Where the fighting had ended and civilians survived, there was a feeling of hope and relief. The people cheered on the Sky Knights as they cleansed the streets of the inhuman invaders, they began to clear out rubble, extinguish fires.

All of this ended when the great Sky Ship arrived and loomed over the city. The "Purity of Purpose" was incomparable to any vessel in the empire. It alone was crafted out of pure metal, two large wings were attached to the deck, and it was armed to the teeth with the latest armaments that the forges of Mhaal could provide.

Those who saw the ship halted. Many tried to hide in the few buildings spared from the flames, others broke down crying, or merely stared upward, awaiting their fate. They had come. Her Imperial Majesty´s most faithful guardians of the truth immaculate.

"In forty years of service I have not seen a sight this despicable." Grand Master Helder stood at the bridge of the "Purity of Purpose", flanked by his Paladin-assistant Serafin, and the Ship´s adjutant.

Even for someone like Serafin who called Zana, the land of the dead, her home, this creation of her homeland unnerved her. The adjutant had been a man or woman, one could never tell, long ago. Their soul had been ripped out of their body with a death seal, and then implanted in the metal skeleton that now stood at her side. It stared down at the burning city with it´s faint glowing eyes and spoke in a melodic voice.

"A host of inhuman hillspeople were allowed to march five hundred miles into imperial territory unopposed, without a call for reinforcements until the Castrum was already under siege. This is a clear breach of Purity. "

The adjutant leaned closer against the glass as it continued.

"Large parts of the Castrum are corrupted beyond cleansing, and there are traces of a great summoning, most likely of a being of Elthaine. Idoltary has likely been breached."

It brought one of its skeletal fingers to it´s skull and leaned it to the side with an unnerving crack.

"Most concerning however, it would seem that most of the population is still alive. The proper measures of containment have clearly not been taken, as these fires are too irregular to have been laid by the defending forces. Orthodoxy must be considered breached."

Helder let out a sigh and gripped tightly onto his walking cane. "A threefold crime against the truth, and for this to happen in a Castrum." He looked over his shoulder to Serafin and gave her a pained smile. "Though there is hardly a better first trial of a new paladin, is there? Tell me, how are we to proceed?"

Serafin bowed her head. "According to high law the area of offence must be contained as swiftly as possible. In the case of a threefold breach all non-guardian individuals found within said area are to be considered suspects until a fourth-rank guardian, a paladin, magister or grand master deems them inoffensive."

The paladin took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing at the amused tone in the voice of the grand master.

"You remember my own writing better than me, very good. Though I don't think I wrote 'inoffensive'. Is the proper term not 'innocent'?"

Serafin froze, a cold sweat forming on her hands. "Well, in the case of a threefold breach one could consider all those present at least guilty of not having acted in prevention. To call someone in such a case innocent I feel would be an act of neglect!"

Helder rose a hand. "Now now, I was merely inquiring. You are a paladin now, you have the right to an opinion. Your reasoning is sound, it has my blessing. I am afraid that I don't have the vigour of youth to oversee this action myself, so I will leave the matter to you. Act with my authority."

Her eyes widened and she was quick to bow, her black guardian cloak waving around her. Her hands clung tightly to her cap as she lowered her head. "It will be done."

As Helder turned to leave and return to his quarters, Serafin looked back at him. She bit down on her lip as her fingers traced around the golden ring on her right hand. "Sir, if I may. The Sky Ship already here is the "Herald of Justice". When there is time, may I-"

Her words were lost in Helders hearty laughter. "Of course, of course! How long has it been, ten years? I'm sure you've a lot to say to your fiancé, take as long as you need, but only after your duties are done."

With this he left, leaving Serafin with a bout of relief. With a puffed out chest she turned to the adjutant. "Time is short and we have much ground to cover. Inform the Sword and Shield and prepare for eightfold containment."

While the adjutant nodded Serafin was already exiting the bridge, down the stairs towards the main deck as it´s voice began to echo throughought the "Purity of Purpose".

"All Hunters and Gardists are to return to their stations. The Castrum has been deemed to have breached the Truth Immaculate threefold. The eightfold containment will be executed."

Serafin´s heart swelled with pride as she walked down the deck. The "Purity" was a manifestation of imperial might. Priests from Atal served alongside undying of Zana. The two wings of the "Purity" housed great winged beasts trained in Cirei, and the gardists who were hurrying to their station on the lowest deck of the "Purity" were clad in the finest armour and weaponry that the forges of Mhaal could produce.

All parts of the empire, bound by a single purpose to maintain the truth immaculate. Serafin had a true spring in her step as she made her way to the right wing of the "Purity", where her mount awaited her.

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His nest was on the very edge of the wing, there waited Rime, her great white Gryphite. Smaller than it´s untamed counterparts, the fusion of hawk and lion was still an imposing figure, it´s musclebound body strong enough to carry two fully armoured soldiers if need be.

But Rime was hers, a gift from a Cireien Governour during her time as Knight-Guardian in the south-east of the empire. Rime bowed down his great head and let the Paladin climb up on his back. Then he spread his great wings and took off, taking her down towards the burning city.

She was not alone. As she soared through the air the eight harpoons of the "Purity" fired downward, burrowing the hooks deep into the walls of the city. She could see the black figures running down the chains, their black mantles flowing in the wind. The hunters had been set loose.

With the hooks firmly in place the bottom of the "Purity" opened, and a great plattform was lowered down by four massive chains. It carried the gardists stationed aboard the ship, the bulk of their force. After hitting the ground they spread out in groups of twenty, ready to do the inglorious part of their work.

Serafin´s eyes went across to the "Herald of Justice", and her heart sank. Of all the people who she had to meet as a paladin, it had to be her and her friends. At least it made it clear for her where the biggest issues would spark up.

Rime dropped further in altitude, enough that Serafin could make out individual people in the streets. She was looking for anyone much too tall, and quickly found who she was looking for on the city´s central plaza.

A group of gardists had already reached it, and from how they were pointing their rifles at Mellador it was bound to be trouble. Serafin descended, landing in between the two groups.

The towering half-human had shouldered his maul and was looking down at the terrified gardists with a warm smile as his eyes turned to Serafin.

"Ah, it is good to see you again, friend. Could you perhaps tell your allies that to lower their weapons? Someone could get harmed."

The paladin dismounted and put her cap back on her head, glad that it´s visor hid part of her face. For almost half her life had she known the man, and still she could not look him in the eyes without a sense of discomfort and unease. No matter how much he tried to appear more human, to Serafin it only drew more attention to those parts of him that weren't right. That weren't pure.

"I should tell you the same thing, Mellador." The paladin rested her hand on the hilt of her sabre. "Our adjutant has confirmed that the Castrum breached the truth immaculate threefold. According to high law all subjects must be considered suspect until proven otherwise. Please step aside so that we can take them into custody."

She pointed to the large group of people behind him. He followed her hand and frowned. "These people are your suspects?"

Most had barely managed to cling onto their lives. Their clothes torn, scorched and messy they sat in smaller groups, either staring down on the ground dejected or at Serafin and her growing mass of gardists behind her with abject terror.

Serafin gritted her teeth, unable to meet his gaze. "According to high law, this is the case, yes. I must ask you again, Mellador: Step aside and let me do my work. I know that you and the others are innocent, so please don't cause a scene that could shine doubt on that."

He looked down at her, then across the now near hundreds of gardists standing attention. He took a deep breath and sighed. "It pains me, but a knight respects the law. I am glad that it is you however." He walked away to the side, still trying to catch her gaze. "Please consider, these people mean no harm."

At a motion of Serafin´s hand, the gardists began to spread across the plaza. Those civilians old or wise enough quickly rose up, those who did not were dragged on their feet and lead away, down the main street and out of the city.

"Hey, stop, what do you think you're doing? You fucking bastard don't you see her leg is broken?!"

Serafin´s stomach churned as she heard Cairons voice, the grip on her sabre tightened as she walked towards it.

The Sky Knight was standing between a young woman and two gardists who had their blades already drawn. Serafin breathed a sight of relief, he was without his staff, narrowly avoiding a bloodbath.

"Stand down Cairon, we only need to detain her for now." The paladin laid as much calm into her words as she could, but it did little to brush away the look of shock and anger in his face as he saw her.

"What do you mean interrogate? Sera, you? Please be so kind and tell these idiots that you can't drag someone belonging on a hospital bed off to camp!" He had a crystal in his hand, the sight of which made Serafin´s blood freeze cold.

"Cairon, you don't understand how serious this is. If need be we can have her carried, but she must be taken in with everyone else." Her eyes stayed pinned on the crystal. "I promise, nothing is going to happen to her. If you want to, I will allow you to go with them and tend to those who need aid."

Cairon´s hand clenched more tightly around the crystal, but he put it away. "You better keep your word, Sera." He picked up the woman and gave the gardists another freezing glare. "None of this right, and you know it."

He followed the rests of the gardists, and Serafin breathed out a sigh of relief.

As the square was emptying, she took the road up towards the citadel. Every now and then she saw one of their Hunters as they leaped from roof to roof, many of their myriad of weapons already stained red.

On her path she walked into Thaeus, who greeted her with a bow. "It is an auspicious relief to see you here, friend. If you are trying to reach the commandant, I am afraid he was killed in the line of duty."

The paladin halted, her face turning to a frown. "That is very unfortunate, his testimony could have shone light on how in the name of Aeterna this could have happened. Where is El?"

To see Thaeus´s stoic face turn to worry and sadness caused Serafin to tremble.

"Our captain suffered a great injury at the citadel. She is currently resting in the infirmary of the citadel, when she has recovered you can-"

Serafin gripped the collar of his robe, her eyes wide. "Show me. Where. She. Is."

Thaeus shook his head. "It would be best if you waited at least-"

Her grip tightened and she drew her sabre, bright green sparks surrounding the blade. "Like hell I will! Bring me to my wife, right now!"