Paladin 4: Chapter 17 (Patreon)

Darren and his forces spent the next few weeks in an uneasy celebration. The battle for Eastwood had been more of a cleanup operation than a fight for true control. The Northern Trade Union was more eager than ever to be brought into the new umbrella his forces were forming now that they had secured Neverhorn Citadel. The massive reduction in demonic activity was palatable to every man, woman, and child on the surface. Trade was flourishing across the Sacred Seas in a way that it hadn’t for generations.

Old trade routes that had long been abandoned were now being put to use once more. Ancient mines that had been abandoned because they delved too deep and too close to the Seven Hells were safe to operate once again. And according to Thalia, trade between the Blackwind Empire and Marsa to the south had reached its highest level in a century. A few nervous travelers from abroad remarked at how the Sacred Seas wasn’t the wild monster-infested hellscape they were originally led to believe.

By all accounts, Darren had won. Whiteguard had retreated to its own borders at best. At worst, it was completely isolated, and its agents forced into hiding. And such a victory had been won without a single direct fight.

But no one trusted the easy victory. The quieter things became, the more anxiety filled the ranks of Darren’s warriors. Something was coming. They could all sense it. There would be a final battle, and when it came, there was not a soul who wasn’t bracing themselves for it.

Morgana and Sasha were not the only ones training in Castingwatch. Nearly every member of Darren’s forces was drilling themselves to exhaustion from dawn until dusk, when they weren’t busy completing quests. Darren decided to give out the rest of his skill books as rewards to those who completed the most quests or showed good progress.

Asuriel claimed she didn’t need them and could get new skills through her sigil as she needed them, so after setting some aside for Callum when he recovered, the rest all went to his forces, enhancing them that much further beyond the norm.

Asuriel returned from shooting her movie with a grin on her face. “Those teenage villagers won’t be causing any problems anymore!”

“It went well, then?” Darren sat on a branch overlooking Castingwatch, eyes distant as he gazed across the Sacred Seas to Whiteguard’s northern ports. Not a single ship stirred. The stillness was eerie.

“It went perfectly! Your prophecy worked out without a single flaw! Callum’s in for awkwardness when they finally meet, though...”

A smile crept up one side of Darren’s face. If this much of the prophecy he’d written down with Oracle Sight had proved true, the rest likely would as well. Which was a good thing because that meant Callum would wake soon.

“Good. You will have to tell me more about this ‘movie’ of yours.” He had memories from his clone, who died while fixing the villagers’ hatred of paladins, but he didn’t know anything after that since only Asuriel was present for the rest of that.

“Oh, I can do more than that! I’ll show you! It isn’t finished editing, but I can share the raw clips!” Asuriel waved her fingers through the air, and Darren felt his sigil activate of its own accord. Soon, he was looking through Asuriel’s eyes as she drifted around a group of teenagers he recognized, all of them sitting camped out in a little tree house as they chatted about little things, like getting in trouble with their parents, what kinds of food they hated.

Darren had difficulty relating since he’d missed that part of his life. He’d spent his teenage years in the depths of the Seven Hells, honing his skills like his life depended on it because it very much did.

“The scene is set... an ordinary village of ordinary teens!” Asuriel whispered. “Until... the undead attack their village!”

Darren watched until he heard the characteristic moan of an undead. It was headed right for the teens, shambling along the rope bridge. It wore the most decrepit and ragged suit of Order of the Rod armor Asuriel could find. Darren’s clone was close behind, with a rusty old sword in his hand. This part he remembered well enough.

The zombie attacked the teens, but all the stones they threw accomplished nothing against the armored zombie. A few grabbed sticks, and the girl Darren and Callum had run into first fashioned a crude spear with her knife. But even rusty armor was still armor, and the zombie was just dexterous enough to grab the haft of her spear as it clinked against a solid breastplate. It grabbed her hair next, dragging her in for the kill, much to the screams of terror of all the girl’s friends.

That was when Darren’s clone made its move and killed the zombie, saving her and explaining how he was an old holy adept dealing with the aftermath of the Order of the Rod fleeing Eastwood. That surprised the villagers, and between that and his act of heroism, they soon took to following Darren’s clone around.

The girl was lucky enough to get the old and battered sigil off the zombie, and with the help of Darren’s clone, she became a holy adept, much to the envy of all her friends. When his clone offered to teach them all a few things about combat and swordsmanship, most leaped at the opportunity.

Time passed, and the girl and all the others learned at Darren’s heels until the next couple of zombies came. Asuriel had him drop hints about a magic sword nearby and a prophecy for the one who would wield it. He could tell the story stuck with them all. He also told them more about what was happening in the Sacred Seas. There were bad sigil-wielders and good sigil-wielders, but the ones they were so wary of were the paladins of the Order of the Rod.

“We had two very bad paladins show up to make trouble in the village not long ago!” the girl said to Darren’s clone. “They must have been part of the Order of the Rod, like that zombie!”

“There is another order. They are in Castingwatch now fighting against the Order of the Rod’s influence.”

The teenagers murmured to themselves, and perhaps next time, they wouldn’t be quite so quick to throw rotten fruit at Darren’s men. At least now they knew to look for the symbols adorning a set of plate armor.

But those peaceful times couldn’t last forever if Asuriel was going to drive the lesson home and make her movie in the process. Soon, she sent another batch of zombies headed their way, dropping them off just outside of the teenager’s tree for maximum effect.

The battle that followed was much less one-sided now that the teenagers had some proper training and a few wooden practice weapons to deal with, but the foes they were up against were far more numerous as well. Darren’s clone occupied the strongest of the bunch and undead holy adept. He could have finished the fight by letting his clone use even a fraction of his strength and experience, but he drew the battle out as long as possible.

Eventually, he let the undead holy adept get the better of him, but not before the girl got in close enough to deal the final blow. Darren used his clone’s final words to warn her about an entrance to the Seven Hells nearby and that the Demonic Aura would only grow stronger until it was sealed.

A quest appeared on the girl’s sigil a moment later, asking her to seal the entrance to the Seven Hells and save her village from the undead who would surely overrun it if the Demonic Aura was allowed to fester.

“And that’s her call to adventure!” Asuriel declared. “She’s got to fight her way to the evil portal, but to make her way there, she’ll need more than that stick. She’ll need the magic sword conveniently left on a nearby mountaintop inscribed with a seemingly ancient prophecy. I haven’t finished editing the rest of the movie, but it’s good!”

“It sounds like she was on quite the adventure.” For his part, Darren was satisfied the teens weren’t going to be causing trouble anymore. His people could now safely move in and ensure the area was safe. Some of those teens might have even changed their minds about joining his forces in a few years. That was an option for them now that the roads leading out of their small village were finally safe enough to travel.

“Oh, it is. The trailer already got a bunch of likes on the network! A lot of the social media accounts I’ve made for you have gone viral! People are excited!” Asuriel shook with giddy excitement.

“I’m glad you’re happy.” Darren wasn’t really sure what Asuriel was so excited about, nor did he really get the point of the social media thing, even though Asuriel had explained it to him a few times. But he was happy that she was happy.

To prove she hadn’t spent all her time fiddling with this social media thing and her movie, Darren had Asuriel spar with him and put her new powers to the test. Out of all his companions, she was the most powerful besides himself and perhaps Ashe, so he’d depend on her to look after the others if the trouble they were all expecting came by surprise.

It turned out Asuriel really did know what she was doing, much to Darren’s surprise. Her power had grown by leaps and bounds since the last time they’d sparred.

“I haven’t just been screwing around here on the surface, Darren. I’ve been selling valuable stuff over in the heavens. That’s how I afforded my new skills. I may not look like it, but I’m a boss babe now. I’m totally loaded!” Asuriel crossed her arms and tossed Darren a smug look.

“Sure.” Darren chuckled.

“I mean it! Ask Cassandra! She helped me identify a bunch of things that are cheap here on the surface and expensive in the Seven Heavens! I’ve been opening up little portals and selling things left and right! I’ve accumulated a massive fortune! So much so that I’m going to break into the media business with my movie. Just wait and see!”

Darren gave her a pat on the head. Asuriel pouted, but leaned into his embrace.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, both of them with eyes toward Whiteguard. Worry for the future buzzed through Darren’s mind, and Asuriel seemed to sense it.

“You’re worried about what Kalaziel is up to. I wish I could help, but for all the new money I’ve made, they’re keeping things hushed up in the heavens. I have no idea what’s going on,” Asuriel said.

“Something is happening. I can feel it. I just can’t figure it out.”

“We’ve been doing everything we can to prepare.”

Darren shook his head. “What if it’s not enough? What if we’re taken by surprise?”

“Would it ease your worries if you could keep an eye on all of us?” Asuriel asked.

Darren had to think for a moment, but now he realized it would. Part of what was stressing him was the fact that his women were spread across the Sacred Seas. Depending on where this unexpected attack came from, he could lose one of them.

“Yes.”

“Then it’s past time we all got back together again. I’m sure Princess Thalia would be willing to put everyone up for a few weeks, months, or however long this takes.”

Darren’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and Asuriel blushed as he stared at her.

“What?” She pushed her hair out of her eyes, and her gaze darted between him and the ground, a shy smile on her face.

“That’s a very good idea.” Darren wrapped her hand in his own.

“Aww, thanks, Darren. But why did you look so surprised?”

“No reason.”

“No, really, why did you look so surprised?”

Darren hopped off the branch and released his wings. “Come on. Let’s get Morgana and Sasha. It’s time to return to the Blackwind Empire.”

“Wait, Darren! Answer me!”

***

Asking all those closest to him to return to the Blackwind Empire’s capital proved remarkably easy. He expected protests. Sasha had operations to lead in Eastwood and the Northern Trade Union. Asuriel was doing her movie thing, and Morgana always found a way to make trouble.

But much to his surprise, they all worked to make it happen as soon as he made his will known.

“Don’t worry, Darren. I have good subordinates in the Order of the Rose. They can take things from here,” Sasha said.

“And my movie is all done! I just need to edit it,” Asuriel added.

“And to be honest, the Blackwind Empire is way more fun than this place.” Morgana shook her head. “I never thought I’d say this, but the palace here looks like a shack compared to what I’m used to. And the people here are so poor I feel bad when I think about stealing something.”

“And Callum?” Darren asked.

“He’s still unconscious.” Sasha nodded her head to the wooden palace nearby. “But it’s just a deep sleep. It shouldn’t be too much trouble to bring him with us.”

“Oooh, I’m going to draw stuff on his face while he’s sleeping!” Asuriel giggled.

Morgana’s eyes lit up. “You’ll have to beat me to it!”

Soon, their affairs were settled. Darren, Sasha, Asuriel, and Morgana would be making the trip home by air, while Callum would be following by ship close behind. After seeing what Morgana and Asuriel did with a few minutes and a single ink bottle, Darren decided he had to step in and save his friend from excessive embarrassment when he woke.

“The ink will probably wear off,” Sasha said when she saw it.

“We know. That’s why I took pictures!” Asuriel grinned. Morgana held up her hand, and the two of them high-fived.

Darren shook his head. “For that, Asuriel, you’re carrying Morgana. I’ll get Sasha. Let’s not waste the whole day on this.”

“Awww...” Asuriel scooped Morgana up while Darren did the same for Sasha. They raced across the Sacred Seas, stopping only once so Darren could deal with an interesting demon the size of a ship they stumbled across midway through the Sacred Seas. While their forces had done a good job clearing out demons from all the lands of the Sacred Seas, clearing out the seas themselves would be considerably harder. Few could hold their breath long enough for a real fight, let alone fight effectively while underwater. It was one of the things even Darren felt he was weak on, which was why he wanted as much practice as possible.

“You smashed that giant whale crab thing to paste, Darren!” Morgana grinned and pointed at a growing red puddle floating just beneath the water’s surface.

“It exploded when I hit it.” Darren shrugged.

That was the only event worth noting on their trip, and soon they were touching down in the imperial palace. It looked a lot more impressive now that most of the big repairs were finished. There was a lot of detail work to be done, like painting and ornate carving, but all of that would wait until the rest of the city was livable as well.

They were greeted this time by both Cassandra and Princess Thalia, both waiting patiently with a small reception party and a picnic table full of refreshments.

“Wow, how’d you know we were coming?” Asuriel asked as she grabbed a fistfull chunk of cake and ate it, skipping over the sandwiches and drinks to go right for dessert. And it was a good thing she did, because a moment later, Morgana elbowed her aside and swiped the rest of the cake.

“Usually, I can depend on my Truthseeker skill for some help,” Thalia shrugged sheepishly. “But in truth, this time, I had one of the servants point the palace’s telescope toward Eastwood and tell me when they saw figures approaching it by air. It’s truly a fascinating device. I’ll have to show it to you some time.”

Asuriel washed down a mouthful of cake with the pitcher of cream sitting nearby, originally intended for the tea. “I didn’t know you mortals had reinvented the telescope!”

“I wish I could claim it was made here in the empire, but the truth is the latest merchants from Marsa brought. It seems the outside world has many interesting things to offer. We’ve been missing out on with the past few centuries of isolation.” Thalia shook her head in disappointment.

Darren looked over everyone present with bright smiles and cheerful faces. Asuriel and Morgana were wrestling over the last of the cake. Sasha was doing her best to look ladylike, eating one dainty sandwich at a time. The plates were built to normal human proportions, so a paladin’s size and appetite meant they were comically small for her.

Cassandra and Thalia, on the other hand, looked like proper ladies, though the way they pressed themselves to either of Darren’s sides was anything but ladylike. Someone was missing, though, and it was past time she was brought into the fold.

“Where’s my sword?” Darren asked.

“The massive metal one?” Thalia nodded in the direction of the palace gardens. “It is still in your cabin where you left it. The servants wanted to oil and sharpen it for you, but two of them threw their backs out just trying to lift it. I’m afraid they would have been stuck in their beds for months if Cassandra hadn’t healed them. After that, no one has dared touch it.”

“I’m going to fetch it. There’s someone I want you all to meet.”

A worried expression flashed across Cassandra’s face, but a moment later, it was replaced by a shrug of acceptance.

Darren returned soon after, bringing his sword Melancholy with him. He could hear Ashe whispering within that sword, nervous about what was coming.

“W-what if they don’t like me, Darren?” Ashe asked. “Especially Morgana. She was nearly sacrificed to me, after all.”

“They’ll like you.”

Ashe seemed uncertain. “But... what if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll tell them to like you.”

“What if they all hate me and pretend to like me when you’re around?” Melancholy shivered in his grip as the spirit within shivered nervously.

“Then I’ll tell them not to.”

“I’m really nervous, Darren,” Ashe confessed.

“I suspected as much.” Darren gave his trusty sword a pat. “Trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen.”

“Okay. I trust you.” Ashe let out a deep breath. “I suppose there’s no sense in putting this off any longer, anyway...”

Darren landed back at the picnic table, where the group was still gathering and catching up.

“Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to someone.” Darren held up Melancholy. Nothing happened.

“Uh, Darren? That’s your sword. We’ve all seen it before,” Sasha replied with concern in her voice.

“There’s no point in personifying a sword, Darren.” Morgana rolled her eyes. “I know it’s important to you, and a lot of other warriors do it too. But it’s not like you can sleep with your sword.”

“Ashe, that was your signal to come out,” Darren said.

White light shone from his blade, and soon Ashe appeared in their midst in a swirling mist of floating feathers.

“H-hello, everyone. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Ashe...” Ashe said as she wrapped herself in her brilliant white wings. Her fingers toyed with her hair.

“Holy shit, I was wrong. You can sleep with your sword.” Morgana reeled back in shock.

“This is Ashe, previously Asmoth’Koteth. I grabbed part of her soul from Kalaziel when he killed her, and I purified it to restore her to her original form as a seraph,” Darren replied. “Get to know her.”

“Wait... Amsoth’Koteth is the Prime Sin we fought in Salsroth, right?” Sasha looked back and forth between Darren and Asmoth’Koteth.

“Yes. But that was when she was a demon. She’s better now.” Darren nodded his head at Ashe.

“Better?” Sasha still looked skeptical.

“Hold on, I was nearly killed by your evil cult and sacrificed to you!” Morgana leaped to her feet and pointed.

Ashe blushed. “Sorry about that...”

“Sorry? That’s all you have to say for nearly getting Cassandra and me killed?” Morgana demanded.

“I’ve already forgiven her for that,” Cassandra replied. “She wasn’t in her right mind then. Besides, if she hadn’t wanted us as sacrifices, Darren wouldn’t have been able to rescue us!”

“I suppose that’s true...” Morgana scowled, and Ashe withered under her glare. “I guess I should be flattered that you had your cultists pick Cassandra and me out of all the women in Rarekshold. So you have good taste, if nothing else.”

“Y-you looked very cute tied up and naked on my altar...” Ashe blushed.

The corners of Morgana’s lips corked up in a smile. “Yeah, you think so?”

“Y-yeah...” Ashe wound a long curl of her hair around her fingers.

Morgana clapped a hand on Ashe’s shoulder. “You know what, I think you’re alright, Ashe! I think you’re going to be a lot of fun. Darren could use a girl who’s been even badder than me to punish regularly! We can get spanked together! We’ll be red-bottom buddies!”

Ashe looked at Darren with alarm, and Morgana clutched her stomach as she laughed. She wrapped her other arm around Ashe’s shoulder.

Asuriel had remained quiet for a while, but since her first appearance, her gaze had been the most intent as her eyes locked on Ashe.

“You’re Ashe, the old Prime Saint of purity.”

“Yes, that’s me. Or... was me. I’m not fully myself. Not yet, at least. Kalaziel has my heart and with it, my ability to form a body and much of my power. That is why I live in Darren’s sword for now,” Ashe replied.

“Hmm... well... I suppose someone should tell you...” Asuriel rubbed her chin.

“Tell me what?” Ashe scrunched her brows nervously.

“After you died, the Prime Saint of Sex bought your house. It’s the center of a porn studio. They took over your Seraphbook page as well, and it’s filled with fake smut of you.”

“What!?” Ashe rushed to Asuriel’s side, and Asuriel opened her sigil interface. Ashe proved just as adept as Asuriel at manipulating the maddeningly complex interface, and soon Ashe had a deep scowl on her face.

It seemed a lot of people had some very explicit ideas about what the Prime Saint of Purity was up to after losing her purity and turning into the Prime Sin of Corruption. Even Darren got a few ideas. Perhaps this Seraphbook thing was worth browsing after all.

That soon turned everyone’s attention to other matters. Cassandra, in particular was beginning to get into one of her less productive moods. It wasn’t long before she started tugging on Darren’s sleeve while licking her lips and glancing back in the direction of their cabin.

“Will we even all fit in there?” Darren asked.

Thalia sighed. “I suspected this might happen, so I already took the liberty of rehiring some of the carpenters we sent on our way. They’re going to knock down the walls in the cabin and turn the whole thing into one enormous bedroom. One big, soundproofed bedroom. I don’t want you distracting my staff too much.”

“You do you mean ‘distracting’ the staff?” Cassandra quirked a brow. “You and I are Darren’s official wives! It’s practically your duty to remind the city that your man is back in town! Don’t worry, I’ll show you how...”

The next thing Darren knew, he was being dragged off the bedroom.

<Note>

I’m leaving a little placeholder here. I’d like to do Ashe’s first sex scene, but I might delay it because I don’t want the plot to drag too much. I may revisit this depending on how the next couple of chapters turn out. If I can’t work it in later in the story, I’ll have to squeeze it in here.

If I end up not having it here, then my canon answer to this off-screen scene will be that Ashe just sort of sits by the end of the bed and watches creepily.