0600 HOURS.
WEDNESDAY, 17 AUTUMNSUS 1411.
GLACIES, YONDEL.
The harsh light of the sun shone through Lecca’s eyelids and pricked at her retinas. She stirred from her hibernated state, and she used her soft, yet calloused hands to help adjust to the light that shone through the large windows she stood in front of. Easing herself in the light, the silver-haired princess calmed herself. It was still early in the morning, and she wouldn’t let a nightmare disrupt the rest of her day.
She adjusted white blouse and brown skirt. In no less than an hour would she be participating in a summoning ritual to bring a second wave of Holy Knights under the king’s command. Over the past two days, reports from the frontlines at the northern border showed an uptick in the presence of Demons and monsters. They came from well beyond the Frontier and were instigating attacks on the bordering cities and towns. This cut off trade and support to the Frontier; thus, the king was looking to gather specialized warriors to send into the unknown and discover what was going on. He had already assigned calvary to the mission, but they wouldn’t be back for some several months, and the king couldn’t risk not preparing his forces for an imminent assault.
The location for the summoning was to be in the old ruins of the southwestern cathedral. Though the church had long left the desolate place, they refused to build the proper facilities to support summoning and were forced to use the decrepit and barren place. A company of RGs had moved to secure the building, and all around, army soldiers prowled the streets looking for those that wish to sabotage the process.
Her next destination just happened to be the old cathedral. Being here, basking in the sunlight was a mere coincidence as she was distracted be the sights she saw in her nightmare much earlier. Vivid images of a world full of blood were stained into her mind. But there was hope, just beyond a world brighter than the one she stood in was painted across the untouched landscape well beyond her kingdom. A part of her wanted to venture into the unknown, but reality kept her here, as a mere princess.
Stepping away from the glass and continuing out of the castle limits, her boots echoed in the empty streets as she walked throughout Glacies. The walk was short, though she did make time to diverge and pass by a bakery that had opened not long ago. She purchased the unusually shaped “doughnuts” that had been booming in popularity ever since an unknown baker prodigy had showed up in the capital city and continued her way to the cathedral.
She ate all five doughnuts in a flash, thankfully no one was there to see the princess indulge in the delicacy.
Closing in on the entrance to the grand cathedral, only a handful of knights and RGs stood at the entrance convening with Captain Orwell. Along with the small security contingent at the entrance, another handful of political adversaries, good, willed politicians, military personnel, and foreign diplomats would be present for the summoning ritual to summon a group of Holy Knights that would bring salvation to the kingdom and her allied nations.
Salvation. Such an uneasy thought. The Great Sage guaranteed that the growing border threats would be handled by specialized individuals from other world, that’s how the process worked, but it was clear there was a larger threat that was being subverted from the denizens that made up the kingdom. These Holy Knights were the best next thing to the trump card that was the magical, warrior like heroes. Though, it still stands, every hero needed a support group, Holy Knights filled that role exceptionally.
Finding herself alone within the cathedral, the princess took her seat at the front. She looked up at the splintered and weathering roof and followed the spare rays of light that fell upon the statue that stood tall above her, watching her every move. Mother Julia was her name. She was a representative, a messenger for mother nature. Lecca was sure that every religion in existence held some representative for nature. Prayers to Mother Julia was not uncommon for the princess Though she often found herself praying alone and in private, she took her faith in stride and tried to learn from every lessen that was offered.
She needed guidance more than ever, and she prayed that someone would help her see a future where the world would heal.
Being basked in the darkness and the light provided a paradox. Either side would want to pull her, but the result could be the exact same; embrace the darkness and find a path for new hope or embrace the light and bask in the underworld that built up such dreams.
A gentle hum escaped her lips as she followed the pattern of an old song she had learned in the beginning of her childhood. The door behind her had opened and several men had stepped in alongside Captain Orwell, yet she continued nonetheless as to provide some comfort for herself and the others. Such a thought of comfort was ironic. They were about to ruin an unknown number of lives with this simple summoning ritual. Lecca could only hope that the fading memories of that dream would provide the answer needed to help both her kingdom and those future Holy Knights.
Captain Orwell was not nervous. He was a man of grit, yet he couldn’t feel but concerned as he looked to the entrance leading to the underground summoning room. The former flag of the kingdom still presented itself in its tattered cloth and faded colors. He’d need not to remember the flag as he now served under a new ruler. The “revolution” that led to the current king’s power hadn’t been one of war, but instead the silent killings that stretched into a long night so many years ago. He was just one of many soldiers, one of many junior knights. Nothing he would ever experience in his lifetime would ever amount to what was going to happen in a spare few minutes.
Princess Leccamaradel’s hum gently came to a stop as the entrance opened wide once more to reveal a man in fashionable and formal clothing entering the small chamber.
The man slowly walked in front of the princess and gently bowed as he spoke to the silver-haired maiden, “Princess Araish, it is time. The king requires your presence to begin the ritual.”
Looking up at the charming smile the man she only knew as Michal Orpheus held, the princess bit her tongue as she nodded silently. Stepping away, the man let the princess stand up and turn to the hall leading to the inner chambers below ground. As they began to walk, Lecca’s knights and RGs formed behind her in an instant with Orwell taking point and leading the way down the narrow steps.
“This place is full of nothing but lies. Look around, without the proper funding from the common man, this once holy place is now in shambles.” Orpheus said in a sneery voice, “Your father is making the right choice to summon Holy Knights, the people need something to believe in, and they are the only ones that can properly take charge against the growing threat at the north border and within the Frontier.”
Lecca chose her words carefully as she bit back at the man, “And you believe that starting an arms race against one of our former allies is suddenly worth the consequences for the rearmament?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Do you understand why we are even doing this, princess?” Michel asked with venom, “The church is nothing in the eyes of the people, and only a proper military response to these growing threats will ever bring us salvation. You need not to have faith or blessings when a whole army base of steel with overrun our enemies. The heroes of past could not understand this, but I will assure that these Holy Knights will!”
“I understand, senator. Just keep those other nobility in check.”
“You—”
“It seems that we have arrived.” Lecca cut the man off angering him to no end.
With Captain Orwell grasping the metal handles and opening the door, the hinges groaned to life as they moved to the sides revealing the once forgotten room that was hidden from the public. Before the group that arrived was a large circular room that was only lit by spare torches and candles. The Great Sage convened with the king, queen, and crown prince at the side of the room, and mages were busy setting up the required resources to begin the ritual within the next ten minutes.
Lecca walked ahead silently, leaving Senator Orpheus to himself.
Reaching a small collection of the blue powder the mages were spreading on the ground, the princess knelt and brushed her finger over the dust. She calmly channeled a miniscule amount of mana into her fingertips making the substance give off a faint glow that illuminated her hand. It was neither bright nor dull, just the right potency to perform such a risky summoning.
All her thoughts could fall to was what people would manifest before her. What world would they come from? Would they cooperate? Would they rebel against the king?
Too many questions. And she had little answers.
Walking to the center of the room, Lecca watched the Great Sage stand near the center of the room. “It seems the time has arrived.” Captain Orwell’s voice just appeared behind her, and the princess stood up while letting the last of the powder in her hands fall to the ground.
“Indeed, it has.”
From where he stood, the current monarch, Aldrecht Spell Shaldrect watched as the First-Born Princess moved alongside the other mages to begin the summoning process. A gentle light began to shine in the room making the seasoned king narrow his eyes. This would change the course of history, and everyone knew it. By everyone, he meant the whole world, including the kingdoms enemies.
The king held an unmoving frown. His entire life had been centered around fighting, and even in his younger years did he find himself getting into conflicts with the local neighbors. It was his father who gave him the opportunity to fight for a living as he Aldrecht to the military to teach the once youngster “a lesson”. Such teaching had failed, but instead were used to nurture the already battle-hardened nature that the current king had.
Under the tutoring of then Knight Jonas Howitzer, Aldrecht excelled in his position as an assistant to the knight. Formulating plans, executing missions, and overall rising through the ranks as nothing but an ordinary soldier, those within Jonas’s chain of command had begun to take notice of the boy’s talent and soon Aldrecht had found himself within the military academy at age fifteen. Though he was considered old for the par, the future king continued his streak of victories where he would soon meet his now wife, Juna White.
His work as a soldier, then knight grew in infamy. Aldrecht’s noble spirit and outgoing personality had gained him both enemies and allies within the noble families. No commoner had ever been held in such a high position before. Many had washed out or retired once they had achieved a miniscule goal in their lives, but Aldrecht had bigger plans, intentions to change the entire world.
The previous king, Aldrecht’s predecessor had tried to consul him, but there was little the previous king could do before the silent revolution kicked into full fruition.
“Darling, why are you frowning?” Raising her soft voice from behind the king, Queen Juna Shaldrect spoke gently as she placed her slim and cold hand on her husband’s forearm gaining his attention, “You look quite pale. Are you feeling alright?”
Turning around and gently placing a kiss on his wife’s forehead, the king gave a troubled smile as he responded to such a simple question with a complicated answer, “My health is fine, thank you for your concern. I am simply worried how this will play out. A group of Holy Knights have not been summoned in two-hundred years, and one cannot change history at the bat of an eye without consequences.”
“The future will be in your hands. Make sure you make the correct choices.” Queen Juna tried to reassure with a fading smile on her face.
As the summoning ritual proceeded as the blue powder grew bright and brighter, the king and royal family were escorted to an observation platform where the other VIPs were located. As grateful as Aldrecht was for this very moment, his wife was right, he would have to make the correct choices to ensure his people’s survival in this brave new world.
“So, it is time.” The king lowered his head and closed his eyes. A silent prayer escaped his mind.
“Father.” Aldrecht raised his head and turned to the one that had called out to him, his son, Crown Prince Simon Shaldrect. He addressed his son in a firm and commanding voice, “Yes, my son?” A stream of light shot up from the ground where the Great Sage was standing but the two paid no mind.
“Will Princess Araish be able to lead the Holy Knights?” Prince Simon sounded unimpressed and somewhat annoyed by the prospect of his sister being saddled with the responsibility of leading the kingdom to greater freedom. The young blood had wanted his share of violence, but he was often restrained by his mother who attempted to stray the future king away from an unknown fate.
“She is the most qualified. Her skill set complements others, so I intend to make full use of her abilities.”
Turning back to the scene in silence, the bright beams of light collapsed into a single charge of mana that shook the entire complex. The influx of mana threw the princess and several others to the ground as they adjusted the rate of production in an attempt to control the situation. Lecca had momentarily stopped her transfer of mana and fell to the ground as she clutched her head letting out a shrill screech as sweat, and tears rolled down the side of her face. Standing up she walked over to a mage that was near collapse and took over as she let out unending tears.
In the observation deck no one could hear any words as the ritual continued. The silver-haired princess thrashed about as she took over for another mage. Her screams of agony could only be heard by Captain Orwell and his men who were forbidden from interfering.
Leccamaradel’s call for help were eventually answered as the light cut out in an instant and in the center of the room, five men in unknown clothing stood tall as they recovered from the sudden shock of being summoned. Each raised what the king presumed to be their weapons and they fell back into a rough diamond-shape formation as they and the RGs had a standoff while the captain recovered the princess and escorted her out of the room while shouting orders at the other soldiers under his command.
Indeed, history had changed.
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Publicly Available Information: Intelligence Brief 5 — Holy Knights:
Officially designated as a specialist unit within the Kingdom of Yondel’s 1st Royal Guard Division, Holy Knights are often military personnel summoned from parallel and alternate worlds that specialize in supporting campaigns spearheaded by other summoned heroes. They answer directly to the king and no one else.
Holy Knights are often extremely well equipped and provide support to Heroes with cutting-edge and futuristic technologies and high-end military-grade gear that are beyond the production capabilities of any nation on the planet. Most Holy Knights summoned are able to operate in a variety of environments be it sea, air, or land, Holy Knights are a capable group that can operate outside of a Heroes direct supervision, and often are granted undue autonomous authority in some of the most dangerous hotspots in the world.
They have a specific set of goals to achieve:
* Elimination of all hostile forces to the Royal Thorne.
* Protection of all critical assets within Glacies and the wider kingdom.
* Support of all Heroes operating anywhere in the world.
* Elimination of rogue government elements.
* Perform advance expeditionary missions into the Frontier and all unknown territories.
Although the Holy Knights are a unit under the direct command of the current monarch, there have been recorded instances of Holy Knights going against the current leader due to their ideologically driven personalities. Many operate on the belief that they are working with the monarch to ensure a secure future for the kingdom, though that is not always the case.
Their rules of engagements vary, but the primary rule is to fight in support of the kingdom’s people. Although they may operate against the government itself, a secret pact had been made more than two-hundred years ago to ensure the continuity of the kingdom and the survival of the people.