The ride wasn't as pleasant as I expected. Marcus's motorcycle was made for speed and shot down highways and roads. People watched in surprised as two teenagers rocketed past them down their quiet streets. Once, a police officer came to pull us over, but he soon backed away once he saw the Order's crest.
I clung on for dear life as I barely had half the seat. It was a very different trip to the one with the older Arknight. However, I could feel Marcus' muscles straining to keep me close. Marcus was an expert driver and must have already passed some test. I started feeling jealous, as I wouldn't be able to drive for another two years. He weaved in and out of traffic like a fish down a stream. Some cars even moved out of the way as soon as they saw the number plate. It meant we went even faster, heading towards the inner city. I could see the tower blocks of homes and the peaks of elegant business buildings. It was hard to focus on anything. We were moving so fast it was a blur, so I kept my eyes down and thought about what was happening.
I didn't know what I was going to do. Being brought in front of the Council will either be a great honour or the end of me. They had the power to throw me behind bars for the rest of my life. And how I was going to explain this all to my parents if I ever got home? However, thinking of my parents at our little Wingsworth home made me feel even more sick than the speed.
Marcus said nothing for most of the journey. I wasn't sure if I was meant to talk to him. He had seemed friendly at the Halo, but his unblinking concentration put me off from asking questions. When we reach Londinium's inner city, he revved the engine again and skidded around corners and darting down minor roads that most cars wouldn't fit in. I had no idea what he was doing until we came onto the main junction. Right in front of us was the Thames, a mighty river supporting a fleet of boats. Marcus headed towards a nearby bridge. As we travelled over it, he pointed to our left side. "The Colossi," he roared over the low moan of the motorcycle engine. The Colossi stood out among the modern developed building. A vast temple featuring a magnificent dome with layers of stone walls built to support it. Four grand pillars guarded it, each with a magnificent angel on top. At the peak of the dome a shaft of light beamed up into the sky before dispersing and heading back to the ground in a dome. The Colossi was the heart of the city and was lit by a hundred spotlights, standing out like the sun in the evening darkness. I had only been to it once, but I remember every inch. The sight took my breath away more than the ride.
Soon it was eclipsed by the buildings that flanked the river, and we headed deeper into the city. I noticed the buildings were changing. They were thinning out as we went. Then I saw why. As we turned left, a gap between two buildings opened up to reveal the Mantle. The Mantle was technically its own borough as it was so large. But, maps never showed any detail and I could understand why when we approached the concrete barriers and twelve foot high steel walls. The only thing you could see beyond the walls was an air control tower poking up into the sky. The Order's Air Force was mainly based in Yrok but it made sense to have some planes here.
Marcus turned left down a road and I saw a gate with a barrier and guard post. We approached it and Marcus slowed down the motorcycle. The guard got to his feet to inspect us. I could see a large dog waiting by his feet, its sharp eyes looked on me. The only thing that took my eyes off the dog was the glint from the guards gun swinging from his side. I cringed. Was everyone going to be carrying a gun around here? Marcus brought out an ID and handed it to the guard. She examined it and then eyed me. "No civilians on site," she said, her words etched like she had said them a thousand times before.
"She's not a civilian,"Marcus said, taking back his ID. "She's a P-seven-seven-two." I had no idea what those numbers meant. But it had quite the effect on the guard. She looked at me stunned. Without another word, she hurried back to her post and lifted the barrier. Marcus nodded to her and drove into the complex.
What hit me first was the genuine size of the place. I knew it was big but this big. They had managed to fit in so much. There was a wall of tower blocks to my left with people coming in and out like its own mini city. To my right there were rows upon rows of vehicles: trucks, cars, motorcycles, quad bikes, and even tanks. Man and women marched along in sixes, patrolling the paths and eying us as Marcus pulled into the motor pool. There were plenty of people here too. Most were situated under vehicles or heads deep in engines. They all wore the same uniform as the Arknight but the badge was different. Their crest had wings either side of a shield. Marcus slipped into a parking space and cut the engine. "Ah, home," he said, taking off his helmet and replacing it with his beret. I took my helmet off but I kept looking around. Everything was so alien to me. The warm, friendly environment of Wingsworth had been replaced by this strong, armoured dominion. "What are you looking at?" Marcus said, as he hopped off the bike.
I jolted, only realising that I was staring at people. "I didn't realise there were so many people here," I said.
Marcus shrugged. "Most of them are auxiliaries. You know, army support for the Arknights, quick response for civilians, and talented engineers." I stared at him blankly. No I didn't know. Although my dream had been to become an Arknight, I had never studied the army structure. It was ridiculous to think twelve well trained soldiers could go up against an army of demons. I tried to survey the scene. One of these people could be Jason's dad. My stomach curled in on itself. I had never thought to ask Jason what his dad actually did. How was I getting home sick already?
There was a cough from behind us and I turned to see a man with a clipboard standing behind Marcus. He had begun turning gray and his back was slightly arched. However, his sleeves were rolled up and his arms were flecked with oil and cuts. "Another joy ride?" The man said, eying Marcus with distain.
"I didn't realise you miss me so much, Hawkins," Marcus replied, taking the clipboard and signing something off.
Hawkins just sniffed as he examined the motorcycle. I took an awkward step away, hovering uncertain about what to do. "You do realise this is a one seat motorcycle?" Hawkins pointed out as he took the clipboard back. "I though that would deter you from bringing a date on site." My checks became warm and I had to look away from them both.
"I wasn't expecting to bring anyone back," Marcus replied. "Plus she's not a date. Do you know if the Council are in session?"
Hawkins had already bent down to examine part of the engine. "Yes, they went into session twenty minutes ago," he said, already fiddling with something. Marcus gave him his thanks and dragged me out of the motor pool.
We marched along the path going deeper and deep into the complex. I kept twisting my head to chance a glimpse of what was down every road. There were gyms with people in the windows pulling weights and running on treadmills. Down another street was a shop with soldiers coming out with bags of food, drink, and essentials. I could have sworn down one street there was even a cinema. Off in the distance I could see green fields that looked out of place in the jungle of steel and concrete. What was even more out of place was what looked like a forest peeping through some of the gaps between buildings. Why the Arknights needed a forest was beyond me.
But none of these places were our destination. We were heading for the very heart of the complex. The Mantle itself was a twelve sided building that wrapped around the old castle that used to be the headquarters of the Arknights. The historically preserved stone structure was nothing compare to the glamorous citadel of grey steel and glass windows. It towered above us, the centre of the Arknight organisation. Marcus swiped his keycard on the door and let me inside. There was an air of business inside that I was not expecting. A flow of people walked left and right like this was just any old office space. People sat at desks, talking to people or on the phone. As a child, I had always grown up with the dream of the Arknight life, but I had never thought about the logistics side. Marcus grabbed my hand and pulled me down a corridor.
The men and women in uniform barely saw us as they rushed to their destination. People with papers, equipment, and weapons moved in all directions. As an outsider, it looked like madness, but the way everyone marched it was clearly all orderly. I tried to snatch a glimpse into every room we passed. Some were just cupboard space with nothing more important than files. Some rooms appeared to be gyms with troops doing exercises or playing sports. One room we passed, I swore, was a firing range, and enough were just in complete darkness. Soon my neck hurt from twisting from side to side. I had totally lost track of where we were going or in what direction we were heading in. However, Marcus moved through the crowd with a natural determination.
As we walked through the Mantle, I realised I had not seen another Arknight. Marcus had said there weren't that many of them, but surely there must be some around we could talk to. "Where are all the Arknights?" I asked, now jogging to keep up with Marcus.
Marcus didn't reply but kept marching towards the very centre of the building. I was starting to notice as we moved the groups of people were thinning. We walked up to a pair of sealed doors; no one else seemed to notice. I read on the sign on the front: Arknight section only. My stomach started to churn again as I remembered why I was here. If regular army personel weren't allowed in, what would they say to me? Marcus swiped his access card on the door, and there was a click. He led me through the door and along a corridor. This place felt slightly different. There was a calm that made me afraid to speak. I had so many questions, but Marcus seemed set on getting to the Council. So I examined the walls, which were filled with photos and paintings. They were all the same. Twelve people stood side by side. Each one was in Arknight armour and holding a silvery sword. They all looked down on me with judgemental eyes. Underneath the pictures, along the frames, were dates. The photos were more recent, whereas the paintings were far older. Some had even decayed, and the colour of the paint had dulled. I realised what they were. It was an image of the new Arknights that graduated each year. My heart leapt and bound at imagining what it must be like to find your photo on the wall here.
The corridor curved around, and suddenly we found ourselves in an enormous entrance hall. It was clear that this was based on the old fortress, as marble wasn't great for miliary bases. The grand nature of it, with its columns and carved imagines of angels, took my breath away. It seemed to pay to be an Arknight if you worked here. At the far side of the room were a set of grand doors. Marcus marches over there with me in tow. In front of the doors was an old man sitting at a desk. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the pistol in his belt. He got to his feet as we approached. "May I help, Squire Marcus?" The old man asked. He didn't even register me, his worn eyes focused on Marcus.
Marcus saluted the man. "Master Barak," Marcus said. The word 'Master' sent an involuntary shiver through me. I bowed almost out of instinct. Being in the presence of an Arknight Master was more remarkable than an Priest Master. Like the Priests, when Arknights become too old to fight they were made into Masters, and it was uncommon for Arknights to reach that age."I bring urgent news to the Council," Marcus continued.
"The Council is already in session," Master Barak said, shaking his head. "What precedent do you have to interrupt such a gathering?"
"Code six-pi," Marcus replied. I waited for the gasp or the shocked expression on Master Barak's face. No reaction came from him. The years of being in the Arknights had made him immune to any surprises.
"Why not take her to the Divine Office?" Master Barak asked. "Sure'll that's their domain. Not one from the Council."
"With respect, Master, demons know her prophecy," Marcus said.
With speed I thought impossible for the old man, Master Barak swooped down to meet Marcus eye to eye. He stared Marcus down with a inhuman rage. I looked away, out of fear. "Don't lie to me," Master Barak hissed. "If you remember your training, son, you would know that is impossible."
"Then test if I am lying," Marcus said, just as definitely. He did not break eye contact with the man. Marcus reaches out his arm. Master Barak grabbed the end of the forearm, and Marcus mimicked. A glow grew at the centre of their locked arms. I watched, mesmerised by how intense the light was between them. It was like when dad had surrounded me with the candlelight, but this had the strength of the sun. The ripples of energy coming off them made my attempt at blessing seem pitiful. "I tell the truth," Marcus said, his voice now having a strange deepness to it, like it was moving through syrup rather than air. "Demons know her prophecy."
The Master let go, and the light vanished. He put a hand over his face and took deep breaths. Marcus waited patiently, not moving or saying a word. Master Barak shook his head and muttered, "And I thought I would never see this day. But we live in unprecedented times." He finally looked past Marcus and looked at me. "And you are the one he speaks of?" Not being able to find my voice, I just nodded. The change from radiant awe at the blessing to the still silence was making me tingle. Master Barak straightened up. "You have a message the Council must hear." He went over to the door and put his hand on a keypad. There was a deep clunk from the door. I froze. All my senses went numb at once.
Marcus gestured with a nod for me to follow him. My legs were fixed to the floor, and I didn't want to move. However, the stares of Marcus and Master Barak told me I had to move. Every step felt like I was lifting lead shoes as I moved to the door. "Don't worry," he said, "let me do most of the talking." He swung open the doors and marched me inside.
The Council chamber was at least twice the size of the entrance hall. The room was a perfect circle made of a beautiful ornant wood. It reminded me of the Britannia Parliament. A great table covered in red velvet bisected the room at the centre. On either side of the bench were rows and rows of benches, filled with Arknights. I stared at the all. The chosen few. The best of the best from every generation. At the far end of the chamber was a throne of silver that sat slightly raised. A woman sat in it. What struck me first was the coldness in her single eye.
One either side of the bench stood two men, both in smart suits. One wore all his medals proudly on his chest making his chest glimmer in the soft light. The other didn't have anything shiny or proud to show off but I knew that was because he didn't need to. After all, I knew this Arknight.
Marcus approached the table. There had been a debate going on but the room had fallen silent as we had entered. Sir Atticus stood at the bench, his eyes locked on Marcus.
The man on the left adjusted his papers and turned to us. "State your name and why you have interrupted the Council," he said. I could feel hundreds of eyes on me. I tried to not look around as the overwhelmed attention made me want to cry.
Marcus stepped forward. "My name is Squire Marcus. I apologise for this intrusion, but a matter of great concern has arisen," he said, his voice echoing around. "May I approach the Council?" The Arknight on the left nodded instantly, but Sir Atticus nodded slowly. Marcus stepped forward onto the red carpet that ran around the bench. Immediately, he began to glow, just like he had in the entrance hall. I hadn't realised the other two Arknights were also glowing. "Grandmaster Hera and members of the Order. I come before you with news that will shake this building and the world. It appears that demons know of a prophecy that we don't." Whispers and murmurs erupted. The Arknight at the desk shook his head while Sir Atticus didn't move. "They speak of someone called the Nexus, or more specifically," he said, turning to point at me, "calling her the Nexus." Every eye in the room turned and looked at me. I gazed up to see more people were looking down at me from a balcony. But these faces were younger, much younger. For some reason, their stares burned more deeply than the adults. All I could do was think of my friends back in Wingsworth. There was nothing I wouldn't do right now to have Alice by my side.
"When did the demons divulge this," the Arknight said. "Surely, demons do not exist just to chitter-chatter to Squires. And how do you know it's her?"
"I was on Halo patrol," Marcus said. The slight hesitation in his voice told me something wasn't right. It was the same hesitation Alice used when she tried to out-smart the teacher on a technicality. In all the commotion I hadn't thought to ask him how he'd been expecting me. "Not an hour ago, I stumbled upon Sara here, performing a perfect guardian shield blessing and trapping a demon." I braced myself for the ridicule from the scores of Arknights. But no one said a word. They were listening to Marcus' every word like it was gospel.
The other Arknight stroked his short beard while the woman on the throne eye's flashed with intrigue. Sir Atticus' eyes had now fallen on me. It was almost a calculating stare that didn't make me feel comfortable at all. The other Arknight continued, "So she is gifted by the angels, that doesn't give her a prophecy."
"No, but the demon told her she had one," Marcus replied quickly.
Sir Atticus raised his hand to stop Marcus from continuing. "I think we should let our guest speak," he said. Marcus nodded and stepped away from the floor. His glow vanished like they had turned a stage light off. He moved aside and nodded at me. I didn't move for a second, afraid of what will happen to me when I stepped on the blessed floor. The crowd of people reminded me of that feeling you got when you had to present your work first and last in the class all rolled into one. In those times, I liked to think of what Alice would do as she was great at presentations. She would have bounded right onto that floor and told them everything with pride. However, I was not Alice. I stepped forward and onto the golden floor.
A warm sensation wrapped around me, the same feeling as the enlightenment blessing had. It was like I put a heated scarf around my neck on a cold day, not too tight, and sent good shivers down my spine. Sir Atticus took a step towards me. "Welcome to the Council of Angels. What is your name?"
I froze for a second, every piece of information I knew was running away from the light. But Sir Atticus fixed me with those calm eyes that centred me. He gave a small nod. "Sara Blanc, Sir," I said. I then remembered courtesy and bowed low.
"Tell us, Sara, what do you know of this Nexus prophecy?" The other Arknight said.
My throat had gone dry as I tried to think on my feet. I wanted to say I had heard it just today, trying to hide the fact I had gone beyond the Halo with my friends. I wanted to tell them I had gone alone, that I had been foolish to seek out the demons myself. However, as I tried to create my lie, it didn't seem to stay in my head. The words I try to make seemed to fade away, like trying to catch dust in the air. It was there, but I couldn't reach it. It then dawned on me why the Arknights had believed Marcus at once. While on this step, you could not lie. Everything told on this platform was the truth. I opened my mouth, hoping to earn some time before the actual set of events tumbled out. The woman on the throne had a nasty grin on her face. It reminded me of Mrs Reynolds when attempting to make the class look stupid. I'd stopped her enough times to do that, and so I wouldn't fail here. "This is the second time I have heard my prophecy," I said. My mind was running, making things up to give me more time to think. "I was first called the Nexus two weeks ago by a pair of ghasts that trapped me in an alley. They seemed to be hunting me. Next was just an hour ago when the contained demon confirm there was a prophecy."
There was a lot of murmuring and the other Arknight had gone very pale. "This is serious," he muttered, more to himself than anyone. "Very, very serious." While he jittered, Sir Atticus remained calm and still. His expression wasn't blank, he was thinking. What he was thinking though was impossible to tell. The other Arknight turned to me. "What is your prophecy?"
"I don't know," I replied. My words echoed around. Each Arknight took in my words, and all shared the same worried expression. I shrank a little, feeling like I was being judged for a crime I hadn't committed.
The other Arknight glared at me. "You don't know? How could you not know?" He blistered. "When the Oracle told you-"
"An Oracle hasn't told me," I interrupted, panic taking hold of me. I wanted desperately for them to believe me. Even when surrounded with a blessing of absolute truth, I had to convince them. "That's why I went to capture a demon to find out, but it said only the Fallen knew my prophecy."
Again the room erupted into murmurs and whispers. Even this made Sir Atticus raise an eye brow. He looked away from me, deep in his own thoughts. Did he know something about the Fallen? I looked around at Marcus. His eyes were scanning the room like he was trying to read the countless face. When his eyes locked with mine, he smiled at me. It was nice to know someone trusted me.
The jittery Arknight quickly turned to Sir Atticus. "What do you say to this truth, Sir Atticus?" There was a slight tinged of desperation in his voice. All eyes turned to Sir Atticus as he pondered my statement. Out of the people here he should believe me most.
He sighed. "Demons knowing a prophecy we do not gives them an advantage," he said. "An advantage we cannot afford to give them. Who this Fallen is we'll have to deal with later." He then turned round to face the woman on the throne. "Grandmaster Hera, I would like to move a motion to send out a search party."
"A search party?" The other Arknight said, frowning at Sir Atticus. There was a few awkward shuffles from the crowd to, all from the other Arknight's side. The people behind Sir Atticus just nodded.
"Yes," Sir Atticus replied, "after all, you are right in thinking no demon can give a prophecy. It must mean the demons got to Sara's Oracle first and captured them. I don't think I need say how big of dilemma this is." There were nods and a couple of eys from the crowd.
Everyone turned to look at Grandmaster Hera. She was bent forward now, tapping her long fingers together. They moved like spiders legs which unnerved me. Not as chilling as the look of glee she was now fixing Sir Atticus with. "Tell me, Sir Atticus, how do you know her prophecy is a mystery to us?"
There was a biting silence. This was a new kind of tension. A tension that pressed into my very skin. Something was wrong and I didn't know what. Every Arknight eyed one another as they held their collective breath to see how Sir Atticus responded. Sir Atticus was glaring up at Grandmaster Hera like a hawk. Fire blazed in each others eyes as their eyes locked. "I researched the prophecy after saving Sara's life," he said slowly. No one said a word. It was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. My mind was racing as well. Sir Atticus had told me to forget about the incident. He told me that the demon's words were there just to corrupt me. Yet, he had taken them seriously. Why hadn't he taken my concerns seriously?
Grandmaster Hera had got to her feet and leering down at Sir Atticus that made me quiver. She had seemed so frail in her throne. Now she was standing, her strong posture and over-powering sense of confidence made her nothing less than intimidating. "So, please tell the Council why you did not bring this damning information to us sooner?"
It was then I noticed something. All the Arknigthts had looked away or down at their feet. Even the other Arknight standing at the table was focusing on ordering his papers. Everyone refused her eye contact apart from Sir Atticus. He stared down this Grandmaster with no fear in his eyes. "Because, Grandmaster," he said through clenched teeth, "this council and councils all around the world have been deceived by prophecies and Prophets." He turned to his fellow Arknights at this point. "Do none of you remember the lesson of Jasper Kilomere. A Prophet this very council protected only to discover his prophecy was nothing more than lie. How many times do we fall into the trap of putting prophecies and Prophets above common sense?" He took a step towards Grandmaster Hera. "The reason I didn't tell anyone was because I had no proof. Without the prophecy I had nothing to go on." There were some murmurs of agreement, mainly from the Arknights sat behind Sir Atticus.
The worrying thing was the wicked smile on Grandmaster Hera'a face hadn't gone away. "Tut, tut, tut," Grandmaster Hera said, shaking her head like a disappointed teacher. The waves of glee coming off her was almost too much to bear. "I expected more from you Sir Atticus," she said, "You're lack in judgement might have cost this council and city dearly." In the corner of my eye I spotted Marcus' fist clench. Even some of the Arknights were glaring up at the Grandmaster.
Grandmaster Hera then turned to me. "Come forward, child." Nervously, I moved in front of her nearly on level with Sir Atticus. His eyes hadn't left Grandmaster Hera. He was studying her for any trick or game. Grandmaster Hera peered down at me, her eyes so sharp I looked away out of weakness. "It is clear to me that you are special child. The demons fear you more then any I have known. And I think it is clear that you will need more than protection. We can use you against the unholy horde," she said. She wanted to use me? But how? I had no idea what being the Nexus meant. Why did it scared the demons? The silence was filled with a mixture of confusion. Even the Arknights didn't know what was going on. Grandmaster Hera raised her hands in a sweeping gesture. "Sara Blanc, I hereby make you a Squire."
My heart nearly stopped. I gasped, letting the weight of her words slam into me. She was making me a Squire. My dream finally came true but this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Could a Grandmaster do that? I thought only twelve could be given the honour. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. A small number of Arknights got to the feet in outrage. Even Marcus shouted his disapproval but quickly stopped himself. However, that was nothing compared to Sir Atticus, who roared back, "Are you insane? She hasn't been trained at all."
Grandmaster Hera nodded. "You are right, Sir Atticus," she mused, every word dripping with cruel joy. This wasn't a compliment, I knew something else was coming. "And as your punishment for failing to tell the Council of Sara's destiny, you will train her, Sir Atticus."
I could feel the room's eyes turn on Sir Atticus. He didn't say anything. He gazed up at the Grandmaster who was enjoying every second of his humiliation. "Can I remind the Grandmaster I already have a Squire," he said curtly. There was a murmur of agreement. I wasn't sure what the Arknight code was but it sounded like you didn't have more than one Squire. Why would you when you only had twelve students?
Grandmaster Hera sat comfortably back in her chair. "Are you telling me the great Sir Atticus can't handle one more child to teach?" She cooed at him. Sir Atticus went red around the ears. Why was she calling him great? It was to mock him, yes, but why that? Grandmaster Hera lounged back in her throne. "After all your achievements, your renowned skill, surely you could find it in your heart to train her?" Sir Atticus turned and met my eyes. They were soft and filled with compassion. Grandmaster Hera addressed the Council. ""I make this a decree, so there is no doubt. Sir Atticus will train a thirteenth Arknight who will join us this year." There was a moment of awed silence as my fate was sealed. Grandmaster Hera then cried out, "All Hail the angels!"
"ALL HAIL THE ANGELS!" The crowd roared like they rehearsed this for a thousand times.
"All hail the Divine," Grandmaster Hera said.
"ALL HAIL THE DIVINE!" All the while, Sir Atticus said nothing. His eyes never left me. It was nice to know I wasn't the only one not happy with this outcome.