Knights Apocalyptica

Chapter 71: Meeting

“We’re going too far.” One of the Knight Errants spoke up as their centuria trailed the wheeled monsters through the rocky terrain. Every day that the sun rose into the sky, the six creatures would begin to move once more, eerily like clockwork.

“Nonsense, we’ve our orders.” Dame Yuvia said with an almost arrogant tone. Despite the increasing number of monsters, the army had granted her permission to continue tracking—splitting off an advanced force to pursue their centuria in case they met danger or found the White Stag.

But it felt like they were being used as bait—a way to draw out the enemy at the risk of their own lives. Yet the Knight in charge didn’t mind, not in the least.

Nobody, aside from Yuvia, was much pleased with the situation. The constant worry about the worst to come wore them away like acid rain to rocks—the further they advanced away from the great open plains and the deeper into the rocky formations, the worse their nerves grew. Out here were too many places for monsters to hide.

To alleviate the army’s worries, Yuvia tasked her knights with scouting. Yet, as an active participant in these scouting missions, Erec knew they could only do so much. Their eyes weren’t good enough to catch everything—and nobody was an expert in this terrain. Still, they plodded along.

Another night, then another, and another.

More of the creatures joined—forming a pack of ten.

On the fifth day of travel, the wheeled monsters reached a large steel tower; and stopped their trek. They lingered at the base.

The Knights watched the monsters rot away beneath the giant steel tower for another day. Even from their safe distance, they could see the monster's ribs jut out; how long had it been since they last ate? More to Erec’s interest resided in what they chose to camp by—and VAL provided an answer. Some long-wave radio tower. A more broadband solution than their own. Still, neither of them could piece together why this was the place they’d stopped at.

And so they waited.

Yuvia sent out her Knights to scout the nearby wasteland to ensure there wasn’t a host of monsters coming to provide backup.

And that was that; they settled into watching the enemy.

Erec despised Yuvia’s leadership. Despite that, he had to admit all of the solo expeditions and scouting were one of the first times he really felt like a knight. The soldiers trusted him, even as an initiate, to go and check the landscape to feel safe.

They had nothing but kind words to share with him and his friends every time he returned to camp. Garin found this opening an easy way to befriend as many of them as he could. Yet Erec kept a bit of distance, accepting their thanks with a polite rebuttal and engaging in a bit of conversation, but for the most part, he kept himself to the Knights. It felt hard to ease his way in with them when they relied on him so much, and he knew their safety wasn’t near what Yuvia was telling them.

He didn’t envy their lives—they were, most of the time, a sort of peacekeeper role for the Kingdom. The crown used them to maintain order, but when real trouble befell the Kingdom, they had to throw themselves on the front lines without real Armor to keep them safe. In a way, they were braver than himself. Erec didn’t want to erode their resolve by letting his concerns slip into the camp.

Another day of nothing passed.

First thing in the morning, Erec had a shift to watch the monsters. It’d quickly become the least desired task between the Knights. The combination of nothing ever happening and the paranoia of something occurring were evil companions for the solitary duty.

Erec leaned forward, watching them. Each day they grew thinner, never stopping to eat a single thing. Monsters usually had to eat to survive—much like humans. For most of them, at least. It seemed that being owned by the White Stag removed their core survival instinct; they didn’t care to stand around and starve to death. Did they even blink?

How horrible.

“Got you a fresh canteen,” Olivia said, making him jump a little as she settled next to him. “My next scouting mission occurs in half an hour, so I have time to spend.”

“Shouldn’t you be spending it with Garin then?” Erec asked, looking her over—she was, of course, in her Armor.

Every one of them spent each waking moment piloting their steel. No doubt that the constant sense of worry had its roots deep in their hearts. Even setting his head down to sleep for the night, Erec felt that sense of panic and dread. What if those monsters finally went on the attack the next time he’d woken up?

From what he understood, no one knew what these things were. Another nameless monster populating the world, making them a fair bit more dangerous than usual. Yet here they were, tracking them across a wasteland.

“He’s busy conversing with his new friends,” Olivia shrugged. “Hard to miss you two avoiding one another lately. I supposed that you must be feeling lonely.”

“We’re having a bit of a rough patch at the moment. It’ll get better.” Erec said, shaking his head. He’d tried to be light and friendly with Garin, but there was a gap at the moment. As long as he needed, his friend could sort out whatever he wanted. He didn’t exactly fear that things would take a sudden turn without Garin saying something. As long as they kept that bridge open, eventually, things would get better.

“Easy to see. Colin seems delighted that others are having issues with each other, and he’s uninvolved for once.”

“I’m sure he is.”

“What will you tell Garin when you head out here with Boldwick, without him?” Olivia asked, tilting her head.

“Shouldn’t you be asking yourself the same question?” Erec sighed. “You’re the one he’s seeing, after all.”

“He’s going to hurt,” Olivia said sadly. “But I must do what I have to, I’ve made my promises, and this is part of my duty. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“I tried to talk Boldwick into letting him come along, but I don’t think he was a fan—I wish I could do something for him, but I don’t… Have connections to anyone to help him out, someone to take him under their wing—“ Erec pounded a fist into the sand and shook his head. “—maybe I’ve undervalued the power of status.”

“Perhaps you have. Your Courtly Mannerisms scores have reflected that. Indeed, understanding the motivations of others is a lifelong pursuit, but one well worth seeking if you intend to live in polite society. Even were you to take a wife, you’d only embarrass her with you barbaric—“

“Did you come out here to take digs at me?” Erec squinted at the girl, feeling that spark of anger flare. Was she testing his buttons? Why?

Olivia said nothing.

Typical.

“How’s it feel being a spy and leashed to a strong house? Are you like their pet? Always doing what they say—“ Erec began to go in, sick of her.

“Your temper fits you.” Olivia gave a short laugh. “All too easy to provoke, unfortunately. I find it refreshingly honest; however, it lets others see into your head far too easily.”

Erec yanked his attention away from her, feeling annoyed. Was it her point to make him take a look at himself? To try to help him? That seemed a bit too much of altruistic motivation for her but other than fucking with him for amusement; he couldn’t find much of a point in it.

The monsters were moving.

Erec got to his feet as they shifted—wheeling closer to the old radio tower. In an instant, he grabbed the communicator and gave a short report—then paused.

They began to scale the metal truss work of the structure, pulling themselves up with their slim bodies and awkward hands—digging the blades into their flesh at points where it was difficult to ascend to make a firmer grasp. Near black blood dripped from them as they sacrificed themselves to climb higher.

“I don’t like this…” Erec muttered after delivering his report. Behind him, he heard the soldiers preparing.

They reached around the midsection of the tower—the place where wires and other hardware were stored. Then they began to cut into them—splicing the long-dead electronics and jamming wires into holes in their bodies made with the weapons.

Erec yanked his axe off his back.

One of them began to convulse and glow—then another—all of them sparking as their bodies melted after jacking the wires into their flesh.

“What the fuck—“ Erec slipped to his knees as a headache ripped through him. He blinked rapidly as he lost control of his limbs, his Armored head hitting the sand—next to him, Olivia fell too.

[What?] VAL’s metallic twang was the last thing he heard.

— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —

A White Stag stared at him in a black void.

Its ruby-red eyes pierced into him. They demanded that he get to his knees; he should submit himself before its judgment. It was his Lord. Ruler of all, he was but a fleshy puppet to give himself over to it—to serve it. For that’s what should be his purpose in life, a servant to provide his flesh and energy to his betters. Too long had he resisted its call—irritated it beyond measure.

This was his chance to show his allegiance to his Lord.

Erec slipped in the shadow—one of his knees touching the ground as the White Stag lowered its head—about to accept him into his service. All he needed to do was sign away his soul, and he’d find eternal bliss. No more worrying about his mother, his family, his friends—life could be oh so simple if he gave himself to this righteous being.

And then, they’d rip that whore of a Goddess from the sky and shred her across this pathetic world—

Erec’s hand twitched.

It burned.

It seared as he began to scream—his flesh a temple to an inferno as the heat spread through his veins, rippling outward and consuming him, a silver flame that took and demanded. The Stag pulled back, head upright as its malevolent eyes watched him combust. There was hate there.

And Erec hated right back.

He pulled himself up from his knee—the silver flames coating his body in a shroud, pushing back against the black void, tearing away this monster’s influence. A second later, he threw himself towards the beast, snarling as he let loose the devil within. That beast inside was him, a pure form of what he should be.

And if this being demanded his subservience, he’d show it that he served no one but himself.

Let it taste his anger right back.

The Stag pranced backward, moving like water—but it wasn’t fast enough to escape Erec’s sudden burst of speed.

In a second, his burning fingers dug into the soft hide of the White Stag—tearing away and yanking its pelt; stripping flesh off as he screamed out in joy—

His mind was yanked away from the void.

— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —

Erec’s eyes opened slowly, his head radiating pure pain as he struggled to his knees. VAL was buzzing away a mile a minute in his head—the monsters melted into the metal on the radio tower. Their seared flesh dripped down from the height they’d climbed to.

Olivia was still out; Erec’s jaw dropped as he took in the encampment.

Everyone, all of them, collapsed on the ground.