“Eyewitness accounts of The Constellation throughout history have been… inconsistent, to say the least. Some ancient scrolls depict them as a beautiful maiden with fiery red hair, while records closer in time describe them as being a rugged warrior of lanky build. Just what is their true appearance? And why do they always kill The Comet whenever one is born into the world? The Constellation is the sole atrocity of this world, preventing humanity from ever rising up into The Stars, and yet I can’t help but speculate a deeper purpose into their endless slaughter. Perhaps, there is a reason that Humanity is trapped within this earth.”

Chapter 3 of Studying The Constellation: Humanity’s Calamity, penned by Arch Magus Virgil

———

The Knight

The Knight steps out of the Alexandria and onto the corpse-stained battlefield. Although much time has passed, death remains an everlasting constant.

The first thing it needs to do is gather information. The patterns worn by the fallen soldiers are unfamiliar, but there are some that look similar to the Polus kingdom of old it once faced. It also recognizes the blades in its hand, Solga and Lunas, from a Throne it slayed before. They proved to be a mighty adversary, able to rend at space itself; the sun and moon combined together to create a black hole of distortion, manifesting an eclipse onto the earthly realm. The Knight emerged victorious in the end, but it did not come easily.

The Alexandria, however, is a new construct to it. Although it has stormed numerous Strongholds in the past, never has it encountered one that actually moved. An interesting mechanism that it wants to study more on, but now is not the time.

The Knight gently sets the sleeping baby on a bloodless patch of grass and goes out to look for an intact suit of armor it can use. Its old armor is too rusted to defend it properly, and the unfamiliar pattern on the armor will draw suspicions towards them once they leave the forest.

It takes an unsullied set of armor off of a Polus Soldier that succumbed to The Shell’s pressure and claims it as its own. Without warning, the body of The Knight begins to twist and crack, its muscles and bones being reallocated and stretched to fit its body into the new quarters.

“Protean” it calls this ability. It is not able to wield the power of Creation, but instead is given complete control over every aspect of its body. Although it cannot gain or lose mass, it is able to stretch, tighten, and manipulate various parts of its body to change the form and appearance.

The Knight also finds new sheathes for the twin blades as the originals are adorned with intricate carvings and emblems which loudly announce the blades’ value. The spiked mace, while of high quality, isn’t particularly unique or flashy, so it shall be of sufficient use for now.

It would be beneficial for its future operations if it investigates the current state of the land and which nations are currently in power. Since The Polus kingdom is the only nation that it recognizes from the bodies, it decides to make it their first location.

The Knight picks Aegis up and heads towards the direction The Alexandria trudged towards, all the while making sure to cover its footsteps to prevent trackers from tailing them. Before leaving the battlefield, it takes a moment to bow its head in silence towards the fallen warriors before making its way out into the darkness.

The forest has changed greatly since it last set foot in it. The vibrant flora and fauna that once covered the land is now nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by sickly-looking fungi and a dark, hazy mist. While immune to the enfeebling effects of The Miasma, Aegis is not; he will have to learn to ward off the mist himself.

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The Knight takes a tiny bit of The Miasma and drifts it near Aegis. Since he is too young to learn from words, the baby must learn by instinct. He has to grow stronger if he is to weather the coming storm.

Aegis tries to play with The Miasma at first, but immediately attempts to swat it away once it gets closer. As his slaps continue to prove ineffective, he lets out a loud shriek, creating a small barrier that prevents The Miasma from coming any closer.

”You hold dominion over Creation more than any other, Aegis,” The Knight soothes, attempting to calm the pouting baby. “You must continue to learn how to utilize your powers, for your trials will only get harder from here.”

Annoyed baby in hand, The Knight dives deep into the forest with only the small trickles of light above to guide it.

It is a long journey; everything has been thoroughly corrupted by The Miasma. The rivers are polluted due to its enfeebling nature, but underground springs hidden in caves around the thick grove provide safe sustenance for the little baby. The Knight feeds upon the vestiges of Creation in the air, so it has no need for physical nourishment. Aegis is still a creature of man, however, so it focuses on teaching him which fungi and herbs are edible. Even though Aegis can’t understand words yet, he is able to grasp The Knight’s intent, and The Knight is able to communicate with Aegis despite his infancy.

The Comet and The Constellation have always been connected to each other. It is their fate—a bond that can never be severed. They understand each other’s hearts better than anyone else, and it is that longing familiarity rooted deep within their core which made The Knight’s previous duty all the more painful. The connection that once enveloped The Knight in anguish now serves to further the growth of its eternal pursuer. It chuckles to itself, amused at destiny’s fickle nature.

Despite the gloomy background, Aegis is cheery and energetic throughout their trip. Curiosity controls his thoughts, and The Knight finds itself making detours in their journey to explore the decaying land at his insistent babbles. It does not know what is interesting about the ruined woodlands, but it abides the baby’s request anyway, spurred on by a mysterious feeling within it.

Eventually, the pair makes it to the end of the forest, but a sudden noise prompts them to hide. The Knight signals for Aegis to stay quiet and hides him under a small patch of leaves nearby. Sounds of movement can be heard just outside of The Miasma’s reach, and an unfamiliar language passes through The Knight’s ears.

Although the language is foreign, the structure and intonations of the words spoken are similar to the language used by the Polus’s ancestors, before The Knight's slumber. After a bit of deciphering, it is able to obtain a rough translation of the languages’ alphabet and structure.

”Sightings Lorelai yes? No?” an important looking officer asks.

“Missing. Sad,” the guard replies.

“Sigh… two days King sad.”

“King looking continue?”

“Yes. Throne important.”

While not everything is legible, The Knight is able to confirm that it is indeed The Polus kingdom as predicted.

Although it wants to get past the guards, killing them will draw suspicion towards the area. It needs to find a way into the kingdom legitimately in order to blend in and pursue information out in the open.

“Survivor find?”

”Still no. Yes… screams alert.”

”Sad, lookout continue.”

”Yes sir.”

“So they’re still looking for survivors…” The Knight ponders.

The Knight heads back towards Aegis and picks him up. He babbles mindlessly, his voice almost reaching the guards, but it quickly makes sure to muffle the sound.

“Aegis, no matter what happens from now on, you must stay quiet.”

Aegis, unable to understand a single thing The Knight has just said, comprehends the message anyway.

”Good.”

The Knight tenses the muscles in its stomach, causing the skin to lurch back, and creates a small crevice in the armor for Aegis to fit into. It puts Aegis in the opening and surrounds him in its skin.

With him now secured, It takes a deep breathe in and lets out a bloodcurdling scream.