His Name is Aegeus: Chapter 2 – In the Presence of Superiors

Chapter 2 – In the Presence of Superiors

“Agh!” Claude says as he sets his shield and spear down.

“Is something wrong? Are your arms hurting?” I ask.

“No, that’s not it. Nothing’s been happening since that beastman attack two weeks ago. I’m just getting impatient and bored is all. I shouldn’t even complain because Jacqui is having a difficult time teaching the kids at school. They’re anxious because it’s almost time for them to go on vacation from school.”

“We were anxious too. I also remember us fake being sick so we could have an excuse to not go on certain days.”

“I remember the one time I set a fire in the garden at the end of the day so we could get out earlier.”

“That was you?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone that when our next school reunion party happens.”

“I won’t tell.”

“Me neither,” Felicite says from above us. “Catch!”

She drops down a basket full of fruits that I have to drop my shield to catch in time before it hits the floor.

“You should let me put down my shields before dropping the basket next time,” I say.

“Sorry, I’ll do that next time. Later!”

“Remind me to drop by food of my own to your house for all the food that Felicite gives us,” Claude says as he takes off his helmet and starts eating.

“You don’t have to,” I say while placing down the basket and taking off my helmet as well so I can eat.

“I do. I’m not unappreciative of her coming out here every now and then to do us this favor. I’ve also mentioned it to Jacqui who’s a bit jealous of her since she wants to do the same and repay her in some way.”

“Well, I’m sure she’s not jealous of the farm work that Felicite is doing, especially since she works at the many farms that supply the army, stores, and restaurants in the city. They work her hard there.”

“Honestly, I may be jealous of her. I’d rather do something than pace around all day.”

“Keep your eyes up, gentlemen. We got company,” an archer from the walls says.

We place the basket of fruit aside, put on our helmets, pick up our weapons, and stand at attention.

“Is this the convoy we were expecting?” I ask.

“Yes, it is,” the archer says.

As the convey gets closer, we see a horse-drawn carriage accompanied by Assault Knights who are riding horses. Among the many knights, the ones that catch my attention are the ones that are wielding crossbow shields, shields with long spikes on them, and ones that have long spears like jousters. The gates behind us open for them as they approach and close behind us after they pass through. Usually, when visitors come, we check their papers, judge their personalities, and then choose whether or not to turn them away, but it’s only the most special of people such as the Pope, bishops, military, and business leaders that have the news of their arrival sent to us before they arrive, so these people must be important. After a few minutes pass, Claude and I go back to finishing the fruit in the basket and then put it on the side for me to take back home.

“Aegeus, you should get your fiancée to get us some fruit baskets too,” one of the archers on the walls says.

“Sure thing. She’d be happy to,” I say.

“When are you two getting married again? Do you have a date set?” Claude asks.

“Sometime next month. Even though the Church gives us a discount on the ceremony and renting the hall because of our service, it’s still expensive to pay for.”

“Right. I totally forgot about that and remember why I did. I left all the planning and what I had to contribute to Jacqui since it was headache-inducing to get all that sorted out.”

Not too much time passes until Commander Maxime comes to us and says from the top of the walls, “Claude, Aegeus. Your help is needed in the inner city.”

He then tells us we need to go to a basilica where the military holds masses and ceremonies and sends two replacement gate guards to take our position while we’re gone.

As we walk to the destination, we pass by many of the city’s many sights that make it popular to visit such as statues depicting events of the past, saints, and the Lord Jesus and His Blessed Mother. We take note of the many restaurants and parks that we could take our family to and the museums to visit.

“We can do it all when we finally get our well-earned promotion. I’m sure that this task Commander Maxime gave us will speed along that process if we can accomplish it correctly. You’ll get your job as a city guard while I’ll get to work as an Assault Knight,” Claude says.

I agree with him and keep walking until we reach the basilica where those visitors we saw before are waiting for us with Commander Maximus.

“Weren’t these the same guards we saw when entering the city?” one of the knights asks.

“The same ones eating while guarding the gate?” another knight says.

“They don’t usually do it and the fruit baskets they receive are from the fiancée of one of them who is just trying to help them get through the day. Trust me when I say they’re tough and disciplined,” Commander Maximus says.

“Oh, I wasn’t criticizing them. In fact, I would’ve liked to have someone giving me snacks while I was on gate guard duty. My name is Remy,” the knight with a horse helmet and crossbow shield says.

“My name is Soleil,” the knight with a shield and spear says. “You’ll be accompanying us while we escort the bishops throughout your city.”

We accept the task and accompany the Assault Knights and the bishops as they tour the city and give gifts and assure certain groups of people such as farmers, blacksmiths, and tailors that the aid they give to the army hasn’t been for nothing. After which, we go to the families of victims of bandit, ratmen, and beastmen attacks and we give them gifts of gold, jewelry, and crucifixes and our assurance that what happened will never happen again and their loved ones will be avenged. Everyone we visit appreciates what we have to say and give to them and more and more people start following us as the day goes along as word of the bishops’ deeds and arrival spreads through the city during which, we have to make sure the crowds keep a safe distance away from them and that only certain people are allowed to them.

“If you become a city guard, this is what you’ll have to deal with,” Claude says.

“I’d rather deal with this than hordes of enemies trying to kill me,” I say.

“Eh, good point.”

Eventually, we make it to a stage where more clergy and people are waiting for the bishops. Here, they start to give their talk on recent events and to assure the city of the Church’s might and ongoing efforts to protect them and ensure a brighter future. In the blink of an eye, this peaceful day turns chaotic as a single arrow is shot from out of seemingly nowhere and pierces through the eye and skull of one of the bishops. We don’t have time to react as another barrage of arrows hits several other of the clergy and some of the guards and squads of orcs charge at the crowds killing whoever gets in their way. Claude, the Assault Knights, and I along with all the other guards race to defend the citizens and clergy against the orc threat in a bloody battle that feels like a nightmare. For every person I save, another person dies.

From where I am, I see Claude being equally frustrated since he can’t use his spear correctly in such tight quarters with civilians around until they get out of the area. Once they’re gone, we’re able to effectively eliminate the orcs and restore peace to the city. By the end of it, many civilians and clergy died along with many guards who threw themselves at the enemy to protect others. Commander Maxime doesn’t give us a moment to rest or grieve as we regroup with him and the rest of the soldiers, guards, and commanders to discuss what happened, however, we must wait for the city guard’s report before starting the meeting. While waiting for them, everyone murmurs to one another about what happened and how it could’ve happened in our city without an alarm going off or it being thwarted beforehand, and it isn’t until the city guards arrive that things quiet down.

“Seeing as we’re all eager to hear your report, can you please tell us what you found, Chief Officer Percival,” Commander Maxime says.

“Yes, commander,” Percival says as he lays his papers on the table in front of him. “What we were able to find during our investigation is that the orcs managed to sneak their way into our city through holes that were dug underneath the ground in various places.”

“They dug holes? First, orcs don’t typically make use of surprise attacks and now they’ve snuck their way here by tunneling underneath the city?” Commander Maxime says.

“Correct. It’s highly unusual that they’d use a ratman strategy to get to us, so we’re assuming that ratmen have something to do with this and theorizing that these holes were dug during the beastman attack on the city two weeks ago. Tomorrow, we’ll have several teams searching for more breaches in the city and other teams clearing out the tunnels as we’re sure that they’re still hiding beneath our very feet waiting for another opportunity to strike.”

The commanders and chief officer discuss how many people and which kinds of knights and guards are in what groups and how we’re going to execute our plan tomorrow. All I can think about is if my family and Claude’s family are okay. Usually, people are kidnapped when ratmen are involved and are sometimes never seen again and if they are, the victims are typically found to be dead or in a state of pain because they were experimented on or used as slaves. Claude also thinks the same when I talk to him after the meeting and we both go our separate ways to check on our families, and thanks be to God, they’re okay. We embrace in one big hug and cry tears of joy with one another as we tell each other how much we love one another.

Eventually, we eat and tell of how crazy today was. I can’t help but think of the holes that the enemy used to enter the city and that they’re probably still below us and may attack at any time. This thought keeps waking me up in the night with every little noise making me nervous. Tomorrow can’t come fast enough so I keep praying to God to keep everyone safe until I fall asleep for good and don’t wake up until tomorrow morning.

His Name is Aegeus: Chapter 1 – Another Day in the Same Place

Chapter 1 – Another Day in the Same Place

As I pace back and forth with Claude and keep watch outside the walls of our city, I begin to notice a slight tapping sound that seems to originate from above me. It’s not raining, is it? No, it can’t be on this sunny day. It isn’t until I see a small piece of fruit falling past my face that I look up at the walls to see my fiancée, Felicite, standing on the walls with a fruit basket in her arms. Both she and Claude laugh as I take off my helmet to see all the fruit in it that she’s dropped into its crevices.

“You knew this was happening and didn’t say anything?” I ask Claude.

“Yep. I was wondering how long it would take you to notice,” Claude says.

“This helmet is thick so of course it’s not immediately noticeable.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s thick,” Felicite says as she smiles and knocks on her head.

“You better get down from there before Commander Maxime catches you.”

“He already knows I’m up here.”

“That’s right,” the commander says. He walks as if marching among soldiers and his colorful cloak and armor seem to shine as if they were a source of light. “I was testing you to see how well you were paying attention. I do have to admit that the helmet’s thickness wouldn’t make it obvious something was hitting you so I’ll say that you did fine, Aegeus.”

“Thank you, sir,” I say while bowing.

Commander Maxime turns to Felicite and says, “Thank you for your help in this test, madame. Now, say goodbye to your fiancé so you don’t distract him further.”

“Okay,” Felicite says before looking down at us from the walls, “I’ll see you back home! I hope you’ll enjoy the snack I gave you!”

The commander and Felicite walk away from the railing of the wall while speaking to one another. Claude walks over and takes one of the apples that dropped into the crevices of my helmet and starts eating it.

“I wish my wife brought fruits to us every now and then like your fiancée does,” Claude says.

“How is Jacqui and your kids doing?” I ask while eating the grapes.

“They’re doing fine. You should hurry up and have kids of your own so they can go to the same school together. I’m sure Jacqui would love to teach them as well.”

“Yeah.” Looking up at the walls and towering buildings, I can’t help but be amazed by them, which I admit to Claude when he asks why I’m looking up.

“You see the same walls and buildings every day. They lose the luster of beauty after a while, at least for me they do. If anything, looking at the walls reminds me how mundane our jobs are.”

“What do you mean? Our jobs are important.”

“In some small way, but we have archers and other guards patrolling the other parts of the walls and gates. Also, these walls and buildings are the strongest in the world. There’s no magical spell or projectile that can easily break them without incredible effort.”

I can’t argue with what Claude is saying. These buildings and walls are bulky and shield-like much like the armor we’re wearing. Our kingdom of Equus is second to none in terms of constructing buildings and having impenetrable defenses because of our army. In terms of armor, despite it being bulky, heavy, and taking some getting used to, it’s not easily pierced and is more mobile than it appears. Just remembering the training we had to go through mentally brings back the tiredness I felt when we had to run in it day after day so we could get used to it.

Our training with weapons was simpler but just as hard, especially for me. Wielding two heavy shields at the same time is awkward and it took me about a month to get used to them, which is apparently the average time it takes. As for Claude and the spear that he wields, he’s told me that it’s like trying to fight by using a person as a weapon. Neither he nor I know how the Assault Knights can wield two at the same time. Speaking of which, the Assault Knights is a military branch that Claude aspires to be a part of that he speaks of pretty much every day. Today, he doesn’t speak of them until later this afternoon when a messenger, Conte, delivers our daily news.

“Thanks again, Conte,” I say.

“Do you ever tire of running around the city delivering news? It seems like a waste of military training if all you do is run around,” Claude says.

“It hasn’t gotten old for me. I keep in shape and talk to all sorts of people throughout the city. Now, if you fellas don’t mind, I’ll be heading over to the other side to deliver the news,” Conte says before running off in the blink of an eye.

“It was great to hear of the army’s continued victories across the land,” I say.

“It was. Another few groups of rogue orcs, beastmen, and bandits were wiped out while the line was held against the savage ratmen. I wonder when we’ll get to see some action,” Claude says.

“You don’t mean that. If we’re blessed enough, we won’t have to kill anyone for our entire lives.”

“That’s an unrealistic hope to have. You know that this world lives in constant conflict and we’ll probably never know peace until the Lord Jesus comes back. Besides, our training would go to waste if we never fought. I need some action to happen so I can prove myself to our superiors so I can become an Assault Knight.”

“The Church has plenty of soldiers from kingdoms like Leo, Serpentis, and Noctua to draw from, and let’s not forget Bernhard and the three southern kingdoms. Why can’t you be happy with the position you have?”

“Because I want to do more than just stand around all day guarding the gates. You know that and I’m sure you want the same as well. If anything, don’t you want to be an inner city guard so you can see Felicite more?”

“I guess.”

“Then my point’s proven. Here’s hoping that God will challenge us in some way so we can get where we want to be.”

We should be challenged so we can get to where God wants us to be, but I won’t argue any further since I know I’ll be wasting my breath. Once the night shift comes over to take our place, we say our goodbyes to one another and head home where I talk to Felicite and my family about another mundane day on the job.

“You’re more like Claude than you think,” Felicite says.

“What makes you say that?” I ask.

“You’re bored of being a gate guard as well. I can hear it in your voice and how you talk about what happened today.”

 “It can be boring, but it’s the role I feel that God wants me to play, so I don’t mind it that much.” Felicite gives me a look of disbelief with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face. “What?”

“You know what. It’s okay to admit your grievances with your job and want more than you have. I’m sure you’ll get a promotion or a new job in time if God wills it.”

I smile and nod in response. Am I that transparent? Well, I was never a bright person anyway. I don’t want to be ungrateful for what I have and do, but I can’t help the inner feeling of wanting to do more with my life. Whereas Claude wants to be an Assault Knight, I feel that being a guard in the city would be better for me. Still, I’m fine with just leaving it in God’s hands.

After waking up the next day, I eat and do some chores around the house before armoring up and heading to the gate where I see Claude already waiting for me. He thinks that showing up earlier would earn him recognition and help him get his promotion earlier, but I’m pretty sure it won’t since it was never mentioned as something that would. We go about our job like usual while making small talk here and there about the weather and how our family is doing until we start hearing the sound of a deep horn that signals to us of an incoming beastman attack.

Sure enough, Conte comes to us and says, “The north side of the city is under attack by beastmen and our watchers say we got more coming in from all sides! Defend the gates while our Assault Knights mobilize!”

Conte then runs off while yelling his message and the warning of the attack.

“Thanks be to God! My prayers have finally been answered,” Claude says while loosening up his arms and preparing for a fight.

I don’t comment on Claude’s bloodlust to fight and instead keep my attention to what’s in front of me. The outside of the city is a fairly barren field with a paved road that leads to the gate. Further ahead on the horizon is a forest and not much else besides a stray bush or tree. The position of the city is advantageous as there’s no cover for the attackers to hide behind and no way for them to sneak into it without being in sight of the watchers. Looking above me, I see hundreds of archers lined up and ready to rain down their barrage of arrows. As I look back down and forward, I see a large group of beastmen running towards us with clubs, hammers, and greatswords.

I can feel myself shrink back, but I hold my feet in place as the ground shakes from the approaching enemy force. Once they get closer, the archers unleash their barrage upon the horde killing many in the process. They keep firing barrages until the gates behind us open and the Assault Knights run out to meet the enemy and keep a few to help Claude and I defend the gate. By the end of the battle, Claude and I managed to kill only a few of the injured beastmen that made it to us, but we didn’t have to fight too much.

Despite this, Commander Maxime thanks us for our help and tells us, “The promotion that I know you two are waiting for is getting closer because of your bravery today.”

The gate guards and the Assault Knights are given free lunch and dinner the next day from the best chefs in the city. While eating, I notice that Claude’s been weirdly staring into his food as he’s sleep-eating.

“Is something the matter with it?” I ask.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with the food. Actually, it’s some of the best that I’ve had in a while and made me realize we haven’t gone out with our families to eat with one another since the last holiday,” Claude says.

“So, what’s the matter? I thought you’d be happier after what happened today. You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”

“Kind of. Not really. There wasn’t enough combat to prove ourselves so it’s only a small step in the right direction, but you’re right. I did get what I wanted and should appreciate it.” Claude raises his glass. “To our bright future!”

After drinking and eating, we say goodbye to one another and head back home to rest up for another day of work just like usual.

The Scream

In the silence, I hear the screaming. In it, I hear the wailing of the innocent, and beyond that, I hear the cries of children and infants who died and were abandoned by their parents and passersby. Further beyond that, I hear a terrifying scream of an approaching being. Its sound is full of fury, but not so much anger, but is that of someone who has been hurt. It reminds me of the scream of a parent racing to protect their child, a soldier sacrificing themself in battle, and a lover rushing to meet the one who has their heart.

The power and heat of it are such that it feels as if the one screaming can destroy reality and will be here any moment. The scream of the suffering lover echoes throughout space and time and is one of love, impending justice, and pain. Beware for that lover will be here soon and is screaming for you. For either good or ill, depends on the dispensation of your soul. So, unite your cries and pains with it, or you will face the vengeance of the lover you betrayed.

-inspired by daydreams and moments of silence I've had in adoration and prayer

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The Cult of the Sun threatens to force peace onto the world through their heretical magic and light. The elite knights of the dark lands of Noctua are led by the Pope in a crusade to erase this heretical cult in response. Umberto, Irsuto, and Ludovico are three friends that this book follows as they fight spiritually, mentally, and physically to overcome this threat to protect all they love.

Knights Blessed by Moonlight: Chapter 4 – A Ferocious Idiot

Chapter 4 – A Ferocious Idiot

“The first to kill their leader gets all the glory!” I say as I charge forward. “Everyone else has to pay for the winner’s dinner and drinks!”

“Don’t be a fool, Tramonto!” Trapani says as he chases after me.

“You know there’s no convincing him! We just have to protect him!” Armato says.

As I cut through the enemy beastmen, I think of the people cheering out my name, the beautiful women asking for me to marry them, and the glory of a comfortable life. Delusions of this life end when I see the dead bodies of my friends in front of me who threw themselves at the enemy to protect my life. Even as the enemies are rushing at me to strike me down, I don’t fight instead I accept my death with open arms and am disappointed when I’m saved by my fellow knights. I have to be pried away from my dead friends and I yell at my saviors complaining that I should’ve been killed for my idiocy.

“Tramonto. They sacrificed themselves so you could live so make the most of that life,” a knight says.

“Oh, please! My life is less than worthless! It would’ve been better if I died instead!” I say before storming off.

My sadness deepens when we get back home as I drink bottle after bottle that I managed to buy by selling my armor and weapons. I try hitting on the maid that I usually try to marry, but she denies me even after I tell the story of my last deployment. I’m then kicked out of the bar by the barkeepers and stumble my way through the streets without a destination in mind. The place that I finally decide to rest in is a dark alleyway filled with trash and rats.

“This is where I belong because of everything I’ve done. I’m sorry that your sacrifice was in vain, my friends. I hope you can forgive me, Trapani and Armato!” I say.

As I scrounge through the trash hoping to find that someone has thrown away a bottle with some alcohol left in it, I feel something radiating from above me. Looking up at the moon, I see my friends looking down at me with saddened smiles. Their expressions tell me everything and make me hysterically cry as I run back to base. I throw myself to the floor in tears and apologize for everything at the feet of the generals, officers, and Pope. While crying, I hear the generals and officers whispering to themselves. The Pope gets up from his chair, slowly approaches me, and then lifts me up from the floor. Pope Karol the Second is the first beastmen pope and a turtle at that. A gentle giant of a man who never seems bothered by anything, not even by my pathetic cries and sloppy confession.

He gently smiles and says, “You’re forgiven, Tramonto.”

He hugs me and pats my back as I cry more. Waking up from the dream, I feel that I was crying while dreaming again. Memories from the past that have been coming back to me as a result of the cult’s heretical magic have been bothering me ever since they were used against us, but at least, they’re all gone. Getting up from my bed, I see that I forgot to put on a nightgown before going to bed and have been sleeping in my underwear. Thankfully, I hung up my armor, helmet, and papal garb before doing so. Before, I used to collapse on the bed with everything on after stressful days and deployments so I’ve made some progress in becoming tidier.

After putting on my nightgown, I walk up to the balcony to look at the moon that’s always shining at different intensities during the day and night. I can’t help but notice the places in the sky where there’s a lack of stars. Historically, it’s said that those stars were universes that were destroyed in an instant by heretics and heathens through unknown means. Because of that, it's a good reminder of who we fight against and the lessons of the past. Speaking of the past, I can’t help but look at the towering buildings around Vatican City that are remnants from a futuristic time and wish they’d fallen.

Some of my predecessors wanted the buildings kept in as good condition as possible. We’ve managed to keep several in other cities in stable condition without working electrical lights. Still, several other cities were ignored or abandoned because there are not enough resources to upkeep all of them nor do we have the machinery the people in the past used to make maintaining the buildings easier. Both Pope St. Karol the Second and I share the wish that we could’ve spent the resources in areas that were left more desolate because of the war that ended in the future, however, we both knew that there’s nothing that can be done now about them. For now, it’s best to appreciate them and remember the vanity in legacy and that no one’s works are remembered or kept intact for long. Now that I’ve calmed down from my dream, I go back inside, drink some water, and go back to sleep. Waking up in the morning, I get dressed, pick up my papal spear, and head downstairs where I meet my planner, particularly the party planner.

“Is everything ready for today?” I ask.

“It’s taken a couple of days, but everything is ready, Your Holiness,” he says.

“Good, good.”

I’m still not used to people calling me ‘Your Holiness’ and other papal titles. It feels like the titles don’t apply to me, but I should probably take my own advice that I told Ludovico and accept my God-given role and honors. After holding a celebration mass, I join the men and their families in the hall where they are all eating, drinking, and having a good time as they celebrate their victory. Looking through the crowds, I eventually make my way to where Umberto, Irsuto, and Ludovico are sitting.

Umberto and Irsuto get up, bow, and greet me properly except for Ludovico who simply says, “Hey! Long time no see, uh, Your Excellency.”

Both his friends berate him for his lack of proper respect, but I just laugh it off and say, “Don’t worry about it. We’re here to relax and celebrate.”

I then take off my helmet and put down my plate while joining the men at their table. It truly feels like I’m back in the past with my friends with these men. I see myself in Ludovico’s place, Trapani in Umberto’s, and Armato in Irsuto’s. My vision of the past seems to overtake the present so I try blinking it away, however, it doesn’t seem to go away. In fact, my eyes aren’t deceiving me as I see that the past has overtaken the present, and am watching myself and my friends sitting around a table as if I’m a ghostly outsider that they can’t see. What is this magic that’s affecting me? Is the Cult of the Sun still around? Have they infiltrated the Vatican?

Using my papal spear as an amplifier, I use a spell that flashes light from my eyes to dispel the sight of the past around me and find that I’m back in my room overlooking Vatican City. In the sky, I see the sky open up and the light of multiple artificial suns shining from them and heretical crosses descending down and planting themselves on the tallest buildings.

“It’s good to see the light of the sun every now and then, especially in this bleak land. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” a familiar voice says from behind me.

Turning around, I see Cardinal Giorno.

“I’m glad you revealed yourself so I wouldn’t have to guess who the traitor or traitors were, but why you?” I ask.

“Every answer I have to give you is obvious. I revealed myself to you because I’m sure that I’ve already won. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to figure out I was behind it anyway. No one knew what I was doing behind the scenes because they were focused on the crusades. As for why, it’s to unite everyone under a single belief, a single truth as is the goal of the Catholic faith.”

“You are no Catholic. We don’t force the truth onto others.”

“And yet, you used violence to put down my friends.”

“It was necessary. There’s a difference between self-defense and murder after all, especially when it involves the mind tricks your friends have been using, and how can you say that you’re sure you’ve won when we’ve eliminated your influences in every settlement we’ve come across?”

“It was part of my plan. Let me show you by teleporting us to a place where these spells of light originate from.”

Giorno waves his hand and we find ourselves at a place where many men, women, ratmen, orcs, elves of all kinds, and beastmen are stabbing themselves in the chest and cutting their own throats.

“What madness is this?” I ask with my hands firmly gripped on my papal spear ready to fight.

“The magic of self-sacrifice. My allies gave themselves up to you and sacrificed themselves for God so that this magic could work. It’s a special blend of magic that I learned by visiting the icy magical lands of Polypus and engrossing myself in high elf magic from the Holy Land,” Giorno explains.

“Whatever its origins are, it doesn’t matter because this all ends now.”

“No, this is where it begins. You don’t stand a chance against the light that comes as a result of the self-sacrifice of hundreds of people. Soon the darkness of Noctua will be wiped away and the light from it will engulf the world and the world will finally be at peace!”

“The world won’t be at peace this way! Even if you win, it won’t last.”

“As if you have a better way of bringing an end to the never-ending wars of humanity. Fighting wars with crusades, lawlessness with the blade of a sword and a jail sentence, and patient suffering have done nothing but prolong humanity’s pain for untold years. There is no better solution than mine. Because I admire you, I’ll give you this last chance to join with me and help us lead this new age free of war, suffering, and hatred.”

“I refuse.”

“I guess I should’ve figured. You were always a fool. I should’ve been there to teach you the truth when you were learning from Pope St. Karol the Second, but it’s too late-”

I swipe my papal spear at Giorno’s neck; however, the blade of the spear simply passes through it.

“You don’t deserve to even speak his name,” I say.

“Whatever the case is, I’m sure you’ll be happy to see him soon.”

Before I can do anything, the scene around me shifts to the one where I find myself behind Pope St. Karol the Second as he blocks me from a barrage of arrows and advances against the enemy. This is the day that I saw him die for the sake of the men he led. His turtle shell makes him tough, but not invincible even when he’s wearing his armor as he is now.

“I won’t let you lead on alone!” I scream as I charge forward into the barrage of arrows with my shield raised above my head.

My reason for always leading my armies from the front is not only because I’m inspired by Pope St. Karol the Second’s example, but also as an act of repentance for all the times I charged ahead for my own fame and glory and because Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins by Himself with no support from anyone. Why should I not do the same? If I am meant to live, then God will protect me. If not, then my life is an offering as penance for the sins of many and to shield the men behind me. I charge ahead through the memories where I was weak and selfish throwing myself into danger so that the people behind me will be safe.

Eventually, I find myself in Leo. The sun is setting and my family and friends are sitting on the top of a hill looking at the sight of it. It’s one of the moments of peace that I’ve treasured the most where the constant wars and suffering of the world seemed to disappear and not exist for a brief moment.

“I can make that brief moment last for the rest of eternity,” I hear Giorno say from behind me.

“As bad as it may sound, humanity doesn’t deserve that kind of peace, at least not now and certainly not won by our hands. We must continue to suffer and strive until God brings the end of time,” I say.

“This is God’s doing and I am His instrument of bringing everlasting peace to the world. I’m impressed that the pain of your past memories could bring you down despite all that you’ve gone through. Your friends, on the other hand, haven’t been able to break free of their grip.”

I see that I’m back in my room. Looking out from the balcony again, I see my soldiers and citizens wandering the cities as if they were in a happy and drunken daze. Among them, I see Umberto, Ludovico, and Irsuto. The skies are completely alight with the false sun’s light that oppressively tempts me to give up with a soothing feeling of peace and happiness. It takes every bit of strength I have in my body and soul to regret the temptation and concentrate my energy on my papal spear. Once I feel that I’ve charged my spell to its fullest, I release a dark torrent of fog that immediately bloats out parts of the sun and restores the minds of many below me.

My friends have noticed me standing above them so I slam down the end of my papal spear and say, “Fight against the temptations of false peace, my faithful soldiers of God! Embrace the darkness of suffering as Christ did on the cross, offer up its aches and pains as penance for the salvation of souls, and let it propel you towards Heaven!”

The people below me cheer while drawing their weapons.

“The enemy is within our very walls! Seek them out and give no mercy to the traitors! Spare none of them! Let your blades silence their blaspheming tongues that proclaim Christ but embrace the anti-Christ instead! Today, the darkness of God will overcome the light of Lucifer!”

Again, my soldiers cheer out, this time banging their weapons on the floor and their shields before they scatter throughout the city looking for the enemy.

“I must admit. You had me stunned there for a good while,” Giorno says. “I didn’t think that your darkness could pierce the light and break your men free of its spell.”

“It’s all God’s doing. I am merely His foolish servant,” I say before reading my spear for battle.

“Well, this is only a minor setback. As I said before, there’s no reason for us to hide since we’ve assured our victory, so your troops have their work cut out for them. The light will overcome the light as surely as the day overcomes the night.”

Looking back outside, I see that the false light is slowly beginning to shine again from the sky and my soldiers are clashing with ratmen, beastmen, elves, orcs, and traitors of all kinds.

“At least we get to fight normally now. Even if there’s a slight chance of victory, I must take it!”

“It’s a fool’s choice to bet on a slim chance of victory, but then again, it’s in character for you,” Giorno says before drawing his two rapiers.

He is then joined by beastmen who are wearing papal guard uniforms. I cut down these two and chase after Giorno as more traitors dressed in the armor of allies reveal themselves and come after me and each one, I execute without a second thought. It doesn’t matter if I recognize them or not. If they’re a traitor and choose to raise their weapon against me, I won’t hesitate to raise my own. My true loyalties are with God and not with them.

“Why did you draw your weapon if you aren’t going to fight me?” I ask as I continue to chase Giorno through the halls and rooms of the Vatican.

“You’ll see soon enough,” he says.

After chasing Giorno and cutting down every obstacle he throws at me, we enter the halls where the earlier celebration was happening. Now, it’s infested with traitors with their weapons raised against me and not a single ally in sight.

“You’re outnumbered, not only here, but also outside as my allies overwhelm yours. Again, because I admire you, I’ll give you a chance to join us. It’d be a shame of a man of your talents and conviction to die here,” Giorno says.

Looking around at the hall, I see that it’ll be difficult to defend myself against everyone. Even if help does come for me, I’m not sure how long I’ll last, but that doesn’t matter since I’ve already made my decision. I look down at a bottle of opened unfinished red wine and pick it up.

“It’s a shame that all this good food and wine will go to waste,” I say.

I pick up the bottle of wine, chug it a bit, throw it aside, and charge at the enemy while casting a spell that fills the room with a dark fog. This allows me to thin the herd a bit before they clear my fog with their light. Fighting light with light, I cast a spell to flash light from my eyes to blind them, continue thinning their numbers, and continuously casting the blinding spell until I no longer feel like I can. Now, it’s just me carving my way towards Giorno with no tricks left up my sleeve. I overwhelm him with a tornado of attacks from my spear until I cut away his legs and then his head. This stops the fight for a second allowing me to catch my breath and take a swig of a nearby white wine bottle.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not done yet,” I say after throwing away the wine.

Charging ahead back into the fight, I begin to feel the wounds and strain of the fight finally affect me, which gets worse as the fight goes on. Still, I continue on until my arm refuses to swing my spear and I’m launched across the room by an attack from a beastman’s hammer. My arms and legs refuse to listen to me as I try and continue to fight even as the enemy is quickly closing in on me to tear me to shreds, and because of that, I accept this as my end. It’s not too bad of an end given who I was. Just as the enemy nears me, the barred doors behind me burst open and my soldiers swarm into the room pushing back my attackers.

“Your Holiness! Tramonto!” I hear Ludovico say behind me before holding me while kneeling on the ground. “Hang in there! His Holiness needs help! Get a medic over here already!”

Irsuto and Umberto are talking to Ludovico who seems to be crying and frantic. I can’t really hear them as everything sounds muffled. Still, I try to smile despite my pain.

“Don’t worry about me, Ludovico. I’ve ended up worse after drunkenly fighting over a woman at bars,” I say while painfully laughing.

I see and hear him laughing as well until an overwhelming light takes over my vision, and before I know it, I see myself in front of a set of gates and St. Peter waiting by it.

“Entering into your well-deserved rest, my worthy successor,” St. Peter says.

I can’t help but smile and be happy to such an extent that I’ve never felt before, but then I remember below and ask, “What about the people on Earth?”

“They’ll be led by your successor to victory over the Cult of the Sun. You, Ferocious Lion Knight Tramonto, have inspired Ludovico who will take your place as Pope and become known as the Jester Pope. Not because he’s a fool, but because of his ability to make people laugh and happy during the bleakest of moments.”

“I see then I’ll simply pray for him while I’m up here and intercede on his behalf.”

The gates behind St. Peter open and I enter into Heaven, satisfied with the life I’ve lived and the legacy I left. Ahead of me, I see the Lord, Pope St. Karol the Second in human form, family, and friends including Armato and Trapani. I’ve finally made it here. I’m sorry that I took so long! You know me, always the slow one.

The End

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.