January 10th, 1408.

A lustful garden was placed inside of a church. The garden was full of birds, and small animals, rows of every type of flowers can be seen. In the middle of the garden stood four trees, in the middle of the four trees was a pure white object that resembled a chalice. The white chalice seems to be sprouting from the ground. The stem stood one meter long, while the cup was half a meter long, and a meter in width. Inside the cup was fresh water.

A middle-aged man approached the chalice-like object, and looked into the water, clearly seeing his reflection. As he was about to put in his hands, he heard a knocking coming from outside the door. The man turned around, and saw a maid come in.

“It’s finally time to start?” The man said.

“Yes Father Michael,” The maid answered. Michael was the pope of the church, he was in his mid-forties, with brown hair, sharp eyes, he wore a pure white garment, with a black sash, with red lines going across it. He wore it across his neck. He wore a simple golden necklace with the symbol of a black fire, a symbol of his god. “The knights are waiting for you, should I let them inside?” The maid asked.

“No need, I will go to them, thank you.” Michael responded.

The maid bowed her head, and held the door open for Michael. Michael walk into a grand hall. The floor was polished limestone, with clerestory windows on each side of the hall. Two people were walking towards Michael, as they got close enough the both of them bent their knee to Michael.

“Dame Julia, Sir Leo please there is no need for the both of you to bend your knee everytime we meet.” Michael repeated.

“Sir, we only wished to show you the proper respect.” Julia responded. Julia was a commander of the knights. A position which was in third of command of the knights, she was thirty-four years old, her skin beige color, and her black hair reaching her shoulder, her brown eyes had a hardened look about them. She is one of the six commanders of the knights.

“I agree, sir.” Leo agreed. Leo was also one of the commanders of the knights, he was thirty-seven years old, his skin was tanned from all the days training in the sun. His brown hair was trimmed, and his dark blue eyes had an angry look on them.

There were six commanders in total, beside their leader, and superiors, no other knight stood on their level of strength.

Michael emotionally let out a sigh, he put his hand on one of their shoulders. “Thank you, but please I insist you stand now.” Michael reassures them.

They both stood, and faced Michael, with a hand over their chest, and their heads slightly bowing.

“Sir, we have gathered the messengers, they are ready to hear your orders.” Julia explained.

“Very well, let us begin this will be my first act as pope, come follow me.” He led the two commanders down the hallway. “It’s a shame not all of you could be here.” Michael remarked.

“Yes, the others sent their regards, they wished they could be here as well. Sir.” Leo stated.

“It’s alright, I understand how hard the commanders work for the people, and for me. Don’t let it bother you. Now,” he looked ahead, nearing the twin glass door. “It’s time to set my plan in motion, after this I plan many things for the upcoming years.” Michael added.

“Of course sir, we have gathered the fastest of the messengers so your word will be spread as fast as possible, you can rest assured your message will be heard.”Julia reassured him.

“I truly appreciate it, though my plan may have its flaws, I truly believe it will help us, we need to do a complete remodeling of the church knights. We need to do this so that we may never fall again to those monsters.” Michael revealed.

{Of course that exact details of that knowledge must be kept safe, having been passed down from pope to pope, I must do what I must to safeguard it, only when the threat of those monsters are gone, I can reveal it, if it is brought out sooner the people will riot.} Michael thought to himself, wiping away the sweat that was forming on his forehead.

The two commanders looked at each other, they wanted to speak up, but before they could Michael spoke out again.

“Now then, we are here.” Michael put his hand on the twin glass doors, and opened them, the doors leading to the outside of the church, in front of the doors, was a marble staircase that led to a podium. The three of them started walking up the stairs.

As they finished walking up the stairs Michael took in the view which he considered was his city. The church was right in the middle of the sacred city of Aevum. Shops, and houses were evenly spread out across the city, but it was the church that stood over them all.

Below the podium staircase was a great clearing, they were messengers dressed in simple blue garments with the symbol of their god on their chest, they all looked up at the pope, and lowered their heads in respect.

Michael looked around the podium identifying the five people that were waiting for him. There were his two cardinals. Father Saul, and Christopher, behind them stood the three kings.

Cardinal Saul wore the same types of garments as Michael, but with a red sash with black lines around the sash, though he is older than Michael he admires Michael the most, his skin stan for he always holds his sermons in the sun. His eyes had a sharp look to them.

Cardinal Christopher was the youngest of three, being the youngest to ever hold a position of a cardinal. He wore the same clothing as the other two, but with a pure red sash. His long black hair hangs in a ponytail that reaches his back.

The three kings came forward and lowered their heads towards Michael greeting him. Michael greeted them back.

The kings served under the church, each of them answered directly to the pope. The holy cities were also regarded as their separate kingdom, with the sacred city Aevum being the highest. The kings were all related to each other, coming from a family that was chosen from the church in the past, they were regarded as the holy family. While the church took care of the issues regarding problems outside the holy cities, and the knights, the kings were responsible for the people inside the three holy cities. Adruil, Aetom, and Aevum.

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The kings were around their thirties, they each wore elegant clothes, with red capes around their back, they each wore a thin crown on their foreheads. With a red jewel on it.

King Richard the eight, he ruled over the sacred city of Aevum. Though he was responsible for the people, many consider his rules to be extremely strict. He always reminded his people the church’s rules were important, any who broke them will be severely punished.

King John the tenth, he ruled over the kingdom of Aetom. Having the same responsibilities as the other two kings, he took on a more hands free approach. He was known as a lazy king, not caring for anything, but his pleasure. Only making an appearance if he was forced too.

King William the twelfth, he ruled over Adruil, known as the people's king. He simply wishes for his people prosperity, because of his hard work, his kingdom is catching up to the other two despite being the fourth kingdom that was established in the region.

Michael walked to the edge of the podium, ready to address his messengers. With both of the commanders behind him, and his two cardinals at his side, he spoke to them.

“Listen to me, my children, I stand here today so that we may begin a path that I know will help us unite the region once again. So that we may band together once more and finally take down this threat that has been slowly looming over us in the horizon. As they gather, they grow stronger, becoming more vicious, and most importantly biding their time. We must do all we can to take them down, if we don’t then it surely destroys us. You all know my history, what I have lost! Everyone here has also lost something precious to those monsters, if that threat continues to exist, we all will lose everything. Tell me now! Will you do whatever it takes to prevent that!” Michael screamed.

The knights bent their knees, and shouted their answers.

“Yes!”

Michael took a moment and looked over his knights, and then towards the surrounding area, deep down he wanted to protect everything, never to lose anyone again. He took a deep breath and gave the knights their orders.

“I will do my best so I may see a future where we are no longer plagued with these monsters, this is what I want from the very beginning, doing what is best for us. All of you have been gathered here today because of your feats, and your loyalty towards the church.” Michael declared, as he praised them.

“I have complete faith that all of you will complete your mission without fail. I will not ask for this unless I truly believe this is the best course of action. So I trust all of you to believe in me, have trust in my words, and when you spread my word convey my feelings into it as well. I order all of you that stand before me today, tell the knights that are positioned in the lower, and middle outskirts of the region, that they are to abandon their posts and come back immediately. No knight is to be left behind, any who insist on staying behind will be forever banished from the church, they are all to come back to Adruil at once. Only then I will tell the whole region my plan.” Michael told them

The knights look at each other in confusion, understanding what would likely happen to the outskirts villages without the knights protection. But they chose to listen to Michael, all of them despite their complaints will complete their mission.

“Your commanders will stay behind and explain the mission in more detail, I pray you all come back safely.” Michael waved goodbye at his knights, and turned around, and headed back into the church, his cardinal, and three kings followed him into the church.

As they entered the church, the three kings called the attention of Michael.

“Sir Michael, we will head back as well, we will explain to the people your plan, so there won’t be any confusion.” John stated.

Michael nodded his head, and continued walking forward, his two cardinals following closely behind him. As soon as he knew they were alone, Michael spoke to them. “So what are the two of you thinking?”

“I wholeheartedly agree with you Father Michael.” Saul explained.

Christopher remained silent as they kept walking.

“You still have your doubts, don’t you Christopher?” Michael said.

“Father Michael we can’t do this!” Christopher tried to say.

“How can you still doubt him, after everything-” Saul tried to say but was interrupted by Michael.

“That’s enough Saul, I only asked for an opinion. I do not want you arguing where anyone can see us, let us go to my study room.” Michael told them Saul wanted to speak out, but Michael already made up his mind, and started leading them to his study room.

As they entered Michael's study room, Michael sat on his brown wooden desk. Moving the papers that were on it, and motioning for his cardinals to take a seat in front of him, as they all sat down Michael was the first to speak. “Alright then Christopher, speak your mind, we won’t be heard here.”

“I object to this plan, you are asking our knights to abandon the lower outskirts villages, without the knights protection, those villages will fall to bandits, or even to those hybrids!” Christopher agonized.

“The main reason we have those monsters!” Saul corrected him. “Is because of those people who lived in those villages. We tried to reason with those villagers already, but they always refuse to move, yet they expect our protection.” Saul explained.

“So because they refuse our help, you are going to feed them to the wolves?” Christopher demanded.

“Of course not Christopher,” Michael began. “But we can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting something to change. In the letters that are going to be handed out, they are to try and take as many villagers as they can with them. But Saul is right, most of those monsters come from those villages, we have tried in the past four-hundred years to get them to move, but they always refuse. Hopefully without our protection they will see how dangerous it really is.” Michael advised.

“So you are ready to sacrifice innocent lives to prove a point!?” Christopher said in disbelief.

“If you have a better suggestion, then tell me.” Michael stated.

Christopher moved around his chair, frustrated, he couldn’t come up with anything, he stared at the ground, with an angry look on his face.

“Very well then, my decision still stands.”

Christopher suddenly got up from his chair, as he was about to open the door he stopped. “This will not end well Father Michael, I hope you are ready for whatever comes from this.” Before they could speak, Christopher shut the door behind him.

Michael sighed, and leaned on his chair, looking at the ceiling, he looked at Saul who was still staring at him. Tell me Saul, what do you think of my plan?”

“There is nothing to discuss about, Father Michael. If you believe this to be the best course of action, I will happily follow you.” Saul proudly stated.

“That’s enough, give me your honest opinion.” Michael told him.

“....It’s as you say Father Michael, we have tried to save them in the past, you can consider this one of the last options for us, but it is for the better. After all humanity’s survival comes first, over a couple hundreds of lives.” Saul explained.

“Yes, it is as you say. I pray to see the day that those filthy monsters no longer pose a threat to us, I will keep moving forward, I will decide what is best for us. I know I have to be right.” Michael told himself, outloud.

Saul nodded his head in agreement, Michael stood up from his chair, and walk to a nearby window. He could see the knights he addressed starting to get ready for the mission.

{I will do everything I can, I can’t lose anyone ever again.} Michael thought to himself.

***

January 17, 1408

One week had passed since the pope gave out his mission. In the holy city of Adruil a secret room was built underneath a certain building. In the secret room there was a man kneeling, soon another man who seemed to be in late sixties appeared before him.

“Sir, I managed to get a copy from the mission that was given to the knights, it seems the pope is finally starting his plans.” The man who was kneeling explained what he had learned.

The old man read it and let out a laugh. “I see, by letting them die, we won’t be able to get as many hybrids as we want, well it doesn’t matter the deadline is already coming, though having a few more won’t hurt, I’ll be sure to tell her, and a few others to go get some. Might as well be our last batch, before they are completely gone.” The old man said to himself.

He looked towards the ceiling, imagining the holy city. “Despite all this time they never managed to get rid of us, the only thing that is indeed going to change is…” The old man smiled, he gave his thanks to the person kneeling, and headed back out the door.

“What a sight it will be.” His mumbling words went through the air, with no one to hear them.