Knights Blessed by Moonlight: Chapter 3 – Burden of Talent

Chapter 3 – Burden of Talent

During a particular deployment where we were cleaning out an undercity of ratmen, we were all separated and overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending number of them. I cut through their number without thinking of my own safety and one goal in mind. By the time I reached it, I saw Ludovico barely standing up and Umberto standing against the hordes of ratmen obviously overexerting himself and panicking. Leaping into the action, I threw myself at the enemy with reckless abandonment until their number ran away. Checking on my friends, I’m horrified to see them injured and on the edge of death.

Seeing this wakes me up from my daydream of the memory of the event. I’ve been having variations of that memory ever since we started our crusade on the Cult of the Sun. Their heretical magic takes advantage of a person’s memories, feelings, and what tempts them the most. They pretend to be true Catholics with their crosses, sacraments, and style of presentation and beliefs, but they’re nothing but a false facsimile of the one true faith because of their comingling with pagan ratmen, beastmen, and heretical traitors. As I get up and look over the camp of soldiers below me, I wonder what more I can do to end this fight quickly.

“Irsuto. Is something wrong?” I hear His Holiness say from behind me.

I quickly get on one knee and bow my head as I say, “No, nothing, Your Holiness. I just needed some fresh air.”

“I’m sure there’s more to it than that. You may stand on your feet.”

I stand while still facing the Pope.

“It’s nothing to be concerned about and should be ignored instead.”

“I know you’re concerned about your friends.”

“I’ve placed them in the hands of God. I don’t need to worry about them.”

“True, but you still act as if it is your duty to protect them.”

“My duty is to protect you. I’m sure they can protect themselves.”

“Do you truly believe that? I can take care of myself because of my skills and many guards, but them? They have only each other and their fellow soldiers. I know you feel like their older brother and that you have a God-given responsibility over them because of that. I used to have a friend that was like you.”

“Blessed Armato.”

“Yes. He and Trapani were good friends of mine who gave their lives to protect my own. I suggest that you go down there and spend some time with your friends. You don’t always have to be around me.”

“Yes, Your Holiness. Thank you.”

When I go down to where a majority of the men are camped, I find Ludovico playing cards and making bets with his food while Umberto stands by him to watch and control his habits. Both are glad to see me and ask why I’m here to which I simply say that the Pope allowed it. I comment on Ludovico’s plays and stop him when he makes stupid moves while encouraging him to make others even when they seem risky, and with my help, he’s able to win.

“I could’ve done it without you, you know?” he says.

“Without me, you would’ve had to go back to the chef to get whatever table scraps are left for the day,” I say.

Ludovico and I argue back and forth until I prove him right by beating him in a game. Umberto steps up next and he almost beats me but I end up pulling out a last-minute trick so I can win instead. Everyone is impressed with my victory and yells out in astonishment when it happens. I’m glad to see everyone having a good time and it’s times like this that I crave to happen every day.

“Take off that helmet and relax, Irsuto,” Ludovico says as he tries to take it off me.

“Hey! Stop!” I say until he manages to take my helmet off.

“There we go! Now everyone can see your handsome face! Did you grow your hair and beard longer?”

“No, I just never care to cut it.”

“Man, my facial hair looks like dust compared to the rug on your face.”

The rest of the day is filled with playing different games, sparring to see who is the better knight, and generally hanging out with one another. By the time the night is at its deepest and people go to sleep, I look back at the camp I was just at.

“I trust you had a good time?” His Holiness asks.

“Yes, I did. Thank you for allowing me to do so,” I say.

“We had our own little games and fun up here as well. It’s good to unwind every now and then like this. It brings us closer together and gives peace to the mind so we can fight better the next day.”

“Speaking of which, we should be able to reach the next destination after we pack up.”

“Yes, but leave tomorrow’s worry for tomorrow. Rest for now and thank God for the many blessings of today.”

“Yes, sir.”

After taking a quick rest, I switch places with the guard who was on night watch and see the morning moon shift positions and brighten to be like the sun but not as bright. It only takes us a couple of hours to pack up our camp and move on. Three hours pass before we make it to our next target. This area is a mostly destroyed battleground with a church standing at the center of it. The battleground is littered with machines of war and remnants of space-fairing ships. It’s said that the church managed to stay undamaged during the battle despite being in the middle of it all and hit several times, which makes it a favored destination for pilgrims and penitents. It irritates me beyond belief to see the artificial sun shining above the church and the crosses of the heretics littering the battleground.

Before His Holiness even gives one of his rousing speeches, I am teleported to a white and gold void. So, the enemy is already going on the offensive.

“Irsuto,” the voice of a child says in the void.

“Don’t bother with your tricks. I’ve overcome them before,” I say.

I immediately dispel the void around me by using a spell that flashes light from my eyes. Seeing that I’m deep behind enemy lines with many archers and ambushers lying in wait among the debris of the battlefield, I take this opportunity to foil their traps before they can spring on my allies who are quickly approaching. Going from ambusher to ambusher, I dispatch them quickly by cutting off their heads, stabbing them in their chest, and slitting their throats with my arm blades. As my allies break down the heretical crosses and the artificial sun’s light retreats, I advance forward taking care of whatever other enemies lay in my path until I enter into the church by jumping through the window since the doors are locked and fortified with barriers.

“Irsuto,” I hear a voice say in my head.

I cut off the voice and counter the heretical spell by making my eyes flash with light, which temporarily blinds the spellcasters and protecters allowing me to easily take care of them. Going back outside, I see the natural darkness of Noctua return to the sky while the last of the heretics either wake up from the effects of the spell and surrender or die fighting and retreating.

“You just had to show off, didn’t you?” Ludovico says as he runs to me.

“I did what I had to,” I say.

“Well, if I had a head start and could leap around like you can, I would’ve done better.”

“I’m just glad it’s over already,” Umberto says.

His words are contradicted by many artificial suns being conjured in the sky around us. Before I can react, Umberto, Ludovico, and His Holiness are teleported away from me. The same thing happens to me soon after as I find myself in the white and gold void, however, my spells don’t work on dispelling it this time. Not even a black fog spell can pierce this false light.

“You can’t break out of it this time,” the voice of a child says.

“If you see in my mind and memories, then you know that this trick is useless. You may as well give up,” I say.

“Perhaps I will be the one to break your will and make you see the light.”

“The only light I see here is a façade.”

“It’s better than the eternal night of Noctua.”

“At least that darkness is true and from God.”

“Who we both worship in our own way.”

“If you call spitting in His face worship with your sins and blasphemy, then you’re mistaken. Nothing that you’re doing is His will in any way.”

“It may not seem like it, but when you see how happy everyone is despite their difference in beliefs, you’ll come to believe like I have. I’m surprised that you didn’t already join us given your intelligence. Looking at your past history, I see nothing but overwhelming success marked only with a few blemishes.”

“And you won’t find any regrets or areas where I’m left wanting to pry into and bring me down like your allies did with my friends.”

“That’s true, but I do see a particular want in here. Let me show you it.”

Everything around me changes to the scene from yesterday when I was playing games and having a good time with my friends and the other soldiers.

“And? What is it?”

“Look at your friends. You want to be like them.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Ludovico is a slow man, but he has potential despite his failures, which you’ve seen. He’s the life of the party and attracts the admiration of everyone including the Pope.”

“I’d hate having the vices and lack of brain cells that he has.”

“There’s Umberto also. An average man with average expectations placed on him, unlike you who is exceptional and expected to perform better than everyone. You wished you were like him and had a wife to go back to after your time in the military is over. Instead, you’ll likely come back to an empty but luxurious home or work in the military until your death like some other men of your talent.”

“That’s just the life God has given me. Staying in the military or spending the rest of my days alone doesn’t matter to me.”

“You can’t lie to your feelings. I know that you felt that were as talkative as Ludovico or as relatable as Umberto. Even in a crowd of friends, you sit or stand quietly around them until talked to or until you have to leave.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being quiet and enjoying the simple pleasure of being with friends.”

“I see that you’re a tough one to crack, but I do have a last resort as a result of you opening up. I see the remnants of a scar left by previous attempts to convert you.”

Everything around me changes again. This time it’s a familiar deployment, one of the first I was on. Ahead of me, I see Umberto chasing Ludovico who is charging the enemy because he thought he could win glory to gloat about to the ladies. The chaos around us makes me lose track of them forcing me to blindly cut through the beastmen that we were facing. By the time I find them, the fighting is over, and find that my fellow knights were able to save them.

“You were too slow that time.”

“I can’t be everywhere at once.”

The next memory comes up of another deployment, this time I can defend my friends at the cost of collapsing from exhaustion and having to be hospitalized for a week.

“You were too weak this time.”

“I did all I could.”

“But it wasn’t enough. Don’t you remember that you collapsed during the fight or is that something you repressed? You didn’t save your friends that time. Other knights came to your aid soon after you passed out and then you and your friends were safe.”

“That’s why it doesn’t bother me. I held out until help arrived and we were safe in the end.”

“You may deny your feelings but these examples relate to your feelings of wanting to be like your friends. They don’t have to be as strong as you do nor do they carry the same burdens. I know that this cross God has given you is heavy and one that makes you fall from time to time, so allow me to help you carry it.”

“I don’t anyone’s help besides God’s and I especially don’t need your help. If anything, you’ll be adding more weight to it. I don’t need to worry anyone with my burden nor do I need to make anyone suffer for it just so I can be happier or live easier.”

“If you think you’re so tough, then prove it.” The white and gold void around me fades and I see that I’m in a torch-lit cave filled with tents and heretical crosses that’s infested with enemies who are brandishing their weapons ready to fight me. “If you can fight all these people by yourself, I’ll concede that you’re correct, however, I assume that I’ll be talking to a barely alive man by the time the fighting stops.”

I’ll take that challenge. Besides, these people are heavily armored and armed. Seeing as how I shouldn’t hold back at all in this fight, I use my will to transform my body while being veiled in darkness and light that keeps the swarm of enemies temporarily back. Feathers sprout out from the bottom of my arms, my hands and feet become claws, a feathery tail comes out from my back, and my body becomes hairier than usual. During this transformation, my armor falls off, and yet, I don’t feel as if I need it because this transformation has toughened my skin and strengthened my body. Leaping into the fight, I fly around and cut with my claws dealing a quick death to all I face, but despite me thinning out the herd as fast as I can, their numbers don’t seem to lessen nor do I see an easy way out of this situation. Nevertheless, I keep fighting and killing until I get hit and start getting tired.

This owl form gives me greater stamina and strength, but it does have its limits and those limits are being pushed far beyond what I’m capable of. Eventually, I slow down even more at the worst of times since a majority of my enemies still remain. As I rest on the high ground of the cave, I plan out what to do next until I’m surprised by the walls of the cave exploding and my friends and fellow soldiers led by the Pope coming out of the holes they made. It’s then that my body gives way and all the damage that I’ve ignored has taken its toll that keeps me in the place I am. Ludovico and Umberto come to my aid in my time of need to defend me from the enemies that were approaching me before they look at me.

“Irsuto?” Ludovico says.

“Yeah, it’s me. How did you know?” I ask.

“Well, I had a feeling, and who else is as hairy as you?”

“I guess it also isn’t a surprise that you of all people could become an owlman,” Umberto says.

“Let’s finish this fight and I’ll explain everything later,” I say as I stand on my feet before falling to the ground and being picked up and carried away by my friends.

“We need to get you help,” Ludovico says.

“Let everyone else finish the fight. You aren’t the only knight in the army,” Umberto adds.

Before I can argue, I pass out and find myself in a doctor’s tent with Umberto and Ludovico sitting at my side. My body has turned back to normal and is wrapped in bandages.

“Irsuto! You’re awake!” Ludovico says as he hugs me.

Umberto pulls him away and then says, “Stop it, you’re hurting him!”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“I’m fine, but thanks, Umberto,” I say. “So, I assume we won the battle?”

“Yes, we did. Now, we’re resting until we head back home,” Umberto says.

“I’m glad that many managed to survive this conflict despite the mental and physical challenges. What do you think I should tell the bartender first? The battle in the city, the one on the battlefield, or maybe the one in the fishing village? I think the one in the village would be best because it was the most eventful for me,” Ludovico says.

His Holiness enters the tent and approaches me before I can call Ludovico an idiot and start an argument with him.

“It’s good to see you awake and active, Irsuto,” His Holiness says.

“Thank you, sir. I’m honored by your visit,” I say.

“Thank you for holding out until we managed to find our way to you. Your initiative is appreciated but remember that you’re a knight in an army of them, so don’t feel like you need to fight every enemy by yourself. The next time you find yourself outnumbered, you should try to retreat. Your owl form and skills can only take you so far.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of my own safety at the time and only of destroying the enemy because I was challenged to and they were tough enemies that would’ve been a challenge for others to kill. I’ll try to remember that for the next time.”

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot to ask. Are the Owl Knights the only ones who can turn into owlmen? How does it work?” Ludovico asks.

“Anyone can turn into an owlman who is from Noctua. It isn’t exclusive to Owl Knights, but no one knows why certain people can access that power just as no one knows why those people are chosen besides the fact that it's the will of God,” His Holiness explains.

“Can I be given the power later in life?”

“No, it is only evident to a person when they uncontrollably turn into an owlman in their teenage years, so if you can’t now, you won’t ever be able to.”

“Aw, man! I’m not sure what I’m more upset about; not being able to become an owlman or not being there to see Irsuto transform and him awkwardly having to make his way back home naked.”

“Shut up,” I say.

“Haha, speaking of heading home, would you mind joining the celebration I am holding at the Vatican for our victory over the cult?”

We say it would be our honor. Umberto and Ludovico joke around and talk with His Holiness while I sit and listen to them. This is what I fight for. It doesn’t matter if I’ll never see peace for the rest of my life. As long as God’s will is done and the people I care about are safe and happy, then I will say at the end of my life that it was one well spent and that I don’t regret a second of it.