Knights Apocalyptica

Chapter 82: Fire Meets

“We are Hers, and by Her will, we will end her enemies.

How else are we to receive Her grace?”

- Grand Master Flames, Sermon (3rd Era, 294)

Erec leaned over and rested his arms on his knees. Their camp was shrouded in the dark and now miles away from the White Stag. After spotting it, the image of the massive Stag haunted him. He wasn’t the only one, either. Even now, Robin prowled nearby with a Knight Errant to keep an eye out for any approaching Silent Ones.

If even a single puppet spotted them, they were fucked.

It’d lead to a race back to the main Army with a small chance they wouldn’t all end up torn apart in the wasteland. For now, their entire Centuria slept in shifts. All of them were ready to move at a single word were the worse case to happen.

Exciting.

Nerve-wracking.

Erec couldn’t make up his mind.

“You two really did it,” Garin mumbled and shook his head. “Can’t believe you managed to track down the Stag.”

“Well, of course, I did. I’m magnificent, aren’t I? Praise me.” Colin said.

“Ah yes, so wonderful! Thank you for blessing us with your company!” Olivia suppressed a snicker, sliding closer to Garin.

“You lot are lucky to be so graced. Show yourselves worthy, and once we’ve graduated, perhaps I’ll offer you a spot in my house guard.” Olivia and Erec shared a look. Neither wanted to join that mess—certainly not Olivia, as she belonged to another duchy.

But it did lead to a good question.

“Do you plan to retire from the Order when you become a Knight Protector, Colin?” Erec asked.

“Hmm?” Colin paused and tilted his head. “I suppose I could. I’m waiting for father to signal to me that the time is right. He told me this was meant to forge me into a weapon that could be used—as if I needed the additional experience. Until then, I’m supposed to muddle my way through with my lessers and gain acclaim. Though, with this victory beneath my belt, the time may come sooner than expected.”

If he were to get recalled sooner rather than later, it might absolve Erec of his responsibilities. Given what he knew about the Duke and his son, Erec didn’t think that waiting for Colin to prove himself as capable was what the Unbroken General was looking for.

The Unbroken General wanted Colin to grow up before trusting him. Eventually, though, he would become the master of the house, as it offered more power and prestige than Colin would find as a Knight. Unless, by some miracle, he achieved the rank of Master Knight

That’s how the higher nobility operated. Often time only the second or third-born children joined the Knight orders. Once there, they would achieve their titles and establish their own branches of nobility. Then the central family would claim them as a side branch and form ties—the whole system was complex and interwoven.

But being a Knight carried risk. Which is why firstborns becoming Knights were usually reserved for lower houses, or they left before achieving too high a rank in their Order.

“And you? Would you join my household if I were so gracious as to make an offer?” Colin asked, far more serious than before to Erec.

Erec snorted.

“Hell no.”

“Truly a low-born misbegotten—“

“I joined the Knights to clear my family’s name, and yeah, maybe along the way, I’ll make a little bit of a name for myself too. But I never expected much; if I hadn’t gotten in, where would I even have been? Our family has no land—no, I don’t think I ever really plan to retire from this anyway. Even if I were looking at a high-nobility title later on.” Erec said, already knowing the truth about where his path seemed to be going.

It was a test to see how strong he got.

And somewhere, that Strength might not be enough. Before then, he’d be damn well sure to get the answer to the questions he wanted and to secure a spot for the people left behind.

Either that, or he might end up locked up in some western lab on behalf of a mad machine in his head, slaving away doing science. Though, maybe that was wishful thinking. Erec glanced in the direction of the Stag. What sort of worries did a monster like that have?

Did it have a different flavor of mad fury in it, driving it to these acts in such a desperate manner too?

“Well, it’s clear what your friend is here for. He’s come to find a bride and increase his own house’s standing,” Colin turned his attention on Garin. “However, like my father warned, he got distracted by a maid.”

“I’m a Dame. It would behoove you to address me properly now, Sir Golden-Spoon.” Olivia said. “Besides, as of now, I don’t believe either of us has an intention of marriage.”

“I caught you two cuddling in the common room.” Colin retorted.

“Mhmm. Foolish of me. I suppose I should have asked for a ring before we even held hands; how classless. You’re right, dear Colin. My sincere apologies, Sir Garin. We must evaporate this relationship post-haste, and you are not allowed to so much as a glance in my general direction, not until you have your father send my mother the betrothal documentation. Until then, none of this is truly proper.” Olivia slid closer to Garin even as she started to mock Colin.

“Oh! What am I to do? I suppose I must find a ring and convince my dad that you’ll bring our house a large dowry!” Garin couldn’t keep up with it and started to laugh, wrapping an arm around her.

“Bah, you mock me as if that is uncommon. You’re both far too unrefined to know how true nobles ought to act.” Colin said.

“Or perhaps you’ve wound yourself so tight in a bubble that you don’t know how REAL relationships work. Do take some time to consider, Sir Colin. Mayhaps, with reflection, we might convince you it’s okay to find a date for a ball without committing to marriage with the poor woman.” Olivia ended the conversation as she and Garin settled in with each other.

Erec got up and walked off. Colin was pulling back into his shell after learning a lesson, and well, the two of them probably wanted some alone time. Eventually, Colin would get the hint. Either way, Erec didn’t want part of it. He was happy Garin found someone.

As long as things could stay like this… He’d be happy.

Eventually, this had to end.

— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —

When Erec opened his eyes, he saw two things. First was a vast field of red flowers. Crimson petals dominated a landscape as far as he could see—a veritable field of dark vines lifted up the most horribly beautiful flowers he’d ever witnessed. The sky above was a perfect black, yet, somehow, light drifted off the plants, exposing how unending and almost ghostly the place was.

The second was the white pelt of a massive Stag; its blood-red eyes locked on him from a paltry twenty feet away.

Instantly, Erec’s blood boiled, and the fire in his gut sparked. If he wanted, he could reach out and let it explode; there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that unleashing that hell would take care of this scenario. It’d turn all of these flowers to ash and send that monster fleeing from his mind.

But he hesitated.

Unlike before, there wasn’t a crushing demand for his subservience. It didn’t expect him to bow his head and give over to its will. There was an almost… curiosity mingled with begrudging respect towards him.

The White Stag lifted its head, its eyes piercing him as its undivided attention seared through Erec.

Around him, the red flowers broke off from their stems, flowing around the two in a twister that sealed them in with one another. Though the entire landscape was coming apart, Erec couldn’t bring himself to look away from the White Stag. All he had was the fire inside, ready to come at a moment's notice and burn away this vision in his dreams.

Yet, he didn’t.

The petals fluttered around in a blood-red wall, the smell sweet and sickly like blood, and then the funnel broke apart, exploding outward from the two of them.

Outside of the wall of crimson was something else entirely. The entire landscape had changed from the black field filled with red flowers. It was a long and vast landscape, with massive mountains in the distance backdropped by a bright green sky. Faint yellow clouds traced over the horizon—a different world, Erec was sure of it. Though much of it looked similar to his own, the air held a cool pleasant breeze.

A sense of loss filled Erec as he took in this place; the Stag looked away from him, its eyes roaming the landscape.

Its home?

Though it couldn’t talk, the profound feeling of loss lanced through Erec.

And then, high in the sky, a pillar of silver fire descended. It smashed into the planet, and a wall of silver flames crashed over them—Erec let out a scream, but the silver fire only lasted a second. Then, they were left with complete black.

No more flowers. They stood alone in a void of black.

Hate. Palpable hate. It burned in Erec and resonated with the fire inside of him, fighting against it as the two seemed destined to try to burn one another out until only death remained.

All of Hers had to die for what she did.

The Stag would have it no other way.

Erec grinned back at it; if that’s what it wanted, then so be it. If it wanted to hate, he’d show it what it wanted. With a step toward the monster, he let the hell inside loose. Silver flames burned outward from him. The inferno consumed this illusion it implanted in his head, turning its forced dream to ash in seconds.