The Paladin Order Reformed - Chapter 38
The next day, before we started reconstruction efforts, Sir Richard, Aliece, Lili, Rett, and I all attended a council meeting to finally discuss things. It was imperative to understand what exactly has happened, months have gone by since the insurrection within the Paladin Order and I have no clue to the current state of our continent.
When everyone was finally seated around the large circular table, Sir Richard started his briefing. He said with a somber tone.
“Where should I start? I guess I should start at the beginning, roughly two months ago the Paladin Order’s High Stronghold in Humanities’s Holy Capital was taken over by a radical faction from the Paladin Order that was forced into exile long ago.
This faction was known as the Forsaken Order, previously we thought they disbanded after being exiled. There hasn’t been a trace of them for decades, it was nieve of us to think that they disappeared just like that, I guess the Order was too tied up with the war to care about regulating their movements.
Anyway, the Forsaken Order quickly infiltrate and captured the High Stronghold. They had already planted or recruited most high ranking officers inside the Order, so when they struck half of our military struck with them.”
Sir Richard sighed helplessly, it was the first time I’ve taken the time to look at him. His usual coy smile was reduced to a stagnant frown, his bloodshot eyes receded into his eye sockets giving him a perpetually tired expression. He doesn’t look like he’s slept well since my departure, his strong shoulders that used to give him such a formidable aura have slumped down, his posture is terrible as if he’s had to hold a great weight on his shoulders.
Before I could inquire about his condition, Lili tugged on my sleeve. She leaned close to me, putting her hand to my ear whispering.
“Christian…. I don’t know how to tell you this, but…. I can’t understand what Sir Richard is saying, I don’t speak the human tongue, remember?” I looked at her to be sure and her expression of cluelessness with a hint of embarrassment was all the confirmation I needed.
I tried to stifle my laugh, but soon I couldn’t help let my laughter out. I turned to Sir Richard as Lili hid her red blooming face and announced to Sir Richard.
“Forgive my rudeness, Sir Richard I never properly introduced my friends to you. This beautiful mountain lily is Lilith Moon Claw, but she prefers Lili and that brooding rogue beside her is her older brother, Rett Moon Claw.” I grinned harmlessly at him and said. “The former chief of the Moon Claw Clan.”
Rett had no idea what I said, but he could tell by my expression and tone that it was not something flattering, even though it was. He let loose a string of words I deliberately forgoed translating.
“I met Lili after I saved her after we captured a town she was stationed in, she also saved me from dying of an infection.
Anyway, Lili and I planned to travel all the way to Hampton from Valdora, but I was captured by Rett and his force. He was going to execute me, but I convinced him to fight me in a duel. I was barely able to beat him with the help of the wisp that Aliece bound to me.” I smiled gratefully at Aliece, she repaid me in kind before I continued.
After beating him in the duel, I was appointed the new chieftain of the Moon Claws until he was strong enough to beat me.”
I said in a hushed tone. “I don’t think I would be able to win in a fight again, I was really lucky to win the first time, but please don’t tell him that.” Sir Richard nodded with a smile and a glint in his tired eyes.
I said as I leaned back stretching. “I’ll have to translate from now on, forgive me for interrupting, you can continue your briefing. I’ll relay everything to them once you’re done.” I told them that I would translate for Sir Richard after saying that.
He sighed and continued. “Where was I? Oh yes, the damnation of the entire Paladin Order as we knew it. There weren’t many troops not massing to push the demon out of the Lord’s Union, so there wasn’t really much resistance in the Holy Capital despite how fortified it is. Mostly due to infiltration, from what I’ve heard most of the Paladin Order Knights within the Holy Capital were bought out or killed by the Forsaken Order.
With the command hub of the Order captured and most of its leaders dead or turned traitor, there wasn’t much the remaining Paladin Order members could do. The kings of the four kingdoms had their hands tied too, damn! We put so many restrictions on their power to keep another civil war from happening, but now it’s what’s keeping them from preventing a civil war. Damn!” He swears profusely.
“This is bad.” I think. The entire region, no continent, has destabilized. I turn to Lili and Rett and explain whats happened. Rett frowns saying.
“That would explain our orders, Christian, if what the old man told you is right, then what’s coming isn’t good. Before we followed you the Archdemon Demibaoth gave us the orders to relinquish our fortified positions and regroup to the south. We had no idea why we would, but we never did that. I think something terrible is going to happen to your people.
I think that this “New Order” Is using the demon army to its advantage, dealing with the devil as you might say.”
I turned to Sir Richard and asked. “Have you heard any odd developments about the demon army? Rett said they received some odd orders before meeting me.”
He knitted his brow and thought for several seconds until his skin turned even paler than it was before, he looked to me with true terror in his eyes and exclaimed.
” Thinking about it, the demon force that you repelled shouldn’t have been able to travel this far north, actually that should be impossible. There are hundreds of towns and bases between here and the front lines, there should be no way that they would be able to get this far north that quickly unless they were allowed through.
Even with the confusion and chaos, there’s no way that the demons could invade over 200 miles through fortifications without being met with resistance.” He loudly slammed his fist on the table, showing a rare moment of weakness.
“They sold their souls to the devil, now we’re all going to die. If I’m right, the Forsaken Order’s using the demon army to kill anyone not bending to their rule. That might be a jump, but that’s the only explanation I can think of unless they just got past because of all the confusion.”
Sir Richard stared at his clenched fist in rage but soon his gaze turns to hopelessness. There doesn’t seem to be much hope left, the situation seems impossible. I ask Sir Richard trying to find some shred of hope.
“What about the kings? Surely they haven’t allied themselves with someone willing to allow the demons roam freely, right?”
Sir Richard just shook his head and said. ” I don’t know, I sent messengers before we were besieged, but that was a long time ago, I don’t know the current situation. I don’t know of any Paladin Order strongholds that still remain sovereign, I only know that the High Imperium fell shortly after the Holy Capital fell. I don’t know if there are any other kingdoms fighting against it or if there’s any Knights of the Paladin Order trying to rally others.”
It seems futile, the Paladin Order and the Four kingdoms are fractured. The demon army is marching rampantly through the Lord’s Union and the Forsaken Order is brutally destroying any opposition.
We need a plan, we need to rally together and drive back the demons. If not, then we’ll be destroyed completely, there won’t be anything for the Forsaken Order to pick off our bones. I tried to think of some way to gather forces, frantically I looked to Rett and asked.
“Rett, the other beast tribes listen to the Moon Claws, right? Is there any chance they could be swayed to join us as well?” Rett thought it over thoroughly before responding, he finally replied.
“There’s a chance… But there’s a good possibility that we’ve been denounced by the demons and our honor tarnished, but if we could prove ourselves more capable than the demons, then there might listen to us.”
I nodded, then addressed Sir Richard saying. “So we’re up against a rogue faction turned dictators, the entire demon army, and possibly four entire kingdoms. We have no support besides ourselves, that’s great just great. The first thing we’re going to do is wait for more troops, hopefully, the rest of the Moon Claws will answer my call. In the meantime, I want to fortify this stronghold as much as possible.
I want us to repair the walls and door, build entrenchments, and any other fortifications we can. If the demons or anyone else wants to collect on our bounties, I say let them come. When they do, I want to greet them with hellfire and brimstone!”
Sir Richards dowry expression lightened, he even smiled at that notion. I elaborated.
“Once we have enough troops, I want to use this town as a staging ground to repel the demons, but I have something else we could take care of in the meantime.” I look around the table and propose my plan. First in human, then beast tongue.
“I want to take some troops to the Lords Union’s Capital and find the king, hopefully, I can garner his support. I’ll ask around first to see if he’s allied with the demons, but if he isn’t, then we’ll use him to rally others to defeat the demons. When we push them back, then we can focus on the Forsaken Order, how does that sound?”
They all expressed their support. The rest of the night was used to refine our plan and course of action. The world might be going to hell, but with all these good men and women in my corner, I’m optimistic.
