Soul Knight - Chapter 34 (Patreon)

The many orcs moved about the village with haste, making their final preparations. Not all orcs would be joining in the fight, many focused on crafting professions or otherwise.

In addition, Lothar and Agatha would remain with a group of scouts using their Overwatch ability–preventing the bandits or rogues from assassinating Lothar. Nick had gathered their Pacts as well, and would be able to know if anyone was being slain back in Nagduros.

Like the humans of Zura, the orcs of Nagduros also had horses. They were more or less a requirement for raiding caravans, since the carriages would be able to circle and head in the opposite direction and escape.

They did not have enough for all their forces to have their own, but they had several carriages to make up the difference. The horses were large, and Nick guessed they were much stronger than most Earth horses, from having consumed or enjoyed essence enhancing their bodies.

The two dozen orc warriors could ride their own horses along with a group of scouts, and even the wolflings would be able to ride within the carriages to arrive at Zura within a single day.

Nick’s party, including the wolfling girls, stood across from Lothar and Agatha, who wanted to give Nick some more advice before they left.

Lothar spoke solemnly, “I trust for you to do what’s best for our people. As you know, even confronted, the people of Zura will likely refuse to face our warriors on the field of battle.”

Agatha continued, “They will continue to deny they have our children hostage–and perhaps, many don’t know. We had sent an envoy from a third party to spread the word before the duel timeline lapsed, but they were turned away. The people were quick to riot and stood against them, expelling them from the city. Their people truly believed we were lying, only those at the top or directly involved knowing.”

Nick nodded with a frown. They had spoke of this in the last week, and Nick, Eirwen, and Kaya had mostly come up with a plan that would work.

“I say we play the same game they played. We distract them in the front, while we have another group sneak in and search for the kids. Depending on how they react, perhaps we might be able to force them to allow us to search from both sides. You have some folks with Sneak or Camouflage, don’t you?”

Agatha nodded. “Our women warriors focused more on ranged support, and some can use Camouflage. It’s not considered honorable combat, but we still train for war. However, Sneak is not commonly dropped in the Ordeal. We have about a dozen women soldiers with Camouflage, and we have some spare gems to hand around and see if anyone else is able.”

She drew out a pouch, then drew out several skill gems to hold in her hand.

Nick asked, “What about the wolflings? Can they learn that?”

Eirwen looked doubtful. “I don’t think they can use skill gems, their intelligence is a little lacking. Their minds cannot handle–”

As she was speaking, Sable walked up to the skill gems and grabbed one, and it crumbled in her hand. Her eyes went wide as her body stiffened, seemingly learning the skill.

Agatha just watched with a raised brow. “I was going to stop her if she tried to eat it, but that was surprising. How about the rest of you little ladies?”

Fang and Luna both sniffed the gems, and each grabbed one. Both of them crumbled, causing Nick’s eyes to narrow.

“I knew it–they are all sneaky. This proves it!”

Kaya chuckled. “Huh. Well, that will be helpful. I wonder what else they can learn. So I guess I’ll be in the group that sneaks in?”

“Lemme check if I can.”

Nick and Eirwen both grabbed a skill gem, Eirwen’s skill gem crumbling in her hands. Nick frowned when his did not.

“Damn, that would have worked out great. I guess Winny can join your team–I know I can count on you, Kaya. I suppose that works well, since Eirwen has Soul Sense.”

Agatha’s brows rose to the top of her head. “Soul Sense? What a powerful Trait. Few shamans are born with such high affinity to have it, a true boon. I suppose with this, you can likely detect souls from a distance away?”

Eirwen nodded. “I should have an easier time finding the children if they’re hidden somewhere. If their city is like this one at all, the sewers might be good to check.”

They continued handing out the skill gems, adding a few more scouts to have the skill–no more wolflings were capable of activating the skill gems. They prepared by painting their faces and outfits to be more fitting for urban camouflage, which increased the effectiveness of the skill.

Loading up the carriages, the orcs of Noblefrost were now ready. With the larger horses, they would have to take a somewhat circuitous route across the island, and their enemy would see them coming. However, they would be arriving in the early to late afternoon.

Nick had spent some time addressing his warriors. Aside from taking down any archers that fired upon them, they would only be meeting the humans with the same level of aggression that they did.

If the humans of Zura fought them, they would likely be taking prisoners. Their goals were to free the children, but also settle the Conflict. They could do that by either Nick defeating the Bishop, or capturing him and bringing him back to his duel with Lothar.

They did not need to go to war, and that was not what the people of Nagduros wanted. They wanted to free their children, and really, while they wanted to win the mine, they weren’t that keen on giving up numerous lives for that cause. The Conflict was supposed to be a relatively low-risk battle, but the Bishop of Zura had escalated the stakes.

Lothar would be healed and ready back at Nagduros before the end of the Trial, though Nick was definitely going to push for ending it before then. Nick would only allow the Bishop to face Lothar if he went willingly, and only if there was some misunderstanding about who was leading the deception and evil.

Otherwise, Nick’s goal was to Judge him, to make him pay for his evil. Having paid much more attention to the process the last time, he could tell that it was a painful death. Their souls were burned by their own sins as they were cleansed by Nick’s purity and righteousness, some primal power of the Archaens judging them for their wrongdoings.

During the past week, Nick and Eirwen had time to go over the Codex he was provided with about his race. A lot of the details of his people’s history and other information was vague and with proper nouns that were often not defined and would require additional research to understand, but one item stood out.

Archaen Law was not just a list of rules and laws. It was something that Nick didn’t quite understand, but it was what judged his enemy’s souls and actions when he probed them with his soul magic and used Judgement, not Nick. Really, his sensory was just capable of telling whether they could be judged or not, and a little bit about what for.

Nick wasn’t sure if it was some higher being or entity, or some sort of artifact, but it had power over the world of Orion, and it was something the Archaens painstakingly created and bound themselves to.

He wasn’t sure how it worked, but he knew the power of his Judgement ability was greater against those that knew and especially believed what they had done was wrong. Against someone who was lawful evil where their race or people’s actions were justified by their own rules and beliefs, the power against them would be less.

Then, if the person was repentant and wanting to make amends for their evil committed, Nick would know before he even used the ability. At least one of the rogues they slayed back in the field felt like this, that they were simply following orders and had resolved themselves to try to change somehow, if provided the opportunity.

If Nick had judged that individual, he still would have died, but the result would have been less painful and whatever Archaen Law did to their souls when it was done would have been less.

The Codex provided a ton of useful information far beyond many topics Eirwen had ever read about, even details that were likely only commonly known on other shards–sections of the world of Orion.

This was all important for Nick to understand because when he met this Bishop, the man might believe what he had done was righteous and good–that he had done what he did with a noble purpose.

While that wouldn’t save him from being judged by Archaen Law, it would weaken the outcome–and with Nick’s soul potentially weaker than the Bishop’s from the man being in the second stratum, this could be a problem.

Nick wondered what would push the abuse done to the orcs into torture for the Bishop to fail his Oath because he had seen from the sins judged of the men previously that they were definitely pushing things. The only thing certain to him, was that he would make sure these people paid for their wickedness and greed.

After all, they had only gotten into the Conflict for money–the gem mine. The truth was, that they could have shared ownership. Lothar was willing to have both cities benefit, Zura and Nagduros able to access the resources from the mine.

But the people of Zura were unwilling to share with the orcs because of their racism, even though there was another detail–the orcs had cleared out a camp of bugbears to discover it in the first place. If anyone should have had the rights, it should have been them, but the radius of Zura and Nagduros’s Ordeal ownership overlapped, putting them into this predicament.

It was these things and more that Nick thought about as he rode alongside Kaya and Eirwen in the open carriage. His wolflings and soul servants traveled along with them, with the many orc scouts riding ahead and monitoring the enemy.

Their trip was uneventful, taking a break for an hour for the horses to rest at around the halfway point. The shamans used restorative magics, and gave the creatures high-essence vegetables and grains that they happily chowed down.

As they got closer, they dropped off the camouflage capable orcs, Kaya, Eirwen, and the wolfling girls into the forest before making their final approach to the settlement.

Eirwen looked at Nick with complete trust in her eyes. “You take care of yourself, hubby. We’ll do what we can to find and free the children. Thankfully, the orc scouts seem quite skilled. Unless we’re seriously outnumbered, we’ll be fine.”

She left the other detail unsaid–that if they died, as long as Nick lived, he could restore them.

“You take care as well, Winny and Kaya. You watch over them for me since I can’t be there, Sable, Fang, and Luna.”

They each gave canine grins, barking and yipping in affirmative.

Kaya nodded. “As I understand it, they don’t have nearly as many warriors as the orcs. Those twenty that rode after us were most of those capable of fighting using normal methods. They have many more priests and priestesses and similar, but their number of rogues and archers should be limited.”

He saw them off, the nearly one hundred orcs continuing toward the gates. They dismounted the carriages and marched, both to give those sneaking in time to get in position, but also to draw attention.

The citizens in the city deserved to know, and for them, there were over a hundred not as clergy or soldiers of the village. Not everyone was clergy or adherents of Seraphara, but a many were, according to Lothar.

If it was two dozen orcs against the previous soldiers with blunt weapons and archers that Nick and his party faced, Nick knew that his orcs could defeat them without losses. They were simply stronger and better equipped, each one of them like elite soldiers.

Supported by shamanic magic and archers, they could, in fact, slaughter all those in the city of Zura, Nick imagined.

Arriving at the gates, Nick was shocked when the gates were actually open, and a procession was standing out front. The orc army’s approach was not secretive, and they had plenty of time to prepare for the orc’s arrival.

About twenty of the clergy were standing outside, various priests and priestesses in white and gold robes. A handful of armed soldiers or guardsmen with blunt weapons flanked them, and the dozen archers remained up on the wall.

Nick didn’t see anyone that looked like he would be the Bishop, the many priests and priestesses all seemingly wearing the same outfits. The women’s outfits looked a lot like a nun’s habit from Earth, while the priest’s outfits were quite close to a monk’s–just white with gold accents, rather than the simple brown tunics with ropes around the waist he was used to seeing.

But there was a woman standing in the middle that was clearly in charge, causing Nick to raise his brow.

Like Agatha being the head of the shamans, Nick was informed that there was a woman that was like a second in command. The Bishop’s daughter, Rebecca. She was standing out front with worry in her blue eyes.

Her habit was nearly identical to the others, except for a ritual stole or sash with much more embroidery than the rest.

The outfit was very baggy, and not flattering for her form. Nick thought her heart-shaped face was pretty and would put her in her early twenties, but like most nun habits, it covered nearly every inch of her skin apart from that–he couldn’t even see her hair.

What made Nick pause was her pure soul. While the previous people had a murky gray soul, Nick unable to judge them, he was sure–she was not only innocent, but she was also someone with much good in her heart. She not only would do good and aid others, she had done so for much of her life.

Hers had a particularly special brightness, only partially matched by several of the other priestesses present. Nick found the difference odd, that the men’s were certainly darker.

In fact, a majority of the clergy standing in front of him were pure. Only a few of the monks looked murky under his gaze, and as he got closer, he didn’t feel all that much from them. However, something did concern him. The leader who had ridden the horses in pursuit was not present.

Nick called over to Zarog, Lothar’s son, and Andross, to join him as he approached to speak with the priestess. The woman in question had taken on an odd expression, as Nick approached, as if confused.

He called out to her as they neared. “Greetings. I am Nicholas Noblefrost, a Trial Taker that walks the Hero’s Path. I am tasked with resolving your Conflict with the orcs of Nagduros, a Trial of Leadership.”

The woman’s voice was soft as she wore a frown, “Well met, Trial Taker. May you aid us in resolving this Conflict. I am Rebecca, Archpriestess of Zura. I am more than a little confused at your goals, arriving here with so many armed warriors ready for battle–and without Lothar, the leader of Nagduros. Is he not required to resolve the Conflict? He had failed to face my father in his chosen battle, does he refuse to face him still?”

Zarog and Andross bristled, but Nick held up his hand to stop their outburst.

Nick smiled. “Lothar has been more than willing to face the Bishop, but special circumstances have prevented him from coming here. I have come here with two goals, and I would be more than happy to accomplish both of them peacefully and without violence.”

Rebecca gave a sigh of relief, giving a small smile. “I am happy to hear that. The people of Zura are a peaceful people, only arming ourselves against the dangers of Orion–we seek peaceful resolution above all else. What are they?”

“It seems the children of Nagduros have been kidnapped and used as hostages, so my first goal is to return them to their proper homes. Then, I would like the Bishop of Zura to face Lothar in an honorable duel before the end of the Trial, coming to Nagduros under our watch.”

Rebecca frowned, more than a little dumbfounded. “My father is indisposed, unable to travel currently. Hostages? I’m afraid you must be mistaken. We–”

A priest nearby started to speak, interrupting Rebecca, “This again? How dare you accuse us of such atrocities! Our people seek knowledge and enlightenment, and would never–”

Rebecca glared at him, and interrupted, “Do not interrupt me, I am speaking with the Trial Taker, seeking the truth and keeping the peace. Your outburst is not helpful, only attacking their character, without addressing their goals. What do you mean, again?”

The man cleared his throat and looked around with shifty eyes. When no answer was forthcoming, she turned to Nick.

She continued, “I apologize for the interruption. While he was rude, what he said is true. We are a peaceful people, and I cannot imagine how one might believe we could have hostages.”

Zarog responded calmly, “It is not a matter of belief. Many children were taken during the Conflict, the Test. We have witnesses–they took dozens of our children, including my sister, and escaped with them filled in carriages–and brought here, to Zura. Our trackers have made no mistake.”

Rebecca frowned. “We were facing our own Test that day. Not only were our clergy and warriors Tested, but the people of Zura’s faith as well. There was much chaos, and there were many people within our village’s bounds not of our people. I suppose…much could have happened that I might not know about.”

Nick considered mentioning that the Bishop had created an Oath, but he thought this might actually be a negative to bring up. It could cause his daughter to push back and become difficult instead, should she be extremely loyal to him.

They had no proof that this was true, only Lothar capable of sharing the details directly.

Nick nodded. “I understand this is difficult for you to hear, but it is the truth. It is fine if you do not believe there are hostages, and perhaps, your people are not to blame. Still, we would like to search Zura in hopes of finding them, and we can do so peacefully if you’ll allow it.”

Many of the priests behind her looked outright angry at this point, as they looked at the orcs with scorn. However, the priestesses looked more worried, if anything. Nick could tell they were worried about the many weapons, and he didn’t think it was just acting.

Rebecca looked over the orcs and their armaments, the many warriors prepared to do battle with a worried expression.

“I… Anyone who comes in peace and will disarm themselves is allowed to enter Zura.”

The same monk from before shouted, “Archpriestess! You cannot be serious. There are nearly a hundred orcs here! Even unarmed, their capacity for violence–”

“Be silent.” A blast of spiritual energy emanated from Rebecca, the man’s face slackening instantly, his speech stopping. Despite the usage of the spell, she continued calmly, reprimanding the man for his outburst.

“I am in charge, and I will make that determination. They are more than capable of attacking us to get what they want, but they are willing to discuss peacefully. We will try to find a peaceful path forward, and they are offering us one. I have seen no evidence of prisoners or hostages within Zura, but it is often difficult to find something when you do not look.”

Rebecca turned to Nick and continued, “The people of Zura may be concerned so many raiders have entered among them, honorable or not. Can you limit the number in your search? My people and I can help–we too would like to find the children of Nagduros, should they reside within our city’s bounds.”

Nick trusted Rebecca just from her soul–he could tell she had nothing to do with the deception, and was not acting.

But he didn’t trust all of those in front of him, or those inside the city. There was also the threats of the potential bandits from Havendale, and the many assassins likely within Zura. Being unarmed against them felt foolish.

They already had Kaya’s team searching for the hostages, their party hopefully having found entry already. However, if his people didn’t lead a viable distraction, they could easily be pinned down or lack progress toward their goal.

Nick looked over the city of Zura. It was similar to Nagduros in size, though there seemed to be more buildings within. There were definitely more civilian citizens in total than with the orcs.

He looked back at Rebecca. Perhaps, she might be the perfect hostage or defender should they be attacked.

“I would like two dozen of my people unarmed, but I will remain armed. Instead, I will give you my Oath.”

She looked on with a bit of interest. “You can give an Oath? You’re nobility?”

“I have soul magic. I swear to not draw my weapon for any purpose other than self-defense or in defense or protection of the hostages of Nagduros, while within the bounds of Zura.”

A bright white light grew within his chest as he spoke the words, the many priests and priestesses murmuring in shock. Nick had not wanted to give the follower’s oath, with too many witnesses present.

This soul magic, just like his name of Noblefrost, was not really a detail that could come back to bite him in the future. Many races and people held soul magic proficiency, and those rare few that learned it could create an Oath like this one.

Then, the name didn’t have much significance. His people had already been extinct for thousands of years, it turned out.

Orion was vast with hundreds, even thousands of shards, which were like miniature, or sometimes not so miniature, worlds. Eirwen had made it sound like Orion was endless, and across thousands of worlds over thousands of years, the name of Noblefrost likely appeared a lot more than once.

Rebecca frowned. “Soul magic? I can feel the validity of your Oath. I suppose that will have to suffice. But could your men not use your weapon instead of you?”

Nick chuckled with a smile. “Not bad, Archpriestess. But the answer to that is no. Only I can use my blade.”

He drew the hilt from his scabbard, showing the lack of blade. “You may inspect it if you like.”

Holding it out to her, Rebecca wore an inquisitive look as she did.

“What manner of weapon is this? I have never seen its kind, let alone seen armor like yours. However, I can see that it is already bound to Nicholas Noblefrost.”

Nick smiled. “That’s a secret. Let’s hope there’s no reason for you to see it in use. These people you see here will set up camp and wait outside, and they will not attack the city unless we are attacked and come to harm. We come in peace, but violence will be met with violence. Is that not fair?”

“It is, even if some of our people will not like this at all. I have a few more things I would like to add to your Oath, as well, if you would like to keep that weapon on you.”

They went back and forth a bit, her adding more details to his Oath. It appeared she didn’t want him to be able to bully people into attacking him, or be able to slaughter indiscriminately in the name of protecting the children.

However, Nick made sure they kept the Oath targeted on the people of Zura, and that she could free him from his Oath if they agreed. If he ran into any of the bandit Trial Takers, Nick would be able to harm them.

When she was finally satisfied with his Oath, Nick moved on. “I would like you to be our escort, while we search Zura. I feel like I can trust you to be impartial, to seek the truth. If you’re there to help defend us if we’re attacked, we can prevent a catastrophe. These people just want their children back, but they will go to great lengths to accomplish that. I don’t think you can blame them, can you?”

“N-No, but I hope that they will stay their hand over those that are helpless. Indiscriminate slaughter is not justifiable, even if the goal is to return their children to their rightful place.”

“I’m in agreement there. My warriors seek only honorable combat, but will fight in defense of their brethren and children. Then, let us begin. Let us find the children of Nagduros, together.”

Their men would set up camp outside of the city. They would be prepared for battle, but they would monitor Nick’s progress from the outside. It was a strange situation, but they would pressure the people of Zura into being helpful, one way or another.