By the time everyone settled down to eat, the village square had become considerably more peaceful than it had been during the day.
Children sat together around the tables with bowls of freshly prepared meat, while the Paladin recruits ate among them and traded stories about everything that had happened since arriving in Yoslan.
Hallwin had somehow managed to find Bear again, and within minutes he was talking about his family with the enthusiasm of a man who had apparently decided that everyone within earshot needed a complete history lesson.
He described the Grandbelle household, the relatives who had served as War Paladins, the traditions passed down through generations, the training he had endured, and several stories Bear clearly had no idea how to respond to.
Bear nodded politely, occasionally tried to inch away, and each time Hallwin noticed the movement and pulled him back by the shoulder so he could continue his story.
Eventually Bear tried standing under the excuse of getting more food, only for Hallwin to follow him, keep talking, and guide him back toward the table as though they were old friends who had been separated for years.
The poor young man eventually sat there with his glasses slightly crooked, staring toward the other recruits like he was silently begging someone to rescue him.
Esme and Archie eventually wandered over from the cooking area, carrying their own food and watching the scene unfold. Esme stopped when she heard Hallwin talking, while Archie simply smiled at the pair with her usual calm.
“I knew I heard this big oaf yapping. He’s finally found another victim to annoy.”
“Oh, but maybe Hallwin is just expressive, right? What’s wrong with trying to make a friend?” Archie replied.
“Uh, hello?! No one wants their ears and head talked off!”
“Listen to the pretty female, girl. It is my right to make allies within the group. They should know my full lore and backstory.”
“H…Help me…”
Esme stared at Hallwin and Bear for a moment before suddenly speaking with a completely straight face.
“I gotta fart.”
Hallwin and Bear immediately dashed away from the table, leaving Esme standing there while Archie covered a small laugh with one hand. Esme watched them disappear between the houses, then calmly picked up her food.
“That fixed it. I don’t really have to fart.”
“For a beautiful young lady as yourself, that is very unsanitary. If you wish to court a husband one day…then…”
“Please do not finish that sentence.”
Esme took another bite before suddenly realizing someone was missing. Her head turned toward one table, then another, and she scanned the village square with increasing irritation.
“Where the hell is Lennox? He got food and vanished.”
She turned toward Archie.
“Your race has a gift to smell shit, find Lennox for me.”
“I would need something of his to track him.”
“Haha, Uou’re like a dog. And a…”
Archie calmly looked at her. “Haha, please don’t finish that sentence.”
About a mile beyond the village, Lennox had found exactly the sort of place he wanted for the evening.
He sat high among the branches of a large tree with a portion of the cooked bear meat beside him, far enough from Yoslan that the sounds of the village had disappeared completely.
The moment he began eating, every trace of the composed recruit he had vanished; He tore into the meat with both hands, taking huge bites and barely giving himself enough time to breathe before reaching for another piece, his hunger making him forget everything except the food in front of him.
Grease and seasoning covered his fingers while he chewed with embarrassing speed, and the more he ate, the more familiar the sensation became.
For a moment the forest disappeared from his thoughts, replaced by memories of those dirty streets in the capital slums, discarded food beside overflowing refuse bins, and a much younger Lennox crouched alone with whatever scraps he could find.
He remembered eating like an animal because hunger had taught him that hesitation meant somebody else would take whatever remained, and those memories brought back the sight of a group of mercenaries eventually approaching him with one of them extending a hand toward the starving child, which was him.
Lennox suddenly stopped eating and took several deep breaths, realizing how quickly he had fallen back into the same habit.
‘Shit…’
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at the remaining meat while embarrassment snuck into his thoughts even though there was nobody around to witness him.
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‘Can’t let them see me like this. It’s a dumb bad habit of mine to eat like a monster. Just cause I didn’t have enough food, or enough good food as a kid. They would be able to get that impression off of me if they saw me eat.’
He picked up another piece and made himself chew slowly, taking smaller bites and forcing himself to wait before reaching for the next portion.
It lasted perhaps half a second, but hunger won again, and soon Lennox was eating with the same frantic appetite as before, tearing pieces apart and shoving them into his mouth like someone might appear and steal the meal from him.
When he finally finished, he sat there breathing heavily and stared down at his empty hands, and his fingers curled into fists.
‘Tch! Damn it all. I can’t break out of it. I was so hungry then, I ate like that every day. My mother’s fault really, putting me out like that after what happened, and I went through hell. That’s the reason I’m reckless, yeah. I can’t sit still at times, I always attack first, because if I don’t, fate will ruin my life again. I just wanna outrun it, and try to convince myself that I’m worth a damn.’
Lennox leaned back against the tree and looked through the branches toward the night sky.
The stars were scattered across the darkness above him, distant and such, and for once there was nobody around to tell him what he was supposed to become.
He thought about the story his mother had written about him when he was younger, remembering the absurd version of himself she had created, a ridiculously powerful hero who could defeat anything without ever breaking, with him as the main character.
But still, Lennox couldn’t remember her face, and he was thankful for that.
‘Why can’t I be that godly version of myself from that story my mother wrote? She literally wrote me as an overpowered badass, whose one liner was “I’ll beat em’ up!” It was so dumb, but I liked it as a kid. I used that motto every time I fought, even when I joined that mercenary band. And used it when I killed every single one of them too. That character of me in that story my mother wrote was unbreakable, nothing could phase me. That’s what I wanna be. Unbreakable, fast even; I don’t care what happens to anyone else, as long as I outrun fate another day. Bah, here I am stuck in my thoughts. No one out there amongst the recruits or anyone in this world will understand me, so I’m stuck in my head once again.’
He moved farther along the branch until he found a position that allowed him to stretch his legs and lean comfortably against the trunk.
‘This seems good.’
The bark pressed against his back as he settled in, and the cool night air made the solitude feel almost peaceful; He knew the other recruits were probably still awake in the village, talking and laughing after the day’s madness, but he had no desire to return yet.
Sleeping around people had always made him uncomfortable, especially after spending so much of his childhood alone and vulnerable.
His body could withstand punishment that would leave most people bedridden, yet sleep had always been different because unconsciousness meant surrendering awareness of everything around him.
‘Guess I’ll sleep out here. I tend to suck at sleeping as well. Being a kid out there alone like I was, I was scared of everything, I couldn’t outrun my own fear. It’ll be weird if I was moving so much out there and walking around like a zombie cause’ I can’t sleep. This is better. I sleep better when I’m not near anyone anyway, it’s always been like that. Too many people around my defenseless body makes me anxious.’
Lennox slowly closed his eyes and listened to the distant sounds of the forest.
Time passed while he remained there, and eventually the village below the stars became quiet. In Yoslan, female Paladin recruits tucked children into beds inside the houses, checking blankets and making certain none of the little troublemakers decided to sneak outside again.
Several men and women slept on the ground near the fires after exhausting themselves throughout the day, while other recruits took turns patrolling the village and watching the surrounding roads.
Esme remained awake even within the late hour, sitting with her back against a stack of crates while reading a journal, occasionally turning a page beneath the firelight.
Archie had long since settled down, Hallwin had finally stopped talking, Bear was asleep, and the children who had spent the entire day tormenting the recruits were finally quiet and sleep in their houses.
Far from all of them, Lennox’s breathing became slower. And at last, he fell asleep after spending half the entire night awake.
…
…
(Paladin Sanctuary)
(Domain of Alpam)
Within the Sanctuary, another night had begun beneath the divine halls of the Paladin Order.
A beautiful courtyard expand between stone buildings, with fountains running through basins and gardens surrounding a circular table where several of the most important figures in Kalhalla and the Paladin Order had gathered.
Archangels stood around the courtyard as guardians, and Nepherel stood among them with his four arms resting calmly at his sides, while Cassius, Sugrid, and the other Paladin Sons and Daughters representing the seven Paladin Oaths occupied seats around the table.
King Solomon and Queen Icaris of Kalhalla were there as well, both dressed in very delicate black and gold royal gowns suited to the gravity of the gathering.
Solomon’s dark red hair fell around his shoulders, matching the dark red bushy beard covering his jaw, while scars crossed his face and his light brown eyes remained staring super seriously upon the people gathered before him.
Queen Icaris sat beside him with long silver-and-white hair descending around her back, several braided ponytails mixed among the longer strands, and her light blue eyes gave her an almost ethereal appearance beneath the black and gold color of her gown.
The table remained quiet for several moments while everyone considered the situation beyond the Sanctuary.
Reports from across the kingdom had become increasingly grim, with armies gathering, alliances forming, and rumors of kingdoms preparing for conflict spreading faster than the Paladins could investigate them.
Solomon finally looked across the table, and when he spoke, his words were simple enough that nobody needed an explanation.
“Things are getting worse.”
The courtyard seemed colder after those words. Even Nepherel, a literal Demi-God and one of the strongest beings present, could feel the significance behind them, because Solomon was not speaking from rumor or fear.
He was speaking from information gathered by rulers, scouts, soldiers, and those watching the political situation throughout Kalhalla.
War was coming, and the Coalition’s movements made it increasingly difficult to believe the conflict could still be contained.
Nepherel knew better than almost anyone what that meant for the Sanctuary, because Alpam’s enemies were no longer content to remain distant from his father’s influence.
Nepherel said, “Yes. The Coalition rises against my father by the second, and I’m surrounded by traitors and deserters. Even here, during this meeting, things will get worse. Because here, many will die.”
Cassius’s posture became rigid while Sugrid’s face darkened after hearing that, and several of the other Oath leaders traded anxious glances around the table.
The archangels remained silent, but their attention moved across the courtyard like they were already anticipating an attack; Solomon said nothing for a few seconds after Nepherel’s warning, while Icaris remained beside him with her hands resting calmly against the table, not sayibf a word, which is what she was known for.
She never spoke at all, unless it’s to her very young daughter, the princess, or to King Solomon. But she never spoke to anyone else.
But, everyone understood that when a being like Nepherel spoke about death with such certainty, the meeting had already become something far more dangerous than a discussion between allies; This was getting serious.