Pitch Black Fire

Chapter Two: The Winter Sun

A young soldier stood just outside a formation of five others along a forest road, a small battalion all clad in light scouting armor with only small survival supplies. They held weapons and a leather satchel containing a blue velvet-covered book. This trek did not require the better sect of soldiers, but the operation itself still had a greater unspoken purpose, a deal behind it and they all knew that. This was a test of fate for an impressionable young Paladin, to guard the Blessed Road and guide the lost souls to where they belonged, salvation or damnation.

The girl stood against a snowy pine-tree with her helmet still on and with her eyes glazing over the holy words of the book of Aderes in her hands. “…’And in the dark God guides us, in the dark God finds us, in the dark God judges us’”. “’The righteous have nothing to fear for they are always rested in the light’” she quoted, the rest of the soldiers keeping to themselves except one who approached the girl’s side. “’Thus spoke the prophet of Aderes, the guide of the Protector, let all who reject the holy light know that darkness never lasts forever’…” she continued, her eyes glancing across her to see the book hanging from the other soldier’s hip.

“…’And that salvation can only be sought with hardship and that the Demons will always fight to undo our great sacrifice’”. “’We live under the blanket of God’s protection, we fight for that privilege’”. “Truthful words” the second soldier said. The snow fell gently against the frozen gold and steel. The young girl didn’t respond, she only closed the book in silence. “Get back into formation, Paladin Wailes, it’s almost time for your test” he said, the girl taking a small moment to breathe deep before following him towards the formation.

The five soldiers stood in the bright winter sunlight, holding themselves against the bitter cold and staring at the falling snowflakes. In formation there were three in the back and two in the front, all clad in shining gold plating. They were each clutching a double edged blade at their sides and held a brass and weathered crossbow slung across their backs.

The girl followed the man and stood in front of the battalion. She removed her helmet revealing a face young and unweathered bearing bold blue eyes and long silver hair so bright as to almost blend with the winter snow; a child clad in the armor of a soldier. She looked towards the sky and breathed deep, her stature waning and her muscles trembling. The woman beside her turned her head towards her as she removed her helmet as well revealing a head of shining golden blonde hair and two bright silver eyes.

“Nervous, Lael?” she asked inquisitively, the young one responding “no… just cold”. The blonde-haired woman looked at Lael once more and gently smiled. “It’s unwise to hide your fear, if you have concerns please share them” she said to which the Lael responded “there is no fear to hide, Commander Adaya”.

A third voice could be heard from the back of the group, a man’s voice muffled by the shining knightly helmet he still wore. “This is the Blessed Road, a place of order and righteousness but do not be fooled, danger still lurks even here”. “You must show no weakness”. Lael turned her head, visibly irritated yet still restrained. “I’m fine, Caleb” she said. “Let your sister quell her own weakness, you worry about your own” Adaya interjected.

Lael continued to breathe uneasy regardless, the howling winter winds piercing the skin beneath the creases of her armor and scratching at her exposed face. Still she could not bring herself to put her helmet back on, the snow fallen sky was too beautiful to be seen through filtered eyes. This landscape, this one surviving oasis outside the devastated wasteland of the south gave her pause, gave her time as the world around her seemed so quiet, she could think.

Caleb walked over to Lael’s side, breaking formation but few seemed to care. “Your final test awaits you, make sure you make the right decision” he said, placing his hand upon her shoulder. “’The singe of demonic fire pails in pain when compared to sullying an Angel’s sword with the blood of an innocent’”.

Caleb removed his helmet as he stood by Lael’s side. He bore dark blonde hair atop a clean shaven face, stark and defined silver eyes similar to those of the commander. He gripped his own arm, his eyes wavering in color and definition as he did. “Angels always spare the innocent” he said, the winds around him seemingly dancing and changing around him. “The nuances of Aderes’s soul are not so easily understood, even by the divine” Adaya said. “You’d do well to bite your tongue when such false interpretation enters your head, my son”.

Adaya turned towards Caleb. “No one is innocent in this wasteland” she said. “Lael knows what to do… as do you I trust?” Lael gripped the hilt of her blade, the words of her mother ringing through frozen ears. Caleb heard the commander’s words well though and did not voice his thoughts any further.

Out of the horizon and nearly hidden amidst the snow and pine-trees walked three people, covered in ragged clothes and each bearing a small weapon, nothing threatening to the battalion. They pushed themselves through the thick snow and continued to move towards the group. The Golden soldiers stood still and in a horizontal formation, readying their weapons.

“Remember what I taught you” Adaya said as she gripped the hilt of her blade spurring Lael to do the same. “One will run, and when that happens… do not hesitate”. “… Make me proud, my child”.

“Yes… mother” Lael responded. The group of people approached the Golden battalion, a man, a woman and a child, all in ragged brown hoods and tunics with the man and woman bearing a small sword at their sides.

Lael slowly approached the group of people, keeping her sword at her side but still readied. The man, woman and child stood perfectly still as the young silver-haired Paladin approached them. The light from the winter sun was shining bright and her armor was covered in pelts of snow, the chilling bitter weather numbing her hands and freezing the steel at her chest. “This path is property of the Golden Paladins” she said, her voice loud and commanding, putting on a show of confidence for her mother. “Do you seek pilgrimage?” she asked, the man stepping forward in front of the other group afterwards.

He released his hood revealing a face malnourished and dirty, short unruly red hair sitting atop a brow of nervous faded brown eyes. “We take the blessed road so we may find the city of Patronage” he stated. “Your alliance?” she asked to which the man replied “none, just a simple farm family living off the land of God”. “Winter’s been far too long, we lost our crops and livestock to the cold, we need the shelter of God if we are to see another summer”.

The man paused briefly, breaking eye contact to look behind him and see the other two in his group. “My family…” he stated, putting on a friendly face as he turned back around. “We all ask for humble passage to Patronage”. “My wife Helen and my daughter Morna, all of us just…” he attempted to converse only to be interrupted by Lael. “Your arm” she stated pointing directly at the man.

“What?” the man asked, taken aback by the sudden question. “Hold out your arm” she clarified. The man looked back once more with an expression of pain and nervousness, his family holding themselves against the cold, hiding their faces under their billowing cloaks. Helen stood forward, revealing her face as she did but not leaving her daughter’s side. Just like her husband she bore the face of someone ill fed and weathered, with long, curly and uncut wine-red hair obscuring her eyes, brown but bearing more distinct color.

Caleb looked at her as she held her face up against the snow, the two making eye contact. “Just do what they say, Lamel” Helen said. Lamel looked back at his wife, visibly shaking and caressing her daughter as she hid herself in her cloak amidst the scratching winds.

He turned his head once more, his face trembling and his eyes blinking rapidly. “Why do you need…?” the man attempted to ask only to be interrupted once more by Lael. “Don’t play ignorant” she said. “The road to heaven is always envied by the damned”.

Lael violently grabbed Lamel’s arm, tearing away his ragged sleeve to reveal his bare skin, surprisingly clean with nary a mark or scar. She felt his arm, noticing an unusual texture. “Something the matter?” he asked to which Lael quickly pulled out a knife and placed it upon his forearm. “What are you…” he exclaimed, struggling against the young Paladin’s surprising strength and grip.

She pressed the knife against his arm, drawing no blood yet still peeling away skin. She worked the blade across his forearm to reveal a layer of fake skin, makeup to disguise the man’s true flesh. It was scarred and covered in dry blood but what drew her newly trained eyes was one very distinct mark, a twisted, black barbed snake looking scar, the mark of a monster. “’Once scarred and forever condemned’”. “Slap irons on the man and inspect the daughter next” Adaya ordered.

“Wait, you said you’d let my daughter into the city!” Helen cried as one of the soldiers approached Morna, pulling a dagger near her arm. “And I meant it, but this is merely a precaution, you understand” Adaya said.

In a panic Lamel broke his arm away from Lael’s grip, smacking her away as he began to run in the opposite direction. Morna broke from her mother’s grip and pulled her own knife out from her pocket much to Adaya’s surprise. She drove the blade into one of the soldier’s shins and grabbed Helen once more in the panic. She pulled and tugged for her to follow but she didn’t budge an inch, only looking down with sullen and shocked eyes.

“Morna, I…” she attempted to speak as her daughter looked up, her eyes darting back and forth before finally breaking away. Helen looked back and held out her hand, gripping nothing but frozen air.

Morna in a panicked daze ran towards her father, nary a goodbye or even explanation as to why she refused to run but in her heart she knew, she could see the shame in her eyes. Lael and Caleb quickly gave chase along with the rest of the battalion save for Adaya who stayed back, giving only a tepid pursuit as she slowly walked forward, approaching Helen as she stood still.

Adaya walked forward, clutching a small black satchel and pouring the contents into Helen’s snow covered and waiting hands; it was six shining gold coins. “Is this all?” Helen exclaimed to which Adaya responded by placing her hand gently upon her shoulder and saying “you have done God’s work”. “Patronage will open its selective gates for you and those coins will help you make your start there, be thankful, not all barbarians live with such fortune”.

Helen fell to her knees in tears and grief, bearing only contempt for the bitter cold snow as she looked down. “… God forgive my sins” she cried to which Adaya turned around and said “I already have”.

“Follow the road north, one of my men will escort you into the city”. “…Don’t worry, your family will meet quick and painless deaths” before following the trail left behind by the Golden battalion. Helen was let kneeling in the snow, alone and in tears. She looked at the waiting coins in her hands, all six of them shining against the reflective cold shine of The Winter Sun.

Next Chapter: Faded Scripture