Knights Apocalyptica

“Fine, I permit it,” Boldwick said; reclining in a chair in his hotel room. They’d given the leader of their expedition a room at the top of the hotel; with the Duke now being moved up as well. Much larger than the already pleasant rooms, the Magi also furnished this one with an untouched wooden board filled with preserved meat, cheese, and some wine.

A penthouse, they called it.

The place had a better view, and Erec knew that if he could sit in here, he might lose full sight of the mission. Watching the ebb and flow of the people below was enchanting. It simply wasn’t possible in the Kingdom, with layers of rock and stone separating everything.

There was something to the feeling of towering above everyone and seeing the city flow beneath you that put life in perspective. It clarified why the Council kept its seat of power the way they did. It also reminded him of the people back home, in the Cavern he was in charge of. He could only hope his mismanagement didn’t affect them too much before he could return and set things right.

“Did you hear me?”

Erec blinked. He recalled the words but hadn’t processed them as reality. Boldwick accepted it?

“I… Can go and ask around for her? Even though I’m not sure where it’ll take me? After the fight?”

Boldwick waved it off. “It was part of my promise to you. I don’t want you to hold any resentment by forcing you not to look. Besides, the primary worry I had with Initiates starting fights in this city is them biting off more than they could chew, both with the local authorities and with whoever they might end up fighting; and the Initiates I don’t expect to be in fights, getting into them. You’re made to fight, sure, but with the right backing, if you wander into something, it’ll work out. And Enide won’t be with you.”

“She can’t come?”

“Damn right, she can’t. This is your personal affair and business. I’d have imagined you’d want to sort it out by yourself. Am I wrong?”

“No… I just,” Erec shook his head, “I didn’t even think about inviting her to begin with, I don’t really know who I should take with me, I was expecting to have to make some kinda case to get your permission.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint. It seems I’m more agreeable than you’d considered. You will take Dame Robin and Gwen,” Boldwick answered easily. “I’d say Garin, but I’m going to be strict with him during our stay in Vega. Out of everyone with the potential to get in bigger trouble than a simple fight, he’s the one I’m most worried about. Besides, given those two are under my wing, like you, they should be the most discrete about what you’re trying to look for.”

“I wasn’t aware that we had to be discrete. I know the Church would be hostile with me if I did, but that bridge has already been crossed.”

“Your feud with the Church is a conflict that will soon be echoed in the Kingdom. A lot of the nobility can look past what your mother did, given your own personal achievements and the fact that the crown granted your new title. But if you were to find that woman, or if some of the nobility thought you were trying to make amends with a woman who sided with a being not of this world…” Boldwick trailed off.

Intelligent beings from beyond Rifts were rare, most were hapless horrors that thought only to consume, much in the same way that before the end of the world, Humans were thought to be the only things capable of profound thought on the planet.

Past that, even if a monster had measurable intelligence, that didn’t correlate to civilization, nor brought it any closer to actually having the same values as humanity.

Combined with the general hate rampant towards anything that trespassed into their world from the Rift, anything smart enough to communicate with humans quickly found themselves fighting for survival; one such Rift once existed to the north, but the beings on the other side forcibly closed it themselves, which happened before Erec was even born.

Even in Vega, Erec got the distinct impression that nobody would be fond of such beings. But just because his mother cooperated with something from another world didn’t mean that she stuck with it outside of the wall.

Vega was a better lead than any other with the wide network it presented.

“I’ll instruct Dame Robin and the three of you will go out. While you’re making your discrete inquiries, you’ll also be gathering information about potential allies and new ties to test in the future. She’ll coordinate your locations, so you won’t be violating my rules as a response to your misbehavior, and therefore no one can accuse me of favoritism. Now go,” Boldwick waved him away, sinking deeper into his chair.

He had the distinct impression that the Master Knight was already exhausted. It was only a day into their stay in Vega. How long would they have in this city?

Erec didn’t dare to ask, since he didn’t know what, if any answer, he wanted to hear.

Instead, he counted himself lucky that Boldwick was handing him this chance, and intended to make the most of it.

— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —

Dame Robin’s first destination for their search wasn’t where he thought it might be. Erec expected they might dig into the city’s various bars, and make discrete inquiries where it might be easy to buy friends at the cost of a drink or two.

But no, because of her rank, she swayed the seat of the Magi into granting her the right to enter and leave Vega at will. A right that was hesitantly granted by the officials, who, for this time only, agreed to waive any fees.

So it was that Erec walked out of the same road into Vega they came in. Wearing cheap clothes that Dame Robin purchased that didn’t stand out too badly.

As they reached the barrier, Lucas gave them a small wave, talked to the people at the gate, and then the process of letting them out of Vega began. The Magi cast a glyph. The barrier opened, and they were rushed out of the new hole in the barrier surrounding the city. In almost no time, they were back on the outside, in the thick of the slums, but not unarmed. Robin made sure they carried along all of their weapons.

“So ya went right to the people.” Gwen looked around as the light blue barrier closed behind them. Some of the tougher looking folks out here eyeing them from the sidelines. As always, they took interest when Vega opened up—but without the cars and Armor, and with their wicked weapons and not-that-expensive-looking clothing, the overall attention they got was very much reduced.

“If you want information that people don’t want to discuss, you go to the disenfranchised. They make far better informants on the state of a society than anyone enjoying the luxury of wealth and lifestyle.” Dame Robin replied.

“Well, of course, since they give it to ya straight,” Gwen nodded.

Dame Robin looked around at the wide swath of shanty houses and people going about their affairs and then said the dreaded words. “Break up and start asking questions. Offer chips for information about places outside of Vega, rumors of a woman from the Kingdom of Cindrus, information about the Pendragons, and details about the Council. Don’t make it obvious you’re carrying chips, and if you spend yours, come back and get more from me; you’re only to keep twenty on you at a time.”

Dame Robin set a hand on Erec’s shoulder, eyes boring into him.

“If anyone comes up trying to take your money, hand it over without a fight. I know this is a difficult ask, but there is no Magi presence out here. There’s no one to stop you but you.”

After the warning, she discretely divvied up the chips, pushed them into her Knight’s pockets, then ushered them off to do their jobs. Which meant walking through crowds and introducing himself to people… Erec did not know how long this would go, and on one level, knew it was an effective way to gather information. But all the same, he dreaded it. He circled the slums for a long time before trying to breach conversation with any group. They gave him weary looks, and no one seemed all that interested in a talk with a stranger.

Then he saw her.

The girl from the library. The one who he convinced Boldwick wasn’t involved—out here, and waiting with her attention rapt on a red priest. She listened while the man spoke, waving around a bottle that she kept reaching for.

Those bastards in Vega washed their hands of her care and shoved her right outside the walls.

Fury sparked in Erec, at the situation, at her pawing for the booze. The bastard was manipulating her to sway her to the church—Anger shot through him and he lost sight of his goal. Erec advanced on the two of them.

“You may have this bottle after you can repeat the Goddess’ commandments after me. You want to join the Church, don’t you? We have more alcohol,” the priest said.

“Drink,” the girl gasped.

“Come on now, I’ve heard you speak before while under the influence; let the Goddess into your heart and your issues will all be solved. You will have all of this minor vice you wish if only you would repent and accept her holy influence.”

“Leave her be,” Erec said. The girl looked at him, and the barest grasp of recognition flashed on her face. But then she was back towards begging for that damn bottle.

“You have no reason to get involved, wastelander. I’m impressed you haven’t sold that axe yet—what do you work for one of the gangs?”

“I do not know what you’re talking about, priest.”

“…Wait,” the man mumbled, pulling back his hood and revealing the silver eyes beneath. They stabbed into Erec, flashing through him. The priest gaped, and then his lips puckered into the nastiest frown. “You are beyond saving, you spat on her gift. I shall not let you corrupt this reachable soul, begone damned one.”

That ticked him off. Erec moved closer—shoving the girl behind him. Yet she kept trying to squirm around and get at the liquid spirits.

This was bad. The way the priest was staring at him really pissed Erec off. It was like facing down those backstabbing red fuckers back in the Kingdom.

Erec grabbed the swaying bottle and yanked it out of the man’s hand. He shoved a hand into his pocket and flung chips at the stupid priest’s face; the guy stumbled backward, eyes wide, then fell on the ground, chips scattered around the stunned man.

He didn’t wait to watch or hear what the priest had to say, instead, he grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her far away from the priest.

If he waited any longer, without a doubt, he would’ve ended up spilling holy blood all over the dirt.

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