated the white haired boy to no end, he held himself back, glaring up at the other man as he continued to toy with him.

“Oh, hark! What’s this? Why doth dragon not attack?” He asked, leaning forward placing one hand on his hip, the other above his eyes as if looking far off into the distance, a horrible smirk plastered to his face.

“Oh! But of course! Alas noble dragon must half realized that he is nowhere near capable of forcing brand from thou and fallen to the art of trickery so cunning in the hopes of-.”

“Will you stop talking like that!?!” The white haired boy yelled, grabbing a stone from the ground and hurling it at his opponent, forcing him to leap from the tower as it punched a hole in the roof right where he had been standing moments ago. 

However, instead of plummeting to his death below, the boy seemed to slow midair before stopping completely, still hanging high above the white haired boy.

“Hehe. Very well, if you insist.” He said as he grinned down at his opponent, held aloft by a pair of red, bat like wings jetting out of his back. “But since you’ve stolen my thunder, I’ll just tell you in plan terms what my next move is. Killing you with your own Brand! Ahahahah!” 

With that, a red light beamed from under his mask, casting shadows across the town square.

Immediately the entire city began to shake as a massive metal giant rose from the ground, its entire body covered in spikes. Its form looks mechanical, and ancient. It’s golden, rusted armor to the steel plates with moss growing on it. 

However, an unnatural sigil was etched on its chest plate. One glowing a bright crimson, as if drawn with glowing blood.

“So, here we are at the dawn of the final act. Let’s see what becomes of our noble hero!” The boy laughed, the red light under his mask still glowing with the same light as the sigil on the golem. “Will he fall to the last creation of this fallen age? Or shall he Triumph over it and win his precious Brand? We shall find out tonight as the tale of the last dragon comes to a close! Ahahaha!” 

As the boy laughed, the golem stood to its full height, easily towering over even the bell tower, dwarfing the white haired boy as it cast him in its massive shadow, who let out a growl in response, but didn’t seem scared. 

Raising his hand, he stared up at the monster, his face alight with anger as he watched his power being used on such trivialities.

“Don’t mock me! I am not one of the other weaklings you have fought before, scum of Despia! I am the defendant of the great lord of the Void! I don’t need the power of a Brand to take this thing down! And once I’m done, you’ll wish you’d never tried to use my own power against me!” He bellowed as the creature charged at him, its metal fist shooting out towards him, where he matched it punch for punch. 

And as the two collided, a brilliant bright light erupted from the point of contact. Immediately both the boy and the golem broke apart and began to mix themselves together as their essence began to swirl into a single point, fusing together. 

And above this unnatural event, the man’s grin grew wider. 

Chapter Text

Ecclesia let out a loud snore as she lay in her disheveled bed, a trail of drool leaking out her mouth. All around her lay her sheets with most in a mess on the floor complements of the restless sleeper. Her hair had become a tangled tangled mess from her tossing and turning with a goofy expression on her face as she went through an erotic dream about food. 

Not the most dignified moment of her life especially when combined with her light blue kuriboh pajamas. And while she normally wouldn’t care what she did in her sleep, today was a bit of an exception as lady Fleurdelis stood above her, gently shaking her shoulder. And while she had taken off her helmet, revealing her long, light purple hair and slender face, she was still the intimidating head captain. 

“Come on, Ecclesia. Time to get up.” She said, earning a grunt from the sleeping girl as she rolled over. “It’s already late in the day. Keep sleeping and you’re going to miss your breaks. You don’t want that, do you?”

Upon reassessing no response, the older woman let out a sigh. Of course, go figure this girl could sleep through one of the most important days of the year. Why not? How she managed to always find an excuse to be late at the worst possible time was a mystery to the knight.

A part of her was very tempted to just let her get in trouble. But knowing Ecclesia, she would probably just stay up all night to finish her duties. And that in turn would only begin the cycle again. 

Looks like it was the nuclear option then. 

“Ecclesia, time to wake up.” She said slightly louder as she took a step back. “Kitchen closes in five minutes and they’ve made honeyed croissants for breakf-.”

In an instant, the girl shot up in bed, throwing any remaining covers onto the floor as she practically threw herself toward the door, only to trip on one of the tangle sheets and fall flat in her face.

“Ow! That hurt.” The girl moaned, hand pressing against her face as she rapidly kicked her foot free of the blanket. “But no time for that! I have to make it to the kitchen! I can eat thirteen of those things in three minutes no probl-!”

Her rambling thoughts came to a stop when her mentor, with a very amused look on her face, pointed up to the clock on the wall indicating that it actually wasn’t very late at all. 

“Well, with that display out of the way, I should probably tell you that while it’s not croissants for breakfast, you put on a wonderful show just now. Had you not been a crusader, a comedian would have suited you nicely.” Fleurdelis said with a chuckle as the blond girl crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks as she turned to glare at her bed, pouting.  

“Jerk.” The girl grunted with a huff, before turning back to her mentor. “But wait, why are you getting me up so early? Usually you just let me make my own mistakes so I can, as you put it, grow. So why the sudden change? Is there some special occasion or something?”

With a smile, Fleur calmly walked to the window of the girl’s bedroom and leaned against the wall with her arms folded.

“See for yourself.” She said with a nod to the window, prompting the confused girl to walk over and look out over the city below her. 

And she let out a gasp at what she saw.

There, in the streets, were thralls of people. A massive line formed all the way from the gate to the front of the church before spreading out to create what almost looked like a lake of humans. 

There must already be thousands if not more amassed at the gates, all dressed in the same white cloak that was given to them upon entry as a symbol of their devotion for making it all the way to the capital city. If it wasn’t for that, someone might have mistaken this for an enemy invasion.

“First wave of the pilgrimage. They arrived earlier than expected.” Fleur said, turning slightly to look at her student. “I know how much you love this event, so I figured you wouldn’t want to miss the first day. Especially because this might be your last time attending as my subordinate. Once you become a captain, you’ll have many more duties to attend to and won’t be able to participate like you normally do.” 

“My last pilgrimage.” Ecclesia echoed, her voice distant and unfocused. It had only just hit her that this very well might be her last time attending to the people directly, something she absolutely loved doing. Walking with them, talking with them, it not only let her hear first hand accounts as to what the journey was like, but also reminded her of the struggles of the everyday person. How hard their lives were and why she fought so hard alongside the Dogmatika order, to bring peace to the people who lived outside the city walls and unite the whole world under their shared goal of peace, love, and unity. 

…!

“Oh no! I’m not ready! I’ve got to get everything set up before the ceremony begins!” The girl cried, jumping from one to twenty in a heartbeat. Immediately, she turned, racing past her mentor and out the door before skidding on her heel as she tried to turn toward the rest of the castle.

“Hey! Wait where are you going?!” Fleur yelled as Ecclesia disappeared in the direction of the stairs. “You have a few hours before the ceremony starts! Do not go running through the church in your pajamas! It will disgrace the Dogmatika order!”

“Exactly! It takes a few hours to set up!” The blond cried. “Sorry! I’ll explain later! But for right now, I can’t afford to-! Wha!”

The girl’s cry was cut off as a series of crashes echoed through the halls as the girl, not paying attention to what was in front of her, was sent tumbling down a flight of stairs, her cries of pain going on and off as she banged her head on each step.

With a sigh, Fleur rested her head in her hands, massaging her temples with her fingers. She could already tell this was going to be a long day.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A few hours later. 

Ecclesia stood in the grand cathedral’s main stage, her hands clasped firmly behind her back as she stared out at the sea of people had amassed. On stage with her were the captains in attendance, all standing in front of her with their weapons drawn, blades pointed to the ceiling. 

As for the girl, she stood in front of one of three doors that led onto the stage. She was standing at the left door, with Adin and Theo at the center and right respectively. At the front of the stage stood Fleurdelis, flanked by captains on either side. 

As the symbol of power of the church, her armor had been polished to perfection, every inch of it clean. On top of that, her sword, a massive two handed broadsword, was held in a single hand right in front of her face, the flat side facing the audience. 

There she stood, still as a statue. The only signs of life was the sound of her breathing beneath the heavy armor. Not heavy or difficult, just there. An art of intimidation that the knight had mastered over years of training, something the blond knew from first hand experience. 

The audience in attendance were all nervous chattering. While held every year, the pilgrimage wasn’t something everyone attended. Many couldn’t afford to leave their farms or family for that long. Many more still died on the way here. But the strongest and most loyal few who did make it, we’re blessed not only with the gift of the church, but also more than enough food for the trip back and then some. 

Between this and the blessing they received, many made the trip as often as they could, some coming back every year to bask in the glory of both the pope and the provisions. 

And this year hosted both familiar faces as well as many new ones. Ecclesia noticed there seemed to be a much larger group this year, something she attributed to them cracking down on the heathen Tri-brigade. A group of savages who roamed the land, killing and stealing whatever they pleased. The girl knew many who had lost all they had to this horrible group.

With that said, she personally couldn’t fault them entirely. She knew food was getting more and more scarce out in the wilderness. It wasn’t so surprising that desperate people would come together and form bands of pirates and thrives. 

Honestly, she pitted them. Their lives must have been so hard they couldn’t see any other way forward. If she could, she actually hoped to let them enter the city of Dogmatika, show them the beautiful city in all its glory, and make them understand that the easy way wasn't always the right one.

Suddenly, the sound of organs broke Ecclesia from her thoughts. Looking up, she saw the figure of the first/head saint, Quen, stepping forward on an upper terrace, her voice carrying through the entire theater despite her being slightly shorter than Ecclesia. 

“Welcome children of the world.” She said, addressing all in attendance. “It is an honor to see how many of you braved the wastes to join us here on this momentous occasion. I know your journey must have been long and difficult, but know this. While you remain in this glorious city you are safe. For the order of the Dogmatika draws its strength from your unwavering belief in our cause. For without you, so willing to toil and suffer for your cause, that the faith of this order will fall until not but dust remembers us.”

Despite hearing a version of this speech every year, Ecclesia felt a shiver run down her spine. She couldn’t place why, but the first saint always gave her the creeps. 

Now don’t get her wrong, there was nothing wrong with her outward appearance. A white breastplate, armored boots, a light pink skirt that hung down to her boots with a long sleeve of the same color and a large hat that had horns protruding from the sides as a symbol of her status as well as matching nicely with her pale complexion. Nothing really out of the ordinary as far as anyone could tell.

But whenever she had to interact with the woman, the young girl couldn’t look her in the eyes. Pale, pure white and dead on the inside. She couldn’t tell what it was, she knew there was something dark hiding beneath the surface with that woman. Something she hoped she’d never see. 

However, before she could dwell on it, she saw the woman raise her large scepter, silencing the chittering crowd as they all looked up to the two glowing golden gems implanted at the top.

“And now, allow me the greatest honor of introducing his magnificence, the pope of the holy Dogmatika order. Lord Maximus!”

With that, she took a step to the side, bowing towards the entrance as the sounds of organs began to pick up, becoming louder as a figure appeared in the frame.

Seeing her cue, Ecclesia quickly knelt, bowing her head to the grand pope of the order. Beside her, both Theo and Adin knelt as well, their heads bowed just as low while on the main stage, Fleur turned to face the terrace and stabbed her sword into the stage as she lowered her head, the captains around her falling to their knees, but with their heads turned up to look at their great leader.

And there, stepping calmly through the white silk curtains on either side of the entrance to the terrace, came their beloved leader, Maximus. 

He was dressed in a breathtaking white silk robe with golden trim running across it. A white cloak had been draped over it that had black and gold covering the sleeves and down the open front with blue cloth covering his shoulder. A white mask with a black backing covered his face with the top shaped into a large spire and additional gold spike protruding from the sides, much like the first saint, but longer, indicating his status as the highest ranking member of the church. 

But the most shocking thing about him was the purple marks on both his hands. They were simple, two arrow shaped lines , one set facing up and another facing down in a basic pattern. They sat directly on his hands, not gloves or gauntlets, his hands. Meaning he bore his Stigmata on his skin, a feat that should be impossible.

The stigmata was a gift from the Nexus, an ancient artifact that the church was formed around. It could grant incredible power by branding weapons or armor with its holy light. But if used on people, it would destroy their bodies as they couldn’t handle it directly. As such, Maximus had made six-hundred and sixty-six decrees in order to make sure the Nexus’s power was used correctly, and didn’t take anymore lives. Number one-hundred was that no one from the Dogmatika order was allowed to bare a stigmata on their skin. A decree that was followed by even the strongest of their order without exception.

Well, almost without exception. 

Ecclesia’s hand twitched slightly as it was tempered to reach up to the stigmata she bore on her forehead. She had always wondered why she of all people were made an exception to this rule. It wasn’t like lord Maximus was lenient with the rules, he was quite the opposite in fact. Yet for some reason, when a helpless child found in a stable was brought before him, he had given her mercy and not only saved her life, but also broken the rules for her. Great her incredible power by branding skin directly. 

She had always wanted to ask him why he had chosen her of all people. But even when she had received private audiences with him, she had been scared to ask. Too afraid of losing the connection she had with her savior. 

Yet now, on the eve of becoming crowned captain, she thought perhaps she had worked hard enough to earn a humble reward. What was one simple question to the man who knew everything? Surely he wouldn’t see it as an offense if she simply asked him what made him choose her, right?

But before she could think more on it, Maximus raised his hands and began speaking to the people gathered in the theater.

“People of the world, I wanted to thank you all for coming here on this special day.” He said, his voice echoing through the entire room. “I know times are getting hard. The heathens grow in strength everyday, attacking more and more frequently, taking what little you have. However, know that this is no coincidence. This is born of despair, desperation, and despair, for we stand on the eve of a new dawn.”

Immediately, Ecclesia’s head shot up in confusion. This wasn’t his normal speech!

“In the last few years, we of the Dogmatika order have been bringing these animals to heel, beating them back at every front. Now they are so weak, so scared that they have fallen even further, becoming beasts driven by nothing but pure instinct and hunger, abandoning the little humanity they had.” As he spoke, he moved his hand to his chest, pressing them against his heart. 

“Yet despite these victories, I am filled with sorrow. For while we push them back, they take their rage out on you, the people. The innocent simply trying to live your lives. For this, I apologize as I am partially responsible for this.” With this, the pope hung his head, his voice filled with regret and sadness, yet conviction as he raised his head.

“But know this! Your sacrifice has not been for nye! For the dream this order has is finally near completion! Together, we shall return this world to itself rightful owners! We shall destroy these beasts and rid the world of the vile presents once and for all! Once done, the bounty of the land shall not be stolen by mindless animals, not be plundered by honor-less pirates, it shall be yours to do with as you please! For it is the people who suffer and toil day and night that should rightfully reap the bounty that this land offers!” 

Maximus threw his hands to either side as he spoke, emphasizing each point with passion as he spoke. Each word captivating the audience, Ecclesia included.

“I know you have heard false prophets make claims such as this. I know you are skeptical of mine as well, but I promise you that victory is near. For soon, these walls will harbor the full weight of all whom have taken the pilgrimage! And when that day comes, we shall stand together here once again. And in that moment, when we are all gathered together, I shall reveal my plan to eradicate all those beasts! I know it is a lot to ask, but if you can, please stay until the end of the pilgrimage. Here, you and your families shall be well fed, well housed, and most critically, safe within these walls. For you have all suffered enough, let us return some of what you lost, what you are owed, back to you. For the future of this world cannot be found in money or gold, but the brave people gathered here. For it is you who shall shape the future for all!” 

Upon finishing his speech, the crowd erupted in applause. Their claps resounded throughout the theater. Clearly he had struck a core within them, or they were just fed up with the Tri-brigade’s endless raids. Either way, it definitely seemed that they were more than willing to support the order. Which probably meant a bunch of new recruits this year. 

As the crowd’s thunderous applause started to die down, Fleur turned back to the crowd calmly speaking up over the now noisy auditorium. 

“Thank you for your patience. Now, we can begin the festivities.” She said in a loud and clear voice, immediately quieting the crowd. “First, we must sort you all to ensure nobody is hurt. For those of you wishing to rest in your rooms, please follow Adin the Enlightened to the church’s residential buildings.” 

As she spoke, Adin stepped forward to ensure everyone knew who was who. As while some had come before, to many this was their first time here. An action Theo repeated as Fleur continued. 

“As for anyone who wishes to take a detailed tour of the church, please follow Iron Punch Theo. However, please note that some areas such as the catacombs are off limits to the public and many such as the confessions room also require you to be quiet while in them. In these areas, noise will not be tolerated, and that includes children as well. With that said, if any adults would like to temporarily place their children in our daycare, please speak with Ecclesia the…Virtuous.”

As the blond stepped forward, she could practically feel her mentor roll her eyes at the girl’s chosen title. She had made it no secret how undignified she thought the name was and consequently talked with her about changing it. Those conversations became much rarer after Theo chose his title, one both found…interesting. 

With their opinions now explained, the mass of people began making their decisions and getting into one of the three lines, with many choosing to go with Adin to their chambers as these options would be available tomorrow as well. 

And slowly, all the people gathered made their decisions and proceeded to follow whatever group they chose.

And as Ecclesia found herself swarmed by concerned parents, Theo, along with a few other Dogmatika guards took the group for a tour, completely oblivious to two of the cloaked figures that hung in the back of the group.

“Animals, huh? That’s a new one. Still, it’s got a catching sound to it, don’t you think?” A young girl with pink hair and a pair of goggles covering her eyes whispered to her companion, the base of her cloak swaying unnaturally as if something underneath it was moving it. “Maybe we could workshop it a bit and turn it into something way cooler and less derogatory. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?” 

Her companion, a tall man with a hunched back and sandy blond hair give a grunt in response. 

“Humph, typical, blaming us for everything because we didn’t just roll over and die. How arrogant can that man be?” He grumbled. “Still, I have to admit, his ability to spin the truth is second to none. All that talk just to tell his narrative, what a waste of breath.” He paused for a second, scratching his chin as his eyes narrowed in concentration. “But what do you think he meant by some big plan to whip us out? Even if he summoned the entire strength of his order, he should know that’s not enough to win in guerrilla warfare. Especially in the wastelands. Do you think he has some ace in the hole he’s planning to unleash on us? Or is he just blowing smoke.” 

His comrade smiled at him, stepped closer to bump into him lightly.

“Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.” She said with a wink. “Personally, I’d put money on him filibustering around. But on the off chance he isn’t, we’ll put a stop to it here and now. After all, for all their security, they haven’t noticed us yet. Meaning the rest of the team are probably getting everything ready as we speak. So the day when the festivities start, we’ll be ready to expose this guy once and for all.”

The man let out a sigh. He knew this strategy was risky, but one thing Maximus had said was correct, they were in a tight spot. Like it or not, if they didn’t act here and now, they might not have the strength next year. Everything hinged on this. He’d just have to hope everything went to plan and that there were no surprises. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, down in the city, one man slunk around the wall that surrounded the city. Without a pilgrimage cloak, he stood out like a sore thumb. And that was before anyone took in the small bird like wings protruding from his back. 

Carefully, he waited and watched a group of guard walk past him from the top of a tree before rushing out and sprinting to the wall where he had stuck several small spheres with glowing blue centers on the wall perimeter, out of sight of both the main roads and guard patrols, yet clustered close enough to do a sizable amount of damage once they went off.

Once secure, he scuttled away, quickly reaching the unsealed manhole before lifting it up and dropping inside, closing it behind him as he dropped down. 

“Well?” A massive, muscular man with bull horns sticking out of his head dressed in a purple coat and a gas mask covering his face asked. Beside him sat a cannon that looked like it had been part of a war ship before he had ripped it off. A strange purple liquid flowed inside the weapon which had no visible magazine or other way to insert a cartridge. Meaning that was somehow what it fired. 

“Charges set. Everything in place, Kerass.” The bird man said as he leaned down and picked up a plague doctor’s mask and put it on, pulling up the hood on his green hoodie. “Now we just wait for Shuraig signal. Once he and Kitt are in position, we move in and help deal with the Dogmatika douches once and for all.”

“You sure that’s a good idea, Nervall?” A blond centaur, asked. He too was wearing a gas mask and a black and red leather armor. A crossbow was slung over his back with huge bolts that hung from a quiver on his back hip. “Charging into the heart of our enemy is a bold move, even with Shuraig with us.”

“No, I’m not, Fraktall.” The birdman, Nervall, replied. “But it was his decision. Besides, it’s not like we’re getting stronger every year. Quite the opposite in fact. I suspect Shuraig knows that in another couple years, we won’t have the strength to pull something like this off. At least we’re not the one in that infernal castle. And we have Ferrijit keeping watch for us. Anything goes wrong, we’ll have more than enough time to escape. Which can’t be said for them.”

“Speaking of which, remind me again why Kitt insisted on coming on this raid?” A large man with a lion gas mask asked. Twin axes lay at his sides as he leaned against the wall, his arms folded, mane of white hair resting against his black leather jacket. “She hasn’t shown any signs of being interested in raids before. Why suddenly decided to join this one?” 

“You actually just answered your own question, Rugal.” Nervall replied, picking up his bag that was filled with more grandes and various other objects for sabotage such as tape, poison, and other explosive substances. “Nobody knows what she looks like. So she can move around with much less suspicion. Besides, you want to try talking her down when she sets her mind to something? Surely you haven’t forgotten that mecha suit she made that almost killed us despite her sister telling her not to” 

The man with the lion mask, Rugal, let out a huff, but didn’t argue. They all knew how stubborn that girl was. And like it or not, she would someday become their main source of equipment. And when that happened, she’d need more experience on how real combat worked. 

Suddenly, a whistle resounded through the sewer, immediately halting the conversation as all the masked men’s heads perked up. 

“That’s the signal.” Fraktall said. “Time to move to a more permanent hideout. Grab your stuff and let’s move.” 

And with that, they quickly set out, making their way towards the next phase of their plan. A plan that would bring the mighty Dogmatika order to their knees.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile,

A deafening roar split the air in the burning town, followed immediately by the ground shaking with such tremendous force, buildings came crashing down. 

And as the whole city was destroyed, a figure held aloft by bat-like wings shot through the crumbling buildings, effortlessly dodging them as he zigged and zagged all around, cackling madly as he went. 

“COME BACK HERE!!!” 

Looking back, the man saw his pursuer come crashing through a massive building, tearing straight through it as if it was made of paper. 

Normally, something like this might impress someone of lesser caliber. As an average human could never hope to pull off such a feat. However, given the chance in the circumstances, he doubted even the most naïve of fools would be disappointed if he couldn’t.

Where the white haired boy had once stood was now a massive, humanoid dragon. Four huge horns sticking out of his head, two from the top, two more from next to his jaw. White metal covered his body forming an armor like coating that protected him from the crumbling buildings and fire, though this did make him so heavy that the wings in his back were basically useless. 

With that said, it could be argued that they weren’t even wings at all as they glowed a bright red with the power of the Brand that had infested the golem. His stomach was also alight, glowing with the same energy, claws as well. As for the rest of the power, it had manifested itself in a series of spikes that jetted out of his back from the head all the way down to his tail, which wiped around wildly, easily felling anything that it came even close to touching. 

As the entire city began to fall to ruins around him, the dragon’s eyes fixed on his opponent as he flew through the crumbling city, putting more and more distance between them causing him to curse. 

He might have dealt with the golem quickly, but right now he was just too slow to keep up with his much smaller opponent. And at his current level of control, he couldn’t change back at will!

Still, that didn’t mean he was out of options.

Taking aim, the dragon’s chest began to glow with an intense heat that actually began melting the armor around it. Slowly, he opened his mouth as steam began to pour from it, followed by a bright red glow.

Looking back over his shoulder, the fiend’s smirk left his face as he saw his opponent position himself on top of some fallen buildings as he took aim.

“Shit. That’s not good.” He said, a nervous chuckle escaping his mouth. “Can’t let that hit me or even I’ll be killed. Who would have thought he could draw on so much power just from the small remnants I used to resurrect that golem. I underestimated him.”

Immediately speeding up, the demon scanned the city around him, looking for anything he could use to stop the coming attack. And soon, his eyes landed on the corpse of a fallen knight, its armor rotting away from years of decay, but still more than intact enough for him to use. 

Flying down, he landed next to the body, reaching out and grabbing it by the neck as he raised it, his back to the approaching dragon as the same spot under his mask began to glow once again.

Then, a horrific scream ripped through the air of the night. The knight’s body twisting and writhing as it was reanimated by the power of the fiend’s Brand. Those perhaps reanimated were too strong a word. 

It had been called back from the dead, yes. But its body was still rotting and its bones still collapsed. It had been brought back yet knew only the agony of having one’s soul placed into something unfit to be its vessel. A fate far worse than simple death.

However, in this form it should be useless. Unable to either shield or fight on the jester’s behalf. Which meant…

Immediately the dragon’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no.” He thought as he immediately opened his mouth as wide as it could go. He knew what a corpse like that could be used for and it wasn’t pretty. He had to stop it before it was too late! 

The second he was sure his opponent as within his line of attack, he fired a huge jet of flames from his mouth, easily engulfing several streets as it disintegrated everything it touched as it raced towards the fiend, who had just enough time to turn and look at the massive screen of flames right before he was completely engulfed. 

But it didn’t stop there. 

The flames ripped straight through the town, effortlessly burning everything in its path to ashes until it reached the outer wall, blasting through that before slamming into the side of a mountain, igniting a massive forest fire in a line leading to where it finally stopped, causing sparks to rain down on the area for miles around. 

And there, looking out over the carnage he caused, the dragon let out a snarl, his eyes darting from one part of the destruction, to another. Steam still trailing from his mouth as he closed it. This is why he didn’t like using this power. Whenever he did, everything around him was destroyed. At least here, this world had already reached its grave. So he knew nobody had been killed from his blas-.

Suddenly a series of explosions went off all around him. Knocking him back with a scream as while not powerful on their own, several hundred had gone off at once!

Staggering back, he saw a flash of red in the smoke trailing from the ground where he had blasted his fire. Then, the mad cackling of the fiend filled the air. But this time, it was different. Louder, more animalistic as, not unlike the roar of a beast. And this caused the dragon’s heart to drop. He had been too late. 

Suddenly, a power gust of wind blew the smoke away, revealing something truly horrifying that now stood where his opponent once had.

 A dragon. One with red scales adorned with white armor. His dark skin was bulging and flexing as he raised his head and laughed. On his back sprouted red and black wings that looked almost like a patchwork quilt strung together on a golden curtain rack that was connected to his back. 

A mane of red hair flowed out from behind the jester like mask that was still attached to his face. But now it had grown and seemed to mold itself to his skin, a red gem now completely visible in its forehead. On his back was a long tail, with purple spikes growing out the top. Something very visible as it thrashed around as the dragon…thing stood up on his hind legs.

“Few! That was close. Another second I would have been a goner .” The beast said as he looked to his opponent, eyes gleaming as his forked tongue licked his lips, voice booming out just like the white haired buy’s. “ Almost had me there. I’ll have to remember not to underestimate you from now on. It’s too bad you’re not the only one with this power at your fingertips, otherwise this fight might have gone your way. But as you can see, I’ve got the power of a Brand. Meaning unfortunately, my power far surpasses yours.” 

The white haired dragon let out a snarl as he got to his feet, his metal clad hand effortlessly crushing the remains of a building as he drew himself to his full height.

“Don’t mock me !” He bellowed, rage bursting forth as the glowing red energy became brighter. “I don’t need a Brand to take you down! I have more than enough strength to do that by myself! And after raising two entries from the dead, I’ll bet you're running on empty! So stop talking, and hurry up and die already!” 

With that, he let out another deaf roar, the sound alone releasing a powerful shockwave that sent anything left standing around him crashing down. Everything except the other dragon, of course.

“Heh. And here I thought I was supposed to be the villain in this piece .” He chuckled as he crouched down, his chest starting to glow as well as the hem on his forehead. “ But alas, if you wish to finish this, I’ll happily oblige. This tale is starting to become tedious and cliche. All your one liners and comeback are such a bore. Have you no personality, oh last true dragon?”

With a roar of fury, the white haired dragon released another massive blast of flames, this time one much larger than before! 

In response, the fiend took a deep breath, before firing a huge beam of red energy from his mouth, one of the same energy that was radiating off the gem on his forehead. 

And as two powerful attacks collided, they spun, intertwining themselves together, forming a massive sphere that grew bigger and bigger as they continued to shoot, until finally, it couldn’t handle it anymore and exploded, engulfing both dragons, as well as the entire town, destroying everything with the blastwave alone as both were thrown back. 

But that didn’t stop either, and with a wing beat from both giant dragons, they took to the air, clashing again, sending apocalyptic flames crashing to the ground and destroying everything they touched as they forced each once again into a draw before throwing themselves at each, horns interlocking as they fought for supremacy.

And as the lone, dead world watched them clash, it to felt a wave of fear wash over it. For if these two continue to clash, they would tear the very fabric of reality asunder. 

Chapter Text

“Roar! I’m gonna get ya if you don’t settle down for story time!” Ecclesia said as she chased some of the kids toward the couch by the fireplace, her hands up next to her head making monster claws as she ran after the giggling children, herding them in the direction she wanted. 

Once she had corralled them to the safety of their fellow children, she let out a breath as she took her seat in an armchair, a pile of books next to her feet.

“Whoa. That was quite a workout, wasn’t it? Now, how about a story to calm everyone down before bed?” She asked, earning a groan from some of the kids.

“Do we have to?” One whined as he rocked excitedly on his butt. “I wanna play more!”

“You’ll have plenty of time for that tomorrow.” The young woman smiled gently as she replied. “But it’s getting late today and you need rest if you want to grow up to be big and strong. Besides, your parents will kill me if I let you stay up past your bedtime.”

At this, the boy crossed his arms and puffed up his cheeks as he pouted, making the blond laugh lightly as she reached over and rubbed his head.

“Aww. Don’t be like that.” She said gently. “How about this, you can pick whichever story you want for tomorrow’s reading. I promise to dig it up from the library tonight or tomorrow morning. That sound good?”

Apparently it did as he seemed to relent. And while she knew she shouldn’t be encouraging bad behavior, she figured one day couldn’t do any real harm. Besides, these kids rarely got to play as they were needed to work by their parents to put food on the table. Times were hard and unfortunately, kids couldn’t wait to grow up anymore. They were expected to be adults right now.

But that would soon change. Once the Tri-brigade were dealt with, the Dogmatika order could start focusing on more important things, such as feeding those in need, or helping rebuild civilization outside their capital walls.

“So, what story shall we start with?” She said cheerfully, reaching down to her stack of books, holding each one up so the audience could see the cover as she introduced it. “The tale of the girl who took flight to become the striker ace of the sky? Or the greedy lord who became a Litch despised by all? Or how about the tale of the mirror of dreams that contains both the sweetest fantasy as well as the darkest nightmares?”

Her question sparked curiosity in even the most rambunctious kids, causing them to immediately settle down around her as they began to chitter about which story they wanted, making the girl stifle a giggle. She knew they had enough time for all three stories. She had taken the watered down, child friendly versions from the library. And while each of these tales were normally pretty long and dark, the ones she got were short and without a lot of the more mature elements.

After a few seconds of quiet, heated debate, (or the closest thing children could get to.) one of the kids towards the back raised her hand, drawing the young woman’s gaze.

“Yes?” She asked, turning to face the child. She recognized the shy girl from years past. Her family had made the pilgrimage for the past two years. And while she didn’t know her by name, she and the girl were closer than most of the other children. “Which story do you want to hear?”

“I-. Umm. Well.” The little girl stammered as she rose to her feet, nervously looking at her feet. “It’s just-. I’ve heard all of these stories and I was wondering, what’s your favorite tale? I mean, you must have the entire library’s stock of books. So what’s the best one you’ve read?”

Ecclesia gave a start at the question. She hadn't expected a question like that today. But she supposed she should have seen it coming. After all, she had an entire library to go through while most of these kids probably didn’t have a single book. Or parents who could read. 

“Honestly, it’s a hard choice.” She confessed, leaning back in her chair. “I love the tale of the World Legacy. The main character’s growth is something to behold. But if I had to choose one, I’d have to pick the tale of the dragon king, Albus, and the fall of paradise.”

Her response was immediately greeted with “oohs!” And “Awes!” And a few “what’s that?” Causing the girl to sit back up straighter, rubbing the back of her head.

“Unfortunately, it’s not really a pleasant tale, nor the kind you want before bed. It…aaa…doesn’t have the happiest ending. Besides, I don’t have the book on me.” She said sheepishly. “But the tale of the Sky Striker Ace is a good third choice, so how about-?”

Immediately the girl was silenced by a collective groan and several “come on!”s from the kids, making her gut fill with the feeling of guilt. 

She really couldn’t say no to children, which made her wonder why she was put in charge of them every year. But she supported there was no harm in spoiling them a little during these hard times when their own parents struggled to provide the most basic things, like food or a roof over their heads.

Besides, she had first read the book when she was a child, how much harm could one little tale do?

“Okay, fine. I’ll tell you the tale of Albus.” She relented. (Almost instantly.) “But don’t complain if you get nightmares tonight. I did warn you.” 

“Yes, ma’am!” The children replied, immediately settling down around the girl, staring up at her with large, eager eyes. 

With a sigh, Ecclesia leaned back, closing her eyes, pretending to try to remember how the story went despite having memorized it years ago. She could still remember the day she had first found it in the library, stuck on the bottom of a shelf in the back, covered in dust, buried behind several other equally ignored books. As if someone had stashed it away there in hopes it would never be found. 

“Let’s see, I suppose first I should give you a bit of context for this story. After all, it’s not a conventional tale.” She said, opening her eyes and leaned forward, looking her audience right in their eyes. “After all, we are traveling far away, to a land that is similar to our world save for one key difference, it’s ruled not by men, but by dragons!”

The children let out a gasp, their eyes going wide as they pictured the massive, winged reptiles flying over open fields with people working the land below them. Looking up not with fear, but with a smile as the beasts flew by. Safe in the knowledge that they were in no danger.

“See in this land, people lived in harmony with nature and each other. See the concept of strife was foreign, as it was a world of plenty. Food grow as the eye could see and under the wise rule of the dragon king, Albus, nobody ever took more than their share.  For you see he was a descendant of the great white dragon, one with power capable of rivaling the gods, yet with a heart filled with mercy and compassion. And it was thanks to the teaching of his heritage that people looked to him as a ruler.” 

Ecclesia could practically picture the scene, people of all types standing together, offering food up to the massive beast, who lowered his head not to eat them, but to accept their gift only to awkwardly smile as he found himself so large, he could properly fit it into his mouth. 

“Magic, a gift from the god, Solemn, was abundant in this world. Gifted to both dragons and people to ensure both were treated equally. And by using this, they looked for further ways to coexist. And eventually they found it.” The girl continued, the kids hooked on every word. 

“See, while both species could love and thrive together, many found themselves falling in love with one of the other species. And while true and whole, it created unimaginable pain as the dragons lived far longer than people, meaning in the blink of an eye, the one they wished to spend their lives together with would be gone. To counter this, they unlocked a power magic called Fusion, an ability that could both split two or more objects apart, or bring them together as one. And this power changed everything.” 

A gulp could be heard as the girl spoke, making her stifle a giggle as she pretended not to notice.

“With this power, they could give half of their life to their mates. Making it so they could live their lives together, shorter but happier nonetheless. It even let them merge with another being to take a human form, letting the dragons live with humans as true equals, sacrificing all their incredible power for a richer, fuller life. And due to the lack of war or strife, they had nothing to fear as fighting was mostly only done to keep the wild beasts away, and they really didn’t need to be the size of a church for that. In fact, legend goes that the dragon king pushed and perfected this magic as he himself fell in love with a human girl, even sharing half his life with her! But that’s just speculation on my part.” She said with a wink. 

“Time went on, and life was good for the people. But good things tend not to last. And the people of this world would soon learn that just because they saw no need to fight, there were others, hiding in the shadows, more than willing to give them that reason.” Ecclesia’s voice went dark, her gaze intensified as she looked out over her audience, all swallowing hard. 

From her chair, Ecclesia began moving her arms around dramatically to emphasize the story beats. Each one seemingly drawing the attention of the children and wove them deeper into her spell.

“One day, a man appeared before Albus, kneeling before the mighty beast in a position of supplicants catching the dragon off guard. For everyone knew he did not believe himself a king, and hated these kinds of gestures.” Ecclesia said.

“There, before the many who had gathered to watch, he said, Oh mighty dragon king. I am a humble traveler who has come from afar to see this magnificent kingdom. And I must say, it’s beautiful beyond words. For not even the tales describing this as paradise do not come close to doing it justice! Never have I eaten such delicious food nor tasted such delectable nectar. All under a sun that seems to seep into each and every person who calls this place home, for their kindness and generosity cannot be matched by anywhere else my travels have brought me.But alas, I fear that there is on things missing from this greatness. Entertainment. Let me bring my entertainment to this land and I promise, I shall show so wondrous that you shall not know how you did so long without.”

Smiling at the confused looks on the kids faces, Ecclesia continued, still in that same tone. 

“At first, Albus was confused. Entertainment? What was he talking about? The great dragon wondered. This land might not have much in the way of excitement, but he would hardly call it boring. But after a bit of thought, he saw no harm in it. And gave the man his permission and his blessing to bring his performances to their fair land to add to its bounty. But what he didn’t know at the time, was that this was the beginning of the end for all.”

Ecclesia paused for a second, letting the audience take it in before continuing.

“At first, nothing was out of the ordinary. The man would appear and entertain both humans and dragons alike. Telling them stories of far off lands and great distances battles! Soon making a name for himself and eventually even opening his own theater where people would flock to hear the man’s tales, as well as the new performance that would grace who could get into the crowd building. And it was here where darkness started brewing. 

“The stories of great heroes and horrible villains became stories of dragons stealing away children in the dead of night and devouring them alive. Or of valiant knights, who would slay dragons for the gold they hoarded. The tales rulers who won their crowns became stories of tyrants who took whatever they wanted without regard of who they had to hurt in the process. And the tales of far off lands become stories of hoarded riches just waiting to be plundered, if only the people had the courage to take it. And as a result, slowly, the peaceful people of the world became shrouded in fear and greed. For while they had all they could need, the question of why not have more was planted in their minds by this far off stranger.” 

Ecclesia paused again, waiting for a few seconds to let her words sink in before continuing.

“When Albus caught wind of this, he was furious. He flew straight to the theater and crashed through the roof right in the middle of a show, demanding that the man leave and never return. But the reaction he got was not the one he was expecting. See the man knew of the dragon’s approach and set the stage perfectly to sway people to his side.”

“See, he had just been in the middle of one of his tales about a king who suppressed the people’s speech, effectively letting him control the narrative of the world, painting himself as a benevolent ruler whom everyone loved, when in reality he was despised. And this intrusion by the dragon king, spelled the end for the peace of this land.”

A collective gasp echoed through the chamber, the children’s eyes going as wide as plates as the story progressed.

“The people Albus was trying to protect turned on him, demanding that the man stay and continue his stories. Who are you to decide what we hear? One asked.” Ecclesia said, changing her voice to sound like multiple people. “You have no say in what we hear or believe. How dare you try to control us! We should be allowed to think for ourselves! Not have our opinions dictated by you!” 

“Enraged and confused, Albus didn’t know what was happening. Before now, everyone had been so kind and open. But now, they were demanding that the man continue to spread his poisonous words. And in this confusion and anger, he made a decision that sealed the fate of all.”

Ecclesia threw her hands out, causing the children to gasp as she continued.

“With a single breath, he incinerated the man, blasting a hole through the entire theater! And whether he intended it or not, his public execution had caused a rift between the people he wished to protect.” 

Ecclesia paused a few seconds for the sake of storytelling once again, then continued with even larger, more exaggerated movements. 

“Upon realizing what he had done and becoming filled with horror, Albus fled. Disappearing into self imposed exile, leaving the people to decide themselves who was truly the monster. The man who spread his poisonous words, or the dragon who silenced them by taking another life. And it was this first split, this first fracture in this perfect society that split them in two.” 

What started as calm, nuanced conversations rapidly escalated into violence altercations between the dragons, who believed Albus was in the right, and the human, who believed that they should be free to think and believe what they wanted. One thing led to another, and before long, a war between man and dragon began. A war which destroyed everything and everyone in the once prosperous land. Swallowing it in an endless torrent of battles and death, killing everything and everyone who disagreed with them And soon, they call something much worse down upon them.”

She paused again, this time not for story telling but to read the children’s expressions to see if she should call it quits. But while they gasped at this new twist, they seemed intrigued . So she chose to continue.

“See, starting this war was the man’s plan all along. For he was no man, but a fiend! One sent from the depths of the dark world to bring this utopia to ruin. And not only did he survive Albus’ attack, he had snuck into both sides of the war and fed their hatred whenever it started to cool. And as the land became barren and the rivers flowed with blood, he used the death as a ritual that opened a massive portal to his home world, Despia, a plain of formless, faceless monsters that devoured all in their path! And when this portal was opened, it let demons pour out and revel in the land, laying waste to anything they touched. As well as slaying both dragon and humans alike by the hundreds until of the millions, only a few were left.” 

“At first, the humans and dragons tried to fight them off alone, but failing this, the leaders of the two came together for just the sake of survival, desperately holding back the seemingly endless waves of monsters that assaulted them. Fight after fight, battle after battle, for every one they killed, a hundred more took their place. And soon, they were pushed back into a lone stronghold held out in the mountains in the east, fighting desperately just to hold the line!”

Seeing the looks on the children’s faces, the blond closed her eyes for a second, before opening them and speaking in a very different tone from the dark one she had been using.

“But in the darkest of nights, that is when lights shine brightest.” She said, looking up at the ceiling, imagining the stars that were hidden behind both the building and the sun, her mouth turning into a gentle smile. 

“Right when the demons descended upon the last bastion of the inhabitants of the world, a roar ripped through the sky! And a jet of holy fire ripped through the ranks of hell, turning them into ash in a heartbeat! And the people looked to the sky, they were taken aback by who had just saved them!” She exclaimed, using large exaggerated movements to emphasize the act. “It was Albus! The dragon who had started it all! The one who, at the start of the war, couldn't bring himself to fight against the people who he loved so dearly, so he had hid himself away now had finally returned to bring his people salvation. For he had been searching for an answer to end the war ever since it had begun. However, now, in their darkest hour, he had run out of time and was forced to return to right his wrongs alone and save everyone from the encroaching darkness!”

The children gasped as Ecclesia pushed on, speaking louder to hype up the story.

“Wrapping himself in white flames, the dragon flew into the portal that the demons were spilling from, using his very life force to seal it shut, stopping the flow of monsters and giving the united front a chance to push back against their enemies and eventually, defeating them and saving the whole world!”

A cheer filled the room as the children applauded the heroic dragon’s deeds, an act Ecclesia joined in on before her tone became solemn as she continued with the story.

“Unfortunately, in doing this heroic act, Albus had been forced to sacrifice all his life force and now lay dying with no hope of recovery.” Her words drew a gasp from the children, causing her to ponder for a second changing the ending. 

However, in light of the setup, she decided it would probably be best for her to continue the original path. Mostly because she didn’t have the skill to add lib in a happy ending that wasn’t obviously made up.

“Using what little strength he had left, Albus spoke one last time, warning the people he loved so deeply that while Despia had been driven away, they hadn’t been destroyed. And that one day, that man would return again. And this time, he’d be dead set on finishing what he started. He told them that the only way they could win, would be to stand together at the beginning and find faith in commonality, for it was when they stood together, that real power would find them. And so, taking these words to heart, both humans and dragons set off to rebuild the world that they had destroyed. Together as equals once again. All the while preparing for the day when the denizens of Despia would return to wreak their terrible vengeance.” 

A silence fell between Ecclesia and the children as they looked up to her, eyes wide. A part of them must be expecting another part to the story as unlike most stories aimed at them, this one didn’t exactly have a happy ending. But as they saw her place her hands in her lap, the reality that they had reached the end hit them like a ton of bricks. 

Finally, after a minute or two, one of the children raised their hand, drawing the attention of both her peers and her caretaker.

“So…what happened to the dragons and humans?” She asked. “Did they rebuild their world? Did the Despia ever return? And if they did, who won the final showdown?”

Smiling at the girl, Ecclesia leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes as she answered. 

“Good questions.” She said after a short pause. “Unfortunately, I don’t actually know. According to the book, when they returned to their world, they found it unrecognizable, though it’s not specified how. And as for the humans and Dragons, it says they couldn’t repopulate due to their numbers being cut so dramatically. So instead by loving each other, they gave birth to a brand new species, the Wyrms. A species with both the power of the human and the dragons. According to legend, they hide themselves away in the mountains, training and preparing for the day when the Despia would return. However, the way the book was written, there’s a lot of room for interpretation. But if you want my personal belief, I think they lived happily ever after.”

The girl turned, taking a glass of water off the end-table, taking a sip as she continued. 

“The people were able to live together in peace, sharing what they had among each other, forging an unbreakable bond. I don’t think much could stand up to them after that.” She said, speaking before taking another sip of water. “Honestly, it’s kinda like what the Dogmatika order is trying to do. Drive the greedy savages out of our lands so we the people can live in peace. And if you look at this city, a literal manifestation of what cooperation can accomplish, you can see the kind of future that the dragons and humans of that world could build. And that kind of unity is what his high eminence is trying to do again this year. Build something new for everyone with everyone. Yet another sign of our unity.” She spoke softly, but with firm conviction. Her inner strength shining through as she spoke her mind and heart, the image of her dream dancing through her head.

A world united as one, without strife or needless suffering. A world for everyone. 

The children turned to one another and began talking between themselves. She might have covered some topics that went over their heads, but it seemed they got the general idea. The idea of building something that transcended their own selves.

“Okay, I have another question.” One of the boys said, raising his hand. “You said that the humans and dragons created a new species. How did they do that? Was it like through magic or something?”

Immediately, Ecclesia choked on her water. Doubling over in her seat pounding her chest, coughing loudly as she sputtered out an answer.

“I-! That’s a question for your parents when you're older.” She finally managed to get out, her hand rising in front of her mouth as a slight blush spread across her face. “You’ll understand when you’re older. But for now, forget that part of the story. I did say it wasn’t for kids.” 

“Aawww!” The collective kids groaned, immediately giving her puppy dog eyes as they pleaded her to tell them. But this time the blond held firm, refusing to go into detail of exactly what she meant. 

And after a few minutes, and the promise of another story, did they finally relent, settling down as she picked up a different book and began reading.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A little while later.

“The skies are now ours! Raye said, raising her sword to the sky. Before, we cowered in the wake of our enemies' bombers! But now we have a chance to turn the tables on them! Starting right now, I pledge myself-!” Ecclesia broke off from the story at the sound of the door opening drew her attention.

Looking up, she expected to see a parent coming to pick up their kid early. However when she saw the person who had entered, her heart leapt into her throat.

“Head Saint Quen!” She cried, practically tripping over herself as she hurried to bow before her superior. “W-what brings you here, my lady? I was sure with the pilgrimage in full swing you would have important duties all day!…Not that I’m saying you don’t have important duties everyday! I simply meant-!”

“That’s enough, Ecclesia.” The woman said, raising her hand to stop the girl’s rambling. “I didn’t come here to listen to your…stories about heroism or whatever. I’m here to deliver a message.”

Normally, the girl might have taken offense to how casually the woman dismissed her stories. But upon hearing the last part of her sentence, any irritation drained from her body faster than water down a drain.

“A message? For me?” She asked, looking up at the woman. “But I was under the impression that you only delivered messages or summons from his high eminence. Why would you go out of your way to deliver a message to-?”

Immediately the girl froze as her heart skipped a beat. No. Surely not! There must be one kind of mistake! Surely she hadn’t-!

“Correct.” The head saint said, answering Ecclesia’s unspoken question. “And today it is both. Lord Maximus wishes to see you at the heart of the church. And he sent me to escort you there personally. So gather your things and let’s go. You won’t be coming back here for the rest of the day.”

Ecclesia felt like her heart was going to beat its way right out of her chest. She had just gotten summons to the center of the church by lord Maximus himself! Nobody but the saints were allowed there. And now she, who wasn’t even a captain yet, was being invited there! 

It was a dream come true for the girl! She never in her wildest dream imagined entering that sacred place via invitation at such a young age. She had always thought it would be when she was in her forties or later before she’d be allowed there. But she was about to see the nexus with her own eyes before her thirtieth birthday. What a privilege!

However, there was just one problem…

“But my lady, what about the children?” She asked, standing up and glancing behind her at the kids were still gathered in the room. “I’m sorry, but I can’t leave them here. If I could have a few more minutes to inform their parents, I could be at the Nexus in half-.”

“No.” The woman interrupted, her eyes narrowing making the blond take a step back, shrinking from her superior. “Lord Maximus said I was to bring you to him. And bring you I shall. These children will be here for just an hour. Surely they won’t get into too much trouble unsupervised for such a short amount of time.”

Biting her lip under the intense gaze of the head saint, Ecclesia felt her legs shake a bit. She had never liked the woman, finding her creepy at the best of times and down right disturbing at others. Her cold, emotionless gaze and bone chilling, tone that seemed to suck all life from whoever she spoke to made her hairs stand straight up, freaking her out so much she’d almost step down from her promotion just to avoid the woman.

But despite this, she held firm to her resolve, refusing to back down.

“With all due respect, I was tasked with ensuring the safety of these children.” She said, trying to convey her resolve. “I can’t in good faith leave them alone for such a long amount of time without informing their parents. To do so would break the trust they placed in me and negatively affect the church. I wouldn’t want the name of Dogmatika to be slander by my negligence.”

Quen stared at the girl for a few seconds, then let out a sigh. “Very well.” She said, “If that is all you require, then allow me to fix the issue.”

With that, she banged her staff into the floor, making a loud thunk sound that echoed through the halls of the church, reverberating off the wall as it traveled.

The next second, the doors burst open as eight men stepped inside, all clad in matching white and gold uniform as well as oriental masks hiding their faces and made them look almost inhuman. And when you combine this with their swift entry and how they were trained to move in perfect unison, nobody could blame the children for being scared as they raced to hide behind Ecclesia.

“Don’t worry.” The blond immediately said, crutching down and rubbing two of the kids' heads. “They are the holy guard. Lord Maximus’ personal protection unit under the command of lady Quen. They are entrusted with guarding the most sacred places and artifacts, so you couldn’t ask for better protection.”

Her words did seem to calm the kids a little, but it was clear they still weren’t too happy about being left with these strangers. And if she was being honest, neither was Ecclesia. She knew first hand that the holy guard really didn’t care for showing emotions, something kids needed to feel safe and secure. And while she was confident that no physical harm would come to them, she still would have preferred to take care of this herself.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like the head saint shared her views.

“Now that that’s taken care of, shall we go?” She asked, taking a step to the side and indicating for the girl to exit. “Half the guard will stay here and watch the children, the other half will go and inform their parents. Everybody is happy. Unless of course you think MY elite guards are incapable of protecting a handful of children in the middle of our sanctuary?”

Ecclesia bit her lip fighting back a retort rising up her throat. Did she really not understand the importance of making children feel safe? She knew that a lot of these kids weren’t exactly innocent, but they should still know that their kids and shouldn’t have to worry about adult stuff yet.

But she knew not to push her luck with the saint. And so, with one last reassurance to the kids, Ecclesia stood up and exited the room, Quen following close behind. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The two walked through the maze like hallways of the Dogmatika church, calmly making their way toward the inner sanctuary. Somewhere along the way, the head saint had taken the lead, guiding the younger girl to where the Nexus was being kept.

“I hear you’ll be promoted to captain soon.” Quen said emotionlessly, glancing over her shoulder at Ecclesia. “I hope that the head captain hasn’t been giving you any trouble. If she has, feel free to tell me and I’ll make sure to properly discipline her. She always had a tendency to overstep her boundaries.”

Ecclesia frowned at the head saint, biting back her anger at the woman’s blatant dismissal of her mentor. She wanted to tell her that it had been Fleur who had trained her, taken care of her, taught her right from wrong as well as all the skills she had used to climb through the ranks until she got to this point! Sure, she could be strict at times, but that was only because they fought in life or death battles. Going easy on her would only ensure that the blond would have been killed!

But speaking out against one's superiors was prohibited by Maximus’ twenty-seventh commandment and was punishable by demotion or even public imprisonment and humiliation.

“No ma’am. She’s done nothing of the sort.” Ecclesia said politely. “She’s strict with me, but she’s that way with everyone. It’s only fair I play by the same rules as everyone else. After all, I’m just a little girl who was found in a stable. There’s nothing special about me to warrant-.” 

“Oh but there is.” Quen cut in, turning around to face the girl and closing distance between them in a heartbeat, stopping just short of being nose to nose with the young girl. 

“You are the one chosen by myself, as well as lord Maximus. The only one who can bear a Stigmata on their body besides his high eminence himself. Fleurdelis was merely doing her job raising you.” She reached out and stroked Ecclesia's cheek, her hand freezing cold against the girl’s warm skin, making her flinch. She never understood how a human could feel this cold or lifeless. It honestly just added to reasons why the blond couldn’t stand being in the head saint’s presence.

“You deserve better than that stubborn buffoon.” The saint said, her dead, silver eyes looking straight into Ecclesia’s gray ones with something akin to pride. “After all, you are the perfect candidate for my replacement. And I’d hate to see you get hurt before you live up to your full potential.”

Ecclesia let out a sigh of relief as the woman withdrew her hand, the cold lingering on her cheek for a few seconds before they warmed up and the girl was able to catch her breath.

“Thank you for your kind words.” She said politely, trying not to show her discomfort. “It’s an honor that you have so much faith in me to…wait? What did you say?” 

The girl, finally taking in what the older woman had said found herself staring wide eyed at her superior. Replace her? Why on earth would she need to be looking for a replacement? Quen had served as the head saint for as long as Ecclesia could remember. Never lost a battle or been in mortal danger, not even against Fleur! So what was this talk about replacing her?

Seeing her confusion, the saint smiled at Ecclesia before turning back around and continuing down the hall, becoming her to follow.

“That’s enough talk.” She called “Everything will be explained at the Nexus. Until then, hold your questions. We’ve kept his high eminence waiting long enough. Come before he loses patience.

Ecclesia, while still confused, hurried after the saint. If she was to get answers, she would honestly prefer they came from lord Maximus then lady Quen. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The doors that lead to the sacred holding chambers were a pair of massive, marble doors, embroidered with gold and bearing dragon door knockers. Above it, a stained glass window showed several different lights down in front of it. The picture in the window was that of four dragons’ circling what looked like a swirling rainbow of blue, black, gray, and red with a white center where the colors merged that was emitting pricing rays onto people on their knees, hands raised toward the light in peaceful supplication. 

It was a depiction of the event that resulted in the founding. An event they called the Great Merger. An event where the four sacred dragons sacrificed themselves to restore the balance of the world and seal away a great evil. A tale not unlike the legend of Albus she was so fond of. 

Upon reaching the door, Quen knocked three times, each bang echoing loudly through the hall before she knelt and spoke in a loud, yet respectful tone. 

“Lord Maximus. It is I, your humble servant, Quen.” She called. “I have brought the child you asked for. We request permission to bask in your radiance. That is, if you inerrable will allows it.”

A few seconds passed. Then, there was a horrible scraping sound as the massive doors slid open, revealing what was inside. 

Stain glass windows covered the wall, all depicting different triumphs the order had achieved in the years. All of them were angled so that the light coming in was directed to one spot, at the base of the massive stained glass window that covered the entire ceiling. 

It depicted the same scene as the one above the outside of the door, however this one had more images running along the sides that hadn’t fit in the first. 

One of these changes was the land that the people knelt on had been painstakingly detailed. It was barren and cracked, as if some great battle had left it scarred. Which was also emphasized by the numerous weapons and armor lying scattered across it, lying there after being thrown by the people upon realizing that violence only caused more violence.

Another was that above the dragons, there was a floating building, one adorned with all kinds of towers and spires, not unlike this very church. But unlike her home, this one had a massive, pointed crystal tower, jetting out of its center which led up to a plato of red and purple earth that was also somehow suspended in the cloudy sky.

“Wow.” Ecclesia breathed out, her gaze fixed on the beautiful stained glass, eyes wide in awe as she marveled at its craftsmanship. This actually wasn’t her first time seeing it. Back when she was a child, she had accidentally stumbled into these chambers after mistakenly hearing singing from within. That was when she had first seen it, as well as the equally breathtaking Nexus. 

Due to her age and combined that with how she was caught almost immediately, she hadn’t been able to properly take in the beauty of either. 

But now, standing here as a young adult, she was able to truly take in its splendor. Each carefully etched pane, each painstakingly chosen color, the very placement in the circular room, it was just so-!

“Stunning, isn’t it.” 

The calm voice drew Ecclesia’s attention to the man she hadn’t even noticed standing in the center of the room, right where all the stained glass reflected their light. For there, bathed in radiation light, stood none other than lord Maximus himself.

“You know, I always say that people should always be given what they are owed. But the man who made that, he said he wanted nothing in return. That being able to give even just a little to the Dogmatika order was more than enough for him.” The pope said, his voice surprisingly light and calming compared to how it was when he was delivering his speech.

“I won’t pretend I know anything about art, but when I saw that first panel being placed, I cried as I knew there and then, that our work was finally starting to gain traction. Originally, he wanted to fight alongside the crusader, take back the land from those savages who took everything from us. But alas, he had lost his leg when fleeing the destruction of his town. Needless to say, sending him to the front lines was out of the question. At least he got to see his work completed before he passed away. Now, while this place survives as a monument to our achievements, I selfishly always think of it as me showing him our many victories, telling him our stories so that even now, he can look down on us and rest knowing we are getting closer to our dreams one step at a time. And while I know I shouldn’t play favorites, he’s memory is the one that always comes to mind whenever I visit this place.”

Maximus spoke without turning around as the two entered the room. His back was still facing them which confused Ecclesia at first. But as she got closer, right as the doors shut behind her, her gaze shifted down to the man’s hand where she saw his white mask, gripped in his fingers.

Immediately the girl spun on her heel, head facing the door as she covered her face with her hands, spouting apologies so fast, it was almost alarming.

“Forgive me, your high eminence!” She said as her face burned scarlet. “I didn’t know you were having such a private moment. I am so sorry for this disgraceful introduction! I will leave at once!”

The young woman heard the sound of boots on the marble floor as the pope turned to face her with a humorous chuckle.

“Now, now, no need for that.” He said walking towards her. “I know chastity is one of our codes, but surely you are not so inexperienced to believe seeing a male’s face as breaking this vow.”

“B-but the two-hundredths and sixteenths commandment states that none may see your face under any circumstances!” Ecclesia protested, trying to exit the room with her hands still covering her face. Resulting in her walking head first into the nob, drawing out a squeak of pain.

As Ecclesia sunk to her knees, hands now pressed over her forehead, she heard another chuckle from behind her, then a series of clicking behind her.

“Better?” Maximus asked, his voice now baring the distant echoey sound as he spoke from behind his mask. Something a quick glance over her shoulder confirmed. 

“I-. Yes. Thank you, your eminence.” She said, turning around to face him. “I’m sorry I caused a bit of a fuss in your presence.”

“No worries.” He said with a dismissive wave. “You are young. You are supposed to make mistakes, that’s how you learn, isn’t it? But enough of that, come with me. There’s something I wish to discuss with you.”

With that, he turned back and began walking towards the front of the room where a large statue was situated, completely blocking off the front wall with its enormity. 

It was the Nexus. A statue of two white  dragons with golden horns. their stomachs pressed against each other as they perched together on a fountain. Their wings extended encircling them on either side, the very tips adorned with gold alongside their shoulders where the wings sprouted from the backs. Their tails were wrapped around the base of the fountain, making it almost look like they were part of it. 

There was no window above it, nor did any of the stained glass shine their light on it, yet despite this, it still radiated beautiful light, bathing it in stunning gold as if it was shining down from above. The truest beacon of the Dogmatika order’s power. As well as their responsibility.

“The Nexus. The very life force of our nation.” Maximus said, stopping only a few feet in front of it. “The source of the Stigmata and where all magic weapons are created. Without this, we would be at the mercy of the wild beasts that hunt outside our walls. Yet with it comes the heaviest burden of all. A burden that would break most men.”

Calmly, the man turned back to Ecclesia, who had stopped a respectful distance away. 

“Tell me. Are you familiar with the legend of our order’s origin? What started everything and why we must save this dying world?” He asked, prompting the young woman to answer almost immediately.

“It’s because of the Bystial.” She replied without hesitation. “Back in ancient times, this world had an abundance of resources. This was thanks to the Bystial. Four sacred beasts who watched over it and made sure nobody took more than their share, all while maintaining the balance of life and death. But while this benefited all, there were those who saw this as little more than Tyranny. And as those people grew in numbers, they slowly began plotting to get rid of the four great dragons.”

“Correct.” Maximus said, nodding solemnly. “The humans, who despite being the weakest of the people who lived in this land, believe that the world was theirs to take. That it was their right to grow their population and that they shouldn’t be limited to just a few. They disrespected the natural cycle, believing they were above it. And do you know what they did to the Bystial as a result of their greed?”

“They sealed them away.” Ecclesia replied, her head falling slightly. “They locked them inside an ancient prison and threw it into the depths so they would be forgotten. Then, they began preaching their own gospel, saying that it was their god given right to rule the world and it was because of those who disagreed that their gods abandoned them. And as the years passed, this lie became the truth and eventually, they did end up ruling the world. Until they learned the hard way why the Bystials did what they did.” 

“Their world became a desolate plain, devoid of most resources, let alone enough to sustain the abundance of humans who now populated it.” Maximus finished. “And without the ability to feed their people, the kingdom they had built split apart. Falling into ruin as the once loyal subjects either scattered to the winds, or became cut throat bandits, only interested in helping themselves.”

“The Tri-brigade.” Ecclesia nodded. She knew this story well. She had been practically raised on it. Their responsibility as humans was to atone for the sins of their past by unifying everyone once again and carrying on with their gods’ will, and eventually free them from their prison. It was prophesied eons ago that one day, when the people returned what they had stolen to the land, the seal would break and the Bystials would return to oversee the world once again.

But what confused her was why Maximus was bringing it up. Surely he knew everyone in the order had to memorize it for their exam. So why explain it to someone who was about to be prompted to a captain?

“Confused? I shouldn’t be surprised.” He said, answering her unasked question with a chuckle, turning back to the Nexus. “I would be too if I was in your shoes. But I want to tell you something very important. We are on the eve of our final battle with those beasts and I think there’s something you need to know before we go to this grand confrontation. So, what I tell you here stays between us, okay?”

Ecclesia swallowed hard at his words. What did he feel so strongly he had to tell her? And why? What information could possibly be so important he was only willing to talk here, at the heart of the sanctum? And most importantly, why her? She wasn’t anything special. She wasn’t even a captain yet! So why did he believe it was so critical he told her some great secret instead of someone more powerful?

“If I may, your Eminence.” The girl began, taking a hesitant step forward. “May I ask, why me? I mean, wouldn’t it be better to tell lady Fleur? She’s the head captain of the main platoons as well as a prodigy with a sword. Why do you want to tell me instead of-?”

Suddenly a loud banging sound from behind her silenced her, as well as caused her to leap several feet into the air as she spun around to see Quen glaring daggers at her.

“How dare you demand answers from his high eminence?!” She snapped, advancing towards the girl who instantly took a step back. “He needn’t explain himself to you! He is telling you this in his infinite wisdom, and you dare second guess him?! I should have you exiled for daring to-!”

Quen suddenly fell silent as Maximus raised his hand, stopping her mind rant. 

“Thank you, head saint.” He said calmly, yet with a bite of annoyance. “You have done well bringing Ecclesia here. Now, I must request you to leave.” 

Immediately the woman’s eyes widened in shock. Leave him, the high leader of the great Dogmatika order here alone with this girl? Surely he wasn’t serious. There was no way he’d-!

“Is there a problem, head saint?” His words breaking the woman out of her thoughts. “Surely you aren’t second guessing me, are you? I think you are quite familiar with the punishment for talking back to one’s superiors. I assume you know that the same punishment can be applied to you, correct?”

His words caused the woman to bristle at the jab. Making Quen bit her lip to suppress her rage. Then, after a few seconds, her face returned to its calm façade, one devoid of emotion as she straightened up, eyes fixing on the pope.

“Yes, your eminence.” She said, giving him a sweeping bow before turning on her heel and walking out the door, which flew open for her before slowly closing behind her retreating figure. 

Those not before she glanced back over her shoulder, sending one final, irritated look at Ecclesia before the door shut, blocking her from view.

“Apologies for her. She’s been on edge ever since we started moving in mass against the Tri-brigade.” Maximus said, making the blond turn around to face him. “Besides, she upholds order above all things. Even basic decency. I’m sure she’ll calm down once those beasts are dealt with. Until then, just try to stay out of her way.”

“Y-yes sir!” Ecclesia replied, placing a fist over her heart and bowing slightly. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”

“Good.” Maximus breathed in response, immediately turning on his heel and walking back toward the Nexus, his robes flowing out behind him.

“Now, on to the matter that I summoned you here to address.” He said carelessly, almost as if he had forgotten the tension with his head saint moments ago. “As I’m sure you know, many who make the pilgrimage to our fair city do so not just for religious reasons, but also to join our order. And this year we have an abundance of young hopefuls, all eager to join us in our noble crusade. And this year Ecclesia, I want you to oversee our graduates.”

Immediately the girl felt her heart leap into her throat, her head spinning. Her? In charge of overseeing the new recruits? What an honor! That was an operation many would kill for! It was the highest sign of trust a young (or soon to be.) captain could only dream of! 

But even as her body began trembling with excitement, a part of her still held back, pulled down by a sinking feeling in her chest.

“Your eminence, that would be an honor. But may I ask a question first?” She said, carefully picking her words so as not to offend or sound ungrateful. “On the way here, lady Quen said something about me being her perfect replacement. And now with all this unusual privilege, I can’t help but wonder if something big is about to happen. Something that might…”

She trailed off at this, her gaze falling to the floor as she blushed furiously. What was she doing?! Standing here in the center of the Dogmatika faith, being offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, all while being acknowledged by the most powerful man in the world. And here she was second guessing him. 

She was being so stupid! Why did she have to open her big mouth!? She should have just accepted the job and been grateful for the opportunity! Now she was probably going to lose it and be demoted. And that was if she was lucky. She should have-.

Suddenly, Maximus turned around, facing the girl as he extended his hand to gently brush some hair out of her face.

“You have nothing to worry about, my child.” He said calmly, tucking the hair behind her ear, making the girl blush even more. “It is natural to be curious about something like this, being assigned a task like this with little prior experience would raise some eyebrows. But I fear you are overthinking things. The reason I chose you for this mission is twofold. One, because as this year's top candidate for captain, you naturally will have to form a new team, mainly consisting of new recruits. And I want you to make an educated decision on who want watching your back. As for the second, well, that’s right here.”

With that, he calmly reached up, and tapped Ecclesia’s forehead, his fingers brushing against the golden mark that rested there.

“You bear an unusual, but not unheard of power, Ecclesia. One that I know all too well.” He said gently, fingers tracing the lines on her forehead. Letting the girl get a slight glimpse of the Stigmata on his palms. “I’ve lived a long time, so long I’ve stopped keeping track. But I do know that at this winter’s end, I’ll be somewhere in the two hundreds. And while not guaranteed, I suspect you too might also have inherited the power of near immortal life. A gift that is as much of a burden as it is a blessing.” 

Calmly, he took a step away from the girl and turned back towards the Nexus as he continued.

“It is a power given only to those who can bear the power of a Stigmata on their body. A sign of our divine right to stand above and lead humanity into the future. A burden beyond all pain this physical world could ever hope to inflict. And when I found you that night, crying scared in that stable, I knew I had found someone special. For you see, I’ve had this plan for a long time now, and where your place would be when we finally got this close to the unification of our world.”

Before the weight of those words could even register to Ecclesia, Maximus turned around and locked eyes with the girl as he continued, his voice taking a much more dire tone.

“I’m not going to lie to you. The battle against the Tri-brigade will be difficult. I foresee many casualties on our side. I’m it sure how many we will lose for the freedom of this world.” His words were solemn, not sugarcoated in the slightest, making the young woman feel the weight behind them. How truly scary this coming battle would be.

Ecclesia had seen combat before, and a lot more than small skirmishes in the middle of nowhere. She had come face to face with the Tri-brigade before, even having killed a few of them. She knew the battlefield wasn’t anything like how stories portray them. No words could truly capture the feeling of being pure, uncontrollable fear that came over when a life or death struggle began. However, she had been fortunate enough never to lose those closest to her, letting her take the role of the rock to some of her friends who hadn’t been so lucky. Leading her to despise fighting and the countless death it always brought.

“That is your role, Ecclesia. To rebuild the order after this battle.” Maximus said, placing both hands on her shoulders. “You are to be the leader of the next generation of crusaders. It will be your destiny to take charge and help those while we aren’t at full strength. I want you to be at your absolute best when that happens, a sign to show the people that even after such a grueling battle, we are still strong. A symbol that reminds everyone that, even in the darkest nights, light shall still shine no matter what.”

With that, his grip tightened on the girl’s shoulders, his golden fingertips digging into her shoulders as he kelt, looking her right in the eyes, his voice heavy and slightly strained.

“Can you do that for me, Ecclesia? Can you be that symbol?”

At this sign of pure trust, Ecclesia felt her heart fill with a mix of pride and determination. To not only be given such an honor by lord Maximus himself, but for him to openly state how he believed in her was more than the girl ever dared to dream of. 

To serve such an important role in the grand design of her gods was beyond anything she thought she’d accomplished in her life. Sure, she always dreamed of being a saint and being able to serve them in any way possible, but never like this. To be the symbol of the next generation of sacred crusades was truly a once in a life opportunity, and the fact it was being passed to her made her all kinds of excited.

“I will, your eminence!” She said, her excitement leaking into her voice despite her best attempts to keep it out. “I won’t let you down, I promise!”

Smiling under his mask, Maximus drew back, tucking his hands behind his back as he looked down at the girl. “Thank you Ecclesia.” He said, his voice radiating kindness. “This is the first step toward our dream of a united world. A dream I want you to be a part of.”

With that, he turned back to the Nexus, his gaze returning to the dragons’ heads. 

“Now, I’ve kept you for long enough. You should return to your duties and get to bed early. You have a big day tomorrow and I’d hate for you to oversleep again.” 

Blushing slightly at the slight comment about her missed meeting, Ecclesia quickly bowed before she turned back to the door and left the chamber, the doors automatically closing behind her once she was outside.

There, she paused for a second. Then, jumped into the air, punching toward the ceiling as she went.

“Yes!” She cried, voice overflowing with joy. She still couldn’t believe she had been acknowledged by the high eminence himself or been given such an important responsibility. It was a dream come true! She truly was well on her way to becoming a saint.

And while she couldn’t see it, on this bright sunny day, even the sky itself seemed to be celebrating her success as some people on the ground could have sworn that they saw something directly above the tower. Not an object per say, but something more subtle. So subtle in fact, they practically all simply dismissed it as their eyes playing tricks on them. 

After all, there was no way they had just seen a small slit appear in the sky which leaked some smoke into the air. That was just impossible.

Chapter Text

“Attention!” Ecclesia said in a commanding voice as she stood on a small stage set up in the courtyard of the church, letting her look down at the new recruits. 

Lord Maximus was right, there were more than usual this time. Even for the pilgrimage, having so many that they filled the designated training area was a testament to not only their commitment, but also their willingness to finally rid both the world and themselves of the Tri-brigade. 

And they weren’t the only ones ready to go.

Joining her on the stage was Theo. He had been selected to act as this year’s peacekeeper, as whenever these kinds of training exercises were conducted with inexperienced recruits, fights tended to break out over small disagreements. Some even escalated into their own hall of shame that would be remembered by all who had attended that day. 

One such example was a case with herself and Ashiyan, which had been particularly embarrassing on her part as she had technical started it and had been one of the reasons behind his promotion last year instead of her’s. 

As for the final member joining her to oversee the training was none other than lord Maximus himself. Sitting on a high balcony with an overview of the courtyard, letting him look down at the new recruits, looking for any potential candidates and deciding what their perfect match was for not only the assignment of squads, but also what weapons to have made for enchantment. 

As the sole contact between the mystical realm and the physical through the Nexus, it was up to him to enchant each and every one, granting them magical abilities to beat back the evil Tri-brigade, a task that while exhausting, was finally starting to bear fruit. 

But more importantly than anything else, it let the new recruits look up and bask in his radiance and majesty. Something they would need to get used to if they had any hope of climbing the ranks of the order. 

However, that wasn’t going to be an issue for a long time now. 

“For all of those brave souls who have gathered here today. We thank you for your devotion to the cause.” Ecclesia said, lowering her head slightly as she did. “Our goal has always been to ensure that everyone can live together in harmony with the land and to uphold the teachings of the gods Bystials. And for this, we have brought the resources needed to both build homes and fertilize the land. We do this as we believe that everyone in this world should be allowed their share of this world’s bounty, no more, no less.”

Ecclesia paused for a moment. Then closed her hand into a fist before she spoke again, this time in a much harsher tone.

“But there are those who don’t share these beliefs. There are those who take all that they want, with no regard for others! And to protect ourselves from these people, we must bear arms against them.” With that, she pulled her hammer off her back and raised it high into the sky, letting the light glint off it and down onto the recruits.

“I wish it weren’t so, but what we desire and what we must do are rarely the same. And so, that is why you have all gathered here, prepared for rigorous training! Ready to give your hearts and souls for the cause of protecting your fellow man! And with your courageous hearts, we shall subjugate the Tre-brigade and make them see the errors of their ways! Then, together, we shall rebuild the world into what it should be, a place that has plenty for everyone! A place where everyone belongs!”

Her speech was met with cheers, making her let out a quiet, unnoticeable sigh of relief. 

She had been up all night writing that and still hadn’t been sure how it would fare. She had been so excited upon being given this assignment by lord Maximus she had forgotten she had less than a full week to prepare. Something that if she had remembered earlier, she might have requested some extra time off to plan everything out.

But now that the hard part was out of the way, she could begin the training.

Lowering her hammer, she set it on the ground and tucked her hands behind her back, turning back to address the new recruits.

“Now, allow me to explain what you can expect from this training. Please remember, this training will be grueling and there is no shame backing out. There are plenty of other ways you may help us fight without being on the front lines.” Ecclesia called, stepping forward slightly and tucking her hands behind her back, mimicking Fleur’s strict posture.

“Once you’ve completed your training, you will be assigned to a squad and given the rank squire. From there, you can work your way up to holy knight, then crusader. And upon reaching this prestigious rank, you shall be gifted this.” 

Stepping to the side, Ecclesia made way for Theo as he stepped forward, raising a massive blue and gold gauntlet, one that fit not only over his entire hand, but also traveled its way down his arm, stopping right past his elbow. The front end was flat with a glass plate making his arm visible, but as the sun's rays glinted off the metal, a mark appeared on the glass, causing red lines to shoot off the armor and down the man’s arm, spreading all the way to his shoulder before disappearing beneath his clothes. 

“This is a Reliquary. An weapon enhanced with the power of the Stigmata.” Ecclesia explained. “Once worn, it enhances the physical abilities of the user, as well as imbues them with the power of the sacred Nexus. The source of all magic in the world. With this, you will work with your fellow crusaders to drive back the many dangerous forces that inhabit this world.”

The gathered crowd began to murmur and whisper as they stared at the gauntlet, eyes wide as they imagined the kind of power it must possess.

“Now, each Relic is unique, and has its own power. But it will be specially crafted just for you, made to be drawn upon by only you. And made to match your fighting style.” She calmly began pacing the stage, looking at each group of recruits, trying to get a feel for who might be a good candidate for her new squad.

“For one, it might be a bow, for another, it might be a sword, and for some even still, it might be an entire suit of armor.” She said. “But no one is greater or lesser than any other. It simply boils down to who has what fighting style. So remember, once you reach this level, you are expected to act like a true crusader. As such, infighting is prohibited, as well as acting in any way that doesn’t represent the order’s ideology or trying to use that rank to bully or threaten others. Remember, this isn’t a mercenary clan or a bandit camp. You are protectors of the world, and we expect you to act like it.”

Ecclesia stared out at the crowd, giving them her best Fleur impression as she made a point to lock eyes with each and everyone there. Effectively ensuring that if any of them made it to that level, they wouldn’t be likely to forget this day. Or the oath that they had sworn to even allow them to be here in the first place. 

After all, a crusader was only as good as their honor. And those without it, had no right to stand alongside them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ecclesia walked through the row of now sparing recruits, each one fighting in a circle on the ground with the simple rule that to win, all you needed to do was either disarm your opponent, or knock them out of the ring. 

They had been given an assortment of blunted weapons to choose from, and they were all encouraged to try different ones to find what they were best with. On top of that, they had also been given an array of different styles of armor to pick and choose from, effectively letting them find whatever worked best. 

As she walked between the rows, Ecclesia’s gaze flicked from one pair to the next, looking for any candidate that might work well on her own team. And as she walked, noticed that while many had never picked up a weapon before this day, some of them had definitely had prior experience with them. 

Many of those, she noted, were from the Dogmatika noble class, which basically meant their parents were priests or pastors, those who spread the word of their beliefs without actually fighting for them. 

Personally, she never liked them very much. They spent their entire day preaching about sacrifice the order demanded without actually doing any of it themselves. Living in luxury in their safe churches while the people they were supposed to be supporting starved. And the many accusations of molesting children hadn’t done much to grow her sympathy towards them. 

By Solemn what she’d give to see the records of their donations and where they actually went. Far too often the order had to send a crusader to find out why they weren’t sending the money they were supposed to make back to them for redistribution.

Speaking of which…

Ecclesia came to a stop before one ring. There, a young man around her age was sparing a much younger, smaller boy, who was struggling to even land a hit against his opponent.

Standing there, she watched the man effortlessly dodge the boy’s next swing before jabbing him in the ribs with a rapier, sending him crashing to the ground. He clearly had previous training whereas his opponent hadn’t. And by going off the light custom armor he wore, she assumed he was a noble while his opponent appeared to be a farmer. 

This was a total mismatch, one that the noble had probably set up to boost his ego. Clearly, he was very talented, but to pull something like this spoke volumes about how fragile his ego must truly be. After all, being naturally gifted would only carry him so far and after that, he’d have to work as hard as the others to keep up, something that probably scared him. Clearly, he hadn’t had to actually try to get the life of privilege he was used to.

But with that said, the farmer boy, despite being completely outclassed, kept getting up no matter how many times he got knocked down. And going by how filthy his clothes were, it was a lot. 

Untalented but driven vs trained and arrogant. Crossing her arms as she leaned back, Ecclesia watched the two continue their spar, her gaze fixed on them both, measuring them as her mind began putting the pieces together. After all, one of them had managed to impress her enough to make her consider them for her new team.

As she watched, the farmer clumsily swung an axe far too big for him at the noble, missing horribly and was sent crashing past him and out of the ring, rolling a few feet away in the dirt making his opponent turn to follow him, sneering at him as he went.

But as he turned, he caught sight of Ecclesia and immediately his sneer vanished, replaced with a confident smirk as his eyes fixed on her hungrily. Quickly, yet without making it look like he was in a rush, he sheathed his sword and began walking toward her, smiling at her as he approached.

“My lady, I didn’t see you there.” He called, as if greeting an old friend. “Forgive the mess, I was just helping this poor sap learn how to use a weapon. Unfortunately, we’ve almost circle through the entire exercise and the poor boy still can’t land a hit on me. Though, chasing him around when he had a bow was quite a workout.”

With that, he ran his fingers through his hair, swishing it back letting some sweat from his brow fly off, closing his eyes to ensure none of it got in them. At the same instant, he undid the button at the top of his shirt, opening it up to show off a part of his muscular chest that was surprisingly moist for the weather this time of year. 

And as his body seemed to glisten in the sunlight, he opened his eyes as he slowly brought his head down, looking her in the eyes with a ruffle smile playing on his lips. His dark eyes gleamed as she was forced to look up at him. His face was so handsome, it was certain to make almost any girl swoon. 

As for Ecclesia? She felt herself trying not to regurgitate her breakfast. 

“I see, how generous of you.” She said, forcing herself to smile, though she could feel the corner of her mouth twitching with the effort. “However, training is not your responsibility. And if done wrong, can cause more harm than good. Perhaps instead of trying to teach, you should focus on learning instead.”

The smile on the man faded for a second as he did a double take. Apparently that horrible move worked on the other girls he tried it on (though the blond had no idea why.)  and wasn’t used to someone not giving him what he wanted.

But he shortly forced that smile back onto his face turned to the side, hand resting on his forehead as he spoke.

“Perhaps. But I feel like I’m at the level that I should be good for the first mission. Besides, my generous heart makes me want to help those less skilled than myself to improve less they get eaten up by a wild beast. But these candidates don’t make it easy. Honestly, even when holding myself back, they're just so weak, it almost feels hopeless. I mean, if they can’t compete against me when I’m performing at this level, how can we expect them to survive out in the wild?”

“No man is an island. What we lack in ourselves we make up for with our teams.” Ecclesia counter immediately. “And if I may be honest, with the attitude you currently have, you’re less likely to survive then him. So perhaps you could use the time you've been given them to think and remember what it’s like to not know how to use a sword. After all, humility is one of the tenets the Dogmatika order was built on. As well as something you desperately need.”

With that, she turned away from the man, leaving him sputtering as she made her way over to his opponent, offering him her hand.

“You did very well in there. What’s your name?” Ecclesia asked as she helped the boy up, his eyes wide as he stared back up at her. “E-Edward.” He stammered in response, his voice carrying a slight shake to it, showing his nervousness. 

Ecclesia however, just smiled as she pulled him to his feet. 

“Well, Edward. I’m very impressed with your display just now.” She said brightly. “Your only problem is that you picked the wrong weapon. Remember, a battle starts long before the first combatants enter the field. Try picking something that matches your strengths. I believe I heard something about you being skilled with a bow. How about a demonstration?”

“B-but-!” The boy stammered, looking down at the ground, his face flushing slightly. “But I thought that using a ranged weapon was a sign of cowardice.” 

Half glancing over her shoulder to send a glare at the noble, Ecclesia knelt, reaching his level while keeping her hand offered. “There is no shame or cowardice in being smart about your position on the battlefield.” She said gently, smiling at him. “In fact, I’d argue it’s harder to shoot from a distance and not miss or worse, hit a comrade, ensuring only the wisest can do it properly. Don’t let the words of others make decisions for you. Remember, you're a recruit of the Dogmatika order. Wear that with pride and focus on that, not the words of those who believe that they have all the answers.” 

Her words seemed to soothe the boy, and while he still seemed somewhat doubtful, he took her hand and let himself be pulled up, soon finding himself standing next to the crusader.

“Now, why don’t you get a bow and we’ll see just how good with it you are.” She said, gesturing to the table that held the weapons. “I’ll have some targets set up at various distances to test just how far you can shoot and what bows best for you. As well as how you adapt in different situations.” 

The boy nodded, then turned and ran off towards the table, noticeably excited at the prospect of showing his skill to the girl, making her chuckle. She was just like that when she first joined, so eager to show her skill to anyone and everyone she could, especially to Fleur, even though she knew it was nothing compared to the older woman.

“Well, that looks familiar.” 

Turning to her side, Ecclesia saw Theo standing next to her, hands stuffed into his pockets as he watched Edward run off before turning to her a smirk playing on his lips.

“Reminds me of you back when we first started our training. Though if memory survives, we were a tad younger.” He said grinning down at her. “So you thinking about putting him on your team? The two of you have a lot in common, both come from nothing yet work harder than anyone else to achieve their prize. Something that serves as both a gift, and a curse”

Ecclesia nodded her head, turning back to watch the farmer boy disappear among the crowd, letting out a sigh as she did so.

“Maybe. Still a lot to see.” She said, folding her arms as she stared at the spot he had vanished. “I want to believe he has potential. But it's hard to tell if he’s working hard because it’s an exam, or because that's just who he is. A lot of people tend to start slacking off after they get in. Besides that, in order to survive on the battlefield, you need a certain kind of drive, something to keep you going through all the carnage and death. A goal you can strive to achieve that will make everything you’ve gone through worthwhile. And while I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I have a hard time seeing someone like him finding that.”

Seeing her more somber expression, Theo turned to look back at the crowd, scanning the area for something before placing his hand on her shoulder with a smile.

“Well, if you're not sold on the little farmer boy yet, allow me to direct your attention to that incredible specimen over in ring four.” He said, making the girl follow his gaze until she saw what he was looking at.

There in ring four, there stood a grizzled man in his twenties, scars covering his arms as he swung around a massive two handed battle axe. Effortlessly taking down anyone who stood up to challenge him. 

“He looks like he’s already found that something.” Theo said, grinning back at Ecclesia. “And he has experience so you know he’ll pull his weight. Besides that, look at that jawline. I bet he could be the hero in one of those cheesy action plays you love.”

Ecclesia, ignoring the jab at her tastes, rested her chin in her hands, watching the sparing take place.

“Maybe.” She breathed, watching him mercilessly boot another challenger out of the ring. “But having experienced and being used to calling the shots alone can lead to insubordination. The way he swinging that axe would hit friend and foe alike, with no regard for either. Can’t work with someone who doesn’t want to work with you. And even if that wasn’t the case, I can’t image-. Wha!”

At that, Theo reached out and smacked Ecclesia in the back of her head, sending her stumbling forward a few feet before she regained her balance, stopping herself from face planting into the ground and letting her spin around to glare at her teammate.

“What was-?!” 

“Oh come on, give them a break girl!” The blond girl was cut off by a wave of Theo’s hand, his exasperated yet joking tone mirroring his face. “You’re overthink it. You’re not gonna find the perfect team out here in the courtyard full of rookies. Me and Adin are already taken. So there’s no way you’re going to find people as talented and charming as us. Stop worrying about every little detail and just pick whoever you think is good and go from there. It’s not like anyone’s expecting you to be perfect right out the gate. You have time to mold them into a proper team once picked, something you’re actually quite good at. So put some hair on your chest, and choose with confidence. It’s you, I’m certain you’ll find something that works.”

Ecclesia stared at her teammate wide eyed for a second, then let out a chuckle as she lowered her head. Theo was right, she was overthinking things again. Sure, it was a pretty important decision, but just because her new team wouldn’t have the same synergy as her old one, didn’t mean they could find it. 

Besides, it wasn’t like her, Theo, and Adin were the perfect team when they started. It had taken a few months of working together before they had found their dynamic and worked with it. And even then, she had lost count of the numerous mishaps and mistakes they had made even years into their crusades. Something that, no matter how long they spent together, she knew realistically would never go away.

Right now, she should be finding people who could work together at the baseline and had a variety of skills. The teamwork aspect could come later. 

“Hehe. Yeah, maybe I am overthinking things.” Ecclesia said, rubbing the back of her head as she looked sheepishly at the ground. “Thanks, I needed to be grounded. You're a good friend. Best I could ask for.”

At this, Theo felt his chest warm at the kind smile she gave him. Ecclesia always had that effect on people, the ability to make the simplest gestures so much more meaningful. It was something that had always kept his, Adin’s and even Fleur’s spirits up when they were struggling, no matter how tough times got, making them smile over the smallest thing. It was the main reason they assumed even the first saint had taken such an interest in the girl. Well, on top of the obvious fact that she had a Stigmata on her body.

“Well, of course I am.” He said, puffing out his chest. “Didn’t you hear me? I am the one of the best after all. Adin and I have carried the team for years. And now that you’re starting your own team, the two of us can take a breather. I mean not having to babysit our little sis-. Ow!”

Theo was shut up as Ecclesia punched him lightly in the chest. Not hard enough to do any damage, but enough to make sure he felt it. 

“Stupid Theo.” Ecclesia said, though her words held no bite. And as she turned away, a smile forced it way onto her face. One she couldn’t suppress no matter how hard she tried, not that she really tried.

She knew how he felt toward the team. It was obvious to all of them that, while he never spoke about it, he was closer to them than his actual family. And not just because of how often they fought together. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Impressive.” 

Ecclesia stood next to the archery range, watching Edward shoot at some haystacks set at various ranges. So far, he had been pretty successful at hitting his target. Not dead center, but they had landed on the wood.

“You seem to know your way around this weapon. Have you used it before?” The young crusader asked, looking over at the boy who looked back. 

“Y-yes!” He answered immediately, lowering his weapon so quickly that, if it was knocked, it would have probably shot right into his foot. “I’ve h-hunted in the forest before. Only small game, but it was how I helped my father put food on the table.”

Ecclesia smiled, reaching down to properly position his bow in the correct way to carry it when not intending to shoot.

“Well then, I think you’ve found your weapon then.” She said cheerfully. “Congratulations, master Edward. I expect great things from you in the distant future. Train hard, and I’m sure you’ll master this tricky weapon. And when the day comes for your premonition, I’ll personally see to the craft of your reliquary bow.” 

“I-! Thank you!” Peter stammered happily, a slight blush spreading across his face as he quickly bowed to the crusader, making the girl laugh slightly before reaching out and patting his head.

“No need. It’s my job after all.” She reassured him, making him look up at her, a kind smile on her face to put him at ease. However, to her surprise, Edward quickly turned back to the ground, his face falling slightly as if ashamed of something. 

“Something wrong?” She asked, making him shift uncomfortably as if ashamed of something.

“I know I probably shouldn’t ask.” He began, still unable to look Ecclesia in the eyes. “I know this is just training and I know that I should be grateful for the experience, but do you know when we will get paid?”

Immediately the blond girl felt her jaw drop as she stared down at the boy. Paid? Was he pulling her leg here? Surely he must know that the life of a crusader was about protecting the values of the order and maintaining peace throughout their territories. Compensation was a secondary concern when it came to the job.

“You do know that-?”

“I know Crusader’s are supposed to protect the weak and uphold justice and all that. I did read the card. But it's just…” Edward broke off here, looking more ashamed than ever, quietly kicking at the grass with his boot. “My father got injured when he was out hunting. He’s healed but can’t work the farms like he used to. And as a result, my family is struggling. Then I heard Crusaders get paid handsomely, so I figured if I could join the order, I could help provide for them while helping the world at the same time. You know, a win-win situation. Something that my family desperately needs right now.”

At this, Ecclesia felt her worries melt away, replaced with a sense of ease as she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“You’ll receive pay after you complete training and are placed in a squad or in the main regiment.” She answered, kindly smiling down at him as he turned to look up at her. “Unfortunately, transferring the funds to your farm is probably going to be the hard part. Many convoys are attacked on route with their possessions completely looted by the Tri-Brigade. As such, sending important things can be a bit tricky. So when that time comes, you can come to me if you’d like. I know which routes are more likely to be targeted and which are completely ignored. I can make sure it gets there unscathed.” 

With that, the girl knelt down to the boy’s level, smiling at him as she withdrew her hand before forming it into a fist and lightly tapping him in the chest.

“In the meantime, you focus on your training.” She said, a big grin spreading across her face. “Once we defeat those animalistic bandits once and for all, you won’t have to worry about sending money as much. Lord Maximus plans to expand our territory as soon as he can, claiming more of the wilderness, building more outposts to ensure our aid can reach more people faster. A new age of the Dogmatika order, one that you and your generation will usher in. So work hard and who knows? Maybe you’ll be running an outpost next to your farm so you can see them everyday.”

At this, Edward’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his entire face as he practically jumped for joy.

“You mean it?!” He squealed excitedly. “You actually think I can make it to the same level as you?! That I could become a team captain or higher?! My parents both said I’d never make it. That I didn’t have what it took, constantly worrying about me. But you really actually think I might be able to achieve that kind of status?” 

Stifling a laugh, the girl nodded at the boy, making his excitement grow as she fed him more praise. “Yep. Not a doubt in my mind.” She said with a thumbs up. “But only if you work hard. Remember, one might rest their heels once they reach the top, but a true champion knows that there is no top. That the world is vast and that there will always be challenges awaiting them should they look for it. And while you can’t control your position at birth, you can control where you end up. So whatever hardships you end up facing, always remember that fact, okay.”

Ecclesia saw the wonder and aww in the boy’s eyes as he stared up at her, growing bigger with each passing moment. Her words must have struck a chord with him, stroking his fire into a blaze, inspiring him to push forward for the sake of that goal.

Honestly, she kinda felt bad that she was just quoting something from one of her books. The tale of the junk warrior who became a dragon of the shining stars. But if she did end up choosing him, she would have plenty of time to tell him later. 

But before she could ponder that topic further, she caught a glimpse of the clock out of the corner of her eyes. And seeing that the training was about to wrap up, she quickly dismissed those thoughts from her head. She could decide to put him on her team later. For right now, she had a job to do and couldn’t afford to play favorites.

“Okay. Now go collect your arrows. Then go find a place in line.” She said, turning back to Edward. “Training done for today. Now we should give thanks to the high pope for gracing us with his presence. After that, dinner. And trust me, you won’t want to miss it tonight.”

The boy gave her a quick salute as well as a “yes ma’am.” before hurrying down the field to collect the weapons. Practically skipping as he went, making Ecclesia giggle. She could still remember when she used to be like that. All gity for earning someone’s praise. Something that she technically hasn’t grown out of. 

Honestly, while Edward was definitely the standout member of this class, she had to admit, she had a few more candidates than she had originally expected. And while she still had a lot of work to do before making any decisions, she had to admit, this year so far, was probably the smoothest pilgrimage yet! And hopefully, it would stay that way. 

Actually, you know what? She was sure it would!

After all, Ecclesia didn’t believe in jinx’s, so she had no concern making that statement as she headed back toward the stage, calmly signaling to Theo to stop the exercise, completely oblivious to what was happening within her own church. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In one of the guest rooms.

“You sure that’s the last one?” A large man asked. He was still wearing the pilgrims cloak he had been given. His massive hunched back doing little to slow him down as he turned one of the magic mirrors to the wall, blocking whoever was on the end from seeing what was happening inside.

“Yeah, pretty sure.” His companion chimed in happily. She too was wearing the robe, but she had pulled the hood back, revealing a head of shocking pink hair held in two pigtails with a set of goggles holding it out of her eyes as a pair of fluffy, furry pink ears sticking out of her head. “They might use magic, but it’s just enchanted stuff, not that much different from the weapons I play with. And as long as you know the rules, it’s pretty easy to spot what’s a threat and what’s not.” 

The man nodded silently in response. He didn’t understand tech as much as the girl did, and had long since learned not to ask. Whenever Kitt got going about the nuance of technology, nothing in their world or this one could shut her up. 

“So, now that the room’s bug clear, let’s talk about how we get the rest of the team into the church.” The man said, taking off his cloak, hanging it in front of the window to keep anyone from looking in. And while some might call it excessive, while Kitt’s ear might be mistaken for hair from a distance, the single massive wing on his back giving it its hunched look was a completely different story. 

The man, a sandy blond with dark eyes and large figure. Slowly, he opened his wing to its fullest extent, relishing the lack of restraint he had been enduring until now. The many scars on his body, including his face, indicate his age and experience. Something that some might find intimidating, but to the girl who had plopped herself down onto the bed, letting the spring bounce her from the impact, showed no signs of fear of discomfort at the man. 

“Yeah, it would be kinda hard to kill a dictatorial maniac without them, wouldn’t it?” She joked, stretching out on the bed. “Still, can’t be mad at the food or lodgings. Beats the crap off eating that disgusting tar we have everyday. I’m convinced if you hadn’t lost your wing to the head captain, you’d have lost it from food poisoning. I mean, even sis can’t deny you're a bad cook, Shuraig.”

“Kicking someone when they’re down? Low blow, kid.” The man, Shuraig, huffed, though his tone carried no bite to it, nor did he try to hide his amused smile. 

But the moment only lasted a second before his expression turned serious again, his tone following suit.

“We can make jokes later. Right now, we need to focus. Remember, we need to get them all inside before the big day and do so without raising an alarm. Any mistakes will leave you begging for my cooking by comparison.” 

With that, he threw a large sack he had brought with him on the bed Kitt was laying on, bouncing her up a solid foot from the weight of the armor inside. Though the girl was used to his rough play, not even reacting until she had landed back on the bed, calmly sitting and pulling her legs in, grinning at the older man with mischief dancing in her eyes.

“Actually, I think I might have a plan for that.” She said. “Yesterday, when I was exploring the town, I heard something interesting about the architecture of the church. Turns out, below us is a couple hundred miles of tunnels and cave systems that connect not only to the church, but plenty of other places too. I bet if I could find a route through those catacombs, I’d be able to lead the rest of the team straight into the heart of the order!”

Shuraig raised an eyebrow at the younger girl, folding his arms as he leaned back against the wall. A slight frown playing on his lips. He knew his partner well. She always started with the good news, leaving the down side out until whoever she was try to convince agreed and couldn’t back out. 

“And what’s the catch, Kitt?” He asked, a slight tone of disapproval in his voice. “This might be the first time you’ve engaged with the Dogmatika order, but it’s not mine. No way they would leave such a weak point unguarded. Stationing a Crusader or three at every entrance is standard practice for them. As well as making it so if someone who went missing would be noticed pretty quick. You have a plan to get around someone welding magic?”

“The caverns are a maze of underground tunnels, some of which are completely caved in. Making a natural defense that doesn’t need guarding.” The girl, Kitt, replied, climbing off the bed and making her way towards her own bag. “And while that might be hard to navigate for some members of the order, we’ve mapped out the wilderness for years. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to find my way through.”

“Kitt.” Shuraig said warningly, walking over to the girl and placing his hand on her shoulder, making her turn to look at him. “Don’t underestimate these people. If they're not guarding it, there’s a good reason for it. Assuming they're just incompetent is a foolish mistake. This is their territory. Always assume whatever scheme you’ve come up with, they’ve thought of it first. If there’s concern about the catacombs, there’s a very good reason for it. No need to take any unnecessary risks when I saw another viable way in. A part of the wall, the one that’s set up next to the river, has a large metal grate at its base. I bet we could saw part of it off so everyone could get in that way.”

“You mean the waterway? You can’t be serious, right?” Kitt protested, her eyes growing wide in response. “That would drop us in the courtyard right next to the wall! We’d be sitting ducks if we got spotted! If we go through the catacombs, we can get to the inner chambers long before anyone suspects anything!”

“Or, we could end up lost and falling prey to whatever else is down there.” Shuraig countered, reaching up to grab his cloak off the window. “Kitt, I understand you want to avenge your parents, but this isn’t about revenge. It’s about the future of our kind. We can’t afford any screw ups. We can go check out the water way if nothing else, maybe find a different way in. And while these catacombs sound good, it sounds too good to be true. Which means they probably aren’t.”

His words made Kitt's heart sink as she stared up at him, her mouth hanging open at the blatant dismissal of her suggestion. This wasn’t about revenge or her personal feelings! This was about the logic of the situation! They couldn’t kill the pope if they died trying to reach him! Sneaking in from the outer wall increases the chance of being spotted.

“But-!”

“That’s enough!”  

Kitt flinched back as Shuraig cut her off, his tone aggravated and commanding, before immediately softening. His hard glare gave way to a much softer one.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt or shout at you.” He apologized earnestly. “Let just…let’s go check all our other options before making a decision. That way, we don’t make any hasty decisions and get either ourselves or our comrades hurt or worse killed. Any good plan takes time and patience to see through, and I’m sorry for losing mine.”

With that, he swung his cloak over himself, assuming his hunched back appearance before making his way to the door, opening it and holding it for her. 

At first, the girl said nothing, simply staring back at him, her expression frustrated at his dismissal. But then she let out a sigh and nodded, grabbing her hood and flipping it up over her ears.

“Right.” Kitt replied somewhat dejectedly, lightly jumping to her feet. “We should consider all our options and see what the best approach is. That way, we can-. Ahh!”

The girl was cut off as she let out a cry, tripping over her cloak and crashing into a bedside table sending it crashing to the floor alongside her, the contents including unlit candles, blank paper, and a book of rules to follow during their stay.

“You okay?” Shuraig called, closing the door behind him before quickly making his way towards his fallen comrades, stopping short only when he saw her sit up on her hands, blushing slightly as she rubbed the back of her head as she muttered some chosen curses under her breath.

“Yeah, I’m okay!” She called back, rubbing her nose as she leaned back to sit on her butt. “Fine. Stupid cloak’s too long. Been tripping me up ever since I got it. Stupid ridiculous thing.”

Slowly, Kitt rose to her feet and dusted herself off before setting the table back upright, grumbling more curses under her breath as she did.

“Hey, can you give me a minute?” She asked, grabbing some of the that had fallen and shoving it back onto the table. “I want to sew this stupid hem up. Stop myself from making a fool of myself when we’re out and about and maybe actually making the stupid thing bearable.”

Shuraig raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, his tone concerned as he replied. “You want my help with that? I can sew that up for you in a heartbeat. And if memory serves, your needlework leaves a…bit to be desired.” 

“I’m sewing up a hem, not making a gown.” Kitt protested with a huff, crossing her arms as she pouted. “I’ll only be a couple of minutes. Besides, I’d prefer to do it myself this time of year. I’m…going through some stuff. Stuff I don’t want a guy to see.” 

At this, her partner’s eyes widened and he immediately nodded. 

“I understand.” He said immediately, making his way back to the door. “I’ll give you your privacy. Once you’ve done, I’ll be somewhere near the outer walls. Going east alongside it to find a weak point. Take as much time as you need. I’ll be waiting.”

With that, Shuraig disappeared into the hallway, the door swinging shut behind him.

And immediately upon hearing the door click shut and the man’s heavy footsteps fade, a smirk passed over the girl’s face. Immediately, stopping what she was doing to race over to the man’s bed, fishing his bag out from under it.

“Sorry, Aig. I didn’t want to lie but no way am I missing a chance to get below this church.” She said, pulling the parts to his emergency rifle from the bag and starting to put it together. “I’ve been studying them for the entire lead up to the mission. No way is some stupid little crusader story going to scare me off. And besides, I didn’t spend the entire three sleepless nights working in secret not to test out my new masterpiece!”

Grinning as she worked, she slipped her hand up to her goggles, fingers pushing a button on the top, causing the eyes to light up, engaging the night vision she had installed before leaving the sanctuary. 

And once she finished the rifle and hid it under her bed, she knew her plan was complete. Tonight, when Shuraig started conversing with the guards, she’d have her chance to prove she wasn’t just the genius tech kid!

Chapter Text

“Oh man, what a day.” Ecclesia said to herself as she made her way through the abandoned corridors of the church as orange light from the setting sun shown through the windows, a bag filled with cream buns tucked under one arm.

It was the night after the first training session for the new recruits, the first one she had been in charge of overseeing, even though that technically just boiled down to her standing on the side of the stage after saying a couple lines. After that, it was just standard practice of finding those who could fight on the front line. 

Now, she had seen this before, going through the same process several years ago. But she had not only been raised by the church, but this year there were noticeably more candidates than normal. In fact, according to the records, nearly twice as many as when she had joined. Which of course, made it much harder to choose people for her team. 

And that is what brought her to this part of the castle at this time of night. 

Coming to a stop next to a large door, the girl reached up and knocked on it three times before lowering her hand and waiting for a response.

There was a short pause, then a familiar voice called out to her from behind her door.

“Who is it?” Fleurdelis asked, her voice slightly muffled by the thick wood. 

“It’s me.” The blond called back, raising her voice slightly to ensure her mentor could hear her. “I don’t suppose you’re hungry? I brought some snacks we could enjoy. Fresh creamy buns from the kitchen, your favorite.”

Her sing-song tone was met with silence for a few minutes, then the door swung open to reveal her mentor, now free of her armor and dressed in a simple white, slick robe with gold trimming and a slightly annoyed smirk on her face.

“You know, I have half a mind to report you for attempted bribery.” She joked, reaching out to poke the younger girl on the head. Her long, lilac hair held up in a bun as her slender face held a familiar amused smile. “It’s a good thing I have a soft spot for these things, otherwise I’d have to write you up, Lieutenant.”

Giggling as she reached up to rub her forehead, the blond smiled up at the beautiful woman. “How’d you know I wanted some help?” She asked sheepishly, making the woman smile down at her gently.

“You're on the eve of becoming a captain, I’d be more surprised if you didn’t.” Fleur replied as she took a step to the side, allowing Ecclesia to enter her room. “Besides, you’ve spent most of your childhood dreaming about being a saint. Now that you’re finally on your way, I want to help you as much as possible.”

At these words, the blond felt her chest warm with happiness towards the woman she looked to as a sister. Back when she was a child, it had always been Fleur who had come to her rescue when she was bullied or hurt, as well as being the one to train her, as well as teaching her the way of the hammer, a skill she had learned just for her.

And while the woman was always strict, going off the soft look in her eyes whenever they were alone made Ecclesia believe she felt the same.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A couple minutes later, the two found themselves sitting at an end table set up in the large room. A simple tablecloth draped over it to keep crumbs off the head captain’s furniture. Together, the two were happily enjoying the buns Ecclesia had stolen from the kitchen, a feat that was getting much harder now that the girl wasn’t a child anymore.

“Haha! I still can’t believe they haven’t sealed up that secret passage yet.” The older woman laughed. “I mean, you’ve been stealing food from the kitchens since you were a girl. And yet there’s a secret tunnel that leads all the way from the nursery to a hidden room behind a painting in the kitchen. You’d think by now someone would get fed up with indulging the whims of our hungry soon to be captain.”

“I play my cards close to the chest.” Ecclesia replied proudly, placing her hand over her heart as she turned her head up slightly. “Nobody but me knows where or how to gain access to the room and I plan to keep it that way. Can’t seal it up if you don’t know where it is. Besides, would we have been able to have those sleepovers if I hadn’t found them? I’m pretty sure those tunnels could take you anywhere with the church. That is how I first accidentally ended up in the inner sanctum all those years ago.” 

Fleur let out a chuckle as she picked up another piece of bread, chowing it slowly before responding with her usual calm and gentle manner, one drastically different from her usual strict captain persona.

“You know, once you’re a captain, you won’t need to sneak through the walls to get food or visit the Nexus.” She pointed out as she gestured with her food. “You can have seconds if you want. One of the perks of being in charge. Besides, aren't you a little old to be crawling through the walls? How’d you even still fit after all these years? I know when you first showed me, even back then I couldn’t squeeze in.”

“I took off my armor.” The blond replied simply. “I’m pretty short naturally, but even then, the passage is large enough I’m pretty sure even now you could fit if you lost all the armor. I mean, you’re very slender under all that bulky metal.”

Fleur rolled her eyes at the girl’s suggestion. Her gaze slightly amused at this running joke they’d had since childhood.

“Lord Maximus has forbidden me from taking off my armor within the Cathedral.” She replied. “As I’m sure you know, my Stigmata is different from the others. Unlike them, mine doesn’t draw in power, it-.”

“Represses it.” Ecclesia finished, mimicking Fleur's voice and gestures. “It is an ancient relic of the Dogmatika order, one that was once used to seal away a great evil and that is so great, not even lady Quen could handle without-. Ow!”

Ecclesia came to a stop when Fleur reached across the table and flicked her forehead, chuckling amusingly as she did.

“Okay Mis. Smarty pants, if you’re so smart, how about a quick test on your Dogmatika history before your written test for your promotion?” She joked, leaning back. “How was the order formed and how did it eventually reach its current power and what was the state of the world before its founding.”

“Eons ago, humanity ruled the entire world, abusing it and disregarding nature.” Ecclesia replied instantly. “Back then, they believed the world was theirs and theirs alone. That they could use it however they saw fit. But after several hundred years, they found their resources dwindling, their livelihoods at risk of complete collapse. And so, they began searching for an answer. And finally, after several years they found it. The Nexus.”

“The Nexus.” Fleur nodded, echoing the blond’s statement. “But that’s not all they found, was it?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, they also found several paintings, one left by the Bystial. Ones that depicted the true events of the history of the world, ones the first humans had tried to bury. And as such, for the first time in their false history, a divide was created between man. One faction believed they should return to the way of nature as the gods intended. As for the others, they believed that they owed nothing to these idols and that they should continue living the way they had for hundreds of years. Ultimately ending with the latter’s victory as it was easier to believe in the self made greatness of their species.” 

“The Dogmatika order and the Tri-brigade respectively.” Fleur nodded again. This was a tale they had all heard as children, one that was ingrained not only into those of the order, but the larger society as a whole. A cautionary tale of taking more than your share.

“With their victory all but assured, the Tri-brigade began experimenting with the power of the Nexus, flowing it into the ground and eventually their own bodies in an attempt to make its power theirs, and ensuring their rule was never challenged. And in doing so, they curse not only themselves, but the entire world as well. Rending over half the continent unfit for either habitation or farming.”

At this, Fleur stood walking a ways away, coming to a stop before a painting, one depicting a graphic image of what looked like a man, hands pressed to the sides of his head and a pair of long horns grew from his skull, drops of blood raining down as his skin was ripped in an excruciating manner.

“As a punishment for their crimes, the Tri-brigade were cursed, turning into the hungry, starving animals they already were on the inside, forced out onto their appearance as recompense for their greed.” Fleur said with disgust, her hand trailing across the painting horns. “From there, with their true hideous nature now on full display, those who were spared drove them from their cities, letting the mindless creatures roam the wilderness like the stupid animals they were. A fitting tribute for those who think only of consuming everything around them.”

The woman let out a satisfied chuckle at this, one that made the younger girl shifted uncomfortably behind her.

As much as Ecclesia loved Fleur, her blatant disregard of the Tri-briagde was something the blond always found a bit off putting. These events had taken place over two hundred years ago. And while she doubted anyone would argue that their actions were reprehensible, their descendants they fought now weren’t the ones who had been so blinded by greed, they had destroyed the entire world just to keep living a life of luxury. 

But she knew talking back to a superior officer was prohibited within the order, so she bit her tongue and instead pressed on with the tale.

“And after their failure, the kingdom they had created began to fall to ruin as now, not only were they leaderless, but their farmlands were rendered infertile, and their livestock dying of starvation or disease, making it unfit to eat. And then, the plagues began.”

Fleur turned back around to face Ecclesia once again, her face softening as she nodded once again.

“Yes.” She replied, calmly folding her hands in front of her. “Brought on by the activation of the Nexus. The city was swarmed with locus, scarabs and other forms of pestilence. All proceeding to devour not only any surviving food, but the people themselves as well. Some even going so far as to eat them alive. Back then, many thought this was the end of humanity all together. I remember even hearing about a doomsday cult fled into the wastelands just to avoid the horrible situation within humanity territories.”

As they reached this point in the story, Ecclesia closed her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. This was her favorite part of the story.

“But in the darkest hour is when the light shines the brightest.” She quoted without opening her eyes. “For in darkness, even the smallest light can open the eyes of the masses, showing them that, for all the evil and wickedness in the world, we cannot give into temptation or despair. That no matter how many times we fall, there will always be someone to pull us back up, set us on the path to healing, and acceptance.”

Fleur smiled as she saw the peaceful expression on her sister’s face. She got this way whenever they talked about this part of the story. She still remembered reading it to the young child that had been found in a stable within their own city, back when she was so shy and scared that she could barely even talk to any of the church’s staff. 

“A humble scholar was able to discover how the Nexus worked. He found that it wasn’t a raw, untamed power of nature like many thought, but instead was leftover of the power of the Bystial. And as such, couldn’t be used unless by one who embodied their ideology, their will. One with the commitment and strength to see them through. A true spiritual successor to use the power for its intended purposes. And while he didn’t seek leadership, when the people looked upon him,  they saw someone worthy of being crowned king.”

Opening her eyes, Ecclesia looked up to the sky, her gaze cloudy as she wasn’t seeing the simple ceiling, but the one who must dwell several floors above them.

“His name was Maximus, and his pure heart managed to achieve what the Tri-brigade precursors failed at, using the Nexus, the lone source of magic in the entire world, to create a livable city with fertile land that could reproduce crops every year.”

“All correct.” Fleur said with a nod, her gentle smile never leaving her face. “And as the people needed a leader, while lord Maximus had no desire to be one, he saw the desperate situation and unique circumstances surrounding him. And so, the church of Dogmatika was founded with his high eminence at the helm and his most trusted advisor at his side. And together, they began educating and teaching his message of sharing and unity. And from his actions, not only was this city was built, this entire way of life came to flourish.” 

Now it was Ecclesia’s turn to nod, her gaze shifting down to her mentor as the two shared a gentle smile. 

 “Yeah, the original head saint, lady Foenix.” She murmured, her voice in awe as she thought of one of the paintings in the library, one of a majestic woman holding a staff in her hand as she stood atop a battlefield, her long hair whipping in the wind as she led her forces into battle. The first recorded battle with the Tri-brigade.

“I wish I could have seen her in person.” The blond sighed. “She looks so cool in her picture. Way less creepy than our head saint. Honestly, I can hardly believe they have the same weapon. I mean, you’d think they’d have made a new one as our understanding of the Nexus grew. Why not just make a new one  and get the original out of Quen’s pale hands and put the original on display with the rest of the legendary Relics?” 

“Lady Foenix was lord Maximus most trusted ally.” Fleur explained as she picked up the last piece of bread, entertaining the question despite knowing Ecclesia already knew the answer. “She had been with him since long before the church’s founding or even when he had been researching the Nexus. And as such, he used more magic than most when making her staff. It’s now as much the symbol of the Dogmatika’s strength as the head saint herself. Telling the world that whomever holds it has not only earned the trust of his high eminence, but everyone else on the council. Including me.”

At this point, Fleur expects Ecclesia to mention how she was appointed after the head saint. But to her incredible surprise, the girl simply picked at the crumbs on to plate, absentmindedly licking them off her fingers. Something the head captain only saw when she was spacing out about something.

“What’s up?” She probed, leaning onto the table with her elbows, drawing the girl’s attention, making her look up and lock eyes. 

“It’s just…” the girl hesitated for a second, unsure if to go on. “I was wondering. Do you know what it was like when the first saint formed the very first squad under the Dogmatika order? Like how she decided who and what got the prestigious position on her team?”

“So, that’s what this is all about.” Fleur said, immediately seeing what the younger girl was driving at. “Can’t decide who to pick for your squad? I can’t say I really had the same problem.”

At her words, Ecclesia blushed as she lowered her head, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had brought such a trivial matter to her captain. 

“Yeah, I know I’m being silly.” She admitted sheepishly, her gaze falling to the floor. “It’s just…I know that there are always standout candidates, but when I see how hard some of the others are working, I think, wow! Those guys are going places if they keep that kind of work up. If I pick them now, I’ll have a killer team in the future! But then I start worrying, but maybe they won’t keep up that kind of work. Then, I’ll be stuck with a problematic team member who I’ll struggle to rain in. And then I just…kinda-“

“Freeze up?” Fleur finished. “Yeah, that’s a thing that happens all the time. People start overthinking and end up just panicking. When that happens, they just go for the safe bet and pick the prodigy, end up throwing the hard workers to the other squads and regret it later.” 

Calmly, Fleur leaned forward, a gentle smile playing on her lips. “That about where you’re at right now?” She asked.

The blond girl kept her gaze on the floor as she nodded, unsure what to say or even consider the idea to try to downplay her anxiety, unsure if it would come off as whiny.

“How did you do it?” She asked instead. “How were you able to know the people you picked were the right ones? I remember when you called not only mine, but also Theo’s and Adin’s names without any hesitation, any uncertainty. How were you able to pick so confidently?”

Fleurdelis paused for a second, finishing a bite of her cream bread with a thoughtful expression on her face. Then she looked down at the smaller girl with a gentle smile on her face as she replied in a hinting tone. 

“As I already said, it’s a bit easier for me as I already had a few people picked out.” She said softly. “You were the obvious choice. Not only because I knew we worked well together, but I’ve seen how hard you worked to get where you are today. I knew that wasn’t something you’d lose after a few years. And so, I naturally wanted you on my squad.”

Reaching out, the captain rubbed the top of Ecclesia’s head affectionately, making the blond girl giggle. 

“As for Theo and Adin, they were also obviously picks for me.” Fleur continued. “I actually met Theo one time when his parents were visiting the church. And I saw how frustrated he was with the current situation, how he wanted to escape. And when I saw him in the training hall one day, working relentlessly long after everyone else had gone home, I knew he had potential. Something that was confirmed when I saw he scored higher than you in the practical training.”

As Fleur leaned back, she fixed Ecclesia with a smile as she reached for another loaf of the bread as said girl stared blankly at the table, her eyes lighting up as she got what the older woman was hinting at.

If she couldn’t decide on a single session, she’d have to meet with the recruits on her off time, learn who was the hard workers were and who were just putting on a show. Caught off guard, she could observe their true nature and from there, figure out who would be the best fit for her own team!

Jumping to her feet, Ecclesia gave her mentor a quick bow, speaking so rapidly her words started to blur together.

“That’s an amazing idea! Thank you so much!” She said as she straighten up and immediately began walking towards the door. “I’ll go check the training hall right now! If I can find someone there at this time of night then-!”

“You will do no such thing!” Fleur cut in, grabbing the blond by her collar and bringing her to a complete stop as she effortlessly lifted the girl off her feet, hoisting her so she dangled in the air a few feet off the ground. “It’s nearly midnight, and you have important duties tomorrow. Get some sleep now and start scouting tomorrow. It’s not like the trainees are going anywhere in a hurry.”

“But-!” Ecclesia began but stopped mid sentence, letting out a sigh instead before puffing up her cheeks in a pout.

Fleur was right, as usual. She had to do a contraband check tomorrow right after breakfast. And during the pilgrimage, that meant checking the rooms of all the hundreds, if not thousands, of guests they were hosting. Which would take the entire day if she didn’t start early. And even then, it wasn’t going to be short by any stretch even if they were only doing one floor at a time.

Releasing her sigh, the blond girl’s head dropped in defeat. “Okay, you win.” She said as Fleur set her back on the ground with a smile. 

“Oh don’t pout.” Flyer said with a chuckle at the girl’s impatience. “I know you can’t sit still, but tomorrow, or I guess later today, is just as good as any day. You can scope out the fresh meat then.”

“You know I really don’t like it when you refer to them like that, right?” Ecclesia replied, lightly elbowing the older woman in the ribs, receiving a light shove as retribution.

“And I find it very disturbing how you can eat your own weight in food and never gain any weight.” The older woman shot back as the two made their way toward the door. “Have you considered getting looked at by a doctor? It might shed some light on what’s going on in that stomach of yours. Which to this day is the greatest mystery of the church.”

Laughing at the jab, Ecclesia let herself out of the room before turning back around to smile back at her mentor. 

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She said to the older woman standing in the doorway. “I think the prodigy of the church is far more interesting than my gut. I mean, nobody’s seen anything like it in a hundred years! A lone girl, with no previous history of fighting, taking down a top crusader with just a stick is definitely something to wonder at.”

“Oh hush.” Fleur said, gently bopping the blond on the head. “I could have you run laps tomorrow for that cheeky attitude of yours. You’re lucky I’m feeling lenient after being bribed with bread. Now get yourself to bed before I change my mind.” 

After another shared laugh, the two wished each other a goodnight before the older woman shut the door and Ecclesia turned and began making her way towards her bedroom. 

However, she paused mid-step, slowly glancing over her shoulder at the closed door. 

It was late, odds were nobody was going to catch her if she decided to take the scenic route past the training hall to her chambers. Sure, it was in the opposite direction, but maybe, just maybe, she might be able to catch someone working there late at night and get ahead on this whole team selection thing. That would let her sleep so much more soundly, easily making up the couple extra minutes she’d lose by going this route. 

Ecclesia weighed her options for a few seconds. Wondering about the church at night was frowned upon, (unless you were on duty.) but then again, what were the odds one of the other crusaders would be out there this late? She hadn’t seen anyone on her way to Fleur’s room, and at this time of year guards were posted more heavily around important areas like the treasury or the inner sanctum. Who would be interested in the old training rooms that held nothing of minimal value at the center of the castle?

She stood there contemplating for a few more seconds before finally making her decision. She wouldn’t be able to sleep until she was on top of his whole team captain thing, so why waste time trying? She would just swing by the training hall and make sure it was locked up and nobody was inside. And if someone asked, she could just tell them the honest truth. No harm in that, right?

And so, Ecclesia turned on her heel and made her way down the other side of the corridor, quickly yet quietly toward the training area of the church. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile,

It was pitch back down here. Complete darkness engulfing the young girl’s entire body, leaving most people to stumble or trip over unseen obstacles. Which was to be expected as it was directly under the church, with no windows or candles to create a light source. What’s more, the air was thick and dense, making lighting a torch near impossible.  

Fortunately, Kitt had her night-vision goggles, making what would have been a painful, curse filled walk significantly easier. Armed with a rifle in hand, filled to the brim with Sapphiric Plasma. The energy source mined from the quarry a little ways away from the sanctuary and used to power every aspect of Tri-brigade tech. Including her (Shuraig’s) rifle. A rifle she had made some modifications to on her way from their shared room to the catacombs beneath the church, one of which included a silencer that completely muffled the blast from her gun.

With that said, she actually hadn’t run into a single guard when sneaking through the halls and made it to the door to the catacombs next to the training area without being spotted. 

Apparently, they were afraid of whatever was down here and believed it impossible to navigate. Thus having no need to have people stationed around it.

However, Kitt had yet to see anything down her that warranted concern. Just a couple large rocks and water dripping from the ceiling.

“Oh no! The horror! A pointy rock!” Kitt mocked as her gaze fell onto a large stalactite, throwing herself back as if swooning. Even placing her arm over her forehead in an overly dramatic fashion. 

“Whatever shall we do!? We’re outnumbered captain! There are so many rocks that might jump out and attack us! How ever will we brave such a insurmountable obstacle?” She said in a stariotiolac man’s voice, dancing around the cave as if enacting a play by herself. 

“Stand firm men!” Her tone shifted to a stricter one, now playing the voice of the imaginary captain, shifting her gestures to more strict ones, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest, walking backwards as if addressing the role she had just been playing. “We must brave this trial to secure the route! It leads to the heart of our definitely noble and definitely flawless order! We cannot allow those animals to gain a single foothold or else we will bring shame to our families names!”

Shifting back to the other role, Kitt hugged her gun to her chest and pretended to tremble. 

“B-but what if they come to l-life?” She said in a mocking scared voice. “Maybe we should turn back. I don’t think the Tri-brigade would dare go through a dark tunnel with so many rocks. It’s just too scary to fathom! We can probably just leave this route alone.”

Switching back to the captain’s voice as she quickly walked a bit ahead before turning around and giving the area she had just been walking a stern look as she continued backwards.

“Lieutenant! I believe page forty-four verse whatever of some biblical nonsense says, fear not darkness for the greatness of long dead, very real gods shall protect us from any very real, physical harm! For in their grace and eternal something or-rather will-. Aaahh!”

Kitt broke off as when she took one step back and her foot found no ground, causing her to lose her balance and nearly tumble down backwards, only managing to saving herself by throwing the strap of her gun around one of the rocks, letting her look back into a giant chasm she had almost walked right into.

“Whoa! That was too close.” She murmured as she used her gun to pull herself back up onto solid ground, taking a few steps away from the hole before freeing her rifle. 

And once she could actually face it and get a proper look, she was suddenly very appreciate just how lucky she was to have been born with short legs. 

The chasm was an immediate drop off, without a single slant. A sheer drop into an abyss that was so deep not even her night vision goggles could see what was down there. What’s more, it was spread several hundred feet wide with three other passageways leading into it for some reason. Most would likely say it was probably a naturally formed water way from thousands of years ago or something. But from Kitt’s expert perception, it appeared to be man made. 

The long, straight drops looked too deliberate to have been made by water. And the way the ground looked, it appeared more like hundreds, if not thousands of people dug it up, excavating all four routes for some reason. A theory that was backed up by the lack of any rocks on either of the other passageways. 

Consciously, the girl took a step closer, looking down into the pit. Scanning the area she could see, she noticed what looked like a long slash down one of the sides, leading straight to a rusty sword dug into the wall, indicating some poor sap who had the misfortune to fall into it. They must have hung on until they couldn’t any more, falling to their death.

Sniffing at the air, Kitt did notice she couldn’t smell the scent of their decay. Meaning their body was already completely gone, or it was so deep, the smell couldn’t waft up to her. 

Deciding to put it to the test, she picked up a large stone and throw it into the chasm, letting it ping off one of the wall before spiraling down, vanishing from sight as the furry ears on the girl’s head perked up, listening intently for the sound of the rock hitting the bottom.

And after a couple seconds, she heard a faint thunk as the rock hit something at the bottom, her sensitive ears barely picking it up, answering her question. Far down as it was, it wasn’t deep enough for smells not to carry up, especially something as strong as a rotting body. So the sword was just so old the body had decayed by now. And given that it sounded like whatever the rock hit had been metal, it made sense that the thing had taken its fair share of lives.

“Yikes. Maybe I should be more careful.” Kitt said to herself, backing up away from the pit. “A fall like that would probably kill anyone from the squad. And even if it didn’t, I don’t think Shuraig would appreciate having to go down there to retrieve them.” 

Slinging her rifle over her shoulder, the girl turned to a different tunnel and began walking down it, this time being careful to watch both the ground and her surroundings. Even though there was a burning question on her mind. 

That hole didn’t look natural. In fact, Kitt would put money on it wasn’t. But why would someone dig a giant hole underneath a castle that was in use? It didn’t make any sense. Surely they knew if anything were to collapse on this level, a part of the church could fall away. A very real and possible risk. So why not fill it in with something? Or at least put up some warning signs? It’s not like it was some great defense against intruders. She had only missed it because she wasn’t paying attention. If she hadn’t she would’ve never-.

Thunk!

Immediately Kitt froze, her thoughts coming to a complete stop as she heard a faint sound behind her. 

Oh no. Had someone found her? Entered the catacombs? If so, she was in big trouble. There was nowhere to hide around her and to run blindly through the tunnel was suicidal. But she was hardly a good shot with this thing! And if this was a crusader, she wouldn’t stand a chance in a tight space like this!

Slowly, the girl turned, her ears straining for another sound. Something, anything to tell her where it was coming from and who it might be.

But as she listened, she noticed something very strange about the sound. 

It wasn’t the familiar sound of armored boots marching across rocks, it sounded more like a stabbing sound, followed by something dragging something heavy and metal along the ground, not too different from that rock garden some of the older members raked back at the sanctuary. Only this was much heavier than a simple rake. What’s more, there was this unsettling rattling sound, like if one of the chains on her machines had come off and was dangling around as it was operated. This told her whatever this was, it was no crusader.

But stranger still was where the sound was coming from. It sounded close,  but not like someone had followed her from the entrance. More like it was right next to her but getting louder. And while she may not have the honing senses of some of her peers, it didn’t take a genius to figure out where it was coming from. 

Slowly, Kitt turned back to the chasm where the sound was coming from. Now trembling for real, she slowly edged her way towards it, fear filling the pit of her stomach as she clutched her rifle in her now sweaty hands.

Carefully, she peered over the edge, aiming her down the sight as she did. Her shaky, uneven breaths made the muzzle shift all over the place as her eyes scanned the darkness for whatever was making the sound. And upon not seeing and realizing it was still far down in the pit, she quickly began weighing her options.

If it was that deep in this hole, she could make a break for the door. Get out of the catacombs and back to her room, away from whatever was down there. But if she did, then the rest of the team wouldn’t have a path straight to the heart of the church as it would take days to scout the entire underground network and they only had a few in total before the pope began…whatever his plan was to eradicate them.

As that thought passed through her head, an image of her parents flashed into her mind. Not a loving moment like a family dinner or something. No, those moments had been stolen from her long ago. 

What she saw, or rather remember, was two mangled, burnt corpses impaled by their arms and leg to a cross, her normally calm and composed sisters, breaking down, openly sobbing into Shuraig’s arms, and the simple, horrifying realization that this was how she had been robbed of a complete family.

This thought steeled the girl’s nerves, letting her shaking lessen and her breath slow as anger smothered out her fear. That’s right, they had already taken so much from her, they had to pay! She would lead the entire rest of the brigade to the heart of the tunnel, burn that stupid pope to ashes, then, she would blow up the Nexus, ensuring that nobody could threaten her or her family again!

Taking a deep breath, the girl took aim at the center of the pit, her hands still a bit shaky but capable of aiming. Slowly, she steady herself as she made her plan. She had a total of twelve shots in her gun, which should be more than enough for anything less than a crusader. If she used her first shot to light up the chasm, letting her actually see her target, she should be able to shoot it enough to send whatever it was crashing back down to the bottom of this hole, hopefully killing it.

With that decided, Kitt took a deep breath, pressing the stock into her shoulder like she had been taught. Then, she sent a single bullet flying out of the muzzle, racing down the hole igniting the walls on either side momentarily from the blue Sapphiric Plasma it was wrapped in, eventually fizzling out when it hit the very bottom of the pit. 

And while only momentarily, the combination between that and the night vision goggles gave Kitt just enough to see something hanging on the side of the wall closest to her, waiting just at the shadow where she couldn’t see. And while she didn’t get a good look at it, she could tell it was about her size and wearing what looked like bulky armor. 

As for how it knew where to hide or to even attempt that, she didn’t know. But now at least she knew where it was and with her rifle still carrying plenty of ammo, she could-!

But before she could finish that sentence, a horrible screeching sound came from the thing in the pit. Immediately, as if triggered by the light, it began scurrying up the wall as if it were a spider, moving at speeds that seemed inhuman, reaching the top in seconds, not even giving the girl time to fire her gun. 

And as Kitt came face-to-face with the thing from the pit, any courage or anger she had mustered left her body, leaving it with only pure, unadulterated terror. 

And her rifle fired its next shot, bullet sailing past the thing's body, the catacombs were almost immediately filled by the young girl’s screams. 

Chapter Text

Ecclesia calmly strode through the church, making her way back from the training hall. It had been completely empty and locked, meaning nobody was inside, which had been a tad disappointing as it didn’t really help her with the whole team selection thing. 

“Well, sometimes you just can’t have your cake and eat it too. That’s just how the cookie crumbles.” She thought somewhat dejectedly. “Maybe after the inspection tomorrow I’ll swing by again and see if anyone’s using then. And if nobody stands out, I can always talk to one of the saints about organizing a special training exercise to-.” 

“Aahhhh!” 

A sudden scream followed by a banging sound broke Ecclesia out of her thoughts. 

Jumping at the noise, the young woman drew her hammer from her back and began looking around to see where it had come from. 

A few seconds of agony silence followed, putting the girl on edge and making her knuckles turn white as she gripped her weapon, heart racing as she waited for the sound to come again. A part of her almost hoped she had imagined it.

But sure enough, she heard the banging sound again, louder this time and much more frequent. And after hearing it multiple times, the blond was actually able to identify what it was.

Someone, or maybe something was frantically banging against a door or wall somewhere. She couldn’t tell who or why, but it was a continuous sound, one that was not stopping for even a second. This, combined with the more panicked nature of the bangs told her two things. One, clearly deliberate. And two, it was nearby. 

Gripping her weapon tightly, Ecclesia began following the sound, sneaking through the hallway being careful to make as little sound as possible. Fortunately, she had left her armor in her room, meaning she made significantly less noise. Unfortunately, this meant she was basically completely vulnerable if this ended in a fight. 

After a few minutes of sneaking towards the sound, she found herself standing at the door responsible for the disturbance, the heavy wood frame jerking as something on the other end threw itself into it over and over again. 

Normally, Ecclesia wouldn’t have any problem confronting the person behind this prank, or whatever it was. But standing here now, looking at which door it was coming from, unease filled the girl as she felt her heart-rate pick up to an astonishing pace.

This door led to the catacombs, a massive underground maze that the church sat upon. Here, it was said you could get anywhere within the city in the blink of an eye if you knew the correct path. 

However, the only problem was that all the walls looked the same, making navigation difficult at the best of times. And the lower you got, the harder it was to breathe. It was said even at some points, you would suffocate if you didn’t find an opening or get close to one in a few minutes as there was very little air flow down there. Apparently, back when this was open, there was a special unit formed just to handle recovering the bodies of the people who died down here. 

Apparently, it had gotten so bad, Maximus had ordered all entrances be sealed off save for one in case of emergencies and declared that anyone who went down there and came back alive would be stripped of their rank immediately and without question before being banished from the order never to return. All precautions to ensure nobody was foolish enough to wander down there.

Now, it was completely forbidden for anyone but the saints, who would occasionally go down there for hours before returning and immediately going to report to the pope himself in the inner sanctum. 

What they were doing down there or what they had to report remained a complete mystery to the rest of the church, but Ecclesia knew of two boys who had gone down there, believing it would impress the church enough to become captains immediately. They had died within a day somewhere down in the labyrinth, with only one of their bodies being recovered by Quen the following day. And whatever happened down there had left a mark not only on the blond, but everyone who laid eyes on it.

Apparently found in a deep, previously unexplored cave, the body had punctured marks all over it. Almost like he had been stabbed from all sides at once by razor sharp blades or teeth. From above, below, front, back, both sides as well, not a single part of him hadn’t been mutilated. Even his clothes were completely soaked in blood, his weapon crushed beyond recognition and only still attached to his arm as it had been pressed so tightly into it, it had been shoved straight under his skin, shattering bone as it went, leaving even the most experienced doctors to wonder what had done this to him.

After this, lord Maximus made a speech reminding everyone that the catacombs were off limits. And while he didn’t say it directly, it left many to speculate that there was some kind of beast lurking down there that, try as they might, not even the saints could get rid of. 

And as she realized this, Ecclesia found herself hesitating. To break this rule would jeopardize not only her promotion, but her very life as is. If she was caught, she’d be thrown out of the order, utterly destroying her dream and the bonds she shared with her team. And without her faith, she was nothing. 

Just the thought of having her faith revoked was enough to freeze the girl in her tracks, limbs shaking as she stared at the door. Whatever was happening on the other side, it clearly wasn’t good. Given the frantic sound, she knew she didn’t have time to run and try to get help. 

But the rules clearly stated with absolute certainty, nobody was to set foot in the catacombs, period! There would be no exceptions, no excuse she could use to wiggle out of this one if caught. She would be publicly shamed before being thrown out, left to wander the waste land for the rest of her miserable life. A fate truly worse than death.

However, the next second there was a loud, horrific growl that echoed from the other side of the door. One that was immediately followed up by another scream right on the other side of the door, then the sound of gunfire. Whatever was happening it was just beyond Ecclesia’s line of sight, and the girl knew what needed to be done. 

After all, if she couldn’t put the needs of others before her own, she wasn’t worthy to be a saint!

Charging at the door at top speed, the blond pulled her hammer back before slamming it against the nob, completely smashing through both it, as well as the lock, letting her grab the hole to throw the thing open. 

Immediately, a warm body came crashing into her as a young girl was thrown out backwards into the blond’s arms, cushioning her fall and letting the crusader retreat while pulling her back into the relative safety of the hallway.

Stumbling back into a beam of moonlight, Ecclesia chanced a glance at the girl in her arms and was greeted with shockingly bright pink hair held up in a ponytail. As well as a pair of beautiful yellow, cat-like eyes that stared back up at her from underneath the pilgrimage cloak that was pulled tightly around her, limiting what the crusader could see.

But despite that, Ecclesia could tell with complete certainty that she was young. Probably a good few years younger than her and much definitely too young to be using the rifle she was clutching. 

“Are you okay?” Ecclesia asked, kneeling down next to the girl, her eyes scanning her body looking for injuries, immediately dropping down to her leg, where she could see blood soaking into cloak, staining it red. “Hold still, I’ll disinfect it then-.”

“Look out!” The girl yelled, immediately kicking Ecclesia in the face, knocking her out of the way while using her as a step stole to push herself to the side as well. 

And not a second to soon as the next instant, a long, metal blade on a chain, lashed out from the catacombs, ripping right into the wall tearing a hole in the stone before retreating back into the dark doorway.

Instantly, Ecclesia was on her feet, turned to face the door, her hammer clutched in her hand as  she let out a snarl. Planting her feet, she swung her hammer at the door, releasing a power gold energy wave that flew into the air, sailing into the ceiling passed a looming figure who stood in the shadow just outside of the beam of moonlight that shown through the window. 

And what both girls saw left their mouths hanging open in utter shock and horror.

There stood a strange creature, not humanoid or even bipedal! In fact, Ecclesia had never seen anything like it before.

Its body was made completely of rusted metal, with neither skin nor muscle on it. A ragged cloak was draped over its frame where its shoulders should have been. As for where its head was, there was a marek cage with a long chain dangling down on the inside, a blade hanging from it. 

On its back several rusted blades were sticking out, eight in total. Though some of them were broken to the point they were practically useless. What looked like a crown sat on its heads, though a massive curved blade sat atop where the jewels were supposed to go. Ironic considering that right below the cage was some kind of scaffolding that the blade hung right over like a freaking guillotine! Two more blades with chains hung out from under the cloak, like arms, thrashing around randomly, like an uncontrollable spasm of limbs transformed into metal. 

Over all, whatever it was, Ecclesia had never seen anything like it before, not even close. But one thing was very clear just by looking at the blood dripping off the blade attached to the chain. This thing had attacked the girl, and most likely was the thing that attacked anyone who wandered into the catacombs.

Which meant this was the church’s best chance to get rid of it!

“Aaahhhh!” Letting out a battle cry, Ecclesia ran at the thing, her hammer dragging across the ground kicking up sparks as she went, closing distance with remarkable speed.

Seeing this, the thing lashed out with its chains, blades moving as if they were part of its body as they lunged at her with surprising accuracy and speed, the thing clearly wanting to keep distance between itself and the girl.

The blades shot straight at the girl, aiming to skewer her through the chest. However, right before they landed, the Stigmata on her forehead let out a bright glow that seemed to ignite her entire body in a beautiful white light. 

The next second, the girl vanished from sight, instantly appearing behind the monster where she slammed her hammer down right on top of its head(?) crushing the metal blades on and sending it crashing to the floor, now pinned by the girl’s weapon. 

But the blond wasn’t done yet!

Gripping her weapon in both hands, she activates the mark on her forehead once again, this time enchanting her hammer with its power, causing it to glow with a beautiful white light that engulfed the entire hallway!

“Take this!” Ecclesia screamed, raising her hammer high above her head before slamming it back down onto the thing, this time releasing a powerful burst of white light that smashed straight through the floor, sending the monster back down into the catacombs as it was pushed down by the light, landing painful on the ground with several pieces of metal ripped from its body.

“Go get help!” Ecclesia ordered the girl as she stood on the edge of the hole she had made, looking over at the girl as the thing below body’s still shimmered with the white light of her Stigmata. “I don’t know what this thing is, but it’s clearly dangerous! I’m going to hold it here, you go find any other crusaders of the order and bring them here! Tell them what happened-!”

Before she could finish, a chain shot from the hole she had made, wrapping itself tightly around her ankle and pulling toward her opponent and into the stone tunnel it had fallen in.

 “Aahh-!” Ecclesia screamed, but was cut off as she hit the ground on her back with a crash, knocking the wind from her and making her gasp. Luckily, she hadn’t fallen on one of the stalagmites jetting up from the ground, though given the strength she had been slammed into the ground with, she still felt her ribs pop in a way they definitely weren’t supposed to. 

This thing was surprisingly strong for its size. What’s more, its control over those chains was not natural. It seemed to move then as if it had muscles, tendons, and nerves. So fluid that it was practically an actual limb. No lumbering homunculus or magically manipulated doll could do something like this!

Before she could ponder it forever, Ecclesia saw the other blades rise above her, then lunged forward, tips pointed down at her head, aiming to land a killing blow!

Acting immediately, she used her magic again, teleporting out of the way and landing right side up on the other side of the room, glowing hammer clench in both hands. There, she planted her feet and swung the thing in a massive arc, releasing an energy wave that traveled across the ground toward the creature, slamming right into it and knocking it onto its back.

Seeing her opening, Ecclesia teleported again. This time appearing right above it in the air, slamming her hammer down onto it, once again crushing it beneath her powerful blow, sending a crack spider webbing its way across its body!

“Yes!” The blond thought as she leapt back, dodging the things chains as it made a clumsy counter attack. “It’s working! I don’t know what this thing is, but I’m sure it can’t survive without a body! Once I break it enough to disarm it, I can give it to the saints for inspection and we can find out what the hell this thing even is!” 

Sliding back, Ecclesia watched the strange things slowly levitate back into an upright position, seeming to need no limbs to push with, or back to raise. Acting almost like a puppet that dangled on strings as its master made it perform, even floating towards her in the same floppy manner.

However, as it got closer, floating into the light from the hole they had fallen through, the blond girl noticed something else strange about the creature. Its body was noticeably less rusted, as if something had just washed it off as if it was dirt. 

But that was impossible, not only because rust was difficult to remove, but also it didn’t have the time. She had only taken her eyes off it once, and that had been for less than half a minute. And even if it had been longer, there was nothing down here that could remove rust. So what had-?

Before she could finish that thought, the creature lashed out, forcing her to turn her focus back to the fight. She could figure out how the thing had gotten rid of the rust later. Right now, she needed to fight!

Dodging around the things lashing (for lack of better word) limbs, Ecclesia began rapid firing energy blasts from her hammer, each one aimed with precision to land against the thing, blasting off chunks of its body with each hit.

Together, they danced around the tunnel, attacking each other without relent, Ecclesia noticed something strange about the creature. Despite the damage she was doing, the thing didn’t seem bothered by her attacks. In fact, it made no effort to dodge or even block, simply standing there and taking each and every attack without flinching. 

“What’s going on? Why is it just taking my attacks?” Ecclesia thought as she continued to dodge the creature’s attacks. “I’m not attacking too fast or anything, it should at least have enough time to react. So why isn’t it? Why just stand there and get hit? It’s almost like-?”

“!”

Eyes widened at the thought, Ecclesia almost failed to avoid the next attack as a theory formed in her mind. No, surely she was mistaken. No way she was right. That was impossible. But if she was, that would explain why it wasn’t even trying to avoid the attacks, or why it didn’t seem bothered by the damage it was taking. And if that was the case, she’d be in big trouble if she kept attacking like this. 

She had no choice, she had to put her theory to the test.

Leaping back, Ecclesia baited the thing to lash out at her once again, this time with two chains, trying to pin her between the two. However, right before they connected, she teleported once again, appearing behind it once again and slamming her hammer down on top of it, breaking off even more of the blades sticking out of it back and pinning it to the ground beneath the heavy weapon. 

There, putting her full weight onto the creature to keep it in place, Ecclesia enhanced her hammer once again, flowing her magic into it. And while she wasn’t actually casting a spell this time, she kept a close eye on the thing below her, eyes straining in the dark to see if her hypothesis was true.

And sure enough, what she saw made her heart leap into her throat.

The white glow of her magic quickly dimmed as it visibly drained into the things below her hammer, its body becoming less rusted as it somehow devoured the power of her Stigmata. Turning the white glow into a pitch black energy that soaked into its body. 

“So that was it! It was eating my magic!” The blond thought, her eyes widening in shock at this revelation. “That’s why it’s not bothering to dodge, it wants me to hit it so I feed it! But how?! How can it just absorb the power of a Stigmata? Even most objects can’t handle that kind of incredible power, shattering long before the enchantment process is complete. Most of the relics used by the crusaders were specially made by the order’s blacksmiths, using secret techniques to strengthen them to withstand the limited power being poured into them. Yet somehow this thing is guzzling it down like a bottomless well. Almost as if it somehow-.”

“Look out!” 

The scream broke Ecclesia out of her thoughts, but it was already too late as the chain on the creature lashed out, slashing open her calf with its blade, immediately dropping the girl to one knee.

“Aahhh!” Ecclesia screamed, one hand flying off her hammer and onto her wound. Drops of blood leaking out the open skin, soaking into the white cloth that covered her leg, leaving her slightly off balance. 

But despite the injury, the blow immediately conveyed new information to the girl. Whatever this thing was, it was sentient. Attacking when it noticed she was distracted, aiming for a point that would hinder her making it easier to land a killing blow, this was indicative of consciousness, or at the very least something more than just instincts. It knew how to faint, parry, and look for the right moment, all while calculating the risk and reward. Something no simple beast could do.

But what was it? This thing was no Tri-brigade machine, nor could it be a relic of the church as to be able to manipulate something to this level would take a nearby caster. Meaning whatever this was, it-.

Suddenly, the creature lurched up, throwing the hammer off, freeing itself as it loomed over the girl, all two of the three chain blades lashing out to strike down the girl. 

Acting immediately, Ecclesia teleported out of the way, reappearing hammer in hand a few feet behind it. Ready to launch a counterattack!

But before she could, the third chain lashed out, almost as if it had expected her to appear right there. 

Caught off guard, the girl was too slow to react in time, letting the thing wrap the chain around her neck, cutting off her airways and immediately throwing her to the ground, hammer slipping from her grasp as her fingers interlocked with the chain, desperately trying to tug it off. But no matter how much she struggled, the chain only seemed to tighten, quickly stopping the blood flow to her head, making black spots appear in front of her eyes as the thing turned to face her, raising the other two chains as it went.

Frantic now, the blond girl tries to teleport out of its grasp. But to her horror, as the magic started to wrap around her body, upon reaching the chain, the magic was devoured, feeding the creature inside of adding her escape, its grip seeming to grow strong as it ate her power. 

What was this thing?! To be able to devour magic from the Nexus was unheard of! No ordinary creature could do that! So what was it and how was it doing what should have been impossible?!

Before she could finish her thought, she felt the metal tip of the thing’s weapon press into her forehead, lightly digging itself into her skull, passing the skin and beginning to burrow into bone. 

Acting immediately, Ecclesia’s hand shot up, releasing the chain around her neck to grab the metal spike to stop it from going any further. However, in doing this, she had let the chain around her neck free, letting it tighten to an extremely painful vice. One that proceeded to reel her in toward the thing in the corner. 

“Gah!” The crusader gasped, her head pounding from the lack of oxygen as she was dragged across the ground. She could feel her limbs becoming unnaturally heavy as her strength began to fade. Black spots appeared in the corners of her vision as it blurred, her body screaming in pain, making her instinctively use one hand to grab the chain in a futile attempt to pull it off.

After a few seconds of this torture, the girl felt herself being raised into the air by her neck, the terrifying clicking sound of the thing right behind her making weakly shake. She had no idea what it was or why it hadn’t just snapped her neck yet, but she didn’t like the idea of being this close and unable to fight or use magic against it. 

Frantically, she tried to teleport once again, quickly encasing herself in a vial of white energy in an attempt to blind side the creature with speed casting abilities. 

Unfortunately, when the magic reached the chains, it was devoured just like before, leaving her as helpless as ever. Her actions only feeding the thing behind her, making it let out a…hiss? Strange. It didn’t seem to have a mouth. In all honesty, it looked more like a piece of furniture had come to life and started attacking her instead of some kind of living organism.

However, what is was became much less important as she felt the blade digging into her forehead suddenly shift, the chain attached to it shooting straight up as it dug into her head slightly deeper, making her squirm and grip it tighter in her already bleeding hand in a futile effort to keep the blade out of her head. 

The pain in her head was already extremely pronounced and it was taking all her willpower not to scream in pain. She knew that doing that would shorten her already limited air supply, leaving her at even more paural. She needed an escape plan quickly! If not, she wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to last!

However, the next second, any conscious thoughts were driven from her head as an excruciating, white hot pain shot from the blade of her opponent into her skull, down her spine, and into every single part of her body!

It burned! Burned like she was in boiling water. Her skin, bones, her very insides, all being boiled alive, filling her entire being with heat, scaling her, eating away at her, dissolving her very soul! 

This wasn’t like anything she had seen or heard about before. It was all consuming! Cutting off all her other senses until all of them only registered agonizing pain. She was dimly aware that her entire body was glowing white from her Stigmata, but not in the same way when she called upon it for her magic. It was racing from every corner of her towards the blade stabbed into her head, flowing up the blade as it drained her directly from the source, driving any rational thought from Ecclesia.

“Aaaahhhhhhh!!!” The girl screamed, her entire body writhing and convulsing uncontrollably. Legs kick wildly and uncontrollably as her arms clawed at her neck, tearing off her own skin as she frantically tried to free herself from the creature’s grip. 

But it was no use. Try as she might, she could neither free herself or force the thing back. It was too strong and she could feel herself quickly fading. Slowly, darkness began creeping in on the edges of her vision as her eyes rolled back into her head. A thin line of drool slipped from her mouth as her screams died off, unable to continue as she ran out of air. Her frantically kicking legs lost strength before finally giving in and becoming weak twitches on the ground. At around the same time, her arms fell to the ground limply, her own blood on the nails. Slowly, her eyelids began to flutter shut as her body gave a couple more weak gasps for air, reserving nothing. 

And with the lack of oxygen, the only thing keeping her awake was the agonizing pain, but even that was starting to fade into the background as she started to slip away. Her body becoming weaker and weaker with each passing second. Quickly, she found herself teetering on the edge of oblivion, desperately clinging to the light. 

But it was no use, and as her eyes closed for the last time, her final thoughts passed through her mind. She wished she could have seen Fleur one last time before-.

Suddenly, right before the girl lost consciousness, there was a deafening bang right above her, jolting her awake as shrapnel slid down her face, tearing a gash into her cheek.

But she hardly noticed that as the next second, the pain completely stopped, releasing her from her anguish as the chain around her neck loosened, releasing its stranglehold but remaining around her neck too tight to pull off. 

Spinning around, Ecclesia’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw the blade that had been stabbed into her head had exploded, white energy leaking out of it like water out a hose, spraying the radiant magic all over the room!

“Wha-!?” The blond bean, but was cut off as another bang echoed through the church. This time it was a gunshot, one that hit the chain around her neck, snapping off as one of the links was shot!

“Hey crusader!” The pink haired girl called from atop of the hole, her rifle aimed into the hole as she took several potshots at the thing next to Ecclesia. “I don’t know what you did down there but it seemed to work! Finish it off while I provide covering fire! Just hurry up and-! Wha!”

The girl broke off as one of the blades in the back discharged itself, flying like it had been shot from a gun and landing in the floor right below the girl’s feet, shooting through it and causing that part of the ground to cave in, dropping her into the pit.

But the girl’s scream of surprise snapped the blond out of her thoughts, enabling her to teleport out of the way as one of the blades lashed out at her, catching the falling girl mid air before landing next to her hammer, the pink haired girl in her arms. 

Quickly, she set the girl down and picked up her weapon, then spun it in her hands. She could analyze this thing later. For now, the important thing was that she took it down before it could get loose in the church. If it could give her this much trouble, there was no telling what it might do to some of the newer recruits.

And she had a plan to put it out of commission.

“Cover me!” She shouts to the pink haired girl behind her as she got to her feet before charging towards the thing, hammer trailing behind her. “I’ve got a plan! Help me close in!” 

And much to Ecclesia’s surprise the girl acted immediately upon her instruction, raining covering fire at the creature, blasting it and the surrounding area with a strange blues energy from her rifle. Each blast took a noticeable chuck off its body whenever it landed. 

However, despite being shot repeatedly, the creature didn’t seem to notice or even care. Apparently whatever it was, it could numb its pain. Or couldn’t feel any at all. Either way, it was unperturbed as it lashed out towards Ecclesia again, this time using all its remaining blades, each one fired towards her from all directions at once. 

But before they could hit her, Ecclesia vanished in a flash of light, dodging the attack as she appeared behind the creature, slamming her hammer down onto its back, sending it crashing to the floor where it was once again pinned. 

And there, as it struggled against she enacted her plan.

Drawing on the full power of her Stigmata, she filled her hammer with all the magical energy it could take, making it glow a radiant white as it hummed with incredible, uncalculatavel power. Enough to engulf the entire room in its light. 

And as this incredible power washed over the pink haired girl, she felt her hood slip back as her hair was picked up by the wind that was now whipping through the tunnel, blowing dust and debris around effortlessly. This was amazing! The crusader was like a living generator! Drawing on what seemed to be limitless energy! If she could harness that, they could not only rebuild their civilization, they could flourish beyond the sanctuary! 

And it seemed like she wasn’t the only one who realized the incredible power Ecclesia wielded.

The pinned creature immediately let out a cry, its body starting to glow as it ate the girl’s power, feeding itself and making more of the rust disappear from it body, sharpening and hardening its blades into razors of pure death, visibly repairing the small nicks and dents across its body. 

And as it fed on her power, the hammer’s light began to dull. 

But in response, Ecclesia smirked, her eyes lighting up as she watched her power feeding the creature.

“Now I’ve got you.” She murmured, tightly gripping her hammer with both hands. “You want my power? Well, here you go! Eat as much as you want and we’ll see who’s got more! My Stigmata or your stomach!” 

With that, she let out a roar, flowing even more power into her hammer, igniting it once again in that white light, making the cave shine even more than before, practically blinding the girl as her weapon shown like the stars.

“Gahgah!” The creature cried in delight, its body thrashing as it devoured the power, now regenerating its lost blades, growing them back only for them to snap under the pressure of the girl’s hammer, the rust now completely fading and the bright colors of its body on full display. Even the chained blade arm reappearing as if the light was somehow reverting time, or altering the very fabric of reality somehow. 

However, as it ate, suddenly a crack appeared on its side, the same white light seeping out from the opening, making both girl’s eyes light up. 

It was working! The thing couldn’t contain this much power from the Stigmata! Now it’s body was threatened to tear itself apart. Which meant…

“Aaahhhhh!” Ecclesia cried, pouring even more into it, drawing on every bit of power she could muster, driving it into her weapon. Her head starting to pound as she did. She had never used this much power before, and while she had seen Theo and Adin both laying around with splitting headaches from overusing their power, it had never been something that bothered her. 

But now, as she poured every ounce of power she had into her weapon, she could actually start to feel it taking its toll as her entire body started to hurt, like getting pins and needles in her leg after sitting on it for an hour or so.

Yet despite that, she pressed on, forcing herself to bite back the pain and focus on her magic. Squeezing her eyes shut to try to keep her mind on the task at hand.

Unfortunately, the creature below her hammer seemed to notice this despite not having eyes.

Acting immediately, it lashed out with its chained blade, slashing the girl in her left leg and right side of her stomach, drawing blood that immediately poured forth, staining her white armor red. 

“Ahh!” Ecclesia cried, dropping to her good knee, hand flying from her hammer and to her wounded stomach, pressing against to stop the bleeding instinctively. 

However in doing so, her focus shifted and without her full weight, the thing was given an advantageous position. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, it wrapped its chains around the hammer’s handle, yanking on it causing the already off balance girl to stumble forward, letting it shoot one of the blades on its back into her right shoulder, sending her flying back and off the thing as it ran her straight through.

“Aaahhhh!” Ecclesia screamed as she rolled several feet, only stopping when she hit the cave’s wall, her hammer coming to a stop right in front of her. Reaching up, she grabbed her injured shoulder, the metal completely running through bone to make its way out the other end, rendering her dominant arm now completely useless.

“No! Not now!” She thought, desperately trying to move her hand, only to get excruciating pain shooting from her shoulder all across her body. “I can’t lose now! Not with that girl’s still down here! Not when I’m so close to achieving the next step to my dream! I can’t-. I don’t want to die yet!”

Panicked, Ecclesia took a step back, pressing herself against the cave wall and immediately regretting it as the blade in her shoulder shifted slightly, sending waves of pain pulsing through her body, dropping her to her knees. This was bad! She couldn’t fight like this! She needed to retreat and get help! But ho-?

Suddenly, one of the blade chains lashed out towards the girl, aimed straight for her head. Acting on reflexes, she immediately teleported out of the way, appearing a few feet above where she had been standing. 

However, the creature once again seemed to predict her move, as the second she reappeared, the other chair arm came crashing down on top of her, sending her crashing to the ground next to her hammer, knocking the wind out of her as well as forcing the blade in deeper.

“Ah!” Ecclesia moaned, struggling to get to her feet. Everything hurt. She could barely breathe. It took all her willpower not to just lay there to recover. Her vision had begun to blur, making her stumbled as somehow managed to stand. 

Across the cave, the creature let out a dull clicking sound, raising its blades again, readying itself for its killing blow. Its nonexistent eyes fixed in the girl as she stumbled towards her hammer. It planned to strike the moment she reached for it, ensuring an opening that it could use to kill her while doing minimal harm to her body. 

After all, its orders were still there even after all these years. Bring back the-.

Bang!

Suddenly, the creature lurched forward as a bullet slammed into its backside, ripping a hole into it. 

Turning, it found the other girl had rejoined the fight, firing her rifle as she darted around the perimeter of the cave. The blue liquid inside her gun glowing with a warm light as it somehow empowered her bullets. 

Acting in retaliation, the creature immediately lashed out with its arms, whipping them across the room, the blades digging into the walls on either side of the cave.

“Ekk!” The pink haired girl cried. Trying to slide to a stop as the chains shot towards her, casting her to trip over the hem of her cloak, sending her crashing to the ground, ironically letting her dodge the attack at the cost of her dignity. 

But this victory was short lived as the next second, one of the blades on the things back shot off, slashing the girl’s arm open making her drop the rifle as she clutched her now bleeding arm.

“Ahh-!” She screamed, but was immediately cut off as the creature lashed out again, wrapping its chain arm around her neck, immediately pulling her to the ground as it began strangling her too. 

Now trapped, the pink haired girl’s injured hand immediately flew up, trying to tug the chain off her neck as at the same time, her other hand flew toward her fallen gun to shoot the thing off her.

However before she could achieve either, the creature flicked the chain wrapped around her neck, sending her flying high into the air, before crashing back down to the ground, knocking the wind out of her before dragging her across the ground, away from her weapon and toward itself.

“No!” Ecclesia cried, grabbing her hammer and trying to lift it one handed. She had to do something! That girl would die otherwise! She couldn’t just stand by as an innocent child died! Not again! 

But before she could even lift her weapon, the thing's other chain arm struck quickly, wrapping itself around her neck as well, reeling her onto the ground as well before she too was dragged toward it. 

Frantically clawing at the chain around her throat, Ecclesia heard the thing let out a series of soft clicks, almost sounding like a purr. It must be satisfied as it choked the life out of the two girls. Was it a sadist? Or was there something else happening that she couldn’t see? Either way, she knew she had to do something while she still had the strength to act.

Reaching up, she gripped the chain with both hands, digging her heels into the ground as she once again drew on the Power of her Stigmata. This time flowing the power right into the chain and back to its source, trying to overload its body once again. 

But this time the creature was prepared. 

Spinning its body, the creature took aim at the girl, its blade quivering as it lowered it back toward the girl, practically humming with anticipation. The thing knew what she was doing, and either out of annoyance or fear, it had no intentions of allowing her to continue. It might want her body in as good of condition as possible, but not at such a high cost. And a minor stab wound was better than nothing. 

And with that thought in mind, it fired the blade.

Immediately, Ecclesia jolted. Her eyes going wide, mouth falling open. A sharp pain blossomed in her chest as she suddenly found herself short of breath, and not because of the chain around her neck. In fact, the pain from the chain barely registered anymore.

Slowly, her eyes lowered to her own chest, her breathing increasing as she saw her own warm red blood dripping onto the floor. 

Immediately she felt her limbs begin to shake and her body grow cold. Slowly, she reached down, caressing the metal blade in her chest. It felt surreal, almost like a dream. She had always known death was inevitable for a crusader, but had never thought too much about it before. 

But now, seeing the inevitable reality right there, inescapable and pure, she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest, sending both blood and pain pulsing through her body, desperate to get a head start and maybe slow down its inevitable and systematically shut down. 

Weakly, her legs began to shake, then they gave out and she fell to the ground, her own heart began to slow, each beat becoming more frantic yet more calm, slowly leaking her precious life force into a puddle around her. 

And as darkness engulfed her vision, a single, almost comical thought passed through her mind. One that she knew she would only have once.

It felt strange to have a blade stuck straight through the heart.

And with that, darkness took her.

Chapter Text

Ecclesia’s eyes shot open as she awakened in a cave covered in blue green crystals with a choked cry, a gasp escaping through her lips as she shot up, hands grasping at her chest, desperately feeling around for the metal blade that impaled her. 

However, to her immense surprise, she found not only was her chest free of the cold steel, but there wasn’t even a hole where she had been stabbed! 

“What?” She questioned, completely confused. She knew she had been impaled, she had felt the blade, seen the blood. Hell, she had even noticed how each beat of her heart had caused the thing to shift! No way that was a dream, not when her body had felt both freezing cold and burning hot at the same time. Not when she remembered hitting the floor of the catacombs shortly after.

But then what happened?! How was she still alive?! Nobody could survive a blow like that. Nobody. So where was she? How was she still alive and kicking if she had been slain by the beast from below?

Wait… she had been fighting in a cave that was a  part of the catacombs when she had been stabbed, not…wherever here was. Had someone managed to get her out? But to do that, they’d need to either lift her up through the hole she had fallen through, or go through the passageway and found their way out the door. And even then, why would they leave her… here and not an infirmary. Or literally anywhere else in the castle.

Looking around, she saw wherever she was, it wasn’t anywhere near the church or the capitol city. Here, despite being underground, sunlight shone from the ceiling which was made from one giant green crystal, covering each level of the area in a beautiful green glow. Shining down on other crystals positioned near multiple tunnels branching out from each level. Not unlike veins and arteries branching out from one’s heart.

She had no idea where she was.  While definitely still underground, she doubted anything like this could be under the church. There were no records of crystals in this area of the world, let alone at the heart of the Dogmatika order. 

Slowly, Ecclesia rose to her feet and tested her injuries. Finding, much to her surprise, despite the many hits she took, she didn’t feel any pain or soreness. Hell, even the hole in her leg had somehow closed up without a trace. 

But that didn’t make any sense! She had experienced healing magic before, (more times than she cared to admit.) it always left a stiff, soreness where it had been used. And even then, it couldn’t be used to close a hole in one's chest. That just wasn’t possible. Not with their limited magic that was gifted to them by the Nexus. So how did-?

“It seems my voice has finally reached you.” 

Ecclesia leaped into the air as a female’s voice spoke behind her. It was deep, yet gentle. One that carried the weight of experience from the world, but hadn’t been broken by it. Kindness and compassion mixed with a calm certainty strength that reminded her of Fleur’s, a warrior’s. 

Spinning around, she came face to face with the speaker, a scream slipping from her throat as she got a look at her.

The woman, if she could even call it that, was a humanoid figure that towered over her, a good torso taller. What’s more, she was completely naked, or at least that’s the impression Ecclesia got as she couldn’t see any disfigurement between her skin and what could be considered clothing as her body was made up of layers, each one stacked on top of each yet attached with neither thread nor fabric. 

The first layer, the part which would be skin on a human, was black, with several multi-colored lined patterns shifting and flowing across her body, as if they rested on a surface of water. Her face, the only part that was stationary, was human, with a mouth, nose, and two eyes, all held within her head, somehow holding their shape and place in her ever shifting body. Both digits glowing a bright green, highlighting a strange symbol on her forehead that was embedded on her liquid like body. And just like all the other features on her face, staying perfectly still as her black “skin” moved around constantly.

The second layer started at her unnaturally thin stomach, extending both upward and down coverings where her privates would be, if she had them. Something Ecclesia could confirm she didn’t as while this part seemed solid, it was still see through, letting her see the black shifting liquid beneath. As well as the uncomfortable fact whatever this substance was, it seemed to be growing out of the woman, like it was a part of her instead of being attached like clothing. 

This part was a pale green, something very noticeable when compared to her glowing green face. On top of that, she could see this one was made up for a few deeper layers, each one adding onto the next, making it noticeably thicker than the liquid skin beneath.

Sprouting from the center of the second layer was a third part of the woman’s body, this one forming what looked like a dress of water, with a long gown going all the way down to her ankles stopping just short of her bare feet. This layer also was coming out the back where it worked its way up to form sleeves that cover her arms while leaving her shoulders bare, as well as a high collar indicative of an old world royalty. Both parts, while very close to her body, actually hung in the air, not touching her at all, instead suspended a few inches away, giving off the illusion that it was attached in some earthly way as it reflected the green of the layer it was attached to. 

As for the last layer, if this was even a part of her body, was what looked like pale green ice levitating around the woman. Taking the form of a massive disc at her shoulders with wings sprouting from the backside, bound to what looked like a huge water vail wrapped around her shoulders. One that shifted and moved just like the third and first layers of her body. 

And finally hovering above the woman's head, was a massive crown made up of…honest she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t water like the dress she wore, nor was it the green ice that adorned her body, and it definitely wasn’t the black liquid like skin the woman had. No, whatever it was, it was something completely different. It was pure and see through, like water. But held it form like a solid, not dripping or shifting in the slightest. Moving with the woman’s head as if attached by something, yet Ecclesia didn’t see anything to bind the object to her head. It simply moved as naturally as if it rested there. 

Now, young as she was, Ecclesia had seen her fair share of strange things. Man and women who bore fangs and claws, people who fought with strange tech rather than magic, a fountain that could bestow power if used by one with a pure heart, that…thing from the catacombs below the church, and a man who for over two hundred years of trials and war had remained faithful to his beliefs. All things that, to most people, might sound insane, but to Ecclesia felt fairly normal. 

Yet this, this woman standing before her, this was just too unbelievable even to her. Seeing…whatever this was, this was the thing that left her completely speechless. This is where she drew her line, facing something she couldn’t draw any comparison to nor understand, was where she finally found herself unable to do or say anything, standing there in stunned, dumb shock. Staring blankly at the woman, her mouth hanging open as too shocked to move, simply waiting for someone to jump out at her and yell surprise, or to wake up to find out she had put herself into a food coma once again. 

But as the seconds passed and nothing happened, Ecclesia came to the forced realization that this was no dream, no prank. This was real. Completely and utterly real. She wasn’t seeing things, she was delusional, she was looking right at something that she had beyond her comprehension, beyond anything her mind could dream up. 

And as it dawned on her, a single question worked its way through her lips.

“Are you god?”

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, she realized her question was stupid. Of course this was a god or some kind of deity. She had died, stabbed through the chest by that thing from the catacombs. Now, whoever this woman was, she must have come to escort her to the afterlife, read her her final rights, or a eulogy of what her actions had accomplished. A proper send off as she believed she had served decently well during her time with the order. 

And while she definitely didn’t remember anything in the scriptures about a naked water lady coming for the departed, she supposed anyone who would have met her couldn’t exactly go back to tell others what was waiting for them on the other side.

However, despite expecting some somber, rational about her spent life. The woman stared at her wide eyed for a few seconds, then she threw her head back, letting out loud, yet kind, cries of laughter.

“Oh my. I guess I should have seen that coming from a member of the Dogmatika church. Always so biblical.” She chuckled, wiping her eyes as a smile played on her lips. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am a simple observer. No more a god than you are, Bearer of White.” She paused a second, resting her finger on her chin before letting out another chuckle, leaning in towards the girl. “Though I suppose by that logic, with the potential we wield, you could say we are. Just not in the traditional sense of the word.”

Confused, Ecclesia raised an eyebrow, trying to understand this strange woman. The power they wield?  What was she talking about? The Stigmata? Was she a crusader? No, that was impossible. History was one of her favorite subjects! And she was more than certain nobody made of liquid had ever been within the order’s walls since its founding. And what was that name she called her? Bearer of White? What the hell was she talking about? 

Her confusion must have been visible on her face as the woman’s face softened, calmly offering her hand as she spoke, addressing the issues on the girl’s mind. “I’m sure you have many valid questions,  many things you don’t understand. And while I can’t promise you all the answers, let’s start with the most interesting one. You are the newest Bearer of White, the holder of one of the four seals that keep the great evil at bay. And right now, you are in grave danger. You must-.”

“Hey! Hang on one second! What?!”

The woman stopped at Ecclesia’s interruption, the young girl backing up her hands raised to try to create some kind of barrier between the two, her mind reeling from all the questions swirling around in her head after everything that was being said. 

“First of all, who are you? Or what even?! Why do you keep calling me Bearer of white? And where even are we?!” Her tone was loud, scared. She could feel her limbs shaking with each frantic breath she took. She knew she was being rude, but after everything that had just happened to her in the last hour or so, she was past the point of caring. Right now, she was going to get her answers whether this woman wanted to give them or not!

“Am I dead?! If so, please stop playing games with me and just say it! I don’t want to be consoled over it, I’ve been prepared to die since I joined the order! Just please tell me if my journey really is at an end?!” 

Hot tears stung Ecclesia’s eyes as her resolve began to shatter. She always knew an early death was a very possible outcome in her line of work, and from all the scriptures saying that death was merely returning one’s greatness to the earth so another would one day rise to carry on their will, she had thought she would have been prepared to face it should it happen.

But now that it actually had, and Ecclesia’s mind began summoning all her regrets and things left undone, she felt herself losing control of her emotions, all of them slipping out into a big, ugly mess, one that threatened to completely engulf her.

She wanted to live, to sneak out of bed to spend time with Fleur, to go sightseeing in the free world with Adin, to share meals with Theo as they exchanged stories about their various adventures and difficulties with work, to grow up and eventually become a saint, maybe even the head saint! Help so many people, serve the world until it became a utopia that it had been when the Bystial had maintained the cycle of life and death, maybe even seeing the day when the four great dragons walked among them once again. 

But with her time now cut short, she simply wished to be seen off with dignity, with pride. Something that was rapidly disappearing as her heart hammered in her chest, trying to get a lifetime of beats in before it finally came to a stop. 

“Please, if you’re going to take me, just get it over with!” She practically screamed, clamping her hand over her chest in an attempt to stop the ache that had taken root there. “Hurry up and escort me to what comes next! Please let me leave with some dignity, some respect! Have I not earned that much at least?! Don’t spend time trying to comfort me! I’m a proud warrior of Dogmatika! I can accept death when it’s my time!”

The woman was now staring at the girl, her eyes wide as watched her flinch back, both hands on her chest, gaze fixed to the floor as tears leaked from her eyes. Her teachings prevented her from even looking at the watery figure before her as she fought to suppress her emotions. Desperately trying to seem composed. 

She hated this! It was taught that nobody should be allowed more than their share of the world. Yet here she was, wishing she could have had a full life, something many could never hope to see. She knew that, yet she still couldn’t fight off her instincts, her temptation, her sinful desire to for more years, more time with her loved ones, a chance at her dream.  It was so selfish! She should-.

“You are not dead.” 

Immediately Ecclesia’s head shot up at these words, her eyes fixing on the woman in front of her, her gaze taking in the serious expression on her shifting face. She wasn’t joking, this was no cruel joke. She actually believed that the girl was alive and was telling her with complete sincerity. Or at least that was the strong impression the blond got.

But how?! She had been stabbed through the heart! How could she still be alive when-?

“I won’t lie, you suffered a grievous wound during your battle against the Despia. However, before you could slip away completely, I call your soul to me, repressing that fatal injury. And while it’s still there, I stopped any damage from spreading.” 

The woman’s words left Ecclesia dumbstruck once again. Repressing an injury? Was that even possible? She knew several people within the order who could suppress powers, but to suppress a fatal injury? Or to call someone’s soul from their body and transport what must be miles away while keeping it in a caporal form? That was a feat only Lord Maximus should be able to pull off.

Yet somehow, this woman, who she had never heard of before, had pulled it off so easily, as if it was second nature to her. How was that even possible? Not part of the order yet to weld power comparable to that of the Nexus? All to simply speak with some nobody who wasn’t even a captain yet? Just who was this woman and what did she want?

“So, what happens now?” She asked after a couple seconds. “Am I going to die when I return to my body? Or are you going to heal it or something before sending me back? I don’t understand…What’s going to happen to me once this is over? Am I really going to not die?”

Looking down at the girl with a gentle smile, the woman reached out once again, this time touching one of the green crystals that jutted out from the floor of the cavern, the mark on her forehead glowing making the crystal light up as well, letting her draw out the same black liquid that her body was made up of. 

“I could.” She said, molding and shifting the liquid in her hand. “But if I may be perfectly honest, I don’t see much of a point. After all, with the power you possess, healing such a trivial wound should be effortless for you.” 

Ecclesia blinked, staring blankly at the woman. If her intention was to make the girl feel dumb, she was certainly successful. The blond could barely keep up with the conversation, let alone the pure nonsensical parts such as referring to her having some kind of great power. It honestly made the girl think the woman might have gotten the wrong girl. 

“You mean my Stigmata?” She pressed, reaching up to rub her forehead, unsure of what the woman meant. “How? I’m not much of a healer, nor is mine any more powerful than anyone else’s. It's just an average Stigmata, nothing special about it whatsoever.”

At this, the woman simply smiled, extending her hand towards the girl, the black liquid floating in her upturned palm. 

“Is it? Really?” She asked with a playful smile. “You mean to tell me everyone in your order has a…Stigmata was it? Placed on their body? That everyone in your order can bare that power on their bodies? Because if not, I think you might want to redefine your definition of average.”

Ecclesia gave a start at that. This woman knew about the Stigmata on her forehead? How?! Was it just now, when she reached up to touch it? Had that tipped her off at that point when she had absentmindedly touched it? 

No. If that was the case, if she hadn’t known until just now, why summon her here at all? It didn’t make sense for her to have just figured it out, meaning she had to have known before. But how could she have found out?

“What are you?” Ecclesia asked again, this time much more forcefully and defensively. Her feet sliding back into a defensive stance. She may not have her hammer with her right now, but she had taken wrestling as a child, she could fight just fine without a weapon. 

Sensing her hostility and fear, the woman dropped her more joking manner, shifting to a more serious expression as she returned her hands to her lap.

“That is a complicated question.” She replied calmly. “You humans have a word for what I am, same with the other species that call this content home. But they are all contemporary, merely titles and labels placed by those who lack understanding, just another social construct as unimportant as the rest. However, what is important is why I am here. You see, Bearer of White, a great threat looms on the horizon. One that threatens not just our entire world, but every other world out there.” 

“…huh?” Ecclesia blurted out, her eyes becoming even wider than before, something she didn’t think was possible. 

Every world out there? What was she talking about now? Was she implying that there were more than one world in existence? I mean, it wasn’t a complete impossibility, but even if there were, the top ranking scholars said that to interact with them would be impossible given the sheer amount of power one would need to expend. A feat not even the Nexus could expend. 

However the woman didn’t wait for the girl’s confusion to dissipate, continuing on in a very serious tone.

“Listen well, Bearer of White. A great evil has returned, one that ran rampant and unchecked in the ancient past now seeks to finish its work.” She said taking another step forward, now standing just an arms length away from the blond. “If it should succeed, all life in this world and beyond will cease to exist. Entire worlds snuffed out by its insatiable hunger as it feeds endlessly on the very fabric of life, turning this beautiful world into nothing more than a graveyard once again. A fate that must be preserved at all costs.”

“Again? What do you mean again?” Ecclesia interrupted, her eyes wide as she took a threatening step toward the woman. “You mean to tell me that something ran amuck, ransacking entire worlds just to get a bite to eat? That’s impossible! There’s no historical evidence of that happening! And even if there was such a creature, the Bystial would have-!”

The blond immediately broke of as she made to grab the woman by her collar, only for her hand to slip through, not even disturbing the liquidy surface of her ‘clothes’, reminder the girl that if what the woman had said was true, which it seemed like it was, she was just a soul without a body. 

Taking a step back, her aggression fading almost instantly into frustration. Slowly, she lowered her head as her hands tightened into fists, fighting her shaking arms to stay still. She hated not being able to do anything, being helpless. She had joined the Dogmatika order so she could help others, that she could do something meaningful with her life. Yet standing here now, she felt as helpless as she had since the night she had been picked up all those years ago.

“Why are you telling me this?” She finally asked, her gaze shifting up slightly to look the woman in the eyes. “Why tell me instead of Fleur or lord Maximus? Why tell someone like me?”

The woman stared at her for a second, taking in her helpless frustration. Then she let out a breath, kneeling down to the younger girl’s level.

“You have had a great burden placed upon you, one that I know you never asked for. And I’m so sorry you had to bear the burden of your ancestors. It’s not fair.” She said sadly, gently placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “But I will help you to understand and master the power bestowed upon. You are not alone, and I promise I will protect you and yours as best I can from-.”

Suddenly the woman broke off, her head spinning around to look up towards the sky, her eyes wide and mouth setting into a hard line as the light flowing in from the ceiling above suddenly shifted, turning a pale red, dimming the glow from the other crystal in the room. 

“Damn, we’re out of time.” She murmured before turning back to Ecclesia, placing her hand on her forehead, her hand glowing a bright green as it made contact, sending a tingly feeling flowing through the girl’s entire body. “I’m sorry, I wish I could tell you more, but a relic of their evil has begun tracking my signal. I’m going to have to cut the connection so they can’t find this place. This is the last gift I can give you for now. I’m sure it will help once you get back to your body.”

With that, before Ecclesia could protest, the lines on the woman’s body suddenly snaked forward, forming a point on her finger, extending past it into what looked like a glowing, green gemstone which she pressed into the girl’s forehead. 

Immediately, the whole cave was lit up by a brilliant white glow emanating from the Stigmata on her forehead. At the same time, heat sprung forth from the girl’s chest, spreading through her entire body with a burning, white hot, yet somehow painless, sensation that took hold from her head to her toes. filling every part of her with a kind of magic she had never experienced before.

It was like when she used her Stigmata, but stronger, way stronger. What was a spark before had been fanned into an inferno, one that was held within her soul but was struggling to get out, flowing from her like water from a leaky bucket. 

This was so different from what she was used to. Before she had to draw power from her Stigmata, now it was bursting from her body, forcing her to try to fight it to keep it in. Her entire body becoming the catalyst for her magic instead of just her hammer. 

“W-what is this?!” She cried looking down at her hands, seeing them engulfed in white flames that burst out from her, growing stronger with each beat of her heart. She had never felt anything like this before. Not when she first used magic, not when she had been first given her Stigmata, not even when she had pushed herself in training! This was totally new! 

Smiling, the woman took a step back as Ecclesia’s vision began to fade to white, her kind eyes fixed on the girl as she spoke loudly, yet calmly. 

“I’ve reawakened the memory of another who bore the power of White. Unlocking a fragment of its full potential.” She said, her gaze becoming dead serious as the blond seemed to start flowing upward, her vision now completely disappearing, replaced with the sensation of flying backwards through nothingness.

“I know you still have many questions, but for now we must part ways. I promise to answer more once our paths cross again. Until then, I have one last warning for you!” 

The woman’s voice sounded distant now, as if they were being pulled apart as one was pulled into a vacuum that was taking her further and further away, until soon all sense of the cave had vanished.

But not before the woman’s last words echoed through the tunnel, reaching her as clearly and concisely as if they were woken directly into her head, burning themselves deep into her mind ensuring that, even when she felt her consciousness fade back into darkness, she could still remember them perfectly.

“Seeks out the other Brands. They lay scattered and must not fall into our enemy’s hands. You must warn their guardians of the encroaching darkness. We are divided now, but the time has come where we must come together once again, or face complete destruction. 

And with that, Ecclesia’s consciousness fade back into white 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Haaa…” A hiss escaped Kitt’s throat as she desperately clawed at the chain around her neck, the only thing stopping it from snapping was the hood of her cloak that had been bunched up on the back of her neck, cushioning her painfully contorted spine. 

After killing the Crusader, the creature from the pit had turned its undivided attention to the young Tri-brigade girl, now trying to kill her as quickly as possible. Something very apparent by the sheer number of slashes and cuts that covered her body from when it had tried to stab her. 

And on that note. 

Through her blurry vision, Kitt saw the thing lash out at her with its chained blade, aiming to stab her through the heart with a single thrust. 

Acting just like all the other times, the girl twisted around in her bondage, letting her turn just enough for the blade to tear into her back, leaving a deep gash that, while bleeding heavily, didn’t hit any important organs. 

But even with her bracing for the attack, a small gasp still slipped out the girl’s mouth, depleting her rapidly shrinking air supply. Black spots were already starting to dance in her eyes and her limbs had gone weak, had it not been for the fact she was hanging by the chain around her neck, she would have fallen to the ground long ago. 

However, while she had made it clear she wouldn’t go down without a fight, both she and the creature knew it was only a matter of time before it was all over. With her airway restricted along with blood flow to the brain, she only a few more minutes at most before she lost consciousness and was left vulnerable to either be run through, or strangled to death. 

As life slowly drained from the short girl, she saw her life flashing before. Her first memory of playing with her sister, the first time she saw death, her training with Shuraig, her lessons with Nerval. She wished she could have seen them one last time before she died. She had wanted to repay their kindness towards her, make them proud of the last of the Brigade, but in the end, she was going to die in a hole underneath the very thing she hated. She just hoped Shuraig wouldn’t come in here to find her. It was her rash choice that had put in this situation, she didn’t want anyone else to suffer for it.

And as the light all but vanished from her eyes as the fluttered shut, she pictured her team one last time before she fell back into the warm embrace of-.

Rrrroooaaarrrrr! 

Kitt jilted awake as the dark room was suddenly bathed in a blinding white light and an incredible heat that filled her entire body with life, letting her somehow snap back to reality, eyes flying open as both she and the creature from the pit spun to face the light. And what they say left them speechless.

A pillar of white fire had appeared from out of nowhere, shooting up from the ground into the top of the cave, burning through it until it hit the ceiling of the building above it, scorching it black as the flames twisted around themselves, forming a twister of fire that silhouetted the figure getting to her feet at the epicenter.

Eyes wide, Kitt watched Ecclesia rise, the blade in her chest completely disintegrating before the hole in her chest sealed itself up, disappearing as if it had never been there. At the same time, the pink haired girl noticed that, despite being completely enfolded in fire, the crusader didn’t seem to be burning or even in pain. In fact, it looked like the fire was pouring out from her, burning the very air around her as she remained completely unharmed.

Flames danced around, moving as if to the beat of a drum, moving unnaturally as more leaked out from the girl’s body, blowing her hair out of its braid and causing it to wipe around the brilliantly glowing mark on her forehead, seemingly the source of all this power. 

Slowly, moving with strange, eerie stiffness, the crusader looked toward the thing she had been fighting, her eyes were now completely white as the same energy lit them up, covering the normal gray color with a sea of seemingly endless power. 

“Wow.” Kitt choked out, her eyes wide. She had never, not even once, seen or heard of anything like this before. Was this the true power of a Stigmata? It looked like the stories of the beings of living energy, ones that were said to be made up of fallen stars. A take that, while fictional, had inspired her to begin her journey into tinkering with techno-.

Sudden movements and the loosening of the chain around her neck brought Kitt back to reality as she was dropped onto the ground as the creature let out a screech, lashing out at the blond girl with both tendrils, its manner seemed…panicked, scared. As if it was terrified of the girl it had just been thrashing. And quite frankly, the pink haired girl didn’t blame it. This was the first time she had even seen a Stigmata used, and if this was the kind of power the church had at its fingertips, she understood how they had risen to power!

As the chained blades shot towards the girl, Ecclesia, in an almost trance like state, raised her hand to the attack, palm facing toward the creature. 

Immediately the flames shot out, reforming into a massive sphere that surrounded the girl like a cocoon, radiating like the sun causing Kitt to throw up her hands to shield her eyes from the glow, just barely seeing the creature’s blades disintegrating as they got to close to…whatever this was. 

Reeling back, the thing let out another screech, as if in pain from that last attack. Terror filled the thing’s…face? Kitt wasn’t sure, but she could tell from the way it shook, any confidence it had of winning had all but vanished when this power emerged. 

Turning, the creature suddenly shot off, fleeing into the tunnel back towards where it had come from. It’s body practically skipping as it moves as fast as it could go, leaving ruts in the ground as it ran. 

However it was already too late.

“ Foolish .” The crusader said, her voice booming and echoing in an unnatural way it definitely hadn’t before. “ Creature of shadows, I command you! Begone! Return to the dark pit from whence you came! I hear by expel you from the Void! Vanish from my sight, worm!” 

With that, the flames surrounded her shot forward, lashing out like a dozen snakes toward the fleeing creature, catching up to it in a heartbeat where it subsequently engulfed the creature, making it completely disappear behind a spiral curtain of fire, drawing a loud, screeching sound akin to a scream from the thing as it was swallowed whole, disintegrating entire chucks from its body where the flames touch.

No. No, that wasn’t it. The flames weren’t disintegrating it, they were unraveling it! 

Somehow, as the coils of fire lapped at the creature’s metal body, striking wildly and without direction, they were causing the molecules of its body to come apart, like a shirt that was being pulled apart by a hundred different threads all at once! Completely taking it apart in a way Kitt had never seen before. 

But before she could analyze what was happening, (which was only a few short seconds,) the flames began to die down, completely extinguishing revealing a burnt, charred hole in the ground where the fire had burned, leaving not even a trace of the creature from inside the pit.

Slowly, as the flames disappeared, Kitt saw the blond girl stagger, catching herself on the wall as the Stigmata on her forehead began to dim, going out completely at the same time as her eyes. Indicating a connection between the two.

Blinking rapidly, Ecclesia staggered up, leaning on the cave wall for support, her head scanning the area with a dumbfounded expression on her face, gray eyes flicking from her hammer, to the hole above her, then to the burned spot where she had incinerated the creature. 

She stared blankly at it for a few seconds. Then, much to the younger girl’s surprise, she turned to her with that same expression and pointed at the spot with her free hand as she held herself up with the other.

“Did you do that? Danm, remind me to never get on your bad side.” She half joked, half asked with complete surprise and confusion in her voice, her eyes seemingly radiating honest curiosity without a hint of sarcasm or nepotism making Kitt do a double take as she stared back at the crusader. 

“Y-you don’t remember?” The pink haired girl asked, her mouth falling open as she stared at the girl. Surely she was messing with her. There was no way she was being serious. She couldn’t have just forgotten the power she had just put on full display.

But as the crusader cocked her head to the side, her eyes filled with just as much confusion as Kitt, the Tri-brigade member got her answer before the crusader even asked her dumbfounded question.

“Remember what?”

Chapter Text

“You don’t remember?” 

Ecclesia blinked in confusion. Remember what? Had something happened when she was out? The last thing she remembered before meeting with the green lady was the feeling of that creature’s blade piercing her heart before she blacked out.

“!” 

Immediately Ecclesia’s hands flew up to her chest, gripping the area above her racing heart. Utter shock and confusion numbed her senses when she found not only was the blade gone, but she couldn’t even feel a scare from where she had been impaled. 

That was impossible! No way could she have healed that fast! Had the green woman healed her when she did…whatever she had done when she had touched her forehead? If so, why had she said that weird thing about…what was it? Healing was something she should be able to do? Something like that. 

But she didn’t remember healing herself. She didn’t even know any healing magic! And even if she did, to heal not only a blow to the heart, but to remove a blade impaling it at the same time wasn’t just impossible, it was unheard of!

Quickly turning to her only source of information, the blond crusader immediately took a step towards the younger girl, opening her mouth to demand answers to what was going on.

Only for her legs to give out on her, sending her slumping to the floor.

“Wha-?” Ecclesia began in confusion, only to break off with a hiss as a headache sent waves of pain pulsing through her skull. Cursing her to reach up and clutch her head in an attempt to lessen the ache. 

But soon the adrenaline had worn off, letting the girl know just how tired she really was. Her limbs were heavy and ached, her head was pounding, she could barely keep her eyes open and she couldn’t use her magic or even stand. 

“W-what happened?”  She asked, both to herself and the girl, her confusion making her head spin. She had no idea what had happened, she hadn’t been this sore during the battle nor had she done anything to become this exhausted after being impaled. Was this a side effect of having her soul ripped out of her body by the green woman? If so, maybe that was why she felt this horrible. 

“H-hey?”

The small voice of the pink haired girl drew Ecclesia’s attention. Looking up, she saw the girl had pulled the hood of her cloak up, clutching the side to hold it over her head for some reason as she peered nervously at the blond, her eyes darting away whenever they made contact.

“You really don’t remember what happened? What you did?” The girl asked, prompting Ecclesia to nod, reaching up to massage her temples as she slumped against the wall for support. 

“I don’t.” She answered honestly, trying to strain her mind for any information on what had happened. “The last thing I remember was getting stabbed in the heart, then I had a strange dream where I met this weird water lady who told me a bunch of nonsense stuff before waking up just now. I don’t know what happened and-. Wait, did you say what I did?” 

Immediately the girl tried to rise to her feet to question the girl, but once fell back to the ground almost immediately, another hiss of pain escaping from her lips. Clearly she was in no condition to move. 

But that didn’t stop her from keeping her attention on the pink haired girl, eyes fixed on her as she leaned against the other side of the cave wall before slumping to the ground as well, calmly pulling her rifle to her side as she stared across at the crusader. 

“You-.”

Suddenly, the pink haired girl broke off, her face paling as she turned towards the tunnel the creature had just been trying to run down, catching the crusader off guard. What was she doing? There wasn’t anything over there that she could see, why was the girl suddenly looking like she was about to freak out from-?

But then Ecclesia heard it, the faint sound of clicking and scraping coming from the tunnel, making her turn to stare in horror as well. No, surely not. It couldn’t be. She must be imagining things. No way that's what she thought it was.

But sure enough, out of the darkness of the tunnel emerged more of those rusty, metallic things, about twenty strong!

“Oh no. You have got to be kidding.” The blond breathed, her eyes wide as she stared at the advancing horde, her body too dumbstruck to move even if it could. She was dreaming, she had to be! There was no way in the Darkworld that there was an entire colony living under the church she had grown up in for years! It was just impossible!

Yet despite this fact, the horde didn’t disappear, nor turn around with an apology, simply advancing towards the two girls with gazes fixed on Ecclesia sending shivers up her spine. 

This was bad, the two of them could barely take on one while at a hundred percent, now they had to fight twenty?! All while injured? No way, that was just ridiculous! They would be killed instantly! Or pulled apart for the sadist fun of these creatures. 

At first, her instincts told her to scream at the girl beside her to run for help, only to remember they had fallen into one of the catacombs under the church, with the only way out a ledge several feet above them. Something even a crusader would need to know how to teleport reach. Meaning there was no way an ordinary girl could get out that way.

Beside her, Kitt scrambled to her feet, raising her rifle pointing at the advancing horde, her arms shaking as she took aim, the blue liquid in her weapon almost completely gone. 

“Hey, I know you might not remember, but you need to tap into that power you just used like right now!” She screamed, not taking her eyes off the enemy. “I’m not versed in magic, but you conjured and controlled white flames! Flames powerful enough to melt the first one to ash! And while I don’t know how you did it, we could really use it again right about now!”

White flames? What was she talking about? Ecclesia had never learned fire Magic. And even if she had, to turn flames white, didn’t it take a certain heat level that only an incredibly skill mage could weld-? 

Suddenly, before she could finish that thought, one of the creatures lunged at them, its chain arms swinging wide to enclose them within the confined space. 

Immediately, Ecclesia moved on instinct, throwing herself toward the pink haired girl, trying to use her body as a shield to protect the civilian from any mortal harm. It was only after she was mid air that she remembered she didn’t have any armor on and those would be little more than a meat shield for the girl. But even so, in her injured state, she knew this was the least she could do.

Somehow, she landed on top of the girl before the blade found her. Pushing her underneath her as she curled into a ball on top of her, ignoring the girl’s cry of confusion and surprise as she braced for impact.

But it never came.

“Rah!” A young crusader roared as he dove into the catacombs, his fist slamming into the thing sending it flying backwards into its companions, knocking several over as the young man landed in between them and his teammate.

“Hey Ecclesia! I know you raid the kitchen regularly and need someone to bail you out all the time, but this is a bit extreme even for you! Like, seriously, what in Solemn’s sake were you trying to cook down here?” He called, making the girl look up, a smile lighting up her face upon seeing him.

“Theo!” She cried happily, her exhausted body immediately relaxing at the sight of the boy. 

But before she could come up with a witty retort, the remaining creature leapt forward all at once, trying to rich the battlefield and overrun it before the two holy warriors could rally and counter, not planning on giving them a chance to breathe.

Unfortunately for them, a wall of green light shot up between their targets and themselves, resulting in them slamming headfirst into it being their assault to a screeching halt before it could even begin.

“Honestly Ecclesia. Do you have any idea what time it is? People are trying to sleep.” Another voice called from the top of the hole, immediately drawing the girl’s attention, finding Adin standing there, his tome opened as runes floated its pages, maintaining the barrier her had castes. “It’s very poor manners to disturb people at this hour. So maybe stop kicking the hornet's nest and pissing off whatever these cave dwelling things are, triggering an invasion just to shut you up!”

With his terrible joke out of the way, Adin threw out his hand, instantly expanding his barrier so it now trapped the creatures inside. 

“Theo!” The mage roared and his partner didn’t need telling twice. Rushing forward, he pulled his arm back, chambering the fist that bore his gauntlet as it lit up a bright blue with the power of his Stigmata, before driving it into the barrier causing the energy to disperse all over the entrapped enemies.

Immediately an iron spike shot out from the front of the barrier, stabbing through creatures at the head of the pack, knocking them back into their companions shirking as their chains got tangled, making the boy smirk.

“Got ‘em!” He yelled and the next second, magic energy shot from the spike, ricocheting all around the barrier, slashing deep wounds into the creature’s side as Theo poured more and more magic into his attack.

And as this deadly magic flowed, it caused some of them to let out a purr of satisfaction.

Eyes widening, Ecclesia sprung to her feet, yelling out to her two teammates as they grinned at each other.

“Wait! Don’t attack with magic!” She bellowed, immediately drawing confused looks from them. “They absorbed magic! Use attacks like that and they’ll just get stronger! You need to crush them with physical attacks!”

“Absorbs magic?” Adin echoed back. “What are you-?”

Crack!

But before he could finish, his question was answered as a loud crack immediately drew the entire squad’s attention to the barrier, just in time to see a giant fissure opening up on the side where the creatures had run into, the side closest to the crusaders. 

And there, right before their eyes, the two boys saw the energy of the barrier feeding into the creatures, restoring any damage and removing the rust as they devoured the magic like hungry wolves before the inevitable pop, followed by the barrier completely falling apart.

“Absorbs magic? How is that possible?!” Theo cried as he teleported next to Ecclesia, out of the way of the hungry monsters as they came crashing down with the barrier, landing a few feet away from the three in the pit.

“No idea, but that does mean we have to be careful.” Ecclesia said as she tried to get to her feet, only to fall to her knees panting heavily. “The only way to fight them is by breaking their bodies with brute force, or hitting them with so much magic that they can’t absorb it fast enough. Neither of which is going to be easy.”

Theo said nothing at first, glancing instead at the moonlight from one of the windows out of the hole, taking notice of its position in the sky before smirking as he turned his attention back to the blond.

“Well, if it’s a ridiculous amount of power we need, I think it just arrived.” He said, grinning at the two girls, making Ecclesia raise an eyebrow in confusion.

“What do you-?”

A boom of thunder ripped through the air, immediately silencing the girl mid sentence as her eyes widened. Then a smile spread across her own face as she felt her tied body relax and a look of complete confidence overtook her face. 

She knew what that Thunder meant, remembered it from so many battles, and knew of the power that preceded it. For once she had arrived, the battle was over.

Seeing her relaxed appearance, one of the creatures throw itself forward, aiming to capitalize on the girl’s distraction to land a killing blow. Arms positioned on either side, ready to attack from three directions at once, planning to pin her down and land a quick killing blow. 

Unfortunately for it, the option of victory had long since been snatched away.

With a flash of lightning, Fleurdelis, clad in full plate armor, came crashing down from above of the creature, slamming it to the ground and crushing it into pieces between the hard stone and her metal boot aglow with the power of her Stigmata.

“Clear the way!” She bellowed, making both her teammates notice the glowing Stigmata on her armor shirking, immediately telling what she was planning. And that they didn’t want to be anywhere nearby when she executed it.

“Yes ma’am!” They both replied, acting immediately. Theo grabbing the blond by her collar while picking up the pinked haired girl under one arm, then teleporting back to the top of the hole, dropping both girls face down on the ground, before laying down next to them, hands covering his head same as Ecclesia. 

At the same time, Adin opened his palm over the hole they had escaped through, immediately creating another barrier over the hole, sealing Fleur in with the creatures. 

The sudden disappearance of over half their opponent’s number caught them off guard, but overall didn’t seem to bother them that much. One was easier to kill than four, so why did it really matter? After all, they would get the magic they were after one way or another.

With that, they leapt forward, spreading out to ensure they couldn’t be struck down easily, moving in such perfect sync that they must have had some way of communicating besides the unintelligible grunts and groans. 

But it didn’t do them any good.

As the Stigmata shrunk, releasing thirty percent of the woman’s incredible power. Letting her slam her blade into the ground as she let out a single, hard breath. 

“Judgment.” 

The moment the words left Fleur's mouth, a massive beam of lightning shot from the woman’s blade, ripping through the tunnel sending off bolts of electricity as it went, tearing the entire cavern apart, sending rocks tumbling from the ceiling as the very walls were ripped asunder. 

Above her, the barrier Adin had created strained and flexed as blots of lightning struck it, the entire church shaking from the tremendous power being released at its base! Beside her, Ecclesia heard the pink haired girl screech, covering her head with both hands as below them, the creatures were torn apart effortlessly by the arc lightning. 

The attack had only lasted for a second, but in that time, the entire cavern where the fight had been taking place was filled with dust and debris, blocking Fleur view for a few seconds. But as the dust began to settle, she heard the sound of straining metal, followed by the screech as something heavy was dragged across the ground. 

And when her line of sight finally cleared, she saw about half a dozen had survived the attack. Broken and badly damaged without a doubt, but still alive nonetheless.

“Tough bastards, I’ll give them that.” Fleur snarled as she spun her sword in one hand, positioning it behind her as she crotched down, electricity cracking along its sharpened edge. “Guess I’ll just have to finish them the old fashioned way. Adin! Keep the barrier up for a few more minutes while I-!”

But before she could finish, she felt something tug at her blade. Looking back, she saw the lightning she had bathed her sword in was being pulled off, as if being stripped of its magic as it removed itself from her and began flying up towards the barrier, which also seemed to be being pulled apart by an unseen force.

As this happened, the fragments of the barrier floated down the hallway, joined very quickly by Fleur’s lightning, drawing the attention of the four at the top of the hole to follow its path until it reached its source, where yet another gasp could be heard from the pink haired girl, one that Ecclesia joined this time.

“What utter tripe.” Head Saint Quen calmly walked towards the commotion, the magic she had taken back flying into her staff as she approached. “Honestly, waking the entire castle for such a pathetic display of power? How disrespectful.” 

Reaching the edge of the pit, the short woman brandished her staff above the hole, the sphere at the end pointed right at the remaining creatures in the cavern. 

“If you want these worthless pests gone, simply get rid of them. No need to make a fuss.” She said dismissively as her staff began to glow, casting the entire hall of the catacombs in a pale red light, immediately causing any of the residue of Fleur’s attack to also return to the staff. 

The creatures that had survived however, were not quite so peacefully dealt with. As they were bathed in the Saint’s light, they gave a violent jerk as a equally pale light began leaking from the frames, this to floating up to the end of the woman’s staff, their very souls being torn from their bodies before being sealed away by the Saint, hopefully never to be seen again.

With the threat taken care of, the head saint immediately rounded onto Ecclesia, her eyes narrowed as she sent a glare at the girl that made her psychically recoil as the older woman’s fury birthed forth.

“Care to explain exactly what happened, Lieutenant?” She demanded, brandishing her staff at the blond. “Explain to me why you were in a forbidden area at this hour. Because for your sake, I hope you have a very good excuse, less I have you stripped of your rank and dragged through the streets before being thrown out of the city’s wa-!”

Quen broke off as Fleur suddenly stepped between her and Ecclesia, using her body as a shield as if to protect the younger girl from any harm the head saint might try to inflict. 

“Your grace, if I may.” The head captain began, bowing her head slightly but not taking her eyes off the woman. “Perhaps we should focus on the fact that there was an attempted invasion of our sanctuary. Whatever those things were, we need to make sure there aren’t anymore as well as find the people responsible. I think we should-.”

Fleur was silenced as Quen slammed the ground with the butt of her staff, making a deafening ringing sound as the fiberglass struck marble flooring. The sound echoing out, traveling down the hall while still resounding in the like a bell for those gathered outside the catacombs entrance.

“You forget yourself, head captain.” Quen said in a quite, deadly tone. “Lest I need remind you, talking back to one’s superiors is strictly forbidden within these hallowed halls. One more attempt to excuse this girl’s failures and I will personally see to the removal from your position. Is that really worth losing to protect some insignificant little girl?” 

Quen glared up right into Fleur’s eyes, holding her gaze strong with determination. Something that the taller woman seemed much less willing to do as her eyes flicked from one corner behind the woman to the next, carefully weighing her options. 

But after about two seconds of thought, her hands tightened into fists and she took another step forward, now returning the head saint’s glare with equal intensity and strength.

“Yes, she-.”

“And to what failures do you speak of, Quen?” 

Immediately, both women broke off as a new voice entered their conversation. Looking up, they saw pope Maximus himself striding down the hall, his long robe trailing along on the ground behind him, somehow magically not getting any dirt stuck to it.

And as he came to a stop before his order, they snapped out of their surprised trance, immediately dropping to their knees in a bow.

“Welcome, lord Maximus.” Quen said, looking up just enough to see the man’s chest, but higher. “As you can see, we had a bit of an incident just now, but it has since been dealt with. I was merely trying to get to the bottom of this and it seems that our newest captain had something to do with it. I simply seek answers.”

Ecclesia bristled at the way the head Saint had phrased the situation. It made it seem like she was at fault, but all she had done was find that thing first! Had she not, there was no telling when those things would have broken out!

Biting her tongue, Ecclesia fought the urge to tell lady Quen that she should wait for all the answers before jumping to conclusions! How did she knew the blond had anything to do with it anyway? She had showed up last! After Theo, Adin, and Fleur! No way she could have figured out she was the one who had started it!

Fortunately, it seemed she wasn’t the only one to think this.

“And this is a failure on young Ecclesia’s part…how?” Maximus asked, his body standing completely still. His calm demeanor never once leaving his voice. “The way I see it, our young champion here found a potential invasion force and engaged it. Taking action despite the unusual situation. That doesn’t sound like failure to me, Quen.”

Immediately, Quen rose to her feet, looking the pope right in his eyes as she spoke. 

“But-!” The head Saint protested, but then stopped, remembering who she was talking to. Immediately dropping to one knee, hand moving to rest over her heart as she quickened apologized to her leader. “Forgive me, lord Maximus. I didn’t mean to speak out of turn.”

His high eminence stared down at the woman for a second. Then, without responding, turned and walked past her without a second glance, instead making his way over to where Ecclesia still knelt, the blond only raising her head slightly once he came to a stop right before her.

“Rise, Lieutenant.” He said softly. “I want to hear your side of the story. Why were you here right when this invasion started? And what exactly did you do?”

Swallowing hard, Ecclesia nervously rose, dreading having to tell him she had broken his decree. She knew she’d be exiled for this, that everything she had ever known was about to be torn away. That alone made her want to just tell a lie and continue living in the church, forever atoning for her sins silently. She could live without her promotion, without ever fulfilling her dream, but she knew the one thing she could never live without was her faith. Something that would be revoked the second she told the pope the truth.

But even so, to lie to the great leader, to mock his intelligence and belittle his knowledge was an even greater sin, costing her faith not through the church, but through herself. Like it or not, she had broken one of his commandments and thus lost any real hope for truly attaining anything meaningful in her life. Now she must simply accept her punishment and atone for her sins as a crusader, or an outcast. 

“I was patrolling the area around the training hall a little earlier tonight.” She confessed, unable to look up into Maximus’ masked face. “During my patrol, I heard a scream coming from the catacombs, so I went to investigate. And upon finding that the door to the catacombs was locked with someone very clearly in need on the other end, I smashed the lock off to let them out and to attempt to help whoever was on the other side.”

Ecclesia paused as she felt more than heard the collective gasps from her teammates and mentor. Their shock practically worming its way into her skin, making her feel even more uncomfortable. She knew going against one of the commandments was heresy and to hear that it was coming from her of all people, must have left quite an impact going off the stunned silence that followed.

“After getting through the door, I saw a girl from the pilgrimage being attacked by that thing.” She pressed on, doing her best to ignore the stares burning a hole into her backside. “After engaging with the creature, we, that is to say both of us, worked together in an attempt to subdue it. And after a bit of fighting we-.”

“Where is this girl you saved?” Maximus interrupted, his voice as calm as ever, catching the blond off guard.

“I…beg your pardon?” She said confused, unsure of what the high pope meant. 

“Show me the girl who had wandered into the catacombs.” Maximus repeated calmly. “I wish to speak with her directly to know why she was down there to begin with. After all, all entries to the catacombs are locked and sealed. So why did she force her way inside one.”

Ecclesia blinked, still slightly struggling to catch up after her ordeal. She hadn’t actually thought about why the girl had been down there or the implications of her even gaining entrance to the restricted area. In fact, she had been so caught up in the moment, she hadn’t stopped to consider how she had gotten down there in the first place.

“R-Right!” She said quickly, turning towards the cloaked girl who froze as she had been slowly backing away, trying to use the chaos to try to sneak away probably to avoid getting in trouble.

“Don’t worry.” The blond reassured the girl, reaching out and grabbing her by her shoulder. “Lord Maximus is harsh, but fair. Just be honest with him why you were down there and I’m sure he’ll be understanding. I promise we’ll have you back with your family as soon as possible.”

The girl replied by muttering something that sounded like, “fat change.” under her breath. But offered no resistance as she was steered before the high pope, coming to a stop right where Ecclesia had been standing moments ago, nervously holding her hood over her pink hair as if she was ashamed of it or something. Though why, the blond had no idea.

“So, you’re the one who wandered into the catacombs.” Maximus said, his gaze drifting lazily across her much smaller frame. “Care to explain why one so young as you would be doing breaking into a restricted area?”

Shifting uncomfortably under the pope’s gaze, the girl turned her eyes to look at the hole where the things had come from instead of into his eyes.

“Yeah, that.” She said hesitantly, seeming to make an effort to look anywhere but at the other crusaders that surrounded her. “I was…exploring! Yeah. Exploring the church, got lost, and couldn’t find my way back to my room. And so I…” 

The girl came to an unnatural pause here, desperately looking around for something to add before her story got holes poked into it. She knew she was doing a terrible job of selling it and needed to redirect the conversation fast!

Unfortunately for her, she was already too late. 

“Exploring? At this hour?” Fleur pointed out, crossing her arms as she shifted her weight to one foot. “You should know there’s a curfew for all pilgrims within these walls. And we give you all free reign to go to the publicly available area during the day. Why would you sneak out at night, break down a tightly sealed door and then wander into an area that is clearly not meant for the public?”

Sweating nervously, the girl turned to face Fleur, still not looking her in the eyes, focusing instead on the wall just before her.

“Yes…umm…well…My parents! Yeah, my parents are kinda against the church and only came to get free food! And when I wanted to see more of the religious artifacts in the museum display thing, they forbid it! So I snuck out, got lost, then needed to go to the bathroom! And after breaking down the door, I was so desperate I figured that I’d just go a little ways in and take a leak before heading back out and trying to find my way to the museum!”

The girl was speaking faster and louder with each word leaving her mouth, her eyes rapidly flicking around as she felt the others closing in around her, desperately looking for a way to escape. 

“I thought you said you were exploring. We’re you doing that, or trying to get to the old museum, which is on the other side of the church?” Theo chimed in, taking a step toward the girl, causing her eyes to flick over to him. 

“I was…it’s! Okay let me-!”

But this time, the girl didn’t even have time to concoct her lie. Maximus, finally having enough, calmly raised his hand, leveling it with the girl’s head. Then, with a casual flick of his finger, he used his magic to create a burst of energy that blew the hood off her head, exposing a pair of bright pink cat ears situated perfectly on her head. 

Time seemed to freeze as all eyes fixed into the girl’s ears, their mouths falling open letting out a gasp of surprise as they stared in shock and surprise, too bewildered to even take any action. 

At the same time, the girl, feeling the wind, broke off and reached up, feeling around for the hood of her cloak, only to find her bare head in its place. Eyes going wide, she quickly ripped her hood up, pulling it over her ears in a panicked attempt to undo what had already been done. 

“I thought so.” Maximus mussed as he gazed down at the girl, eyes fixed on where her ears sat hidden beneath the fabric of her cloak. “A Tri-brigade member trying to sneak into this holy place. Seems you’ve caught more than a simple little girl today, Ecclesia.”

His words, while calm and composed, held a very threatening air to them, one that wasn’t lost on anyone in the hall, snapping them all out of their trance and heralding the action of everyone there.

Throwing her arm out, the cat girl shoved Ecclesia to the ground as she dove for the entrance to the catacombs once again, opting to chance in the dark tunnels over getting captured. She knew even if she ran into more of those creatures down there, she’d still take death at their hands than being a prisoner of the church of Dogmatika.

Unfortunately, she was the only one to act quickly.

“Guards!” Quen screamed, slamming her staff thrice on the ground, each bang echoing through the halls of the church. “Size the intruder at once!”

Immediately, as if appearing out of the darkness itself, four members of the holy guard came crashing on top of the girl, pinning her to the ground with their weight before searching her for any concealed weapons with ruthless efficiency.

“Hey!  Get off me!” The girl screamed, struggling frantically under the weight of four grown men. “Let me go! I didn’t do anything, you racist bigots! Let me go right now!” 

“You’re in a very poor place to make demands.” Maximus said, calmly stepping forward, signaling to his guard, instructing them to pull her up right while keeping hold of her arms, which they did. Forcing her to her feet with one man on each limb, pulling it painfully straight back behind her back while digging their elbows into her neck, forcing her into a humiliating half bowed position.

Calmly, the pope reached down, grabbing the girl’s chin, forcing her head upwards where he began studying her face, eyes scanning every detail before finally speaking in his usual calm and composed voice.

“You seem a bit young to be coming here alone. Is your kind really that short on members that they need to send a child to do their duty work? Or are there other vermin hiding within the walls of my cathedral? Waiting to lure the next generation of my holy warriors into near certain death?” His questions draw noticeable rage from the girl, her struggles becoming more violent, biting at his hand, prompting him to withdraw it.

“Fuck you!” The girl bellowed. “Fuck you and your kind, you stupid, brained dead, faithless, grifting piece of-! Aahh!” The girl’s furious rant was cut short as one of the guards holding her arms began bending it backwards at the elbow, causing pain to shoot through her body, prompting her fingers to start twitching without her consent. 

“Quite a mouth on one so young.” Maximus said, calmly turning his back to the girl and walking back towards the head Saint, folding his hands beneath his sleeve as he went. “I guess I should have seen that coming. Your kind is not but uncivilized animals, of course you couldn’t understand the morality of what you’re doing. No matter, you will talk eventually, it’s simply a matter of when.” 

Coming to a stop next to Quen and Fleur, he turned to them and began issuing instructions.

“Quen, have your man take that one to the dungeon and begin enhanced interrogation immediately. She is not to be given food or sleep until she tells you what she knows. In the meantime, Fleur, being a thorough sweep of all the pilgrims. I don’t think she came alone so there are likely more vermin hiding somewhere in the castle. Find them and stomp them out. Then hang their bodies outside the city wall, a reminder what happens when devils try to infiltrate my city. Understood?”

“Yes sir!” Fleur replied, turning and waving her team to follow, which they did without a moment’s hesitation. They knew that it was only a matter of time before they noticed their missing member, and if they found out that they had been compromised, who knew what they’d do!

However, As Ecclesia made to follow her team, the pope held up his arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“Not yet, Ecclesia. Not in your condition.” He said calmly, reaching out and tapping her on the forehead, the Stigmata on his palms glowing a brilliant green. 

Immediately, the second his fingers touched her forehead, she felt his healing magic flow into her, warming up every inch of her body, sending waves of relief pulsing through her body, healing all her wounds and restoring her energy and strength. 

“Can’t have our newest captain keeling over dead before her big promotion, can we?” He asked, smiling kindly down at her. “If you don’t feel well, tell Fleur and have her send you to the infirmary. I’m sure she’ll be very understanding given her attachment to you and as you just finished a fight as is. And if not, come to me or Quen, we’ll talk with the head captain.”

“Thank you, your eminence.” Ecclesia replied with a bow as Maximus finished his spell and lowered his hand. “But that won’t be necessary. I wouldn't be able to rest knowing that there might be another Tri-brigade member within the church’s walls, potentially threatening all the other people who’ve come for the pilgrimage. But if I may, can I ask you a question?”

The blond girl stayed bowed as Maximus stared down at her, his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head as the girl fought to keep her gaze on the ground, fighting the urge to check on the pick haired girl.

And after a few nerve-racking seconds, he answered. 

“Technically, you just did.” He joked, making light of the situation despite the obvious silence prior. “But yes, you may ask about the prisoner if it shall put your mind at ease.” 

Nodding slightly as she looked up, Ecclesia glanced over at the struggling girl, swallowing hard before speaking, making sure to pick her words with great care so as not to upset the high pope. 

“It’s just-. You see-. What’s going to happen to her? After the interrogation, I mean. Will she-?”

“Yes, she’ll be crucified just outside the city’s walls.” Maximus answered, turning away as he did. “It’s not a fate I enjoy dishing out, but in order for peace to be maintained, we need to make sure that those animals know that attacks on our home will not be tolerated. That their actions have consequences and that we are strong. If we make exceptions, show weakness, then the Tri-brigade will think they can get away with whatever they want. That they can loot and pillage and kill without remorse. Ensuring even more casualties of the innocent. Those things this girl managed to sneak in here, we are very lucky they went on the frets and turned against her. If not, I fear things would have turned into a bloodbath.”

At this, Ecclesia perked up, her attention being grabbed immediately at the accusation Lord Maximus had thrown out. 

He thought the girl had brought…whatever those things were into the castle? But if she had, what had been lurking within the catacombs below? After all, the many bodies removed from there had all predated tonight and couldn’t have been Tri-brigade activity as there was no way they’d have waited this long to launch an invasion. They would have attacked long ago!

So was there something else down underneath the church? Some kind of bigger monster further in? No, the wounds on the bodies matched the ones those things could inflict. And even if they had similar abilities, why hadn’t the creature attacked these monstrosities? No, those things had to be the ones who had always dwelled beneath the church! So why was Lord Maximus suggesting otherwise?

“Your eminence, I don’t believe the girl brought them with her.” Ecclesia said, gesturing at the broken remains in the hole. “I’ve never seen Tri-brigade tech like that before and it had the power of magic. Something they lack. I think it’s important to perform a thorough investigation into those things in case more show up. Wouldn’t you agree, your eminence?” 

Upon being answered with silence, Ecclesia decided to push on, even daring to be a bit bold in the face of the most recent battle and the favor she had earned for her role. 

“What if we tried to convert her instead?” She asked, gesturing toward the pink haired girl. “I know she broke into the church but she knows her way around a rifle. What’s more, she saved my life multiple times during that fight, so I don’t think she’s beyond salvation.”

In response, Maximus let out a sigh, still not looking at the blond. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.” He tiredly. “Remember, the Tri-brigade are, by nature, greedy, destructive and evil. Offering them a chance at salvation when the alternative is death will always result in them pretending to accept out of a basic instinct to survive instead of true conversion. Trust me when I say I’ve tried many a time before. With the only results being a new knife being stuck into my back.” 

“But this one is so young! She couldn’t control being born or raised among those savages!” Ecclesia protested. “Think! With her by our side, we’d know exactly where their hideout is. We wouldn’t need to expend our forces to try and find it, saving countless lives in the process. And who knows? If they see one of them walking with us, maybe it’ll show others that the way of selflessness and social Darwinism isn’t the correct way to live! We might even be able to end the war without bloodshed.”

“That’s not possi-.”

“But what if it is?” Ecclesia interrupted, clasping her hands in excitement. “What if we didn’t need to annihilate the Tri-brigade? What if we could learn to live with them! I know they’ve made mistakes, but that was hundreds of years ago! Why not offer one last chance at salvation?”

“Ecclesia, no means no.” Maximus pressed. “I won’t jeopardize our mission of world unification on the slim chance that those animals have seen the light and are ready to-.”

“Then let me go ahead of the advance force! I’ll show them the error of their ways and let them know that while what they did is wrong, forgiveness is available! That we don’t need to fight anymore!” At this point, the girl was bouncing up and down in the balls of her feet, practically radiating excitement. “I’ll run the whole operation myself! That way, even if I fail, the main unit won’t be affected. And if I can convert even a fraction of them to the way of the church, that’ll make the coming battle that much-!”

“Ecclesia.” 

Immediately said girl came to a screeching halt as the pope’s voice boomed out, echoing through the church as if screamed through a megaphone. He hadn’t yelled or even raised his voice, yet the words carried both a great threat and power, one that carried years of experience.

This wasn’t the kind, understanding Maximus she had grown up looking up to, nor the one who was always giving her additional training because of her unique position. This was the great pope who drove the Tri-brigade to the edges of society, the man who mastered the power of the Nexus, the one who created the very foundations of their great nation, who had written the six-hundred & sixty-six commandments and founded the very church that was now the lone superpower in their world. All by the grace and mercy of his near infinite wisdom and patience.

But near infinite was not without limitations, and now standing in front of this great man, below only the Bystials themselves in terms of divinity, reminded the young crusader her own place as barely even being a footnote in his greatness. 

Immediately, the girl dropped to her knees, hands pressed against the hard stone, head banging against the ground as she quickly, yet respectfully apologized, a bead of sweat running down her face.

“I beg your forgiveness, high eminence.” She said, not even looking at the pope. “I spoke out of turn. I have no excuse for such rudeness. Please, feel free to punish me as you see fit. I deserve it.”

Staring down at the girl, the pope seemed to think on her offer for a second before letting out a sigh, turning his back to the girl, staring out the window instead. 

“I do hate having to repeat myself.” Maximus said, his voice no longer carrying that danger from before. “But I will say this one more time. While I do appreciate your attempt at a nonviolent solution, it is not possible. The Tri-brigade are soulless animals and I will not risk the future of the church on the off chance they have grown a heart over the years they have pillaged and killed and raped our people. Remember, you have a bright future ahead of you, and throwing it away to help some mindless creature is not only shortsighted, but foolish.”

Turning back to Ecclesia, he calmly gestured for her to stand, even offering his hand to her to hasten the process. However, the moment she was on her feet, Ecclesia quickly found out this was no act of forgiveness.

Before she could even speak, Maximus had grabbed her by her head, his clawed fingers dangerously close to her eyes, holding her head completely in place as he closed the distance between them, his face only inches away from her’s. 

“Never talk back or interrupt me in public again.” He said, his voice soft yet terrifying as he calmly placed his claws against her eyes, not hard enough to do damage, but still very noticeable. “You are lucky that only Quen witnessed it, otherwise you’d be punished by public stoning. A punishment that is also a sign of the revoking of one’s faith. And while I do believe you to be the future, I will not hesitate to dish out punishment when necessary. Remember, without a strong deterrent, crime and corruption will run rampant. So I can’t make an exception for anyone, understand.”

Staring right into the pop’s eyes, Ecclesia let out a choked “yes.” Which was all she could manage as her entire body shook with fear. She knew the punishment of those who had their faith revoked, and the implication it carried. 

Fortunately, no sooner than her apology left her mouth, Maximus released her head, letting her collapse onto the floor, gasping and shaking as she tried to force herself to calm down, letting him continue unchecked.

“I’m glad you understand.” He said, turning away from the girl once again. “I don’t want to hurt you, Ecclesia, but please remember that if I make an exception for you, then everyone else will think they can do whatever they want and get away with it. So, how about you dial back those dangerous ideas and I won’t be forced to hurt you? Sounds like a win-win situation for-.”

“Hehe.” Maximus broke off as he was interrupted once again. Together, all three crusaders turned to the source of the sound and found the pink haired girl, looking up at the pope with an eat shit grin on her face.

“Aww. What’s the matter? Your teaching so bad they can’t even stand up to basic questioning?” She mocked despite being restrained. “Man, you are pathetic. I don’t get why everyone else was too afraid of you to tag along. And just watching you and your men running like a bunch of morons is the best source of entertainment I’ve ever seen!”

Letting out another laugh, the girl threw her head back, letting her mocking gwadaws echo out down the hall.

“How about I let you in on a secret as thanks for making me laugh?” She asked, looking at Maximus with an unwavering smirk. “I came here alone to assassinate you. The others were all too scared, but I knew those machines would kill not only you, but everyone else in the vicinity! Meaning your church would finally equal your life, a flat zero! And if they hadn’t malfunctioned, then our positions would be switched now!”

Staring at the girl, the pope wordlessly began to approach, tucking his hands into his sleeve as he went, coming to a stop right in front of her, looking down at the girl as he calmly moved his head into striking range.

“My lord!”

“Your eminence!” 

Both Ecclesia and Quen cried at the same time, both jumping up and quickly trying to reach him before the girl did anything rash.

However, they were brought to a screening halt as the man raised his hand, signaling them to stay back as he kept his gaze fixed on the girl who looked back with fire in her eyes.

“How does it feel?” She mocked, leaning in to sneer into his face. “Knowing that after hundreds of years, your ruin was almost undone by a fifteen year old girl? That everything you’ve worked for could have come undone in a single night? Well, that’s what’s waiting for you back at the sanctuary. Hundreds and hundreds more of our anti-magic automata. All combat ready and complete with proper ai protocol. Something that I screwed up resulted in them turning on me. But while my forte may not be artificial intelligence, that doesn’t mean none of us can! And once word gets back to them about your incoming attack, I wonder how many they’ll throw together to counter?”

Laughing as she pulled away, the girl’s tone practically flipped off the pope as she continued, painting an image of terror into Ecclesia.

“So, do you think your armies are ready for that, Mr. Pope?” The pink haired girl mocked. “Can they take on the fully functional crusader killers? Cause if not, when you come for us, you’re going to be in for a pretty nasty surprise.”

With that, the girl spat onto the hemp of Maximus’ robe, her taunting, mocking smile never once leaving her face, her eyes burning with determination.

The high pope however didn’t react, simply staring at her for a couple seconds before reaching out, his index finger outstretched, pointing to the girl lazily, coming to a stop a few inches away from her neck.

“Hey, get that disgusting thing away from me!” The girl snapped, squirming against the men holding her, frantically trying to get away from him. However, the pope ignored her, moving his finger through the air, leaving a trail of black lines of energy that seemed to vibrate against itself, shaking so uncontrollably it almost looked like it was going to fall apart.

But they didn’t, letting the man calmly trace a diamond shaped outlook in front of her body, one that was quickly filled with a swirling purple energy that nobody could see through. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he plunged his hand into.

Immediately Kitt’s eyes shot wide open, her mouth throwing itself open as she let out an ear piercing scream as she felt a sharp, burning, unbearable pain in her chest. This wasn’t like getting punched or struck, this felt more like something was pressing directly against her heart. Something sharp and hard, making her conscious of each and every rapid beat. And as Maximus shifted his arm, redirecting the pain, the girl’s eyes widened in both horror and disgust as she realized what was happening.

This thing was a portal! One that acted as a gateway between where he had drawn it and inside her body! And by using it this way, the pope didn’t need to cut her open and run the risk of infection to torture her.

“Aaahhhh!” Kitt screamed, frantically struggling against the two guards who kept a hold of her arms, rendering her unable to escape the pope as he calmly moved his hand between her internal organs.

“You lie so easily.” Maximus said calmly, moving his hand up toward his starting point, calmly pressing against the organs he found up there, immediately ripping a scream from the girl as she grew more and more frantic. “Words hold power you can’t begin to understand. Yet you waste yours on such frivolous things like insults and pointless jabs. I think you need a lesson of respect, child. One you won’t forget for the rest of your very short life.”

With that, he tightened his grip, seizing something inside the girl, immediately turning her scream into a spluttering choke, spit and blood falling to the ground.

Calmly, yet carefully, the man began to pull his arm back, sending the girl into a near hysteric fit, screaming and writhing frantically, her legs flailing wildly, arms straining against the guard so much, they had to shift position, putting all their weight onto them to keep her from getting out as a horrible squishing sound started to come from the portal. 

Finally, after several minutes of pure anguish, Maximus was able to pull his hand out, blood dripping off his metal glove, the girl’s head immediately dropping forward, leaving her gasping for breath as pain still throbbing in the girl’s chest with a burning sensation that leads her in to much agony to even speak. 

“You know, I hate liars.” Maximus said, his tone one of mocking victory as he looked down at the girl. “So much hot air, all wastes on words that aren’t even true. You know, there are a finite amount of resources in this world? Why must your kind use so much on such frivolous things? It’s such a waste.”

At his words, the girl forced her head up. Her eyes going as wide as plates as she looked down at the portal, the blood rushing from her face as she saw what sat in the pope’s hand. 

There, still connected with several veins and arteries, was her own rapidly rising and falling lung. Completely taken from her body while still remaining connected. A horrifying reality that even as it played out in front of her, the girl couldn’t believe it.

And she wasn’t the only one who was reaching the end of their rope.

Ecclesia, finally unable to stand by and watch, immediately took a step towards the pope. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she knew that to simply stand by and torture someone this young, Tri-brigade or not, was a line to far.

Mustering all the courage she had, she forced her voice to carry strength and authority far above her position as she came to a stop right next to the man, immediately reaching out for his arm to put a stop to this.

“Your emine-.”

Suddenly, before she could even get the words out, Maximus turned towards, his masked face not fully facing her; she could feel his gaze from behind the metal. And immediately she felt all his ire and fury being shifted from the girl and onto her.

Immediately Ecclesia’s knees gave and all strength left her arms as the incredible pressure seemed to swallow her whole. In a heartbeat, Maximus had vanished and in his place stood an angel. One with wings spread so far that engulfed the entire sky and who’s righteous fury was, while only justly earned, was still more than ready to lash out even against her.

And just like that, any and all strength and courage the girl had mustered up vanished in an instant. Prompting the girl to scurry back on wobbly legs, too terrified to even utter an apology as she hit the wall, using it as a crutch to keep herself from falling as her heart hammered in her chest.

That was the second time Maximus had warned her, and she knew his patience wasn’t limitless. For daring to have the audacity to question him not once, but twice in one day wouldn’t be able to go unpunished. She would have to be made an example of, and she half expected him to drop the girl and round on her.

But fortunately for her, he didn’t. Instead turning his attention back to the Tri-brigade member the second Ecclesia’s trembling form hit the wall, tightening his grip on the girl’s lung.

“Did you actually believe you could fool me with such a transparent lie? Insulting my intelligence as well as my faith is normally punishable by instant execution. But I have thought of a different, more fitting use for you. So I suggest you give thanks to the Bystials while begging for their mercy.” He said calmly, squeezing it a couple times to keep the girl silent and unable to do anything but weakly gasp, letting him continue without interruption.

“But, seeing as you have insulted not just me, but all the brave men and women who have worked tirelessly to make the church a safe place, free of the savagery you bring, a different, more immediate punishment is necessary to uphold the balance of the world. And seeing as you clearly have no practical use for your voice beyond petty insults…”

With that, before the girl even had a chance to process what he was saying, with a single, fluid movement, Maximus crushed the girl’s lung with his bare hand, causing it to explode outwardly, showing both of them in a cascade of blood.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

Immediately the girl let out an ear piercing scream, one that was almost immediately cut off as blood shot out of her mouth, splattering into the floor as her veins and arteries swung back into the portal as they were freed from the ruptured lung. The pain making her lose control of her body, causing it to start spasming helplessly before finally going limp as she went into shock.

That was too much. To have one of her internal organs forcibly ripped out and crushed was far beyond what many skilled soldiers ever experienced. And to Kitt, someone who rarely ever saw battle, this immediately broke her will, causing her to start openly sobbing as she stood trembling helplessly in the guard’s grasp.

But even as she lay helplessly crying, Maximus showed no emotions, simply staring back down at her, face unreadable behind his mask. 

“Take her to the medical bay. Treat her enough that she won’t die before tomorrow. And make sure she’s well guarded. I don’t want whoever she came with to mount a rescue.” He ordered with a wave of his hand. “I don’t know how many of these vermin managed to sneak in. So until we know, expect a battalion of anywhere from ten to twenty people. Pull some guards from the wall and assign a good two or three squads to her security. I don’t want so much as a moose to get close to her without me knowing about it, understand?”

“Yes, my lord.” The guard replied before turning and dragging the girl off, her form still trembling as she was taken away. 

Standing there for a few seconds, the three remaining crusaders watched the captive being taken away, until eventually disappearing down the corner that led to the medical wing, vanishing from sight and presumably, earshot.

And now with that matter taken care of, the pope turned his attention to the next task at hand.

“Ecclesia.” He said, keeping his back to her. But even without turning around, he could practically hear her square up, body tension as she gave a very tentative “yes?” in response to his call.

“You know I don’t like hurting those under me. But despite this, you insisted on questioning me twice today. And while I wish it wasn’t so, you’ve forced my hand and now must suffer the consequences.” Slowly, the pope turned around, facing the blond as he looked down at her with a gaze of harsh contempt that could be felt, making her shrink under it, her gaze falling to the floor. 

They stayed like that for a few seconds, before Maximus broke the tension as he let out a sigh, turning his gaze away from the girl.

“Ecclesia, I understand wanting that thing to live. I understand you are just trying to be compassionate. You’re always looking for a non-violent way to resolve things even when you probably shouldn’t. That kindness is something truly admirable about you.” He said in a much softer tone, one that made said girl look up slightly, a small hope blossoming in her chest that her punishment might not be too severe.

But those hopes were quickly dashed as when Maximus continued, his voice had hardened. And while not as terrifying as before, it still carried the heavy weight of her crimes' severity. 

“However, you crossed me, called my authority into question before my own subjects. Even to save a life, that is a truly unforgivable crime. As such, your punishment will serve as both a reminder of your place, and a lesson to help you grow.” 

Stepping forward, he placed a bloody hand onto Ecclesia’s shoulder, gripping it tightly to hold her in place as he knelt down to whisper into her ear, his voice, while quiet, held a harsh sting to it. 

“Tomorrow, that creature will be brought up to the church’s high wall. There, she will be placed upon a dead wood and covered in oil before being tested by our oldest tradition. Fire.” He said, digging his fingers into the girl’s shoulder, ensuring she was focused on every word. “If she should survive that ordeal, then you may try your hand at converting her. And should you succeed, then all her past sins shall be forgiven and she will be allowed into the Dogmatika order with a clean slate. No hard feelings whatsoever.”

Maximus paused for a second, letting Ecclesia try to figure out how this was a punishment for her before continuing, answering her question in a single beat of her terrified heart. One that made it race even faster.

“As for you, you will be the one to light the girl ablaze.”

Immediately, Ecclesia stiffened, her entire body sneezing up as a small gasp slipped out from between her lips. Eyes becoming as wide as plates at the pope’s command. Her? Act as an executioner? That was-!

“That’s your punishment, Ecclesia.”

Maximus’ voice broke through the blond’s thoughts, making her shakily look up into his eyes as he stared down at her, his hand tightening its grip on her trembling shoulder, indicating his seriousness.

“Ecclesia, you are kind, too kind. I hope this will teach you that in trying to save everyone, you will save no one. A harsh, but necessary lesson.” Maximus whispered before straightening back up and turning around, beginning to make his way towards the inner sanctuary, not looking as he called back to her from over his shoulder.

“I know you don’t want to do it but remember, we all have to make sacrifices for the greater good. I hope this act will allow you to leave behind that childlike naïvety in exchange for the glorious freedom of paradise that is so close at hand. After all, once we’ve sent the Tri-brigade to the Bystial, there will be no place for the greedy or selfish left in this world. And you, for all your great accomplishments and skill, the greatest selfishness is being unable to make enough self-sacrifice to ensure the protection of both the church and those under it.”

And with that, Ecclesia watched Maximus and Quen disappear around a corner, vanishing from sight and leaving her with only the sounds of heavy footfalls to keep her company.

And once those had faded, the young girl’s leg’s finally gave out, and she slumped to the ground, her whole body shaking. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The doors to the sacred holding chambers flew open as Maximus and his right hand strode in, his white robe trailing on the ground as he walked straight to the nexus, placing his hands onto the stone statue as they continued the conversation they had started on their why here.

“But why now?” Quen asked as Maximus began drawing in magic from the statue into his body, the doors to the room slamming shut behind them. “We’ve been down there before, fed magic to those Despia relics, living sacrifices too. Nothing happened. Why did they wake in response to some worthless animal?”

Despite the reasonable question, Maximus simply laughed in response to his second in command, his eyes closed as he drew in all traces of Magic from the entire city, letting him sort through it, looking for what an anomaly among the reliquaries he had made. 

“Now, now. No need to feel jealous.” He joked without looking back. “The Despia are as ancient as they are tricky. Remember, they’re not like you or me. Individuality is a foreign concept to them. So it’s possible that something beyond our realm happened to awaken the horde.” 

Quen let out a scoff, slamming her staff on the ground as she rolled her eyes.

“If that was the case, how come so few woke?” She countered immediately. “The church sits on a literal graveyard of these things and only one pit was activated. If something has changed and they are coming back, why not just wake them all? I mean, there’s enough buried below this very room to overwhelm the entire capital. Why wake only a select few.”

Her question was met with a few seconds of silence, her frustration growing at the apparent lack of concern from the pope.

“Sir, lest I remind you, if they should reach the Nexus, it would be child’s play from them to summon their world to ours. Completely overrunning the capital king before we’re ready for them. If we don’t act fast then-!”

“My dear Quen, after all these years, how is patience a virtue you have yet to learn?” Maximus said, cutting off the woman as he calmly withdrew from the statue, chuckling as he looked at two bright lights in his palm. “In war, one doesn’t open with their army, or their commando units. You open by sending in the scouts. By finding your target and picking the best way to seize it. And as you can see here, that’s exactly what’s happened.”

With that, he extended his hand, showing the first saint the two lights glowing in his palm. One a deep, sea foam green, the other a bright, bloody red.

“During the attack, two signals were used to connect to something in the church. One I noticed as I had the good fortune to be in meditation at the time.” He said, moving the green one forward. “This was the first. A two way message between two entities, one that was cut off the moment I tried tracking it. And given that only one person has been able to detect me when I used that tracking spell, I think we know who our first candidate is.”

“Kosmochlor.” Quen snarled, her grip tightening on her staff. “But that’s impossible. She’s supposed to be dead! Besides, her magic should have been devoured by the Despia!  Even with That power there’s no way she could have-!”

“Aww, but you forgot she isn’t the only one to send a message through the church today.” Maximus interrupted, holding out his hand, this time bringing the red light to the forefront. “This one, this is the interesting one.” 

Calmly, he picked up the light with his fingers, stretching it out into a long, singular string before the Saint.

“This message was sent by those creatures. Or more specifically, the one Ecclesia killed before reinforcements arrived.” He explained. “And while I tried to track it, it mangled to slip into a small pocket space that lay in between, one I couldn’t follow.”

With a snap of his fingers, the pope calmly dispersed the magic residue as he calmly looked Quen in her eyes.

“I’m sure you know what that means, it means that the end times are finally upon us. And soon, everything will fall into place.” Turning on his heel, Maximus turned around, walking to the center of the room, staring straight up at the stained glass mural above him, the moon light bathing him into various shades of red, blue and brown, making his robe glitter.

“We have much to do.” He murmured to himself before spinning around to face the woman. “Quen, redouble our efforts to crush the Tri-brigade. I don’t want them ruining the Conjoining. If we have to fight them on the same front as those damn Sword welding half breeds, we run the risk of losing everything we’ve worked for. And once they're done, make sure those freaks from the desert stay there. I doubt they have any interest in joining the rest of the world, but better safe than sorry. Inform the rest of the troops once tomorrow’s trap is spurge. Until then, nobody from the pilgrimage is to leave the city walls. Do whatever you must to keep them in, I don’t care! Just keep them in here.”

With that, he turned back to the Nexus, his eyes narrowed as he stared up at the head of one of the dragons, not needing to turn as he heard the doors swing open, then shut, indicating the departure of the head saint. 

“I don’t know who control the Despia, but whoever they are, it’s clear their making their move.” His gaze became a hard glare as he stared up at the dragons, his mind replaying the moment of heat, of burning pain, and the utter despair of having his dream snatched away from him at the last moment.

Clutching his hand into a fist, his sharpened nails digging into his palm, drawing blood, which he then used to raise up, rubbing it onto his mask to make his next words more than simple sound, letting them take the form of a blood pledge instead. One that he vowed in his heart as much as in his words. One that carried the weight of all those damn centuries he’d been forced to toil through to make it this far. Centuries that should have been spent in his paradise! 

“I refuse to allow someone else to steal the paradise I’ve work so hard to achieve!” He murmured, slowly removing his mask to reach up and rub his horrifically burned face. “Hear me, Bystial, the day you awaken, it shall not be I who gazes upon divine gods, but you who shall gaze upon me in all my magnificences. And than, you shall turn this world into what it should always have been all those years ago.”

And as he made this vow, while he didn’t notice it, high above him, the air began once again to fluctuate.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, in a destroyed world, a massive dragon, held aloft by patchwork wings, looked down at his opponent, now trapped beneath the rubble of a mountain he had collapsed on top of him.

“Hahah! Now isn’t that fun, oh noble dragon?!” He laughed with glee, relishing in the sight of his opponent struggling to free himself from the hundreds of tons of earth and rock that covered him. “You fought well, I’ll give you that. It’s just too bad that without the power of a Brand, you never stood a chance! But don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to apologize to your ancestors shortly. Because I’m ending this now!” 

Leaning back, the gem on the fiend’s mask began glowing a bright, brilliant red, magic energy leaking out of it, conjoining itself into a massive sphere above him.

“Not good!” The white haired dragon thought, now throwing the debris off him, letting his own armor be ripped off in his panic. “I can’t take a full power blast without a Brand to defend myself! Need to get away before-!”

“Too late!” The patchwork dragon laughed, the sphere now growing at a shock rate, reaching the size of a city already and showing no signs of stopping. “You can’t escape a blast like this! So say goodbye because this current has fallen on the show! Your dance is done, and while I wouldn’t mind round two, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for an encore!”

“Shit! I need to stop him!” The other dragon thought as he pulled himself free, immediately diving for his opponent. His panic grew at the same rate as the sphere. After all, if he let it get much bigger, the blast could engulf the entire continent!

But it was too late, lowering his head, the sphere suddenly vanished, or rather shrunk down to the size of a pea, hovering right in front of the patchwork thief’s mouth.

“Show’s over! Time for you to go bye-bye!” He screamed as he took a deep breath. “Time to exit stage nowhere because I’m blowing away everything on this stupid little pla-!”

Suddenly, the thief froze, his eyes going wide behind his mask, jaw falling open as he stopped mid attack. Immediately, he turned, looking up at the sky slack jawed, pupils shifting and shaking as he stared at seemingly nothing.

Then, a huge smile spread across his face, putting his teeth on display as he let out a hissing sigh, his forked tongue darting out as he did.

“Finally.” He breathed, eyes fixed in the same point in the sky. “I’ve finally found it! The next piece of the puzzle, the next seal to be broken. I’ve finally found the Brand of White!”  

Chapter Text

Darkness. Warmth. That was the world as he first remembered it. Being kept in a small, snug space that was wet and warm. It was comfort as it was all he knew. And had he been able to stay like that, he had no doubt he could have been happy. As while one is young, such simple answers were always the best.

Unfortunately, ignorance was not tolerated in this world, or any really.

He remembered the growing pain, the thrashing in his space as cold air started to rush in. He didn’t like it, it was uncomfortable. As such, the young dragon did the only thing he could think of, thrashing and shaking, clawing at the cold trying to bat it away, only to be met with more cold air as the warmth in his life slowly began to fade until finally, it cracked and he took his first few breaths of cold air. 

“Wwwaaah!” The baby dragon cried, its weak sobs shaking its whole frame as around it, many figures stood, watching him flailing about. 

“This is what we’ve risked our life for? Hmph. What a waste. Isn’t this one supposed to carry the blood of the king of the Void? How can something so important be so weak?” One of the onlookers snorted, crossing his arms as he looked down on the baby with disgust. He was tall,  with long white hair and a bulky figure. Adorned in funerary and silks, a red gem was affixed to his forehead by some type of crown, emphasizing his dark eyes that stared with scorn at the newly hatched baby.

“At ease, my friend. He will learn.” Another said, a younger, more relaxed voice when compared to the gruff voice of the first. “He just hatched after who knows who many years of forced stasis. He can’t help it.” This one, a slender, small man with medium length gray hair that hung down covering one eye. Unlike the tall man who had a pale complexion, this one had a much darker skin, more resembling dark clay than anything else. And while he too was covered in silks, they were much lower quality compared to the other man.

The owner of the second voice approached, picking up the baby dragon and wrapping him in a blanket, lifting him up to hold him against his chest, ignoring the not so subtle murmuring from the others gathered. 

“The other hatchlings came out swinging. This one barely made it at all.” The first man grunted, walking over to second. “Bloodline of the king or not, this one is by far the least impressive hatchling I’ve seen in years. You can’t seriously think of presenting this one as the next to inherit of the Brand.” 

Turning to the other man, a smile playing on his lips, the second man gently reached down and began stroking the baby’s cheek.

“As a matter of fact, I am.” He said without missing a beat. “I know he’s not much now, but perhaps a new method is needed in order for our survival. One that isn’t so completely tied to strength. One that is more…traditional than the others. One that has a future for all, instead of just one.”

At this, the first man threw back his head, letting out a bark like laugh. 

“Oh please, don’t tell you you actually still believe those stupid old stories.” He said, crossing his arms as he grinned mockingly at the sound man. “Those stories are just a bunch of hogwash! Just a bunch of fairy tales we tell children to teach them some history. To place any amount of faith in them is moronic! And that’s not even being to mention the incredibly stupid idea of a future for all.”

Cocking his head or one side, the first men let his expression become serious as his tone sunk to a dark growl. 

“There are only so many resources in any world. And this one is nearly spent. If we don’t take everything left for ourselves, we’ll have no energy left to leave and reclaim our power. And even if there was, do you honestly think such greedy, worthless creatures would be willing to share? They believe themselves gods and are more than willing to exploit this entire world just to make their own small, short, worthless lives easier! The way I see it, might as well just take everything ourselves since these humans are just gonna destroy themselves one way or another.”

Looking up, the second man simply stared at his aggressor with a calm and composed demeanor. 

“And look at where that’s got us.” He replied calmly. “We are facing extinction. If we continue to fight with the humans, then eventually there will be no one left. And when that happens, tell me, oh great leader, what will be left for us to reclaim?”

“I won’t lose!” The leader snapped back, throwing his arm out, his clawed hand creating enough wind that it blew the blanket over the baby’s face, making him cry once again. “I’m the strongest here, den mother. So I suggest you watch your words! I don’t take kindly to your constant coddling of our young, and if I decide you are more a liability than an asset, I’ll have you thrown out! And without your magic, I wonder how highly you’ll think of your precious humans then!” 

The den mother stayed silent at this, simply staring straight back at Leader, his gaze not shifting or faltering as he stood his ground. His gaze of calm indifference was met with one of barely concealed fury. 

They stayed like that for a few seconds. Then, without warning, Den mother turned his attention back to the child in his arms, pulling the blanket over him and rocking him gently.

“Shhh. It’s okay.” He murmured, looking down at the child in his arms, carefully stepping around High leader as he continued to rock the child. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. You're gonna be okay. Let’s get you to the nursery where you can meet your new friends. I know they’re gonna like you.” 

Behind him, Dem mother heard a snort of contempt, jeering laughter from High leader, one reeling of mockery and arrogance. One that had become all too common in the mountain caves they called home. 

But instead of taking the bait, he simply tuned it out and walked out of the room, entering the stone hallway while focusing all his attention to the small hatchling in his arms who was now staring up wide eyed at him. Their color already a pale pink, indicating the strong state of his heritage.

“Shush now, little one. You’ll grow soon.” Den mother murmured, lowering his free hand down to the hatchling, letting him play with his fingers. “One day, you’ll be the one calling the shots, the one sitting on the throne, not that old fool. And when that day comes, what crowns your head won’t be a title or a bath of blood. No, what will sit upon your head is far more valuable than that. Want to see it?”

Slowing to a stop, he turned down the hall, taking a route that led away from the nursery and handing deeper into the mountain, quickly coming to a sealed door set in the depths of their home.

Pushing the doors open, he stepped into a large chamber, one filled with a massive horde of gold, jewels, and fine clothing. Jewelry and coins of all denominations littered the floor, making it impossible to walk without stepping on them as along the walls were oriental weapons, many barring the marks of royal families or other nobilities that called this world home. 

But despite all the glittering treasures and riches, Den mother paid no mind to any of them, simply walking towards the back wall, a feeling of both excitement and fear taking route in his stomach as he felt the unrivaled power emanating from the very back of the room, practically calling out with an unhearable song that spoke both him uninterrupted peace and unfathomable war. 

And when he finally came to a stop, he found himself standing before a huge metal casket covered from head to toe in a red mark, one that stretched all the way around the object, practically crushing it underneath all its uncontrollable power.

“See this?” He asked, lifting up the hatchling to get a better look. “This will be your crown, one that represents all the riches we possess and then some. The most powerful pieces of our magic and the only one we were able to retrieve, the Brand of Red.” 

As he placed the baby closer, he felt the child shift in his hands, moving forward as if drawn to the Brand by the blood that burned within his veins. A call of his ancestors to the power that was rightfully theirs.

And as he stood there, Den mother found himself tempted to offer the child up to the Brand right now. To give him unto it and let it bind itself to his body, granting him the power to restore their greatness back to what it was, back to what it should be. 

How long had they been forced to toil away in these damn caves? How long had they been forced into hiding by the humans who overpopulated this planet? How long had they lived in fear that one day, the Despia would find them and finish their terrible work? 

With the power of the Brand, they wouldn’t have to hide, to live in this hell hole as humans destroyed it. With the Brand, they’d finally be free of their shackles and be able to spread their wings up into the sky, leaving this place once and for all, setting out on the long voyage to find their true, perfect home. One for them, and only them. A world of hope and life, not one of endless death and suffering. 

But alas, it was far too soon. 

“I know you're eager, but unfortunately you can’t command this power, not yet.” He said, lowering the child, who even as he was brought down, still reached out with both hands toward the metal case. “One day, you shall fulfill the prophecy and take the Brand of Red, becoming not a high ruler, but a king of paradise calling! A true ruler who shall lead us to salvation, lead us to peace and prosperity in a world all our own. One we won’t have to share with either humans or elementals. One truly made for dragons!”

Turning the child around to look the hatchling in his eyes, Dem mother smiled as he pictured the hero this one would one day grow into. One day. 

Unfortunately that day was not today.

___________________________________________________________________________________

“King?” 

Looking up at Den mother, the Prophecies one stared up at the red mark bound to the metal casket, red eyes wide with wonder. His white hair had grown in, highlighting the black silk he wore. 

“Yes.” Said Den mother, looking down at him. “You are destined to become the savior or our kind. One day, you will bear this Brand and lead us to a paradise that will be all our own. With no need to fight for territory with the humans.”

The young dragon turned back to the sealed casket, cocking his head to one side in curiosity.

“Why me?” He asked after a couple seconds of staring. “Why hasn’t anyone else taken the Brand? It’s right here. Couldn’t someone like Leader take it and lead us to paradise? He likes power and being in charge. Why hasn’t he done all that yet?”

Den mother let out a quiet laugh, turning back to the casket too, resting his hand on the young dragon’s head of white hair, smiling as he did so.

“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.” He said, staring right at the Brand. “You see, not everyone is compatible with the Brand. And when someone who isn’t tries to fuse with the Brand, they are rejected, violently.  Leader has tried many times. All of them have failed. A feat that, unfortunately, has happened to everyone else in our tribe. As such, the Brand remains outside our reach. That is, until we we found your egg.”

Turning to look down at the boy, Den mother smiled as he rubbed his head affectionately.

“You are a descendent of the last, and most powerful welder of the Red Brand. Its power flows through your veins.” He explained, making the child look up. “One day, when you're old enough, you’ll take the Brand and embark on a great destiny that will lead us to our salvation. And when that journey comes to an end, we will live in a paradise. One nothing like this hellhole we live in now.”

Turning away, Den mother’s eyes became foggy as he continued.

“A world full of resources and brimming with magic. A world with blue, clean skies, beautiful oceans, green meadows, and white, snowy mountains. A world devoid of conflict, of humans, of anything that could harm us. A paradise where, one day, we will finally find a way to unlock our true forms. Unshackling us from these…cumbersome forms.”

At this, the young dragon looked down at his own hands, staring at them as he clenched and unclenched his fists. 

This form was all he had ever known. Yet all of the elders reminisced about how much better their original forms were. Something he, and many others, couldn’t even begin to comprehend though they had all heard the stories many times.

Back then, they didn't need clothes or fires to keep warm. Nor had they needed to walk everywhere as they bore wings so strong, they could carry them hundreds of miles without a break. In those forms, no human had dared to attack them, as they were armed with not only magic, but claws the size of trees, with rows of teeth, capable of crushing humans with a single bite, with scales so tough, no blade or arrow could pierce their hide. 

All this painted a very clear picture in the young dragon’s head, something he could strive for, yet never achieve. A dream he could chase, even if he didn’t know what lay at the end of his path. 

But according to Den mother, with this Brand, that could all change. Never again would his kind have to live in hiding, nor would they be hunted by humans ever again. They wouldn’t just be free, they could escape this entire world! Freeing themselves completely from humanity and finding a new world, one completely suited to their needs! Achieve every dream his tribe ever had! 

And all of that rested on him.

“That’s a lot of responsibility.” The young dragon said, looking up at Den mother. “I’m not sure if I’m gonna be up for it. Can someone else do it? Someone older, with more confidence? I’m not sure if-.”

“Bha! Stop crying, stupid brat. It’s unsightly.”

Jumping at the harsh, new voice that joined the conversation, both the young dragon and Den mother turned around to find Leader standing in the entrance, hands folded as he glared at the white haired boy.

“Listen here, brat. That Brand is the key to our future. Like it or not, you are going to take it up upon your fifteenth birthday and lead us to our paradise.” He said, straightening up as he continued to glare. “Capturing your egg wasn’t easy and cost us several lives. Believe me, if there was someone else, we would have used them. You are our only choice, and you owe us that salvation. So stop whining like a little bitch and grow up. Because in a short seven years, you’ll be taking part in the ritual of Containment. And then, you’ll take us to a new world where we’ll get to live without the vermin of this one. Brat.”

 With that, Leader spat on the ground between himself and the other two, quickly drawing out a low growl from the young Dragon, as he was taught to do. 

“I’m not whining.” He snarled, taking an aggressive step forward. “And if I am the chosen one, you’d better stop bullying me cause if you don’t, I’m gonna leave you here to rot among the humans you hate so much! And that’s assuming it’s not too late for you anyway. After all, given how many times you’ve beaten me up, you should be thankful I’m even considering letting you tag-!”

The young dragon was cut off by a loud laugh from Leader, who threw his head back as he shook with mirth. 

“Let me?! Oh please! Don’t even kid yourself, you worthless piece of trash!” He roared. “You are the weakest hatchling I’ve ever seen. You can’t keep up with your peers, you can’t fuse without a massive target, you can’t even grow wings! You are literally the worst in the entire tribe! You couldn’t stop me from doing anything even with a Brand! Hell, I bet you couldn’t even with all four of em! You're literally worthless besides that prophecy! So how about you shut the fuck up and do the one and only thing you can?!”

Bristling at the comment, the young dragon took an aggressive step forward, his teeth extending into fangs and his pupils became slits as he let out a growl of fury. His body tensed as he crouched down, getting ready to lunge at the object of his rage! 

However, before he could even so much as take a single step, a hand shot out in front of him, blocking his path as someone else stepped forward.

“That’s enough, Leader.” Den mother said with a snarl, though with no other signs of aggression. “If you're only here to cause trouble, please leave. I’m still teaching this one our history.”

At this, Leader let out a loud Tisk, but turned away nonetheless. “Just don’t go making this one soft.” He called back over his shoulder as he started meandering back down the hallways. “He’s weak enough without you fucking him in the head with your stupid ideology of peace, or whatever else it is you teach.” 

Beside him, the young dragon simmered with rage, once again making to attack Leader only to this time be grabbed firmly by the shoulder by Den mother, stopping him in his tracks.

“Enough, young one. That’s a fight you can’t win.” He said, not taking his eyes off Leader’s retreating back. “He’s trying to provoke you, get you to attack him. That way, he can kill you while having the perfect excuse. You can try your luck once you’ve lived a century or two.”

“He’s still a bastard.” The young dragon snarled, spitting on the ground as he glared daggers at the other dragon. “I can’t wait to grow up and show him who’s really in charge here! And then, once I’m the one calling the shots…” Breaking off here, the young dragon turned to Den mother, his eyes burning with passion and determination, something reflected in his voice as he next spoke.

“I’m gonna make him bow his head to you and apologize for the years of abuse!”

Smiling at the little boy’s promise, Den mother reached out and began affectionately rubbing his head. 

“Well, I look forward to that day.” He said. “For upon that victory and your crowning as new High leader, we shall adorn you with the Brand as a reward for your victory and from there, you shall achieve your destiny.”

“Yes sir!” The child replied, a large, innocent grin spreading across his face as he looked up at his mentor. Passion and drive burned in his eyes as he now had a reason to bear his destiny and live up to his ancestors legacy! For now that he wasn’t alone, he knew there was nothing he couldn’t do. 

He was wrong.

___________________________________________________________________________________

“Aaaahhhhhhh!!!”

Burning pain seared his body, sending the young dragon to the floor where he began writhing in pain, blood pouring out of his newly skinned arms as all around him the sounds of battle could be heard. 

Why did this happen?! He was supposed to be the chosen one! The savior of his people! It was his ancestors who had created the damn thing in the first place! So why? Why did the Brand reject him!?! 

Was it because he was too young? Was that why it didn’t want to bond with him? But he hadn’t tried early out of greed or ambition, he had done so out of necessity! Their home was under threat, the outer territories sized! They had been moments away from entering the cave network and overrunning them! What other choice did he have?!

Writhing in agony on the ground, the now teenage dragon forced his shaking limbs up, grabbing hold of the casket where he once again tried to use his magic to merge with it. 

Immediately, the young dragon’s consciousness was ripped from his body. Just like before he found himself tumbling through nothingness as he felt a great, all mighty power pulsing through the air. Looking to the bottom of the void he found himself in, he saw a massive sphere of energy, radiating unlimited magic as something akin to a heartbeat emitted from its core. 

Slowly reaching out towards it, the young dragon tried to draw on its strength, to merge his body with it like he had been taught so many times before, to deconstruct himself and the mass and reform them both into a new being, one of equal power. 

But the second his magic scrapped against the sphere, an silent, deafening roar filled his head, blasting him back with the shockwave it generated sending him tumbling back, out of the void and into his own body while at the same time, ripping more skin and muscles from his arm.

“Aahhhhh!” The boy screamed as he tumbled back to the ground, one arm now completely useless. Blood beginning to pool underneath him as he stared up at the cave ceiling, eyes wide and bloodshot.

Was this it? His entire destiny, laid out before him snatched away by a silent god who refused to accept him despite his heritage? All those years of training and sacrifice his clan mates had gone through rendered completely useless by his own incompetence? Was everything leading up to this moment, his moment, worth absolutely nothing? 

“No!”

With a definite roar, the young dragon forced himself back onto his feet, his bloody arm dangling limply at his side. Reaching up with his other arm, he once again forced his way in once again, letting his power flow into the void, this time he demanded the Brand awaken and save them all! 

Diving straight to its heart, he gripped it with both his hands as his soul let out a furious cry. If it wouldn’t accept him, he’d tear it out by force! Rip his way to its core and write himself as being wor-!

Another deafening roar and the young dragon was expelled from the void, not even registering his back hitting the ground as his other arms burned in pain, muscles and flesh completely stripped from bone. 

He didn’t know how long he lay there, screaming in agony as all around him, the sounds of battle intensified. All this time wasted while his brethren died! He couldn’t afford to waste time on his own pain! He needed to bond with this stupid thing before the humans reached this point! 

Shakily, the young dragon forced himself back onto his feet, legs trembling and unable to take a step as he glared at the casket. He couldn’t be stuck here waiting for this stupid thing to acknowledge him! Leader had been slain. As had the vanguard he led. Everything rested upon him! He was the savior! He had to save EVERYONE! 

Using the last of his strength, he threw himself forward, banging his forehead against the casket, activating his power once again, forcing his soul once again into the void. Flying straight to the Brand, plunging headfirst into the power where he immediately tried to pull it into his body all at once. Knowing that if he could get even just a little bit, even the tiniest amount, he could use it to turn the tide of battle in their-!

Rrraaaooorrrrr!

The young dragon was blasted backwards, landing several feet away from the casket with blood pouring out of every part of his body, causing him to hit the ground with a wet splat, not even enough energy to scream. 

Staring up at the ceiling, the young dragon had never felt so helpless in his life. Why was this happening? He was supposed to be the savior of his people. Supposed to lead them to a paradise that was all theirs. So why was it now, as his people were dying, why was he lying here on the floor unable to do the one thing he was born to do? 

Was this it? Was his entire life a mistake? A simple case of mistaken identity? Was he even really the defendant of the great lord of the Void? No way one baring his blood could be this weak. They must have grabbed the wrong egg when they rescued him. He wasn’t supposed to be here, it was one of the others they had needed to grab, not him.

Thinking back on his life, seeing all the things he had failed at, he began to wonder why he hadn’t realized this sooner. The lord of the Void was the most powerful dragon in history, yet he was the weakest of his year. The last to awaken his magic, the first one out of enduring training, the weakest when it came to sparing. 

None of these were befitting of the defendant of the great dragon of the void. None of them. Yet he stupidly believes that one day, he’d awaken his greatness and shine like his ancestors did in the stories. All because he believed he was worthy of the limitless power of the Brand. But of course, he had failed at that too.

Slowly, tears started to leak from his eyes. All his emotions spilling out in large wet drops that he couldn’t even wipe. Behind him, he could hear the sound of heavy armored feet as the soldiers and their mechanical monsters approached the innermost chamber where he lay, and he almost looked forward to meeting his demise. At least dead, he could apologize to his fallen brethren and accept whatever punishment they deemed fit. 

Closing his eyes, he heard the footsteps reach the room, charging in through the open doors before spreading out, surrendering him. We’re they really so stupid to think he could fight in his condition? How comical. Well, at least he’d get a chuckle at the expense of the murders of his tribe. 

A few seconds of silence followed as the soldiers stared at his limp body, then one appeared in his vision, looking down at him with a sneer across his face.

“Well, well. Looks like someone did a number on you.” He grunted, nudging his head with his foot. “Guess you were the treasured one that was supposed to stop us the others lizards leapt talking about. Well, I got to say, you’re not look’n to intimidating.”

With that, without a moment’s hesitation, the man stomped on his bloody hand, grinding it against the ground so painful that the dragon would scream if he could. 

“You know, I’ve wondered, why is everyone so afraid of the big bad dragon? From what I’ve seen, you are nothing more than a bunch of average people with a bit of magic. And even then, you can’t do anything with it unless you have something around to merge with. Got to say, compared to the technical stuff our side comes up with, that’s kind lame, dragon.” 

Calmly, the man waved two more of his men forward, letting them grab the young dragon by his arms and haul him up, letting him get a good look at the rooms while holding him back just in case he had any strength left in him. 

“Well, today’s your lucky day, boy.” The man said with a sneer, leaning in to taunt the boy. “Because now, I’m gonna let you witness the raising of a new king! Because with that thing’s power, that foolish old man won’t have any choice but to surrender the crown to me!”

Throwing his head back with a laugh, the man turned on his heel and calmly strode toward the casket, grinning wickedly as he extended his hand towards the glowing light, as he practically drooled at the glowing red light.

“Finally.” He murmured. “Finally I’ll have everything I ever deserved! With the power of the gods at my fingertips, there’s no one who can stop-!”

Crash!

Suddenly and without warning, the deafening sound echoed from the ceiling before a large part completely caved in, with something massive dropping from above so fast, the man in front of the casket had just enough time to look up and let out a shrill scream before a huge, heavy armored talon came down on top of of him, crushing him into a bloody puddle on the floor.

“Stay away from my child!” The deafening roar of a huge dragon, clad in scales resembling iron plate armor, echoed through the chamber, causing the walls to shake as it leered down at the soldiers who scrambled back, forming a defensive line.

But where they saw fear and uncertainty, to the young dragon, he saw hope. For while his form may be different, the familiar scent of Den mother filled him with a small sense of comfort as he watched the fearsome warrior let out a breath of steam, practicing boiling the air around him.

“Annoying bastards! Why won’t you take a hint? If you value your lives, RUN!!!” He bellowed, sending a shockwave rippling through the cave that knocked several men off their feet, sending them tumbling to the end of the cave where they slammed into the wall.

But despite this, the men didn’t run, simply reforming their ranks to make up for the holes that the dragon had blasted through them. 

“Stand strong men! Don’t let fear take you!” One of the other soldiers yelled. “Reinforced will be arriving soon! Don’t lose heart! Remember if these things leave here alive, they’ll burn our town, plunder our villages, take our wives and destroy the natural order! Lest we destroy them here, our world shall be doomed!”

His words seemed to invigorate the other men, slowing their trembling as they held their formation with hardened resolve, glaring up at Den mother with their fear blocked by sheer determination. 

“Worthless fools.” Dem mother huffed, his eyes fixing on the one who had spoken. “You don’t need my help to ruin this world, you’re kind is doing just fine without it. But if you really want to meet your ends here…well who am I to stop you!!!”

With that, he lunged forward, his massive maul opening wide as he flames danced in the corner of his mouth. At the same time, the one who had spoken let out a cry in a language the young dragon didn’t recognize before the golems charged into the front, forming a wall defending the men as a wall of spears and arrows were loosed from behind them, filling Den mother’s mouth with pain as they dug deep into his soft skin. 

And as the room was soon filled with the sound of endless combat, more and more humans with their machines charged in, ready to fight the dragon even as he tore them apart. Their screams filling the chamber as the floors and walls were covered with their blood, the young dragon could do nothing but roll out of the way and press one of his ears to the ground, trying desperately to drown out the roars of pain as their weak weapons slowly but surely poked away at Den mother’s flesh, eventually letting his blood to fall from his opened mouth. 

Until finally, the only sound that filled the room was the soft crying of the young dragon as he lay upon his master’s lifeless corpse.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Years later, the lone guard of the Brand watched as the nearby kingdom fell to anarchy. Their people destroying one another over the dwindling food and clean water. Those who couldn’t fight had fled, seeking their fortunes on another’s continent that existed only in whispered rumors or myths. Leaving the others, noble and kings to war with each other over what remained. 

But while the fighting showed no signs of slowing down, the many kings had all fallen, either killed by a rival or torn about by his own kind. Ironic considering how much effort they had put into trying to steal the Brand a few years ago. 

Calmly, the last dragon hoisted his catch over his shoulder as he made his way back to his cave home. A simple deer which was nothing that grand, but it would keep him fed for a few days, depending on how stored it.

After the raid, the last dragon had to move, taking the casket from one hideout to another, always keeping hidden from humans while he searched for food. 

But right before he had left, he had torn open the treasure room, letting gold coins and jewels spill onto the floor, buying him time to make his escape after only taken what little he could carry as now, it was up to him to carry out the will of his people and find the true descendant of the lord of the Void. 

Luckily, while dragging the casket from one resting point to another had been exhausting, his journey had been for the most part uneventful, giving him time to come up with a plan to ensure he didn’t make the same mistake as Leader, picking the wrong person by accident. 

But as he traveled from place to place, searching high and low, he had quickly discovered why they had made such a hasty judgment as try as he might, he could find neither dragon nor egg anywhere across this accused world. 

“Maybe he hid his descendant somewhere outside this world.” He pondered as he claimed the cliff leading to his temporary home. “But travel between worlds is impossible without the power of a Brand. So why would he entrust us to find his heir if we can’t reach? That doesn’t make sense unless there’s another way to-.

“!”

Suddenly the last dragon broke off, dropping his catch as a new scent caught his nose. 

Whoever it was, it was no dragon, it was a person, but not any normal traveler. Whoever it was they reeked of blood and death, practically radiating magic as it cascaded down from above him where he had set up camp. 

Somebody was here, in his cave where the Brand was hidden! And whoever it was, their scent alone set shivers down his spine. Meaning they were probably not someone he wanted near the source of infinite power!

Without a second glance at his catch, the Dragon raced up the hill, sliding to a stop in front of his cave, where he grabbed the rusty sword he had picked up on his travels and leveled it at the very back where the scent was strongest.

“I don’t know who you are, but you need to leave.” He snarled, as he glared daggers at the figure in the back. In the dim light, he could only make out a humanoid figure about his own size, standing in front of the casket, back turned to him as he had one hand resting against its metal surface. 

“Aww. Alas, doth noble dragon has caught thou red hand! Whatever shall doth poor fool such as I do?” The stranger said, dramatically leaning back, one hand resting on his head as if he was performing in a play. “Alas, so close to scheme completion, only to be thwarted at last second by the last of dragon kind! Oh how unfortunate for such a fool as I!”

Eyebrow twitching in irritation at his very annoying way of speaking, the dragon would have probably snapped at him to talk normally if he hadn’t been so taken aback by what was just said.

How did this stranger know he was a dragon? And more importantly, how had he known where the Brand was hidden? After the raid, he had repainted and damaged the casket to make it unrecognizable to anyone should they see it! There was no way he could tell it was the same casket from the caverns his people had once occupied. 

Besides, he knew for a fact he had never smelled this man before.

“Who are you?” He asked, eyes flicking all over him to see if he carried a weapon. And upon seeing none, he felt a bit relieved. Whoever he was, he wouldn’t be that much trouble without a blade to fight back wi-! 

But then, he saw something that made his heart stop. 

On the metal casket in front of him, the ever present glowing of the Brand has disappeared from its surface, leaving only the cold metal husk as the only thing left sitting in the corner. 

Breath hitching in his throat, the dragon felt his mouth go dry as he turned back to the man, who was slowly turning around to face him. 

A cold sweat broke out over his forehead as a nervous feeling took root in his stomach. No, no way. Surely he was mistaken. He had to be! There was no way this…thing had done what no dragon had been able to accomplish. 

But as he turned to face him, the dragon’s face went pale as he saw the glowing mark on his forehead that his mask failed to obscure. And even though he had never seen it welded before, the dragon immediately knew that somehow, someway, this man had done what all his kind had failed to do. He had merged with the power of the Brand and become truly omnipotent. 

And as the thief finally finished turning around, a malicious, pure evil grin spread across his face as their eyes locked, showing the completely unhinged, bloodshot eyes that were barely hidden behind his mask. His voice, equally as unstable yet somehow measured as he let out a cackling laugh.

“Why, I am but a humble jester to the Despian lords. But if you want more information than that. Well, why don’t you stick around and find out?” 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Bang! 

The deafening crash of the white haired dragon’s armored fist slamming against the masked dragon’s faces, sending cracks spiderwebbing up the porcelain ornament and knocking him out of the sky and down to the hard ground below, shaking the trees from the force he generated.

“Something’s wrong.” The white haired dragon thought as he landed a safe distance away from his opponent, toppling a few more trees as he did. “Why did he suddenly stop like that? And what that nonsense he was just spouting? Did he reach his limit to how much power he can draw on?” 

Unfortunately, he got his answer shortly as the smoke and rubble was blasted away by the power of the Brand, leaving the dragon standing upright with his wings spread wide. 

“Ahah! That was a nice punch! Almost had me there!” He laughed, eyes fixing on him as he grinned back at him, folding his wings with a chuckle. “I must say, you have done spectacularly given you don’t have a Brand. In all honesty, you’d probably be a problem for me if I left you alive.”

Calmly taking a step forward, the gem on his forehead began to let out a radiant, almost identical to the one he had used right before getting distracted by something.

Taking a step back, the white haired dragon crutched down, getting ready to take to the air once again in case he launched the attack again. 

However, instead of creating a massive sphere of energy, it shot up, hitting the sky a few feet above him forming several black lines in the air taking the shape of a diamond before the center of it flashes a bright red, changing into a swirling mass of purple energy. 

“Fortunately for you, something far more important has come up. And besides, I think I’ve thought of a better, more fun way of dealing with you.” The masked dragon sneered as he extended his wings. “So, have fun living in this destroyed hellhole for the rest of your days! In the meantime, I have an ancient, very annoying seal to break! So, toodle pip!”

With that, the patchwork dragon opened his wings, and with a single flap, disappeared into the portal.

The white haired drawing stared blankly at the spot where the thief had just dipped, his mouth hanging open in stunned silence as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. Then…

“Hey!”  He bellowed, immediately charging after him, racing on all fours to move at full speed, giving him just enough time to leap into the portal before the black lines slammed shut, sealing off the pass after him.

___________________________________________________________________________________

A blur of colors flew past the patchwork dragon as he flew through the realm between, heading for his predetermined destination as the gem on his forehead shone brightly, releasing his power to cut through the space/time continuum.

“Hehe. I can’t believe how smoothly this is going.” He mused to himself as he glided almost lazily along. “To find not one, but two Brands so quickly is a sign fate is smiling down on me. Soon, I’ll be able to return to my true form. Finally ditching this stupid-.”

He broke off as a roar behind him drew his attention. Letting out an annoyed sigh and a grumbled, “just had to say it.” , he glanced behind him to see the white haired dragon flying in after him, his clumsy flaps making it abundantly clear he wasn’t used to flight. 

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” He called, turning to face his opponent, gem shining brightly as he created and charged up that same giant sphere. “Fine, have it your way! You want a hero’s end, I’ll give you one! Die, oh noble drag-!”

“Not today!” The white haired boy roared, pulling his fist back before driving it into the patchwork dragon’s face, punching right into the sphere, pushing it back into his face as he dove forward, throwing all his weight into the attack.

Unfortunately, despite the sheer volume of Magic power being pressed against his face, the masked dragon showed no signs of either damage or pain, simply chucking as he began to push himself upright.

“Hah! I know what you’re doing!” He laughed, eyes narrowing as he grinned at his opponent. “You think I won’t launch my attack at close range! Hate to break it to ya, but a blast this strong is more than capable of throwing you into the cold of open space!”

Gathering the rest of his power, while being careful to collapse the passageway, he made to fire it. Blasting the dragon away and ending the fight once and for all.

However, right as the sphere left his control, a smirk spread across the white haired dragon’s face.

“Yeah, I’m counting on it.”

Reaching around, the armored dragon grabbed the patchwork by his tail, and using his incredible strength to swing him around to swap their position, with the white haired dragon in the front of the tub with his opponent behind him.

Eyes going wide, the patchwork dragon realized what he was doing, and immediately tried to cancel his attack, but it was too late. The sphere shot out, detonating on contact and creating an explosion sending them both flying in opposite directions with the white haired dragon flying towards the tunnel’s destination, his opponent flying away from it!

With a roar of fury, the Despian beast immediately opened his wings to the fullest, costing around to try and use that moment to make up for the distance his opponent had put between them, letting him quickly sail back toward his opponent in free fall.

However, right as he got close, his eyes widened behind his mask as he saw brilliant red flames flare up at the corners of his mouth, a grin spread across his face making the patchwork dragon realize he had been played.

“Don’t you dare!” He bellowed, immediately trying to change course to avoid the attack. Unfortunately for him, it was too late. With a single, cocky smirk, a jet of flames shot out of the armored dragon’s mouth, slamming into his opponent blasting him out of the tunnel and into the chaos between worlds, his cry of fury being drowned out by the rush of nothing.

Smiling to himself, the white haired dragon closed his eyes, letting the current of chaos carry him towards his destination before the portal closed, leaving him trapped in the space between worlds forever. 

“Well, there are worst ways to go.” He thought to himself. “I got to get a bit of pay back on that annoying pest. And odds are, he’s probably going to land in some hostile world where he’d eventually be devoured by the native wildlife. No way their fight hadn’t left him drained and exhausted, making him too tired to fight with the power of the Brand much longer. The fact they were still in these forms was a testament to how much strain they were under.”

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder who the psycho was. To not only take, but control the power of a Brand, all in an instant. Was that even possible? And if so, who the hell was that man to be able to do all that?

“Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter.” He thought as the passageway began to close around him. “At the end of the day, I did all I could. Hopefully whatever world he lands in, it will have better protectors than me to carry on the legacy of-.

Bang!

Suddenly there was a deafening bang! Followed immediately by the white haired dragon hitting a hard atmosphere, knocking the wind out of him as he lurched back, his descent now being slowed by a physical world suddenly appearing around him!

Caught completely off guard, the young dragon let out a cry of surprise as he felt himself heat up at the speed of his sudden entry, making his eyes burn, forcing him to keep them shut. 

Immediately, his nose was assaulted by all kinds of new smells, some familiar, others new. But one thing he could tell beyond a shadow of doubt was that somehow, right in his trajectory, was a huge batch of humans all standing around doing nothing.

Now, he wasn’t sure what was happening down there, but one thing he did know was that they would die if he landed on top of them. Meaning if he didn’t do something now, things would quickly become a blood bath.

Opening one of his wings, he threw all his weight to the side, letting him turn his head, changing his path away from the scent of humans and towards an area that didn’t stink of their kind. 

Sailing overhead, the young dragon braced for impact by trying to curl up into a ball as best he could with his limited mobility. He knew that this wouldn’t do that much in the long run, but without any other form of defense, it was the best he could do.

And it was a good thing too as the next second, he impacted the ground with a deafening boom, completely leveling everything around hm. 

Slowly, as dirt and debris rained down on him, the white haired dragon slowly and shakily extended his wings, taking in gulps of air as he gripped his chest, listening to his pounding heart. 

“I’m…alive?” He thought, shocked disbelief filling his whole body. He must have reached the end of the portal before it had slammed shut on him, letting him escape into another world. And luckily enough, he had landed somewhere reasonably safe. 

Slowly raising his head from the giant dust cloud, the young dragon looked around, taking in his surroundings, squinting in the bright light of the sun. Wherever he was, it looked like a human castle. With white walls surrounding him on all sides and dozens of towers standing tall in around a lone, magnificent steeple with several stained glass windows shining their light in. 

But before he could take in the unnatural beauty, something caught his eye. 

It wasn’t a flash of light or a noteworthy scent. In fact, he wasn’t sure what drew his eye to one of the upper terraces, one stationed alongside the inner wall. It had what looked like some kind of ritual bonfire had been set up way up there, with a ceremonial torch, a choir, everything. 

But that wasn’t what his gaze was fixed upon. 

There, standing on the wall looking down at him was a young girl around his age. She was dressed in white armor with a white headdress that held her long, disheveled, blond bangs out of her eyes with the rest held behind her head with two slightly dissolved tight ceremonial buns. A short cape was draped around her shoulders with long tassels that hung down the front.

What’s more, a strange mark was embedded on her forehead, one that was radiant magic, not unlike a dragon. Though her scent even from here made it clear she wasn’t one. Something that was further confirmed by the huge hammer. A strange choice of weapon given how small she looked.

She appeared shocked, her gray eyes wide, mouth hanging open with a slight tremble in her arms that gripped the railing, knuckles turning white as she looked down at him.

And as they stared at each other, the two locked eyes, piercing red meeting light gray. And at that moment, while the young dragon didn’t realize it at the time, his fate and the young crusader’s, became completely intertwined in a way neither could ever hope to imagine.

Chapter Text

The early morning sun shown in through the stained glass window within the private chapel of the Dogmatika church. This was a place of sanctity as here crusaders were allowed to pray and show weakness without revealing their inner turmoil to the public. 

Here, knelt Ecclesia, her hands clasped and head bowed, knees sore from the amount of time she had spent resting on them. However, despite this, the girl didn’t move. Simply staying where she had been as she silently prayed for help to see this day through.

Above her was an image of four imposing dragons. Each one given a fourth of the window, letting the designer engrave each of their greatness without clashing with the others, silently looking down at the girl as she begged them for strength.

However, they remained silent, staring blankly down at her while giving know clear answer, leaving the girl’s mind in even more turmoil than before.

“Why won’t you answer?” Ecclesia thought. “Why can’t you give me a sign? You’ve always given me advice before, why won’t you now? I know I’ve made my mistakes in the past, eaten more than my fill. But is that really a reason to abandon my now in my greatest hour of need?”

Swallowing down frustration, the young crusader sent her message once again to the heavens, hoping that despite it not working the thousands of times she had asked before, maybe this time they would understand her plight. 

“Please, find a way to save this young girl today. And if not, please welcome her into your fold so that I may send her off knowing she’ll be able to join the great circle of death and rebirth. She is a child and couldn’t choose her own path in life. As such, I beseech you to show mercy unto her soul so that once you return to our realm, she might be reborn in a world without strife. I beg-.”

Suddenly, the doors to the chapel flew open, drawing Ecclesia from her prayers, and turning her attention to the person who stepped in.

“You’re still here?” Fleur asked, her heavy armored boots clanking on the stone floor, her lilac hair flowing out behind her as she had her helmet tucked underneath her arm. “You know breakfast has started in the mess hall and it’s planned to be shorter than normal. You should go down and get something to eat. After all, you of all people are going to need your strength.”

“Not hungry.” Ecclesia said immediately, turning back to the stained glass window, making her mentor raise an eyebrow in response.

“You? Not hungry? Who are you and what have you done with Ecclesia?” The older woman joked as she approached the young girl, looking down at her with an amused smile before turning serious upon not seeing her response.

“Hey, you okay?” Fleur asked in a much gentler tone, kneeling down and placing one hand on her shoulder. “Are you still upset about the Tri-brigade girl? For what it’s worth, this will probably be best for her. Trust me, their kind isn’t the type to permit failure.”

Looking up at the window, Fleur folded her arms as her apprentice turned her attention toward her, silently asking what she meant.

“Back when I was first promoted, I was sent on a mission deep into their territory. I was to extract a high value target and bring it back to the church. Back then, I thought like you, that we should try to convert those savages rather than destroy them. However, what I saw that day confirmed what lord Maximus had been saying all this time. They only care for one thing, themselves.” Pausing here, the older woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing.

“It was a graveyard.” She said, sounding almost like she was going to be sick. “A giant pit they’d throw their own kind into before cooking their remains to eat. Doing it all with a gleeful smile and happy songs. It was horrific. The stench, the blood, they had set up a giant bonfire as they hoisted their own kin onto giant poles, singing and dancing as if it was some kind of festival! It was just so…”

Breaking off here, the woman hugged her shoulders as a shiver traveled down her spine, turning the normally stoic woman a trembling mess as she gasped for air as if she had been drowning. 

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Fleur continued, her voice straining as she tried to hide how upset the scene had made her.

“Later, I found out what they were doing. Apparently, failure isn’t tolerated among their ranks. What they were doing was making sure those who failed repaid by serving the tribe even after death, ensuring they wouldn’t rest until after they all those who partake in cannibalism are also laid to rest. As I’m sure you know, the soul resides within the body and by refusing to lay them to rest, those souls are forever bound up in a torturous limbo where their only hope for escape is when the last of their cannibalistic kin is given a proper burial. Something that is not guaranteed with the current state of the world.” 

A heavy silence fell within the chapel as both women breathed heavily, taking in this act of pure barbarism so unfathomable, it made Ecclesia sick just from hearing about it.

She knew that not all Tri-brigade bodies were reclaimed. And that those specific high ranking individuals who were captured by the church were nailed to crosses or had their heads stuck onto pikes, effectively ensuring they would pay for the atrocities they had committed. But to damn their own kin to the same fate just because they had failed felt harsh to Ecclesia. Animals or not, it just felt wrong to apply social darwinism to even the dead! That was just-! 

“Sick.” She murmured under her breath, hands shaking as she tightened them into fists. “That is just so sick. How could anyone-?”

“It’s because they believe themselves above the national laws.” 

Looking up at her mentor, Ecclesia saw the dark shadows overtake her eyes, just like all the ones she spoke about the Tri-brigade. Only this time, with the context behind her feelings, the young blond saw not just disgust, but righteous anger and outrage, a sentiment she now started to share.

“They believe, just like forbearers, that they are above nature. That they are above the natural order, that they can do whatever they want without repercussions, believing that they alone know what’s best for both themselves and the world at large. And punish those who don’t hold up to their beliefs of their own perfection.”

Fleur came to a stop here, glancing over at the young woman beside him, her gaze hesitant, worried.

“Ecclesia, about today’s execution. Lord Maximus is-.”

“He’s using it as bait to draw out the other members who snuck into our church.” She finished, almost sighing as she turned back up to the stained glass. “After checking the register, we found her room number and her companion only to find him gone. Along with all their possessions. Meaning he’s roaming around somewhere within the church’s walls.” 

“Yes.” Fleur said stiffly, her entire body tensing at the thought. “And going off what that girl said, they’re probably going after his high eminence’s head. An event like this, where he’ll be out in the open, is the best chance someone could get. And if he shows up, then the event will turn into a battlefield.”

Nodding, Ecclesia rose to her feet, dusting herself off as she turned to her mentor forcing a smile across her face. 

“Welp, in that case we’d better get down to the mess hall before it closes. Can’t fight a battle on an empty stomach.” She said, grinning at her captain. “And with the risks so high, we’ll need to be performing at a hundred percent!” 

Taken aback by her sudden turn, Fleur stared at the girl for a few seconds as she made her way toward the door, her movements stiff and uncomfortable, telling the older woman a very clear story without her even needing to spot the way she gripped her right arm in an attempt to stop herself from shaking. 

Try as she might, Ecclesia was just too kind for this kind of thing, something that Fleur had noticed long ago when the girl had first started her training back when they were both children. 

Even back then, she had displayed her hate of having to hurt someone, even if it was with wooden swords which wouldn’t do anything but leave a bruise that would last a few days. The girl still preferred to disarm her opponents instead of going for the kill, something that had held her back many times during her climb up the church’s hierarchy. 

And even while she had learned to keep her emotions in check, she always brought as many Tri-brigade members back as prisoners as she could, never taking lives unless absolutely necessary. 

But now, lord Maximus was forcing her not only to take the life of someone who couldn’t fight back, but the life of a girl who was younger than Ecclesia herself. So it was little wonder the blond, no matter how much she told herself this was the right thing to do, or with the explanation of how truly evil the Tri-brigade was, found her resolve wavering at the prospect of performing this ceremony. 

Right now, she was probably the most vulnerable she had been in her entire life, save only maybe when his high Eminence had found her that fateful night, alone and sobbing in a stable, clutching the lifeless body that had been her whole world up till then. 

What she needed now was to know that whirlwind that had once destroyed her life, wasn’t going to happen again.

“Ecclesia, wait.” 

Coming to a stop at her captain’s words, Ecclesia turned back to see her sister rising up and making her way towards her, coming to a stop in front of her where she reached out and placed her hand on the blond’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I know this is hard for you, Ecclesia.” She said in a quiet, gentle voice. As if she was speaking to a scared, injured animal. “I know for all his greatness, lord Maximus can make mistakes. And while I do consider this one. Remember, he’s doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He wants what’s best for you, for all of us really, but you especially. After all, he plans to name you a saint a few years after we’ve dealt with those animals once and for all, and when you take that position, you’ll be expected to make some extraordinarily hard decisions. Decisions that may haunt you for the rest of your life. So remember, learn from this experience and once it’s over, you’ll be welcomed back into your place with open arms. Your life isn’t going to end today, and tomorrow, we’ll hold a feast in your honor.”

Smiling down at the girl, Fleur gave her shoulder one more reassuring squeeze as she knelt down to eye level with her sister, fixing her with a kind, honest gaze.

“Rule number fifty-five says we are not allowed to show weakness before any not within the order or below your rank. But as captain of all squads, I easily out rank you. So if you have any doubts or misgivings after today, feel free to take them up with me in my private chambers. I am always willing to listen to someone in need. So remember, there’s no need for you to bear this alone. I’m always going to be here for you, so you can talk to me whenever you want, okay?”

Slowly, Ecclesia raised her head from the floor to fix her gaze onto Fleur. And while there was still doubt carried in her eyes, it was held back by a stubborn determination.

“Right.” She murmured, her hand raising between them, her pinky shakily extending before the older woman. “Together forever. No matter what. I haven’t forgotten.” Her words were quiet, as quiet as that day over a decade ago. 

And just like back then, Fleur didn’t hesitate to reach up and clapped the younger girl’s hand with both of hers, squeezing it with a firm but gentle grip as they locked eyes, both baring their souls to the other.

“I promise.” Fleur murmured, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against Ecclesia’s, not breaking eye contact for an instant. “I will always be there when you need me, no matter what.” 

Her words, while simple, sent a wave of warmth through the girl, filling her heart as she gazed into the strong, determined eyes of her sister, her shaky breath evening out as she too pushed her head forward, pressing against Fleur’s with an equal amount of gentleness, giving what little comfort she could to her much stronger counterpart.

“You always have.” She said softly. “Thank you, Fleur, for everything.” Closing her eyes, Ecclesia focused on the warmth she received from the familiar touch of the one last family member she had.

“Hey, Fleur? Can I confess something to you?” She asked despite not needing the nod of agreement. “Back when I first engaged with those…things that came from the catacombs, I fought one before reinforcements arrived. And during that encounter, something strange happened.” 

Opening her eyes slowly, Ecclesia replayed the conversation she had with the green woman, unsure of how to broach the strange circumstance around what she had experienced that day. 

“And while I’m not entirely sure what happened, I think I-.”

Suddenly, the sanctity of the chapel was shattered as the sound of the doors being opened immediately drew the two sisters back to reality, practically flying apart as they turned to see who had interrupted them.

However, their anger quickly subsided as they were met with a familiar, friendly face standing in the doorway smiling at them. 

“Andrew! Your back! Ecclesia cried happily, quickly rushing over to the captain smiling as he took off his helmet. 

Andrew was an older man, with a large, bald spot overtaking the entire top of his head with fluffy, gray hair trailing down the back. A thin, yet full beard wrapped around his face from the chin up to the nose, turning gray with age. 

The man was short, easily a head smaller than Fleur, with a portly figure and gray eyes giving him a more gentle old man kind of appearance. One that today, wasn’t undermined by the huge battle axe he normally carried on his back. 

“Ecclesia! Good to see you!” The old man said happily as the girl came to a stop in front of him, an infectious smile spread wide across her face. “I heard the news! Going to be promoted to captain in a few weeks! My word how time flies! Why I remember when you were knee high and always getting in trouble for pillaging the kitchen! Now look at you! A fine young woman entering the marriage age! Why I never thought I’d see the day!”

“Well, don’t let that fool you. She’s still sneaking down there whenever someone takes their eyes off her.” Fleur said as she walked over to the man, playfully ruffling her sister’s hair as she came to a stop next to them. “Still finding crumbs all over her uniform whenever I go to her room. Something you’d think a marriage age woman wouldn’t do.”

“Hey! At least I’m not in the prime of my life and still single!” Ecclesia shot back, blushing slightly at the jabs as she pushed her sister’s hand off her head. “Besides, with all the overtime I help Andrew clock, he’ll be able to retire by the end of the year! I mean, when was the last time you heard the guy who was in charge of our hunting and foraging unit getting to kick up his feet in a lesser church while not having to worry about paying bills?”

“Never. Because they all quit after you showed up and started eating us out of house and home.” 

At this the three shared a laugh, thoroughly enjoying the familiarity and peace they had achieved. And while the execution was still sitting in the corner of her mind, at that moment, Ecclesia felt like everything was still going to be okay.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Noon, at the High Wall execution site.

The wind blew against Ecclesia’s face, making her flinch from the cold. Across the way, some of the soldiers were stacking several stacks of dry firewood against a long, thick pole with metal chains attached from about midway down and at the very base, leaving a very bad taste in the blond’s mouth. 

Just standing here, staring at it, knowing that a fifteen year old girl would soon be tied to it and burnt alive made her feel sick, resulting in her arms that were carrying the sacred torch to tremble, even as she fought to stay strong for the sake of the plan.

She knew it had to be done, knew that for their plan to work, bait was needed. However, that did little to ease her conscience. Using a kid like this, or in anything even remotely similar, just didn’t sit right with her, desperate times or not.

Taking a few deep breaths, the young woman attempted to steady her nerves by glancing over the edge of the wall, looking down at the people gathered to watch the event. Their eyes burning with righteous fury as they waited for one of the people responsible for ruining their lives to pay with theirs.

Seeing this, Ecclesia reminded herself that if she didn’t do this, the brigade would do the same to them, that they had been doing the same for decades. Dragging innocent people into a war they shouldn’t have to fight. They were now and probably for the first and only time they were ever going to witness justice being served out with their own eyes. All delivered by her hand. 

That’s right, she couldn’t afford to be selfish, not with so much on the line. She had to play her part and if she didn’t play it well, there would be consequences reaching far beyond just herself.

Taking a deep breath, Ecclesia looked back at the pole, keeping her head held high, putting on a strong front for the sake of the plan, her shaking slowing until eventually, she was sure anyone who might have seen could just pass it off as being cold.

And as she steadied herself, her head became more steady, letting the hidden sniper line it up perfectly into the crosshairs of the gun she was staring down.

“Executioner in my sights. Shall I take the shot?” An older woman lying prone on the roof of a tower several hundred feet away said into her radio, finger hovering over the trigger of her rifle, the blue energy stored within more than enough to turn the blond’s head into paste. 

The sniper in question looked exactly like Kitt, only a few years older with the same pink hair and catlike ears. But unlike the fifteen year old, she had a more developed and muscular body. ensuring she could hold the rifle far more stable as she took a deep breath, ensuring her nothing couldn’t throw off her aim as a burning rage filled her eyes. 

But that rage was somewhat tempered as a stern voice replaced through the radio.

“Negative. Keep calm and wait until we have eyes on Kitt.” The hard voice of Shuraig echoed through the headset clipped into her ear, causing the woman to move her finger away from the trigger, an annoyed twinge in her voice as she pressed the radio in her ear.

“Don’t tell me to stay calm!” She snapped back, a hard, venomous bite in her voice. “This thing tortured my sister and is now planning on killing her. You can’t seriously expect me to-!”

“Easy, Ferrijit.” Shuraig replied, his tone level and even. “I know you’re scared, but remember, we need to ensure the girl’s safe before we engage. If we kill the executioner before we have eyes on the girl, they’ll just kill her unceremoniously and in the dark, somewhere we won’t be able to reach. We need to be able to get her out and our best chance at that is when she’s brought out for their barbaric ritual.”

A short silence followed his word as he paused for a second. Then, in a more gentle and compassionate tone, he added a bit more to his speech.

“Ferrijit, trust me when I say your sister will be fine. We won’t leave without her today. I promise.”

His words, while somewhat unrealistic, did ease the young woman’s never, letting her take a breath as she kept the blond crusader in her sight. A bit of her internal terror fading at his reassurance.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long as the next voice that came through the radio was from someone she really didn’t want to hear.

“Hey, I hate to be that guy, but are we sure that’s the right play?” Rugal‘s voice asked via the coms. “Maximus himself will be attending and this is probably the best opportunity we’ll ever get to kill him once and for all. We won’t be able to sneak in again after today, sure it’s not best to take out the head honcho when we have the chance?”

Immediately reaching up to her ear, Ferrijit pressed the button to talk as she prepared a volley of curses to hurl at the man. If he thought she was abandoning her sister, she’d be more likely to turn her sights on him instead!

But before she got to voice her opinion, the sharp snap from their elected leader cut her off, his harsh tone carrying clear through the radio.

“Rescuing Kitt is our top priority. Everything else can wait.” He said firmly. “Once we’ve gotten her, if, and only if the opportunity comes up, then we kill Maximus. Right now, protecting our future is more important than ending that tyrant’s life.”

His word disarmed the young woman, causing her to lower her hand as a small smile spread across her face. That’s right, this was still the same Shuraig she had played with as a kid, the same compassionate boy who, despite being thrusted into a leadership role he didn’t want, had allowed them not only to survive, but not become the monsters the church said they were. A truly beautiful and kind soul, something rapidly disappearing alongside the world’s resources.

And as this thought passed through her head, she was reminded she wasn’t the only one to think that.

“Hehe, typical Shuraig.”  Fraktall said, his grin practically echoing through the radio. “Always putting people first. Even if some might think it’s dumb. That’s the style of our great, moronic captain.” A short pause followed here, and the entire team could effortlessly picture him shaking his head with a smile plastered to his face, knowing what he was going to say before he continued.

“Welp, the hell with it. He hasn’t steered us wrong yet. Might as well see how long that streak lasts!” 

At this, Ferrijit laughed quietly to herself, her nerves starting to relax a bit as her team added their affection to Shuraig’s plans and how they almost always worked out somehow. 

Unfortunately, this sentiment was cut short by the gravelly voice of Nervall, his tone turning everything serious.

“Hey, heads up. I’ve got eyes on Kitt. They're bringing her out which means they're about to begin.”

Quick as she could, Ferrijit turned back to her rifle, looking through the scope and scanning the wall, her heart both breaking and filling at the same time as she could sight of her sister. 

Kitt was led out with her arms bound behind her back by two crusaders who wore identical masks, indicating they were part of Maximus’ personal guard. Something someone could already gather by their unnecessary cruelty.

Her sister was being led by a noose around her neck, one that was tightened just enough to let her breath and stay conscious, but restricted air and blood flow enough to make it painful. What’s more, they had taken her shoes and left her blindfolded, so she was forced to stumble after them, cutting her feet against the ground she couldn’t even see.

Fury immediately boiled inside Ferrijit’s stomach, making her almost open fire on the bastards who dared lay their hands on her sister. Even from this distance, she could tell she was scared, shaking despite the brave front she was trying to put on. 

Fortunately, she was able to restrain herself, finger only brushing against the trigger, not pulling it enough to set it off. 

Agonizingly, the young woman was forced to sit there and watch her sister dragged to the bonfire, her arms and legs chained to the center of the pole, then had a type of ceremonial oil poured on top of her, making her squirm as the liquid got into her fur. 

Once covered, the guards stepped back,  disappearing back into the door they came from, shutting it behind them without making a sound, leaving the blond executioner standing all the wall alone. 

But that didn’t last long as the next second, trumpets resounded through the courtyard, drawing all eyes up to the high wall as several men and women dressed in beautiful white dresses entered from the tower on the other side of the wall, a large, burning brazier carried aloft on their shoulders.

At the same time, the doors to the balcony of that tower swung open, allowing three figures to walk out onto it, letting them overlook both the courtyard and the high wall. Something the person at the head always seemed to do.

Maximus, followed by Fleurdelis and Quen, came to a stop looking down at the gathered people, his long, white robe barely stirring in the cold wind as he raised his arms, quieting the whispers of the onlookers below.

“My friends, I bid you welcome.” He said, voice booming out to be heard even from this distance. “Today is a day of celebration, of joy! Today is the start of a new era in the history of the Dogmatika church! One ushered in by you and the hard work you’ve put in! Now, bare witness to the fruits of your labors!”

Making a grand sweeping motion, he drew their attention to the bound Kitt, pausing for a second as they watched her ears twitch, confirming she wasn’t human.

“Yesterday, a Tri-brigade member tried to infiltrate our castle, to attack us during this time of peace, to destroy our way of life and restore their greedy ways. To do this, she brought an army of automatons she activated in the catacombs of our church. Her plan? Kill every single person gathered here and take your heads and place them on a spike to spite the entire human race! An act no more barbaric than what we’ve come to expect from these animals! An act of senseless cruelty on a scale we’ve never seen!”

His words sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd, one that quickly changed to outbursts of fury and disgust, immediately booing the girl as they hurled insults at her, and while their voices didn’t quite reach, the cacophony of noise as well as their tones made it very clear their opinions on the matter.

But before they spiraled completely out of control, they were silenced as Maximus raised his hand once again, indicating it was his turn to speak.

“I know your righteous anger, can feel it! You have been wronged by these savages and are justifiably enraged.” He called, his voice echoing through the entire church, rebounding off the walls, reaching every inch of the people who heard him, calling to something inside everyone who heard him, whether they knew it or not. 

“But know this, we shall not fall to this wretched selfishness! We are above such petty tricks, above such primal needs! We are not so weak and spineless as to crawl in the mud and call that life! For we understand the difference between life and merely surviving! We shall live our lives with dignity, honor! For without these things, we are no different from animals!”

With a single sweeping gesture, he drew all eyes to Ecclesia, his hand opened, presenting her to the people.

“Oh virtuous Ecclesia! I command these! Take hold of your righteousness and dignity! Welded them as your sword and shield! Show these worthless animals the weight of our convictions! Show them the consequences of daring to defile our homes and faith! Show them the fury of the Bystial!”

Taking a breath, Ecclesia moves on her cue, calmly stepping forward and igniting the torch with the fire from the brazier, immediately causing a whiff of smoke to shoot upwards, charging its shape into that of four dragon heads that had their mouths open in a silent roar. 

Below her, the young woman could hear the collective gasps as the people watched the smoke rise into the sky, the four heads swirling together before disappearing into the air, leaving only a few small wisps behind. 

“Oh great Bystials, though you cannot be here today, I pray that you will honor us today as we repent for our sins and give back what was never ours to take!” Maximus continued with the ceremony as Ecclesia rounded toward the pink haired girl, her hand tightening on the torch. 

This was it, the time for her execution was rapidly approaching. Steeling herself, Ecclesia took a deep breath as she waited for the signal to begin, trying to drown out the noise from the people below.

“Here and today, the young maidan before you has been chosen to act in your stead. I pray this satisfies you as you once fought to save us! We, your humble servants, shall continue to make do in this wretched world as we wait for the day we can walk together hand and hand, as we should have all those centuries ago.”

That was her signal. Acting immediately, Ecclesia began to forward, holding the torch high as she approached the bound girl, flames dancing and flickering in the wind as Maximus continued his speech. The loud, booming voice helping her drown out the sound of the people talking and pointing below her.

…wait…pointing? 

Glancing to her side, Ecclesia saw the people below her, staring up at lord Maximus, some even pointing towards him with expressions of shock and fear, something that caught the girl completely off guard.

Why were they afraid? Back when this had first started, they had been ecstatic about watching their hated enemy burn. Why the sudden change of heart? Had he said something weird during his speech? No, that was unlikely. He had been up all night working on it. No way he wouldn’t have ironed out any rough edges. So what had gotten everyone so worked up over the execution?

Turning her attention to the crowd below, Ecclesia scanned the people below her looking for anything out of the ordinary which might clue her in on what was going on. And after only a few minutes of searching, something else caught her eye. 

Down among the people, a child sitting on his father’s shoulders was staring up at her, eyes wide as he pointed toward her, saying something to his parent with a fearful expression before looking back up toward the girl. 

But as he did, instead of meeting the girl’s eyes, he looked past her, gaze fixing on a point just past her ear, immediately making her pause in confusion. He wasn’t looking at her? But then what-?

Immediately, the girl spun on her heel, looking up to the sky where her mouth fell open, her eyes widening as the grip on the torch went slack in her hands at what she saw, leaving her completely stunned that she didn’t even remember she was in the middle of a sacred ceremony, her brain completely shutting down save for a single question that forced its way into her head, consuming everything else leaving her with that single thought.

What was that?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, on the other roof. 

“I’ve got the executioner in my sights. The rest of you in position? I’m about to take the shot?” Ferrijit said into her radio, putting the blond’s head at the center of her sights. “Not sure why she stopped but I won’t complain about an easy shot. Let me know when you’re all ready.”

After asking, the young woman went silent as she waited for her teammates’ response, expecting them to give quick affirmatives, or an almost there at least. 

But upon being greeted by several seconds of silence, the woman became somewhat annoyed, pressing the button on her mic once again, trying to keep the girl in her crosshairs.

“Hey! Respond, damn it!” She snapped only to be greeted with more silence. “What the hell is going on down there? Someone want to tell me what’s got you all so tongue tied that you can’t even focus up to save one of our-!”

But as she spoke, the winds started to pick up, forcing her to look out of her scope in annoyance to reposition her gun. And that’s when she saw it. 

Looking up past her target, Ferrijit’s mouth went dry as she stared at the sight playing out just behind the execution site, her gun nearly slipping from her hand as she felt every nerve in her body shut down, leaving her staring up dumbfounded as ripples split across the sky, distorting even the light of the sun as it grow bigger and bigger, making the sky look like the surface of moving water. Shifting and changing every second like it was writhing and squirming, trying to get something out!

Acting on instinct, the young woman slowly got to her feet, staring up at the sky in disbelief, her hand shaking as she reached up for the mic in her ear.

“Hey. Is this part of the execution?” She asked despite knowing the answer. And while she received no reply, her question answered itself as things on the high wall continued to develop.

__________________________________________________________________

Noticing the commotion blow him, Maximus broke off his speech to take us eyes off the people and execution, turning around to look at what was drawing so much attention, his eyes widening behind his mask as he stared up at the sky, taking a step back as his mouth fell open yet trapped into shocked silence . 

Beside him, Quen took a step forward, resting her hands on the railing as she stared up at the sky, her eyes wide as well, face turning even more pale as absolute terror began to take root in her eyes.

“It can’t be. No way. This can’t be happening. Not again.” She murmured quietly, more to herself than anyone. Yet despite that, her words drew the attention of the head captain standing a few feet away, making the lilac haired woman turn away from the phenomena and sneak a look at her superior.

“Again? What does she mean again?” The head captain wondered. Had she seen something like this before? No, that was impossible. She had known the head Saint for most of her adult life, she been born to a missionary, never leaving the city before she became a crusader. No way she could have encountered this before. That was impossible! 

Then what did she mean aga-?

But before she could finish that thought, the sky let out an ear splitting groan, immediately making several people clamp their hands over their ears as the sound like metal bending split through the sky. Then, without any other warnings, it ripped open revealing a swirling mass of purple energy while expelling gusts of wind that ripped through the castle, knocking several people off their feet! 

“Aahhh!” The scream echoed through the execution site, sending the people scrambling to find cover, taking shelter behind trees and rocks, holding onto them for dear life as the wind from the portal only intensified, quickly sending both civilians and crusaders who weren't behind something flying into the far wall. 

And the church wasn’t the only one caught off guard by this sudden development. 

“Gah!” Ferrijit cried as the wind knocked her back, sending her flying off the roof she had chosen as her perch, the woman barely having enough time to catch hold of the edge with one hand, the other clutching her rifle by its strap as she flapped around in the wind like she was a freaking flag!

“W-what’s going on!?!” She screamed into her head piece as she began pulling herself back to the roof, managing to come to a rest on her elbow, using the slant of the roof to act as a shield against the wind. 

“I have no idea!” Shuraig yelled from his position inside one of the towers, the stone building swaying in the wind like a tree! Forcing him to rush to a nearby doorway where he grabbed onto either side of the frame, steadying himself. “What’s the status of the execution?! I’ve lost visual!”

“I’ve lost my shot!” The woman replied, trying to pull herself back onto the roof. “Maximus opened some kind of giant rift over the church! I’ve never seen anything like it! But I don’t see how this is either ceremonial or a way to trap us!”

A few minutes of silence passed as the Tri-brigade leader worked his way around to the staircase, coming to a stop next to a window facing the execution, letting him get a look at what was going on, his mouth going dry as he looked upon the giant tear in the sky.

“I don’t think this is Maximus.” He breathed out, his face paling as he stared at the massive portal in the sky. “I’ve never seen something like this before, not even close. If Maximus had this kind of power, he’d have destroyed us by n-.”

But before he could finish a deafening sound echoed out from the portal, one that sounded animalistic, ferocious and terrifying! A sound that drowned out all other and caused the windows in the entire wing to shatter, sending glass raining down onto the people below. 

The sound was a roar. But not one anyone recognized, it was too big, too deep. Not even the great sand worms of the wasteland or the man eating plants of the jungle could compare. No, what was making this sound was significantly larger, and several times more terrifying. And what was worse, during the duration of the sound, despite the deafening sound, it definitely sounded like it was getting clos-!

“Rrrrooooaaar!”  

A second roar ripped out of the portal, this one filled with undeniable fury and rage, sending fear pumping through the bodies of any warrior who heard, and practically scaring those who weren’t to death. Many people in the courtyard fainted from sheer terror of whatever was inside that portal!

Meanwhile on the High Wall, Ecclesia teleported back onto the stone surface after being blown off, the girl digging the pointed, back end of her hammer into the ground to keep her in place as she was bombarded by the powerful wind, her hair and tousles billowing out as she clung to her hammer for dear life. 

The torch and brazier had both been blown out, with the former disappearing and the latter falling to the courtyard below. The many guards and ceremonial figures had fled, taking shelter inside to avoid being blown off the wall, screaming as they had ran. 

However Ecclesia had not noticed any of this, for the second the portal had ripped open, a sharp pain had erupted in her skull, sending waves of agony crashing through her body forcing her to her knees. 

At the same time, her Stigmata had begun to glow, blinding her with the light shining from her forehead as a voice she didn’t recognize yet felt incredibly familiar echoed through her head, impossible to ignore as it filled every inch of her head.

“They're coming. They’ve found us!” 

What the hell was going on!?! Who was speaking? What was coming? Who had found her? And what did it mean when they said them? Confusion filled the crusader’s head as a thousand questions that had no answer overtook her mind, drowning the chaos that surrounded her. Making it impossible to focus on anything else. Just what was happening to-?!

“Aahhh!” 

A scream tore through Ecclesia’s thoughts like a hot knife through butter, pulling her attention out of her mind and up towards the source of the sound in front of her. There, the Tri-brigade girl was clutching the pole she was chained to, holding onto it for dear life as the wood below her had blown away, leaving her with no cover against the wind. 

However, the pole had started to become uprooted, the wood splintering at the base causing it to rock violently, coming dangerously close to completely snapping off completely, taking the bound girl straight over the edge with it.

Seeing this, Ecclesia felt her heart skip a beat. Immediately, she bit down on her cheek, drowning out a fragment of the pounding pain in her skull as she struggled to her feet. Tri-brigade or not, she wasn’t going to leave a child to die a pointless death from…whatever was happening above the church.

Drawing on the power of her Stigmata, Ecclesia 's power flowed through her as she tried to teleport to the girl. However, when she did, instead of a neat, peaceful reservoir, she was greeted instead a sea of boiling water, one that pushed back, almost drowning her in its wake, scalding her soul as she was forced to cut the connection with a scream, nearly losing her hold on her hammer as she did.

What was happening to her!?! First losing memories, then voices in her head, now she couldn’t use the power of her Stigmata? This had never happened before! Why was she only now having these weird mental hallucinations? She had been branded with her Stigma since she was a child! Why was all this weirdness happening now?!

Fine, she’d do this without magic!

Planting her feet on the ground, Ecclesia gathered all her remaining strength, focusing her mind onto what was in front of her. Then, taking one last deep breath, the girl broke out into a full sprint, charging straight toward the chained up girl as fast as her legs could carry her. 

And as she ran, this sudden movement caught the attention of several people, snapping them out of their stunned state.

“Ecclesia!!” Fleur screamed, immediately jumping from the terrace, ignoring the protest cries from the head saint as she landed on the High wall and rushed toward her sister, not bothering to put her helmet back on. 

At the same time, the sudden movement drew the watchful eye of Ferrijit, who had just managed to pull herself onto the roof, clinging to it to stay upright as she was bombarded by the wind. A factor that all but left her mind when she saw the crusader rushing toward her sister.

“No!” She cried, immediately sizing her rifle and raising it to eye level, placing the young woman’s head into her crosshairs and pulling the trigger, letting her bullet shoot out, flying straight toward the crusader’s head with terrifying precision.

However, the instant before impact, Ecclesia stumbled as the wind managed to knock off balance, causing her to fall face first to the ground, the bullet cutting through the back of her skull, letting red blood leak into her blond hair as blood poured from her nose compliments of the hard stone she had landed on. 

But despite the injuries, Ecclesia either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Swallowing back the pain, the girl pulled herself back to her feet and as Ferrijit released the cartridge from her chamber,  lunging forward and grabbing hold of the pole the young girl was tied to.

“I got you!” Ecclesia screamed, slammed the back of her hammer into the ground, digging it in deep as she used it to lock herself to the ground.

And not a second too soon.

“Rrrooa-!” 

Suddenly another roar from the rift ripped through the air, this one cut short as if whatever was making it had been interrupted. But regardless of what had happened, the second the sound ripped through the air, it was followed by another powerful shockwave that shook the entire church, easily shattering every window even remotely close to it and knocking everyone still on their feet to the ground. Including Fleur and Ferrijit.

At the same time, the pole was ripped from the ground, immediately flying into the air toward the edge of the wall, almost taking the girl over with it if not for Ecclesia. 

“Aaahhhhh!” The girl screamed, clutching the pole with all her might, her blindfold flying off in the wind letting her see the chaos around her, which only seemed to make her more panicked.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” Ecclesia bellowed over the wind, trying to calm the girl as she heaved the pole closer to the ground, dragging the girl with it as she dug her heels into the ground. “I’ve got you! Just hold on!” 

“Are all your executions this extravagant?!” The girl cried, half joking, half terrified. “Because if so, next time I’ll just take having my organs crushed over this kind of ridicules-. The portal!”

The girl broke off mid sentence as she pointed (as best she could.) skyward, drawing the blond’s attention to the portal right as it began to shrink, winds dying down as the air went silent, not a single roar echoing from the spatial distortion as it seemingly began to collapse in on itself. The rigid edges folding in on themselves like a closing flower that had begun to wither. 

“It’s…closing?” Ecclesia murmured, her eyes going wide as she stared up, barely noticing the girl as she and the pole fell to the stone floor, the wind no longer strong enough to keep her in the air. Nor the glowing Stigmata on her forehead starting to die down. “But why? What happens? What’s going-?”

Suddenly, before she could finish that thought, a deafening bang rang out, releasing another shockwave that blew anyone still on their feet to the ground, causing the many towers that surrounded the High wall to shake, one of them even starting to topple causing the people inside and around to panic. 

But that panic was nothing compared to what happened next. 

The portal, right as it was about to close in on itself, some…thing slammed into it, breaking the very air around as it crashed head first into the mass of energy where it hung in suspended animation for a split second, then shot out as the entire air around it exploded wrapping around the thing in fiery streams, turning whatever it was into a giant fireball. One headed strike towards the church!

“Oh come on! Now what?!” Ecclesia cried, taking a step back, absolute terror filling every corner of her body as she stared up at the thing descending towards her, moving so fast, it was starting to burn up as the freaking meteor descending upon the church, her eyes wide in shock as she found herself unable to move. 

Below her, she was aware of people screaming as they ran for the cover, as if that would do any good. From the trajectory of the meteor, it was set to crash straight through the High wall then into one of the church’s towers, toppling it right onto the building the civilians were taking cover in, flattening both! They needed to stop the thing if they wanted to survive.

But how were they supposed to do that?! Ecclesia herself knew that in no uncertainty, nobody save, maybe Lord Maximus himself could stop something like that, and even then he would need to be directly linked with the Nexus, which sat at the heart of the church, much too far to reach in time. 

Staring up at the descending death that bathed her in its brilliant, horrible light, the helplessness of her situation swallowed her whole, making the young girl realize this was it, the end had arrived and not just for her, but everyone who had gathered here. They would all die from some random act, a fate so cruel that it must have been the will of the gods.

And so, with he life flashing before her eyes, Ecclesia did the only thing she could think of, and that was pulling Kit to the ground and lying on top of her, shielding as much of the younger girl as she could squeeze her eyes shut bracing for the impact of the fiery death from above. 

Suddenly, a shadow covered the young girl, blocking out the heat from the descending star. Looking up, Ecclesia’s eyes widened as she saw Fleur standing in front of her, arms outstretched to protect her younger sister from any harm.

“Fleur!” Ecclesia screamed, her panicked voice breaking in terror for her older sister, making the blond rise and almost rush over to her, trying to get her out of the way. She didn’t care how strong the woman was or how much armor she had, no way she’d be able to stop a meteor!

But a glow from Fleurdelis’ armor brought her to a screeching halt, watching the restraining Stigmata start to shrink off, causing the woman to crackle with lightning. 

She wasn’t trying to stop the meteor, she was trying to destroy it! She planned on blasting it out of the air, breaking it apart into several tiny pieces, scattering it across the church which would cause more damage, but save multiple lives in the process.

Would it work? Ecclesia had no idea. But if it did or not, one thing she knew was that she was currently right in the blast zone.

Unable to reach her previous position, Ecclesia instead turned away, ducking her head and covering her ears with both hands as she braced for the shockwave. For Fleur to even have a chance at destroying that thing, she’d need to use her every ounce of her power. Something that the young girl had never seen before!

Taking a deep breath, Ecclesia braced for the blast of electricity from Fleur, knowing full well she was still danger close, but not having the time to get away. She’d just have to grit her teeth and bare it.

But the deafening sonic-boom she was expecting never came. 

“What the?!” Her older sister’s surprised tone drew the blond’s attention, making her look up with her eyes widening as she saw the meteor had somehow changed course, now sailing much higher than before, heading towards the abandoned training courtyard instead. 

“What?” The girl murmured, her eyes wide as she watched the meteor fly right over head, the wind it generated nearly knocking her off her feet as she stared in stunned silence. What had just happened? That thing had just changed course mind flight! You didn’t need to understand anything about physics to know that should be impossible! What’s more, it had aimed itself toward an abandoned area, as if it was trying to avoid the people gathered at the High wall. 

It was almost like it was alive!

“Get down!” 

The scream from Fleur didn’t register to Ecclesia before she felt the woman’s hands around her waist as the older woman tackled her from behind, sending them both crashing to the ground with the lilac haired beauty on top, hugging the blond to cover her as much as possible, trying desperately to protect her from the imminent danger.

And not a second later, everyone felt their souls leave their bodies as the meteor smashed into the ground.

BBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!

The meteor struck with a deafening explosion, shattering any remaining glass in the area, drowning out the screams of civilians and crusaders alike, causing all of them to go crashing to the ground as everything within miles shook violently, uprooting trees, breaking bridges, and toppling statues as dirt and debris was thrown up into the air, coming down all over the landscape in what looked like brown rain.

On the roof, Ferrijit let out a shrill scream as the tower she was on came crashing down, crushing one of the nearby walls as the crusaders who defended that point were sent scrambling back, taking cover as best they could to avoid any falling debris, not even noticing the sniper as she was thrown high into the air before falling several hundred feet to the ground below her, picking up speed as she went. 

Looking around frantically, the Tri-brigade members desperately tried to break her fall by catching a torch sticking out of the wall, only for her strap to break instantly, leaving her flailing in free fall. 

“Shuraig!” She screamed at the top of her lungs as she saw the ground fast approaching, squeezing her eyes shut as she braced for an impact that would leave her as a red smear on the ground. 

However, before she could meet such a fate, the whoosh of wind caught her attention, making her ears perk up before suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap around her, snatching her out of the air, transferring all her momentum from downward to sideways before suddenly shooting back up, landing on the ruined tower she was just on.

“You okay?” The calming voice of Shuraig made the cat woman open her eyes, seeing the familiar face and even more familiar wings on her leader’s back. One flesh and bone, the other made of mechanical tech that was bound to his power armor that he had dawned, armor that rivaled even the head captain in terms of capabilities.

“I am now.” Ferrijit breathed out, trying to calm her racing heart as Shuraig placed her on the ground, propping her up against a crumbled wall. “Remind me again why we aren’t equipped with portable wings? Seems like a worthwhile investment if you ask me.” 

“Okay, first these things aren’t exactly portable. Second, it takes time to learn to fly, making that impractical.” Shuraig said as he stood up, turning back toward the High wall, his eyes narrowed behind his visor. “And thirdly, look alive. I don’t know what that was all about, but I don’t think the Dogmatika order was behind it.”

Following his gaze, Ferrijit’s eyes fixed on the huge cloud of dust rising up from the impact site, her breath catching in her throat as Shuraig’s tension became her own, the unspoken question filling both of their minds. 

If this wasn’t the Dogmatika, then what had just transpired at this event?

Meanwhile, in the High wall’s central tower, Quen dragged herself to her feet. Her robes disheveled as despite placing a powerful barrier around the tower, the shockwave had still knocked her off her feet when it had shattered her shield, leaving her with minimal protection.

“Incredible.” She said raising with the aid of her staff. “I don’t know what that was, but to think we could have this much horrible luck one after another. First the Despia, then the Tri-brigade, now this. I’m starting to think someone is deliberately trying to undo all our hard work we’ve put in over the past centuries.”

Dusting herself off, the head Saint turned to glare toward the billowing smoke coming from the impact site, her mouth marred in a tight snarl.

“What kind of creature makes a portal big enough to fire a meteor through, though? I would have thought one would need a Brand to conjure magic of that caliber but there’s no way that-.”

“Shush!” Maximus interrupted, not even bothering to turn around as he stared intently up at the sky, eyes fixed on the rift as it began slowly sealing itself shut, the magic powering it draining rapidly.

“It’s…closing?” Maximus murmured as he narrowed his eyes, squinting up to get a better look at the phenomena above him. “But…that can’t be. In order to create something of that size, one would need to be a master of a Brand and able to draw on its limitless reservoir of power. So why is it…?”

Breaking off, Maximus turned his attention towards the large cloud of smoke, squinting his eyes as he strained to see what hid within. 

Confused by his actions, Quen followed suit, turning toward the smoke and trying to see through it, hoping to catch a glimpse of what had grabbed the pope’s attention. 

At the same time, down on the High wall, both Ecclesia and Fleurdelis were slowly getting to their feet, both immediately taking action, though through different means. 

Fleur rushed to the side of the wall overlooking the crowd of onlookers below, grabbing Kitt by the scruff of her neck as she ran past, making sure the captive couldn’t use the confusion to escape despite the heavy wooden pole she was still chained to.

Upon reaching the railing above the viewing plaza, the head captain looked over the courtyard, assessing the damage. Uprooted trees and shattered glass lay everywhere, with dirt and debris covering every surface. What’s more, several towers and walls had been damaged, some even knocked over, including the main building people had fled into, crumbling on top of them, killing several and injuring even more. Several were still trapped with loved ones and crusaders alike trying to free them while others still called the names of those who still couldn’t be found. 

Seeing this, Fleur wasted no time, cupping her hands over her mouth and bellowing out loud enough to reach every guard stationed around the wall.

“Attention, all crusaders!” She bellowed. “All squad members one through seven are to abandon their post and begin rescue operations! Seek out and find anyone who can still be saved and get them all inside the holding area which is to be turned into a temporary hospital! In the meantime, all new recruits go to all the different wings of the church starting with the west wing and inform all personnel what happened! Have them come here with all medical equipment in their division and begin treatment of any who are injured! Starting with those in life ending conditions! Move!” 

Turning to one of the still standing towers, she waved down Theo and his team who were visible from the window of a nearby tower, drawing their attention. They were supposed to be on standby, ready to rush in and act as reinforcements should the Tri-brigade arrive, effectively surrounding them and making escape impossible. But right now, spring the original trap was the last thing on the head captain’s mind.

“Theo! Get down to the holding room and start getting everything set up! Have Adin and his mages on the ground and treat those too injured to move! We need to save as many as we can! Empty our stock of medicine if you have too! Don’t lose a single unnecessary life!” 

At her orders, the boy gives a thumbs up before disappearing from the window, Fleur rounded on Ecclesia, dragging Kitt around to shove her toward her lieutenant. 

“Ecclesia, take this thing back to the guards and have her be taken back to the dungeon. After that, I’m going to need you to coordinate all the other teams who are going to be arriving. Dispatch them to where they are needed and the supply to a safe and secure location. After that-!”

Suddenly, Fleur broke off, staring wide eyed at Ecclesia who wasn’t listening, her back turned to the older woman as she moved in a trance-like state towards the other side of the wall, her entire body shaking as the Stigmata on her forehead released a faint light.

“They’re here. They have come.” 

That voice inside her head spoke once again, it’s intense dripping with terror that seeped into the girl, blocking out every other thought and instinct as the girl mindlessly followed its beckoning. 

Coming to a stop, looking at the massive crater the meteor had formed. She wasn’t sure what she expected to see, only dread at what might be lurking in the chunk of space rock. Something she could just barely make out through the smoke and dirt it had kicked up on impact. 

But then, to her object horror, something moved within the smoke, taking the girl’s breath away.

In a single, fluid moment, two great wings extended out, covered in what looked like a silvery coating, with the membrane made up of a strange red energy that was releasing a weak red glow, effortlessly beating the dust away revealing more of what was hidden within.

There, slowly raising to all four legs stood a massive dragon, covered in what looked like battered armor, with several chunks missing in place revealing tender skin beneath its plates, including a glowing red chest cavity that seemed to be made up of the same energy as its wings. As well as being the only natural opening of its tattered scales. 

As for the rest of its body, Ecclesia could see spikes jutting out of its back, running all the way down its spine to the tip of its massive tail that looked like it could level a tower in a single swing, not that it needed to as its front legs were also so large, that it would probably only take a single light shove from the creature to get similar if not greater results. 

The creature appeared to be flightless, as between the armor/scales made it much too heavy to take off. However, given that its wings weren’t made of any normal material, one couldn’t completely write it off as if they were made of magic, theoretically anything was possible. 

And as Ecclesia stared down at the beasts, while she wasn’t sure what prompted her, her gaze moved to its head, eyes fixing on the many horns curving around to the front of its face, forming an almost protective shield against its eyes and mouth, though a few had been broken off at some point, making its defenses much less dangerous.

At this point, while she wasn’t sure why, the dragon raised its head, looking up to the High wall, its long neck moving with purpose as it fixed itself into a straight, long line, eyes moving skyward where, for some reason, they locked onto Ecclesia, coming to a completely stop as they gazed at each, eyes locking for a moment that seemed to stretch on for eternity. 

He seemed surprised, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as he slowly struggled to his feet, dirt sliding off his body as staring up at her.  

And as they stood there, staring at each other, eyes fixed on one another, piercing red meeting light gray. It was at that moment, while she didn’t realize it, the young crusader’s fate, as well as the last true dragon’s, had become completely intertwined in a way beyond either comprehension. 

Chapter Text

“What was going on here? Where in the Dark World am I?” 

The thought passed through the young dragon’s head as he stared up at the girl, taking in his surroundings out of the corner of his eyes. He was in some kind of palace or cathedral, one that was filled to the brim with humans, far more than he had ever been around before. All their scents were mixed together making a noxious fume that made him want to throw up. Was this their home or something? For this many smells to all be in one spot, that was the only conclusion he could come to, yet he didn’t seem to be in any town or city, or if he was, it was way bigger than any of the ones that popularized the mountainside he lived in. 

Shifting his attention, he let his gaze return to the blond girl above him, looking down at him in stunned shock like she had never seen a dragon before, her soft gray eyes fixed on his red ones. 

He couldn’t place why, but she seemed familiar to him, like a distant, long forgotten memory scratching at the back of his mind despite the fact he was sure he had never seen her before. Yet something about her drew his attention, making it near impossible to tear his eyes away, only snapping out of his daze as a second, older woman with long light purple haired walked over next to the girl, joining her in staring down at him. 

“A…dragon?” The older woman breathed, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open, breath hitching in shock as she stood there so stunned she had become frozen, making the young dragon confused. Were dragons not a common sight here?

At the same time, her sister’s voice snapped Ecclesia out of her stupor, letting a single word slip into her mind through the numbing shock that left her paralyzed. A dragon. A creature straight out of mythology was now standing in the courtyard of the Dogmatika church, staring right back at her, their eyes transfixed on each other. And just like back then, neither seemed to be able to look…away?

Wait…

Back then? What was she talking about? She’d never encountered a dragon before! Why the hell did she think “back then”? And why was she getting that unshakable feeling of déjà vu? Like she had seen this happen before? Just what was going on with her?!

Her confusion, mixed with her shock, made her lose complete track as to what was around her, her own mind too slow to keep pace with the rapid barrage of thoughts that pounded away at her skull, absorbing any form of conscious thought that entered her head.

Just what was going on?!

However, before she could deliver deeper into those thoughts, a new voice joined in the conversations, this one from atop the balcony where the two highest ranking members of the church stood. 

“What are you people doing!?!” Quen bellowed, her voice carrying through the entire courtyard drawing the attention away from both the dragon and the civilians trapped in the rubble, making their heads turn to the first saint who gripped the railing as she yelled, her knuckles turning white from the tightness.  “Do you need an invitation?! Kill the thing! NOW!”

At this, the archers located in the tops of the towers emerged from hiding, their bows drawn as they turned to the crash sight, taking aim before releasing, turning the sky dark as arrows rained down onto the dragon. 

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in events, the young dragon was to slow to react, causing him to take the full brunt of the attack, the flint points crashing into him and digging into the unarmored part of his body that had been torn off from his previous battle, causing him to fall back, roaring in pain as blood leaked out of his wounds!

“Rrrraaaooorrrr!!!”

The dragon’s cry echoed out across the whole church, informing those who hadn’t seen the beast what was happening and immediately inciting panic in the civilians, destroying any semblance of order they had formed as people raced for the exit, trampling those who couldn’t move or any loved one trying to help them. 

“No!” Fleur cried, rushing to the other side of the High Wall, looking down at the panicked ranks of both crusaders and civilians alike, frantically shouting orders trying to regain control of the situation.

“Squads one through four, secure the courtyard! All mages, create a barrier to protect the area! Use everything you can to-!”

Unfortunately, any chance of her plan going off were smothered as from the balcony, a massive sphere of magic formed as the head saint herself join the fray, sucking up every trace of magic she could find and concentrating it onto one enormous ball of energy hanging above the outer terrace, lighting up the surrounding area with beautiful golds and purples.

But this beauty was short lived as the next second, beams of energy short from the sphere, raining down on the dragon in a hailstorm of light that tore open the ground and sent dirt flying into the air as the magic ripped through the dragon’s hide, ripping what remained of its armor to shreds as it roared in agony.

Meanwhile, as chaos rained from above, the scattered members of the Tri-brigade found themselves reconvening under a fallen tower, taking shelter there as the courtyard filled up with crusaders responding to the sudden emergence. 

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on!?!” Rugal (the wolf this moronic author called a lion.) screamed as he and Nervall (the birdman.) skidded to a halt, the later bleeding slightly from the head as he had been hit by flying debris from the dragon’s impact. 

“You’re guess is as good as mine!” Shuraig replied, crutching down next to Ferrijit. “Where are the others? Have any of them been caught? What’s the status of our escape route?” Despite his best efforts, the fear and uncertainty was noticeable in the winged man’s voice. Clearly the battle happening just beyond the wall frightened him as much as everyone else here, though given who was fighting, no one could really blame him. 

Until suddenly.

“Can’t speak for the others, but we’re fine.” 

Looking up from his barrage of questions, relief washed over his face as Shuraig saw both Fraktall (the horse man.) and Kerass (the bull man.) slid into their cover both clearly beaten up but none the worse for wear.

“Okay, next time a giant meteor rips open the sky and crashes down on top of a church we’re infiltrating, you take the sewers and get that filthy water up your nose!” Fraktall joked, spirits high despite the numerous starches covering his body. “That stuff is rancid! I’m not sure if I’m ever going to smell the same again!”

“Yes haha, that’s as funny as the last twenty times you’ve made the stupid joke.” Kerass said dryly, he too pretty beat up, the massive gun on his shoulder resting next to him as he turned his head letting his back pop with each movement. “You do remember none of us can smell you, right? Our masks wouldn’t be very effective if we couldn’t handle a little stink, would they?”

“Enough! Both of you!” Nervall snapped, glaring at the two, his vision impaired by a large crack spiderwebbing across his mask’s glass eye hole. “Shuraig, what’s the plan now? Our escape route is still open, but with all that’s going on, I have no idea how long it’s gonna stay that way! We need to leave now while we can!”

At his fellow bird’s word, Shuraig let out a sigh. Escape was still possible, for now. That alone took a huge weight off his shoulders letting him breathe again. Unfortunately, that created its own new set of problems that only added onto the stress he was feeling. Did they cut their losses and run now? Or try to complete their mission and take out Maximus? This was the best and only chance they were going to get, and if they used the chaos correctly, they might even be able to do it and get away before anyone even noticed.

But before he could even entertain the idea, the sharp voice of Ferrijit cut through his thoughts, grounded him back in reality as she reprimanded her teammates. 

“We can’t leave! Not yet!” She snarled, pointing up to the High wall angrily. “My sister‘s still up there! And I’m not leaving without her! We need to sneak up there now and rescue her, then retreat! Leaving her to die at the hands of Dogmatika is-!”

“If we don’t go now, we all die!” Nervall snapped back, taking a step toward the cat angrily. “Trading four lives for one is moronic! And that’s assuming we can even free her! Because in case you forgot, both the head captain and first saint are up there! Neither of them are going to be pushovers and even if they were, whatever their fighting nearly brought down half the flocking church! If we go up there, we’d be better off trying to put Maximus six feet under than rescuing your sister! That way, at least those we lifted behind would be safe!”

Nervall was now right up In Ferrijit’s face, his beak pressing against her face as he glared into her eyes, not backing down as the chaos around them intensified.

However Ferrijit wasn’t backing down either. She held his gaze with equal intensity, her eyes alight with fire as she took her own step forward, letting his beak press painfully into her neck, not stopping until she could see her own reflection in the man’s cracked mask. 

“I’m not leaving without my sister.” She breathed, her voice quiet and cold. “If you all want to cut and run, I won’t stop you. But if you think I’m letting the most important thing in the world die when I have a chance at stopping it, you’re dead wrong. I promise I’d protect her, no matter what, understand? That means, I’m going up there with or without you. To fight and save the future of our kind, because unlike you, I know there’s no point to our survival if we end up just like this heartless cult.” 

A heavy silence fell at Ferrijit’s accusation, the weight of her words not missed by any of them. They had long held firmly to their beliefs, their culture, losing battle after battle because of it. Many times they sought to leave it behind in exchange for marshal strength, becoming more militaristic like the church itself.

However, every time they did, they’d remember what they were fighting for. A better future for their kind, one where they could simply be, like the paradise their ancestors lived in, that dream living on in the stories they passed down through the generations, a tale that, unfortunately, was becoming less real with each day.

But one thing they all understood was that a future like that could never exist if they became like the corrupt cult they ward against!

“Ferrijit’s right, we can’t just leave Kitt up there.” Shruaig said, raising to his feet, wings opening to their fullest. “Come! We’ll use the chaos of this battle to launch a sneak attack against the head captain and rescue our comrade than escape. We’ll figure out what to do about Maximus later.”

His words were met with a unanimous nod, all in agreement on the plan. Quickly, they hoisted their weapons onto the back before slinking out, making a point not to be spotted as they ascended the fallen tower, heading toward the High wall execution site. 

However, despite the concern about the high pope, said man was having a very different reaction to the experience. 

Staring down at the massive dust cloud rising from where Quen rained down her attacks, Maximus said nothing, eyes narrowed behind his mask as he watched the dragon take a beating. 

“Something’s wrong.” He thought as he watched blood splattering onto the ground. “This one does not possess a Brand. Not even close. In fact, it doesn’t even seem to be that strong! But that’s impossible! Dragons, even on a bad day, should be able to rip apart armies in a heartbeat. So why is this one just standing there and taking a beating? And how did it even get here without the power of a Brand? Did someone summon it? Kosmolchor? No. Even she didn’t have that kind of power. So than what brought it here?”

Stepping forward, Maximus reached the edge of the balcony, leaning forward to get a better look, ignoring Quen telling him to step back. 

Reaching out with his hand, he activated his own power, drawing the residue of magic that permeated from the dragon’s body, immediately feeling a sharp heat spread from his it filling his entire hand before making its way down his arm, burning his already seared flesh, making the man withdraw his hand, shaking in his boots. 

“There’s no mistake. He’s finally returned.” Maximus murmured, eyes wide and mouth agape with terror. He had always known that he would return once again, to finish what he had started all through millennia ago. But he had assumed that by the time they came back, he would be prepared! For one to show up now, right on the verge of his crowning, that wasn’t an accident! This thing being here meant that-! 

Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, Maximus tightened his hands into fists, his pointed claws digging into his palms drawing blood before they sealed themselves up with the magic that radiated from him as his mind worked furiously.

Everything's still fine. He could still salvage this. The appearance of one single dragon was nothing but a slight notch in the grand scheme he had been concocting over all these years. He had made sure that he had contingencies for any major setbacks. And this was no exception. He still had two trump cards in play and this would require neither! All he had to do, was-!

Suddenly, a deafening roar spilt through the air, ripping through the air clearing the dust around the dragon and causing the sphere Quen had created shatter like glass, causing he energy she had gathered to go flying off in every direction, raining down onto the crusaders and civilians alike, sending many running for cover, screaming as they went.

“What the hell!?!” Quen screamed, shielding her face as the dragon fixed her with its gaze, blood dripping from the many holes punched into its body, eyes burning with anger as steam poured from its mouth. 

Immediately opening its flaming mawl, the dragon fired a jet of red energy from its mouth, burning up the very air as it raced towards the tower. 

Scowling, Quen raised her staff before slamming it to the ground, creating a huge sphere of energy that engulfed the tower, multiple colors shifting across its surface. Protecting both herself and the pope with a powerful magic shield. One that had yet to be broken by any who faced her!

However while the woman smirked next to him, Maximus was already taking action. Unlike his right hand, he knew that wasn’t fire the beast had shot towards them, but pure magic power, one untainted by either an element or diluted by a Stigmata. 

No, he knew the raw power of a Brand when he saw one!

Raising his arms, he drew upon his secret power, calling upon his hidden reservoir of magic he had hidden years ago, casting a powerful spell enchanting the barrier that embodied it with his own power.

Not a second to soon either as the next instant, the red energy crashed into it, causing the shifting energy to glow brightly, reflecting the attack that would have normally blasted straight through back toward the dragon, sending giant sparks raining down upon the cathedral and its people, burning away anything or anyone it touched! 

And as the attack rebounded, one of the large sparks flew off, shooting toward the High wall execution site as its occupants stared up at the battle above them, unable to get out of the way as they had no way to find shelter before the spark caused the whole tower to collapse.

Taking a step back, Ecclesia stared wide eyed up at her approaching doom, to stand to even reach for her for a weapon to try and deflect that massive attack. 

However, before she could do anything, someone else beat her to it.

“Get down!”

Fleur threw up her shield, slamming it into one of the balls of energy as it fell, scattering it to the winds as the heavy metal plowed straight through it with minimal effort as beside her, Ecclesia hit the ground, her arms shielding her face as per her instructions.

“Damn it! This is getting out of hand!” The lilac haired woman swore as she felt the heat from the attack turn her shield scolding hot. “We need to get everyone out of here before that monster brings the whole castle down.” Rounding on her subordinate, she began issuing instructions.

“Ecclesia! Get the civilians to safety! Escort them to the innermost chambers of the church and see to as many of them as you can!” The head captain yelled as she raced towards the side of the wall, grabbing ahold of the railing as she looked down, about to shoot orders to those below her. “After that, regroup with the reinforcements and-!”

But then she stopped mid sentence, her eyes going wide as she saw what was happening below her. 

There on the ground were two crusaders, laying face down in the dirt with a strange green light glowing from their Relics as smoke trailed out of their now skeletal, lifeless bodies, sunken hollow eyes wide as if in agony.

Taking a step back in shock, Fleur felt her eyes widened in horror as she looked down at the bodies. She had seen death before, mutilated bodies were unfortunately something she had gotten used to. But nothing in her past experience came anywhere near close to the horrific state of these crusaders.

They looked like mummies, bodies as shriveled up like dehydrated fruit, eyes wide and mouths open as if in agony during their last moments, the stench of decay already emanating from their husk like forms. Something shouldn’t have started, let alone gotten this bad until after several days!

Was this the dragon’s doing!? Had it somehow sucked the life out of the crusaders? Or had that last attack released some kind of toxin into the air? A poison that somehow ignited once inside the bloodstream? 

No, if it had, why did it only affect two? And how would it have targeted two that were not only out of its line of sight? And even if it could, why target those two? They weren’t any threat to it. So why waste energy on taking them out when-?

“Rrrrrrrooooooaaaaaarrrr!”

A deafening roar broke Fleur out of her thoughts. Whipping her head around, she saw the dragon charging towards the tower which held both Maximus and Quen, smashing through buildings and walls that stood in its way, crushing them beneath its massive clawed feet leaving no trace of them beyond a pile of dust. 

Despite its scales (armor?) being gone, the thing’s skin was still thick enough to protect from the stone and marble debris, leaving no puncture marks or even scratches on it. Showing that the beast lived up to the legend’s of of the dragons of old.

However, rather than being a benevolent keeper of order. This thing acted savage, more like a mindless animal than an all powerful god. Showing no care for anything beyond its own rage. Fighting against the head Saint and the high pope was not only foolish, but extremely shortsighted. For regardless of who won, the civilizations still within the church would certainly die.

Tightening her grip on his shield, Fleur thought back to her inauguration, when she had first been appointed captain. Back then, she had sworn an oath to the church, one she had etched into her first sword. To protect the people and the values of the great Dogmatika order. For great though her power might be, without the order, it was nothing but a storm she could barely control, a storm that had taken everything from her once. 

Closing her eyes, her mind took her back to her childhood, the lifeless body of her infant sister in her arms. Her sobs muffled by the storm above her as the massive half human half beast leered down at her. It had mocked her, taunted her, told her how her sister’s head had popped like a balloon. It’s taunting voice still ringing in her head, the only part of it that she remembered. 

Well, that and the scream it had made when she had torn the lightning from the heavens and brought it down onto the creature. 

When the crusaders arrived, found her, took her back to the capital, she had devoted herself completely to their cause, uniting the world and keeping it safe and maintained like the Bystials. Sacrificing her childhood for the sake of that cause. 

It was a noble sacrifice, one done for the great good. She even had eventually come to believe that the four dragon gods themselves had gifted her this incredible power, knowing that one day, she would come to serve them as one of their sharpest blades. Even going so far as to forgo her classmates as they made friends and bonds over what she believed to be silly, trivial things. 

So when Maximus appeared in her room one night, a blond little girl hiding behind his robe, she had been understandably both surprised and confused as to why he wanted her to take care of the girl. 

And while she had been offered the chance to refuse, for some reason she didn’t really know, she had chosen to take Ecclesia under her wing and raise her to be as fine a young woman as she could. And thanks to that, she had finally been able to learn how to open up to others. 

Theo, Adin, Ecclesia, they were her family now. And this church was their home. One she would defend to her last breath. Everything that they were was held within these walls, their fondest memories, their deepest secrets, all were carried by the Dogmatika order and she would destroy any who threatened it. 

So, while she may very well be outclassed, she refused to let anyone, no matter who they were, threaten their home! She would drive off any threat with her blade, protect every wall with her shield, and turn even the mightiest opponents to dust with her lightning! So, if this thing wanted to challenge that home, try to destroy the memory her family had built, she would use every ounce of her to turn them to ash.

Even if it was a god! 

With that, Fleur drew her sword and ran towards the dragon, leaping over the railing of the high wall right as the beast reached it! 

And there, in mid air, her gaze locked with the dragon’s, a fierce intensity burning in her eyes, unwavering despite the fact she was the size of its claw. And while she had no idea if her blade would pierce its hide, she knew she wouldn’t stand by and let it destroy her home!

There, with a single strike, Fleurdelis drove her blade into the Dragon’s skull, stabbing it right between its eyes and sending them both toppling back to the ground where they landed with a crash, shaking the entire church from the impact. 

Maybe it was the pure shock of someone doing something so incredibly stupid, but for some reason, the dragon was slow to react, not responding until it was to late, causing it to land roughly on its back while Fleur pulled her blade out and leaped back, landing a safe distance away where she leveled her sword at the beast, the metal already crackling with lightning as she let out a loud, heavy breath.

“Do you see that?!” Fleur bellowed at the dragon as it rolled over, back onto all fours. “I know not where you come from or why you are here, but you now stand before Fleurdelis! Captain of the crusaders, and herald of the storms! If you can understand my words, then turn back to wherever you came and leave this sacred place! This is your only warning!”

Her words drew the dragon’s gaze, its eyes fixing on her as it let out a quiet snarl, shifting its weight back. Something that caught the soldier completely off guard. Had this thing actually understood her? It definitely seemed like it was weighting its options. She had only spoken to try and buy time, she didn’t actually think it would work!

Watching the beast closely, Fleur shifted her footing as she waited for it to make a move, the woman’s eyes still locked on her opponent’s, waiting for the pupils to dilate, indicating an encroaching attack. 

And as this stare down happened, back on the High wall, Ecclesia rushed to the railing and leaned over, looking down at the confirmation, her eyes wide in terror as she watched her sister face off against a dragon!

Shakily, the young woman tried to remind herself that everything was going to be okay. This was Fleurdelis, the head captain! She as damn near invisible! Her incredible strength was second only to her intelligence, letting her strategize without ego or fault, ensuring even if her opponent was somehow stronger, she’d still find a way to win! 

Looking down at the scene, Ecclesia felt her heart pick up as she saw the Dragon giving the woman a hesitant stare, eye flicking between the tower where Maximus was and to the woman in front of it. Almost as if weighting itself options, giving the girl a burst of hope.

If it was thinking, that meant it was intelligent. Which in turn meant there was still hope that things wouldn’t escalate any further. After all, the dragon must realize that fighting someone this strong wasn’t worth the risk. What would it gain from engaging with such a dangerous enemy within its own territory while being completely surrounded while injured? At best it would gain a meal, but at the cost of excessive damage. Surely it must realize that such a trade wouldn’t-!

Suddenly, something else caught the girl’s eye in the form of movement behind the dragon. Standing on tiptoes, Ecclesia squinted past the beast, her gaze landing on the ground behind it, where its tail lay on top of a fallen tree. 

There, barely visible to the girl and completely out of sight to both Fleur and the dragon, Ecclesia saw the ground shift and shutter a couple times, then a small portal sprung open right under the tree, sucking it up before the tip of the dragon’s tail confusing the young crusader. 

Was this dragon somehow manipulating portals without thinking? Or was it trying to create a portal to escape through? Ecclesia was sure, but one thing she did notice was that the beast didn’t seem to have noticed. Sure, only a very small part of its tail was sticking through, but she would have thought that would have alerted the dragon. The way it was flicking its tail was almost like it wasn’t used to having one and thought the shift behind it was simply it crushing the tree and was now caught on the fallen-.

Suddenly, before Ecclesia could finish her thought, just as suddenly as it appeared, the portal snapped shut, severing the Dragon’s tail instantly as it borders cloaked around it, mincing it off like a damn meat grinder! Leaving the rough uneven skin flopping around as it ripped the end off!

And as this happened, the situation on the ground immediately shifted. 

Eyes going wide, the dragon let out a deafening roar as it threw its arm out, smashing through one of the wall of the courtyard it was confined in, sending the polished stone raining down as it ripped its tail high into the air, away from the place where what must have been excruciating pain for it. 

However, despite this being out of pain, not everyone saw it that way.

“Damn. So that’s how it’s going to be.” Fleur murmured to herself, hands tightening on her sword and shield. “Fine, I had hoped I wouldn’t have to do this but I guess I have no choice. For the safety of the church, I must send you to the Bystial!”

With that, Fleur didn’t hesitate or falter, after taking just a single deep breath, she charged at the beast, flying at it so fast, it didn’t have time to react before the woman shield charged into its chin, knocking it backwards as she released a burst of lightning. 

Teleporting to the ground, Fleur watched the beast fall onto its back, leaving its under belly exposed. Not wanting to miss her chance, she charged forward again, leaping into the air aiming to drive her blade into its chest, hopefully injuring it enough to make the beast retreat! 

However, the beast, moving fast than she had anticipated, lashed out with its arm, catching the woman by surprise, barely giving her enough time to throw her shield up in defense blocking the attack but still sending her crashing into the wall on the other side of the courtyard, completely smashing through the stone wall before tumbling several feet, only stopping when she slammed into a well, letting land face down on the ground, blood leaking from her armor.

“Iris!” Ecclesia cried as she watched her mentor go flying, barely giving any thought to the dragon as it rolled over, getting back onto all fours before letting out another roar, this time charging at Fleurdelis, smashing through everything in its way. 

Panicked, Ecclesia placed one foot on the railing, planning to leap to her mentor’s aid, the Stigmata on her forehead glowing a bright white! 

However, before she could, a firm hand grabbed her by her wrist, bringing her to a stop and making her whirl around, practically screaming at them to release so she could go help Fleur. 

But that cry of protest died on her lips as she saw who had grabbed her.

What are you doing, Ecclesia?!” Theo roared as he pulled her back onto the High wall, his grip tightening on her wrist. “I get you’re worried about Lady Fleur, but we have our orders! We need to get the civilians to safety and treat them as quickly as possible! That’s our job right now!”

“But-!” Ecclesia began, only to stop as Adin appeared, hauling the still bound Kitt behind him. 

“Theo’s right. Lady Fleur has given us our orders.” He said in a forced calm tone. “We are to take care of the people and leave the head captain to deal with that thing. Remember, we still have no idea what’s going on, but the civilians need us to protect them. That is what a crusader’s job is, after all.” 

“But that’s a dragon!” Ecclesia protested, pointing to the beast as it ripped through the wall it had knocked Fleur through. “That thing’s practically a god! I know Iris is strong but-!”

“Ecclesia!” Theo snapped, bringing the blond’s protest to a stop. “I get how you feel, but we have our orders. We need to have faith in the head captain and play our part. Otherwise her battle would be meaningless.” 

Opening her mouth to argue some more, Ecclesia came to a stop when she saw how badly Theo’s arms were shaking, immediately silencing her as that reality hit her.

She wasn’t the only one wanting to jump in and join the fight, helping Fleur defeat the dragon while keeping her safe. The rest of her team, they all wanted to go help their beloved leader. They’d like nothing more than to spring over the wall and come in swinging, bringing down the dragon before it could do any harm to her sister. 

But that wasn’t their responsibility. They had been ordered to protect the public, to ensure no harm would come to them, to save as many people as they could while Fleur distracted the dragon. They had promised them their safety during the pilgrimage and ensuring it, that was their job, their responsibility. 

Tightening her hands into fists, Ecclesia sent one last look down at her sister, her hands shaking as she fought to control herself. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” She said in a stiff, rigid tone, not looking at Theo as she answered him. “Fleur can handle this, she’ll defeat this thing. But until then, we still have our part to play. And we have to ensure the people’s safety. Otherwise, this will all be for nothing.”

Nodding, Theo didn’t comment on the fact they all knew who she was trying to convince, the young man fighting every instinct to reach out and offer her comfort. He knew Maximus four-hundredths and fifty-third degrees forbade anyone showing affections for a college while in the presence of the public, a way to ensure they remained professional always. But something he still found himself resenting at times. 

Still, rules were rules and they had a job to do. And so, turning on their heel, both crusaders ran and leapt off the wall, teleporting to the ground with the prisoner dragged right behind them where they quickly began assisting trapped and injured civilians, moving them quickly to safety as they tried their best to ignore the sound of earthshaking footsteps as the dragon made its way toward its opponent. 

______________________________________________________________________________________

“Gah!” Fleur gasped as she slowly rose to her feet with the aid of her sword, her limbs shaking as blood dripped from her armor, landing on the ground below her as she panted heavily, surveying the damage she had taken.

She was hurt, that much was obvious. But fortunately, her armor had absorbed most of the damage, the skin on her left arm, the one she wore her shield on, had been torn open, which while being where all this blood was coming from, it didn’t seem broken thanks to her enchantment placed on her armor. 

Standing up fully, Fleur made a point to thank her predecessors for placing such powerful protective spells on her armor. Had this thing not been a Relic of the first age, she had no doubt she’d have been killed by the blow from the beast. 

Looking over her shoulder, the lilac haired beauty narrowed her eyes as she watched the dragon approaching on all fours, its breath fast as it ran. She had originally thought it merely a mindless beast, more animalistic than even the Tri-brigade. But it clearly had the same level of intelligence as those animals to be able to so quickly counter her strike, something only ever done by that bastard Shuraig!

“Hehe. Not bad.” She muttered quietly to herself, her gaze falling to the floor as the dragon quickly closed the distance between them, reaching the same courtyard Fleur had been knocked into. “I guess I should probably thank you for getting me so far away from everybody in the cathedral. Now I don’t have to worry about their safety and fight like I really mean it. Hehe, It’s been a while since I’ve been able to go all out, I’m not even allowed to cut loose within the church’s walls as decried by the head Saint. But given my opponent is a dragon, I think she’ll forgive me this one time.”

As she spoke, lightning began to crackle across her body, her armor glistening in the lights and bolts raced across the metal surface, reaching and stimulating the muscles underneath, amping her up as she tightened her grip on her sword, tearing her strength to ensure she didn’t destroy her weapon in the process. 

Looking up, she saw the dragon had reached her, easily dwarfing her as it towered high above her, claw raised above her, ready to come crashing down crushing her. Something that it did in not even a second later! 

Closing her eyes, Fleur let out a soft hum, her breath hitching as she reached the next stage, the lightning holding at a steady amp readying her muscles. 

“Okay, my turn.” 

Clang!

The deafening clash of steel suddenly resounded through the church, immediately followed by a roar of surprise as with a single bat of her arm, Fleur parried the dragon’s swipe, knocking his arm away as easily as if it were a swing of a sword! 

Taking a step back, the dragon wheeled its arm away in shock, caught completely off guard by the sudden shift in strength from the woman, leaving him stunned to truly process what had just happened.

But in that instant, his guard was lowered from the shock of being so easily knocked back, giving his opponent a perfect opening, one she capitalized on immediately. 

Lunging forward, Fleur lashed out, landing two quick slashes against the dragon’s nose, causing it to reel back, swatting at her with its arm once again, letting her spin into the inside where she drove her blade into the unarmored hide of its arm.

Howling in pain, the dragon leapt back, slamming into a wall and knocking it over as it tried to put distance between itself and Fleur, panting heavily as it raised one arm, resting against the remnants of the wall as it slumped forward, trying to catch its breath as blood poured out from its body.

Immediately, Fleur’s eyes flicked to the many injuries and torn scales that covered the dragon, noting how many seemed to be new, but not inflicted by either herself or the impact when it had fallen from the portal, indicating to the woman that it had been injured prior to this battle by something else. 

“Good.” The older woman thought as she raised her blade a little higher, placing her shield between her chest and the beast. “If I’m right, this won’t be as difficult as I thought. Dragon or not, it’s clearly on its last legs. Which means-!”

Suddenly Fleur broke off as the beast’s chest began to glow, red light leaking up its throat and into the back of its mouth. 

Taking a step back, the head captain’s eyes widened as she saw the dragon take a deep breath, closing its mouth as the light brightened, lighting up the creature’s clenched teeth, heat emitting and forming steam in the warm summer air.

“Not good!” Fleur thought as the next second, the dragon shot a huge breath of red energy ripping across the ground, tearing up the earth itself as it raced towards the woman sending dirt and rocks flying up as it went.

Snarling behind her helmet, Fleur leapt up, jumping high into the sky as her electrified body amplified her strength, letting her sail much higher than a normal human should, easily getting over the breath attack and letting her retaliate by releasing a huge burst of lightning in a crescent shape with a slash of her sword, slamming into the dragon’s head and cutting off one of its horns!

Staggered, but still standing, the dragon let out a roar as it rounded on the crusader, kicking off the wall and flying toward the woman pulling its arm back before slamming it into her, sending her crashing back to earth with a deafening bang!

Or at least that's what it tried to do.

Instead, as he got close, the armored woman vanished, disappearing from his sight as she teleported onto the top of his head, hitting his scales as he flew forward and tumbling down his armor plated neck before she managed to grab ahold of one of his spike where, after amplifying her blade with lightning, she began to repeatedly stab it into his neck. 

Roaring in pain, the dragon immediately shot skyward, flying high into the sky where he began rolling and thrashing, trying desperately to dislodge the woman on his back.

Unfortunately, this was hardly Fleur's first rodeo. 

Upon finding her grip slipping, the head captain changed tactics, driving her blade into his neck and holding onto that instead, giving her a more steady handhold to hang on with as she used her free hand to begin bashing away at the dragon’s metal plates, quickly breaking one as she hit it with her shield. 

Fortunate smiles on Fleur today, as she found upon smashing it, the fragments of the plates caved inward, stabbing the dragon in the neck and quickly drawing more blood, as well as a howl of pain from the beast as its thrashing grew more frantic and unpredictable.

Seeing her victory swiftly approaching, Fleur moved to another plate, proceeding to start smashing away at that too as she shifted her grip on her blade, causing the weapon to slide a bit opening the wound further. 

This was it! Dragon or not, no creature could survive with this much blood loss comparable to its size! And blood was splurging out its neck in guzzles, practically raining it down on the church. Soon, that blood loss would force it to the ground where the knight could land a killing-!

Suddenly, movement caught Fleurdelis eyes. Looking up, the woman felt her mouth run dry as she saw a giant, clawed hand bearing down on her. Plan open fingers spread wide in an attempt to swat her off.

In a completely unexpected move, the dragon had, in an almost human way, reached over its shoulder with its hand to forcibly remove the woman. Even going so far as to shift its long neck into a position easiest to reach. Acting as if it was used to having a set of hands instead of four legs.

Scowling, Fleur had no choice but to leap from the dragon’s neck, falling backward down toward the church below as she just barely managed to avoid its claws, saving her from what would have been certain death into a VERY painful crash as she fell onto one of the church’s towers, smashing straight through the shingles as she felt the wind knock from her.

Collapsing onto all fours, Fleur bit back a scream of pain as she felt her chest throb, indicating she had fractured at least one rib, making even the simple act of breathing painful even with the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Slowly rising to her knees, Fleur redirected the currents she was flowing through her body, opting instead to numb her nerves easing the pain, letting her continue the fight. And while this didn’t fix any of the damage she had sustained, what it did was give her enough time to raise her head to see the dragon was dive bombing her, clawed arm pulled back as it aimed to end the battle with a single blow!

Reacting just in time, Fleur raised her shield fast enough to block the blow, saving herself from being impaled but not stopping the attack from ripping her through the roof and sending her back into free fall, hitting the ground far below her where she rolled several feet, coming to a stop only by digging her blade into the ground, locking her in place.

Groaning, Fleur slowly began to crawl to her feet as debris rained down on her. The electricity she had been flowing through her body dying out as the Stigmata on her armor began to fade, the protective shield being pushed past its limit. 

Stabbing her sword into the ground, the knight used it as a cane to pull herself to her feet, coughing up blood which splattered onto the inside of her helmet before leaking out through the visor, falling to the ground where it stained the dirt red.

“That’s it. I’m spent.” Fleur thought to herself, stumbling as she tried to take a step, her own body screaming in protest as she tried to force it forward. “Damn it. I can’t believe this. Being taken out by a freaking dragon of all things. Talk about pure irony.” 

Closing her eyes, Fleur once again thought back to the conversation she had shared with Ecclesia all those years ago, her trembling hand coming to rest on her broken ribs, a small smile playing on her lips as she remembered that day. The day she finally understood what their high pope had meant when he said living, not surviving.

“I promise to never leave your side.” The words ring out in her head, the promise she had made to the tear stained girl who had lost everything, a feeling she was all too familiar with. And one she had sworn her new sister would never have to feel again.

“That’s right, I promised.” She murmured, chuckling as she turned her head up towards the sky, eyes taking in the dragon as it circled back around above her, lining itself up for another attack on the young woman, planning to end the fight right now.

“Well, I’d be a really shitty sister if I don’t keep my word.” Fleur chuckled, clutching her broken ribs, sending a jolt of electricity through her body numbing the pain, letting her take a deep breath with only minimal pain, her resolve hardening as she gripped her blade tighter in her hand. 

“I have enough energy for one more blow. Gonna have to time it just right. No excuses.” Looking behind her, Fleur could just picture Ecclesia running around trying to evacuate the civilians who remained in the courtyard, throwing her all into saving them as she fought the worry over her big sister out of her mind so she could focus on the task at hand. That girl was so brave after losing so much. And Fleur was determined to ensure that she would never have to suffer like that again!

Clenching her hand into a fist, the woman electrified her body once again, effortlessly leaping onto one of the nearby towers, grabbing hold of it as she watched the dragon turn in the air, facing her with its eyes narrowed. 

“Hear me, foul beast!” Fleur roared at the dragon, brandishing her sword towards it. “You will not take anymore from my people! You have killed and destroyed enough lives on this day! You shall not take another! So, I’m going to give you one last chance, surrender to me now, or face my full fury!” 

Once again, Fleur could have sworn at her words, the dragon seemed to hesitate, its eyes flicking from her then toward the mountain range in the distance, almost like it was weighing its options, trying to find the optimal decision. 

But this time, it didn’t take anywhere near as long for the beast to make its call, roaring at Fleur as it spun in the air, charging straight toward her, that same red energy leaking from both its mouth and chest, trailing off behind it as it flew. 

At the same time, the young woman leapt into the air, kicking off the roof catapulting herself toward the dragon with incredible speed as she focused all her energy into her blade, eyes narrowed in concentration as she prepared her next move.

And as they drew closer, Fleur noticed the dragon’s body begin to glow, its armor sloughing off its body as its tail seemed to shrink as the red energy that remained attached to the beast focused itself around its mouth as it prepared for its own final blow. And while Fleur didn’t know what was happening, one thing she did know was that one way or another, this was both of their last attacks!

Grasping her sword in both hands, Fleur raised it up between her eyes, focusing all her strength into the blade, she then swung it with all her might as she crashed head first into the dragon, the red energy clashing with a deafening boom of lightning that split the sky, ripping across the entire church drawing every eye up to it, many gasping as they saw a single bolt of lightning shoot cleanly across the sky without breaking or diverting at all.

And this single bolt cracked across the sky, as the two crashed into each other, the two great attacks releasing a powerful shockwave the washed over the church, ripping anything that had managed to stay up off whatever it was tied to, sending them crashing to the ground as the lightning clashed with the red energy, standing sparks raining down. 

Clenching her teeth, Fleur tightened her grip on her blade as she threw all her weight into the attack, pushing against the sphere that hovered in front of the dragon’s mouth, her lightning being the only thing keeping her great swords intact against the raging energy. 

But despite this, she pushed on, driving her blade hard against the attack as she fought to end the battle, her resolve being the only thing keeping her from passing out from the pain, her hands bleeding from how tightly she gripped her weapon. 

She had promised Ecclesia she wouldn’t leave her side and she wouldn’t-. No, she refused to break it! One way or another, she would defeat this beast and return to her sister alive and well, letting them both feel the warmth of their embrace once again. She would not die here or leave her all alone again! 

She didn’t care what this thing was or where it had come from. It threatened her home and her family, so she would destroy it be this thing a dragon, a wyvern, or even a Bystial! She wouldn’t let anyone or anything threaten the place that she and her loved ones held so dear! This church was everything to her and Ecclesia, and she would protect it then return victorious no matter what! She wouldn’t let her sister go through that pain ever again!

And as she swore this, it seemed the gods had taken her vow to heart, for the next second, she experienced something she could only call a miracle.

There, right before her eyes, she saw the sphere in the dragon’s mouth crack, the energy it was made out of immediately start leaking out as her blade cut through the outer shell, weakening the attack as it started to break apart at the seams! 

Eyes widening at this, Fleur saw her chance as she saw the dragon’s eyes going wide in surprise, its mouth opening even wider as the energy inside the sphere began to leak out, causing it to start coming apart before its very eyes, any chance of victory slipping away!

Smiling behind her helmet, Fleur sized her great sword with both hands, letting out a roar as she upped the wattage of her attack, turning her blade into a massive, jet of cracking lightning that extended high into the sky above the dragon, turning the very air into a mess of static electricity that caused even the people on the ground to look up as they felt their hair stand up on end where they could see the great clash above them. Then…

“Aaaaahhhhhhh!!” Fleur cried out, her voice loud and booming like thunder as she put all her remaining strength into her attack, focusing all her power down a single thin line where the sphere had split, forcing her lightning to bend around itself to reach that one spot, burning away the magic power of the dragon.

Then, with a deafening roar of both thunder and pain, the sphere split in two, cut cleanly in half by the knight as she sailed past the dragon, her blade pointed towards the earth as she flew by, the dragon looking over its shoulder with wide eyes as it stared at the woman who had done the impossible and overcame its great power. 

But Fleurdelis herself knew it wasn’t over just yet. And so, with her eyes closed, she murmured her last incantation, her voice so soft even the dragon couldn’t hear her despite the power of the words held. 

“Judgment.” 

No sooner than the words left her mouth, the sky was ripped asunder as a bolt of lightning streaked across it, tearing the very clouds apart as it stretched from one end of the city to the other, completely dwarfing even the tallest tower of the Dogmatika order in both size and grander. 

And as for power? Well, that was answered by the booming of Thunder that easily drowned out the dragon’s cry of pain as the bolt ripped across its entire body, tearing its armor to pieces and shattering the chest cavity, cutting off its supply of magic, instantly turning its wings into little more than stick as it plummeted head first toward the ground, smashing into it sending dirt and debris flying into the air, even reaching all the way to Fleur as she teleported to a nearby wall, immediately collapsing onto all fours as she panted heavily, blood still leaking from her armor as she looked back over her shoulder at the massive crater the dragon had shut created, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I did.” She gasped out, trying to rise to her feet only to slump forward, hand resting on the railing, her entire body shaking from both adrenaline and pain as she let out a low laugh to herself. “I can’t believe I did. I always said I wanted to slay a dragon as a kid, hehe. Guess now I’ve got my wish.”

“Fleur!” 

Immediately raising her head, the call of the familiar voice drew Fleurdelis out of her thoughts, drawing her attention to the far end of the wall, spotting the blond girl racing towards her.

“Ecclesia? What are you doing here?” She demanded, trying to rise to her feet to reprimand the girl only for her legs to give out, dropping her back to her knees. “I gave you very specific instructions! You were to help evacuate all non combatants to safety then treat their wounds! I gave no such request for backup or-!”

“Evacuation is complete.” Ecclesia cut in, kneeling next to her mentor and setting down a first aid kit as she examined the injured woman. “Medical personnel have already arrived, including local doctors who live in the capital. The people are being treated as we speak.” 

Her words drew a reluctant sigh of relief from the older woman, no longer putting up a fight as she let her sister start helping her out of her armor, continuing her report as she worked quickly.

“Right now, we’ve pulled everyone we’ve got to guard and aid the civilians, covering every possible entrance and with additional troops on standby. Nobody’s going to get to the people.” The blond explained as she pulled out a disinfectant cream. “And with every corner covered, any leftover troops are on their way here, which includes myself, Theo, and Adin. So, basically your entire squad.” 

Sharing a quick laugh at this, Fleur allowed Ecclesia to take off some of her armor to apply the cream, hissing in pain as she felt the cold liquid pressed against her wound. 

“We actually had hoped to help you with the battle. But obviously, you handled it just fine without us. And while I am happy the threat is neutralized, please don’t do something like this again. I was worried sick about you! You almost gave me a heart attack! Stupid Fleur!” 

With that, Ecclesia gave the lavender haired beauty a light punch in the shoulder, making sure not to do any real damage and making the older woman laugh slightly as the younger’s cheeks puffed up in an annoyed pout.

“Right, sorry about that.” Fleur murmured softly , reaching out and grasping Ecclesia’s hand with hers. “But you know I won’t die that easily. I did promise to stay with you no matter what. And I think keeping that promise would be a bit difficult if I were to kick the metaphorical bucket. And quite frankly, getting stomped to death by what is effectively a flying lizard wouldn’t be-.”

Suddenly, the older woman broke off, her head snapping away from her sister to look down at the crater that smoke was still rising from as a dull hissing sound filled the air, making both women’s hair stand up on end, eyes going wide as they stared. 

No way. It couldn’t be! Surely that thing hadn’t survived taking Fleur’s full power judgment head on, that was impossible! But then what was happening? They could both tell where the sound was coming from, but had no idea what it was!

Letting out a groan, Fleur immediately tried once again to rise to her feet, only for her legs to give out, collapsing onto the ground hissing in pain, her hand pressed against her broken ribs, the woman gasping for breath. 

Seeing this, Ecclesia felt her own hands tighten into fists, her breath becoming shaky as she fought to control her emotions. Fleur was clearly in no condition to fight, and if this…thing was still able to move, it would most likely come after the woman out of either a desire for revenge, or out of fear to end her so it wouldn't be threatened again!

Either way, Ecclesia didn’t like the odds if the dragon should reach her sister. And so, with one last quick look at the older woman, the blond made her choice. 

Without giving Fleur a chance to realize what she was doing, Ecclesia rose to her feet. Then, activating her Stigmata, she ran and leapt over the wall, landing on the ground before charging head first into the crater, sliding down the side ignoring the panicked call from her mentor, practically begging her to stop.

But Ecclesia had made her decision, and as she landed in the impact sight of the crater, she drew her hammer and began slowly making her way towards the center through the dust that obscured her vision. 

However, it didn’t take her too long to realize something was very, very wrong. 

When the dragon had landed, it had hit the ground with a great deal of force, yes. But given its size, she should have still been able to see it immediately upon entering the dust. I mean, the thing was huge! No way she shouldn’t have bumped into it after a few seconds of entering.

Yet as she neared the center, she saw no trace of the dragon, only large chunks of metal dotting the area which was probably its scales and specks of blood from the creature’s injuries. 

Strange. Had the dragon somehow moved without them noticing when she had reached Fleur? No, that was impossible. With how big it was, no way they could have missed it, especially to move so much to the point she was struggling to find it. 

However, before she could come up with any other possible solutions, she saw movement within the dust. Immediately leveling her hammer at it, Ecclesia began walking slowly towards, which turned her directly in the direction of the center of the crater, meaning it was most likely the dragon.

But as she got closer, she noticed something else strange. Whatever was moving around was small, about the same size as a human, which was strange as she couldn’t think of which part of the dragon would fit the criteria. Even more strange, it was moving incredibly slowly, as if it was scared of getting detected. Even staying low to the ground and shifting around in an unnatural fashion, as if it was being reshaped before her very eyes. 

However, any semblance of calm was immediately lost to the girl as suddenly, she heard a dull growling sound, followed immediately by what sounded like a human scream, one filled with pain as the amorphous thing before split in two with a horrible tearing sound, ejecting a silhouette of what looked like a mechanical head which shot off into the sky, leaving a trail of large red sparks in its wake, immediately igniting the ground around the figure in a blaze of flames.

Unable to take it any longer, Ecclesia raised her hammer high into the air, enchanting it with the power of her Stigmata causing it to let out a white glow. She didn’t know what was happening, but laying eyes on whatever abomination lay waiting for her on the other side of the smokescreen was better than waiting in suspense for it to come and get her! 

With that thought, Ecclesia slammed her weapon onto the ground, creating a shockwave the blew the smoke away, revealing the crater in its whole as the young woman lifted her hammer back up, leveling it towards where she had seen the movement, steeling herself for whatever horror she was about to face. 

However, to her immense surprise, instead of finding some hideous creature lurking in the shadows, she instead found herself standing face to face with a strange looking, heavily injured young man resting on his knees in a circle of flames, staring up at her with shocked wide eyes. 

Looking down at him, Ecclesia estimated him to be in his early twenties, close to her own age in fact. With snow white hair birthing streaks of red and a dark complexion, giving him a very different appearance to the normally pale one the Dogmatika members wore. 

Despite this, he was adorned in finery, with a beautiful black coat flowing out behind him like a cape and gold lined gloves with a white gem stitched onto the backs, the kind of which could only be found within the capital itself, and only affordable to a high ranking noble or crusader, something he was obviously not given how tattered and well worn his clothes were.

Interestingly enough, he was wearing dark sandals with red ties around the leg of the baggy pants he wore, matching neatly with the kilt that hung around his waist that also looked a bit too big, almost like it had been made for someone bigger than him. 

Now, under normal circumstances, Ecclesia would have thought this was an ordinary noble, or the son of some rich pastor or priest. However, a single fang was visibly jetting from his mouth, as well as the pointed, elk like ears sticking out of his head. Two things no ordinary human could ever have.

But despite it all, even if he hadn’t had those obvious giveaways, Ecclesia had no doubt she still would have known he wasn’t just not human, but also somehow was the dragon based upon one simple thing, his eyes. 

Piercing red orbs that seemed to burn with fire, and a drive beyond anything she had seen before, the exact same as the dragon. And while she couldn’t explain it, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that this boy and that best were one and the same. 

And with that knowledge, she also knew what she had to do. And that she couldn’t allow him to escape. 

And clearly, he realized that too.

“Sorry girly, I don’t have time to play with you.” The boy snarled, struggling to get to his feet as Ecclesia approached, hammer at the ready. “I’ve got places to be and things to do, so sorry, but I’m not going to be playing Dollie’s with you.”

A dark chuckle escaped his mouth at his own bad joke, the boy managing to push himself to his feet with his hand resting on his knees, his breath still labored as he slowly looked up, glaring at the crusader as she came to a stop in front of him.

“What? Cat got your tongue?” He asked in mocking fashion. “Don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve seen a dragon. What? Did all the nobles hunt my kind to extinction to protect little old you from our big bad fangs and claws? How adorable, you must be so happy being some stay at home trophy wife. Well, whatever. Go ahead and take in as much as you like. You're never going to see me again so I guess I’ll let you marvel for a little-.”

But that was as far as he got. Because the next second, Ecclesia’s fist shot out, slamming into his face immediately knocking him to the ground where, after a few seconds of dazed shock, the dragon lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

The dragon let out a hiss as he flew through the air, circling the knight on the ground as she slowly began pulling herself back to her feet, eliciting a deep throated snarl. This was bad, he could feel the remnants of the Brand he absorbed starting to fade. He had maybe another five minutes, then he’d be forced back into his human form. Leaving him completely at the mercy of the knight and her strange order. 

Using the last of his strength, he gathered up the remaining power and flowed it through his whole body, wrapping himself in a sheet of red energy that burned away at his own armor. Ensuring that even if the knight used that annoying teleportation magic of her’s, she’d still get burned up by the powerful enemy that surrounded him! Then, letting out one last mighty roar, he dive bombed her, leaving a trail of red energy behind as the two shot towards each other. 

It should have ended here, with his defeat of the knight as he smashed her to the ground, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth as he loudly proclaimed victory. However, right before impact, two things happened, things he wasn’t ready for in the slightest.

First, she vanished, disappearing from his sight as she teleported away once again. Not really something he was surprised about, more so shocked she had been able to get out of range of the Brand’s energy. After all, fragment or not, it was still a Brand. 

However, the thing that really caught him off guard, was the burst of Lightning that followed. Immediately ripping across the sky as far as the eye could see, completely obscured his vision as the massive bolt racked across his body, leaving him completely blind for the entire duration of the attack. 

Not that it would have mattered much as when he was struck by the attack, his entire world had gone white, leaving him in a state of suspended limbo as every single nerve in his body screamed in agony, with the only relief coming when his body went numb. 

Honestly, he was kinda surprised he had survived that encounter at all. The lightning strike had been far more powerful than any attack he had been hit by before, save the thief who had been welding the full night of a Brand. Something he only realized when the excruciating pain of being forcefully separated from the golem he had been fused with for…however many days it had been since that battle began. He had actually almost kissed the ground itself upon realizing he had survived.

But now? Now he almost wished he hadn’t, as while he had no shame in losing a fight, his current predicament was much worse, and significantly more humiliating.

“Gah! Not so tight!” He growled as the young girl pulled on the rope binding his hands behind his back, her armored boot digging into his back as she pulled on the long excess she had, forcing him up at the same time she pushed him down, resulting in a incredibly compromising situation as this human, no older than him, forced him to lay face first on the ground. 

“Be quiet.” The girl replied shortly, pulling the ropes tighter for good measure making the young dragon squirm. “You are hereby under arrest for assaulting the Dogmatika church, destroying public and personal property, reckless endangerment of the public, and felony assault on a crusader. And those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head! Don’t make things any worse for yourself by resisting.” 

“Oh please, that psycho in the armor did more damage to me than I did to your stupid little order!” The dragon replied with an irritated roll of his eyes. “I don’t even know who you guys are! I can’t control inter world travel, especially when flying blind! Not my fault you built a church right where my portal opened up!”

Blinking at this, Ecclesia looked down at the boy, her eyes narrowed to slit at his words. Under normal circumstances, she would have written it off as the rambling of a madman. But after witnessing a dragon falling through a crack in the sky during an execution to draw out members of a savage cult trying to undermine the church’s authority, she was pretty open to new ideas right now.

“Inter world travel? What’s that?” She asked cautiously, making sure not to add anything that might influence his story. “What, is it like moving between the land of the living and dead? Like with spirits or angels?”

Scoffing at this, the boy turned his head on the ground to look up at the girl, pointedly rolling his eyes at her with a snort. 

“Oh please. Don’t go playing dumb on me, blonde.” He said dismissively. “You know I’m talking about travel into the respites between the void, like between Aruro, and Deyamokna. You know, actually places, not made up stories.” 

Frowning at her lack of reaction, the boy narrowed his eyes at her, studying her face closely as she looked down at him with unflinching narrowed eyes.

“You…you really don’t know.” He murmured in surprise., more to himself than Ecclesia before turning away and let out a groan of frustration. “Great. Just what kind of uncivilized, backwater trash heap did that annoying piece of work dump me in? How the hell did I end up in the center of a bunch of nut jobs with a persecution complex so big, it could feed an entire civi-. Ow! Hey! Quit it!”

Ecclesia smirked as she cut him off by tightening the rope binding his arms, stopping him from spotting more of his slander as she took her boot off his back, kneeling down and roughly grabbing him by his shoulder. 

Right now, she couldn’t tell if what he was saying was true, but she did know that didn’t change her duty to the church and its people.

“Yeah, well you’ll have all the time in the world to explain that to the head saint. Or maybe even lord Maximus himself. Cause for an offense like this, you’re looking at a life sentence at least. Now, get up and start walking forward, cooperating with me is your best chance to salvage something close to a good impression.” She explained, pulling the boy to his feet before shoving him toward the top of the crater, holding onto the long part of the rope to ensure he couldn’t escape.

Snarling, the boy shot a glare at her over his shoulder, scowling as he did. “Look, I don’t know if you got the memo, but dragons don’t gravol or beg. We take what we want. We are proud warriors who are destined to cross the stars and make a paradise in-! Ow!” The dragon cried as he was cut off by a sharp boot to the rear, forcing him to take several steps forward to stay on his feet.

“Okay, how about I open up and just say I don’t believe for one second you're a dragon.” Ecclesia said, giving him a hard glare. “Dragons are intelligent, majestic creatures who uphold the balance of nature under the watchful eye of their masters, the Bystials. You are little more than a crazed beast in that form with only an appetite for destruction. No way something like that is an angel sent by the gods.”

Scoffing at her words, the white haired boy rolled his eyes as he shot a glare at his captor over his shoulder.

“Right, because you’re such an expert on Dragons.” He said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “we’re only gods to you because you humans are so weak and frail.  You people would probably fall on your knees and worship a less fiend after it conjured some basic magic!”

Smirking at this, Ecclesia placed one hand on her hip and gave the captured dragon a smug look. “Well, in that case, you’re one lame dragon.” She said mockingly, causing him to send her an even sharper death glare which she didn’t react to whatsoever. “I get what you mean about us not being the toughest thing out in the wild. But we’re smart, and resourceful. Two things you clearly aren’t. But hey, maybe that’s just another difference between you and us, isn’t it, Mr. Dragon.”

Snarling at this, the young man made an aggressive struggle in his bonds, making the blond drop her smug expression and seize the rope with both hands.

“Hey, knock it off!” She snapped, quickly pulling him in where she grabbed him by his shoulder, forcing him to get onto one knee. “Stop resisting before I charge you with obstruction of justice on top of everything else! You’ve already made things very difficult as is, so stop squirming and just come along quietly!”

Growling, the young man shot the blond crusader a harsh death glare, making his option of her very clear to all and if looks could kill, putting her in a hole six feet under.

However, he did stop struggling after this. One part seeming to understand that even if he did get away from Ecclesia, he had no chance of escaping the church. With the other part being he literally couldn’t do much but wiggle around pathetically as the blond was able to effortlessly put him on the ground. 

And so, he offered no further resistance as he was helped up and made to start walking, unsteady making his way up the destroyed earth, stumbling as he struggled to get his battered body up the unstable ground, needing Ecclesia’s help several times as they made their way out of the pit.

As they got out, Ecclesia saw Fleur still kneeling on the wall where she left her, now joined by Theo and Adin, the latter using healing magic to patch up the injured woman as she looked curiously down at the two as the made their way up, confusion clear on her face as she surveyed the white haired boy, eyes flicking to the gems that adorned his outfit. 

Waving to her mentor, Ecclesia and the boy made their way up to the strict knight, coming to a stop in front of her where the young crusader quickly gave her a salute, standing at attention to her superior officer.

“My lady, I’ve apprehended the dragon.” She reported proudly. “I’m not sure why, but it seems to have resorted to a human form following your battle. However, I assure you this is the same beast that just caused chaos throughout the church. As such, this one should be assigned for psychological evaluation to ensure he was acting of his own free will. Though the conversation I had with him does seem to imply he was.”

Blinking at the reporter, Fleur, with the aid of Theo, rose to her feet walking over to the boy, looking down at him, taking off her helmet and narrowing her eyes as she studied him.

“This is the dragon?” She questioned, looking at the boy as he refused to return her gaze. “Doesn’t look like much to me. Though, I suppose the easiest way to find out is…”

With that, Fleur reached out, grabbing him by his collar and ripping open his shirt revealing the large burned slash mark on his chest, the very one she had inflicted upon the dragon during their battle. 

“Well, it seems you are correct.” The older woman said, releasing the boy as she turned to the blond. “I don’t know how or why, but it seems this definitely is our dragon. I certainly hope we have a cell big enough for him should he transform again. Though I’m sure the head Saint or his high eminence can come up with something to contain this wild beast.” Chuckling slightly at this, Fleur shoved him back slightly, his face still wearing that same scowl he had since his capture. “Might want to add a bit of soundproofing too. Seems this one hasn’t outgrown his edgy phase just yet.”

Scoffing at this, the dragon turned to face the older woman, glaring daggers at her as he shifted in his bonds. 

“Yeah, well pardon me for not being in a very good mood after being captured by a group of brain dead cultists who have the worst case of a god complex I’ve ever seen.” He spat, venom in his voice. “You know, I really don’t like humans who think they're the center of the world and assume everything revolves around them. Maybe next time, instead of attacking someone for accidentally dropping from a portal he didn’t even create, you actually let them try to explain themselves first!”

“Yeah, well we don’t like monsters dropping onto our home and nearly killing a couple thousand civilians because they can fly properly.” Theo shot back, hands tightening into fists. “How about next time, you find a better landing spot then-!”

Before he could get any further, Fleur held up her hand, silencing him as she narrowed her eyes at the dragon, face becoming hard.

“What do you mean?” She asked, taking a step forward. “You saying you didn’t open that…portal you called it? Are you saying that there are more of your kind somewhere out in the world who can just appear without warning? What exactly are you?” 

Blinking in confusion at the barrage of questions, the boy stared blankly up at Fleur for a few seconds. Then let out a dry chuckle, a smug smile spreading across his face. 

“Man, you guys really are clueless.” He said with a shake of his head. “You have no idea what you’re up against, do you? You want answers, you’d better start complying with my demands or else my friends will-.”

“Aww. I see you’ve captured the beast. Excellent work, Ecclesia.” 

Looking up, the party saw a large procession making their way down the wall, led by Maximus himself with Quen by his side, his voice calm yet commanding, booming out despite how quiet he was. 

“Your eminence!” Fleur cried in surprise, turning to face him with a salute as the others quickly dropped to one knee, bowing as he came to a stop before them, turning his attention to the young boy, looking him up and down, before sneering under his mask as he turned toward Ecclesia.

“Well done, my child. Bring low a dragon is no easy feat.” He said, signaling to the girl to rise. “You and your mentor have done well. This day shall go down in history as a day where an imposter fell from the sky, hoping to infiltrate our order and establish himself as the ruler of our world only to be driven back by the head saint before she even became a captain. A legend truly worthy of being fitting within our innermost sanctum!”

“Excuse me, I did what now?” The dragon protested. “I don’t exactly remember that happening or trying to inflate anything! I was-! Oof!”

The dragon was silenced by Fleur punching him in the gut, making him double over in pain winded as she hissed at him to shut up, not that he really had any other option as he had the wind completely knocked from his lungs.

“Thank you for your kind words, you eminence.” Ecclesia responded, ignoring the dragon as he doubled over wheezing. “But I barely did anything. This victory is entirely thanks to lady Fleurdelis, not me. If it wasn’t for her strength, there’s no telling how much damage would have been done.”

Looking down at the girl, Maximus calmly reached out, gently stroking her cheek in a tender manner as he gazed into her eyes, something she could feel despite not being able to see his face. 

“And yet, it was you who led the charge to save as many souls as possible from a grizzly end.” He said softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “You saved countless lives today thanks to your quick thinking and diligent efforts, we were able to save many who would have otherwise been lost when this thing attacked. That is the main duty of the church, protecting and regulating those who cannot protect and regulate themselves. Your action of leadership during this crisis is more than enough reason for your name to be added to the story.” 

Moving down, Maximus rested his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

“I know how difficult that must have been. How much you must have wanted to go help your captain. Yet you held firm to your duties and stayed true to your convictions. That is an act worthy of leadership, Captain Ecclesia.” 

Immediately, the young girl felt her heart leap into her throat, taking any protests she might have had and throwing them straight out the window, the girl almost thinking this was a dream.

“I-I’m sorry my lord. What did you just say?” She breathed, her voice shaky and uneven as she took a step forward, eyes wide as she clenched her hands over her hammering heart. “D-did you just call me captain? A-are you saying-?”

“Why yes, I am.” The pope answered calmly, his voice smiling as he looked down at the girl. “After what you faced today and during the events of last night, I feel like having you go through the normal process would be a waste of time as it would be a cakewalk compared to the past two days. Surely this is what you want, Ecclesia.” 

“Y-Yes! More than anything!” The girl replied quickly, bowing her head to the pope as she fought to keep her giddiness in line, her entire body pounding with excitement over this sudden and pretty strange outcome. Normally, lord Maximus was such a stickler for the rules. The fact he was willing to break them for her felt weird, but in this instance, she wasn’t going to question it.

“I promise I’ll make you proud, my lord.” She swore, placing her hand over her heart, a symbol of her loyalty. “You won’t regret this! I’ll make sure to give it my all and ensure nobody dares to call your choice into question by being the best captain I can be! Living up to whatever standards you demand!” 

Laughing good nationally at this, Maximus leaned forward, offering the blond his hand. 

“I have no doubt you will make an excellent captain.” He said, smiling as he helped his subordinates up. “You have the heart and spirit of the Bystials themselves beating within your chest. More so than any other member of the church. I know you have what it takes to lead us to victory over the evil that is the Tri-brigade.” 

Blushing furiously at the compliments, Ecclesia had half a mind to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming! This just didn’t feel real! Sure, his high Eminence always had been a bit more lacks with her, but he never outright praised her more than any other recruit from her age group. The fact he was being so opened to her now just felt surreal.

“So, Ecclesia, are you ready for your first order as a captain?” Maximus asked, breaking the girl out of her trance as she nodded vigorously. “Anything, my lord.” She replied, her gray eyes staring up at his masked face. “I’ll do anything! Just name whatever task you desire done and I shall see to it to the best of my abilities.”

Smiling at this, Maximus calmly turned away, he calmly walked back to stand next to Quen, his back still facing the blond as he replied.

“Good.” He said, his voice filled with kindness and compassion. “That’s what I hoped to hear. Glad to see I made the right decision. We need that go-getter attitude in this church. Hopefully your promotion will inspire the others to grow a spine and not need instruction on every little thing.” 

Practically glowing at the compliment, Ecclesia felt her cheeks turn red as she cupped her hands over them, turning away as she fought back a squeal of delight at receiving such high praise from the pope himself. Had she been alone at this moment, she would have probably broken out in a victory dance for having gained the man’s approval and respect over her hard wo-.

“Now, finish it off.” 

Immediately any thoughts of happiness vanished from Ecclesia’s head, her entire body feeling like it had been dunked into a tub of ice water, the cold seeping into her heart, killing any joy she had left over promotion and praise.

Slowly turning back to the pope, the blond crusader saw the man still hadn’t turned around, still slowly making his way to the head Saint with calm, even steps. 

Thinking she must have misheard him, Ecclesia cleared her throat, calling out to the pope in a shaky nervous voice, her entire body tensing up at the simple act.

“I’m sorry, my lord. I don’t think I heard you properly. Would you be so kind as to repeat yourself please. I thought you said to finish it off? Surely you don’t mean-?” She asked, but stopped immediately as Maximus came to a stop, his last step echoing out deafeningly as he dug his boot into the stone wall.

“No, you heard me correctly.” He answered quietly, still not turning away. “I want you to kill the stupid animal as recompense for attacking the church. Surely you knew this was coming. After all, just planning to commit such an atrocity is punishable by exile, actually doing it is an immediate death sentence. Surely you remember those basic rules, captain.” 

“I-.” Ecclesia began, breaking off as she found herself unable to find a counter, a cold sweat immediately breaking out across her body, her limbs starting to shake. Naturally, she knew the laws. But as she looked back at the tied up boy, just killing him so simply when he couldn’t fight back felt…wrong.

And for the first time since meeting, the boy seemed to agree with her.

“Hey! What do you mean, kill me?!” He demanded, taking a step toward the pope. “I have nothing to do with your stupid order! I was dropped here by accident! Then you lot attacked me! I had no idea what your laws and traditions are here! I’m from another world enti-!”

“Silence!” Quen snapped, taking a step forward, slamming her staff on the ground with a loud bang. “I already know what happened! No lies are going to save you from your attempted murder of the beloved pope! Be grateful in his infinite mercy, he’s allowing you to die painlessly!”

At this, Ecclesia whipped her head around, staring at the head Saint, eyes wide at what she had just stated.

And she wasn’t the only one.

“I’m sorry, what?” Fleur said, taking a step toward the woman, her own eyes going wide as well. “What do you mean? Was there some breakthrough on what exactly that portal was while I was fighting?”

Nodding in response, Quen calmer raised her staff, drawing a diamond shape in the sky, the open space quickly filling with that same purple energy as she created her own portal, this one about the size of an oven. 

And once open, something fell to the ground with a dull splat. 

Taking a step back as red liquid splashed across the ground for what Ecclesia first thought was a sack of tomatoes, her confusion quickly turned to horror as she realized it wasn’t a bag of any kind, but a body. One so completely covered in blood and injuries it was almost unrecognizable if it wasn’t for the furry, pink ears attached to her head. 

The pink haired Tri-brigade member lay on the ground, so completely covered in her own blood neither Ecclesia or Fluer could tell where she had been injured, her clothes soaking up so much they did nothing to absorb the flow as more poured out of the young girl, staining the stone red underneath her.

At first, both women thought the girl dead, however they quickly noticed the faint rise and fall of her battered chest as she sucked in air with the only other sign of life being the quiet whimpering as she did her best to curl herself into a ball despite still being bound, tears leaking out of her eyes as she sobbed in agony.

“After the battle started, we went and retrieved this thing where after a bit of prodding, it told us something very interesting.” Quen said, slamming her heel into the girl’s side, making her gasp and curl up even further, trying in vain to push the older woman’s foot off her most likely broken ribs. “Turns out, the brigade hasn’t learned from their past mistakes and have been experimenting with magic again. Somehow cracking the code to their metamorphosis, letting them turn that boy into a vicious mockery of our gods. All this in an attempt to destroy our order once and for all. A plan that not only almost worked, but also nearly took out everyone gathered here today including the innocent simply coming here to seek out the comfort of worship. Though I doubt these animals have the heart to care even if they had thought of that.”

With that, Quen kicked the girl again, driving her heel into the girl’s side drawing more blood to spurt out, making the head Saint drawback, just barely avoiding getting some on her robes.

“The metamorphosis only affects those with a wicked heart.” Maximus explained, turning to face Ecclesia as he spoke. “For one to take such a hideous form, I can’t even begin to imagine what kind botched ritual drew out so much evil to allow him to take that form. And as we don’t know what kind of magic was infused into his body, better to get rid of him then risk more civilian lives. Besides, the Tri-brigade was cursed because of their evil and greed and they still look like humans. I don’t want to imagine what kind of thoughts pass through the head of one who completely loses himself to his obsessi-.”

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Hang on one second there!” The boy cut in furiously, facing Maximus and his Entourage with wide eyes and loud protests. “First of all, I’ve never seen that girl in my life!” He yelled, pointing at Kitt with his foot as he pulled at the ropes binding his arms. “Second, what do you mean, cursed for their greed and not learning their lesson from experimenting with magic?! Magical energy doesn’t work like that! It may have a will of its own, but the concept of good and evil is an amorphous thing. As such magic energy that’s drawn from the world can’t distinguish between things like greed and survival! It doesn’t work that way!” 

Immediately Ecclesia turned to face the boy, her eyes wide as she stared at him.

Magic energy from the world? What was he talking about? Everyone knew magic only came from one place and that was the Nexus. There was no other source of magic in the entire universe save that one. How ignorant was this boy to claim so breezly that there was magic that could be drawn from the worl-?”

“!”

Immediately the blond crusader broke off, her eyes widening as she remembered the dream she had after getting stabbed by the monster in the catacombs and the green woman she had met. She clearly wasn’t a member of the church, nor did she have a Stigmata, yet somehow, she had weaved magic as well as any high mages of the order, maybe even better!

She hadn’t thought about it before the boy brought it up, but that just didn’t make sense. If the Nexus was the only source of magic in the world, how had the green woman done it? It shouldn’t have been possible! But if what they boy said was true, then it made much more sense on how someone outside the order could learn and cultivate magic powers.

And if that really was the case…

“Is that true?” She breathed out, her eyes now fixed on the boy, her voice a husked whisper as she spoke. Her shock rendered her unable to really think rationally. A sentiment that seemed to be shared by her comrades as they to stared dumbly at the boy as he opened his mouth to answer.

Only to be cut off before he could say a single word.

“Of course it isn’t.” Maximus said loudly, making his way towards the boy, his arms raised as he looked to all his followers, addressing them all at the same time.

“What this thing speaks is nothing more than what it thinks will save its hide. Do not fall for its false words. Remember, this thing mercilessly attacked the church. Endangering everyone within its walls and wreaking havoc during our sacred ceremonies. Remember, those of the Tri-brigade do not have souls! They are incapable of feeling empathy or compassion for others. They are driven solely by the all consuming greed that festers in their heart! They are-!”

However before he could finish, a loud groan came from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, his gaze fell onto Kitt as she slowly raised her head, looking at Maximus through a swollen, black eye with blood dripping out of her mouth from the teeth that had been ripped out from it, her gaze filled with anger as she stared at her tormentor as she slowly crawled to her knees.

“Really? We’re the soulless ones?” She panted out, her words difficult to understand due to her injuries, one of which included a large gash that stretched across her entire cheek from ear to mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m kinda having a hard time remembering which one of us just got done torturing a fifteen year old after trying to burn her alive! Cause if you want my opinion, and I’ll admit I’m pretty biased, but that seems a bit extreme even for a-. Gah!” 

The girl was silenced as Quen drove her boot into her back, forcing her back onto the ground, pinning her there as the woman dug her heel into the bloody skin, snarling in disgust as she watched the red blood soak into her boot.

“Be silent, creature.” She snarled, slamming her staff down next to her head, an obvious threat even without the entire shaft cracking with magic. “I’ve had just about enough of your lies. You send us on these pointless wild goose chases only to confess when we have to beat it out of you then play the victim? What a worthless piece of-!” 

“Lady Quen, please wait.”

Stopping mid sentence, the head Saint looked up to see Fleur walking towards her, hand outstretched to move the staff from the smaller woman’s grasp.

“Interrupting a supervisor officer and interfering with church business? You’d better have a good explanation, head captain.” The woman threatened darkly as moved her staff back, away from Kitt’s face while keeping her foot planted on her side, glaring at the lavender haired woman as she came to a stop a foot away, her own gaze not wavering in the slightest.

“Forgive me, your excellence. I meant no disrespect. However, if I may, the circumstances surrounding your information appear to be flawed to me.” The knight said in a calm, steady yet still respectful tone. “I believe this thing may have only told you what it believed you wanted to hear to make the torture stop. As such, any information she may have confessed is hardly credible, especially pertaining to magic.” She explained, gesturing toward the girl as she spoke.

“We have no records of the Tri-brigade having ever managed to use magic in warfare before now, nor any raids found evidence of experiments with it. And to perform a feat such as a transformation of that magnitude, it would take a master of many years worth of training. Something we have no evidence that anyone of those savages have. Perhaps it would be best to hear the boy out. After all, if he’s right and there’s more sources of magic in the world, maybe even it could heal the land allowing for more fertility. If there’s even a small chance of that, shouldn’t we-?”

“Watch yourself captain. What you speak is treason.” Quen interrupted darkly, her eyes narrowed as she got off Kitt and took a threatening step towards the taller woman. “I don’t know how you are this foolish, but that…thing over there is only saying what it thinks will save its hide. Entertaining such ideas will only breed weakness within the church, preventing us from upholding justice and order. And even if such baseless claims were true, it would be far too dangerous to tamper with. Less you forget, the Tri-brigade believes themselves above natural law. And now they bear the filthy, uncontrollable animal instincts on the outside.” 

Striking Kitt in the head with her staff, the head Saint poked the pink, furry ears sticking out of the top of her head, a look of disgust on her face at the action. 

“These represent the unholy greed of these animals.” She snarled. “Unable to control their urges, forcing themselves onto women and children at their leisure. The only way to stop ourselves from falling to their level is by ensuring we act with discipline and acting in the way the Bystial intended. Anything else is-.” 

“What are you talking about?”

Breaking off, the crusaders turned to face the white haired boy once again, who was staring with a baffled expression on his face.

“Magic experiments aren’t going to make someone randomly pop out animal ears or a tail. Unless you’re explicitly trying to fuse someone with an animal, the effects are going to be a lot worse. When magic runs awry, it releases the fused essence into the air. Unfortunately, this power is unstable and tends to latch onto whatever in the general area, soaking into your skin and corrupting your body with dark power from the inside out, eventually turning you into a husk, one with barely a recognizable feature from what you used to be. Effectively transforming you into a humanoid monster, one who slowly loses its mind until all that’s left are base impulses. It has nothing to do with being high or lower on some kind of self-entitled, grandiose moral scale that puts living things in some kind of hierarchy that is based on a religion humans founded because of superstition. And besides, curses aren’t genetic. Meaning even if by some chance you do have kids, they’ll be perfectly fine normal humans unless it’s a generational curse. And even then, those types of curses are--.”

“Silence!” Quen bellowed, brandishing her staff towards the boy. “You’ve spouted enough nonsense! Be quiet or I’ll have your tongue cut out and feed back to you! To speak on the subject you clearly know nothing about is an offense to those who have studied it for years! So stop talking as if you-!”

Suddenly Quen fell silent as Maximus raised his hand, calmly walking forward to stand before the young man, towering over him as he looked down with a look of contempt he could feel even without seeing his face.

“So, you are a scholar of magic are you?” The pope asked in an unsettlingly quiet voice that didn’t match his aura. “Well, we are honored to have you, oh traveled guest. Tell me, perhaps a child such as yourself could join me in my study to go over the variations of Elements magics. After all, in my nearly two hundred years of studying, I still can’t understand how to make ice the color of Jade. Perhaps you could help me with that, oh raging dragon from the sky.” 

Snarling as the boy let out a growl, Maximus leaned in, moving his face so close he could feel the pope’s breath, his face less than an inch away as he let out a low, soft whisper.

“I care not for what lies you spout. But for attacking MY church, endangering MY people, and risking the parades I’ve worked tirelessly to create, be grateful I give you a painless death. Because if time wasn’t of the essence, you would be sawed in half while being hung outside the gates. A fate far better than what your kind deserves. Dragon child of Albus.” 

That last bit, while whispered so quietly only the dragon heard, made his heart leap into his chest, his eyes going wide, mouth falling open as he stared up at the man. Then, he let out a low snarl. 

“You know the legend of the king of the Void, Albus? That’s impossible.” He snarled. “That legend was lost during the age of man. Who are you and what do you want?!” 

Despite the aggressive demand, Maximus simply smirked, standing back up to his full highest before turning his back to the dragon and walking away with an air of swagger that infuriated the dragon.

“Legend of Albus? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He said dismissively, waving his hand, making sure all of his subordinates could hear him this time. “I know no such legend exists for the past two hundred years. Or if it does it lays forgotten in some Tri-brigade base with all the other fictitious tales. Either way, it doesn't matter. Where you're going, you won’t be able to put it to much…well, any use. So even if I did know something, I failed to see why I should waste me brea-.”

“You bastard!” 

Smirking behind his mask as the dragon took the bait, he didn’t need to turn around to know the dragon had thrown himself towards him, being stopped instantly by his royal guard who pounced on top of him, pinning him to the ground as he began thrashing and struggling under their weight.

“Tell me! What do you know about the Void King? You know the tale, you’re familiar with the legend! Tell me where I can find his-! Gah!!” 

But that was as far as he got before one of the guards slammed his head painfully against the ground, creating enough force that it not only drew blood from the dragon’s head, but also cracked the stone with his skull, sending spider webs shooting out across the wall from the force alone. 

The force of the attack caused the dragon to let out a cry, his entire body going limp as he was dazed from the blow. Though surprisingly enough for anyone not familiar with dragons, despite being hit so hard against solid rocks, the boy’s face remained mostly intact, with only a large gash on his forehead to even signify he had been struck.

If there was any doubt left in Maximus’ mind, they were officially gone now. A blow like that should have shattered the skull of a normal human. The fact that this thing was only dazed provided beyond a shadow of a doubt that a dragon had indeed returned to the Abyss of its origin that, despite being driven out all though centuries ago, somehow still remained loyal to their hideous kind.

Scowling under his mask, Maximus felt his hand tightening into a fist as an uneasy feeling filled his stomach for the first time in over a century. This interloper couldn’t have shown up at a worse time or place. He had to get rid of him immediately, before this thing could reveal the truth and shatter all his carefully laid plans!

Calmly, Maximus once again began walking away from the dragon nonchalantly, making a point to keep his steps even and slow, not showing a single sign of his apprehension as he made his way back towards Quen and his elite guard.

“I have no idea what nonsense you’re raving about.” He said calmly, almost patronizingly. “Magic reflects what’s in the heart. Those who are pure, as long as they are careful, can use it with little to no down sides. Those such as yourself, who only think of themselves and their insatiable greed, cannot truly grasp the power that is gifted by the Nexus. And when they force themselves onto it, it reveals their true nature. A lower being caught between man and beast. And while you may not have fangs or claws now, not once in my two hundred years have I ever seen a transformation like yours. To lose one’s self to their greed is one thing, but to completely abandon one’s humanity? That is something only a soulless being such as yourself could ever hope to achieve.” 

Behind him, Maximus could hear the boy struggling, trying to free himself from under the guards, his feral snarls doing little to intimidate the pope as he continued his walk. 

“You speak of magic yet you clearly have no understanding of it. Only pulling your knowledge from pseudoscience and fairy tales instead of actual facts. A man such as myself needs not trouble himself over a child babbling nonsense about fusing energy, or natural energies. What a laughably poor understanding of even the most basic concepts of magic. Honestly, no wonder the Tri-brigade failed so badly at-.”

“Then why the hell do you reek of it?!”

Immediately, Maximus froze, his eyes going wide behind his mask as he came to a complete stop, his entire body going tense as he slowly turned his head to look back at the dragon. 

Seeing this, The boy looked up, meeting the pope’s gaze with a hard glare, one that had his eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, those carrying a slight smirk of triumph at finally getting the man rattled. 

“If my understanding is so flawed, why do you reek of polluted energies? All six elements magics mixed together in a disgusting cesspool of corrupted magics. A stench of potent, I can smell it even as I enter the atmosphere. If I’m wrong, why do you reek so badly?”

Chuckling at this, Maximus calmly held up his hand, stopping Quen as she took an angry step towards the dragon.

“I’m afraid I know not what you're talking about.” The pope said calmly, his eyebrow twitching under his mask. “I smell no such stench nor have any idea of the supposed corrupted elements that you claim to exist. But of course since you’re such an expert, I’m sure you could-.”

“Prove it then.” The boy cut in, eyes narrowing as he glared up at Maximus, fangs bared as he spoke in a snarl like voice. “Prove I’m wrong. Take off that mask and show everyone your face. I bet it’s so polluted, it’s unrecognizable as even being human.” 

A collective gasp followed the boy’s challenge, the members of the church taken aback by the brasion claim. To shock that someone would dare suggest such heresy leaving the dragon and the pope to stare at one another, the former keeping his face staying a ridge glare as he looked up at his capture who simply stared down at him unresponsively, expression unreadable under his mask. 

Then, with a swish of his cloak, Maximus turned on his heel and began walking away, not even bothering to look back as he held up his hand, middle and index fingers raised as he flicked his wrist, making some kind of signal that the young dragon didn’t recogn-. 

Suddenly and without warning, one of the men holding him threw his elbow forward, bringing it down quickly and violently against the back of the boy’s neck, immediately silencing him as he lurched forward, body going numb making him fall forward, going limp in the process.

“I see no need to entertain a child such as yourself. Such things would be a waste of my time and energy.” Maximus said calmly. “Besides, I’ve already spent enough time playing your games. Now I must attend to other matters. As enjoyable as listening to your nonsense, I have many important things to do and have spared all the time I can. So, I would wish you the best, but seeing as you're going to die here, that seems counterproductive.” 

Calmly, the man waved his hand carelessly in the air, drawing all eyes to him as he spoke again, this time letting his voice take on a less condescending tone and more of a commanding one.

“Enough word games. This day is done.” He said, coming to a stop a little ways away, his guard falling in line behind him. “We’ve lost quite enough as it is, I see no reason to waste more time on this nonsense. Every moment we delay here is a moment where we might save one of the injured survivors. So, if you would be so kind Ecclesia, finish this.”

At his words, the young crusader immediately stiffened, her back going rigid as she straightened up. 

“A-are you sure my lord?” She asked shakily, the young girl picking her words tentatively as to not come off disrespectful. “They don’t seem to pose any threat to us right now, your eminence. Are you sure it wouldn’t be wiser to-?”

“I’m sorry, captain. I don’t think I heard you correctly.” Maximus cut in, his voice suddenly going icy and cold, not even needing to look over his shoulder to make the blond take a step back, her entire body starting to shake. “Would you like to repeat what you said just now? Because I’m certain you wouldn’t be so foolish as to question me in public, would you, Ecclesia?” 

“N-no! Absolutely not, your holiness!” Dropping to one knee, Ecclesia hung her head In supplication, her body shaking uncontrollably as she quickly spoke to rectify her intrusion. “I wasn’t questioning you, I wouldn’t dare! I was simply asking…how killing these two would bring us closer to restoring the world to the way it should be. After all, these two seem quite young. Surely there is still time for them to repent and change their ways. After all, sinful as they are, it seems a bit…harsh to kill them simply for having parents who fail to follow the way.”

Stopping here, Ecclesia stayed stock still, awaiting lord Maximus’ responses.

However, when it did come, it was far from reassuring.

“Are you done?” He asked coldly, not even looking over his shoulder as he chastised the young girl. “I thought I made myself very clear. Kill. The. Interlopers. That was the punishment I doled out to you last night, was it not? Well, I suggest you make good on your word, captain. Accept your punishment, shelve your selfishness, and do as I say. As I mentioned last night, I do so hate having to punish my subordinates, so please, don’t make me punish you anymore.”

Blinking at this, Ecclesia slowly raised her head, looking up at the kind, fair, and just man who had yet to even turn around to address her in any way, shape or form, her eyes going slightly wide in surprise at his canid refusal to change his mind.

Surely he had a good reason for not listening to her concerns and simply pushing forward with his decision. After all, this was Lord Maximus she was talking about! She knew he was always right and just. So he must have a good reason for wanting these two dead, right?

But as Ecclesia shakily looked from the bloody form of Kitt who lay on the ground, over to the white haired boy, still restrained, his head now limp as he spluttered and gasped, in too much pain to really pay attention to anything else around him.

And as she took in the sight, a sense of unease took root in the girl’s stomach. One not bone out of nervousness or from being in a dangerous situation. No, the reason behind this new, unusual feeling was something that she could only describe as wrong, as heresy. 

Doubt. That was what was filling her stomach, making her suddenly question her actions and her orders. Something that she knew was fundamentally wrong, but couldn’t shake no matter how hard she tried. 

The reason she had worked so hard in the order, given so much, trained so diligently, was because she knew that, while some of their members weren’t the best, at the end of the day, the Dogmatika order wanted what was best for everyone in the world. Sure, she knew that this ideology would naturally lead them to confrontation with those who oppose them, but that was because they were simply misguided, not fully understanding the role they had to play for order to be restored.

And yet, no matter how she turned this matter over in her head, Ecclesia couldn’t see how killing these two people would bring balance to the world. Yes, they had both attacked the church, but they were kids, no older than her. In fact, she was pretty sure the Tri-brigade girl was a good few years younger! Killing them, either of them, wouldn’t advance their goals at all. Not towards fixing the world, or recalling the Bystials. 

So why had lord Maximus, the wisest, most holy man in the world, ordered their end? Surely he could see they might still be converted. They hadn’t chosen to be born on the wrong side of this war. Surely now that they were in the church’s custody they could be re-educated, shown the error of their ways and be saved! There was no need to kill them over simply being born into evil.

Lord Maximus was probably just stressed from both the pilgrimage and the past few days. Yeah, that must be it! He was always so kind and fair, he must simply be too exhausted to see things clearly. After all, even the strongest men need rest, and given how little he had been getting, that must have momentarily clouded his judgment.

Moving quickly, Ecclesia knelt down to one knee, bowing her head as she called out to the pope. 

“Your eminence, with all do respect, are you sure that is necessary?” She asked, keeping her voice respectful. “They may have wronged us, but they don’t seem much older than myself. Are you sure death is their only salvation? Perhaps it would be better to try and convert them. I know you said when an animal’s back is against a wall they will do anything to save themselves, but now that they have seen the power of the Dogmatika faith, perhaps-.”

“Ecclesia.”

Immediately, the blond froze in her tracks, mouth going dry as the pope’s voice boomed out, somehow both quiet and deafening at the same time, smothering any courage the young woman had summoned, replacing it with an uncontrollable fear that made her entire body shake with terror that only worsened with each word that came out of the pope’s mouth. 

“I believe I gave you a direct order, captain.” Maximus breathed, Ecclesia not even needing to look up to know he had turned his head and was now looking down at her quivering form. “I ordered you to kill the interlopers, did I not? Surely such a simple, straightforward order is something you are capable of, captain. Don’t tell me I was mistaken in giving you that rank, Ecclesia.”

Stuttering at the icy tone of the man's voice, the young woman found herself trembling in her boots, legs shaking so much she couldn’t even stand. The presence of the pope’s gaze weighing down on her like a ton of bricks, crushing her underneath its weight. 

She had been given a once in a lifetime opportunity, a promotion handed down by the high pope himself. An honor only the head saint shared as was tradition. She knew that to disappoint him after such heavy praise was tantamount to treason. An act punishable by either death or exile!

And yet, try as she might, she found herself unable to move from that spot, to carry out his order and execute the two prisoners. Sure, she knew that had attacked the church, endangered the many pilgrims who traveled here to receive the pope’s blessings, but they were just so young! To end their lives without giving them a chance to repent and change their wicked ways it just felt…wrong!

Suddenly, a hand reached down, cupping the young woman’s chin, making her jolt as her head was slowly raised, her gray eyes locking on the masked face of lord Maximus as he gazed down at her, pity emanating from his being.

“Oh Ecclesia, it seems I overestimated you.” Maximus murmured, his voice both soothing and terrifying at the same time. “You do so well, I sometimes forget you are so young. You have my sincerest apologies. I know how hard it is to take the life of someone who can’t fight back.”

Slowly, Maximus knelt, taking the young woman’s hands in his, slowly pulling her to her feet before gently spinning her to face the pink haired girl.

“The first time is always the hardest.” He purred into her ear, making the blond shutter. “I promise you, this path only gets easier from here. You simply have the misfortune of having one that looks like a child as your first. It’s not fair, but remember, all obstacles must be overcome, less humanity proves themselves unworthy of being graced with the Bystails presence once again. And this is the shared goal of the church.”

Taking hold of Ecclesia’s head, Maximus directed her gaze away from the girl and to her squad, all standing on the wall watching everything transpire, each one with a different look of worry as they waited for her to follow through her first order as a captain. Though not all of them look too happy.

Theo, the ever faithful, gave her an encouraging look, smiling nervously as he gestured toward the captives. Trying to be encouraging despite to really liking it either. He never liked the idea of public executions, but followed through with them out of both obligation and in order to support his friends.

Adin on the other hand, looked a bit impatient, almost slightly annoyed by her hesitation. Unlike her and Theo, the scholar had no sympathy of the Tri-brigade, courtesy of how he had lost his town to them during one of their raids, his family forced to flee to the capital to escape the treacherous wilderness that surrounded them, the young man losing most of his family during the journey, his bond with his squad mates was something he cherished even if he didn’t say it. Showing his commitment to them instead by being the one to always keep them one track and in line, protecting them from their own reckless impulses.

And finally, Fleur leaned against Theo, her arm slung around his neck as she stared at Ecclesia with a stern face she could muster. Through her eyes swimming in doubt told her sister her real emotions.

The woman, for all her outer hardness and toughness, was still a softy underneath it all, worrying about the people she considered family above anything else. It must be agony for her to watch her own sister be so hesitant to follow such a simple order, to fail at such an easy task that she had felt the need to step in herself and do it for the young woman, but knowing she couldn’t as it had been assigned to the blond as punishment.

And as that thought worked its way into Ecclesia’s mind, she was immediately consumed with shame. What was she doing? Standing here and questioning his high eminence over the fate of these two intruders. Who was she to ask for an explanation from someone so holy? Yes, she bore a Stigmata on her body, same as him, but he spoke for the Bystial! The literal gods of the world. She had no right to expect to understand the decisions of the one closest to the divine.

“I know why you hesitate, why you struggle with this act.” Maximus whispered, his voice soft as he smirked under his mask, noting the change in both her breath and heart rate, letting him easily predict where her mind was going. “You fear that by doing this, you cross some moral line you believe exists. That you become something you don’t want to be. I understand this feeling, but please understand this Ecclesia, these feelings you feel, they are nothing but your own arrogance and selfishness.” 

Breath hitching in her throat, Ecclesia slowly tried to look back over her shoulder at the pope, only for him to move to her other side, continuing to whisper into her ear, filling her head with his ideas as easily as filling a bucket with water.

“Think back to what lady Fleurdelis sacrificed for you, what I gave you. I found you, shivering, crying, and utterly alone in a barn on the outskirts of the city. A place you would have died had I not intervened. Tell me, is it right to be given something and not have something of equal value returned? Is that our way? Is it, Ecclesia?”

No, it wasn’t. 

Taking a deep breath, the young woman began to steady herself, forcing her mind to focus on the pope’s words, letting them fill her head, smothering out the doubt and uncertainty that had taken root in her stomach. 

That’s right, it was lord Maximus who had given her life purpose, given it meaning. If it wasn’t for him, she would have died alongside her parents that fateful day. He had taken her, a worthless, wretched thing and given her a new life, a place to call home, a purpose she could follow, and a family that would never leave her side. She owed everything to the high pope, and here she was being selfish, trying to spare herself the discomfort of taking another’s life. 

What a horrible, selfish person she was! She didn’t deserve any of the love or opportunities Maximus had given to her. Yet no matter how many mistakes she made, how many screw ups she did, he never abandoned her or tossed her aside like she deserved. It was only in his radiance that she had any meaning. Without it, she was just the daughter of some no-name couple from the middle of nowhere who couldn’t even hold together a home, let alone anything of this scale. 

Grinding her teeth, Ecclesia once again cursed herself for her selfishness as she drew her hammer. That’s right, she may not like it, but she owed lord Maximus this much at least! She knew the debt she owed to him could never truly be repaid, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t dedicate her life to serving him as his vassal until he had no more use for her. 

Taking a deep breath, she took a step toward the pink haired girl, her hands shaking as she tightly gripped her hammer in an attempt to stop them. The young woman forcing herself to focus only on the debt she owed and nothing else. She wouldn’t be a selfish burden to the great man anymore! She would prove herself worthy of all the chances he had given her.

Coming to a stop right before her target, Ecclesia looked down at the girl who stared up at her, eyes wide and fearful as she looked up at her executioner. Her lip quivering as she tried to crawl away, her battered body pushing her up against the stone arch on the wall, the girl covering her head with her arms as she let out a weak plea.

“Please…don’t.” She gasped, her vice still ragged from her torture last, her pitiful attempt at defense doing little to as Ecclesia once again entered striking range, her chest rapidly rising and falling as she stared back down at the girl. 

“She’s a monster. She devours children. She’s beyond redemption.” Ecclesia thought, trying to convince herself as she gazed at the girl’s ears and tail, the sign of her wicked heart. “You can do this. You have to do this! If not, she’ll just make more of those…things and use them to overrun the church! You have to kill her! You have to uphold your oath and protect humanity! You have to-!”

Suddenly, the girl broke off as a hand was placed gently on top of her own, the girl jumping as she turned to find Maximus standing right beside her, hand resting on top of her white knuckles, a soft, kindness in his voice.

“Calm yourself, my child.” He said soothingly, rubbing his fingers against her hand. “I know how scary this is going to be and I want you to know you don’t have to take this jump alone. Come, let me help carry some of your burdens. Let us put this animal out of its misery together.”

Smiling at this, Ecclesia felt some of her anxiety fade as the warmth from the high pope’s hand flowed into her, making her shaking ease. As apprehensive as she was about doing this, having his high eminence there with her did a lot to put her mind at ease. 

“Thank you, your holiness.” She said with a slight bow of her head, picturing the kind smile beneath his mask as he simply nodded, letting her turn her attention back to the scared girl cowering in the corner. 

Taking one final deep breath, Ecclesia raised her hammer high above her head, positioning the flat pummel right over the young girl’s head, making her flinch as it cast her in its shadow as the crusader’s eyes fixed on her, preparing to end it all.

And not wanting to make her suffer any more fear or pain, Ecclesia quickly took aim and brought the hammer down with all her-!

Click!

Stopping right before connection, both Ecclesia and Maximus froze as the sound of metal hitting against stone caught their ears. Turning their heads to look over their shoulders, they saw a strange metal sphere slowly rolling towards them from the direction of the pope’s royal guard, coming to a stop a few feet away when it hit a large crack in the wall, catching it and lodging it in place. 

Even more confused, both crusaders straightened up, looking back at the guard who were looking at one another equally puzzled.

“Who threw that little bal-?”

Suddenly, the grenade exploded. Sending the two crusaders flying in opposite directions!

Ecclesia let out a cry as she crashed into the guards holding the white haired boy, knocking them all over as her hammer slipped from her grasp, sailing past her and flying over the wall and down into the courtyard below as its owner collapsed onto the ground, coughing violently as she felt one of her ribs pop from the collision.

What were these guys made of?! Steel?!

Meanwhile, Maximus was thrown against the stone barrier that safeguarded anyone on the wall, stopping him from going over but still dropping him to his hands and knees stunned as he had banged his head against the hard stone, a crack forming on the side of his mask, quickly spider webbing out to cover an eighth of his face!

“You’re holiness!” Jumping at the sudden explosion, Quen quickly made towards the pope in an attempt to shield him from further harm. 

But she could make it more than a couple of steps, a gunshot echoed out, catching the Saint unaware and sending her crashing to the ground as a bullet ripping into the side of her head, taking her ear clean off her head, the fleshy body part hitting the ground with a surprisingly loud thunk!

As this happened, Fleur spun around, turning to face the direction the bullet had come from, giving her just enough time to raise her shield, blocking another shot from a pink haired woman with cat like ears and a long tail came charging down the wall towards them, firing a sniper rifle as she ran.

“Tri-brigade! It’s an ambush!” The head captain screamed, moving her shield to block another shot from the advancing sniper, this one aimed at Theo. “Fall back and rally to his eminence! Protect his holy-!”

But before she could finish, the sound of rushing air drew the woman’s head up, spotting the form of a winged man in the sky, aiming what looked like a grenade launcher down at the wall, hovering just outside of her attack range as he flapped both his real and mechanical wings. 

“Oh shit.” Fleur breathed, before whipping her head around to face her squad. “It’s Shuraig! Take cover!”

That was all she got out before said man fired a volley of shots, raining down a dozen grenades that exploded as they hit the ground, releasing a large cloud of smoke that completely covered the area, rendering anyone within completely blind and unable to make a counter attack. 

Coughing, Theo and Adin quickly activated their powers, teleporting to the pope’s side with the later casting a spell, encircling them in a barrier to stop anymore long ranged attacks, the former over standing outside the shield, ready to strike down anyone who dared approach. 

Their captain on the other hand stood in the smoke, her eyes closed as she ran electricity through her body, numbing her pain and enhancing her senses, letting her focus on her surroundings as she dropped her helmet to the ground as she drew her sword, a small smirk spreading across her face as she hear the faint sounds of metal striking against stone.

“Thought you could fool me, did you Shuraig?” She thought as she stayed perfectly still. “Well too bad. After all the times we’ve clashed, did you honestly think such a poor attempt at a distraction would affect me?!”

With that last thought, she heard the sound of a clawed hand gripping stone as another Tri-brigade member used a grappling hook to ascend the wall, sneaking up from the lower courtyard under cover of smoke. 

“No you don’t!” Moving like lightning, Fleur lashed out with her shield, swinging in a wide arc, immediately catching someone in the head, knocking them to the ground with a dog-like bark of pain, their weapons clattering to the ground next to them.

Raising her sword into the air, the head captain made to land a killing blow when suddenly, she heard the sound of rushing air, as well as spot a bright blue light above her, getting brighter and brighter every second. 

Reacting immediately, raised her shield, smashing it against the light as it descended, turning into a huge sphere of energy fired from a super powered, high energy launcher the woman was incredibly familiar with!

Which meant-!

Lashing out with her fist, Fleur met Shuraig head on as he shot down from above, her fist clashing with his foot making a deafening clang as their armor collided, bringing both of them to a complete stop as they eyes met.

“Well, well. What an unpleasant surprise, Shuraig. Nice to see you're finally challenging me instead of skulking around in the shadows! Unfortunately for you, while I’ve been itching to settle the score, I’ve got more important things to do today. As strong as you are, I’m gonna have to kill you quickly!” Fleur said, a snarl immediately spreading across her face as she looked up to her rival, her fist continuing to push against him.

“Hmph! I was hoping to end this fight in one blow. Guess I should have known you wouldn’t go down that easily.” Shuraig grunted, the pack on his back releasing a constant jet of flame, pushing him down against Fleur with its full force, yet still not moving an inch against the woman’s fist. “Still, I’m not here to fight someone as strong as you. I have one objective and one objective only. So I’m sorry, but I’m going to finish you off quickly!”

“I’d like to see you try!” 

Shifting his weight, Shuraig immediately swung his arm down, pointed his grenade launcher down at Fleur’s face, the barrel already alight with the buzzing for a giant energy sphere ready to be fired. 

Seeing this, the head captain reacted instantly, snapping her fingers, generating a burst of lightning to pulse out from her body, sending bolts powerful enough to knock out a city flying from her body, aiming to blow up the energy in the gun before it could fire. 

But Shuraig had predicted this.

With a single flap of his wings, the leader of the Tri-brigade shot back, dodging the woman’s attack while keeping his gun trained on her, pulling the trigger the instant he was out of the blast range.

Immediately, as the energy left the gun, Fleur threw up her shield, blocking the attack the best she could, protecting her already battered body from further harm as she prepared her counterattack.

Unfortunately, in her condition, her best wasn’t enough.

“Aahhh!” Fleur cried as she was blasted back by the sphere of energy, the woman thrown off her feet and sent flying back as it exploded, the force immediately blowing away the smoke as well as knocking anyone still on their feet over and blowing the members of Maximus’s elite guard, the ones who Ecclesia had knocked over, over the barrier and off the wall, then letting out startled cries as they fell to the hard ground below.

Paying no attention to this, Shuraig dived, flying straight toward Fleur as fast as he could! He knew a single shot wouldn’t kill her. If it was that easy, she would have been dead by now! If he wanted to finish her quickly, he had to strike now while she was off balance and weakened from her previous battl-!

Suddenly, Fleur shifted her weight, spinning mid air, letting her plunge her sword into the ground, stopping her momentum in a heartbeat, letting her regain her footing and immediately putting Shuraig on the defensive. 

Turning, the Tri-brigade leader tried to get away. Unfortunately his was just to close and was moving to fast, putting him dangerously close to the woman who, causing her sword as a limb, immediately retaliated with a in air drop kick, slamming both her feet into Shuraig’s face, bending his beak like mask and knocking him back several feet, forcing him to use his wings to glide and turn upright, then land and dig his hand into the ground, digging up the wall as he brought himself to a stop next to Ferrijit and Nervall, the latter discarded the disguise he had used to sneak into Maximus’ holy guard. 

As for the former, well, she had used the smoke screen to rush in and get her sister, dragging her back to safety where she was now quickly applying bandages and stanching the bleeding she had stolen from the church’s supply.

A part of the winged man considered telling her to simply stop the bleeding and take care of everything else later, but as the sound of footsteps on both sides of the wall caught his attention, he figured he didn’t need to. Something that was confirmed the next second as said woman stood up, swinging her rifle to rest the scope next to her shoulder, advancing forward to stand next to him. 

“So, any plans oh great leader?” She asked somewhat playfully, shooting Shuraig a grin as he stood up. “Call it a hunch, but I get the feeling they're not about to just let us go. So…” 

Letting out a small chuckle, Shuraig opened his wings to the fullest. The man calmly reloading his grenade launcher. 

“Well, I’ve got an idea.” He said. Then, with a single beat of his wings, he created a gust so strong it blew the rest of the smoke away, letting them get a good look at the adversaries. “But it’s going to be a second. Think we can hold them off until then, boys?”

Meanwhile, as all this chaos happened around her, Ecclesia slowly crawled to her feet, eyes stinging from the smoke as she rubbed tears out of them, her vision slowly clearing letting everything come into focus. 

And when she saw what was in front of her, she let out a gasp.

There, standing on one side surrounding the pink haired girl, half a dozen Tri-brigade members. Each one armed to the teeth with guns or blades, all of them squaring off with the legendary Shuraig, the leader of the Tri-brigade, standing at their helm, his wings spread wide as he glared at the holy Dogmatika order. 

And standing across from them, lead by Fleurdelis herself, was no less than twenty members of the order, including Theo and Adin as they rushed forward to support their captain, as well as lady Quen standing at the back, arm extended to protect lord Maximus as he to rose to his feet, fragments of his mask falling off as the crack grew bigger, slowly spider webbing out until it split across a fourth of his face, a crack just large enough to see his narrowed, glowing dark gray eye underneath as he glared at the intruders. His entire presence just radiates fury at this sacrilegious disrespect.

And there, caught in the middle, with only a young man who she didn’t even know the name of, Ecclesia felt her throat go dry as blush left her face, leaving her little more than a shaky mess as before her, the greatest battle the order had ever seen was about to take place!

Chapter Text

Ecclesia sat wide eyed as she stared at the scene in front of her. Never once in her wildest dreams had she imagined she’d see the two of the most powerful people in the world come face-to-face. Their eyes deadlocked on each other as they both stood at the ready, changing their stances at the slightest shift in the other's body, neither letting the other get even the slightest edge in combat. 

“Huh. You really are such a pain.” Fleur snarled as she shifted her blade up, positioning it into a more offensive angle. “Can’t go a day without interfering in Dogmatika business or tormenting some poor merchant. Honestly, I’d call you a cockroach if I didn’t want to offend the bug.” 

“Humph. That’s rich coming from you.” Shuraig shut back, wings pulling back slightly to ensure a quick get away if the head captain should attack. “How’s your food storages holding up? I hope you’ve got enough to gorge yourselves through the winter. It would be a shame if you hit another farmer just to satisfy your insatiable appetite.”

Scowling at the jab, Fleur bent her back leg, readying it so she could shoot forward at a moment’s notice as she leveled her shield with her chin, holding it just high enough to glare at the man from behind her guard.

“You know not what you speak of.” Her voice seething in anger. “We grow our own food just outside the capital. And the people we do take from are criminals, thrives, and heretics! The rest we buy at above market value. Helping the economy of smaller villages stay stable. Something you clearly don’t understand anything about.” Pausing here, a slow smirk crept into her voice, one that was reciprocated on her face as she flicked toward his wings, a quiet chuckle escaping her mouth.

“Those I supposed I shouldn’t expect an animal such as yourself to understand complicated things like economics or government. After all, the last time you tried to, I was able to take your wing.” 

Now it was Shuraig’s turn to bristle with anger, hands tightening into fists as the fleshy stub attached to his mechanical wing twitched in agony, effortlessly reliving his first ever encounter with the powerful woman, and the pride he had paid for his reckless youth.

However, any anger or resentment he felt disappeared as he felt a hand gently laid on his shoulder, the man not even needing to look over to know Ferrijit’s touch when he felt it. His body relaxing at the feeling, hands relaxing as he rained in his emotions, letting him settle on a hard glare at his rival.

“Humph. I see you haven’t changed. Still as closed minded and arrogant as ever.” He grunted in response, subtly reloading his grenade launcher. “Much as I’d love to put you in your place, fortunately for you, fighting isn’t the point of this mission. We are simply here to rescue our comrade. And with that accomplished, I see no need to engage with you in battle. So, how about you drop this farce for today, and we can tend to our personal affairs some other time.”

Normally, Fleur would have been angered by this proposal. Attacking a sacred Dogmatika sight was punishable by death no questions asked. But to assault their very home was an even greater crime. One the noble knight would never dream of letting slide.

Under normal circumstances that is. Which this most certainly wasn’t.

A dragon descending from the sky, an army of magic eating monsters from below the church, and a boy who somehow was so corrupted he lost his humanity completely, this was obviously not a normal day. And when faced with the reality of the situation, Fleur knew that these events couldn’t have been the work of the Brigade. And on top of that, the head captain was well aware that there were still hundreds, if not thousands of injured civilians lying somewhere nearby. Hidden in the church and protected by crusaders, but still close enough to get caught up if a battle between herself and Shuraig were to spring up. Like it or not, she knew that man was easily her equal. And if she had to fight him, she wouldn’t be able to hold back. Assuming that is, she could even take him in her current condition.

Maybe it was best to let them go for now so they could tend to the injured-.

“You must be joking.” 

Turning at the sudden voice joining the conversation, Fleur and Shuraig both looked to Quen as she approached, striding through the ranks of the guard until she reached the front, stopping just behind Fleur and the front line, her dark, dead gaze fixed on the winged man.

“You attack us, set your abominations on us, steal, rape, and pillage our citizens and salt our lands, and now you want to call a temporary cease fire? As if you think we’d actually let you get away? Surely that’s a bad joke.” Banging her staff thrice on the ground, each blow echoing out across the courtyard. Then, on the third strike, what seemed like another fifty men appeared from out of the shadows, seeming to materialize out of thin air, effectively doubling the members present. 

At the same time, the sound of running boot’s behind them caught the Tri-brigade’s attention. With Ferrijit and Rugal turning around to see both Ashiyan and Andrew running towards them, two more battalions of crusaders following close behind.

“Great.” The wolf man grunted, drawing both his axes in a single fluid motion. “So much for a clean getaway. They got us completely surrounded.” 

Stepping forward, Quen calmly raised her staff once again, this time a bright blue light shining out, engulfing the crusaders next to her in a glowing aura of the same color, immediately empowering them with the incredible magic of the head saint. 

“You are in the heart of our territory, facing the strongest forces we have to offer. Letting you go would be a fools gamble.” Quen pushed, the line moving forward with her, advancing slowly toward the Tri-bridge who were trapped with two large units on their front and back, and a giant drop to either side. Rendering them in a very vulnerable position, unable to retreat or reposition.

“The only way you walk out of this alive is by laying down your weapons and surrendering.” Quen said darkly. “If you do, I promise a fast, mostly painless death for most of you. Those we will be keeping some of you to lead us back to that hidden statuary of your. Whoever gets the honor of doing that, they will be buried with the other filth that we shall burn off, freeing the world of your kind once and for all.” Grinning evilly at her threat, the head Saint practically purred with delight as she attempted to strike fear into several of the members, their hands tightening as they drew their weapons, readying to fight.

But as Quen engaged with the savages, the other key players in the conflict had other things on her mind.

“Ecclesia!” Fleur half snarled, half whispered, snapping the blond back to reality as she had been lying on the sidelines, watching the events take place. “What are you doing? Get over here!” 

Blinking dumbly at her sister, the blond stared for a good second before jolting when she realized she was in the area Fleur had dubbed the kill box, (area that would get you killed if you stood in.) trapped between the two forces right before they clashed, with a wall at her back and no way to retreat safely. 

Upon realizing this, she quickly grabbed the white haired boy by the arm and practically dragged him over, hauling him effortlessly back toward Fleur’s side, planning to take her place at the rear of the formation, giving her ample time to find out what the pope wanted to do with the boy.

Unfortunately, before she could get very far, she was brought to a complete stop as the boy dug his heels into the ground, stopping her in her tracks like a pouting child being dragged by their parents.

“What are you doing?!” Ecclesia hissed angrily, tugging at his bound arm. “Are you trying to get us killed? We can’t be here when the fight breaks out! We’ll be dead in the first few minutes!” Despite her statement, the boy simply scowled, digging his feet in more to stop the young woman from moving.

“Oh yeah, like I’m not gonna go willingly with someone who literally just tried to kill me!” He snapped, struggling in her grasp, trying to pull himself free. “If I have a choice between maybe dying in the chaos of battle and definitely dying because of a brainless bunch of cultists are having a power trip, I think I’m gonna go with the death by battle. Maybe take one of the insane idiots with me if I can!”

Scowling at this, Ecclesia tightened her grip, grabbing his shoulder with her free hand as it became harder and harder to hold him. 

“Hey! I don’t want to kill you either!” Ecclesia shot back angrily. “But you're the one who came crashing down into our city, you’re the one who assaulted a crusader, and you’re the one who used some kind of corrupted magic to transform into…whatever that was! I don’t believe for a second that lord Maximus wants to see you dead, but you make it very hard to-. Eww! What are you doing?!”

Immediately Ecclesia jumped back, releasing the young man as, in retaliation, leaned down and licked her hand, the young girl letting out a disgusted squeak as she tried to get his spit off.

Despite the glare the you man was now getting from the girl, l he looked completely unfazed, simply fixing her with a hard stare as he replied.

“Okay first, you attacked me first!” He shot back angrily, doing his best to gesture back to where the fight had first begun, getting very little results as his hands were still bound. “And second, I didn’t even want to come here! I was sent here by accident in my battle against an agent of the world of Despia. He opened a portal and tried to get here because he sensed the power of a Brand nearby this location. And so, even after I was able to throw him into the void between worlds, there was still magic magic powering the portal to bring me here! Oh! And while I’m on this topic, I’m pretty sure your sugar daddy over there very much wants me dead considering the fact he won’t even let me explain my side of the story! How the hell do you interpret that any other way?!” 

Opening her mouth to shoot back a rebuttal, Ecclesia suddenly came to a stop as she realized she really didn’t have a good counter to his arguments.

His argument, or the parts Ecclesia could understand, had valid points. Technically, they had been the ones to strike the first blow against him. And technically, traveling by portal was not even a remote possibility at their current level of mastery. To assume this boy, no older than her, would have a mastery of this complicated magic that surpassed even the highest saints in their peel was ridiculous.

And honestly, yeah. Now that he mentioned it, lord Maximus had been acting a bit weird ever since the boy had first shown up. Passing judgment on the word of a little girl who probably just said what she thought he wanted to hear.

And now that she thought more about it, there were a few things that the grand pope had done that hadn’t been all that understand-.

Immediately Ecclesia shook her head, ridding herself of those treasonous thoughts as quickly as they entered her mind.

What was she doing?! It wasn’t her place to question the methods of the great, all powerful pope of the Dogmatika order! Just because she was to stupid and sinful to see his grand plan didn’t mean there wasn’t one. Lord Maximus was under no obligation to explain everything to some lowly foot soldier who had only just made captain. Sure, he had alway made an effort to involve himself with her more than the others, but that was pure because in his glorious generosity, he had wanted to make sure there were no medical complications from the operation that had saved her life, the one where he had placed a Stigmata on her own body. 

Besides! It was hardly their fault they had reacted this way! He was the one who dropped right down on top of them! Of course they’d react violently! And how was it their fault he couldn’t properly control his powers and had opened and closed a portal on his tail! Yes, opening a hole in the space/time continuum was incredibly difficult magic, mastered only by lady Quen and lord Maximus himself. 

And not to mention challenge the grand architect of sorcery on the very nature of magic! Throwing random nonsense at the high pope, eating his valuable time while the people he loves so dearly suffered. 

And for what? Just to push some nonsense story about how a world from a fictional story magically decided to drop him here because they were after some kind of tattoo or something of that-!

Wait…

“Despia? Did you say Despia?”

Taken aback by the sudden change in his captor’s voice, the young boy turned back to face the girl who was now staring at him wide eyed, mouth hanging open as she took a step closer.

“You mean the Despia from the tale of the dragon king, Albus? The ones who descended upon the land from another world, the ones who brought ruin to the world of dragons and men? Are you talking about those Despia?” Eyes going wide at the crusader’s statement, the young man found himself unable to look away from the blond girl, his own mouth falling open as he tried to speak.

“Y-you know of the legend of Albus?” He asked, taking his turn to let his mouth fall open stunned into a stutter. “I thought humans forgot about that legend eons ago. H-how do you know about it?”

“Library. Tucked away in a forgotten corner. I stumbled upon it when I was a kid. How do you-?” Breaking off here, Ecclesia shook her head once again, trying to readjust everything in her head, looking at everything that had happened over the course of the past few days. 

From the sudden attack from the magic absorbing creatures under the church, to the massive portal opening in the sky, no way this was some normal, random event. Between this and the strange events of the night prior, Ecclesia felt her own heart growing heavy with dread.

“A great evil has returned, one that ran rampant and unchecked in the ancient past now seeks to finish its work. If it should succeed, all life in this world and beyond will cease to exist. Entire worlds snuffed out by its insatiable hunger as it feeds endlessly on the very fabric of life, turning this beautiful world into nothing more than a graveyard once again. A fate that must be preserved at all costs.”

The warning of the water woman echoed through her head, making her entire body fill with unease. One might say it was stupid or even naïve too put stock in the words of someone who might have just been an hallucination, but with each new, weird event, all happening in an incredibly short span of each other, it was becoming more and more difficult to simply ignore the words and signs all pointing to something bigger on the horizon.

“Ecclesia!” 

Jumping slightly, said girl looked back over to Fleur, who was beckoning her over, the rest of the crusaders either glancing at her, or keeping their gaze fixed on the Tri-brigade, all of whom despite being surrounded and outnumbered, had yet to make a move.

And as she saw these two great powers gathered right before her, an idea formulated in Ecclesia’s mind. One crazy, dangerous and with very serious repercussions if gone wrong. But one that very well might change the course of history as they knew it. 

Turning back to the boy, Ecclesia fixed him with a hard stare, not threatening, but firm. 

“Tell me, are you really a dragon?” Ecclesia asked, staring straight into the boy’s eyes. “If you truly are, tell me so. If not, is this is some kind of prank or lie…” 

Trailing off, Ecclesia’s gaze faltered slightly. In all honesty, continuing was kinda pointless. it wasn’t like she was some skilled social analysis expert. She had no way to tell a lie from the truth. What’s more, she had nothing to threaten him with. They both knew he would probably be put to death for his transgressions, and it was well outside her authority to decide how that fate would be handed out.

However, the boy knew this too, and he saw the begging and desperation in her eyes. As well as the ernesty. She was putting a lot on the line depending on the answer, and deserved a proper answer.

“Yes, I am.” He said, nodding as he met her gaze, an equal amount of strength in them, trying his hardest to show he wasn’t lying and wanting to reciprocate her openness, even if the bridge of his nose was still throbbing from when she hit it.

They stared at each for a couple more seconds, then Ecclesia broke eye contact, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. 

“Okay.” She said, looking up, meeting him with her gaze. “Thank you for being honest with me.” Her voice was filled with compassion and kindness, her gratitude for his honesty clear in her voice, filling the dragon’s chest with a warm, happy feeling that caused the normal tight construction to relax slightly. It had been so long since someone had shown him genuine gratitude instead of simply indifferent as his failed greatness was expected of him. To have someone, even a mere human, to show him such a thing was such a nice difference in comparison to what he was used to.

“Now, are you ready to do something really stupid that’s probably going to get us killed?”

“Huh?” 

Suddenly, that happy feeling vanished as, before he could reacted in the slightest, Ecclesia grabbed him by the shoulder and waist, then lifted him into the air, high enough so his feet couldn’t touch the ground, before dragging him, or rather carrying him aloft and charging head first towards not her side or the other, but heading towards the line between the two!

Eyes going wide, the dragon’s mouth fell opened as he saw himself being forcefully taken to what was apparent suicide! “What are you doing?!?” He bellowed. “Are you crazy?! We can’t go that way! We’ll be killed! We can stand in the middle of two clashing forces and expect to survive ! We can’t-wah!”

Before he could finished, the dragon was flung unceremoniously back to the ground, his feet hitting it with so much force, if his shoulder wasn’t still being gripped by the blond, he would have face planted in the ground. With said girl skidding to a stop, using both of them as human shields between the two opposing forces.

“Please wait!” Ecclesia screamed, raising one hand up as she faced Fleur, shifting her hold on the boy to ensure she couldn’t be shot from behind. “Please, I beg you, hear me out but for one moment!” 

Coming to a screeching halt, both sides froze out of either shock or bewilderment as the young girl’s crys, all eyes now immediately glued to her as with neither weapon nor shield, stood before the two greatest forces in the known world, practically killing herself with the sheer stupidity of her actions.

However, after a few seconds, those who know the girl snapped back to reality, the leader of which taking an aggressive step forward.

“Ecclesia. What are you doing?” Fleur hissed, half desperate, half infuriated. Her voice, while not yelling, was still noticeably strained as she fought to keep angry out of it. “I don’t know what you're playing at, but stop messing around and get over here. We have people who are in need of our aid and we cannot help them so long as these savages are on this sacred ground. We need to-.”

Breaking off suddenly, Fleur’s eyes widened as she was met with a hard shake of the head from Ecclesia, giving a firm no not only to her superior officer, but also to her elder sister who had always had her back. 

Surprised by this sudden stubborn defiance, Fleur quickly switched to her head captain persona, aiming once again to try to get the girl to retreat to safety.

“That’s an order lieutenant!” She snapped, her voice changing to one of commanding authority making the young woman flinch. “Return here this instant and stop spouting this nonsense! I don’t know how hard you hit your head earlier, but it’s clearly hard enough as you apparently can’t think straight anymore! Now get over here before that boy manipulate you any further!” 

Swallowing hard at the tone that her sister was using, Ecclesia forced herself to stay strong, shaking her head again in defiance of her captain’s orders, making her visibly more upset as she tightened her hands into fists.

“Eccle-.”

“No! Not until you, all of you, listen!” 

Taking a step back in surprise, Fleur’s eyes widened as she stared at Ecclesia who met her gaze with an equally strong one. No fear or hesitation burned away by pure determination and stubbornness, letting her hold her sister’s gaze without flinching. 

“Fleur please, you know I’m right. You know there’s more going on than meets the eye! How else do you explain everything that has happened over the past few days? Do you honestly believe that these savages could create a magic absorbing Automaton when we aren’t even close to mastering that technology?! Or open a portal so big not even lord Maximus could recreate?! You know there’s something else going on right now, you have to!”

Taken aback by this statement, for the first time in a long time, Fleur found herself tongue tied and unsure how to respond. Sure, lord Maximus played it off like it was a natural progression of the Tri-brigade’s endless attempts to stop them, but she’d be lying if she said she felt completely satisfied by that explanation.

However, before she could dwell on the topic any further, a loud bang echoed out from beside her as Quen stepped forward, lifting her staff from the ground as she had just struck the stone.

“Watch yourself, captain. You speak treason. I suggest you pick your next words very carefully before you open your mouth again lest you say something unforgivable.” The head Saint said, glaring daggers at the blond girl. “Lord Maximus made you a captain by his own decree, allowing you to skip the long and arduous process. Don’t tell me you plan to betray his trust by spouting this unholy nonsense!”

Flinching at her words, Ecclesia felt her resolve falter as the knife Quen had thrown landed its mark, stabbing her right in the heart and making her question her own judgment. Had she made a mistake? She was questioning the holy pope himself after all. She was technically breaking over a hundred rules by this one action alone. 

Uncertainty taking root in her stomach, Ecclesia did her best to shake off her doubts, focusing instead of what was at stake. Reminding herself that if she was right, there would be countless blood shed of thousands including the innocent. Better to bear the burden herself rather than run the risk of it being thrust upon others. After all, that was what the Bystels had done.

“I know what I do is blasphemy, but please, hear me out.” The young woman pleaded, looking both the head Saint and her mentor right in the eyes. “Can you, any of you, say that there isn’t something strange going on? That the Tri-brigade, a group of savage, uncivilized nomads, could accomplish something not even our greatest scholars could? That they could build an army of magic eating machines without anyone of us noticing? Please say I’m not the only one who thinks that is more than a little odd!”

As she spoke, a murmur passed through the gathering army, many in the ranks looking at each other confused, taking in her word. Damning as they might be, there was a spec of truth in them. It was a bit far-fetched that a group of stupid animals could achieve what nobody had before them. After all, not even the head saint could make a portal that big, and yet somehow a group of goat fucking heathens could? That, when put into perspective, was laughable at best.

Seeing this sentiment going around, the young woman pushed forward, taking a step toward her people, one arm held out showing she was unarmed, the other still dragging the boy behind her as her personal shield. 

“I know this sounds crazy, but I fear something else may be on the horizon! These past events, it’s hard to believe this was all random chance. So many instances of strange events happening so close to one another couldn’t be!” Ecclesia raised her voice, trying to speak loudly as she saw the head Saint open her mouth to protest, making the girl fix her gaze on her sister instead of the shorter woman. “But right now we have an opportunity of a lifetime before. Here stands both our most holy Saints and leaders. Sharing the same ground as our most troublesome enemies. If we could come to an agreement right now, even something as simple as a temporary cease fire, think about how much we could accomplish without constantly being at each other’s throats!”

Her words sent another wave through the crowd, this time louder, more agitated. Make a ceasefire with their mortal enemies? The savages who roamed their lands stealing and killing without a shred of dignity? Surely this girl wasn’t serious. How could they forgive these animals after everything they’ve done?! They refused to live by the way of the Bystial! Taking more than their share of food, land, and resources. How could anyone expect civilized people to accept a ceasefire with mindless animals like them?

But at the same time, her other points still stuck, adding a shred of credence to her blasphemous words. Those that did little to sway some, resulting in angry whispers and weapons being leveled at the young woman. 

As for the other side, they were taking it similarly. 

“There’s our opening. Let’s go!” Whispered Rugal, tightening his grip on his axe as he took a stop forward. “Let’s end this quickly, before they have a chance too-!”

But he was brought to a stop in both manners by a small, outstretched arm blocking his path and making him turn in shock to its owner, eyes widening behind his mask.

“Hold, Rugal.” Ferrijit murmured, her eyes narrowed as she watched the scene in front of her. “I want to hear what this kid has to say. Let’s wait until after the convention and when we’re certain conflict is inevitable.”

Staring blankly at his smaller companion, the much larger member found himself too stunned to speak for several seconds, only snapping out of it when his weapon almost slipped from his grasp.

“Are you crazy?” He snapped softly, keeping his low enough that only his comrades could hear. “You want to wait and let them talk!?! This girl is speaking nonsense! She, just like every other member of this cult, has nothing of value to say! If we strike now, we have the element of surprise! We wait for her to finish whatever fever dream she’s had and we lose that! No way we wait until-!”

Taking a step back, Ferrijit turned, silencing the man with a hard glare, one that, even without a mask, made her look like a furious beast, shouting her comrade up in a heartbeat.

“I’m sorry, do you have a better explanation for what’s going on!” She hissed, using the same soft but angry tone. “In case you forgot, a portal the size of a sanctuary just opened up right above the Dogmatika capital. Then a giant, fuck you dragon dropped out of it and began fighting Fleurdelis. Only to transform into some weeny little kid! So unless you have a better, logical explanation for all that, I think I’m more than entitled to want to hear what this girl has to say. Who knows, if she’s right, we might even be able to walk out of here as a asset to the church instead of their sworn enemy!”

At this, the much larger man snapped out of his stunned state, scowling at his smaller partner with fire burning in his eyes.

“You want to work with these murders?!” He hissed, his rage clear in his voice. “After everything they’ve done?! Please tell me you’re joking! Because in case you’ve forgotten, they’ve slaughtered us in the name of their make believe gods! My mother was killed by their raids! And less you forget, that’s not even the tip of the iceberg! They’ve-!”

“I’m well aware of what they’ve done, Rugal!” Ferrijit interrupted, her voice now carrying a much sharper edge than before. “You’re not the only one who’s lost people to Dogmatika! I’ve lost people too! But unlike you, I haven’t let that bitterness overrule my beliefs. And besides,” Turning back towards Ecclesia, Ferrijit’s face softened as her gaze flicked over to Kitt, who was slowly starting to sit up with the help of Nervall, the man having given her an elixir that had stopped the bleeding.

“We can’t win against them, that’s just the hard fact. So if there’s even a slightly better chance Kitt gets to live in a world free of fear, I’d swallow my hatred for that damn church a hundred times over.” 

Following her advice, Rugal let out a low snarl as he glared daggers at the blond. Them? Work with these monsters? Never! Not after everything they had done! He’d rather see the entire species go extinct than allow them to continue to exist uninterrupted!

Turning his attention away from his pink haired companion, he turned instead to Shuraig, his voice quivering with emotion.

“Shuraig! Don’t tell me you’re actually entertaining this crap!” He snarled. ”This is just a ploy to buy time! Wait for more reinforcements to arrive! We must strike now before their scheme is complete! Standing here, listening to this delusional brat will be nothing but a waste of time! We must-!”

Calmly, without looking back, Shuraig raised his hand, stopping Rugal in his tracks as he replied, his voice a calm, measured tone, words picked with extreme care.

“The Dogmatika has no need for a trap.” He said. “We’re outnumbered, surrounded, and in the heart of their lair. At this point, we’d be lucky to escape at all. I don’t believe this is some kind of conspiracy to stall for time. Nor do I suspect it’s some scheme to get us to let our guard down. No, I suspect this is something else, something more.”

Eyes shifting up and down, Shuraig took in Ecclesia form, her facial expression, her body language, taking in all of it. In his years of leadership, the winged man had grown accustomed to spotting liars, thieves, and tricksters, all of them with tall tales signs or give away when they were planning on selling out his team to the church, all having small minuscule, details that revealed their hidden agendas. 

Now, the best among them could hide it well, making it impossible to tell by deliberately showing those signs at different points, throwing off suspicion from their real tells. However that was an act that took years of experience to reach, something the young girl in front of him just didn’t have. What’s more, all of her body language from her constant holding of eye contact, to her open gestures, to the way she spoke and how she used the white haired boy as a shield. She was nervous, scared. But she was doing everything in her power to hold fast to her courage and continue trying to make her point. Something that took either real guts, or real stupidity. Those either of them were something desperately needed these days.

Stepping forward, Shuraig moved out of his team and toward the young crusader, his steps drawing the attention of both sides, making the other Dogmatika members tense up, while his own people stared at him wide eyed. Some even moving to try and stop him only to be met with Ferrijit’s arm blocking their path.

Calmly walking over, his footsteps weren’t heard by the girl until he was right on top of her, turning with a small squeak as she found herself casted in his shadow, looking up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

She was scared, that was obvious. Still holding to the predictions she had been taught by the order. But despite that, she stood her ground, hands shaking as she met his gaze with her’s, eyes staying fixed on his.

“Ecclesia, was it?” Shuraig asked, keeping his gun pointed at the floor, showing he meant no harm. “You speak with experience beyond your years. Tell me, why are you, a member of our sworn enemy, standing here, begging for peace when you could wipe us out?”

Blinking in surprise at the well asked question, Ecclesia fell silent as she stared up at the man, contemplating her next words carefully as she looked inward to find her answer. 

“I know me and your people don’t see eye to eye, that much is obvious.” She said softly, earnestly. “Honestly, your kind scares me. From your horns and fangs to your selfish greed. It terrifies me to think of you out there, plundering, raping, and stealing just to satisfy your own inner beasts. I won’t lie and say otherwise.” Pausing here, Ecclesia took a deep breath, tensing up as she saw the corner of Shuraig’s mouth twitch, giving her an insight into his mind beyond his otherwise stoic face, her stomach filling with fear as she continued.

“But I also believe something far worse is coming. Something that, like it or not, will drag both your kind and mine into a much greater conflict than the one between us. I know it seems far-fetched or even crazy, but for the past few days, there has been a series of strange, unexplained events that have made me believe that there is far greater evil than the kind you and your practice. And that that evil is now on its way here to threaten us all.”

Taking another deep breath, Ecclesia swung the white haired boy to the side as she took a step forward, her hand raised towards the leader of the Tri-brigade not in a gesture of violence, but as an olive branch, her palm opened, and offering.

“And so, I choose not to hate you for the past sins of your forefathers. If you abandon your wicked ways, I’m more than willing to forgive your kind for the sake of the greater good. Work with you to fight the coming threat. So please, while I know you have no reason to trust me, please believe me when I say I am being sincere about my desire to put aside the past and to work with you for a better future for all of us.”

Staring up at Shuraig, Ecclesia felt her heart hammering in her chest, her body trembling in fear as the man continued to look down at her, his face unreadable behind the visor that covered his eyes.

But then, after a couple seconds, the men let out a deep chuckle, his hand moving to put away his weapon, his voice taking on a more relaxed tone.

“You speak with wisdom beyond your years.” He said calmly, politely even. “While definitely more than a bit condescending, you are the first person of your order to offer something close to a better future for both humanity and my kin. If this is the mindset of Dogmaika’s newest captain, perhaps there’s hope for us after all.”

Taking a step forward, Shuraig reached out and grasped Eccesia’s hand, giving it a firm shake before he turned towards the rest of her order, his eyes landing on Fleurdelis, his gaze while weary, not hostile.

“Let it be known that I, Shuraig of the Tri-brigade, hereby offer my help to the Dogmatika order at the offer of Captain Ecclesia. The wisest of all Saints.” He said, holding the woman’s gaze. “Should you be willing, I’m ready to sit down and discuss terms of a cease-fire and potentially alliance between you and I. If you be willing, we can even negotiate a way to ensure no more blood is shed between our forces and fund a way to band together to face this oncoming threat this young one has foreseen. What do you say, head Captain?”

Staring at her sister and her rival, Fleurdelis found herself stunned speechless as both stared at her awaiting her response. 

Work with the Tri-brigade? Absolutely not! Not after all they had done! The murder, rape, pillaging, destruction. She was supposed to just forgive them for all that? Forgive them for the families they took? Her family included? Never!

Besides, the doctrine laid out by lord Maximus and the Bystial said clearly that all those who didn’t follow the laws of nature must be purged to ensure such greed could never arise again. To allow the people responsible for this world’s suffering to go unpunished was unthinkable to say the least!

Yet, despite the doctrine drilled into her from an early age, as she stood there, looking at her younger sister standing hand in hand with their mortal enemy, Fleur felt something stir inside her heart, something she hadn’t felt for years about her path, doubt.

Ever since she lost her home and took refuge in the church, she had worked tirelessly to destroy the Tri-brigade not just because of her beliefs, but also to build a world where Ecclesia, Adin, and Theo could live together happily, unburden by the strife she had grown up in. She had wanted to eliminate them all to ensure her new family wouldn’t have to spend their lives on the battlefield, that they could one day settle down and start families of their own. Something they could only do once all these animals lay dead.

Or at least that's what she had thought until now.

Now, seeing an opportunity to end the fighting once and for all, even though it stood against what the order stood for, it was so tempting to take it. Sure, she was completely on board with her sister’s belief of some greater evil than the Tri-brigade, and she had her doubts that all the animals under Shuraig would keep their word even if she had no doubts he would, if it put an end to the fighting, even if it meant the Bystial would never come back maybe it would be worth it. After all, Dogmatika had done a pretty good job of maintaining their will. Surely the order could just continue doing their work for them, right? That didn’t really sound so bad.

Slowly lowering her blade as she thought this through, Fleur subconsciously took a step forward, her hand bearing her shield moving forward towards Shuraig’s and Ecclesia’s waiting hands, her own desire mirroring that of her companions, they took sudden taken in by the dream of their centuries long war finally coming to an end. An opportunity they’d be foolish not to at least consider.

However someone was having none of it. 

Eyes narrowed behind his mask, Maximus let out a low snarl of frustration. Perhaps he had pampered Ecclesia too much. Letting her show this level of insubordination was unacceptable! He hadn’t spent those years preparing her for her role in his plan just for her to ruin it by making peace with these filthy animals! No. He wouldn’t allow it. Not after all the work he put in. Not when he was finally so close to achieving his dream. He’d tear this rift apart even if it meant endangering his main one of his aces!

Gaze flicking to the other group of crusaders on the other side of the Tri-brigade, his eyes landed on the young man who looked up upon sensing his master’s eyes. Ashiyan, if the pope’s memory was correct, the new captain of his execution squad, someone he could count on to kill any crusaders who dared to stray from his doctrines. It was time for his first assignment.

Calmly, without drawing any attention to himself, he nodded slightly, eye flicking toward Ecclesia, directing the boy’s gaze to his target. There immediately making a smirk cross his face, indicating his willingness to do the deed. 

Silently, Ashiyan took a step back, slipping behind his troops and hiding out of view from either the Tri-brigade or his fellow crusaders. Effortlessly, he brought his hands up, palms facing one another where a small portal formed, one he held up as Maximus flowed his power into, reaching the conflux of his magic network where he reached out, taking hold of a rather large strand of magic energy and taking control of his, stealing his nerves as a searing hot pain shot back up his arm, the power on the other end denying him access. 

That was fine. Killing Ecclesia wasn’t exactly an option right now anyway. He just needed to remind her why it was a bad idea to openly accept the hand of an enemy. Even if he was the one to have to pull that string like always.

“Gah!” Ecclesia cried suddenly, stumbling back as she pulled her hand away from Shuraig and pressing it against her skull, not even noticing how his claws cut into her hand, focusing instead on a burning pain in her head, pulsing through her entire body and growing rapidly with each passing second.

“H-hey! Are you okay?” The Tri-brigade leader asked, following after the girl as she continued to stumble back. “What’s wrong? Were you hurt during the previous battle? Are you-?”

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Before he could finish, Ecclesia suddenly jerked back, throwing her head back as she let out a blood curating scream. Hands pressed against her head as she began to convulse in agony, her knees giving out as she fell to the ground, eyes rolling up into her head as the pain robbed her of any consciousness thought. 

This pain was like nothing she had ever felt before. Worse than when she had fallen out of a tree and broken her arm, worse when she had been shot in the stomach during battle, worse even then last night when she was fighting that thing from the catacombs! It felt like burning needles had been shoved into every nerve in her body, sending each one into a agonizing spiral, robbing them of the ability to do anything but send wave of torment through her entire body, reaching her at her core before bouncing back, making them scream even more as they returned to their origin points. 

Her blood boiled, her skin peeled, her bone shattered. The pain was so great the young girl felt all over sensations leave her body, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she began to foam at the mouth. Her vision turned white as all senses began to leave her body, leaving her in a void of white agony, unable to comprehend anything else around her save her own pain as she began to slip away into the afterlife.

As this happened, Ecclesia’s body, now devoid of her consciousness, began to spasm uncontrollably, writhing and twitching as she collapsed onto the ground, her screams becoming muffled as she began to chock of the foam that covered her mouth, her grip on the dragon relinquishing as she fell inward, focused to much on her own agony over her duties.

However instead of using the opportunity to run, the white haired boy spun around, his eyes wide mouth agape as he rushed over to his former captor, kneeling beside Shuraig as the man reached out to touch the girl's shoulder.

“Don’t touch her!” The boy yelled, his words reaching the winged man just in time, letting his stop his hand right before he grab the girl, his fingers only brushing up against her where they were immediately met with a burst of white flames, forcing the man to recoil, his fingers slightly singed as the dragon slid to his knees next to the young woman.

“Something’s messing up her magic flow. We need to stabilize it now!” He snapped, frantically tugging at the ropes that bound his arms. “Her entire body is somehow absorbing natural magic from all around her! If we don’t act fast, death will be the least of her worries!” 

Shuraig looked from the white haired boy to the girl then back up, his wide eyes and hanging open mouth indicating he had no idea what the dragon had said, but as his face hardened, he showed he was willing to help.

“What do you need me to do?” He asked, moving to slash the ropes binding the boy with his long claws, doing his best to listen to his instructions as he went.

“We need to stabilize the flow, find out some way to filter the harmful particles, and purify her systems! In the next few seconds, her skin is going to start melting and her organs boil. We need to stop it before it reaches that point! And to do that, we’ll need to destroy whatever is drawing in so much power and then drain it until her vessel can handle it. We have to act fast before-!”

“Get away from Ecclesia NOW you monsters!!!” 

Before the ropes had even hit the ground, an ear piercing scream spilt the air, immediately making both men look up, having just enough time to see Fleur flying toward them, her eyes wide, face a mask of unbridled fury. Her entire body crackled with lightning as the metal of her blade was barely visible from the amount of electricity ripping through it. Any thoughts of peace driven from her mind as she realized her sister had been betrayed by the very monsters she had just been pleading on the behalf of. Any emotions replaced with absolute fury as she flew at those she believed to be responsible.

“Oh shit!” Shuraig snarled. Acting immediately, he grabbed the white haired boy by the scruff of his neck, not even giving him a chance to finish the shock, “huh?” Before leaping away, launching himself and the boy back as Fluer swung her sword, releasing a huge burst of lightning that ripped across the wall, cutting right through it creating a fisher between Ecclesia and the Tri-brigade!

“Shuraig!” Kerass (the bull man) screamed. Reacting immediately by lifting a shoulder mounted rocket launcher and taking aim at the head captain, the beeping of the heat seeking exploding locked on to the woman as she knelt next to her sister, trying desperately to see what was wrong with her.

Noticing this, Ferrijit’s eyes went wide, reaching out, she reached out for her teammate, grabbing him by the arm. “Wait, don’t-!” She began, but it was already too late. With one single moment, the bull man had fired the rocket, kicking both of them back as it sped toward the head captain with a loud bang.

Looking up at the sound, Fleur saw the rocket flying toward her, giving less than a second to react. And while such an attack would normally be easy for her to dodge or deflect, between her previous battle and the fact her sister was still lying well within the blast range, she had little option but to charge forward, blocking the rocket with her shield and causing it to detonate far enough away that Ecclesia wouldn’t get caught up in the blast.

A noble effort, but one that cost her dearly. As the explosion blasted her back, the woman sailing over the edge of the wall and almost plummeting to her death had she not managed to drive her sword into the wall, turning her descent from certain death, to a cry of pain as her arm lurched, barely staying in it’s socket as the force of her moment jerked her arm painfully.

“Fleur!” Theo and Adin screamed. The latter rushing in to help their captain with the former grabbing a nearby fallen sword, hurling point forward at the Tri-brigade, causing the weapon to scrap against Kesass’ back, dropping him to one knee as the blade tore into his spine, leaving a ragged slash as it sailed past, imbedding itself in the floor a few feet behind them.

“Kesass!” Rugal bellowed, eyes flashing as he let out a low growl. Taking action immediately, the man raised his twin axes and brought them down, discharging a blue energy shockwave that raced across the ground, heading straight toward the young man before detonating when they hit a barrier created by Adin, stopping the powerful attack in its tracks, but creating a smoke screen between them and the brigade. 

“Sniveling cowards! Always playing some dirty trick!” The man snarled, raising one of his axes to rally the team. “We have given them more than enough chances to change! Now they’ve made it clear they never will! To battle! And if this any of us breathe our last, we shall meet again in the halls of the Lord of Beasts! Where we shell be regale for our heroism and triumphs! But until our next meal in this plane or the next, death to Domaika! “ 

His words were met with a cheer as the other members immediately raised their weapons, taking a defensive position as on either side of them, the knight of Dogmatika advanced, charging into their ranks with their own battle cry.

“For the Bystial!”

And soon, the air was filled with the sound of battle. 

As chaos rained down on the battlefield, the white haired boy found himself for how ever many times that day, once again thrown unceremoniously to the ground by Shuraig as he was forced to raise his weapon to defend himself against the oncoming crusaders. 

“Hey boy, can you fight?!” He yelled, firing a sphere of blue energy into the charging knights, scattering them as they exploded. “I hate to drag you into a fight that’s not really yours, but if you want to get out of here alive, we’re your best chance!”

Blinking in surprise, the dragon quickly snapped himself back to reality as he saw a crusader charging him, sword drawn aimed at his chest, only for the next second the man was stabbed straight through by Shuraig’s mechanical wing, clamped shut for the strike before swinging opened, cutting the man in half, killing him instantly and causing his sword to drop to the ground right before the white haired boy. Who quickly snatched it up as he jumped to his feet.

“Fight?! Are you crazy? We’ll die!” He yelled, turning to face another crusader, barely blocking a swing from his blade and forcing the young man to take a step back. “We’re outnumbered ten to one! We have to retreat if we want to survive! And what about that girl?!”

Pushing his opponent off, the young dragon took a swing at the knight intending to injury his knee, only for the armed man to parry his strike easily while knocking him off balance, letting the heavily armed man clip his cheek, making the dragon stagger where the knight moves in to finish the job. Only for a sphere of blue energy to slam into his chest and send him flying off the side of the wall.

“I’m well aware of the situation.” Shuraig said in a surprisingly calm voice, smoke still trailing from his gun after his shot. “I have a plan but we need to thin their numbers, and quickly! My team knows how to fight as a unit, we can last a couple minutes with what I'll need! As for the girl, I’m sorry, but I can’t risk my people for a potential enemy. I know she’s clearly different from the others but-!”

Breaking off suddenly,  the winged man's head shot up, looking into the sky, eyes wide as he stared up at a forming cloud cracking with lightning. Something that the dragon mimicked as he felt the same power that had struck him down radiating from the cumulonimbus, his mouth going dry at what he saw.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He murmured to himself. “How much power does that freak show have? Brace for impact!”

No sooner than the words left his mouth, lightning shot down from the skies, striking the winged man and sending him crashing to the ground, landing on his knees as he glared up at the sky.

“Shit! Fleurdelis just shut off our escape route!” He snarled. “That’s not good. Now we’ll need to disable her somehow. Great. As if this wasn’t difficult enough alrea-.”

“Look out!” 

Reacting instantly to his comrade’s call, Shuraig spun around, raising his grenade launcher just in time to block a crusader’s blade, catching it between muzzle and mag letting him jerk it to the side, out of his opponent’s hands before elbowing them hard in the face, knocking them back where he promptly spun his weapon around and blasted him in the chest.

As this happened, the young dragon spotted about ten more men charging their positions, each one’s weapons aglow as they drew on some kind of corrupted or altered form of magic, then teleporting the last few feet letting them get an aerial attack on the two. 

Reacting quickly, the boy managed to block the attack of one of the men, leaving the others to charge Shuraig as the one stayed to fight him, drawing a second blade which he quickly stabbed at the dragon.

Jumping back, the white haired dragon tired to counter strike, timing his attack to land right before his opponent could regain his footing, aiming to land a killing blow only for his timing to be off, letting his opponent parry his attack, knocking him off balance and driving the hilt of his other sword into the dragon’s face, knocking him back and putting him on the defensive.

As this happened, the other nine men lunged at Shruaig, one going first letting the other’s surround and attack him from all sides at once, hoping to overwhelm him with numbers and land a lucky strike.

They had no such luck however, as the man effectively knocked the first man back before blasting the one to his right with his gun. Then, ducking underneath a thrust of a spear, the spun on the ground, knocking his legs out from underneath all the crusades with his metal wing, sending them tumbling into the air heading for the ground with four being met with a punch and kick as he slid on his rear,  using all four limbs to strike, knocking them back before getting back to his feet with a flap of his wings, blowing the remaining opponents clean off the wall while catching some other stragglers along the way, quickly spinning to open fire on another group that was actively surrounding Ferrijit as she fought to keep Kitt safe.

“Rugal! Ferrijit needs backup! Nervall! Kerass! Fire some dummy rounds towards their main battle line! Right now the only thing keeping them from overrunning us is their need to protect Maximus! Keep them that way! Everyone else, rally to me!” As the winged man bellowed orders, the dragon took a clumsy swing at his opponent, missing his mark and giving the man a chance to take a swipe at him, slashing his cheek open. 

As this happened, the other Tri-brigade moved quickly, following orders with exact precision. Rugal moving in, slashing two crusaders in the back forcing them to retreat from the cat sisters while at the same time, Nervall hurled several grenades into the air, letting them land a few feet away from main group, exploding and releasing colored smoke that made many Dogmatika members close ranks, pushing the pope back as they tired to move him away from what they believed to be a harmful poison, but in reality was nothing more than harmless paint.

Following the cries from the crusaders, calling more from the front to protect their pope, The young dragon was slammed up against the stone railing by his opponent, blade slowly moving towards his face as he fought to try and force him back unsuccessfully, the young dragon powerless to fight against as the blade inched closer and closer to his neck, the armored knight grinning as his victory approached.

However, this grin was short lived as before he could make much more progress, he was grabbed unceremoniously tossed clear off the wall by Shuraig, who had casually walked up behind the struggling pair and grabbed the other man by his collar. Easily throwing him several feet, letting him fall screaming several hundred feet, eventually being cut off by a dull splat.

“Hurry! We need to regroup and rally to a point!” The winged man said, offering his hand to the young dragon as behind him, the rest of the Tri-brigade galloped up, forming a circle with Shuraig at the center. “Once done, we’ll move as a unit, take out Fleurdelis, then, if the Lords of the Beasts are with us, escape. You want to come, you’ll need to follow me commands and-!”

“I can help.” The young dragon cut in, rising to his feet on his own, looking the winged man in the eyes. “I have a plan to disable Fle…flur… whatever her name is and give us all a chance to escape. But to do that, I need you to get me to that crusader.” 

Blinking in confusion, Shuraig did a double take before fully processing what the boy was saying, his mouth falling open before he could reply.

“I’m sorry, you want to what?” He snapped a bit more harshly than he intended. “You can’t be serious. That girl was about to kill you and now you want to risk your life to help her? I know she offered an olive branch, but surely you can’t seriously think that if you cure her is going to make all these other crusaders just turn around and let us leave. There’s no way someone like Maximus is going to place her words or life above wiping us out. I’m not risking my people on such a faulty-!”

“No. I need to get to her to draw on the magic that’s contained in her body!” The dragon cut in in an irritated tone, stomping his foot impatiently before stepping forward. “Her body is currently ablaze with all kinds of powerful magics. I don’t know why or how, but if I can get to her, I can absorb those magics into myself and use them against these damn knights! And in case you weren’t here a few minutes ago, I was the one who leveled the surrounding area, so I’m pretty sure I could distract the knights long enough for us to escape!”

Once again blinking in confusion, Shuraig took a couple seconds to take in the information, his mind racing as he began to place all the pieces together.

This boy, whomever he was, clearly had some kind of knowledge and control over powerful magic. To be able to challenge Maximus enough that the man would risk his image just to kill him was a testament to how much of a threat this one child posed. And if that were the case, it might be worth the risk to run with his idea and try to get him to the blonde crusader.

However,

“That girl is going to be at the heart of this chaos. We go after her, you aren’t going to have much time to absorb the overflow…or whatever it is from her. Think you can do it that fast?” The winged man’s question was met with an immediate nod, the young man not once taking his gaze off the older one, his eyes set as determined as he gave his response.

“It’ll only take a second.” He assured, his voice unwavering, his gaze sincere. He truly believed in his capabilities. And while under normal circumstances, Shuraig wouldn’t be so quick to put so much on the line for a stranger's plan, right now he didn’t have any other better ideas.

“Fraktall!” The captain bellowed, spinning around to face the blond centaur. “You and Kerass get this boy to that blond girl! Ferrijit and I will cover you! After that, everyone group up at their location and get ready for evacuation!” Gesturing with his gun, Shuraig drew the attention of all his teammates, pointing their attention to both the white haired boy and the general direction of where the girl lay.

“Are you crazy?!” Kerass yelled, rearing up and kicking a crusader in the chest, sending him flying off the wall. “You’re risking our lives on this out of control kid?! What if this guy betrays us?! Or is a plant to break our formation?! The church worships dragons for pity’s sake! I’m not trusting a guy who takes on the holy symbol of our mortal enemy’s faith! Screw-!”

“They Dogmatika church doesn’t need a trap! They’ll be able to kill us anyway!” Shuraig yelled, blasting several more crusaders off Ferrijit’s back. “Like it or not, this boy is our best chance at escape and if he doesn’t succeed, we’ll all be dead anyway! So stop whining and do it! I promise you, if we die, you can berate me as much as you want in the plains beyond! But right now, I need your support!”

Grinning at her leader, Ferrijit swung her rifle around by the muzzle, slamming the heavier end down onto a crusader’s neck, knocking him to the floor as it forced her new magazine into place, letting her spin around and open fire at the retreating form of Maximus, forcing his guard to crowd around him, shields raised to stop her barrage.

“If you're gonna go, you’d better do it now!” She called as she emptied her mag. “Once Maximus is out of the fighting, the church is going to come down with its full might, something that even the best of us won’t be able to handle! So I say if Shuraig says it’s our best shot, I say we take it!”

Her words draw a smile across Fraktall’s face. The blond fired an exploding arrow at one of the crusaders, only for it to be blocked by a barrier Adin put up, detonating creating a smokescreen that blinded one half of the knights. 

“In that case, let’s do it!” He called. “After all, if we are going to die here, I’d rather see what it’s like to fight beside a fucking dragon! I can’t think of a better irony than dying alongside the most holy symbol of the Dogmatika church trying to bring them down! So come on, Kerass! If we survive this, drinks are on me!”

Scowling at his teammates’ rebuttals, the bull man slung his heavy cannon onto his shoulder, clearly irritated by the prospect of dying for this fool's errands, but knowing a lost argument when he was in one. Settling instead on angrily shooting Shuraig glare before turning towards the white haired boy and his horse man companion.

“Fine.” He grunted, looking down aggressively at the boy as if it was his fault. “Where’s the crusader? Let’s go get her and get this over with already. Have a plan to find her or are we just gonna run around like a chicken with our heads cut off?”

“Neither, I know where she is.” The dragon said, letting his own annoyance slide into his voice as he shot the bull a look indicating he wasn’t happy with his attitude. “I can smell the magic radiating off her. We follow that, it’ll lead us straight to the source.”

Raising an eyebrow skeptically, Kerass opened his mouth to sarcastically ask what the lunatic was talking about, only for Fraktall to interrupt before he could even begin, offering a hand to the boy with an easy smile.

“Great! Then lead the way!” He said. “You lead, we’ll follow and keep everyone else off of you! You just focus on finding her, while we focus on getting you there. Just know, if this doesn’t cause some kind of massive calamity, I’m gonna be disappointed.”

At this joke, a smile twitched to life on the boy’s face. Genuine and unforced. He actually found this funny despite the situation, helping him relax a bit and ease off the tension. A sensation he hadn’t felt in years.

However, the smile quickly vanished as the boy reprimanded himself. He was the sole survivor of his clan, tasked with finding the heir to the great white dragon. He didn’t have time for jokes or pleasantries! Those were for lesser beings like humans or animals. A mighty dragon like him had to hold himself to a higher standard, be better than those beneath him, be the conqueror High Leader had been. That was his duty now. 

Hardening his face, the boy strode past the two beast men, quickly sniffing at the air before taking off in a direction. “This way!” He called as he ran, quickly hearing the heavy footsteps behind him as they followed. That’s right, it was his duty to carry on the greatness of his clan no matter what. And while he didn’t know what it was about the girl that had first drawn his attention, he did know she held a great deal of power within her, power that would aid his cause greatly in the battle to come. 

All he had to do was take it! 

Or at least, that’s what he told himself to quit the guilt that was already starting to burn a hole in his heart over the fact he had let yet another person die because of his own ineptitude.

Chapter Text

Racing through the battlefield, the young dragon ducked around crusaders, following the scent of the magic radiating from his target's body, flowing out like a trail of invisible smoke. He could tell he was getting closer, she was just beyond the line of knights who were quickly closing in. Fortunately, it seemed luck was on his side today. 

In the chaos of the battle, the crusaders ran around him, paying him no mind as they rushed towards Shuraig as the winged man thinned their ranks at an alarming rate, forcing them to flood the area to keep him pinned down. The few who did take notice of the dragon were made short work of thanks to the two beasts accompanying, firing a strange blue energy that blasted holes into any of the knights when they hit in an unarmored spot, leaving them bleeding out on the ground as he weaved and ducked through the chaos. 

The knights had formed a circle around the battlefield, keeping the Tri-brigade in, focusing more on keeping them from escaping rather than killing them, which was probably the main reason they were still alive despite being hopelessly outnumbered. And while sure, individually, they seemed far more powerful than the crusaders, that didn’t mean much considering that the star players from the church had yet to join the fray, more worried about protecting their holy leader then-.

“Look out!” 

Head snapping up, the white haired boy had just enough time to throw himself to the side, just barely getting out of the way before someone came crashing down from above, their glowing steel claws impaling the stone, slicing through it like a hot knife through butter and creating a shockwave that knocked the sword from the dragon’s hand as behind him, the other Tri-brigade came to a stop, looking up at the man as he three grinning behind his mask.

“Knock, knock animals.” Ashiyan said, his greasy hair poking out slightly from behind his mask. “I knew you guys were cowards, but even I didn’t expect you to just cut and run, leaving your little friends to die. What happened to all that comradery you animals are always talking about?”

Scowling at this, Kerass took a step forward, leveling his cannon at the slimy crusader.

“Shut your mouth, you pale fleas bag!” He snarled. “I don’t need to hear that from anyone who goes around robbing and killing the people he’s supposed to protect. You can go and shove that self righteous attitude right back up your ass!! Nobody here is fooled by it!”

Chuckling at the reaction the assassin got, Ashiyan calmly took a step to the side, raising his hands in mock surrender.

“Oh my. What ever will I do?” He asked in a carefree tone. “I’m outnumbered by a bunch of big, scary animal people! Oh me, oh my. I’ve gotten myself into quite a bind, haven’t I?”

Snarling at this arrogant display, the bull took a step forward, only to be stopped by his companion arm shooting out, blocking his path.

“Cold your jets, Kerass.” Fraktall said. “Don’t let him rile you up. He’s trying to precook you into doing something rash. Don’t fall for it.” 

Growling at his opponent, but relenting, Kerass, along with Fraktall and the white haired dragon, shifted into a fighting stance, the former letting out a smug snort as he eyed the skinny man.

“You must be crazy if you think you can win this fight. It’s three against one! Captain or not, we’ll snap your neck before you know what happened!” He roared, taking aim at the man with his canon. 

However, despite the act of aggression, Ashiyan didn’t appear to be phased, the man simply crossing his arms over his chest, his claws extending as he let out a chuckle.

“Oh? What’s this? Stupid animals trying to speak? My, my, how very adorable you are.” He mocked. “Unfortunately, unlike you, I am not some stupid beast. I’m well aware I’m outnumbered. However, seeing as I am a man with above average human intellect, I’m pretty sure taking apart some subhuman creatures apart despite the small handicap.”

Growling at this, the bull man took a step forward, Ashiyan now in the center of his crosshairs. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his gun as he prepared to blast this annoying brat’s head of-.

“Look out!” 

Jerking to the side, Kerass shot flew off target, the barrel of his gun jerking to the side as the white haired boy tackled him, pushing him just out of the as several clawed blades came sailing through the air from behind, pricing the spot where the bull man’s head had been seconds ago.

“What the-?!?” The man cried, staring wide eyed as Ashiyan fell from the air inches above where he had been standing, his head turned as he let out a grunt of annoyance at missing his target, his claws striking the ground as he landed.

“What the hell had just happened?!” Kerass thought. “That wasn’t teleportation! No way this slimy little weasel could move so fast I couldn’t react to him! How the hell did he-?!” 

Stopping mid thought, Kerass got his answer when he turned his head, looking back towards where Ashiyan had been standing before, being just in time to see a silhouette of the man shimmer, then fade. Disappearing like a mirage in the Golgonda desert!

Eyes widening behind his mask, Kerass let out a snort, turning to shout a warning. “His ability is to create illusions!” He yelled as the man was forced to jump away as Fraktall swung his crossbow at him in a wide sweeping motion. “Keep an eye on him at all times and be ready for a distrac-!”

“Yeah, we know!” The white haired boy cut in, standing up and snatching up a fallen blade, leveling it at the man. “I smelled him moving around before attacking! He can probably turn invisible as well, so keep your guard up and don’t let up!”

With that, he charged forward, racing towards the man before the bull could stop him, leaving him simply staring at him with a mix of shock and disbelief. Surely this kid wasn’t so stupid as to charge headfirst at an opponent who was clearly leagues ahead of him.

Apparently, he was! Something the bull found out when, despite taking his back, the boy let out a loud cry as he swung his sword, immediately alerting him to the incoming attack, letting Ashiyan effortlessly dodge out of the way and lash out with his leg, landing a heavy kick to the boy’s under arm, sending him crashing to the ground with a cry of pain. 

Seeing his opponent knocked prone, the assassin quickly made to finish the boy off, lunging towards him claws pulled back, aiming to skewer him on his blades, only to be forced to roll to the side to avoid getting hit by a huge blast of that blue energy shot by Kerass’, the attack sailing past him into the courtyard below, exploding with the force of a rocket sending dirt and debris raining down on them. 

“Keep your wits on you, boy!” The bull yelled as he fired at Ashiyan again, once again forcing him further back and blinding him with another shower of smoke and rubble. “Don’t attack someone alone, move in a unit and take him from behind!”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” The boy snarled, rising to a sitting position, scooping up his sword, getting to his feet, once again charging towards the crusader sword clutched tightly in his hands! “I don’t need some half breed telling me how to fight! A mere human is no match for a great drag-! Gah!”

The boy was cut off as Ashiyan shot from the smoke, catching the boy off guard and  driving his leg forward, catching the boy right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and creating an opening for the assassin, letting him lash out with his blade tearing right into his shoulder, causing him to drop his sword and stumble back, hand flying up to it, blood spraying out of the newly opened wound. 

“Aahhh!” The boy cried, his body on fire from the blow, forcing him down to one knee, his right arm now hanging limply to his side, leaving him in a compromised position. Something the crusader was quick to notice too.

Lashing out with his claws, the young dragon had just barely enough time to throw himself back, the long claw scraping against his chest, drawing blood and forcing him to retreat. 

Grinning at this, Ashiyan shot forward, grinning behind his mask as he saw the boy’s eyes widen. By stepping back so quickly, he had lost balance, giving the assassin the perfect chance to get rid of this disgusting creatu-!

Before he could land the killing blow, Fraktall shot in between them, blocking his strike with a fallen sword he had picked up, holding it over his head with one hand as he used the other to…aim a crossbow right at his leg!

Spotting this, Ashiyan shot back, barely dodging the bolt before he stabbed his claws into the ground, slowing his momentum as he prepared to launch himself forward again, not letting up the pressure for even an instant. An act that normally led him to victor-!

Boom!

A mound bang caused his head to snap to the side, eyes going wide as he saw another huge burst of blue energy sailing towards him, fired from Kerass’ gun, racing towards him and timed perfectly to catch him before he could shift his momentum, leaving him unable to dodge or counter!

Growling, Ashiyan activated his Stigmata, creating a shield around himself to stop the incoming blast, only for the attack to smash straight through and landing a direct hit, sending him flying several feet back, straight off the high wall and to the courtyard below, his form disappearing with a shrill scream.

“Eyes up, kid.” Fraktall said, hoisting his crossbow higher up onto his shoulder.”I don’t know where you learn to fight, but you clearly need a bit more practice. Never attack alone unless you have no other choice. Always seek an advantage lest you face disaster. That is the basic principle of battle.” 

Scowling at the lecture, the white haired boy rose from the ground, dusting himself off with a huff. “I told you, I don’t need someone like you telling me how to fight.” He snarled angrily. “I’ve survived on my own for years, using the techniques my ancestors passed down through generations. I don’t have to listen to some half horse blonde who-.“

“Clearly you do.” The centaur cut in, glancing at him from over his shoulder. “Look, I’m not trying to patronize you or disrespect your teachers, but this is the Dogmatika church. They are trained soldiers, not a bunch of bandits out in the wilds. You fight them, you can’t afford to fight fair.”

Scowling at this, the white haired boy opened his mouth to shot back a retort, his voice filled with spite. 

“If you’re so smart, why don’t you-!”

But before he could finish, a ray of light suddenly swept across the battlefield, followed immediately by a loud scream from somewhere behind him, giving the boy just enough heads up to throw himself to the ground, the laser passing just over him before traveling up, running across several towers alone the wall and even one in the distance, burning his hair as he hit the floor. The raw power in the attack made the boy’s nose burn. 

However, as he looked up, he saw the real horror of the attack.

It was only an instant, but it felt like an eternity to the boy as he looked up, at first, everything seemed okay. But then, there was a loud crack, followed immediately by several pieces of stone falling from the towers before they all slid clean off their foundations, collapsing on top of them, sending crusaders and Tri-brigade alike scrambling for cover.

Most of them anyway.

“Fraktall!” 

Looking over at the scream from Kerass, the white haired boy’s eyes widened as he saw the bull rushing over to the centaur, the latter eyes wide, staring at the area of attack before slowly moving toward his own body, his hands moving down towards a large red burn on his stomach.

Carefully, almost gingerly, he tapped the wound experimentally, his face a look of shocked disbelief before he looked back up, eyes glancing over to the bull man as he ran toward him.

“Oh.” He breathed out, then his head went limp, falling backwards as he upper torso slipped from his legs at the waist, the sacred flesh mauled from where the attack cut him in two.

Immediately, the young dragon’s eyes widened, his mouthing going dry as he watched the centaur’s lifeless corpse, bile rising in his throat as he watched yet another person fall because of him.

Staring blankly at the body, the young dragon felt that same unbearable guilt rising up inside him once again, making his legs weak and arms begin to tremble. He had once again cost someone their life. His inaction, weakness, had taken someone else. Just like with High Leader, just like with Den Mother. 

Clamping a hand over his mouth to stifle the horror, a single question wormed its way into his head, one unbidden but not unfamiliar as he had asked it so many times. How many times would his weakness cost others their li-?

“Aaahhhhhhhh!” 

A deafening roar broke across the battlefield, head snapping around, the young dragon saw Kerass spin around whipping his gun up. Tears staining his eyes as he took aim at the figure of Quen who stood there with a confident, condescending smirk. Her face showing no remorse for the life she had taken nor concern for the impending attack, simply tapping her staff on the ground and conjuring a barrier around herself right as the bull man pulled his trigger.

Immediately, the air was filled with a deafening blast as a huge sphere of blue energy shot from the Tri-brigade’s cannon, the forced knocking the massive man back as it tore out of the muzzle racing towards it target, exploding on impact creating a huge cloud of smoke and blowing an entire battalion of crusaders away as the shockwave alone toppled several of the already damaged towers.

And while the attack did little to the shield surrounding Quen, it did snap the young dragon out of his daze.

Immediately, he ran forward, dodging around the knights as they closed in around him, sliding in between two, dodging their sword strikes and continuing to race towards the blond haired girl, not stopping even when he could hear the roaring of the bull behind him. The huge man swatting knights away like they were flies, giving the young dragon a chance he wouldn’t be again.

He refused to let anyone else die because of him! Not Den Mother, not High Leader, not the centaur, not the female knight! He was done letting everyone around him down. He would get to the girl, extract her magic, and save everyone!

Spotting his target only a few feet off, he saw she was already in the clutches of two more crusaders, these to wielding spears. And with no weapons and no time, he knew he couldn’t afford to fight them, forcing him to gather up his courage as an incredibly stupid plan formed in his head. One that very well might get him killed if he didn’t execute it perfectly.

But hey, if he doesn’t reach her, he’d be dead anyway. So, for a penny, for a pound, he lunged forward jumping high into the air above them.

“Hey! Idiots!” He yelled, making them look up to see him descending upon them, hands positioned in his cloak as if he was reaching for a weapon.

Acting immediately, one of the men thrust his spear, stabbing the young dragon through the stomach, causing him to cry out, blood gushing out as it pierced through the other end. 

However, this was exactly as the dragon planned, and with the weight behind him, he couldn’t stop if he wanted to. 

And so, he slid down the shaft of the weapon all the way to crusader, hand outstretched, palm open as if to grab the man’s face, a magic orb swirling into light in his palm, lighting his opponent’s face as he got closer and closer!

Acting on instinct, the man took a step back, dropping his weapon in his haste and giving the young dragon exactly what he wanted! 

The second he landed, the white haired boy spun around, smacking one of the crusaders with the still pole of the still impaled weapon and forcing the other one to back off, freeing his path for a split second, one that he knew he wouldn’t get again.

Without thinking or hesitating for a second, the young dragon lunged toward the girl, his hand extended towards her unconscious form, eyes rolled back into her head, foam dripping from her mouth. The magic inside her was clearly quite powerful, he just hoped it’d be enough.

And so, the second his fingers scraped against her skin, he used his magic to try and draw her into him, he tried to draw her into his void.

But instead of pulling her away from her body, he was drawn into her’s.

Jerking back in surprise, the young dragon found himself plummeting into her core, falling through a seemingly endless amount of magic that bombarded him from all sides as he was pulled along by his own power, his only form of protection being his arms which he raised to shield his face until he finally came to a stop when he reached the source of the power. And when he saw it, if he had been in his physical body, he would have choked on his own breath!

There, floating in at the heart of the young girl’s core, was a huge sphere of fire surrounded by green energy, encircling the thing in its entirety, forming something almost like a green cage that only allowed a small amount of the unlimited magic power radiating from it in pulses, not unlike the beat of a heart, releasing the huge, bombardment of energy he had sailed in from. 

The sphere had taken the form of fire, but the young dragon knew better. It was a concentration of magic so great, it couldn’t exist without limiting itself to a physical form even in the psychomuntable space. 

This, this was Brand! Just like the Red Brand that thief had stolen! But unlike that one, there was something different. This one was…caged, contained, controlled by someone else, stopping the blond from drawing on its full power. And while caging something like a Brand in an inanimate object wasn’t unheard of, for someone to be able to cage it inside a living being with a will of her own was a feat he couldn’t even dream of achieving! Whoever had managed this was clearly a very skilled magic user to do something like th-.

“Help me.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, the young dragon’s head shot up as a voice, or rather a thought passed through this space. One filled with urgency and terror, but muffled, as if gagged. Repressed in some way.

“Fleur. It hurts. Help me, please!”

There it was again. Now crying out frantically, as if their life depended on it. Their aura filled with traces of the same magic that made up both the sphere and the cage. 

Following the traces, the young dragon look up and saw the spirit of Ecclesia floating in the magic sphere at towards the top, her form twisting in agony, bound in the same chains the repressed the Brand, keeping her submerged in the magic, letting it burn her soul away as she fought desperately to escape. 

However, while she was being burnt alive by the Brand, the dragon also noticed that, even as her ‘body’ was totem to shreds, the magic that was killing her was also flowing into the mark on her forehead, healing her and keeping her from dying. Indicating that the Brand had, for reasons he couldn’t comprehend, chosen her as its vessel! 

Now the young dragon had several questions in his mind right now, namely Why the hell a Brand, the greatest form of power in the universe, would choose some little girl as its host, but that could wait. Right now he had to do something before she sank further into the magic and beyond his reach.

Floating up, the dragon quickly reached the top of the sphere, calmly reaching out to try and slip his hand through the ‘bars’ to try and grab the girl. But the moment he  touched the magic, the cage released a burst of lightning, shocking him and forcing him to recoil, his projected hand badly burned. 

“Whoever did this clearly didn’t want anything to have the Brand.” The boy muttered to himself, looking closer at it, noting that the chains wrapped around the girl were also tied to the cage, stopping her from sinking too far into the magic. Meaning this wasn’t designed as a fail safe to kill her if she rebelled, but a means of torturing her. Most likely if she stepped out of line. 

“Help me. Lord Maximus! Mighty Bystial. Anyone, please make it stop!” 

Up this close, the dragon could hear the girl’s cries more clearly. Or more accurately, her prayer to her holy leader and her gods.

“It hurts! I’m scared! Somebody please make it stop!” She pleaded, her hands grasping towards the surface as if she couldn’t breathe. And given all the power that engulfed her, she probably couldn’t. “Lord Maximus. Mighty Bystial. Anyone! Please make it stop. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m such a failure.”

Starting at that last part, the dragon looked down at the girl, noticing tears streaming down her face. But they weren’t tears of pain or fear, they were tears of sadness, regret.

Emotions that were reflected in her desperate cries.

“I failed you, I know that. I’m sorry! I’ve dedicated my whole life to undoing That mistake. I foolishly thought I had been making progress. I’m sorry I believed that. I thought if I could bring the Tri-brigade into the order, maybe all the fighting would just stop. I questioned your will, and for that I offer a million apologies!”

Thrashing weakening, the dragon saw the girl slowly start to stop all movement, her form curling into a ball as she let herself sink further into the magic, her cries now filled with sobs as her will to fight quickly began to disappear.

“Please, I beg you. If you make this pain stop, I will repent. I’ll never question your will again, I’ll never sneak into the kitchen to steal food again, never waste time on myself again, never allow myself to be loved again. I’ll live by your codes to the letter, give my everything to others like I swore to all those years ago! I’ll never fall to my hubris and think myself worth anything but that which I can give to others. Just please make this stop!”

A bitter taste taking root in his mouth, the young dragon frowned as he felt unwanted sympathy for the girl form in his heart, her cries of desperation poking him in a very raw spot. 

He knew how painful it was to know you weren’t good enough, to hate yourself for failing time and time again. And while the girl’s pain seemed to be more deeply rooted in her religion’s dogma, he understood all too well how badly failure hurt.

Reaching up, he unconsciously began rubbing his arms, the feeling of the Brand of Red’s rejection still fresh in his mind, as well as his failure to not only Den Mother, but High Leader, and everyone else in his tribe. 

He had failed them, he knew that. Hell, he had even failed his brand new alias. He was just never good enough no matter how hard he tried. A stigma that had followed him since birth.

He wasn’t the child of the Lord of the Abyss, he wasn’t the savior of his people, everything they had sacrificed for him was for nothing. And he knew that, he knew he had failed everyone around him. There was nothing anyone could tell him about his own uselessness that he didn’t already know. His existence was, by all intents and purposes, completely worthless because of his own inadequacies.

But he was done failing! 

Biting his tongue, the white dragon lunged forward, plunging his hands past the cage and into the magic, holding back a scream of pain as he felt his hands and arms burn from both the electricity and the magic, his whole every instinct in him screaming at him to get back.

But he refused. Instead gritting his teeth and bearing the pain as he reached his hand deeper, stretching it out towards the girl, palm u, hand open.

“No more.” He murmured to himself, eyes squeezed shut in pain. “I’m done letting people die around me. I will no longer be weak, I can’t! I will move forward and find the true heir to the throne of the Abyss. And I will reclaim the pride of my people! I swear it!” 

Pushing his limbs deeper into the mass of magic, the dragon fixed his gaze on the blond girl, her head turning towards him, eyes glassy but opening.

“Hey, blonde. I don’t know what you're babbling about. But I’ve just about had it listening to you whine! You want to make amends to your gods? Then stop sitting there and begging for forgiveness and do something about it!” 

His roar was cut short as he let out a hiss of pain, his arms barely able to maintain their form as the magic tore them apart, the boy needing every speck of his magic to keep them attached, his power fighting desperately to keep the raw magic off.

“No good will come from begging long lost gods to forgive or help you. The only way to move forward is to take responsibility for your actions and fix your mistakes! Any god worth following will see the good you're trying to do and will forgive you for any honest mistakes you make in the process! And if they don’t, they're not worth following to begin with!”

Slamming his hands even deeper into the  sphere, his skin being stripped from his astral body as the magic rejected his advance, pushing against him with all its might, trying to throw him out back into his body.

But the boy refused. Biting his lip so hard it began to bleed, he pushed deeper in, the magic all the way up to his shoulder as he extended his hand, trying to reach the girl, his body being torn apart by the primal force.

“I don’t know what salvation looks like, but you're not gonna find it here!” He screamed as he squeezed his eyes shut, the pain becoming all encompassing as his blood boiled and muscles stripped, his arms reducing to their skeletal remains right in front of him, the blood and marrow dissolving in the intense heat of the magic. “I know failing hurts, but you need to move past it! Become someone who’s worthy of bearing that Brand and all the responsibilities that come with it! You are more than what you think you are. So stop whining, and get out of there already!”

With that, the boy began to draw in the Brand's magic, taking it into his own body as he tried to create an opening for the girl to escape from. Or at least lower the level of magic to one she could handle. 

Unfortunately, the Brand wouldn’t be separated from its current host so easily.

“Aaahhhhhh!” The dragon howled in pain as he was once again slammed with the full force of a Brand, the magic energy trying to expel him as it ripped his soul to pieces, blood and skin now flying off his entire body, tearing it to pieces as the magic rejected him, burying him alive with it judgmental fury. Drowning him in a sea of fire as the great winds tore him apart.

But the dragon refused to let go! He knew he couldn’t, for if he did, yet another life would be lost on his account, another life lost because of his inadequacy. He was done with letting people die for him. Now, he would take fate into his own hands and save this girl no matter the cost. Even if that was his own life!

Biting his lip, the dragon continued to draw in as much power as he could, his whole being burning away as the Brand rejected him, making every inch of him scream with agony as it fought tooth and nail to escape his form, cracks forming all across him as the energy refused his vessel, gushing out like a river as it flew out into the wider expanse. All from the fragments he had managed to absorb.

But then, suddenly, he felt something warm clamp down on his wrist. Opening his eyes, the dragon was met by the girl who had reached out, grabbing him by the arm and pulling herself towards him, her body floating forward until the magic cage now being the only thing separating them. 

Red eyes going wide, the young dragon found himself staring into the girl’s blurry Gray ones. Her own senses dulled by the immense power she held, he couldn’t tell if she could even see him, but the look of gratitude on her face told him his words had reached her. 

Opening her mouth, the girl spoke a single word, and while it was lost to the young dragon, its meaning was not. Not to him, nor the Brand.

Immediately, the winds died down and the fire receded as the Brand’s animosity turned to acceptance, warmth flowing from the girl into the dragon along with her power, filling him to his core with the feeling, her feelings, her wishes. 

She wanted the fighting, all of it, the death, the pain, the loss, she wanted it all to stop. She had wanted it for a long time now, and was entrusting him to do it with her gift.

Grasping her wrist, the Dragon nodded, affirming a promise to her. That he would use this power for her goal and end the fighting. His strength and determination traveling through their newly forming bond back to the girl, her dull eyes lighting up slightly as she felt him before she reached up, taking his other hand in her’s, closing her eyes and flowing the power, her power, into him.

And just like that, the cage shattered.

Immediately the dragon jerked back, his eyes widening as he was flooded with more power than he ever thought possible, his entire body regenerating as the white flames took root in his body, coalescing into his hands and forehead, forming pools of magic energy that drowned out his own. 

White energy enveloped his eyes as the body slowly floated back, his entire body silhouetted by the sphere of flames behind him, his eyes the only thing able to hold a presence against the incredible power. As well as the oceans of magic that had pooled into his body, changing the entire way he could perceive the world.

Before him, the vale between life and death lifted, revealing the plethora of souls as they departed, the cries of each one reaching his ears. Their hopes and dreams slowly disappearing as they faded into the afterlife. 

Reaching out, the young dragon called out to one, his voice echoing out not as a command, but a request. Calling out to one who had been taken before his time. One that, while not knowing for even an hour, still held an important possibility to him. A chance at redemption. 

And when that soul called back, the dragon let a single tear slid down his face. His hand closed around the other’s, pulling him from the stream and into the immaterial plane, granting them ground, and a chance for a brief second chance. But only if the soul allowed it.

And when he did, he embraced the young dragon in a warm, brave aura. One the dragon knew wouldn’t fade as he and the soul were pulled back to the real world, their souls fusing into one, as they both prepared to uphold their promises.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Back at the church.

“Aaahhhh!” Ferrijit roared as she emptied her rifle, mowing down a line of charging crusaders before discharging her Mag and reaching into her bag for another, her face going grim as she felt only a few left. 

“Damn it! I know I should have brought more!” She thought. “At this rate, I’m gonna run out of ammo before I even make a dent in them! I need to get Kitt out of here before-!” 

“Get down!” 

Reacting immediately to her teammate’s call,  the cat woman ducked just in time as an axe flew over her head, landing squarely in the face of a crusader in the back of a unit of four teams that had rushed her from behind. Stopping him mid cast as he toppled over dead.

“Thanks!” The woman called as she spun around, opening fire at her new opponents snarling angrily as she was met with the front row consisting of mostly shield bearers. Their magically amplified metal and armor blocking her shots, sending the energy ricocheting off, letting them advance at a steady pace.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to worry about that long as someone barreled past her, creating a rush of wind as Rugal leapt into the air, jumping over the shields and landing in the center of their, the wolf’s mighty axe coming down and splitting the head of a captain open before he could even scream. 

Seeing her teammate now surrounded, Ferrijit immediately rushed in, joining the fray by cracking her rifle down onto the head of one of the crusades, knocking him out before she spun it like a staff, using the shoulder of the rifle as a bludgeon, covering Rugal as the two worked in perfect sync, quickly dispatching the knights before the pink haired woman needed to once again reload. 

Which was good as no sooner then they fell, Ferrijit spotted an archer taking aim at the wolfman, the woman responded by quickly spinning her rifle across her back before slamming it onto Rugal’s back, using it as a brace as she shot him in the head as her companion block a sword aimed for her, an act which was quickly retaliated against by the cat woman kicking him in the gut, creating an opening for the wolf man to take her rifle by the muzzle and swing it around, smacking him in the back with so much force, he flew straight off the wall.

Handing her weapon back, the two pressed themselves back to back as the next wave of crusaders came charging in, keeping the two surrounding and refusing to let them breath, the two breathing deeply as they watched the seemingly endless army throwing themselves at them.

“Damn it! There’s no end!” Rugal cried. “We can’t hold this point much longer! We need to get out of here, NOW! “

”Yeah, easier said than done.” Ferrijit replied, cramming another mag into her gun. “In order to do that, we’ll need to distract the entirety of the damn church, blast Fleurdelis hard enough that stupid cloud goes away, then cross our fingers and hope the head saint doesn’t shoot us down on our retreat. So if you have anything that can do all that, I’m all ears on-!”

Their conversation was cut of as a sudden explosion ripped through the air, immediately drawing the attention of both Tri-brigade and Dogmatika alike, heads turning as a huge column white smoke suddenly shot up into the sky, creating a smokescreen the size of a house to cover the area, blinding everyone everyone to what had just happened.

But any question were swiftly answered as suddenly, a huge arm ripped through the smoke, knocking the nearby crusaders over and sending them flying across the wall, slamming into the guard on the other, unsure of what had even hit them as a dull growl emitted from the smoke, the crusaders nearby taking a step back in terror as a huge set of golden horns shot out of the smoke, followed by the head of yet another dragon, letting out a roar that shook the battlefield!

The new dragon looked quite a bit like the other one in general shape and appearance, hunched over on all fours but with the ability to go bipedal, but without the armor, and noticeably more beast-like.

Its skin was dark, covered in a thick layer of guard hairs not unlike a horse’s. With bulging muscles and stubby feet that bore short claws that were glowing red with energy. The same king the other dragon had used only much more subdued.

Tuffs of dark hair grew from the beast’s hide. With what could only be described as manes around its ankles, chest, neck, and at the base of its wings, giving it a very animalistic appearance alongside the pronounced sharpened fangs. With two much larger ones sticking out like a Sabertooth’s.

Its wings were made of that same red energy as the last one. Only this time much smaller, and more compact, as if to save energy. Which was very likely as it had several spikes protruding from its body, at the elbows, shoulders, and where the wings attached. On top of that, a line of red spikes ran down its spine, just like the other dragon making it clear this thing was connected in some way, though nobody really knew how. 

Not that was the primary thing on the combatants mind. 

“Well, that’ll do it.” Ferrijit said with a shrug before turning towards the other Tri-brigade members, shouting at them to snap them out of their stupor. “That’s our cue! Let’s move people!” 

And as the Tri-brigade sprung into action, the reactions of the other participants of the battle were much…less happy about the new arrival.

“No way. It can’t be.” Fleur breathed, her eyes wide as she stared up at the dragon she just beat rise again. Its form noticeably diminished but no less threatening. Its huge limbs sending the crusaders nearby running.

“Is-. Is that its true form? Under all that armor?” Adin murmured, taking a step back as he stared up at the dragon, mouth hanging open. “But I thought it was beaten. How could it just revive itself like that? With less than an hour’s time to heal?”

Biting her inner lip, Fleur felt a wave of frustration wash over her. In her current condition, she stood no chance against that thing again. Weakened as it was, it was taking all she had to keep the Tri-brigade grounded and unable to escape. If she had to fight this thing on top of that, she’d be killed no questi-!

“Hey…is that-?” Theo began, his voice uncharacteristically shaken as he stared at the dragon, the young man taking a step forward, eyes wide in shock as he stared at something Fleur couldn’t see. “No, please tell me it isn’t.”

Confused at what the boy had seen, Fleur took a step forward, squinting her eyes in the direction Theo was looking, her scanning the dragon. 

At first, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Well, compared to the rest of the day anyway. Sure the dragon looked a little…weird. But given that they were looking at their gods given flesh, who were they to say what a divine creature should loo-.

“!” 

“Oh no.” Fleur breathed as her eyes fixed on what had caught Theo’s attention, the woman unconsciously rising to her feet, walking towards the beast before breaking into a run, ignoring the cries of the other crusaders as she left their safety as she raced towards the dragon. The woman speaking more to herself than anyone. 

“No. No! I won’t let you! You cannot take her!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

On a much further part of the wall.

Maximus and his guard came to a stop as the dragon once again burst forth, its roar shattering the sky as its blow shook the ground, the guard assigned to the pope stumbling as they struggled to keep their footing. The wake of the dragon’s appearance shook them to their very core.

Maximus, however, simply looked on, a smirk playing on his face underneath his mask.

“So, the Dragon’s found his second wind, has it?” He thought watching it raging across the battlefield. “Good. That will give those worthless fools more than enough reason to kill it along with those animals. How perfect. Now, any doubt that worthless little thing put their heads will disappear and they will fall back into my fold.”

Turning to get a better look at the battle, the pope eyed the dragon with a form of disgust. His gaze judgmental and sneering.

“Thing looks more like a beast than a dragon.” He thought as he watched it swat at his crusaders, knocking them back. “Must have fused with one of those disgusting animals to take that form. How pathetic. The once mightiest creatures in existence now forced to the level of livestock. Your ancestors weep at such a disgusting displ-.”

Suddenly, Maximus’ eye caught something, a speck of gold amongst dragon’s brown, one positioned in the crock of its arms as it used it other to force his men back, making a point of protecting that arm even if it meant he took unnecessary blows. And as he shifted his position to get a better look, the man felt his heart leap into his throat.

There, nestled in the crock of the Dragon’s arm, lay Ecclesia. Body limp, head resting peacefully against the dragon’s skin, her eyes were closed and breath easy indicating she was unconscious. 

“No.” Maximus breathed, his eyes going wide, heart accelerating as he realized what was happening. The dragon was after his prize. That’s why he had come here! To steal back what he had spent the last few centuries of his life building, take the paradise he had worked so tirelessly to create for itself! Steal all his work by taking the key, making his prize their’s!

Well, not if he had any say in it!

Immediately he ran towards the wall, pushing past his guard without giving them a second glance, throwing himself into the railing so hard his torso shot over it, the worthless fools behind calling out with words of concern as he worried about actual problems, hitting the railing so hard he almost went over, staying on only by grabbing it with both hands.

“Quen!” He bellowed. “Stop that thing at once! It’s trying to steal the Brand! Forget those worthless animals! Kill the dragon now before it can interfere with us anymore!”

Head jerking up at her master’s call, the Head Saint whirled around to face the dragon, her eyes immediately landing on the unconscious form of Ecclesia, drawing a snarl from the older woman, her grip on her staff tightening in rage.

“How dare you lay hands on my property.” She murmured softly to herself, eyes burning with fury as she looked to the dragon. “That belongs to me and the Dogmatika order! You have no right to take it! We’ve invested years into that thing’s existence, it’s loyalty! You shall not take what is rightfully ours!”

Raising her staff high into the sky, Quen began spinning it in a circle, conjuring a purple ring in the air before slamming her weapon into its center, causing it to fade only to reappear high in the sky above her, several times larger than before. The magic held within tugging at the Reliquaries the holy knight bore.

“Knights of Dogmatika! Hear your Head Saint’s commands!” Her cried out, voice magically enhanced to ring out across the whole battlefield. “Forget the Tri-brigade! Focus all your efforts on the dragon! Kill it and bring me its head!”

Upon hearing their head Saint’s command, the knights of the order immediately broke formation, moving in surrounding the dragon with shield bearers in front, spear men just behind, forming a ring of spikes that kept the dragon in as behind them, archers and mages began pelleting the dragon, tearing into him with reckless abandon.

“Rrraaaoorrr!” The dragon howled in pain, his body being torn apart by the attacks, blood pouring out his body as he tried to swat his enemies away, only managing to injure himself more as the spears made it impossible to hit the shields with his full force.

As arrows and spells rained down on the trapped dragon, he took a step back hoping to get some distance between himself and his aggressors, only to find the ring of spears behind him, causing him to jump in surprise, turning to see the ones behind him had begun advancing, an act the ones in front quickly decided to followed.  

Now, surrounded and with no way to escape, with the young dragon’s movements being cut off, he began curling himself up like a cat, snarling and batting at anyone who got too close, trying to keep them back, blocking the blond girl with his body. Knowing full well the only reason they hadn’t launched a full scale assault was because of the girl, which meant she was the only reason he was still alive. 

Unfortunately, he knew that it wouldn’t last long.

Frantic as he space continued shirking, the dragon began searching for an escape route. A way to put some distance between himself and these knights. In this form, he could probably out run the church and escape into the wilderness. But to do that, he’d need to get out of this city first. And with that stupid storm cloud still hovering overhead, he couldn’t take flight or even jump too high without being struck down by that powerful lightning, an act he Wasn’t in any hurry to repeat.

But then suddenly and without warning, an explosion rocked the crusaders' midst, blowing several away and breaking their entrapment and halting their advance, showering the dragon in harmless sparks as the knight broke formation, trying to avoid the sparks.

“Now’s our chance! Attack!” Shuraig yelled as he bombarded the knights with her grenade launcher, scattering the knight with a barrage of explosions, scattering their ranks as the rest of his team moved in, striking down those in their way as the rallied on their leader’s command, cutting a path through the knights, freeing the dragon from their encirclement.

Taken by surprise, the young dragon looked on as the Tri-brigade cut through the knights, almost missing Shuraig as he landed on the dragon’s shoulder.

“You certainly like close calls, don’t ya?” He said half joking before his expression turned serious. “Either way, thanks to you, we were able to rally and get to an advantageous position. Now we can start pushing back! But to do that, we need you to do one more thing for us. Think you can?”

Nodding, Shuraig leaned in, whispering into his ear as the battle raged around them, giving them the perfect cover to converse without being heard, the man quickly relaying his message without their enemies’ hearing.

Meanwhile, as she watched the tables being turned, Quen let out a snarl, raising her staff high into the sky as she began conjuring a huge sphere of magic in the air, casting the same spell she had used on the dragon at the beginning of the fight, only this time doubling it in size.

“Worthless fools. The Brand cannot be allowed to escape.” She thought. “I’m sure Maximus will forgive him if I sacrifice a few of the sheep in order to protect the lamb.”

Raising her staff as she prepared to launch the spell into the air, Quen suddenly noticed a glint of a scope as Ferrijit had climbed onto the dragon’s shoulder, the sniper taking aim at her once again.

How foolish.

Redirecting a small fragment of the magic, Quen created a weak, dome-like barrier around herself, causing the shot from the woman’s rifle to bounce off, flying away harmlessly as the cat woman cursed, firing repeatedly into the shield in a futile attempt to break it.

“Humph. Oh pathetic.” The head Saint thought to herself as she closed her eyes, a smug grin on her face as the sphere launched itself up into the air. “As if I’d ever fall for the same trick twice. Your luck ran out when you took my ear and even then, such a trivial thing isn’t going to slow me down in the slightest. You shall soon learn that you filthy animals should have stayed in the jungle where you bel-.”

Bang!

Quen was cut off as suddenly, her barrier was broken as a huge stone slab crashed head first into it, shattering the weak shell and slamming into her face first, sweeping her off her feet and causing her to go sailing into one of the nearby tower, smashing through the wall and getting stuck in it, head loling up as a black ooze began to dribble out of the wound on her skull, cracks like porcelain glass splitting across her face for a second before she fell, dropping to the courtyard blew her before any got a good look.

Well, almost anyone.

“What the-? What was that?” Ferrijit murmured as the Head Saint disappeared from her sights, the cat woman lowering her gun in utter confusion at what had just transpired. She had fought crusaders her whole life, and never once had she seen something like that. A human body creaking like cheap pottery, a viscous ooze leaking from the creaks, needless to say that was not normal. No heart, human or otherwise, could pump something that thick through their body. And the smell of something akin to rotting eggs emanating from it, so strong yet hidden with the other scents on the battlefield, it was almost like-!

Bang!

Suddenly, a ball of magic exploded right in front of her, snapping Ferrijit back into reality as the dragon’s arm shot up, protecting her from the blast as the knights continued to try and surround them, forcing the cat woman to slap both her cheeks, turning her attention to the task at hand.

“Come on, everyone! Once Shuraig does his part, we’ll be gone in a heartbeat. So make sure you don’t get left behind!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile across the battlefield.

Fleurdelis paid no mind to the chaos around her as she skidded around the corner that led to the battlefield, her heavy breaths causing her wounds to reopen, making her body ache with a dull pain as she continued to suppress it with her lightning.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where are you, Ecclesia?!” The older woman thought as she ran. “Stupid Tri-brigade! Why did they have to show their faces now?! Putting their stupid egos before actual lives, how selfish can one species be!?”

Hand tightening into a fist, the young woman forced the images of the leering monster that had destroyed her entire village from her mind, refocusing it to the task at hand. She had lost her family once to the Tri-brigade, she wouldn’t allow them to do so again!

Skidding around the corner, Fleur gasped as she saw the Head Saint being tossed through the air like a rag doll, slamming so hard into one of the tower she became embedded in the stone, trapping her in a spread eagle for a few seconds before falling, the large rock, (a very noticeable part of the wall.) used for the assault, following as they both plummeted down into the courtyard below. 

Scowling as she watched the dragon lower its arm, swatting back the crusaders as she reached up and drew her sword, the lilac haired beauty began storing energy in her blade, readying it to strike down the dragon once more. She didn’t have enough energy left for another big move, so she knew she’d only have one shot at this before-!

Suddenly Fleur saw something in the corner of her vision, the woman looking up just in time to see her rival leaping down from on high, his clawed feet opened as he aimed a kick straight for her head.

Acting quickly, Fleur called lightning from her cloud, making it shot down towards him forcing him to roll out of the way, redirecting his attack letting her lash out with her shield, slamming the side of it into his foot, the winged man landing on it where he perched, looking down at her with a snarl, one she sent back with equal intensity.

“I don’t have time for you right now.” The woman hissed, her eyes narrowed in anger as she glared up at the man, picturing that annoying smug look on his face underneath his mask. “I have to save my sister! So you’re going to get out of my way, or I’ll force you!”

Stabbing her sword into the ground behind her, Fleur lashed out with her fist, pulling Shuraig in and driving it straight towards his chest, landing a crushing blow into his stomach cracking his armor as blood shot from his mouth, the punch amplified as electricity stimulated her muscles, increasing them beyond their normal capacity letting her shatter his armor like it were glass!

“Gah!” Shuraig cried as the blow landed, the man winded as he came to rest one top of her fist, his ribs popping as her hand dug deeper into his body before, with a bang like thunder, he was sent rocking back, Fleurdelis creating a burst of positive and negative attraction at the point of impact, forcing the two together before blowing them apart, sending him flying high into the sky where the thunder head began rumbling, preparing to strike him down with a burst of lightning.

And as this happened, a smirk spread across the man’s face, his eyes flicking down to the woman who had just taken his bait, putting all her attention onto him leaving herself open. Something they were about to take full advantage of.

Cluck!

A sound at the woman’s feet drew her attention, looking down Fleur’s eyes widened as she saw several grenades coming to a stop at her feet, the pins pulled and the cores alight, shining her armor in a dull blue light.

Acting immediately, Fleur tried to raise her shield to protect herself from the explosion. But the combination attack had been planned and executed to ensure her shield was as far away from the grenades as possible, ensuring she didn’t have enough time to block the blast. The grenades detonating sending her flying across the wall, hitting the ground where she rolled several feet before slamming into the one of the tower that dotted the wall where her previously sealed wounds reopened, causing blood to gush out of her body, the woman in too much pain to move as her control over her lightning fizzled out, leaving her lying in agony as all her numbed nerves fired up, informing her how much they didn’t like her treatment.

And with Fleurdelis concentration broken, the storm cloud began to clear, leaving the skies clear and the Tri-brigade’s escape route clear.

“Now!” Shuraig bellowed, the man taking to the air with Nervall, the two immediately raining explosives down on the crusaders, keeping them back as the remaining Tri-brigade climbed onto the dragon, grabbing hold of one of his spikes for stability. Rugal and Kerass lashing Kitt to the dragon with rope from their bags.

“Go! Go!” Ferrijit screamed once her sister was secure, slapping the dragon’s shoulder like he was a truck as if that would hurry him up. And while a part of the dragon was tempted to go slower just to spite the woman, he knew this was not the time for pettiness.

Gripping the still unconscious Ecclesia, with a single beat of its massive wings, the dragon took flight, raising high into the air where he was joined by the bird men, the taller of the two leading the way, flying off to the west, with the other two quickly following, the Tri-brigade taking pot shots at the knights to keep them pinned down.

“Damn It! They're getting away!” Theo yelled as he and Adin made it to the wall, both looking up at retreating militia. “We have to do something! They still have Ecclesia!” 

Taking a step forward, Adin opened his book, quickly chanting some incantations as he raised his hand, pointing towards the retreating dragon.

“I’ve got em!” He said as he took aim. “If I hit a wing, I can turn them into a glider! They won’t be able to get far and we’ll be able to track them by foot! We just need-!”

Suddenly, Theo’s hand shot out, grabbing Adin’s and pushing it down.

“Are you crazy?!” He yelled. “What if you hit Ecclesia?! We can’t risk her falling from that height! It’ll kill her! We need to try and get ourselves up there and-!”

Suddenly, Theo broke off, as something shot past him at high speed, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind it, the person not seeming to care about their injuries as they ran. And when the young man realized who it was, he knew he had hit the nail on the head.

“Lady Fleur! Wait!” He called hand outstretched, taking several steps after her. “Your wounds! You’re making them worse! If you don’t stop, you’re gonna bleed out! You need to re-!”

Breaking off as the woman leapt from the wall surrounding the church, landing on the roof of a building bordering the church, crushing the tiles before sprinting towards the wall that enclosed the city, not paying him any attention.

“Shit!” He snarled before rounding on the rest of the crusaders, throwing his arm out as he bellowed orders. “Everyone who can still move, split yourself into two teams! One takes the wounded to the infirmary, and helps secure the civilians inside! Everyone else, come with me! We cannot let that dragon terrorize the town any longer! We need to-!

For the umpteenth time that day, Theo was interrupted. This time those, something was different, something he realized immediately as his eyes went wide as the whole church rumbled, the ground shaking so violently it brought many of the still standing crusaders to their knees, the wall shaking as if it were made of sand.

“W-what’s going on?!” Theo cried as he stumbled around, trying to stay upright as the church continued to shake. “Now what’s happening?! Don’t tell me those animals had another trick up their sleeve?! That’s just ridicul-!”

Suddenly, a huge pressure stretched out over the church, the whole city in fact, engulfing all who resided there in a chill, their spines standing straight up as they turned towards the church, eyes going wide as they felt an immense power pulsing from its heart, forming a blanket over them, smothering them in what felt like an ocean of oppression making it hard to breath.

“Is this…magic power?” Fleur thought, looking up towards the sky. “But how? So much of it in one place, it almost feels like the entire church is alive with it.”

As she thought this, another tremor shook the city, stronger than before and more focused, as if it was being focused rather than being scattered. The sounds of rubbing earth and shaking stone reached all the way up to the Tri-brigade, many looking back down in wonder at what was happening.

“What is this…feeling?” Ferrijit murmured, her eyes wide as she looked back towards the church, ears flattening against her head. “This energy, it pulsing through me. Like it’s…reacting to something inside my body. Making everything tremble. What in the great plain is happening.”

“I don’t know. But I don’t like it.” Shuraig said, he too looking back towards the church. “Hurry, we need to move! Whatever happening down there, I get the feeling we don’t want to be anywhere nearby when it does! Pick up the pace people before-!”

Before the man could finish his sentence, a huge groan split the air, a shockwave of energy washing over them nearly knocking them out of the sky as the winds picked up, blowing wildly as if the very world was screaming, indicating something very wrong.

And as this happened, the Dragon’s eyes widened as he looked back towards the church, his skin prickling as he sensed a huge concentration of magic power radiating from its walls, forming a title wave of power that threatened to wash over them, even drowning out the power he had absorbed from the Brand and he immediately knew, someone was coming.

And not a second after he had made that thought, the sky let out a high pitched scream as a huge hole was torn across its center, a portal springing into existence rending the sky asunder, tearing apart the fabric of reality right above the city as something descended through it.

At first, neither the Tri-bridge nor the dragon knew what it was as a gold and white circular base lowered itself from the black and purple pit. But as more of it came into focus, they saw a sight that took not only their breath away, but also the crusader’s as they watched the magnificent form of the holy Nexus descended from the sky, it calm and peaceful tranquility gone as it hovered suspended with nothing it magic to hold it aloft, it’s massive basin darkening the sky as it turned to face the fleeing dragon. And that wasn’t the only difference either.

The once peaceful dragon heads had come alive, their long neck coiling out, eyes flashing blue as they looked towards the Tri-brigade, moving like they were alive to hiss and snarl at them, dancing blue light visible in their mouth as they hissed and spat, each time releasing a wave of magic that made their hairs stand up on edge, their eyes widening in horror as they saw exactly who and what had happened to it.

There, standing in the basin between the two heads was Pope Maximus himself, hands resting inside what looked like two large, stone gauntlets without hands on either side of his body, pulling his shoulders back in an uncomfortable, almost painful looking manner. His lower body seemingly fused with the fountain from the waist down. This, combined with the position of his arms, made his chest jet out in an awkward position, almost like he was being restrained.

His demeanor however, proved he was anything but.

“You shall not leave here alive dragon.” He hissed, eyes fixed on the beast as he shifted his shoulder, the corresponding dragon’s head moving in response. “I shall not allow you to steal what is mine! I’ve worked too hard for my paradise just to have it ruined by you! Spawn of Albus, I shall send you back to your maker, no matter what the cost!”

With that, one of the dragon’s heads lit up with a radiant blue light. Shining so brightly it dimmed out the sun, making itself the main source of light on everything within what must be miles on all sides, the rays blinding as it took aim at the dragon and his crew.

Once Maximus had gotten the angle he wanted, the statue slammed its mouth shut blocking the attack from view but allowing bits of the light to spill out from the sides of its mouth, slipping through its teeth where it wracked across the ground, lighting it on fire from just the light alone! 

“That’s not good.” Shuraig said, eyes wide as he stared at the barely contained light in the statue’s mouth before spinning around to look at his team. “Everyone, scatter!” 

His warning came not a moment to soon, as not a second after the team started moving to follow his orders, the dragon’s head opened its mouth, the light flashing like a star in the sky before a pointed laser shot out, flying right past the dragon’s head as he wheeled to avoid it, the energy striking a mountain a few hundred miles away, blowing the enter upper half off as it tore straight through it, striking the sea that lay on the other sides!

“Wha-?!” Ferrijit stared, mouth agape, eyes wide as she and her team watched in disbelief as a huge title wave was thrown up from the blast, swallowing the now halved mountain as they could see what looked like little chunks of it falling back down but in actuality were huge slabs of the landmarks crashing back down to the ground.

And she wasn’t alone in her disbelief.

“Are you kidding me? The church has been sitting on that this whole time?” Shuraig murmured, slowly taking off his beaked mask as if it would change the view. “The whole fucking mountain? Don’t tell me that’s the ancient super weapon that-!”

Breaking off, Shuraig’s eyes widened as he saw another flash of blue light, the statue opening its mouth preparing another shot.

“Look ou-!” Before the winged man could finish, another jet of blue light shot from the things mouth, racing towards the stunned Tri-brigade, moving so fast it appeared to be almost instantaneous, racing towards the dragon and grazing his side as he veered to the right, the laser cutting into his left side before, shooting past him, cutting into another mountain in the distance.

And this time, the mountain wasn’t the only thing destroyed.

“Rrrrooooaaaarrr!” 

The dragon screamed as he threw his head back, blood pouring out his left eye socket, the side of the laser having tore straight through the side of his eye, taking the whole thing as well as expanding out, ripping apart the skin around it, leaving a blackened hole where his red iris used to be.

Crying out in agony, the dragon began to writhe around in the sky, rolling and shaking causing blood to rain down on the town and the Tri-brigade members to cling on for dear life, Rugal pulling the binding around Kitt so tight it cut into her skin in a desperate attempt to keep her on, the creature they were riding on bucking like a bull as it writhed in pain.

Watching the dragon clawing at its face, Maximus let out a satisfied chuckle from the Nexus, his mouth twitching into a smug sneer as he tried to move his arm, the corresponding dragon’s head drawing back, its other taking its place.

“You see that, fowl beast! This is the power I’ve cultivated over the centuries you’ve been gone!” He roared, blue light gathering in the statue’s mouth once again. “You are no longer the god you used to be! Now, a new icon has been anointed, one of light and perfection that your kind could never hope to achieve! You thought you could sneak in here, steal my Brand and just walk away? The time where you could do that is long gone! Now, you suffer not the wrath of the Bystial, but the wrath of me!”

Eyes going wide as he watched the second head preparing another shot, Shuraig had seen enough! Lunging forward, the man reloaded his grenade launcher as he flew straight for the Nexus, a cold sweat blowing off his body as he raced through the sky!

“Nervall! Go high! Aim for the point where the head meets the fountain!” He bellowed to his winged companion. “I’ll hit them from below, try to ground them! Do not let that thing fire again! Take it down or redirect its attack away from-!”

Too late!

With a brilliant flash, the statue opened its mouth, the energy flashing like a star, its point of light being aimed right at the dragon injured and bleeding that barely hug in the air, the laser narrowing down to a single point as it prepared to fire once again, his occupants staring wide eyed at their doom.

There was nothing they could do, no trick they could pull to get themselves out of this jam. With a mass of energy capable of whipping mountains off the map, they knew their fate was all but sealed. 

Squeezing their eyes shut, the Tri-brigade braced for their inevitable end, Ferrijit hugging Kitt to her chest as they were bathed in the blue light, its concentrated energy felt by not just them, but the citizens as well.

But then suddenly, the energy signal vanished, the bright blue light faded almost instantly, the statue’s heads drooping as its basin shuttered, the fountain starting to lose altitude, bringing to drop onto the city.

“The hell?!” Maximus snarled, the man thrown forward as his merger can undone, the Nexus regurgitating him into the fountain, the man catching himself on the ledge, quickly swapping his hand over the centerpiece, sensing the magic within.

“It’s out already? Impossible!” He thought, eyes wide behind his mask. “No way I’ve used up that much magic power already! Don’t tell me I’ve split too much of it between the crusaders and their weapons. That would make this thing worthless until the Day of Gospel! And if that’s the case-!”

As realization hit the Pope, Maximus whirled about, his lone visible eye narrowed in rage as he stared at the dragon, his mouth set in a hard snarl. The beast's one eye locking with him and making sure it felt his cold, barely contained fury. And as he their gazes stayed interlocked, the man sent a wave of killer intent racing to the dragon, making his blood run cold as in that instant, he saw his own body lying torn and twisted on the ground, it’s mangled limbs belt together by the thinnest scrap of skin, his eye staring lifelessly up at the sky, a trail of blood leaking out his mouth, mixing in the pool that he and the rest of the Tri-brigade rested in.

And in that moment, he knew this was no illusion. It was a prophecy, one that of the immediate future, and what the man was still capable of.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Shuraig gritted his teeth as he shot towards the Nexus, his knuckles white as he gripped his grenade launcher, his heart racing in his chest.

“I’m not gonna make it!” He thought as he flew towards the light, the thing flashing out like a star as it made ready to fire, the man’s heart leaping into his throat as he watched his team about to vanish in a flash of light.

However, suddenly the statue jerked, the head going limp as the light faded out, the magic holding it in the air faltering as if it were a machine that had one of its engines go out. The basin dropping towards the city, the thing unable to stay in the air.

“What the?” Shuraig murmured, eyes wide as he came to a stop, hovering in the air, looking down at the statue. “What just happened?”

Looking down at the great weapon, he watched the high pope being ejected into the basin of the fountain, the man catching himself on his hands before turning back towards the center piece, the man moving his hands across the stone doing something the winged man didn’t understand. 

Not sure what had happened, but seeing an opportunity nonetheless, Shuraig swooped up, flying high into the sky, putting his back to the sun as he aimed down at Maximus, his grenade launcher humming with energy as it prepared to fire. 

However, any thought of attack vanished as the Pope looked up, his one glowing eyes glaring at the dragon with such malicious intent, the winged man could feel it, chilling every bone in his body without it even being directed towards him.

The rage, anger, and desperation in his eye made it clear he was willing to do anything to kill the dragon. Even if he took a hit in the process. And with the massive fountain hovering right over the city, it didn’t take much thought to figure out what price he was most willing to pay to see his goal achieved. And while Shuraig held no love for the people who constantly rejected his kind, being crushed to death by their own leader was a fate even they didn’t deserve.

But before he could make any call, a ballista suddenly flew past his face, making him dart back to avoid it, his head immediately shooting over to the wall where it had come from, eyes going wide at what he saw.

There, standing along the wall was Fleurdelis who, in light of not being able to turn the siege weapon all the way around, had picked up the ammo instead and was hurling it at the winged man, enhancing it with her lightning turning the ordinary weapon into bullets of electricity.

“Still attacking even in that condition? Does she ever quit?!” Shuraig thought as he dodged and weaved through the air, the man immediately noticing the streets being flooded with crusader knights, many ushering civilians away from the battlefield as many more teleported to rooftops, firing arrows or spells at the Tri-brigade’s captain and the dragon, quickly turning turning the entire ground below them into a mess of spikes sealing upwards.

Wheeling back, Shuraig made his decision. Turning to his team, the men let out a bellow, alerting both them, and the dragon.

“Enough! Time to leave! We’re gonna cut our losses and get out of here! Everyone, retreat and regroup at the rendezvous point! Ferrijit, Kerass! Give us some covering fire!”

Heads turning to the man, Shuraig was met with a unanimous nod, all of them well aware they’d long overstayed their welcome. 

Acting immediately, the two Tri-brigade members spun their weapons down towards the knights, opening fire sending them scattering for cover as the energy blasts rained down on top of them, giving them a break for just a second.

“Nervall!” Shuraig yelled to his winged companion, the man nodded behind his mask as he pulled a detonator from his belt, holding it up to show Shuraig, the man returning his gesture before turning towards the rest of his squad.

“Everyone cover your ears and get ready to run!” And while his orders confused the dragon, those on his back did as he said, clamping their hands over their ears and bracing against his back as the detonator was pressed. 

The next however, the dragon got his answer as a huge chuck of the wall exploded, blowing up a good part of the wall that ran the length of the city, raining debris down on the nearby area and destroying the siege equipment stationed there. Leaving a gaping hole in both their wall and their defenses.

“Now!” Shuraig yelled, firing a huge shot sphere from his grenade launcher, the thing exploding releasing a blinding flash of light, rendering those on the ground below him completely blind, letting him, Nervall, and the dragon shoot off at top speed towards the breach.

“No! They're getting away!” Fleur screamed, the woman immediately racing towards the breach, her body leaking blood as she ran, ignoring the agonizing pain.

If they got through that breach, they would be able to scatter, disappearing into the wild becoming nearly impossible to track. And with them still holding Ecclesia hostage, they wouldn’t be able to retaliate without risking her life as well. 

Panicked at the thought of what those animals would do to her beloved sister, Fleur flowed electricity into her muscles, letting her move at inhuman speeds, reaching the breach right at the same time they passed through it. Their guard’s down as they faced no resistance as the blast had blown away any knight stationed there, leaving it completely defenseless. Which in this one instance worked in the woman’s favor!

Throwing her shield aside, the woman reached speeds nearly twice that of a horse’s full gallop, moving so fast she could feel her own skin starting to peel off, her numerous injuries tearing themselves open, blood spurting out of her body, staining the inside of her armor as bones shattered and organs bleed from the shear strain of keeping up with the woman!

But Fleur didn’t care. Holding her speed at a full sprint, she reached the edge of the wall in seconds where, with the last of her magic and a burst of lightning, Fleur leapt off the wall, sailing high into the air heading straight towards the dragon, hand outstretched. And while the woman realistically had no idea what she’d do once she got it, simply that she wouldn’t-. Couldn’t! let them escape with Ecclesia. 

She had promised never to leave the girl’s side. A promise that had propelled her through the ranks, a promise that had given her strength even at the darkest times. She hadn’t just made it to Ecclesia, she had made it to herself, a sacred vow she would uphold no matter what!

And so, as she reached up, hand flying towards the Dragon’s foot, her mind held one thing and one thing only, the image of her sister’s smiling face when she had made that vow, and the warmth that smile had made her feel. That was the happiest moment of her life, something she’d remember with perfect clarity for the rest of her life.

A perfect mirror of the moment her glove hand closed against air as it scraped against the dragon’s scales, just barely missing it.

Immediately, all strength drained from the woman as her moment came to a stop, her body seemingly hanging in the air for a second before she began to drop, entering free fall as she plummeted towards the ground, her body not able to generate any lightning to slow to stop herself.

But even as she fell towards the earth below, picking up speed with every passing second. It was nothing, NOTHING! compared to the utter disaster that took hold in her heart.

Staring up at the dragon in disbelief, Fleur reached her hand up, as if she’d get a second chance to grab the beast the held her sister, letting her find a way to rescue her sister and return to the church where she’d lay the girl in bed, tell her how much she loved her, alongside all the other things she had wanted to say, church dogma be damned. 

But she got no such chance. And as she fell to the ground, sailing further and further away from the Dragon and more importantly, her sister, she let out one last scream, her shattered heart reflexed in her voice.

“ECCLESIA!!!”