Chapter 3, Unfinished

Not caught up? Read chapter 2, part 2 here.

Chaplain Oran watched him then, the man that couldn't die, casually walking to his death. Johanna was used to such scenes but never had she shared one with an immortal. His stoic form striding with purpose towards the front lines, towards the sound of battle, the sound of men dying, the sound of death. Around her men stood stiff in prayer each man hoping Betsol cared enough for them to see them through, she rarely did. It wasn't that she neglected her worshipers, but they were all apart of something bigger then themselves. It was hard on the small mortal mind to see the grand picture of the immortal expanse. So it was put upon her shoulders to show them, to soften their worry at being unanswered and to shepherded them towards Betsol's purpose. These knights had removed their flat topped helms, they rested in the crook of black plated arms and each man or woman stared at the crest of Betsol rising above her shoulders. They had a haunted look, their faces furrowed and even the brightest of eyes seemed dark. She knew them by name, they had been in service with her for many years but she had not seen this look upon their faces in some many years. Just beyond the ring of knights seeking out Betsol, were wounded gathering to be healed, a great many wounded, some being brought over by comrades, others making the way on their own. She wondered if Betsol would give her the strength to help them all, often she did not. 

Radiance guide her. Lady Light, Radiance, Keeper of the Dawn, find me worthy of your guidance. How can I lead these knights of yours to your will? She prayed. 

Ahh, child of the light, we have work to do and little light left to do it by. 

Well, that was something. It had been growing harder and harder to reach The Dawnbringer. What would you have of me?

I send a champion to this blasphemous army of yours. There is one among the enemy that we must secure, a child who weighs the balance of Elysium. 

Sending a champion My Radiance? What is wrong with the one who is here already, I tended to him he should be strong enough. Perhaps Betsol was not aware her champion had already arrived, but that hardly seemed likely. Maybe a second would be necessary? 

Kanis does not belong to me, he is a soldier of Minos and works ... Separate from our goals. You shall know my champion when you see him, he may need your help in securing the child. This is not a fight that could be won, so do not try so. Your Lord Marshall marches to defeat. 

Not this again, Are you sure you cannot try to speak reason to him?

He is not a child of the light, he is beyond my help. 

Then why not label him as such and move this army to your will!

We do not know how far this treachery runs, no we shall let this blasphemy continue. Unless you would offer yourself for command... I thought not.

Her, in command? Preposterous, she was a simple Chaplain, she guided the spirits of the army and healed those Betsol overlooked in battle. I am no so great piece of your plans My Radiance. 

So you keep telling me, yet you continue to find yourself in place to be useful. These knights will follow you, I have made it so. Do not let the Lord Marshall stop you from your task, find the child among the enemy and bring her to the Temple of Dawn. 

It will be so My Radiance. She broke her gaze from the sun, her vision white and unable to make out her hands in front of her. She blinked, letting the grace of Betsol to restore her eyes. Betsol give me the strength you see in me. Her eyesight restored she looked at those gathered around her. They had a new look to them, heads high, eyes set upon her, backs straight and grips firm on their weapons. She caught the gaze of the Knight wearing the badge of captainship, a sun with triangular rays on three of four sides, on her tabard of white with gold trim. The girl was dark of skin and eyes, her hair closer to orange than brown, she was a familiar face. 

"Natal, you are in command here?" She posed.

"No Chaplain Oran, you are?" Natal responded with a raised eyebrow.

I see. "Good, how many Knights do we have, we have a task of most importance to see to." Oran looked over the Knights ringing her and to were the wounded had been gathering. 

They were collecting themselves and their weapons, Betsol's Radiance had healed them all, apparently her Radiance thought Oran would need them all. At least they had been spared for now another chance for reaching the fields. 

Natal turned, following Oran's gaze and found the standing Knights. "It appears twenty Chaplain. Twently Black Knights and Dawnsinger, Radiance blind us if we're caught in a prolonged engagement." 

"We'll be seeking something in the Eternal Forest, Betsol seeks a child and we're to secure her and steal her away to Betsol's temple in Solace. We'll have one more joining us, a Champion.". Oran said while searching Natal for signs that she too thought this task above them.

Natal smiled and nodded to Oran, chuckling to her self. "Radiance shines upon us. With a Champion we'd be able to take on that army, we'll see this quest through Chaplain."

"Radiance shine upon us." Oran said reverently while glancing up at the blazing sun, it certainly did at least feel brighter. "Then gather yourselves, we shall await the arrival of our Champion with the rest of that army. It appears Marshall Havsid is bringing up reinforcements now, Radiance enlighten him. We must be prepared to move at once, we are not alone in our quest."

Natal nodded then moved off, the Knights that had been ringed around joined her in step. Their plate's shine grimed by the soot of the powder from the discharge of their thunderstones. They gathered their now healed comrades and began to muster weapons for themselves, two runners sent back into the copse of trees where their former company still fought. Oran thought Natal was a good leader she was confident and skilled, the way she commanded others to action with simple looks or motions. She was no leader, she was a preacher and a healer. Radiance enlighten me, I will get them all killed.

No, I believe not. Not all. 

That's not as comforting as she seems to think.

You're the right follower for the task. 

But why me Betsol, why not a leader such as Natal, why not a soldier such as her? 

Why do you question me so? Have I led you to darkness before? 

No, Radiance, you have kept me in the light, Radiance shine on me. But why me?

You are the follower I have, as you always have been. You will see the next Dawn, my Champion approaches. You are stronger than you seem to believe you are. You are my light in a sea of darkness. I will see you through.
Radiance shine on me. 

Yes, you said that child, now go. 
Stronger. Who am I to question her? I am the light, and I will see this through. Oran stared at a field of white and realized she'd been staring at the sun again. Blinking away the blindness she found herself staring at a hulking man, skin dark as obsidian, hair brilliant as flame. He wore a suit of plate with pauldrons less exaggerated than that of the common soldier and without a tabard draped over the front. It was a dated look, one displayed on tapestries in temples but not scene by living eyes for some time. He looked out of history and indeed he was, this was the Champion Alaen. No wonder Betsol was confident in her, she'd sent one of her greatest champions to them. Alaen, before rising to the eternal fields, was known as the Singing Mountain for he was taller than even a Haddi and always humming. Indeed she could here a soft rumbling floating from him now. Behind him he dragged the longest blade she herself had witnessed, it scrapped against a buried rock and threw the tune Alaen had been humming. He sighed before flashing a bright smile at Orlan and inclining his head to the sun.

"It is a good day, I think" his voice stirred in her chest before reaching her ears, a sound like rocks underfoot.

"You think?" Oran inquired?

"Yes, it is hard to tell these days. My days are long with fighting when they should be filled with song. Today though, today we shall have plenty of song." His smile returned as he looked down upon her.

"I don't think that is right, we'll have plenty of fighting ahead of us for what Betsol's quest for us is."

Alaen seemed to think upon this for a moment, looking up into the sun before that disarming smile returned to him. His face was round, his nose broad, and his eyes gold and dancing in the sunlight. "Fighting yes, but the Vulk sing when they fight, yes I can hear it now." He howled then, an awful mimic of the horrifying battle cry of the Vulk.

"I do not think that is a song Alaen,"

"It is a beautiful song, one sang with passion and in defiance. I would not expect you to understand, for your life has been filled with the hymns of light and not the hymns of battle. Come, I shall show you." Without waiting for Oran's response the Singing Mountain passed her by, dragging the blade as thick as a man behind him.

The thudding of a thousand feet aligned in march heralded the arrival of the rest of the soldiers from the hill. Marshall Hevsid walked at the front with Lord Marshall Jhev. Where Jhev walked in powerful strides, Hevsid seemed to lounge as if he was on a stroll through his gardens. The soldiers behind them, levies pulled from across Jhev's provinces in Komak, wore yellow tabards on top of breastplates. Distinguishing them from the soldiers from the Keepers of Dawn, knights trained by the church as a part of their families duty to their goddess. Betsol was right, she could not trust the loyalty of these men, they were no more Keepers than she was a Marshall. As imposing a force as they presented, their spears tips gleaming in the brilliance of the day, she doubted that without the Keepers these levies would have managed to as win as many fights against this Vulk horde as they had. Jhev had spotted her and begun to head in her direction. What was he up to? What were his goals, who did he follow? It was possible he was simply taking Betsol's silence as acceptance of his plans, the Vulk had been raiding along Kamok territory after all. However, Betsol's insistence that he couldn't be reasoned with bespoke of him aligning with another god. Perhaps of their own pantheon, the Kamok were not so foolish as to ignore the rest of the gods despite having Betsol's patronage. However, to act against Betsol was blasphemous and punishable by incineration. Minos was likely involved, his champion was here after all and he was always one for starting war when there could be peace. Lunan was another possibility and one that wouldn't broker questioning from any Marshall, everyone knew that Lunan and Betsol were of single purpose these days and he had always looked less favorably upon the Vulk. Her line of thought was interrupted by the settling of feet around her as Lord Marshall Jhev and Masrshall Hevsid arrived.

She gestured respect, a grasping of the right forearm while the right hand clenched in a fist slightly out in front of her. The heralds said it showed solidarity and solidity, though the motions were rote by now she never felt comfortable with the martial gestures. Preferring the divine to the secular, such as the gesture Hevsid returned her now. An unveiling of an open hand before him while lowering his eyes. Jhev, helmetless returned no gesture instead he looked around at the empty expanse around her and then to the back of Alaen.

"I see there's already been a melee, likely testing out presence beyond that smoke before sending a stronger force. They won't be prepared for the levies just outside that bank of smoke. Marshall ready the spearmen, we'll need be set for their charge." Jhev's voice was smooth as silk and had the air of someone used to not being questioned.

"Right away Lord Marshall, Radiance shine on us." Hevsid was deeper with a richness to it that hinted at a warm laughter.

Hevsid slipped away from the pair and began barking orders as if he'd been born to it. His deep voice brokering no wavering dissent and sharp sets of orders by captains relayed down the lines.

"Now then, what was it that our Champion wished to urgently to speak with you about? Word from Betsol perhaps?" Jhev's amber eyes held her, he looked at her a crease upon his brow. What was that look, worry?

"No words of wisdom from Alaen, rather just a song and an invitation to join him. Betsol has been absent from our minds today. Perhaps she is busy nudging spears and arrows?" Oran spoke with her preaching tone, an air of the divine or power behind it. She sought to dissuade this man from the truth but did not want to bring about his suspicion.

"Perhaps..." Jhev eyed her coolly, then glanced to the sun. He blinked after mere moments before returning his gaze to her. "We won't have her radiance for much longer, pray for enlightenment Chaplain, we may need it before the day is dark. We have much work ahead of us if we're to seize those Sunbelchers from them so that our armada might be free to sail. See if you cannot corral that Champion and set him upon our enemies. The quicker we break their flank, the less blood we'll shed and warriors we'll lose."

"It will be done Lord Marshall" She said while holding his gaze, before looking to the sun herself and gesturing respect before turning to leave.

"One more thing Chaplain, they may have a Bloodfury among them. It would be best to make sure the Champion finds it before our soldiers do."

Oran nodded before continuing towards the copse, following the small trench that Alaen's sword had dug behind him. A Bloodfury, blessed of Klanae the goddess of carnage and rage. While Betsol had kept her from ever encountering one herself she had been there for a companies return from one. Fifty dead twice that number missing limbs or severely wounded half that had died anyways. The heralds said demi-gods no longer walked the mortal realm, but she imagined if they did even they would struggle with a Bloodfury. The soldiers from that day had described a beast larger than a Minotaur with four arms like a Haddi, each one wielding a different barbed weapon with skill finer than a champion. It's wounds were said to have closed around weapons, and what blood dripped burned through armor and skin. Faster than a Windwalker, stronger than a Stoneheart. She'd better warn Alaen,

She found the mountain of a man humming to himself in a small clearing in the midst of the copse. She realized with a start it wasn't a natural clearing, he had cut himself a circle with that monstrous sword of his. In the dim light under the sentinels a glow that she hadn't noticed before became apparent, like his obsidian surface had been cracked and revealed a luminous interior. Natal sat on one of the fresh stumps cleaning out the barrel of her rifle with a bitch of cloth her helm on the ground near her foot. Looking past the clearing she saw the remaining knights taking cover against trunks vigilant against another Vulk charge.