Cassius clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. “Please…”
Nepherel regarded her in silence for a moment before speaking. “There is no need for you to show your concern for him after all you’ve done to him. If he did not acknowledge you when he arrived, what do you think that means? Why are you so eager to indulge with a brat who considers you an enemy?”
Cassius’ face twisted with anger, and before anyone could react, she jumped across the table, reaching for Nepherel with one hand.
FWOOSH!
Several Archangels immediately descended around her, weapons drawn and covered in white flames. Blades and spears surrounded Cassius from every side, leaving barely enough room for her to breathe.
“Tsk!” She stopped herself before another step could carry her into the circle of divine weapons, staring at the flames inches from her body.
“Cassius!” Sugrid shouted.
Nepherel said, “The recruits are not all necessary,” he said. “I intend to keep the Paladin Order small. The strongest who survive these trials will be blessed with larger portions of Alpam’s magic. We require power. Every Paladin who survives will possess authority capable of standing against beings far beyond ordinary soldiers. If we gather hundreds of recruits merely to watch them perish, then we accomplish nothing. Those who survive will become the ones capable of defending Alpam, defending the kingdoms that remain loyal to him, and confronting what waits beyond this war. This is necessary. Blessing dozens upon dozens of recruits with large portions of power is ridiculous, as we seek those who can handle such power through the trials.”
Cassius panted through her nose, her fists closing again. “You…”
She lowered her head to the table, and thought, ‘I’m a monster…’
Chariot folded two of his arms across his chest. “Honestly, I expected Cassius to try attacking Nepherel one day.”
Asphodel gave a small chuckle and responded, “So did I. I was beginning to wonder whether she had grown patient.”
Balan, not liking this at all, said, “Your banter is not helping.”
Talos gave a nod while he agreed with Balan. “It is not.”
After a few seconds of silence, King Solomon finally spoke, thinking this was the right time to really speak his mind. “I understand the necessity of defending Alpam, but knowingly sending young warriors, and even older ambitious warriors, into an area where their chance of death is so high is ruthless. What is it for?”
Nepherel turned toward him.
“It is for everything we have discussed tonight. Alpam is sick. The parasite threatens his mind, his authority, and eventually the existence of everything connected to him. The kingdoms forming their coalition know this. Their gods know this. Their angels know this. They are preparing for the possibility that Alpam will become consumed by the parasite and turn upon the world. If that happens, we need people capable of standing between him and everyone else.”
Nepherel raised one of his hands, and the golden glow around his body grew stronger. “I contain a portion of Alpam’s Divine Authority. Revelation doesn’t show me what is present mind you, mostly it reveals truths connected to what I am seeking, and every revelation I have received tonight has led back to the same conclusion. The disease must be understood, the parasite must be stopped. Alpam must be defended until a cure can be found. The trials are not about throwing lives away for entertainment or tradition. They are about discovering who possesses the strength required to stand beside him when the rest of the world decides he must die.”
Chariot said while scratching his head, “Ehhh, sounds like the Divine Authority can’t even use itself against the Parasite.”
“Which makes this all the more dangerous.”
Queen Icaris turned toward her husband and said to Solomon, “And what happens if Alpam is fully consumed by the rage of the parasite? Will we look like fools for defending it? And if we do win this war, who will stand with us against Alpam if we have killed those who stood against his Divine Authority?”
Icaris was speaking indirectly to Nepherel through her husband, the only man she would speak to in such a manner, aside from their daughter, the princess.
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The courtyard went silent again, and Nepherel looked toward the heavens. “It will all work out in the end. The Divine Authority has not revealed the end game; I do not know whether Alpam survives. I do not know whether the parasite can be destroyed. I do not know whether this war ends with our kingdom standing or buried beneath it. But if we withhold a group of Paladins of Faith because we are afraid of what might happen, then I cannot call myself faithful. It would be heresy. Faith means standing beside my father when the answer has not yet been revealed.”
Cassius finally sat down again, her shoulders dropping as she exhaled.
“A fucking monster….”
Sugrid felt the need to lower himself into the seat beside her, and he pulled his flask from his side and offered it to her. “A sip?”
Cassius stared at it, and slightly stuck her tongue out in disgust, “Nasty stuff. You know that I don’t drink.”
Sugrid chuckled. “It got a reaction outta ya.”
Cassius couldn't even force out a humorous smile, and she looked away.
‘Lennox….’
Nepherel clasped his hands behind his back. “So this meeting has gone on long enough.” He walked away from the table, passing several Archangels who remained stationed around the courtyard.
“Eventually, all Archangels beneath Alpam will leave his embrace. Those who remain loyal to him now may not remain loyal forever. The Divine Authority of Revelation has shown me enough to understand that. Many angels who fought beside Alpam and Silja against the parasite abandoned him afterward, straight to Totuna and Ifreiti. I do not know what they witnessed during that battle. I do not know what they heard, what they felt, or what the parasite showed them. But they left.”
Nepherel stopped walking, “And I will not take another chance. I will not allow another group to abandon Alpam while I am caught unaware. I also refuse to allow my prey to leave my sight.”
He extended one hand out, and a glowing white light gathered above his palm, twisting into the shape of a literal branch from a divine tree.
It appeared old even having formed seconds earlier, its surface carrying long veins of golden light; Nepherel closed his fingers around it, then he raised the branch toward his lips.
Nepherel blew on it like a horn, and a horn sound rang across the Sanctuary.
VRRRMMHMMMM!!!
Its call traveled through the courtyard, across the temple halls, through the towers, beneath the arches, and into every chamber belonging to Alpam’s Order.
Doors opened fast, and wings thundered through the air; Archangels and lesser-ranked angels began flying toward the courtyard from every direction.
Cassius, Sugrid, Balan, Chariot, Talos, Asphodel, and the final Paladin Son: Nall, Son for the Oath of Mercy, all stood up and prepared themselves.
Nobody could see Nall, as he was literally invisible, a strange consequence of the Oath of Mercy he had taken. His power allowed him to remove himself from the awareness of those around him, becoming unseen so that his presence would not frighten the wounded, disturb the dying, or become another burden upon those he was sworn to protect.
Mercy, to Nall, meant becoming something people did not have to notice until they needed him. His existence was known throughout the Order, but his true appearance remained a secret; Only Nepherel and King Solomon knew what Nall truly looked like.
More angels arrived, and the courtyard began filling with divine beings, so Sugrid stared at the sky.
“This isn’t good…”
Cassius replied, “You feel it too?”
Chariot connected, “Bloodlust.”
Asphodel smiled beneath her blindfold, “How quaint.”
Queen Icaris turned toward her husband. “Are we staying for this?”
King Solomon just looked at her, expecting her to already know the answer to that question, but he answered anyway. “I stand with Alpam, and his Order. Our kingdom of Kalhalla serves him wholeheartedly. His Paladins guided me through wars and even political agendas. I owe them. Without them, I would be dead. You may leave if you wish.”
Icaris looked at her husband. “I won’t, dear.”
More angels filled the courtyard, and Nepherel stepped forward, the white branch in his hand began glowing.
“Me and the Paladin Sons and Daughters alongside the King and Queen of Kalhalla will kill every single Angel and Archangel in attendance. We cannot risk you leaving Alpam’s embrace, leaving us when war is at our necks. Though the Divine Authority does not reveal the end result of the coalition war and Alpam’s fate, our faith against the darkness stands in its place.”
“No fucking way…” Sugrid said in shock.
Absolutely no one knew this was the route Nepherel was gonna take. Even though he mentioned there will be death at the meeting, fighting against angels was not on the list.
The angels said nothing though, even hearing their proclaimed death and target in their heads, almost like they were confident.
For several seconds, the entire Sanctuary remained silent, then the divine beings began preparing their magic: White light gathered around countless hands, wings spread across the courtyard, halos had brightened, and bladed weapons and musical instruments appeared covered in white flames.
Due to all of that power, all the pressure in the air became almost unbearable….but one Angel stepped forward from the enormous gathering.
His name was Lucias…Lucias, Archangel of Insanity.
He wore a red robe that hung around his bald head and body. Four enormous red wings stretched behind him, each one carrying the unnatural presence of something that had spent too long outside the embrace of its god. A red halo hovered above him, broken so that only half of its original circle remained, while another copy of that broken halo floated behind his head.
Three separate heads sat upon his body, each one bearing black chains across its eyes, and his two arms carried long greatswords wrapped in red flames.
All three heads remained silent, then the center head leaned to the side and said, “I was wondering…” The other two heads slowly turned toward Nepherel, continuing, “…what took so long.”