Chapter 8: Unholy Reunion

-11 MONTHS REMAIN-

Aurora brought her crossbow up and aimed it Rattus. She trembled. He did not flinch. 

“What are you doing here?” Aurora questioned. She tried to steady herself. Her voice was stern, clear, and confident, but her body still said otherwise. 

“Hawthorn said I should return to my old stomping grounds.” Rattus wheezed. “I don’t know why.”

“Old stomping grounds? You’re behind these people’s… weirdness, aren’t you!” She continued to press.

“Their minds were already corrupted, just needed a catalyst. Ignorance is a sickness. Panic is a plague. I accelerate these diseases.” 

“Still, you’re why they’re acting like this. You’re why they’re being so crazy. You’re why the people in the capital city were so calm!” 

“I guess.” Rattus scratched his neck, looking away at something else in the distance.

“These people are losing their faith, becoming disillusioned and distrustful, because of you!” Aurora shouted, brandishing the crossbow. Her demeanor shifted. Her trembling was no longer brought by anxiety, but now anger. 

“Distrust? These people have always been distrustful. That’s why they cling to faith. You can’t be let down by something that doesn’t exist.” Rattus looked Aurora up and down. He held his jaw open slightly agape, letting out a fowl stench. “You’re one to talk about distrust… Helson.” 

“How do you know that name?” Aurora gasped. She stumbled back. Her lip quivered. A chill ran down her spine. Anxiety, to anger, and now to fear. Her aim became shaky, but Aurora still tried to appear threatening. She struggled to breathe, the air around her along with her own lungs felt tense. “ANSWER ME!” Rattus let out a light chuckle. 

“The soldier. You don’t trust him, as much as you don’t trust yourself.”

“Stop it!” Aurora shouted. Her composure dwindled, almost nonexistent. 

“Where is he anyway?” Rattus scratched at his neck again. “I want to repay his act of kindness.” Aurora wasn’t the only one losing their composure. The pathetic little rodent was growing agitated. His whole mood changed. Just moments ago he remained the measly rat Aurora met in the capital city. But now? Now it was like something deep within him was bubbling up, yearning to be unleashed, to be seen. Rattus suddenly jolted upwards, as if he was pulled by some invisible string. His body relaxed. His mind relaxed. “I’m sorry…” Aurora relaxed a bit too, but still kept the crossbow trained on him. 

The door burst open. Shards of molded, bloodied oak skipped across the stone floor. Ulric charged in, ready for anything. The townspeople gathered at the entrance, still whispering and muttering to themselves. Ulric scanned the room in a panic. And there, sitting on the ground, amongst broken pews and ruined alters, a little girl, weeping. A sunset dress soaked in blood. Hair that shined like the sun. Eyes such a pale blue that it wasn’t clear if it was natural or from all her tears. Tears that dropped down onto her hands. Hands that cradled a body. A body Ulric could recognize. 

“Icarus…” He whispered. A priest, gutted and maimed in his own church. The little girl kept shaking him. She begged and pleaded for him to wake up. She begged for forgiveness. She pleaded for another chance. The girl glanced up briefly. Her eyes locked onto Ulric before going wide with fear. She screamed and fell back. 

“No no no!!” She cried. She hadn’t noticed him before, not when he broke down the door. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll get you your answers! I’ll be a good cleric! I promise! Just don’t hurt me!!” Ulric felt sick to his stomach. That fear. That dread. What did these people do?? Ulric couldn’t get out a single syllable before he was interrupted, not by her but by another man. 

“Now now. That’s no way to treat a guest.” A man in dark robes stepped forward. Ulric must’ve missed him. He blended in with the shadows cast over this town too well. “I apologize for her outburst. She’s a little flighty today, you must understand. Now, what can I do for the great Ulric Ursine, the Solstyan bear?”

“What’s going on here? Who are you?” Ulric began to interrogate. He raised his halberd, pointing the spike at the man. He raised his hands nonchalantly. 

"My my! Aren't we quick on the draw? Although I shouldn't expect any different from you." He paused, smiled, and continued to speak. "I'm a little upset you don't recognize me." He tapped the back of the base of his neck. "We served together for years. I know you quite well, Ulric. Though that's not saying much, everyone does."

"You were part of the zoonic division." Ulric said. He lowered his halberd ever so slightly. 

"Right you are my friend." The man began to pace around the room. Ulric matched him, simultaneously trying to herd him away from the girl. 

"What are you doing here?"

"Finding my place in the world." Ulric raised an eyebrow. "There are some big figures with big plans making big moves. I intend on being on the right side of history, the winning side."

"And that involves slaughtering a village? Torturing a little girl?"

"It involves doing what is necessary. These people are sheep, just like we were, like how you still are. Fighting for a noble cause soaked in blood, I'm doing just the same as King Helson, Noah, and the rest! Every child of light, soldiers and clerics included, is responsible for this approaching apocalypse. I'm switching sides before it's too late." 

"And these people are gullible enough to follow you blindly?"

"These people are smart enough, Ulric. I was maybe hoping you would be too. Then again, you are the man dumb enough to continue writing to a dead girl." In a fit of rage, Ulric lunged forward. He swiped his halberd full force at the man. A lapse in judgement meant to kill. Fortunately for him, the man was quick and skilled enough to block with a small blade of his own. Unfortunately, Ulric would still have to reap a different set of consequences.