Shadows of the Clergy

A deathly silence reigned in the sanctuary, as if an unholy ceremony were taking place there without anyone daring to make a sound. Haruto and the others stood motionless, their hearts pounding, all their senses on alert. The same powerful male voice that the three occupants had heard rang out again in their ears.

“This is your last warning! The men of the Church control the area around this chapel, so surrender!”

Hilde exchanged glances with Lena and noticed that she seemed unusually calm, as if she were ready to explode at any moment. However, he didn’t know if she was currently feeling anger or fear.

“How many of them are there exactly? Do we even have a chance of getting out of here alive?” she asked in a neutral tone.

“There’s no way to know. Besides, if they’ve surrounded the building, as they claim, our chances of escape are almost zero,” replied the guard in a serious tone. A drop of sweat trickled down one of his temples.

Haruto raised an eyebrow at the young woman’s companion’s response, but remained silent. Instead, he concentrated on making his own assessment of the current situation.

“So it’s all over then? Is this where all the kingdom’s hopes come to an end? No way: I refuse to give up and surrender without a fight,” Lena shouted, also drawing her weapon.

The wooden door suddenly shook in response to the first impact, followed by a second, even more powerful one. Large cracks appeared in the panels as the shock dislodged dust that fell from the stones surrounding the frame.

“They seem to be using a battering ram,” Haruto observed, his gaze fixed on the only exit.

A third and final impact finally tore through the wood with a loud crack. Fragments flew in all directions as the remains of the door collapsed inward, raising a huge cloud of dust.

“Get ready,” Hilde ordered, gritting his teeth.

Silhouettes eventually emerged from the temporary haze. They were half a dozen warriors, all wearing heavy silver armor. The gleaming plates rubbed against the underlying chain mail, producing a clamor that accentuated their presence. Their immaculate white capes fluttered with each step, and their long swords, already drawn, left no doubt as to their intentions.

A man arrived after them, walking with a haughty bearing. He stood out from the other soldiers with his white cape incorporating red sections, a scar across his right cheek, and a black beard framing a satisfied grin. He was holding a crumpled piece of parchment in one of his hands. Hilde and Lena recognized this man as the inquisitor they had met during their visit to the ruins of Pauweik.

“It gives me great pleasure to finally meet you formally,” the inquisitor began with theatrical gestures before continuing:

“And yet, a few lines quickly written on a piece of paper will suffice to bring you together here, in this holy place,” he said, throwing the parchment on the ground at Hilde’s feet.

“No, don’t tell me...”

Both suspicious and intrigued, Lena approached her protector and looked at the note over one of his shoulders. She instantly recognized the handwriting she had read the night before, which only served to further fuel her frustration. Haruto, for his part, also recognized the familiar characters, although they remained incomprehensible to his brain.

“So those bastards had planned this meeting from the start. But for what purpose? I doubt they’re after me just for that incident at the inn,” thought the engineer.

The bearded man first cast a predatory glance at Haruto, then at Hilde, before focusing all his attention on Lena.

“You have no idea how hard the Church has worked to find fugitives like you, but the result is more than satisfactory, Princess Elena Mi Nerfeldfer.”

This surprising revelation confirmed the suspicions Haruto had already had for some time. The royal guard insignia and the protective behavior of this woman’s companion. It all came together.

“So they’re not here for me. But this woman... it’s definitely her that I saw the day I arrived here. Could she be behind this? If so, I need to find out more,” he thought.

“How dare you show such disrespect toward her?” thundered Hilde in response to the clergyman’s provocation.

“Silence, vermin! A member of the royal guard who has deserted the palace to foment rebellion against the crown does not deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us. Remove this stain from my sight,” the inquisitor ordered his troops.

“Rebellion?! It is rather your accursed Church that has invaded our country for some nefarious purpose! I am the only legitimate heir to the throne,” the young woman shouted at the top of her lungs, her irises quickly turning amethyst.

The soldiers approached, forming a semicircle in front of Hilde. Then the guard’s sword whistled through the air. One of the clergymen staggered, a spray of blood spurting from his slit throat before he collapsed onto the stone slabs. This stopped his companions in their tracks.

“Don’t take another step! Anyone foolish enough to attack Her Highness will taste my blade,” growled Hildebrand.

“Whom do you serve? Who is this usurper of my kingdom? Answer me,” demanded Elena, as a strong smell of ozone filled the sanctuary.

“Enough! I owe nothing to a silly little girl, and what’s more, your death will give us all the legitimacy we need,” retorted the inquisitor imperiously.

The clanging of armor grew louder as a dozen more warriors entered the chapel. Their leader’s cold, calculating gaze finally settled on Haruto. Then he spoke again:

“And you... you are now involved in matters beyond your control. I wonder what we are going to do with you?”

“I don’t see why I should pay the price,” the young man ventured, without really believing it.

“Oh, I fully intend to see you perish along with those two. What’s more, you’re not as innocent as one might think, my boy.”

“But what are you talking about?”

“You see... I had a very interesting conversation with a survivor from Pauweik,” replied the inquisitor haughtily.

“Impossible! I am the sole survivor of this atrocity committed by one of your crazy troops!”

“So the Church was really behind this inferno and all these deaths?! However, I still don’t understand this man’s connection to the clergy,” Lena thought.

As if the princess’s thoughts had betrayed her, another individual entered the sanctuary. Middle-aged, he wore the same military equipment as the other soldiers, but something set him apart. Apart from his right hand, which had been replaced by a stump, he exuded a palpable charisma beyond his dark brown hair and sardonic smile.

At the sight of this man, Haruto felt his heart tighten so tightly in his chest that he had trouble breathing.

“You... I thought you were dead,” stammered the engineer, in shock.

Elena turned her head first toward the young man, then toward the newcomer, who had stopped beside the inquisitor.

“It’s been a long time, kid. You can’t imagine how surprised I am to see you again after our little... incident in the village,” the man said calmly.

Haruto stumbled backward, his legs suddenly feeling weak. Just as Elena’s face reminded him of the New World, this man’s silhouette was synonymous with terror in his mind. Pauweik, snow, fire, and screams of agony. All those memories they had thought were buried deep in his soul resurfaced in an instant, like a dam that had just burst.

“Ca... Cap... Captain Oscar,” Haruto gasped.

The monster responsible for all these atrocities was standing right there in front of him, his gaze devoid of any compassion or morality. It was then that Haruto pulled his gun from under his cloak and pointed it at Oscar. The weight of the firearm in his hand gave him a certain sense of security, mixed with a feeling of control. He saw himself again on that fateful night, soaked, wounded, and shivering in the snow, on the verge of death.

Haruto then aimed at Captain Oscar, right at his chest. The young man’s index finger hovered over the trigger as he trembled like a leaf. He doubted his ability to fire at another human being, but then the engineer thought he heard his conscience whispering in his ear:

“Do you think you can do it? You know that shooting him would be murder, don’t you? And do you think the context of this world can justify such an act?”

As he hesitated, Haruto felt his heart rate quicken, as did his breathing. He was on the verge of hyperventilating. His gaze shifted from Captain Oscar to the inquisitor, then from Elena to Hilde.

The former guard was now surrounded by a total of nine men. Two remained close to their leader, while the other three maneuvered to approach the princess, who was trying to support her protector.

“Don’t move, princess, unless you want to atone for your sins first...”

The inquisitor did not feel it necessary to finish his sentence. The underlying threat was clear, especially with one arm raised in the air, ready to give the signal to execute them all on the spot.

Confusion and the moral dilemma of killing someone continued to torment the young engineer’s mind. He knew full well that this was a line that, once crossed, would be impossible to erase. However, another thought kept coming back to him in this internal conflict.

“I want to survive... but to do so...”

Oscar, unaware of what was going on in Haruto’s mind, advanced almost casually. A sneer of contempt was visible on his face as he inexorably approached his prey. With each step, dust and debris crunched and echoed under his boots, like a prelude to an impending disaster.

“What are you going to do, Haruto? Hit me with that ridiculous thing in your hand? Come on, be reasonable and accept your fate like everyone else.”

The captain had thus passed Hilde and Lena and stopped a few meters away from the young man. His eyes burned with cruelty as he followed up with a mean laugh:

“Yes... you’re going to die like all those bastards in the village. After all, that’s the fate reserved for heretics who dare to spread ungodly knowledge.”

Haruto still didn’t move, silent as the grave. The gun in his palm was still shaking, giving the impression that it would fall at any moment. Then suddenly, the barrel stabilized, and the clicking of a spring under tension broke the silence. The trigger was then pulled.

A bright light then bursts forth from one of the two metal tubes held by the engineer. The phenomenon lasted only a fraction of a second before the infernal noise of a detonation followed, assaulting the eardrums of everyone present.

“Euurghh... Wh... wh... what?!”

A gaping, deep red hole had formed in the center of Captain Oscar’s chest. He staggered, his eyes wide as he tried to understand what was happening to him. Blood spurted from his lips, splattering his breastplate. He raised a trembling hand to touch his wound, then collapsed backward with a thud. His lifeless body hit the floor tiles, and a final gasp escaped his throat. The silence that followed was heavy and oppressive, as if the entire sanctuary was holding its breath.

All eyes then turned to Haruto. The inquisitor had taken a step back, while his soldiers, despite their indoctrination, stood frozen in place. Surprise and horror were written on most of their faces. A small cloud of black smoke floated in the air around the engineer, accompanied by a pungent and lingering smell of burned black powder.

“A... is this man a mage?” stammered one of the clergy warriors.

“I don’t think so... but it was so sudden,” said another, visibly more lucid.

“It’s just a trick! Don’t let this heretic escape after such an infamy,” cried the inquisitor, his voice distorted by fear.

“With all due respect, my lord, the captain is dead, and so will we be if we stay here,” replied a member of the bodyguard.

While the clergymen were still in a state of confusion, the smoke from the gunshot tickled Haruto’s nostrils, but he barely noticed it. After all, he was no longer in one of his usual video games, and he had just taken a life. The victim was lying right there before his astonished eyes, confirming the finality of his action.

A cold touch brought Haruto out of his silence, making him shudder with surprise. It was Lena who had placed her hands on the forearm with which the engineer was holding his deadly weapon.

“Haruto... pay attention. I know you’re shaken and that it’s difficult for you to take it all in right now. I also want you to know that you’re not alone and that I can help you... because I’ve had to do the same thing myself. Come with me and let’s get out of here.”

The man looked at her in response. He scrutinized her finely featured face and blue irises carefully. Haruto was looking for signs of duplicity, but all he could see was raw sincerity tinged with a visceral fear, the kind inspired by her weapon.

“Yes… okay,” he whispered, nodding affirmatively.

Without waiting for an order from his mistress, Hilde leaped forward and pushed aside the still-shaken men blocking his path. He then rushed toward the doorway, Lena and Haruto close behind. As the trio approached the exit, a few soldiers from the clergy had regained their senses and were now blocking their way.

“We’re going to have to fight our way out of this damn chapel,” Hildebrand grumbled.

“I have a quicker solution,” the engineer replied breathlessly.

Without hesitation, he raised his pistol again, cocked the second hammer, and this time pointed it at the paintings on the ceiling of the ruined sanctuary. Hilde and Elena followed the young man’s movement with their eyes and understood what he was about to do.

“Take cover, guys! This guy’s going to cast another spell,” shouted a terrified soldier, who also recognized the gesture.

Moments later, a second deafening gunshot rang out in the room. The impact of the bullet sent fragments of plaster flying, which fell like white rain on the people below. This elicited cries of surprise from the soldiers, who then instinctively threw themselves to the ground.

“They’re frozen like children. Let’s take advantage of that,” ordered the princess.

“At your command, Your Highness! Get out of my sight, scum,” declared Hildebrand, throwing a hook at the face of the warrior who was struggling to get up.

“You idiots! They’re going to escape! After them, if you don’t want to suffer the same fate,” yelled the inquisitor to his men, who were still in shock.

But it was already too late. The three fugitives had crossed the walls of the former place of worship and would undoubtedly try to lose their pursuers in the stifling streets of Tunaust.

Outside, chaos reigned. The locals who were in the vicinity were running around in all directions, bumping into each other. They were terrified by the noise of the two explosions that had rung out. The Church soldiers, who were supposed to serve as reinforcements, were overwhelmed. Even with the help of a few city guards, they were struggling to regain control of the crowd and thus the situation.

Seeing that Lena was hesitating about which direction to take, Haruto grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.

“This way... Miss Elena,” he began.

“Just call me Lena.”

“Okay... I just wanted to say that I know the working-class neighborhoods pretty well,” he finished before running off, his long gray cape fluttering behind him.

“Hilde...”

“I’m right behind you,” said the former guard.

Lena had been running breathlessly for several minutes. Hildebrand was still following her, brandishing his bloodstained sword. The man seemed on the verge of exhaustion, but he was holding on. The clanging of armor and authoritative shouts echoed in the distance behind them. Haruto, for his part, was advancing at breakneck speed. He only stopped to quickly glance at visual landmarks he had memorized during his nighttime escapades.

“But how does he manage to keep up such a beastly pace without getting exhausted?” thought the young woman before continuing aloud:

“I don’t know of anywhere in town where we would be safe. So where are we going?”

“It’s precisely because Tunaust is no longer safe that we’re heading for a forest east of the city,” replied Haruto without even slowing down.

“A forest?! You mean the Wudlih Forest?”

“I don’t know the name of these woods, but in my opinion, it’s our best option.”

“I see...”

Haruto ignored the princess’s apparent unease about their destination and continued walking. In any case, he knew that this forest was actually their only hope for survival. Armed with Askondal’s teachings, the engineer was sure that this escape into nature would not mark the end of their journey, but rather the beginning of something greater.

                                                                           ***

Far from Tunaust and the chaos unfolding there, a storm was already brewing over Kustdin. Inside the royal palace, the steady clatter of boots echoed through one of the deserted corridors. Like a perfectly calibrated machine, the source of the noise marched at a military pace. The stone floor tiles, polished to perfection, reflected the light from the torches hanging on the walls. One could also see the glint of magnificent armor shining like a jewel in the sunlight streaming through the windows. This assembly of silver steel pieces seemed to fit the curves of the young woman wearing them perfectly. A thick black cloak with scarlet and gold embroidery hung from her shoulders, swaying on the floor with each step she took. A long blade resembling a falchion swung near her left thigh, housed in a sheath that was itself attached to a thin black leather belt.

This woman was also characterized by long flowing white hair verging on platinum with a hint of reddish highlights, contrasting sharply with the dark hue of her cape. Her youthful face, with its delicate features and pale skin, was complemented by a pair of eyes with irises so dark red that they resembled two sparkling rubies. As she made her way to her destination, the girl in armor surveyed every detail that entered her field of vision, as if she wanted to subject it to her relentless will.

The corridor leading to the throne room was usually adorned on both sides with imposing portraits in gilded frames. Priceless to the kingdom, these depicted the former kings and queens who had once ruled Nerfeldfer. Today, however, all the paintings had been taken down, laid on the floor, and leaned against the walls. They were also covered with heavy, dirty canvas tarps. This did not seem to bother the young woman, who slowed her pace slightly. She touched some of the portraits with her gloved hand before stopping momentarily in front of one of them, smiling slyly.

“It is so satisfying to witness the demise of your dynasty,” she murmured before continuing.

A few moments later, the woman in question finally arrived at a large, finely carved and ornate wooden door. Two soldiers wearing ceremonial armor stood at attention, blocking the entrance. However, neither man wore the insignia of the Nerfeldfer Royal Guard; instead, they wore different coats of arms. Nervously, they hastened to bow reverently before the young woman.

“Lady Akane. His Majesty is waiting for you... but he asks you to please wait for a few more... moments,” one of them began, stammering.

Akane raised an eyebrow, looking doubtful.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes... It’s just that a... private discussion is still taking place,” the guard finished cautiously.

She stepped closer, close enough to feel his rapid breathing against her face. Akane then crossed her arms in front of her and fixed her red eyes on the guard’s, as if to challenge him. Although she was not as physically imposing as a man, she knew full well that her reputation preceded her wherever she went.

“This fool reeks of fear and sweat. Worse still, he seems determined to make me rot here,” she thought contemptuously.

The young woman continued this little game for about a minute before sighing loudly, looking almost amused as she watched the guard tremble like a leaf.

“All right. I’ll wait,” she finally said before stepping back a little.

Akane then stood rooted to the spot, not moving a millimeter, like a statue, for what seemed like an eternity. In fact, every minute of time wasted in this way only tested her patience and anger. One of the guards had noticed that the woman had her left hand resting on the pommel of her weapon, tapping her index finger at regular intervals.

When the heavy doors leading to the throne room finally opened with a solemn creak, the man allowed himself to swallow. He and his partner stepped aside silently before saying:

“You may enter, ma’am.”

In response, the woman in armor stepped forward without a word, the heels of her boots once again striking the polished stone. Once between the two soldiers, she paused briefly to turn her head toward the man who had dared to keep her waiting, her hand still resting on her weapon. She stared at him one last time, making sure to commit his features to memory.

The doors closed behind the young woman as soon as she entered. The space she entered was vast and featured colossal columns, each a meter in diameter, that disappeared into the ceiling of the cathedral, which was more than six metres above. Like the floor, they were also made of meticulously polished stone. The entire space was bathed in a pale, colored light coming from stained glass windows built into large arches of carved rock. A rich purple carpet awaited her, stretching to a platform at the back of the room. A dozen guards wearing the same equipment and insignia as the two soldiers she had encountered earlier stood on either side.

“Do they think they can impress me with such a pathetic welcome? What an affront,” thought Akane.

She had to make a conscious effort to suppress this feeling of disgust before forcing herself to put on a neutral expression. The young woman then began to walk with her usual military cadence, stopping only when she reached the end of the carpet. There, she knelt on one knee and bowed her head slightly.

“I am here, as per your orders, my lord,” she said in a perfectly controlled tone.

At the top of the raised platform sat Schwein Khanka. He was wrapped in an ermine cloak that was far too small for his current size. He also wore a crown that did little to hide the bald patch forming on top of his blond head. The ruler smiled smugly before replying:

“Lady Akane. Harbinger of Fire.” As always, your punctuality honors you.

The woman stood there without moving, but she was seething inside. Meanwhile, Khanka fidgeted awkwardly in his seat, trying to appear even more imposing to his audience.

“Tell me, where are we with the purge of the rebel groups operating in the kingdom? And what about that traitor Elena Mi Nerfeldfer? Your men have been trying to locate her for several months now, haven’t they?”

At these words, four scribes dressed in long, dark blue robes adorned with the symbol of the Church entered through a side door. They walked briskly, avoiding Akane’s dark gaze. The men took their places on the carpet behind the young woman.

“Your Majesty. Lady Akane,” they said in unison, bowing ceremoniously.

“Enough with the formalities. Please proceed with your weekly report,” Khanka ordered with a slight dismissive wave of his hand.

“At your command!”

One of the bureaucrats, clearly their leader, took a few steps forward and bowed quickly. He then took out a scroll and hastily read it aloud.

“Your Highness. In accordance with your instructions, we have continued our search. To this end, several pockets of resistance have been discovered and eliminated in the hills to the north of the country.”

“Very well... Still nothing about that damned princess?” insisted the king in a grave tone.

The scribe hesitated, sweat beading on his forehead.

“Ah yes... the princess... According to our sources, she was spotted three days ago... In a border town called Tunaust, located to the east of the kingdom...”

“And you captured her?”

The nervous man took out a cloth to wipe his face before stammering:

“Actually... you see...”

“Imbecile! Is it yes or no? It’s a simple question,” Khanka interrupted, leaning forward.

“There was a confrontation with our men on site... and she managed to escape...”

“What?!” thundered Akane.

The scribe froze in place, as if struck by lightning. His three companions prostrated themselves on the floor, and even Schwein returned to his original position on the throne. A heavy, stifling silence fell over the room before the young woman spoke again, this time growling under her breath.

“What did you just say?”

The man in the blue robe was paralyzed by the murderous aura emanating from the woman. Her volatile nature was the subject of countless rumors among the clergy. Unfortunately, witnessing this sudden change of mood in person greatly frightened him, and he sensed that he had to act quickly to get out of this tricky situation.

“The princess managed to shake off our forces to...”

“I already understood that part, you dimwit! I want to know how she managed to do it,” Akane barked in an even harsher tone.

The scribe frowned even more, as if he were about to wet his pants. It took him a good minute to gather his courage and find the words to finally respond.

“The... The fugitive did not act alone. She had help from two people,” he began, his hands sweaty.

Seeing that no one had interrupted him this time, the man let out a deep sigh of relief before continuing:

“One is a renegade member of Nerfeldfer’s royal guard, as for the other... witnesses suggest the presence of a spellcaster...”

“I thought all the court magicians had been eliminated when the capital was captured,” Khanka exploded, slamming his fist on one of the armrests.

“That is indeed the case, my lord. I dare hope that this is simply an error on the part of my subordinate,” replied Akane, who then turned her head toward the scribe, glaring at him.

“Absolutely! Yes, yes! You are absolutely right, Lady Akane! The individual in question was seen waving a wooden and metal wand before a clap of thunder...”

The rest of the sentence was lost in a groan before the bastard’s head rolled onto the floor. In a movement almost imperceptible to the human eye, Akane had drawn and then used her weapon. The blade of her falchion was bathed in scarlet flames that crackled vigorously.

The bureaucrat’s body finally collapsed onto the rich carpet without a single drop of blood spilling, as if the wound had been cauterized by the young woman’s incandescent blade. She rose slowly, still troubled by the scribe’s last words.

“A wand capable of producing thunderclaps. It sounds a lot like one of the cursed devices described in our sacred texts. Could it be a firearm?” Akane wondered, perplexed.

The king’s guards hadn’t wasted a second. They had drawn their weapons before stepping between the murderer and the throne.

“Put down your sword, Lady Akane! You are committing...”

“Silence!” she cried without even turning around.

The flames dancing on her blade seemed to intensify as she tightened her grip on the hilt. As she pivoted toward the throne, the play of shadows and reflections produced by the magical fire gave Akane’s smile a malevolent look.

“Don’t forget, Schwein... What the Church gives you, it can just as easily take away,” she said in an icy voice, pointing her falchion at the sovereign.

Hearing these clear words, Khanka’s skin took on a pale, almost sickly color. He even had difficulty swallowing his saliva.

“What... What do you intend to do?”

The sinister smile already present on the young woman’s lips stretched even wider.

“This damn princess’s little escapade has gone on for far too long! I intend to take care of her myself, and any obstacle in my way will be reduced to ashes!”