I know this for I was there.

I bore witness to her path,

grown before her as it was.

-The Gospel According to the Holy First Handmaiden

Stones tore into Gardinal’s flesh as he careened across the courtyard. What armour he still had did little to protect him, most having been rent away by X’s fell claw, or otherwise melted by the earlier blast. Crashing into a fluted column with a crack that ran up its length, Gardinal came to a sudden stop. His body was broken upon the temple grounds, his blood staining the white marble. For a moment, all he could do was lay where he was and breath, but with every breath came more of that twisted darkness seeping into his lungs. The power of that heretic permeated the courtyard, its smokey presence filling the air and suffocating Gardinal. Like rancid old oil poured over him it slid across his lips, down his throat, and filled him up with its foul taint.

Memories crashed into him like an avalanche. Memories that he had pushed away so long ago, hidden in the recesses of his mind. All at once he was back in that small Theremya village by the river in the Shaded Lands. He had stayed in the camp an hour late that day, bandaging a young soldier who had taken an arrow to the leg. The smell of ash filled his nostrils as he rushed to meet up with his men.

The marble courtyard was gone, only that small village square stood before Gardinal now. All the village men, simple farmers and craftsmen, huddled together while half the soldiers held them still at spear point. The screams and laughter echoed in his mind as Gardinal numbly walked through that village, as horrifying as it had been a decade ago. The men whimpering as their women were ravaged before their eyes.

Then Gardinal saw it again. One of the young Fereni recruits grunting over a little Sherya girl, likely the local lord’s daughter, no older than seven or eight. She didn’t even whimper. Nor did the recruit as Gardinal crushed his skull with one blow of the hammer. In a haze Gardinal watched his body work without him. One by one he murdered every single one of his men. At first just the rapists, crushing ribs and skulls alike. Then the rest tried to stop him. By the end of it, his teal sash had been stained a deep red, his hammer long lost, and his knuckles enough to kill the last man. His commander, a lesser lord’s third son, had been one of the monsters he had killed first.

When it was over, the villagers had just stared at him blankly. Hours later Gardinal stumbled back to the war camp, lying to the commander there. He had claimed that they were attacked by a surprise Theremya assault. He was the lone survivor. They gave him accolades for it, told him he was a hero. But Gardinal knew the truth that day. There were no heroes in this world, nothing good left in this forsaken land abandoned by its gods.

But there was her. There was Her Radiance. The little girl who smiled at him, all those months later. A little Fershya girl the same age as that one he had seen in the Shaded Lands. She had healed him, body, mind, and soul. A prophetess who embodied everything the Mother goddess he loved stood for. A child who he vowed to protect with his life.

That child was in danger.

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Gardinal’s eyes flashed open, images of war and death and decay pushed to the recesses of his mind. There was not time for that. Staring across the courtyard, he saw her slight form, frozen as X strode toward her.

Gardinal growled. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to give in to the violence. To succumb to his rage and slaughter this man. Gardinal knew that he couldn’t do that though, that all he could do was give Her Radiance time to get away. Pushing himself, he began to move. The Chaos pressed against him, the darkness itself pulling him back, ripping against his muscles and flesh. That little girl’s face shoving its way into his mind. I’m sorry I was too late. He told that little girl in his mind. But I can still save her. Gardinal let out a pained scream as he ran against the force of the Chaos.

He was too slow though. X would reach her first. Gardinal pushed harder, moved faster. His leg muscles began to spasm. A quick prayer to the Mother though and his legs moved more with light than flesh.

Still to slow. X striding closer and closer to the girl.

In a flash Valleresa dashed up from behind Her Radiance, dagger raised as she lunged at X. Valleresa hung in the air as the malformed Korek grasped her wrist high above her head, dagger clattering to the stone. A crack echoed through the still air of the courtyard as X struck Valleresa’s face with a clawed hand and dropped her. She crumpled to the ground. Her body struck the earth limp as blood flowed down her night black hair into a pool around her. Half her face was crushed, staring a wide-eyed empty gaze at Gardinal.

Gardinal pushed harder. Heartbeats, mere heartbeats away. If he could just…

Arabella screamed, stabbing up at X from the opposite side Valleresa had. Grief filled her face, as tears flew from her eyes, matching the arch of her own dagger.

A loud snap rang in Gardinal’s ear as Arabella’s head spun back. A single backhanded slap from X and she too fell limp to the earth at his feet. Gritting his teeth, Gardinal pushed harder. Those brave girls had given their lives, he could not let that be in vain. Ethinia embrace them, he prayed, they deserve Feren’s own glory for their deeds.

With a roar Gardinal leapt at X. Bringing his hands together into a tight clenched fist he urged all of the Mother’s light into strengthening his arms. For a moment, he arched through the air, hands ready to crush the monster’s skull with a single brutal strike.

A cold, boney hand grasped Gardinal by the throat. Terror filled him as he hung in the air, beating against X’s outstretched arm to no effect. No, this can’t be.

“Did you really think you were a match for me priest?” X chortled. Gardinal’s eyes darted to The Prophetess, locking with hers.

“Run.” Gardinal croaked out as X tightened his grip. “Celeste run.”

X crushed Gardinal’s neck then dropped him to the earth. Hitting cobblestone, Gardinal could only feel it when his head bounced against the ground. Desperately he tried to clamber to his feet, frantically trying to summon the Mother’s light to move his body.

It did not move. Gardinal tried to turn his head, tried to breathe air into his lungs. Nothing. It was as though his body was not there at all. Helplessly, he stared out at Her Radiance, she was all he could see as his head lay on the cold broke stones. She stared back at him, tears welling up in those silver and gold eyes. Move. He formed his lips silently. Run.

Darkness began to fill his vision. Her Radiance only stood and stared at him. Gardinal could see the Chaos surrounding her, pressing against her. He had to help her. Had to…

There was nothing he could do. Gardinal’s vision began to grow blurry. Faintly he heard a bird’s screech somewhere. It sounded as through a tunnel. Run. He thought desperately.

Then the darkness consumed his sight, and with it, Gardinal slipped into darkness.