The witches led our small convoy through the forest. They were like a ghostly guide, always there but always just out of focus. The head witch marched at the front of the trucks. No matter what speed we were going at, she maintained her lead. Members of her group matched the cars as constant guardians. I spotted in the nearby trees, other witches leaping from tree to tree like a monkey that could glide. It terrified me they could be so badly hurt from a demon attack with all their physical abilities. What chance did a normal human have?
As I gazed out the window at our hosts and spotted each on had a necklace. A brighten purple jewel swung from the cord like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. It wasn't natural. I couldn't imagine what they were made out of but looking at them unsettled and intrigued me.
The three of us said nothing to each other as we moved deeper into the forest. Sir Atticus constantly updated the other cars of our movements. It was clear he wasn't taking any chances of losing the other trucks. After a while, I noticed a light trying to push through the deep forest up ahead. The path also seemed to be getting smoother. Even some of the witches started dissipated. I brace myself again for whatever we were going to meet now.
Up in the trees, witches were looking down at us, bows ready. They had formed a perimeter with these giant trees around a lone gate. I couldn't see their faces because of the shadow, but I knew they looked wary. Even Sir Atticus tensed up a little as the lead witch waved us through. I hid from the window just in case any of them tried to fire on at me. I betted that their aim was as good as their speed. However, there was not chinking of metal. We passed through this line of defence and into a clearing.
I wasn't ready for the sight in front of me. The grey grass was crimson red with blood. There was a smell of decay mixed with burning flesh that filled my nostrils. I gagged on the putrid air. Even the boys had to cover their noses. Body parts lay on the floor, meters away from their owners' remains. Limbs seemed to have been torn from torsos, organs ripped out and half-devoured, and even a solitary head lay just a couple of feet from our vehicles. I didn't know where to look. There was no crying or any sound of mourning. A group of sad-looking witches were picking up their fallen brethren and placing them on a fire. Another group was attending to the wounded. Some had their eyes wide open as bandages were placed on gashes and stumped limbs.
The atmosphere was thick with a tragedy no one wanted to speak about. Sir Atticus and Marcus opened their doors. I hesitated but followed suit. My boots squelched in the blood-drenched soil while Sir Atticus got to work immediately. When the truck stopped behind us, he ordered the men to share supplies. Marcus began to walk around the parameter of the convoy, his sniper ready for action. I was just so stunned by the sight in front of me I didn't move. The small huts had claw marks dragged around it, and some huts roofs were still smouldering. I didn't want to walk for the sound of the squelching earth.
"First time you've seen death?" a voice said beside me. I jumped around to see the boy who had stood by my door. Though his shaven hair was silver, his eyes were a leaf green. It was the last sign of something human about him. I took a step back, not entirely sure whether I was allowed to talk to him. Still, my eyes couldn't help but gaze down on his warp skin. He noticed what I was looking at and put out a hand to show me. It wasn't much, only the palms of his hands, some of his fingers appeared normal. "The price we pay for our survival," he said. His sentences were straightforward, but dull, like what he was saying was obvious to him. I couldn't find my voice so just nodded.
"Sara," Sir Atticus shouted from the truck. I jumped to attention and, without saying goodbye, rushed over to the back of the truck. The men were still unloading crates of supplies. Sir Iris had already headed over with some medical supplies and was handing them out to the witch doctors. It was odd as all the rumours you heard about witches made them seem like savages, hunting each other down like beasts. But here, I saw families, doctors, and just people, people who had chosen a different life from the Divine. Sir Otto examined a crate of food and getting Virgil to watch his back. It was clear Virgil was taking this seriously. He didn't even give me a sarcastic glance as I walked past.
Sir Atticus was surveying the landscape. "Come with me," he said. I nodded and followed him a little way from the truck. Each step was painfully sticky. When we were a little way away from the group, he whispered to me. "How are you doing?"
That was the question of the hour. I didn't know what I felt. My stomach kept lurching with every sniff. This awful tragedy was more than I could bear. But also, my other senses were being attacked. What I saw, what I could hear, even my empathy was crying out at the sight the demons had created. And it also filled me with worry. "I don't know," I murmured. I knew alright. All I wanted to do was go home. This wasn't a life I wanted. How could I have been so naïve to think that being an Arknight was glorious when all it did was lead to death?
Sir Atticus gripped my shoulder. "It's ok. It's always worse on your first time."
"Does this feeling go away?" I asked, trying to force my churning stomach to relax.
Sir Atticus just looked at me with soft eyes. His eyes said it all. "No, it never does," he said.
"Sara Blanc?" a woman's voice said from behind us. We turned around to see the woman witch standing there, her eyes focused on me. The boy was there as well, standing like a mirror to how I stood behind Sir Atticus. I looked back at her. How did she know my name? Had the Order given them our identity as to recognise us? However, from the surprised look on Sir Atticus's face, I didn't think that was the case. "You are to come with me," the woman continued. "The elders wish to speak to you."
Sir Atticus precariously put his arm across me and stepped forward. "As her mentor, may I respectively ask why."
There was a tense pause. I wondered how thin our alliance with the witches was. Would they turn on us in a heartbeat and kill us all for just the most minor inconveniences? The witch didn't smile. "They wish to speak to the Nexus."
My heart skipped a beat, and Sir Atticus' hand gripped me tighter. They knew about me? The witches knew about the Nexus. Did they understand why I was called that? This was the best lead I had in ages. I wanted to step forward and go with them right away, but Sir Atticus held me back. "Can you swear she will be safe?" Sir Atticus asked.
For the first time, the witch smiled. The look of ancient glee sent ice through my veins. "No one is safe with the elders," the witch said. "They are what they are."
"Then I can't let her go with you," Sir Atticus said.
"No," I blurted out, making even the witches frown. Sir Atticus glared down at me. I knew I would regret this later, but I could let this chance slip through my fingers. "Sir, me being here is already dangerous. You said it yourself. Plus, if they know something we don't..." I trailed off, looking hopefully at him. Sir Atticus bit his lip. He was clearly not happy with the situation.
The witch stepped forward. "It is clear you must let her go. She is required, and she is willing."
"Apparently, Arknights have a different definition of 'clear' to you," Sir Atticus said through gritted teeth. I spotted Sir Atticus glance down at the witch's arms. But Sir Atticus moved aside and turned to me. "Orders," he said. I stood to attention. "Go with them, but if you feel unsafe, you return here immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," I said. I saluted and looked at the witch. The witch didn't even acknowledge me. She just turned and walked down a path deeper into the forest. I shook off my anxiety and followed her into the darkest parts of the woods.
The witch boy walked beside me, his eyes darting at sounds I could not hear. Now that we were alone, I assumed I was on my own. This was an opportunity to learn things I wouldn't never have time to again. "So, how long have you been a witch?" I asked casually. I waited for a moment, trying to gauge his reaction and wondering if we could talk.
The boy didn't answer at once. He twisted his head to the side first before turning back to me. "I am one-hundred-and twelve," he said. I stared at him. That couldn't be true. He looked the same age as me.
Studying him for any sign of lying, my eyes lingered on the jewelled necklace around his neck. Close up, it appeared even the jewel was warped like it had been twisted into a distorted tree root. "You are fascinated by our demonhearts?" The boy said, out of the blue.
I jumped, not realising that I must have been staring at it. "It's..erm...it's very pretty," I said, trying to stall. I hoped I hadn't offended him but there was no rage on the witch's face. But that was generally no emotion, it was very hard to read witches. "Did you call it a demonheart?" I asked, eying the jewel. Demons didn't really have hearts. Their bodies became mainly corruption so there was little use for the organ.
The boy spotted the confusion on my face and lifted the jewel to give me a better look. "It's just our name for it. It is made of the sap from the oaks here. We forge it with our first use of magic. It helps us guide our way and find those lost in the woods. The jewel admits a light a wearer can always see."
I examined the jewel. I theory it was just a piece of amber taken from a corrupted tree. Still, it was weird to see it as purple not orange. And all the amber I had seen was polished into beautiful gemstones, while this reflect the harsh nature of the world it was forged in. Also I didn't see this light he spoke about. "Doesn't this light attract demons though?"
The boy shook his head. "Only we humans with demonhearts can see the light, the essence of the Divine burning. Not much different from your Halo." I frowned at him. A piddly, little jewel didn't really match to the burning beacon of hope that protected the city. The boy sighed "You must remember we do not live in the Divine's light, Nexus. Our world differs from yours."
I gazed around the corrupted trees and darkening sky. "You can say that again," I murmured. Then I asked, "Wait, you know I'm the Nexus."
The boy nodded. "Oracle words are sacred in our tribes."
"Witches have Oracles?" I said. This was news to me. I had expected that when you became a witch, any divine power left you. These witches were more surprising than I thought.
The boy gave a hollow laugh. "Though we have rejected our creator's life, we are still their children," he said, giving me a knowing look. "Angels still bind with us. Their connection has given us many gifts"
"I wish the angels would show themselves and help us," I muttered.
The boy frowned. "Angels are scared too, you know. It was the reason they left in the first place." I stared at him. Angels scared of something? What could an angel fear? I doubted anything could harm them in this world. Humans could hunt down and kill demons, so why couldn't angels?
We had just entered a small clearing. The forest was so dense now that the trees stood so unnaturally close they were like a wall. We were completely isolated from anything. All that was there was a rock formation with a cave as an entrance. Fear grasped my muscles, but I held steady and headed towards the entrance. The women Witch stopped outside and spoke to me. "Only speak when spoken to," she said. Her voice was low and commanding. "If you've got questions, only ask it when they give you permission."
"How will I know if I have permission?" I asked. The witch just looked at me. Her eyes gave nothing away. I guessed I would find out.
I went to head in, but she blocked me with her outstretched hand. "They will attack on sight at that," she said. She was pointing at the rifle and handgun I had stowed away. I sighed. I knew it was too easy. Though they were my only weapons, I handed them to the witch. She dropped the handgun immediately like fire and hung the rifle on a twig jutting out from the rock. It appeared witches hated guns almost as much as I did. I focused on the witch's elders cave. Taking a deep breath, I walked inside.
The cave was smaller than expected. I had to crouch low to enter and move inside. I didn't see anything at first. Moving deeper in, I looked for a sign of these elders. Was this a trick? Had they trapped me in the easiest way possible? I took one step forward. The room exploded into light as from right in front of me, a green fire burned in the centre of three hooded figures. I jumped backwards, and the scene in front of me vanished. Cautiously, I moved forward. The scene before me came back into focus.
The elders were waiting there, patiently next to their unholy fire. I turned to look at the entrance. If you had looked inside, you would have seen nothing.
The elders were mainly covered in shadow, and they hid their forms behind ragged clothing. However, in the eerie firelight, I could see their clawed hands and rough skin. If the boy had been over a hundred, how old were these elders? They hadn't spoken yet, so I sat opposite them. As soon as I sat down, the witch elders joined hands, with the outside members offering their other hands to me. I hesitated. I was not prepared for this, but I'm sure even Sir Atticus wouldn't know of this ritual. Their hands were not inviting, and I didn't want to take them, but if it was the cost of finding out my destiny, then so be it. Bracing myself, I took the witch's hands.
Immediately the room dissolved. I nearly let go in surprise, but my hands were now stuck to the witches like a magnet. We were in a void filled with a thousand tiny lights. Were we in space? "We are not in the Aether," one elder said. I stared at the figure and gasped. The clothes had faded away, revealing their true forms. They didn't have wrinkles or tired eyes to show their age. Their bodies were covered in that nasty skin, their eyes barely peeking out from behind the folds of skin. "You rightly find our form repulsive," the elder to the left said. "But we cannot hide our true form in this realm."
I wondered what could cause such a revulsion of nature to end up like that. "The curse of living in a demon world," another member of the elders spoke. "For every year that passes, a bit more of our mortal form is corrupted but never the soul. The sacrifice for our lifestyle." I didn't like that they seemed to read my mind. My only defence was to think quick on my feet. The elder continued. "It is also the price to pay to see your true nature."
I frowned at him. My true nature? I was just a girl in a combat uniform; nothing unique about that in the grand scheme of things. I glanced down to look at my dirty and rough outfit. I nearly had a heart attack. My combat gear was gone. Instead, a glowing white dress hung off my body. It was the most beautiful garments I had ever seen. It gave me strength for some reason. Flecks of the light particles I used to summon shields glided gently off it and faded away. I turned to look at the haggard old witch elders, though they did not seem too impressed with my new clothes.
"You are truly blessed," the middle elder said. He was by far the oldest, and it was clear we were going blind. "You are the Nexus, after all."
"What does that mean?" Words finally leaving my mouth, like the elders had ultimately given me permission to speak.
The elders shared a look. "A secret kept by the angels themselves," they said together in an eerie echo.
"Earthbound mortals can only see part of the story, even with our age," the centre elder continued. "What we have seen is that the Nexus is a bringer of change. However, you are still different."
"Why am I different?" I asked, my heart pounding against my chest.
"There have been only two Nexuses. Aurelian and yourself. He was the first and you are the last Nexus," the left elder said.
"The last?"
"Yes, the last," The centre elder replied. The void seemed to swirl faster around them as the elders continued their story. "Your destiny will define the age."
This was not exactly the news I wanted to hear. I wanted to know precisely what my destiny was, not for it to get vaguer and bigger. I could feel myself grip the elders' fingers tightly. They would not leave until I had some answers. "But what is my destiny?"
"We were hoping you would tell us," The centre elder said. His old face wore the curse of a thousand years. The fact this age-old witch with knowledge beyond my understanding was unnerving.
"You must know something," I said, looking at all of them. "Something must have changed recently?" The words and scene began to play in my head. The void changed. The infinite blackness swirled into light browns and shimmering white. Somewhere just above me, a faint light was pushing through the blurred glass. I realised we were in my old temple. The image was totally out of focus, like looking through a telescope at a close distance. I was here when I learnt about the witches and something had changed the demons. I had personally witnessed demons thinking as one would rather have a conversation with me than attack.
The three elders nodded slowly. "Yes, the demons have changed."
"What happened?" I asked. "Do you know?"
The two elders looked at the central one. He sighed. "Ten years ago, an event happened the shock the natural world." As he spoke, the void swirled again, changing from the brown, safe interior of the temple to the dark insides of the forest. This time everything seemed in focus. I watched small witch children, unblemished by the corruption, playing while adults talked and worked. I could see even shadows of the elders walking with their people. Then a ripple passed through everything. A wave that moved the fabric of the earth, the skin of the trees and the souls of the witches. Children froze, and the adults looked around. "We feel the natural world more than any other," the central elder continued. "We commune with it, not protected by your Halo. And we felt it while your Arknights ignored the signs."
"What signs?" I asked. I couldn't see any message or any understanding from this ripple. But deep in my soul, I knew something was very wrong about that ripple. It was the same wrong I felt when I stood outside Halo. That feeling that evil was involved.
"The signs of demons thinking," the elder answered. "Koralax has given them the power to organise. How he has done this is unknown to us. The Lord of Demons is beyond our understanding." The elder bent in towards me, and his grey blind eyes cut through me like a knife. "You must find your Oracle."
The centre elder stretched out is long fingers and pulled something out of thin-air. I watched it shimmer and dance above his palm. I gasped, recognising it as a demonheart. "We wish to assist in whatever way we can. This is a sacred artefact for our kind," the elder said, fixing me with an intense stare that would have curdled milk. He pushed the jewel and it glided gracefully over to me. I caught it and held it in my hand. It was like glass, its sharp edges could cut however, it was smooth to the touch. What freaked me out most was how it seemed to glow. It had a faint light but not one I could mistake. And now the chests of the elders were all glowing. The witch boy's words finally made sense.
I looked up, not sure whether to thank them for my gift or not. I doubted the Order would let me keep such an object. But, I wanted to say something to show I wasn't being disrespectful. "Sir Atticus thinks my Oracle must have been taken," I said. The idea of travelling into demon territory to find my Oracle sounded like a mission I wouldn't be a part of. But, when I said Sir Atticus's name, the elders looked disapproving at each other. "What?"
"We do not trust Sir Atticus," the left elder said. I frowned at them. They barely knew him, plus he was an Arknight, so I didn't doubt they hated Sir Atticus. But the way they spoke made it seem personal. "He is a man of many secrets," the elder continued. I had forgotten they could read my mind. "For he is a man-killer."
The accusation hit me sideways. "Sorry, what?" I blurted out, the news so ridiculous I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Sir Atticus couldn't kill someone; he would have been turned into a demon if he had. "That's impossible," I stated.
A dark grin grew across the elders' faces in unison. "That's why we do not trust him." I shrank into myself as the elders seemed to grow and move closer and closer. Their deranged forms growing wilder and wilder. I tried to back away, but there was no space behind me. It was all an illusion. Their crusty, warped features moved closer and closer, whispering all the while, "NEXUS. MAN KILLER. ORACLE." I closed my eyes and let go of the elder's hands.
Quiet enveloped me. I stayed still, waiting for the elders to consume me. When that didn't happen for a moment, I opened one tentative eye. We were back in the cave, the green fire flickering away as the three elders sat like statues. I looked at them all, expecting one to jump out at me. But they didn't move. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see the woman witch standing above me. Her hair reflected the light of the fire perfectly, like fine strands of mirrors. She began pulling me towards the exit. I needed no persuasion. I wanted to get out of there and as far away from those elders as possible. Every inch of my skin was crawling by the time I left the cave mouth. "Fextar will walk you back," the woman said, nodding at the boy. Fextar appeared at my side almost at once, and half dragged me down the path back to the village.
I said nothing on the way back. Fextar didn't question me or ask what I had just been through. And I didn't want to talk about it. Being the Nexus was one thing, but the final one? What could this prophecy be? And where was my Oracle? But the thing that shook me the most was the news about Sir Atticus. Had he killed someone, or were the witches just lying? Something deep inside told me that no one lied in that cave. I turned the demonheart in my hand, hoping it would bring me some comfort. But the small gem just glowed sweetly in the dark.
The other Arknights were busying themselves with healing the wounded or handing out supplies. Marcus and Virgil were patrolling the perimeter, staying a little way off from one enough. I couldn't help watch the witches now as each one suddenly had a small glow from their chest. What was weirder was I thought I could feel them. Their clans emotions pressing down on my soul like I could understand them. Their pain, their fear, and their loss was all emotions I could relate to. It just made me want to help even more.
Sir Atticus was bent down, helping bandage the wound of a child. His touch was so delicate, and the comfort he was giving to the child made him seem harmless, even with a gun on his back. Still, the revelation that he had killed a person and survived being a demon made me stand a little way from him. I wasn't afraid to approach, just wary. I hid the demonheart in my pocket. This wasn't the place to announced I'd been given one. Sir Atticus straightened up and spotted me. Instinctively, I moved towards him. My training was starting to kick in. He ran over to join me. "Sara," he said, giving me a look over, "thank the Divine. You seem in one piece. What do you have to report?"
I looked around at the witches who were moving around a little more and, now help had arrived, the air was a lot lighter. "Sir, I don't think this is the place for that conversation." Sir Atticus nodded.
A scream broke the stillness of the night. The group of witches cowered, looking in all directions. In a flash, Sir Atticus had unsheathed his gun. "Otto, Iris, perimeter. Marcus, Virgil, Civilians. Sara, take cover." Before he had finished barking out orders, Sir Otto and Sir Iris were sprinting towards the site's perimeter. Marcus and Virgil took a position in front of the wounded and their homes, lying in the mud with their weapons ready. Sir Atticus charged straight towards the scream. I knew what my orders were, and there were a thousand and one places to hide. But, my instinct pushed me forward, there was only one place I should be. I ran after Sir Atticus. Sir Otto and Sir Iris shouted orders at me, but I didn't care. I knew I would get punished for this, but I had to see.
Sir Atticus was moving cautiously from tree to tree, his rifle held ready. I took out my handgun and unclipped the safety. The blood in my ears was pounding so hard I could barely hear. Every sense of mine was on edge. I squinted into the darkness of the trees to see who had made the scream. I wish I hadn't. Laying on the roots of a nearby tree, the body of a young witch. A ghast was tearing at her chest, devouring whatever parts of her that weren't corrupted. As it bit into the witch's flesh, there was a brief glow before the ghast swallowed it. As it did so, the ghast seemed to get bigger. The mist of corruption that surrounded it seemed to move more erratically as the meal continued. I used this opportunity to hide behind a tree close to Sir Atticus.
He had not fired yet, but I knew he had a sight on the demon. The demon had not noticed them, so he was taking his time to take the perfect shot. "Better kill in one shot, then a thousand," he had said during one of our shooting practices. I peered out from the tree to see the demon now looking over in our direction. Blood was still dripping from its human jaw. I tensed my body. Camouflage wouldn't help us now, demons had senses we could barely dream off. It was probably deciding whether to attack or not. If it charged us, I had to be ready. Protecting Sir Atticus would give me the strength to summon a shield to provide him with the kill.
The demon's head snapped upward to the tree. A strange yell erupted from the tree line as three blurs shot out of them. They pounced on the demon. I watched, amazed as the ghast roared out in pain as silvery daggers struck the demon. It had to be the witches. This was how they could survive the demon lands. The demon swiped at its attackers, and its corruption tried to engulf the scene. But the blurs were quick and dodged the demon's blows. One blur seemed to tackle the corruption itself. I couldn't take my eyes off the scene. The silvery daggers were tearing through the demon, but it hadn't fallen yet.
Deciding to change tactics, the demon focused its attack on one blur. While the witch attacked the fiery cloud, the demon lunged at it. There was a yell as the witch flew into a nearby tree, a nasty red claw mark in their chest. The demon turned to the other two witches. Corruption was pouring out of the wounds the witches had made, but it was still standing. The other two witches faced the demon, crouching low and ready to fight to the death.
Sir Atticus stood and fired. The single lightning bullet shot across the clearing, striking the demon. It gave one last monstrous howl before collapsing and its corruption fading away. The witches turned to face us, and one boy I recognised. Fextar was panting, looking up at Sir Atticus's gun. He was still gripping his silvery dagger. He had locked eyes with Sir Atticus. I realised it was not long ago these two had been enemies. But, Sir Atticus lowed his weapon and nodded at Fextar. Fextar returned the nod and went to help his friend.
I got to my feet. My legs felt like jelly, and I was just drained from how frightened I had been. Inside the Halo, the ghast had barely taken a hit. But, on their turf, they could take so many blows. I shivered. How much stronger were the other demons? Sir Atticus turned around and spotted me. "What in the angels are you doing here?" He yelled at me. I jumped as I had never seen Sir Atticus truly anger. He marched over to me. "I gave you an order."
I wanted to point out that technically I had taken cover behind him. But I knew saying something like that would only make things worse. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir, I just..." I trailed away. What had I been thinking? I was in no way ready for a fight with demons, and yet I had run straight towards the danger. Disobeying a direct order. I looked down at my feet, shame taking over.
Sir Atticus glared at me. "Back to the trucks, double time," he hissed. I didn't resist. I half-ran back to the trucks and waited there till Sir Atticus had informed the others what had happened. Sir Otto and Sir Iris didn't seem too bothered by my mutiny, but Virgil looked murderous.
As we were just doing a supply drop, the trucks were packed up, and we headed home. Marcus didn't even look at me as we made our way back to Londinium. I wanted him to speak at least, even if he told me off. Sir Atticus was still pissed; he hadn't stopped glaring since he had spotted me. Still, I was glad to finally get back inside the Halo. I never knew I would actually look forward to heading back to the Mantle.
The sun had set by the time we had handed in all our equipment. There was a tense silence between us all, and I knew it was about me. The other Arknights and their Squires headed towards the canteen for some well-earned rest. Marcus and I waited for Sir Atticus as he finished signing off everything. He joined us at the entrance to the warehouse. "Marcus, you did a good job today. You're dismissed," he said, his voice low. It was like a parent being mad at one of their children and not the other. Marcus shared a look with me. There was pity in his eyes, and I could see he was reluctant to go. However, he was smart enough not to mess with Sir Atticus. He saluted him and marched away after the other. "Come with me," Sir Atticus added to me.
We walked across the complex, the atmosphere as thick as the silence of the demon lands. I wanted to run away from this situation. Sir Atticus had always been so kind to me, and to see him so angry was terrifying. Every worst-case scenario played out in my head. What he chuck me out? Would he end my training? Would he lock me up for insubordination? All the lights in the offices were off; everyone had finished for the night. Sir Atticus unlocked his door and marched me inside. He didn't say anything as he closed the door behind me. I didn't dare glance around, not being able to bear the shame of the look on Sir Atticus' face. Sir Atticus moved around to the other side of his desk. He leant against it, looking like a lion ready to pounce. "Why did you do that?" Sir Atticus said, his tone soft but deadly.
I hesitated, trying to think of some clever excuse for why I had followed him. But I knew lying wouldn't work. "I followed my gut, sir," I answered honestly.
"And does your gut have a death wish?" Sir Atticus glared up at me. His green eyes pierced me like daggers. I knew it was a rhetorical question. I looked down, not being able to deal with his disappointment. Sir Atticus shook his head and sat down. He didn't offer me to stand at ease. "I hope you understand that was the worse thing you could have possibly have done," Sir Atticus said. "You are barely trained. You are probably the least ready person on this base to fight a demon," the volume of his voice grew. His words cut deep, but I knew he was right. "Maybe in a year or two more, I could catch you up, but that is going to be difficult to justify if you pull stupid stunts like this."
"Yes, sir," I replied. I didn't want my training to be taken away from me. I had finally found out what I was good at. Losing it all now after hating it for so long was pointless to me.
Sir Atticus sat back in his chair. "You'll be on triple wash duty until you prove you've mastered your blessings. The only reason it's not quadruple is Otto and Iris were on that trip. Hopefully, your little show won't get back to the Grandmaster."
Something burned my cheeks. I was angry. Why does that matter? I hadn't got myself killed, or anyone else. "You've never worried about your reputation before, sir," I said before I could stop myself. I waited for Sir Atticus to shout at me.
Sir Atticus just glared at me instead. "This isn't about my reputation. It is about your safety, Sara," he said through clenched teeth. "If Hera hears you doing stupid stuff like this, she will put you on more mission. And next time, we might not be so lucky." I held back what I wanted to shout at him. I wasn't a child that didn't understand death or anything. I knew what we were doing was dangerous. But the reason I was here was that gut instinct pulling me in a direction I would never have usually have gone. And I would not stop listening to it now. "Now, Sara, tell me what happened in your meeting with the elders," Sir Atticus ordered.
Reluctantly, I pulled out my demonheart and presented it to him. Sir Atticus examined it as I explained everything that had happened in the cave. As my story went on, his anger turned to worry. "That's a shame they don't know," he murmured to himself. He glanced at the map of Britannia with all its cities marked clearly. He nodded to himself. "They are right, though. We need to find your Oracle. I'll send the word out to the other cities to see if they know of anything." He then held out my demonheart. "You must be pretty important to give you one of these. Keep it on you but don't mention it to anyone but Marcus." I took it and stored it safely within my pocket. With one last sigh, Sir Atticus concluded, "You're dismissed." I saluted and headed to the door. Before I could turn the handle, I remember the last bit the elder had told me. I hovered by the door, debating whether I should say anything. "Is there something else, Sara?" Sir Atticus said.
Cursing myself, I turned back to face him. "There was something else the elders told me, sir," I said. My mind was racing as I thought I had to say this sentence. Sir Atticus looked at me expectantly. "They... they accused you of killing someone."
There was a stony silence between us. I didn't know if I should be scared. Sir Atticus didn't move or even blink. An eternity passed in a moment. Finally, Sir Atticus rubbed his eyes. "Not how I wanted you to find out," he said simply. My heart dropped like a stone. He had killed someone? It was true? I gawked at him, waiting for a better explanation. "Yes, I killed a man."
"Who was it, sir?" I asked.
"A fellow Arknight," Sir Atticus answer. "Though you could barely call them that by the end." He closed his eyes and shook his head like he was hoping a terrible memory would leave him. I watched him closely. He looked like a tortured soul. At last, he continued, "When you and Marcus become Arknights, I will tell you the whole story. But, until then, please keep this to yourself. Not even Petra knows about this."
"Yes, sir," I nodded firmly. Then the question that was bitting at me surfaced. "Why didn't you become a demon, sir?" I said simply.
A sad smile came upon Sir Atticus's face. His eyes shimmered with the beginning of tears. Sir Atticus turned away from me to look at the pictures on the shelves. He seemed to focus on one with just two people in it. One of them was Sir Atticus, young and handsome as I had always imagined. Standing next to him was a young woman I hadn't met. Though, she looked familiar. I noticed Sir Atticus' eyes lingering on her. And all he said was, "An angel saved me."