The Survivor
“Can you wield a weapon?” Mykel asked… well, he supposed ‘Oracle’ would have to do. They were heading back to Wellspring, to check for any stragglers and gather supplies. And while he didn’t intend to let this prophet of Afodisia out of his sight, he did want to make sure she could protect herself, if needed.
Oracle considered his question for a moment, before answering. “I lived on the edge of the demon’s claim, I must have had some proficiency.”
After a moment’s consideration, he pulled the spear from his back and handed it to her. The paladins who dedicated themselves to spears used weapons made of thick wood, or even fully metal, too heavy for a nevin to wield effectively. But the spear Mykel kept as a backup weapon wasn’t fancy or heavy. Just a simple shaft of wood, with a metal leaf blade on the tip.
“You’ll want to use range to your advantage,” he advised, showing her how to hold the weapon. Standing behind her, his hands covered hers. She was over a foot shorter than him, and slight in build, her thick cloak obscuring just how slender she was. “Don’t risk yourself going for a kill, just keep the demon away long enough for one of us to finish it off.”
“Why, what would any of us nevin do with you paladins around?’ she asked, twirling the spear before her, to get a sense of its weight, most likely. “It’s almost like you’ve forgotten who saved whom, yesterday.” Over her shoulder she flashed a sly smile, full of challenge and bravado.
With a nod and shrug, Mykel returned her smile with equal daring, “Perhaps.”
~*~
The village of Wellspring was empty today. A stark contrast from two days prior, when it bustled with life. The houses and buildings still stood, a cruel joke the demons liked to play. They didn’t destroy the homes when they raided a town, so much as they could avoid it. Intact homes and buildings would lure more victims into thinking it was safe, and lull them into a false sense of security. All that remained in the southern half of Phileon were ghost towns, haunted by those who had fled, and those who could not.
“Looks like they mostly got away,” Matthias noted. Still, he held his weapon in one hand. It was not so easy to forget how close they’d come to death, just the day before.
“You arrived in time to save them,” Oracle declared, walking two paces behind them. “But you’ve embarrassed Zargolis and he will be back. In the flesh, this time.”
“Zargolis?” Mykel was familiar with this name, and the reputation ascribed to him. One of the Lord of Hate’s top lieutenants, he was an especially cruel monster. Countless paladins had fallen to him personally, in known memory. Once more, Mykel felt out of his depth. “You’ve seen him around these parts?”
“No, but I know he is behind these attacks.”
“You
know this? With the Goddess’ eyes?”
She stopped, and even with his back to her, he could see the frustration in her expression. “You don’t believe me?”
Mykel sighed, turning towards her. She wore righteously offended well. “How can a mortal see with the Goddess’ eyes? To see not merely what is, but what could be?”
“I can assure you, I’ve born a heavy price for this …gift.” The word came out bitter, as if she were trying to spit an unpleasant taste from her mouth. “But, we don’t turn away, when the goddess calls upon us to serve.”
Bitter memories resurfaced up at those words, and Mykel turned away. He knew all too well about the call to serve, and what he’d missed out on in his service. What he was still missing out on. Shaking his head, he returned his focus on the task before them, rather than give in to regret or self-pity. His service to the Goddess could occupy him a bit longer. “And you’ve seen this, with the Goddess’ eyes? That Zargolis will return?”
She nodded, “Yes, but not here. Another town, nearby. Another town, flush with survivors fleeing from here.” She was silent for a moment, eyes distant and looking past him. “Duncaster.”
That checked out. Duncaster was the nearest village, less than a day’s trip on horseback. With a nod, Mykel formulated a plan, “Once we comb through here, we’ll head there. We might have just enough time to get them out before he arrives. Maybe…”
Matthias continued unheeded by their discussion, head cocked slightly. “I think I hear something, Master.” Mykel and Oracle raised their weapons as well, following in the acolyte’s footsteps. Moving deeper into the town, the three identified the sound as crying. Still, it was dangerous. Demons used whatever means they could to lure humans in.
The sound seemed to originate from a smaller home on the edge of town. Matthias turned towards Mykel, waiting for the permission before pressing on. Pushing the door open, the stench of sulphur and iron assaulted their senses. The scent of death.
The crying came from a girl, a scrawny thing with dirty blonde hair. Huddled over body over an older woman with clothes shredded and covered in blood, it was clear what happened here. Well, mostly. Finding a young girl mourning a dead parent wasn’t so strange, not so close to the demon’s claim. What was strange were the four dead imps surrounding them.
Matthias examined the remains of the imps. Small demons, no threat to even an acolyte like him. One on one, they were only a small threat to an adult nevin. But they rarely attacked alone, instead using numbers to overcome their victims. Four on one should have been an overwhelming victory for the demons. Not a victory against them.
His armor jangled as he moved through the small dwelling, and the girl met his arrival with a short blade in hand. More a cleaver than a weapon, the type used to butcher livestock. Dried ichor clung to the blade, clues that weren’t difficult to decipher. Terror and determination in the girl’s eyes became hope, and she jumped to her feet.
“Please, you must help her!” Tiny hands gripped Matthias’ arm, surprising strength in her slight frame. Matthias didn’t answer, eyebrows furrowed and lips parted. He glanced at Mykel, beseeching aid in a dismayed expression.
Mykel squatted down to her level, and cupped her chin in his gauntlet. “She’s gone home to the Goddess, hun. She’s not in pain anymore.”
The girl sniffled, barely restraining her tears, “But she’s my mom, and I need her.” The words broke her, salty rivulets streaming down her cheeks. “It’s not fair.” Repeated refrains tugged at his own heartstrings, but he maintained a comforting expression. “It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed, brushing a few strands of hair back behind her ear. “But she would be proud of you, fighting off the monsters all by yourself. And she wouldn’t want you to stay here, not like this.”
“But, it’s my home. And she, she’s my mom.” Lips quivering, she continued, “I can’t leave her like this.”
There was quiet for a time, save for the girls whimpers and sniffles. Mykel placed a heavy hand on the girl’s shoulder, “What’s your name?”
She looked up at him, blue eyes still wet with tears, “Diana.”
“Okay, Diana,” He acknowledged, “If we help bury your mom, will you come with us to safety?”
Diana didn’t speak for awhile, deep in thought towards what was likely the biggest decision she’d ever had to make. Finally, a question came, “Where would you take me?”
“You have a gift, child. The Goddess called upon you, to serve Her. She’s called you to this war against the demons, and She’s given you the gift with which to fight back. Now, it’s still your choice, but, if this is something you would want, we can take you back to the Order of Afodisia, and train you to be a paladin.”
“Like you?
Mykel nodded, and offered a warm smile, “Yes.”
Diana glanced over at her mother one last time, before agreeing without words.
~*~
The last few hours of morning were spent digging a grave and a pyre. A burial for Diana’s mother, and a cremation for the imps who slew her. Matthias and Mykel took up most of that duty, while Oracle and Diana scoured the abandoned homes for any supplies left behind. They scrounged up a few short blades and another spear, as well as leather armor for both of them. It wasn’t much protection, but something was better than nothing. That there was armor sized to fit a child like Diana enraged Mykel. Oh sure, he was glad they found some, but the fact that it had been created in the first place spoke to the dire situation all mortals faced, as demons became a larger presence beyond the Seraphim wall.
“She bears the mantle,” Matthias noted and Mykel nodded. The mantle of Afodisia was but one of the signs of Her gifts, signs one had been chosen to serve Her as a paladin. Even children bore the mantle, because even children need to be able to defend themselves when the demons come. Avowed paladins were further strengthened by the Goddess, empowered by their service and faith.
“Should we really let her carry a weapon?” Matthias asked in a hushed breath.
“You said it yourself, she bears the mantle,” Mykel pointed out.
“That doesn’t make her an aspirant, much less a paladin,” the boy argued.
“No, but children begin their training with such weapons by her age.”
“Wooden practice weapons, not live steel.”
“Yes, and we don’t let them in the field either. But this isn’t the same, and we’re not safe out here.” Mykel shrugged, turning his gaze towards the girl and Oracle. “She’s defended herself once. And while we’re in the demonlands, it may be that she’ll need to defend herself again.”
While Oracle and Diana fit themselves in armor, Mykel and Matthias had stripped away their full plate. Digging the grave wasn’t hard, just tedious, and both men built up a sweat. As the sun hung high and hot in the sky, the men piled the imp corpses in the pit and lit the pyre. Flames licked the bodies, sending up a vile plume of black smoke, but it couldn’t be helped. This was the best way to dispose of the bodies, as to prevent the spread of disease.
Diana’s mother was interred, but not yet buried. Mykel decided that she should have a short funeral, for the girl’s sake. A bit of closure, and a last chance to say goodbye. It was the least he could do for her. It was all he could do for her.
Oracle led a prayer over the body. Mykel and Matthias repeated after her, but Diana stayed silent, gazed hardened towards the hole in the ground.
“Did you want to say a few things, hun?” Mykel asked, wrapping an arm over her shoulder.
Diana stared at the grave, at the corpse of her mother, and frowned. “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.
“Say… say goodbye. Tell her how much you love her. Tell her how much you’ll miss her. Thank her for everything’s she’s done, and all that she’s given you.” He smiled through his own tears, having a harder time than he wanted to admit. His own loss returned, and he could see Lyara’s face in the dead woman’s.
~*~
They’d left for Duncaster within the hour, and would arrive on horseback by evening. Oracle would join him on his horse, and Diana would ride with Matthias.
Duncaster was another small farming hamlet, like many of the villages in these parts. Once, farmers on this land sustained a kingdom, and even sent their excess crop down the river into the Jewel Archipelago. Now, the remaining settlements scraped by, barely sustaining enough food to feed themselves. The land itself had changed in response to the demon’s presence, infernal corruption leeching into the very soil.
For a time, the Order had tried to defend the various homesteads strewn through the land, but more and more it became a losing battle. The demons grew in strength and numbers each day, and more villages were lost to the conflict. Duncaster would likely be another casualty of this losing war, especially if Zargolis had his eye upon it. It would take a score or two of paladins to defend it, and it would only be a temporary victory.
It wasn’t sunset when the paladin’s rode into town, but the townsfolk met their arrival with heavy acceptance. Once the survivors of Wellspring started to arrive, they knew it was only a matter of time before they were forced to leave, or find themselves besieged. Mykel confirmed their suspicions, laying out plans to pack up during the night and leave as the sun rose. Perhaps the survivors of Wellspring were better situated, with their exodus already accepted, and their homes already abandoned.
The group managed to get rooms in the smallish inn, and after the day they had, were looking forward to finally getting some rest.
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