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The bells of the old cathedral tolled solemnly and the man on the pew barely looked up from his hands as an older one joined him.
“Did you know?” the first man asked, exhaustion and pain making his voice rough. “What would happen?”
“No, brother,” the second replied. “All I know is something happened and you were caught up in it.”
Buck snorted softly. He gestured at himself and the simple looking clothing he wore. Dark, heavy work jeans with added padding along the thighs, a tool belt of handcrafted leather with fancy stitching in unfamiliar patterns, a t-shirt with a religious icon covered by a heavy work shirt and a leather vest covered in more fancy, but unfamiliar patterns. “Thought it was a costume, like the stuff in the chest.”
“Ah,” the one word held a lot of meaning and more than a little understanding. “No. It was not so much a costume as… a uniform of sorts.”
“I went as a carpenter,” Buck murmured, his fingers lightly touching the toolbelt. He opened a pouch to reveal a simple pad of paper and pencil. It was covered with notes on how to fix a railing. He tucked them away and reached down to lift a sword and scabbard from the pew beside him. “I didn’t expect this…”
“Dio mio,” Josiah breathed, eyes going wide at the sight of it. He had not expected that. He studied his friend for a long moment before finally asking, “What…”
“Kevlar,” Buck murmured, interrupting the question. His free hand touched the leather vest. It was heavy and thick. Too heavy. Too thick. “And ceramic plates. It’s why it’s so heavy. And spell proof,” he added, tracing one of the scorched symbols.
He looked up to meet Josiah’s gaze. “There’s things out there… monsters. Angels. Innocents.” He paused, hand tightening on the hilt of the sword. He had fought, poorly, with it. But it had been necessary. And he had, somehow, prevailed. “Ain’t no going back. Once you know what is out there, in the dark.”
“No, brother. There is no turning back, once you know,” Josiah agreed. He bowed his head, partially in prayer for his friend and partly in regret.