"Why don't you hate me like everyone else does?"
Josh looked back at Asura, finding his gaze remained on his family's grave. He raised his brow, perplexed by Asura's question.
"Ya deaf? I just explained it to ya."
Asura couldn't pull his eyes away from the empty pit the three men were digging. The two boys were still bickering as they swung the pickaxe to break the roots.
"I dug a few graves. I killed a monster. So what? They all kill each other in the same way they kill men. Doesn't change that most eat people. Why trust me?"
"If there's one righteous man in the world, they ain't all evil. Ya showed me ya care with yer actions, kid. I've seen more wicked done by The Temple."
Asura finally pulled away to look at Josh's face. His wrinkles shifted as a deep frown took shape, and his brows furrowed in anger.
"You also don't trust them?"
"Nah, fuckers cause just as much shit. Never help when ya need them either. They only came here cuz' they'd look bad if they didn't. They'll leave just as soon as they come."
Asura watched as Josh briefly shot him a glance from the corner of his eye. His body language stiffened as he stood up from the rake.
"Don't trust them... They'll backstab ya as soon as yer not useful. If ya can, run far away once yer back or done with 'em. I've got a home if ya need."
"What'd they do to you?"
Josh let out a defeated sigh and looked at the ogre with a serious expression. A shadow cast from his brow over his eyes. The same distrust for The Temple in Mark's eyes was present in the man before him.
"Yer clever, I'll give ya that."
"I'm known for being the most intelligent on our team. Just ask Mel."
Josh heartfully laughed, finding the statement amusing.
"Let's just say they are the reason my wife is dead. I'm left with no one now cuz' of 'em. I'm takin' too much of yer time. Ya need to leave, son."
"What happened?"
Josh stuck out his hand, offering a shake to say goodbye.
"It's a story I prefer not to tell. I once worked for a man named Jack in The Temple. If ya ever meet him, punch him in the mouth fer me."
Asura grasped his hand once more to say goodbye.
"This isn't goodbye. I'll be back."
Josh smiled.
"Who knows what may happen in the future kid. Stay safe out there, and remember son, it ain't yer fault. Humans live, and humans die. Just try to save as many as ya can fer me."
"I will. I'll make sure to beat the living hell out of every monster for your family and you. Fuckers will pay. I'll see ya again."
Asura spat fire to the side as Uriel's curse sparked, which quickly extinguished as it sat in the grass. The determined spark relit in Asura's eyes as he stared at his companion.
"I much prefer it when ya got fire in yer eyes, kid. Give 'em hell."
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As Mary finished a pile of paperwork, it felt like four more appeared. Stack after stack kept appearing on her office table as she sifted through each page. Whenever she felt like it was time to take a break, a priest would appear with another delivery. It was a continuous hell that felt unending as the hours passed by.
She was grateful for Mark's presence and help, but she understood that he'd have to return soon to maintain his own cathedral. The two had spent weeks together sorting through ways to stabilize the local economy while balancing helping the destroyed population. Their morale was low, and their trust in their governing body reached its lowest.
Thousands of letters from the survivors and family members flooded their mail on top of the already sea of documents. The Temple was also relentless, with merciless demands and chastisement about its failure to defend the city. Although Mary couldn't help but boil with rage at each sentence that chastised her decision to leave.
"IT WAS THEIR COMMAND TO INVESTIGATE THE ABANDONED CITY OF THORINTH. NOT MINE! F-"
"Mary."
Mary punched the desk, causing it to rattle from her regulated strength. Everything began to frustrate her as she sat in the prison that confined her for months. She was pissed she had to regulate her strength not to break the table. The words on every page began to take belittling, demeaning, and anger-filled meanings as she read them in her exhausted state.
Her once pristine office was a mess, with piles of books, documents, and trash throughout the room. As she continuously wrote, her entire desk became impossible to work on, and the ink from each page stained her palms and fingers.
Venom dripped from every word she spoke.
"I understand the people's frustration... but The Temple's? They made this city in a hurry and threw me to operate it. They made a subway underneath the cathedral. They made this the central hub of operation."
"Who's fault is it that they hurriedly threw together a bunch of buildings to call a city and home for thousands of lives when we all knew this would happen?"
Mary threw herself back in her chair and looked out the window into the empty city. She rubbed her forehead in frustration and closed her heavy eyes.
"Every other city has pylons, walls, segmented subways, and other defenses against these events. Hell, many of them have guns or machines my mother made, and yet I was given none of them. We became weak as time passed when Apocalypses ceased their invasion. Our complacency cost us thousands of lives."
"I agree. The Temple abandoned its people long ago. The little towns full of folk who wanted to live a good life were left exiled even though they did nothing. Happy Paladins sent off to protect them soon realized The Temple abandoned them as their cries for help were never answered."
Mary was at a loss for words when refuting Mark's words. She grew increasingly agitated with the governing body she trusted and relied upon. The people who were left in charge of maintaining vision over the city still haven't been located. Whether they died in the attack or fled and betrayed their duty is still unknown.
"I'm an Archknight. One of the twelve strongest soldiers of The Temple, and yet, it feels as if I'm an outcast. I came here to defend Eden's outskirts and form a new city to give hope to those outside its influence and protection. Instead of hope, dread was instilled in the heart of our people."
Suddenly, the office doors flew open as Mel exploded into the room. The wind from the explosive entry sent a gust that blew the papers chaotically. Its once neat stacks were now unsorted piles. Her disheveled red hair showed that she raced from the library back to her office.
Mary nearly growled at Mel's entry, ready to scold and beat her for causing such a mess. If it hadn't been for Mark's calm demeanor and actions, she would have corrected her sister for the next hour. However, Mark never batted an eye at the entry but rather collected the pages while asking,
"What brings you back so early?"
Mel grabbed her waist as she caught her breath.
"He escaped."
Mary stared at Mel before looking at Mark.
"Captain? Anything you have to say to that?"
He never stopped fixing the messy piles, unbothered by the questions.
"He's at the cemetery, and you know it."
"He's supposed to be in the libaray and about to leave."
"Well, he went, didn't he?"
Mel looked at the Captain and nodded in affirmation.
"Yeah, we went. He didn't get a weapon."
Mary furrowed her brow at the statement as Mark looked up.
"Hephestine refused? Did she curse him? He isn't dead, is he? Although it may be to our benefit."
"No. I believe he refused forgiveness."
Mark raised an eyebrow and processed the conversation. He set the papers from his hands down onto another stack.
"So he's got a past he regrets and grieves over. Even more of a reason to trust Uriel's decision."
"Trust him? Hephestine rejected him!"
"You know that isn't true. Why would Uriel accept him and Hephestine reject him? Wain told us they met her, and she let him live. He even entered a garden that only Wain, a few others, and the seventh king had ever entered. Then, when she saw him again, she told him no. I doubt it. He would've died the moment he entered."
Mark looked up at the two. His golden eyes blazed with holy mana as he stood up straight.
"Quit grasping for lies and start looking at the truth before you. He's not evil, and you both know it. He's annoying, sure."
Mary sighed as she returned to her sister with a fiery gaze.
"Well, he still ran away, and Mel lost him."
Mel shot her sister a glare as she snapped back.
"I didn't lose him. He was in the room with me and shut the door. I opened it, and he was gone. He's like a child who is ninja-trained. Are ogres stealthy creatures?"
Mark commented with little interest in their bickering.
"It isn't a characteristic noted in our records of the race."
"Well, that dumb sack of muscle mastered it."
"He will be back before it's time to go. Tell Rose to be prepared and meet at the portal when he arrives."
Mary snapped at Mark, finding his calm demeanor to be frustrating.
"And you won't punish him for running off? I thought we agreed that he would be under control."
"There's an old Paladin who's been helping him that lives by the cemetery. He most likely said his goodbyes."
"That doesn't give him the right to run off without a word. He's a soldier. A disobedient soldier gets people killed. Let's not forget a monster amongst people."
"Mary, he's still a person: Ogre or man. The fight took its toll on him just as much as it did on us. People died, and he understands that. He's proven to be intelligent enough to feel these emotions."
"You need to quit treating him like a dog or tool. He's got a life he's trying to live like ours. We shackled him. He can say his goodbyes before being used for who knows how long."
"He shouldn't be away for too long. The distress call came from Aliza, who has a Paladin in training, and Rafael. She's a healer, so it's probably some captain or commanding monster they can't deal with."
"Her distress call told us she quarantined the entire middle of her city. It may be smaller, but it still houses many."
"It isn't another Apocalypse. I'd go myself to make it quick, but with the state of this city, my hands are tied."
"It may not be, but it could be just as bad if we aren't careful. It's good we're sending Rose, Mel and Asura. I know we can't run ourselves thin, and I need to return, but be careful, Mary... If the angel of war is active... I can only imagine we're entering an era of war. We need to be observant and cautious."
Mel's eyes widened at the Captain's words as he spoke with serious intentions. Not a single word was spoken with a jesting nature but rather complete belief in such a devastating sentence.
"Jeez, Captain. If you say it like that, I'll be up all night. It can't be that serious."
Mel looked to the side at a pile of books, slightly clenching her jaw.
"Let's at least pray it's not. I'll get Asura and Rose, and we will kill the thing in three days. There aren't any reports of Malachi being present there, so it's probably something small, like my sister said."
"All I advise is you be wary. There may be more to these events and attacks than we realize. Malachi is not strong, but he has his plans. We've seen firsthand what these plans unfold into."
"I'll be vigilant, Captain."
Mark smiled at Mel like a proud father who has watched his child grow. At the corner of his eyes, wrinkles began to show. A sadness lingered behind his eyes. He knew he was sending the children off once again to fight the unknown. There was a chance it was right to their deaths.
"Just throw Asura in front of it if it goes awry. He's tough enough to live through it."
Mel giggled at his joke, smiling back from ear to ear.
"It's not every day you hear the Captain make a joke."
Mary laughed as she agreed with her sister.
"For a second, I thought someone possessed him. We might've had to exorcise him."
Mark smirked as the two sisters laughed. If he commented on their similarities, the moment would end, and they'd return to their sibling quarrels. However, even if they denied it, their little wheeze in the middle of their laughs was exactly the same.
"I believe it's time to get ready. I assume Asura will be back by now, so gather your things with Rose and head to the portal room. Stay safe, Melody, and find your strength in Judex."
"I will. May Judex keep you safe until I return."
"Goodbye, sister. Please do not cause too much trouble for Aliza."
Mel stuck her tongue out as she mocked her sister, twirling away while prancing to the door.
"Don't nag the Captain for too much longer. You're an Archknight, after all. A little paperwork should be a breeze for someone like you."
Before Mary could breathe, Mel slammed the door shut, cutting her off. The desk cracked as Mary pressed down on the wood. Her immense strength and mana filled the room as holy mana expelled from her body.
"Oh, I'll send her to Hephestine's daughter... I'll have her become an Oathkeeper to torture her for eternity. She'll be stuck doing work for the rest of her life..."
Mark shook his head as she continued her rant. He returned to his seat, waving a hand at Mary before she went too far.
"You're going to cause the paper to spill again, and I won't help this time."
Mary ceased the mana flow, retracting it as she watched the paper shift and wiggle. Mark was impressed at the intensity and density of the mana surrounding him. It was nearly as vast as his own, perhaps trumping him in its sharpness and precision. Unlike his mana, which felt like a raging lion, hers was more attuned to a bird of prey.
She had grown significantly since he last visited. Her raw power could easily contest an Apocalypse in this state, especially with the blessing she boasted. This must have frustrated her more, knowing she had the power to stop Jormungandr but the inability to do so.
"Sorry."
"It's alright. Let's finish as much as we can before I go."
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A few hours later Asura returned to the cathedral, joining with Mel and Rose as they prepared to depart. He entered through the front doors, proceeded down a hall, and found the two sitting by a black steel door with engravings in it. The large door had a solid steel bar for a handle to use, signifying the weight of it.
As Asura approached the two, he found Mel with a black duffel bag of clothes and a bag of miscellaneous items. On the other hand, Rose had only a brown backpack with patches of bands Asura had never heard of.
The two had their backs to Asura, but the sound of his feet slapping against the marble caused Rose to shift to glance back at the ogre. Her blank, unimpressed stare met Asura's.
"You're back."
"Yup. I'm back. We ready?"
Mel groaned as she stared at the ogre's empty hands.
"Where's your clothes?"
"What do you mean? Im wearing them."
"You don't have another pair?"
"Nah, why would I? You said they clean themselves and repair?"
Mel froze. A large frown spread as her eyes slightly widened in disgust.
"I mean... That's true but gross."
Rose shrugged and shifted her backpack.
"He isn't wrong. I have only one other pair. What's the point in carrying unnecessary items?"
"You still... are wearing them for days and hours. You still sweat in them?"
Asura laughed while drawing closer to the door to get a better look.
"It cleans the sweat. The stench goes away, too. It's weird, but I like it."
Mel shook her head as she rummaged through her duffel bag for an item.
"I-... you do you, I guess. I'd rather not think about this anymore. How come it took you so long to get here?"
"I was-"
Rose cut him off with a quick retort.
"He had to say goodbye to his girlfriend."
Asura stopped, stammering out like a young child.
"I- she isn't my girl... friend. Lydia is my fightin' partner. Y'all got bored of fightin' me cause your babies, so we spar. I told her we couldn't spar for a while."
Mel looked up at Asura with disbelief at his statements. Her unamused glare made Asura anxious as he pushed past her to the door.
"Anyyyywayysss. Let's get going. Lots of fighting, kicking ass to do. A city needs our help! How dare we delay!"
"What are you, a nineties superhero?"
Asura grabbed hold of the door handle and pushed it, but the steel door remained still. His brows furrowed as he continued to push, but his effort was in vain. Instead of pushing, he decided to pull, putting more effort into pulling than he did pushing. However, his labor bore no fruit. He growled in frustration at the door's lack of cooperation.
"Fuckin, is it locked? Why do you need a steel door anyway?"
The ogre spat the fire from his mouth to the side.
"No. It's a sliding door. And it's steel because it might explode."
Asura abruptly turned with wide eyes.
"Explode? What the hell will explode?"
He released the handle and stared at the large door. Rose pushed him to the side and giggled as she grasped the steel door. To Asura's surprise, the muscles in Rose's arms flexed as they strained against the weight. "How much does it weigh?" He thought as it slowly slid.
"Did you forget we used pieces of the portal as a bomb? We thought about that way before the Jormungandr battle."
The large door slid out of the way, revealing the large room with black statues of angels circling a black marble pad. Their large wings stretched out, circling the center as they barely touched the other's wings. Each was veiled in cloth carved from marble, but the lines, folds, and curves made Asura question if it could be fabric.
"Did Hephestine's daughter make those?"
He asked as he stared in awe at the giant structure that decorated the center like a masterpiece. Mel entered the room, unimpressed by the sight she'd seen dozens of times.
"Yes. She's created almost everything advanced outside of what my mother has made. It's pretty impressive. It's the only way to get to cities in the blink of an eye."
Rose followed after her, dragging the awestruck Asura behind her.
"Stop wasting time."
A sudden wave of mana smashed into Asura as he entered. Its presence radiated over his entire body, swirling around like thick air that was hard to breathe. The experience was like Mark or Mary were in the room, expelling their mana throughout. However, unlike theirs, it felt chaotic and lacked uniforms.
Asura followed the source to large black pillars behind each statute, a few feet from their backs. These pillars were inscribed with gold lettering, symbols, and runes, which glowed as the mana moved within.
"Are those the batteries?"
Mel sat her bag down in the center of the room and chirped up.
"Look at you, getting all smart and stuff. He's really growing up, isn't he?"
Asura snarled and rolled his eyes, folding his arms in defiance.
"Get in the ring. I'll whoop your ass like I always do."
Rose ignored the two as she approached one of the batteries. Asura watched with curiosity as she drew out a gold rod that narrowed to a point like a pen. In an empty spot in the center where the symbols and decorative lines met, she began to write something as she pressed it against the marble surface.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm putting the location on it."
"It's a GPS?"
"Did you think it would just take us there?"
"Well... it's magic, isn't it?"
"And? What am I going to say? Oh, hephestine! Take us to Azrealia! Oh, you don't know where that is? The city is named after the Archangel! Between the mountains!"
Asura blushed at Rose's monotone mockery. He hated that her voice never shifted from its one tone. Its monotonous sound made him feel even more stupid when she stated the obvious.
"I ain't human. I don't know shit about this place."
"You've been here for a few months now. Your stupidity has no excuses."