A Final Request

No other words were spoken for the remainder of the meal. The witch refused to eat, an act of defiance that Eurielle noticed.

The captain also noticed Valerie following Atrina back to the prison tent when lunch had finished. Eurielle folded her arms and thought, What does she see in her?

Before Eurielle could dwell too long on the nature of Valerie’s relationship with Atrina, a messenger hawk flew into the camp and landed on her forearm. The captain pulled a missive out from a message holder on the hawk’s leg.

“Knights, we have been ordered to return to the capital immediately!”

-

Outside the large tent, Atrina could hear the knights busily disassembling their camp. The witch could not bear the thought of enduring another journey with the captain. “Valerie, how long does Eurielle intend to keep an eye on me?”

“I don’t really know. She’s a fair person, and I can vouch for her. It’s likely that Euri will let you go before we reach the capital.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

In her mind, Atrina ran through every spell she knew. The witch was prepared to separate herself from the Holy Knights by any means necessary.

But Atrina’s determination was shaken when Valerie asked, “Do you really want to leave that badly?”

The witch saw a forlorn expression on the knight’s face. Looking into Valerie’s wistful, golden eyes made the sorceress reconsider leaving for a brief moment, but she steeled her resolve. “I’m miserable here. If I stay any longer, I might do something that I’ll regret.”

“Oh...I didn’t know you felt that way. I’m sorry the others don’t treat you well, and I’m so sorry that I’ve caused you nothing but trouble.”

Valerie turned to leave, but Eurielle entered the tent. “Val, didn’t you hear me say that we have to return to the capital? Is something wrong?”

“No, everything’s fine,” the knight sniffled.

“Then get ready to leave.” Eurielle, sensing her subordinate’s sadness, gave Atrina a dirty look. “You’re coming too, witch.”

“For how long?” the witch demanded.

“As long as I say.”

There was no question in Atrina’s mind that the captain would never let her go. She’ll either toss me in a dungeon or kill me. The witch clenched her fists. If Eurielle really took down fifteen cultists by herself, I’ll be in for one hell of a fight. Her stooges will also help her, and Valerie's here too...

Seeing that a brute force approach was not feasible, Atrina resorted to guile. She turned her attention to the Descendant who seemed to be unconscious. “What about the cultist? Is he coming too?”

“We can’t take him with us.”

“So, you’re just going to kill him?”

The captain nodded gravely. Atrina was disgusted by the casual brutality, and she voiced her repulsion, “Church. Cult. What’s the difference? You both use violence and cruelty to get your way.”

Eurielle scornfully retorted, “I don’t expect a mere heathen to understand the difference. The power of our faith can only be understood by those who bask in His light.”

“Before you kill me, I have a request.” The cultist had been listening to the entire conversation. He was not as enfeebled as he appeared.

“We would never honor a heretic’s request.” The captain was indignant towards the man’s audacity.

“What about a former believer? I was once a man of the cloth.”

“Lying won’t help you.”

“I know my scriptures. Surely you’re familiar with the verse, ‘The light will always shine on the backs of those who have been led astray’?”

The captain winced at the cultist’s unexpected knowledge. “I do know that verse. What is your request?”

“I wish to be buried in accordance with Church tradition. My soul may be damned, but I want to die with a clear conscience, knowing that I am laid to rest in sacred soil.”

“We don’t have time. My knights and I must return to the capital without any delays.”

“There’s a small parish on the way. You can execute me there and leave the rest to the priest. I’m sure he’ll know what to do with my body.”

Hesitantly, the captain acquiesced, and Atrina factored the cultist into her escape plan.

-

Everyone was packed and ready to go. The Holy Knights mounted their horses, and Valerie went to the front to ride beside Eurielle. Atrina and the cultist sat in a supply wagon pulled by a knight’s horse. The man was bound again, but he requested not be gagged, and the knights complied, seeing that he was too weak to cast any spells.

After ensuring that they had everything, Eurielle ordered the knights to depart.

The journey to the capital had begun.

-

Riding in the supply wagon was not a pleasant experience. No care was given to the comfort of Atrina or the Descendant, and they constantly bumped against the knights’ supplies.

The wagon was at the unit’s rear, but the witch knew that any attempt at escape would incur the wrath of eight Holy Knights.

Eventually, the party came to a cliffside path. The path was straddled by a forested area around twenty feet above and a sheer drop below. The trail was worn and wide enough for three knights to ride side-by-side. The cultist began to speak.

“In a bit of a pickle, aren’t we?”

The witch did not reply.

“I’m Shaw.”

More silence from Atrina.

“You’ve obviously seen what they’ve done to me. If I were you, I would seriously consider escaping.”

“The thought has crossed my mind.”

The cultist hacked before he spoke. “What’s stopping you?”

Atrina glanced at the front of the party. “Nothing.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Procrastination will only hurt you in the end.”

“Are you blind? It’s eight against one. I’m not taking my chances.”

“You don’t strike me as someone foolish enough to face them head-on. Not that you couldn't. You must have a plan. All you have to do is make it happen.”

One of the wagon’s wheels hit a bump in the road, and Shaw grimaced as the corner of a crate dug into his ribs. Once his pain faded, the cultist continued, “I’m not asking you to team up or anything. I know that’s not what you have in mind. Listen, I won’t begrudge you if you use me as a distraction. You’ve got that killer look in your eyes, kid.”

Atrina’s head spun to Shaw. The swelling in his eyes had gone down considerably, and he had a knowing smile that alarmed the witch. He’s a sharp one.

Worried that the cultist would compromise her plan, the witch steered the conversation in a different direction. “Were you really a member of the Church?”

“Yes, a very, very long time ago. Believe it or not, I used to be a clergyman at a parish far south of here. It was a small community, but we were happy.”

“What happened?”

“I killed our bishop.”

Atrina’s eyes widened at Shaw’s revelation. “Why?”

“We took care of orphans at the church. I was in charge of giving magic lessons to children who showed potential. One day, the bishop attended one of my lessons. I was flattered that he would take the time to visit my class, but I did not know his true intentions. He had taken notice of my two best students. In his eyes, I could see that he was not interested in their spellcasting abilities.

“That evening, I went to check on the kids, and I found the bishop trying to force Nana and Levi to come someplace with him. They were crying as he tugged their little arms, and I lost control. I didn’t use any magic to slaughter that pig. He didn’t deserve the honor. I just ran up to him, threw him down, and bashed his goddamn brains in with the floor.

“I couldn’t stop slamming his head into the ground. By the time the other clergymen arrived to check on the commotion, the bishop’s head was disfigured beyond recognition, and my hands were covered in his blood. I must’ve looked like some demon. They didn’t give me a chance to explain, and they accused me and the two kids of blasphemy. To them, the bishop was a man who could do no wrong. Murdering a bishop is punishable by death, so I fled with Nana and Levi.”

The witch asked quietly, “Is that when you joined the Arcane Descendants?”

“That was when the master saved us. We couldn’t enter any towns because paladins were searching for us. For weeks, the children and I traveled in the wilderness, barely surviving on our abysmal hunting skills and the few berries we could scavenge. We often went to sleep hungry. One night while the kids slept, I walked into a clearing.

“The moon was full and beautiful, so high up in the sky, so far away from our suffering. Its beauty and perfection in the face of my anguish tore me up inside. I cursed God. I cursed the Divine Order. I cursed my existence. How could the Church allow a man as horrible as the bishop to preside over our community, taking anything he wanted just because he had the authority? There was a hole in my soul, and I despaired that night, for I knew that I had lost my faith. I was at the lowest point in my life, and that was when he found me.”

Atrina leaned forward. “What’s he like?”

“He is unlike any other man I’ve met. When he came to me, I thought I was dreaming. He lifted my face in his cool hands and spoke softly to me. He told me that we would never have to fear again, for he would create a world free from the Church’s corruption, a world where the truly righteous would shape reality, uninhibited by baser men. I wept at the purity of his conviction, and he cleaned my tears. He had given my faith back to me. In return, I gave my faith to him, and I pledged my life to his mission. Despite my reservations, Nana and Levi joined me. I may have failed my master, but we will prevail. The Church will fall, and the world will enter a newer, brighter age.”

The witch held on to one last shred of skepticism about the cult’s mission. “How exactly does your master intend to defeat the Church?”

“I am not one to speak for him. If you ask the right questions, he will find you. I believe it is only a matter of time before you meet him.”