Maria stood at the front doors of the church.
Walking the length of the columbarium again, she could still smell the sewer, even if the scent wasn’t really there. The thought of having to go back into a sewage system was revolting enough, but having to be back where they first entered left her stomach in a knot. Thankfully, they weren’t going into the sewers.
They were just going into a church to beat an old man up.
Strangely, despite being on the opposite end of the city, Maria was seeing much of the same emotionless expressions she had seen by the church on the west side of Berlington. From the way everyone looked, she would think it was a rainy day, or the sun was blocked by clouds, but no, the sky was clear and the sun was shining.
“What if he isn’t here?” Chariot asked.
“We’ll go to his house and wait ominously for him to return,” Tanalia said.
Maria chuckled. “You two ready?”
The two nodded, and Maria pushed the doors open.
The church was admittedly smaller, but despite that, every pew was filled to the brim, people sitting shoulder to shoulder and so smooshed together they were packed into their seats like a can of sardines. Above the door was a colorful rose window made of intricate tracery. The sun shone brightly through it, casting a golden ray down the center aisle to where the Oracle stood openly behind the wooden pulpit. His crystal eyes seemed to shimmer unnaturally as he peered up from the scripture he was reading.
“I was beginning to wonder how long it would be until you wandered back to my doorstep.”
As the trio stood at the back of the church, every head turned to face them. The people stuffed into the pews looked dazed, their pupils dilated and faces generally expressionless. “I should welcome you though, we are just about to start.”
“We’re not here for your service,” Maria said.
“If you want me to tell you where The Ringleader is, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“We came for you,” Tanalia barked. She drew one of her duel blades and aimed the tip of it at the Oracle. The entire congregation rose to their feet like soldiers, turning to fully face the trio. “You traderious bastard, we said we would.”
“Tanalia, maybe put that sword down,” Chariot whispered, glancing around at all the civilians. Tanalia disobeyed.
The Oracle sighed quietly from behind the pulpit. Holding out his hand, his lunar staff materialized in his grasp. The shimmering crystal polished into the shape of a lunar crest illuminated a cold, bleu aura from it. “I know you did. I just didn’t know how long it would be until the day came. It’s certainly later than I expected.”
Was he not able to see them this whole time? Maria thought to herself. Has he not been paying attention? How had he not seen them coming? She thought he could see into the future, and see where people were.
“Why?” Maria asked. “Why did you sell us out to him?”
“Yes, yes, I thought you would ask that question. If you wish to hear then lower your weapon.”
Tanalia grimaced, and hesitantly sheathed her blade. Her hand did not release it’s grip on the handle, however.
“Thank you,” the Oracle said politely. “The era of Moldark was not a pleasant one. I have seen with my own two eyes the sheer power and destructive force a man like the demon king is capable of. I was young when I watched the moon shatter at his hands. That kind of power is unstoppable.”
“He was stopped before,” Chariot said.
“By a lazy and arrogant king who now spends more time in women than in his throne room. Santiago Saldaña is not the king he once was. The demon king's subordinates are still out there, and it's only a matter of time before one of them rises to take their old master's place. The Ringmaster has the map to the demon king's treasure, there is power within his grasp. I will not stand on the losing side this time.” The priest's lips curled into a semblance of a smile, though it held a touch of sadness. “I do not enjoy partaking with evil, but if it will bring upon my salvation, then I will play the part.”
“You're a coward!” Chariot said. “You're a disgrace to this church, and to its people!”
“On the contrary, I'm a savior. I help guide them through life, just as the lunar goddess does for us all. I should thank you for getting my eyes back, it is nice to see you again. With them, I have given all these kind people sight into their futures, ones where they will be safe under my watch.”
“It looks like you did more than show them their futures,” Maria said. They all looked so pale, and expressionless, like the life had been sucked out of them. Now that she was looking closer, their diluted eyes looked gray and lifeless.
“Perhaps. But now they are more than just devout followers of the lunar goddess.”
“They’re your followers,” Tanalia said.
“That’s one way you can put it.”
“What do you mean one way, that is what this is!” Chariot yelled. “You’re brainwashing these people.”
“He can do that?” Maria whispered to Tanalia, who only shrugged in response.
The crystal crescent of the Oracle's staff started to shimmer brighter and brighter.
“Be that as it may, it is for a purpose.” The Oracle raised his staff and slammed it down. “Devoute followers of our beautiful goddess, before you are the heretics who threaten your futures. They are who I have warned you of.”
Synchronously, the civilians frowned and furrowed their brows like angry mothers.
“Capture them for me so that I may gift them to the Ringmaster. He is eager to play with them again.”
One by one, the congregation started piling out of the pews and into the center aisle. They marched forward towards the trio with such synchronously they were like a marching band.
Maria started backing away. She couldn’t draw her weapon on these people, much less cast any of her magic. These were civilians out of their minds.
“Let’s just knock them out,” Tanalia said.
“We’re not doing that,” Chariot said. She hurried out of the church with the other three before slamming the doors shut behind them. Up and down the road, every civilian had eerily stopped and turned early to face their direction. They were motionless at first, but as the trio turned to fully take in their surroundings, they began approaching.
“Run?” Maria looked back at Chariot.
“Run.”
The trio took off down the sidewalk, and the hoard of citizens took frantic chase. Hundreds of footsteps echoed against the cobblestone behind the trio. Even the people ahead of them had seemingly turned. The men in well-tailored suits, maidens in flowing dresses, and even younger children, all bore the same brainwashed expression and were beelining it for the trio.
“Is everyone here seriously under his influence?” Maria yelled. Her ring glowed as she held out her palm, and opened her new buffs menu. Selecting the speed buff, she and her other party members took off dashing away, significantly outpacing the civilians taking chase.
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Tanalia ran slightly faster than the others. She weaved around the people, pushing several of them out of the way as she did to clear a path for Maria and Chariot. When she reached a parked stagecoach on the side of the cobblestone road, she hopped on and got the horse ready to take off.
“We can’t just take someone's carriage!” Chariot said as she caught up.
“Everyone is trying to capture us! Get on!” Tanalia yelled.
Chariot glanced back hesitantly at the approaching crowd and climbed onto the stagecoach while Maria hopped onto the driver's perch with Tanalia.
Tanalia whipped the reins of the horse, causing the black stallion to rear and neigh loudly before taking off down the busy city street.
Maria relaxed for a moment, panting. This was a problem, a really, really big problem. How many people had he turned against them? She didn't even know he was capable of doing that. It had to be the staff.
“They're still after us!” Chariot yelled from inside the stagecoach.
Maria glanced back. Several more horse-drawn carriages were in pursuit, and as the trio raced past several other horsebound citizens, they too took chase. The air was quickly filled with the echoing thunder of hooves, billowing breath, and the clatter of wooden wheels against the cobblestone.
“How many people did he convert?” Tanalia growled.
“I don't want to say the entire city, buuuut,” Maria hesitantly looked forward at how many people were turning their heads their way as they hurtled through the street, whipping around other carriages and horses. She couldn't tell anymore who was trying to capture them, and who wasn't.
“They are catching up!” Chariot said. “What are we doing?”
Maria glanced back again. Several passengers of the horse-drawn carriages were climbing up onto the withered roofs of their vehicles. A few drew bows and others swords. “Are you serious?”
“We can't kill them!” Chariot yelled.
“They're trying to kill us!” Tanalia said.
“The Oracle said to capture us!”
“He didn't mention what state we had to be in though,” Maria said, climbing onto the roof of their carriage.
“What are you doing?” Chariot yelled.
“Trying not to kill them.” Maria aimed her hand slightly ahead of one of the approached stagecoaches. She cast {Firebolt}, and shot the ground just before the horse, shooting a spark of fire up at it’s feet, and causing the horse to veer away, neighing in a panicked state. It broke free of it’s reins, and the carriage crashed up onto the sidewalk as the horse veered away.
Maria winced at the sound. “Sorry!”
An arrow whizzed past her.
Maria flinched and nearly stumbled off the side of the stagecoach. She turned her attention to two approaching stagecoaches. One had an archer mounted atop, and the other a swordsman. “It doesn’t feel like they’re trying to capture us!”
Tanalia turned and drew her bow. She fired an arrow, and stuck the wheel of one of the stagecoaches, causing the bowman to fly forward onto the road as the carriage lost control and crashed. As Tanalia turned back around, she yanked the reins and veered the horse out of the way of another stagecoach. Maria stumbled and fell over the side of the stagecoach. There was a loud crash, and she slammed onto the roof of another stagecoach. The swordsman was above her, and he thrust his sword down to pierce Maria’s skull. She rolled out of the way and got back to her feet. Tanalia had crashed the stagecoach into the swordsman. His partner started hurling empty bottles at Tanalia while the swordsman leaned forward, slashing at Maria. She drew her Serpents Blade, and parried the strike, before trying to disarm the man. She dashed at him and knocked the sword from his hand. He almost went stumbling off the side of the speeding stagecoach, but she hopped over and grabbed him by the shirt.
Maria tried pulling the man back to keep him from falling, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her down with him. Maria gasped as she fell forward, but before she could topple over onto the street below, something caught her cloak and kept her from slipping. The man fell and crashed hard against the road as they raced away. Maria looked back, only to see Tanalia’s dagger wrapped up in her cloak, and floating just above her. It pulled Maria back to safety. Before she could even say thanks, the driver of the swordsman stagecoach veered away from her own, separating Maria from her party.
“Bastard,” she growled. He turned around in the driver's perch and drew a knife from his belt. He slashed at her ankles amateurishly. She stomped on the knife to pin it before delivering a hard kick to his face. The man stumbled back and fell over the side of the stagecoach. Maria hopped down and took the reins. She hadn’t driven a carriage before, but it didn’t seem that hard. She just had to tug the reins in the direction she wanted the horse to go… right?
The street ended up ahead and turned sharply into a T intersection.
Maria tugged on the reins, forcing the horse to make a sharp turn. The carriage swayed, and tipped, grinding against the stone on it’s two left wheels as she turned after Tanalia. Maria tried to keep her balance, and as the turn was made, the stagecoach, leveled out, crashing violently back onto the road. She steered the stagecoach closer to Tanalia before hopping over, letting the horse of the other stagecoach veer away.
“You alright?” Chariot asked from inside the stagecoach.
“I’m fine. I could have used some help!”
“I can’t do much in here!” she shouted.
“Sit down,” Tanalia said. Maria hopped down onto the driver's perch.
“Think we’re far enough away?” Maria asked.
“Halt!” a loud cry pierced the air. The trio looked behind them. Atop horseback road in a trio of Berlington guards. Maria didn’t need a long look to see that they too were sporting the same emotionless expression with gray, glazed eyes.
“Oh give me a fucking break,” Maria groaned.
“You don’t understand!” Chariot yelled to them, “We’re being attacked!”
The Berlington guards rode up beside the stagecoach on horseback. “Halt!” one of them yelled. “Pull the stagecoach off the road!”
“They’re after us too, Chariot!” Tanalia said.
“Hal—”
“Fuck off!” Tanalia yelled.
The Berlington guards materialized wooden spears into their hands. Without hesitation, the nearest one hurled it into the front left wheel of the stagecoach. There was a sickening crunch as the wooden wheel splintered upon impact. The stagecoach shuddered and was thrown off balance. Tanalia tried to keep control of the horse as the stagecoach careened into oncoming traffic. several stagecoaches veered out of the way as Tanalia lost control of the horse, and it bolted off, nearly causing another accident as it galloped back across the street. Maria gripped the railings of the stagecoach as it barreled towards the side of the city buildings.
“Jump!” Tanalia yelled and double-jumped away. Maria leaped from the stagecoach just as it crashed into the stone wall of a shop with a violent impact. Before Maria could hit the ground, a surge of light surrounded her, and as she impacted the ground with a violent crash, she took no damage, the sound of glass shattering ringing in her ears. Splintered wood and metal flew everywhere as the vehicle shuddered to a violent halt. Tanalia had landed gracefully a few feet away, while Chariot was stumbling out of the stagecoach. She held her obsidian shield, a slight glow from it fading. She had to have cast her protective spell on Maria. Maria wobbled to their feet as the whistle of the Berlington guards drew closer.
“Halt! All of you!”
Maria only got a glimpse of the guards as they rode up to them. They were marred with the same expressionless faces.
“Maria, Chariot, this way!” Tanalia said, and grabbed Maria's shoulder, pulling her down a back alley. Chariot was close behind them, her armor clanking as she hurried into the alleyway. The Berlington guards climbed down from their horses and pursued them on foot. The trio raced down the labyrinthian alleyways of Berlington, veering and turning down every new path they could find. They came to a section of building under construction. Scaffolding had been set up between the towering walls of a shop and an inn. Tanalia led the party up the scaffolding, and up onto the rooftops.
“Where are we going?” Chariot yelled.
“Anywehere but here!”
They reached the rooftop of the inn and hurried across it’s slightly slanted roof. The shackles made it difficult to run, but Tanalia made it seem effortless. Maria stumbled a bit before climbing up to a higher roof on an adjacent building. Still, the guards persisted, following them up to the roofs. One of them carelessly hurled a spear and smashed into the concrete incline Maria had been climbing. Maria yelped, nearly getting hit as she scurried up to the next roof, and ran across it with her party. Soon, they came to a gap in the buildings where a wide alleyway spliced their path. Tanalia, without effort, double-jumped over the gap.
“Seriously?” Chariot said.
“Hurry!” Tanalia yelled.
“I’m not making this jump in armor!”
Maria peered down. They were maybe three stories up. A fall like this might not kill her, but it was going to seriously hurt.
Chariot quickly opened her Quick Swap menu and switched her armor out for her set of casual clothing. A cloud of pixels engulfed her just as she made the jump, successfully reaching the other building without the armor wearing her down.
The Berlington guards hurried onto the roof behind Maria. Another spear was hurled past Maria. She ducked out of the way regardless if it whizzed past her, and turned back to face the guards. They drew their swords, and slowly approached her.
Maria swore she had seen this somewhere before.
“Maria!” Chariot yelled.
She turned and sprinted towards the ledge. Maria jumped and safely landed on the other side. Just as she did, Tanalia withdrew a sticky bomb from her inventory and hurled it at the other building. It struck the ledge, and the blast was powerful enough to knock the Berlington guards away. Chunks of stone crumbled to the ground below as Tanalia ushered her party members to keep moving.