Knights Apocalyptica

It is probable that the fall of Greece was due to the license that prevailed as to gaming, and consequently to all other and lesser forms of dissipation and corruption. Philip of Macedon was planning the battle of Cheronea at the very time when dicing had reached its most shameful height in Athens. Public associations existed, not for the purpose of defending Greece against her foes, but for the encouragement of the basest passions that surge in the human breast. Both Philip and Alexander knew the value to despotism of vice among the people. Alexander put a fine on those of his courtiers who did not play, for he had a jealous fear of subjects who were engaged in more serious pursuits.

But dice alone did not furnish the implements of gambling. The ancient Greeks had the equivalent of Cross and Pile, and gambled at cocking mains. The Athenian orator, Callistratus, notes the desperation of these practices when he says that the games in which the losers go on doubling their stakes “resemble ever-recurring wars, which terminate only with the extinction of the combatants.”

It was a practice of the ancients to put the invention of vicious acts or games upon foreign nations. Thus we have Plutarch’s indignant answers to Herodotus; but no Grecian ever resented the story that dice was first made by Palamedes, at the siege of Troy.

-John Philip Quinn, Fools of Fortune; or, Gambling and Gamblers, (1890, 2nd Era)

Erec and his friend returned to the same glass pyramid they’d been to earlier in the night. Only this time, an armed Magi patrol escorted them in after putting the same manacles they shackled Seven-Snakes with on their wrists.

It was disappointing to enter the building this time around, other than doing so after a massive fight, was the lack of the massive black orb topping the pyramid. Without the council present, it simply stopped existing; yet a permanent glyph rested in its place. That was rather miraculous if one cared about Mysticism since it violated what the Academy taught them about glyphs needing a framework such as carved metal to keep shape without a will focusing on it.

But there was hardly time to sit and consider, and Erec wasn’t Colin, and none in their smaller group cared about such things. Not considering the trouble they were in as the Magi shoved them along through the building and into a smaller subset of rooms below.

It spoke to their speed that only after half-an-hour after the fight in the Casino; the Magi had locked them away in a room in the depths of the Magi stronghold.

A dull, uninspired beige room, with no windows for obvious reason, a table, and uncomfortable chairs. A camera watched them in the corner of their room.

Erec tested the strength of his manacles; without Fury they would hold. And if he burned away his anger to bust them, he doubted whatever shock they induced would be enough to put him down. On his companions, they might be more effective in limiting a prison break; but what about prayer? Olivia might be able to help.

Regardless, one of their liaisons would be by soon enough.

“They weren’t that mad, you could tell. All things considered, it went well.” Enide said, leaning back in a chair, her feet kicked up on a table. During the fight, she’d ripped her dress, and her high-heels were long gone in the casino.

“You did not need to start a fight,” Olivia replied. She sat straight-backed in the chair next to the other girl, hands folded over and in full view of the camera.

Erec missed his axe; which was strange. Being in a room with cuffs and without a weapon made him feel naked in a way he wasn’t used to—but he felt reasonably sure he could at least break out of the room if he needed to. Especially if Olivia helped. He had the distinct feeling they didn’t have a way to limit her prayer, since they rarely dealt with it. Outside of the walls, he’d found out, those that relied on Faith were almost exclusively tied to the red priests, and likely on the path to being a priest themselves. They’d restricted the knowledge as a means of recruitment. Not at all like the Kingdom, where it was considered a viable alternative to Mysticism in Knights, and to some extent the soldiers.

What would happen if he slammed the door down and broke these manacles? Unlike in the Casino, there had to be people here that were his match. A true challenge. Vega most definitely cultivated the strong to support itself against the wasteland, only differently than the Kingdom did.

“I know I didn’t need to start a fight. Technically, I don’t need to do much. Eat, sleep, drink.“ Enide said.

“You’re being pedantic, you know what I mean,” Olivia replied.

“There’s a lesson I learned as a kid. Think everyone does in the wasteland; maybe it’s not the same behind those walls: if you let people walk all over you and take your stuff, then they’ll keep taking and won’t stop. If you don’t let’em, then you’re far better off, no matter the price.”

“I disagree. There were several ways to deal with that situation that didn’t put our relationship with the Magi in jeopardy. For example, you could’ve provided the chips as they asked and left; considering the sum your group received as a gesture of apology, you had more. Then, of course, there were other options that didn’t involve direct violence; like lodging a complaint with the Magi afterward if what they’d done was illegal.”

Enide rubbed her eyes. “Lady, you act as if you grew up here and people just work of common sense. For one, the Magi don’t care what the Casinos do or what you do as long as they don’t gotta get involved, and if you both say different things, they’ll shrug. Extorting someone winning too much on a suspicion is a problem that the Magi don’t care to step into. Not when half the Casinos are owned by their members. In fact, I doubt whoever owns the Casino really cares. At the end of the day, it’s not that many chips to them. It’s the matter of the principle, which is the important thing to me.”

“Then you could have gone an alternative, less direct route,” Olivia said.

“Like what?”

“You can teleport. Do you expect me to believe there wouldn’t have been a way for you to discretely steal back the chips?”

Enide instantly sat up and shot daggers with her eyes at Olivia. “I. Do. Not. Steal. If I got a problem with someone, I’m saying it to their face. If they try to do me wrong, I will not sit around and let them, then plot to deal with it later. Do you understand me? I don’t know what world you’re from, but that behavior is not acceptable. No honor to it.”

“You live in a wasteland, not even protected by walls, and you draw the line at stealing back something you claim is yours? You acquired it through counting cards, which I gather is a means of information the Casino didn’t wish you to have. Your distinctions baffle me.”

“And you irritate the hell out of me. Where do you get off judging me, you would-be-thieving bitch—“

“Hey, let’s take it down a notch.” Garin cut in, “What’s done is done. It’s inevitable Enide has a different way of doing things and seeing the world than you might, Liv. Try to understand, alright? And Enide—you pulled us into a fight while we’re in the middle of a diplomatic mission. I understand the Magi haven’t given your people a good reason to stay out of trouble. I don’t even know if your leader will care, but I know for us that Boldwick will not be pleased.”

“He’s going to be pissed, yeah,” Erec said as he stared at the camera. The wait was the worst part since he could only imagine the conversations going on outside. Were they in actual trouble for the fight? Enide acted like it wasn’t a big deal.

Erec flexed his knuckles, looking at the bit of torn skin, blood, and bruises on them from smacking around the Casino’s thugs.

It may not have been the best thing to do, nor something that Boldwick would approve of, but it had been fun. Everything else in the night had been a blur and alluring its own sort of distraction-sight seeing way. The memories they left were fleeting impressions, devoid of actual substance, aside from the feeling of having Enide with him. But that fight? Trading fists, throwing people around, and drawing blood with Enide going haywire amid all the lights and shouting of a casino floor?

That was a memory that he’d treasure and carry with him until the day he died.

He didn’t regret the fight. Only that there had been no one to unleash on to really push it to the next level.

As Olivia slipped into a quiet discussion with Garin while Enide fumed in her chair, time slowly dripped by. When the door to the room opened, it had been at least an hour or two since the Magi threw them into the small holding cell.

The first person they saw was Lucas, sufficiently haggard, and Boldwick and Yniol followed him.

Boldwick looked pissed, and all the Knights immediately got to their feet and saluted him with a fist on the chest. A sign of respect, and a paltry appeasement considering what they’d dragged him into. It was Goddess knows how late.

“First off, there will be no more free-form night trips through Vega for you three. If you are going somewhere, I want a complete overview of where you plan to go, what you plan to do, and a detailed report of what you learned afterward. No more ‘fun’ in this city. You’ve lost that privilege because of getting into a fight you provoked.” Boldwick’s voice boomed through the room.

“Upon review of your reports, and discussion with the Casino, the Magi have decided it to be best to leave matters be. I’ve been informed to report to you that all four of you are now banned from the Violet Rose Casino.” Lucas explained. A welcome relief since it could’ve been a lot worse.

“That’a girl,” Yniol rumbled, giving a nod of approval—he strolled across the room and set an arm around his daughter’s shoulder. “First Casino ban? Awww, I remember mine too—though it was from puking all over a pit boss. They forget in a few years.”

Boldwick scowled at them, and Lucas let out an exasperated sigh.

“Please refrain from provoking any more violence within the confines of Vega. Your weapons will be returned to you as we escort you out of the Lux, but I highly recommend returning to your hotel and taking it easy over the next few days. Just because of your privileged positions as valued guests of the Council, there’s only so much trouble that we’ll tolerate before enforcing a mandatory stay for the duration of your visit. Are these terms acceptable?”

“Loud and clear,” Boldwick raised an eyebrow at the Initiates, and all three of them repeated the statement.

They’d gotten away with the fight, it seemed, but were on a shorter leash. Erec got up from the chair and rubbed his knuckles. Really, it was the best-case scenario he could’ve hoped for. He didn’t really need to have any more ‘fun’ in Vega. With the amount of people here anyway, it was already exhausting.

Besides, there was no telling how much time they had left. And on the list of things he wanted to get out of Vega, a fun night out was only one of those.

Tomorrow, if he got Boldwick to let him after this mess by some miracle, he’d start looking for his mother.

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