CHAPTER 15: SEVEN PILLARS OF SAND

The four of us stood in front of the massive structure that was the Seven Spired Monastery. We left the four girls back in the room, considering the problem we faced at a restaurant. We really didn’t want to try our luck with the damn Church. I can talk down some simple restaurant owner but the leaders of the largest organized religion in this world are something else entirely. Considering I’m already this hated being by most of the populace and the fact that to my knowledge medieval era civilizations were not above burning witches or heretics, I decide that… yeah let’s just play along...

Judging by the structure of this monastery, I can quite easily assume the Church of the Seven is quite rich which makes them quite powerful. After all, even though money can’t solve your problems, it can certainly help with all your problems. As I turn my gaze up at the structure I see it is a massive building made of white stone. The walls were inscribed with large gilded patterns. That spiraled in weaving floral patterns and the petals of said flowers were made of large gemstones. The spires themselves were also impressive, they were quite wide and towered high into the sky. A literal manifestation of the term “ivory towers”.

I look back down at the crowds of people waiting in line to enter the Monastery. They all had one thing in common, they all looked destitute. They were wearing barely more than rags and some of them looked to be so weak they would collapse any moment.

The line went up the large marble staircase and at the base of the stairs was a large crowd of the poor who were waiting to get in line. A group of priests stood at the top of the stairs and beckoned them into the monastery one by one.

“What’s with all the people?” Jacob asked furrowing his brows.

“No idea, they don’t look too good though. Some of them look half dead.” I say.

“I think they may be ill,” Charlotte said as she furrowed her brows.

“Well I don’t think we can heal all of them, so maybe we should just head in for now?” I say with a sigh.

“Hey that reminds me, do you heal an illness or cleanse an illness?” Jacob asked.

“Hmm, good question,” Charlotte said as she cupped her chin.

“Styx?” I ask out loud.

You rang my lord?

Styx appeared in a cloud of darkness, his red eyes narrowed and his mouth stretched into a wide smile.

“Are diseases cured using a healing spell or a cleansing spell?” I ask.

Both actually

The Cleansing type abilities remove the illness if it’s a disease

If the disease is caused by bodily damage like a failing liver then a Healing spell would work

If you were fat and that caused your illness then no spell can help you

I suggest a diet as a remedy

Styx said with a laugh at the last comment. I scowl at him and he gets the message.

You can’t heal old age induced illnesses as well

If you could heal old age then healing spells could grant you immortality

These spells remove abnormal effects that your body is trying to correct

It merely accelerates the healing process

If your body does not recognize anything to be wrong nothing will happen

That made sense, old age is caused by cell degeneration. The body doesn’t recognize anything is wrong, it’s just not as good as it used to be. I guess healers would be the equivalent of doctors in this world. Although judging by how the people here all look as poor as dirt, my best guess this would be the equivalent of a public hospital. Whether it was free or subsidized on the other hand remains to be seen. If I’m honest though judging by what I’ve seen so far in this world I doubt this Church of the Seven would be so generous.

As we walked up the stairs I noticed all of the poor were either carrying small pouches or were clutching coins in their grimy hands. So I guess it isn’t free then…

We were getting stares as well, but that isn’t surprising. With our flashy and obviously top quality armor we stood out like a sore thumb. Especially me, my greatcoat that seemed to bleed shadows was especially ominous. Furthermore, my armor design is drastically different from the rest. The rest all had a fantasy-style design but mine has a modern design with little ornamentation. Focusing on practicality rather than aesthetics.

When we reached the top of the stairs I saw a priest approach or should I say, priestess. She wore mage attire as well. Although theirs is much more revealing with their top looking closer to a swimsuit than the cloth armor that Charlotte wore. Her cloak was also of a slightly different design, it went down only to her elbows rather than to the knees of the other mages. From what I can see the priestesses all had their hoods up covering their heads. She also didn’t have a skirt instead going for a design that is similar to a leotard. On her legs, she wore thigh-high white stockings that look to be made of lace, and for her shoes, she wore simple white shoes that came up to her ankles.

Overall the design was much more revealing and clearly not for combat. Those thin shoes would be cut to pieces on any hard terrain and her exposed hands would be scratched to all hell in a real fight. That small hood also seemed completely pointless, it served only to cover her shoulders and offered little to no protection for her limbs and body with that open front. What was the point of protecting the shoulders and the head with a layer of the cloth if you leave your torso, lower body, and limbs barely covered?

“Greetings heroes, the Cardinals are expecting you.” the priestess said with a bow.

“Yeah, we know,” I reply curtly

“Please follow me.” the priestess said as she beckoned us to follow her.

We followed her deeper into the Monastery and we walked past a large room where many of the poor were gathering. I saw priestesses standing in alcoves, each flanked by two soldiers. The poor kneel before priestesses as they handed them their coins. I could hear whispered prayers all around me as the poor seemingly begged to be healed. Then I saw one man finish his prayer, the priestess lowered her head for a moment before shaking her head.

I find you wanting sinner

Return when you have found your faith

I hear the priestess say, the man presses his head into the smooth floor and grabs at the priestess’s legs. Begging her to reconsider, begging her to save him, the priestess doesn’t move instead the two soldiers approach and grab the man by the arms. He shouts in desperation as they begin to drag him away. His voice echoing out in the large hall, screaming apologies and begging for absolution.

I sense Charlotte turn suddenly and begin moving towards the man. Oh no, this isn’t good, we are in the heart of this religion…

Stop!

Unhand him!

I hear Charlotte shout and I wince, well there’s no going back now. The doors are wide open now, hopefully we don’t let anything too bad in…

I see the soldiers freeze and the man quietens down. The soldiers look to each other for a moment and they release the man. The man falls to the ground in a crumpled heap and he looks up at Charlotte, his eyes wide as if he is looking at an angel.

“Life Hero Sama, please do not concern yourself with him. He approaches the Church with hollow words and expects salvation. He is not worthy of your concern.” the priestess says with a bow.

“Who are you to judge him?” Charlotte replies hotly.

Indeed Life Hero

Are’t thou truly worthy to judge?

I hear a female voice say as Charlotte’s companion appears, her ethereal voice echoing out across the room. The green glowing ball glowing with an emerald light, it's form made of twisting vines, branches and flowers.

The soldiers and the priest all freeze at the sight of her companion.

“Hope, what are you…” Charlotte asked, surprised at the sudden appearance.

Speaking on thy behalf Life Hero

I feel it would be prudent

As thou heart knows many truths

But thy lips are hesitant to utter them

As thou companion tis mine duty to aid thee

Thus I would be remiss if I languish in inaction

If thou wishes me silent, I shall obey

Hope said as the ball paused and waited for Charlotte’s answer. Charlotte paused for a moment and nodded her assent. I have a feeling the pair were having an internal conversation that they rather keep private.

Thank you, Life Hero

Now good priestess, why hast thou cast this one away?

“He speaks the scripture but his words ring hollow. He seeks salvation when he has no faith.” the priestess replied.

Thou speaks of hollow words

But does thou truly comprehend the words of the divine?

“Yes of course, I study the scriptures every day. I study every line, of every passage, of every chapter, of every tome.” the priest replies fervently.

Does thou truly?

What thou speakest of is memorisation not comprehension

Does thou truly believe that all that is divine can be learned from a page?

Does thou truly believe the divine so mundane?

The priestess freezes at those words her eyes flash with doubt. Her head lowers slightly as if lost in contemplation, she bites her lips for a moment and shakes her head.

The devout claims they seek truth

But do they really seek truth?

They seek the truth

There is no one truth child

There is only the truth that belongs to you

“The truth that belongs to me?” the priestess asks, her eyes wide, her face coloured with confusion.

Letters on a page cannot convey true understanding

Scripture implies a universal truth

Blind faith is the equivalent of its absence

Every life is a song, one is never the same as the other

The aria of a life is one so varied is it even possible for only one truth to exist?

Thou art seeking something that does not exist child

You cry out for something you already have

The aria of life is one of mercy, of understanding, of empathy

The Goddess of Life is the mother of all that draws breath

Would a mother cast one’s child away as thy has?

There are no standards, no singular truths

Only perspectives...

So tell me child why does thou say this man’s words ring hollow?

“He… said the prayer incorrectly... “ the priestess said quietly, her voice trembling.

Now that’s something isn’t it? This faith will condemn a person to death for botching the lines on a prayer. Judging by how long the line is outside, I would expect it to take hours to get in here. These people may be delirious with fever or even illiterate and these people expect perfect repetition?

So tell me child what are the words of The Sisters of Mercy?

Thy wear their robes, surely thou must know

“Mercy, Compassion, Faith.” the priestess said as she brought her trembling right hand to her face covering her eyes. I saw tears flow down from under her hands.

If thou seeketh a speaker of hollow words

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Thou need only gaze in a mirror…

“So what must I do then? If no singular truth exists then what must I seek?” the priestess asks, shaking.

“You find the truth that belongs to you. You are you, your life is a road that no one has walked before and no one else ever will. Reflect on what your faith means and do not obsess with the right words. Words only have value when meaning is conveyed. What do you feel is the divine’s message? Everyone has their own answer, you just need to find the truth that belongs to you.” Charlotte said gently.

Well said Life Hero

You see child?

The Life Hero knows nothing of thine scripture

Yet she shows more understanding than thyself

If one seeketh the light too fervently

One may find thyself blinded by it’s incandescence

Reflect upon thyself child

May’st thou thy peace discover…

With those words Hope vanished in a flash of green light, leaving all of us standing mutely in the wake of those words. It was Charlotte who moved first; she knelt down and gently held the man’s hand. [Isha’s Embrace] she said gently and green symbols resembling flowering vines appeared around her body. The man was bathed in that glow and his pale sickly parlour immediately improved.

“Thank you…” the man said breathlessly.

“Do not trouble yourself with it.” Charlotte said gently as stood but as she did so, she helped the man to his feet.

“Thank you Life Hero you have given me much to think about…” the priestess said with as strong a voice as she could manage.

“Think on it, everyone has their own road, you just need to find your own. Authority and power is not a cudgel to beat those below you, not a tool for judgement. It must be used to raise people up rather than beat them down…” Charlotte said as she turned to face me. Her eyes locked on mine for a moment and without looking back she spoke again.

“May you find your peace.” Charlotte finished as she walked back over to us.

I knew she was talking to me as much as she was talking to that priestess. My peace? I’m not sure if I can find that… not anymore…

It’s agonising to think about, I’ve grown to care so much for Charlotte but my purpose still calls. The voices of a legion of dead calling from beyond reminding me of my mission. It feels like two chains tearing at me from both sides, the warmth and light that I feel when I’m with Charlotte on one side. The cold hate of promised vengeance on the other.

Yet when I’m with Charlotte in those quiet moments I can almost pretend that my mission doesn’t exist. Once those moments end the cold hate starts to seep in again, like black tendrils clawing at the edges of my mind. The faces of the dead accusing me of playing hero in another world while they died like dogs. Judging me as I feel Charlotte’s warm touch, as I try to be happy.

The dead call asking why do I deserve happiness? I’m not special, I'm just some lucky bastard that didn’t roll a pair of snake eyes. When Shuji died he was just standing there, he didn’t run for cover, he didn’t reach for his rifle. He just stood there as if accepting the end. Maybe he got tired of rolling that dice and decided to take his fate into his own hands. At least at the end the gods didn’t get to roll that damned pair of dice…

So where does that leave me? Am I some dark creature that is drawn to the light? Like a moth to a flame?

If one seeketh the light too fervently

One may find thyself blinded by it’s incandescence

“Yeah that sounds about right.” as the memory of Hope’s voice rings in my head. It’s not the same context or situation or even the same train of logic…

However, the comparison still stands. When I’m with Charlotte I try to forget, I try so hard to reach the light I blind myself to everything else. That was why I was so afraid for the baby, why I let that goblin go. I didn’t want Charlotte to see what I truly am, I’m afraid she will recoil in disgust once she gets a good look...

The thought of Charlotte shunning me is… terrifying… I want to be what she wants to be. I don’t want her to see me as this broken creature, too shattered to be fixed. So what do I do? I wear a mask as I always do, a mask for Charlotte, a mask for my men back in Sapporo, a mask to everyone else…

I’ve gotten so good wearing these things that I’m not even sure who I am underneath it all anymore…

Well… whatever… I’ll just be whatever I need to be then. It’s worked so far so might as well keep going. Onaga Katsuro, the boy who wanted to be a literature teacher died in the ruins of Sapporo, the person that came out is… someone else…

Hey…

I hear as I feel someone take my hand, I turn to see Charlotte walking next to me as we walk down a hallway that I don’t remember us entering.

“You ok? You got that look in your eyes again.” Charlotte asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing…” I say with a smile as I squeeze my hand and I feel her squeeze back.

“Alright…” Charlotte said as she looked away as I caught the barest hint of a shimmer in her sapphire eyes.

“We can talk later…” Charlotte added as she shifted her hand to remove it from my grip. I tighten my grip on her hand holding on.

Charlotte looks back at me eyes wide. I bite my lip as I look at her and she gives me a small smile as she squeezes back.

Then we arrive at a great door with a seven pointed star engraved in gold upon it. The door is almost five metres tall. At the bottom of the door, which would be the first thing you see when you lower your eyes and the only thing you can see at eye level. It was a painting on the door depicting shadows with black chains bursting forth from the black abyss. The chains reach out like black tendrils ensnaring men and women who laugh as they are dragged below into the abyss.

So the darkness below is at the level of the viewer and high above them the shining gold seven pointed star. Nothing like a god fearing culture…

I feel Charlotte let go of my hand as we look at the door. Now’s not the time for that, mask on I suppose…

As the door groaned open we saw the door reveal a large circular room. In the room was a table shaped like crescent and around it sat seven men and women who all wore some kind of religious robes. I saw one woman who was wearing the same robes as the priestesses from before. So I assume she is the Cardinal of Life?

I noticed as we entered the room all the cardinals were looking at me darkly. Judging by the chill on the back of my neck, I doubt they were thinking pleasant thoughts.

I watched as Charlotte took the lead and greeted them cordially although her voice lacked the usual warmth that I have become accustomed to receiving.

“Greetings, Cardinals. I have been informed that you wished to meet with us?” Charlotte said with a graceful curtsey as she bowed and lifted her cloak slightly with her left hand.

“Yes Life Hero, I thank you and all your compatriots for giving us some of your time.” one cardinal said.

“I am the Cardinal of Light and in truth we have asked to speak with you to fulfill our obligations to the good people of the nation.” the Cardinal of Light said, he was an aging man probably in his fifties and his robe is white with gold accents. Of all the Cardinals he looked to be the most “Holy”.

“Obligation?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes it is the duty of the Church of the Seven to shepherd the heroes on their journey. So that they may fulfill their purpose of sealing the Rifts.” the Cardinal of Light said.

Shepherd? They think we are lambs? To be herded as they see fit? That might be why they don’t like me, the Dark Heroes are chaotic, different every time. You can control something you understand, but you will find that task much harder if you know nothing about the thing in question.

With those thoughts I feel the same seething hate I felt for those politicians back home start to rise. Men who wear suits and sit in fancy chairs. Men who asked two generations to die so that they may keep their seat. Men of many flowery words but no deeds...

“Get to the point, the Rifts are coming in two weeks. We don’t have time to play house.” I say curtly.

At those words I felt the mood change and I could feel the hostility rise. Good let them know I will not play your game, you need me to save your precious world. As for me? Well I don’t need you that much as far as I know. There can be no equitable negotiation when there is an unequal distribution of power after all.

“I expected no less from the Dark Hero, your patron god is the bringer of ruin. So I suppose your lack of civility is to be expected. I have heard you are a soldier from a world that knows only death and destruction. A fitting Hero for the God of Death, Sin, Madness and War.” one of the other Cardinals said.

This one had robes of light blue and single sapphire was embedded on a crown on his head. Most likely he is the Cardinal of Water, the other’s have similar accents on their clothing making it quite easy to tell which is which.

“Katsuro is right, as much as civility is important in a formal setting. His point is still valid, time spent on such matters could be better used to help protect the people of this world. So any aid you can provide us would be appreciated." Charlotte said calmly and I felt the tension in the room dissipate slightly

“Charlotte’s right we don’t have time for this. We can do all of this primp and pomp after all the Rifts are dealt with.” Jacob added stepping forward.

“Time is short, we were brought here to be the mailed fist that will crush the invaders, a velvet glove serves no purpose.” Ivan said gruffly.

The Cardinals went silent at the other three’s words. Internally I was grateful that the three took my side. That wasn’t the smartest thing to say I know but I needed to let them know that we weren’t docile lambs to be herded. Many in my world's history have tried to use religion as a justification for their own power, as if they were chosen by a higher power. As Shuji once said,

In the High Heaven of Takamagahara the gods may rule

The gods can forgive or punish as they desire

But on earth, man holds sway...

A shocking statement for me to hear at the time, considering Shuji was a devout believer in Shinto Buddhism. He always respected the spirits and the ancestors. To hear him say that was the first sign to me that the war was starting to break him. He had said it after we caught a bunch of prisoners, it was the first time we had them executed. I did most of the shooting of course. I was telling him about how the prisoners were praying before the end and how I wondered if they seriously expected to go to paradise after all they had done. Well that was his answer to what I said, there were no gods in war. Only those struggling in the dirt trying to live another day...

So to the Cardinals we sent a clear message, we are not your docile flock and you are not our shepherd.

“Your words speak truly Heroes, very well we shall press on to the main issue. The main reason for our request is that it has been passed down over the generations of our duty. That portion of that duty is that the Church of the Seven must explain to the Heroes the nature of the Rifts.” the Cardinal of Light said.

“The nature of the Rifts?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes, the nature of the Rifts. This world’s denizens have faced them many times. Every two centuries our world comes under assault by the demons of the Outworld and each time they are repelled. It is our duty as the leaders of the faith to aid you in that task.” the Cardinal of Life said.

“The Rifts will come in two weeks approximately, we have no idea which day exactly or which hour it will appear. Once it does appear the next Rift will have a chance to appear every two weeks from the day and on the same hour of the last Rift’s appearance.” the Cardinal of Light said.

“A chance to?” I ask, surprised. So it’s not even a guaranteed appearance? Why would they appear like clockwork on everything else but not appear consistently? Something wasn’t right… or am I just overthinking it?

“Yes the Rifts have a chance to appear every two weeks, if it doesn’t then the next Rift will appear in another two weeks. Although unlikely it is possible and has happened before.” the Cardinal of Light said.

“What about location? We can’t exactly fight it if we have no idea where it is?” Jacob asked.

“The Rifts appear randomly across this world, even as we speak all the available soldiers and mages are spreading across the world to be on guard in the event of a Rift’s appearance. However, it must be noted that once a Rift is spawned in an area it will not reappear in the same area.” The Cardinal of Light explained as he gestured to a nearby priest dressed in the same gold robes of the Cardinal of Light.

The priest approached and it displayed a map of the surrounding region.

cSc5uoU.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/cSc5uoU.jpg]

This map however, merely showed at best a small continent, it’s hard to tell because some lakes are larger than they should be and I’m pretty sure the rivers aren’t that large. I mean if the rivers were to scale they would be almost a hundred meters wide. It was obviously not done to scale like the ones I was used to reading. It had icons for cities and towns that were too large relative to the land mass. It was obviously a rough map done by people who had a crude understanding of cartography.

So either this world has really tiny mountains and very large rivers or this is just an artist's rendition of the supposed known world. I mean the Capital Regus is as big as a mountain and I’ve seen apartment buildings taller than this castle...

“Where is the rest of it? This isn’t the whole world, it's a small continent at best.” I say.

“Yes it’s hard to tell the true scale but judging by this mountain range, assuming the mountains here are roughly of the same scale of the ones in our worlds which I think they are. Afterall the map clearly shows a cold region being blocked by a mountain region which means the mountains require a certain height in order to shield the other side from the cold.” Charlotte said as she peered at the map.

“My best guess is… it’s about the size of France and Germany put together. So about half of mainland Europe.” Charlotte said as she peered at the map.

“This is an artist's rendition of the world, Heroes. We have more precise maps for localised areas. The dot’s shown are merely the larger villages. The smaller villages are not included in the map.” the Earth Cardinal said.

“This is all there is, the borders of this world are surrounded by the Great Barrier. A layer of impenetrable storms that has winds that can carry an entire armoured carriage away. We have tried to breach the Great Barrier many times. Thus far no attempts have succeeded. The past Rifts have also been defeated without having to breach the Great Barrier.” the Cardinal of Light explained.

“What about that part at the bottom right? Alvuan? It looks like that section of land broke off from the mainland.” I ask as I examine the map.

cdFkDoD.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/cdFkDoD.jpg]

“That is Alvuan, home of the elves, they broke away their homeland a hundred of years ago during a war with Regus using earth magic.” the Cardinal of Earth replied with a scowl.

“Can’t imagine why…” I mutter to myself. After seeing the way this kingdom treated those three girls I suppose it’s lucky they could break a piece of land off like that. Not sure how that would work in terms of geography but then again this place has magic so I suppose science goes out the window to an extent.

“Then what if the Rift appears there?” I ask.

“You do not need to defeat every Rift, you need only defeat the final one and any remaining Rifts will slam shut. You only need to defeat the Rifts to gain power, so that you are able to defeat the final one.” the Cardinal of Light replied.

“So it might not be that the Rift doesn’t appear, it’s just that you didn’t find it.” I say, narrowing my eyes.

“So how will you know where the Rifts are?” Jacob asks.

“If this place is half the size of Europe you can’t exactly check everywhere, how would you know if Rift is lying in some forest somewhere?” Jacob asked furrowing his brows.

“Or one that is behind a mountain in a Boreal Waste. Or on a landmass that is broken off from the mainland.” I add raising an eyebrow. I’m starting to think we won’t be fighting every Rift that shows up. Probably only the ones that endanger this kingdom.

The map showed some forts on the borders, like the fortress at the gap in the mountains or the forts at the deserts. If Rifts came every two hundred years then these forts can’t be just there for the Rifts. There are probably civilisations on the borders of this world, civilisations this kingdom doesn’t care about…

“We have mages that can detect the Rifts. The Rifts release significant amounts of magical energy and that can be easily picked up.” the Cardinal of Light said.

“Then what if the Rifts appear somewhere like Alvuan? Are we going to be sent there too?” I ask.

“If the elves send a request you will be allowed to go. That is the law of this world, none can bar the way the Heroes that wish to battle the Rifts. If you Heroes receive the request you may go if you wish. This is one of the most sacred laws, none living will dare to bar your way.” the Cardinal of Light replied calmly.

If that’s the case then the political bullshit should be reduced at least. Although knowing the bureaucrats from back in my world, I can bet these shits would find some way to play with the rules…

“The Rifts will begin weak, only releasing weak demons that even the common soldier can defeat with sufficient preparation. However, the longer the Rifts remain open the tear between worlds will grow wider and the demons spawned will grow ever more numerous and powerful. Subsequent Rifts also begin as larger and larger tears as more of them appear, finally culminating in the final Rift that will spawn an Outworld Demon Lord. It’s level is 95 and it is a terrible foe to behold, we can send a million common men to battle it and a million men will be repelled. Once it appears the only people who stand even a chance against it will be yourselves and your sworn attendants.” the Cardinal of Light said.

“If you fail, every soul in this world will die, the demon’s will devour everything.” the Cardinal of Life said as she lowered her head as if contemplating this potential dark future.

“So we win or everything dies? Well that makes it simple doesn’t it?” Jacob said with a sigh.

“I suppose it does, win or die...” Charlotte replied softly.

The room went quiet for a moment, well I suppose it’s hard for the rest. Not so much for me, I got used to these kind of do or die situations quite a while back...

“Yep it’s really simple. Everytime I find myself in a situation like that I just think to myself, oh it’s Tuesday already?” I reply sarcastically and I see Charlotte and Jacob crack a smile at my graveside humor.

“This is no laughing matter Dark Hero.” the Cardinal of Life said coldly.

“Clearly you’ve never fought a war. There is a point where tragedy starts teetering dangerously on the edge of comedy.” I reply with a snort as I cross my arms. God I hated these high and mighty asses...

“Hmph. Well I suppose I should not be surprised, the Dark God is also called the laughing god for a reason.” the Cardinal of Life said her voice dripping with contempt.

“No matter, this leads us to the next part of our discussion quite nicely…” the Cardinal of Light said as his gaze bore into me.

“Why are you here?” the Cardinal of Light asked. So here it was, them trying to peer through the window…

“I don’t know.” I reply with a shrug, knowing this answer would only aggravate them.

“Do not play games with us Dark Hero, we must know if you are a bringer of ruin or salvation. The Dark Heroes are always powerful far beyond the other Heroes. We know the Dark Heroes do not come by requests, they come by bargains.” the Cardinal of Light said.

Oh? So it seems this group is slightly more well informed than the king.

“What is your bargain?” the Cardinal Light pressed.

“I get to go home.” I reply.

“So you were kidnapped by the Dark God?” the Cardinal of Light asked.

“I wouldn't say that… it’s more of a service in exchange for a reward.” I reply cryptically, raising an eyebrow. I see the Cardinal narrow his eyes, picking up on the fact that I had no intention to tell them.

“So what service have you promised him?” the Cardinal of Light asked, trying a different angle.

“I don’t know.” I say again with a smirk.

“So you would have me believe you agreed to a service, when you don’t even know what it is?” the Cardinal of Light spat.

“Yes.” I reply calmly.

“Then you must really think us fools to think we would choose to believe such an obvious lie.” the Cardinal of Light said contemptuously.

“There is always a choice, the truth is no exception.” I reply, quoting my patron god.

At those words the room froze and the Cardinals looked to one another as if what I said meant something significant.

“What?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at the strange reaction.

Shit did I just give them something important without knowing what it is?

“So you are telling the truth… which means you must be truly desperate.” the Cardinal of Light said as he looked up and locked me in his gaze.

“What does that mean? What do you know?” I hear Charlotte ask.

“We know of two of the past Dark Heroes. The first is called the Thorned Rose, she was a harlot that lay with many men but could know no love. The second is known as the Plagued Healer, one who heals the sick but knows nothing but pestilence… and you are a soldier who knows no peace…” the Cardinal of Light said softly as if lost in thought.

“There is always choice, the truth is no exception… a statement of madness, a hymn to the chaos of the Dark God. This same phrase was said by the past two Dark Heroes the moment their true intentions were clear. Even if no one but them knew it at the time. You wish to go home but you weren’t kidnapped… which means you plan to return with something…” the Cardinal of Light said as he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Power... that was what you were promised…” the Cardinal of Light said.

Oh he was promised much more than that…

I hear as Styx materialised, completely disregarding my order for him to only appear when I allow it.

“Styx, I told you not to come out unless I ordered you to.” I said mentally.

Oh but Dark Hero how could I resist an opportunity like this…

Styx said out loud for the whole room to hear, so it looks like this guy only listens when he wants to…

You think yourselves as preservers of order against my chaos

You think yourselves as pillars that hold up this world

If only you could see what I see

Talking lambs in fine clothes

You cry for a saviour when it is a destroyer that you need

You ask for a Hero when it is a Villian that you deserve

Do you know why all of you know so little of the Dark Heroes?

“Because the Dark Hero’s are malicious entities, they destroy and they leave.” the Cardinal of Light replied.

Oh if only you were so lucky…

You will know the truth soon

Those that came before you did as well

They just chose to take it to their graves

You will come to realize that your seven pillars…

Are seven pillars of sand

You will try to cleanse all beneath your great towers with holy fire

But you will find your pillars turn to glass…

And that’s when the fun begins...