Chapter 18: A Sister’s Plea
No Name could have given chase.
Followed her brothers and sisters deeper into the green after the parasites who had taken another of her siblings.
But she couldn’t.
Wouldn’t let herself fall to rage once again. It was what had taken Genthol. Brother Holst had showed her that her anger paled in comparison to the mother’s greatest of gifts: the aid of family.
And there was only one who she could turn to for aid.
She pulled back, taking the time to pray for Holst’s safe travels to the ether. Hopefully one day she would find him slaying foes at her side once again. But for that moment, she held his death close in her thoughts as she made her way back to the helm.
Many were still there, either scouring the wreckage or ascending the nearby trees to scan the forest beyond. But many were focused on the radiant being standing beside the wreckage. Some tried to hide their glances, others watched with shameless reverence., but No Name couldn’t blame them.
It was hard to tear her gaze from Lady Khullic as well.
Their Knight forgone her spiked pauldrons, leaving them sealed around the hilt of her cutlass. The sword had been embedded in the ground beside her, surrounded by a small cloud of shards that floated around it.
With her shoulders bare, any could see the runes carved into her shell. But while the intricate patterns may have drawn the eyes of some Pawns, many instead focused on the cracks and fractures marring her form.
Khullic was dipping her hands into a small Pearlglass bowl being offered by another Pawn, scooping out palmfuls of delicious-looking vitae that seeped through the gaps of her gauntlets. She brought the miracle fluid up and let it fall upon her form, seeping into the ghastly wounds that titanic monster of a Captain had left in her shell
Excess Vitae flowed down the plates of her armor in rivulets, past her legs where they threatened to touch the ground. But kneeling beside her two other Pawns ran their hands along Khullic’s limbs, carefully sealing leaks with delicate movements and ensuring not one ounce of their mother’s love was wasted.
It was this scene which drew No Name, though a lump formed in her throat the closer she got. She hadn’t noticed in the Helm due to just how gargantuan Formal was, but Khullic easily stood a head taller than any of the other pawns there.
No Name held firm, clenching her hand tightly as she continued approaching.
“My Lady!” she called “You’re to join the hunt, I presume?”
Khullic didn’t answer, instead brought up more handfuls of vitae before drinking deeply of the holy elixir.
“I… I know it may seem unbecoming to beg.” No Name dropped to one knee “But please, allow me to ally myself with you directly!”
The Pawns on either side of Lady Khullic paused in their treatments to tilt their heads at her. No Name noticed more of her nearby kin taking note of the one-sided exchange.
But still Khullic didn’t speak, merely clasped the edges of the bowl before taking it from the pawn before her. With little fanfare, the knight tilted her head back before pouring the entirety of it into her helmet.
“If you were to chase them, I know you would catch them.” No Name tried again “But These foes, I wish to be instrumental in their destruction. To avenge our fallen kin!”
The bowl finally ran dry, and Lady Khullic gave a pleased hum as she flicked a wrist. Immediately, the pawns around her pulled back as Khullic turned.
No Name lowered her head and braced herself, for condemnation or acceptance she couldn’t tell.
But instead, Lady Khullic merely sat the empty bowl atop her head before approaching the ruins of the helm. No name didn’t dare move, but tilted her head to watch as Khullic approached what she at first thought was a large piece of Blackstone debris.
But as Khullic took hold of it and held it aloft, No Name realized quickly that it was Formal’s spear.
“A lovely hatred for our lovely foes.” Khullic mused as she turned on No Name “tell me, sweet sister, how deep does your hatred boil for our fallen kin?”
“I…” No Name caught herself and hardened her glare, turning her thoughts back to Genthol, Holst, and all the other Blanken slain by the unsightly creatures known as Noirites.
“I beg you, My Lady.” No Name slowly lowered her head again “Let me rend them asunder, blast them to pieces and personally feed their remains to the stars!”
“Passionate.” one Blanken noted as Khullic giggled.
“Then please refrain from pursuit.” Khullic spoke, and all at once No Name’s hatred was replaced with dismay.
“But-!” she lifted her head only to find Khullic directly in front of her, lifting the bowl from her head as a pale tongue emerged from the vents of her helmet.
She ran that tongue along the bowl several times as No Name fought to find new words.
“But why? Have I… displeased you in my efforts?” she was careful with that particular question, not wanting to offer suggestions to a Knight “If so, then I beg you allow me to join the others in their-!”
“They shall not pursue either.” Lady Khullic stated before nodding to the Blanken around them “That goes for everyone! Spread the word that you shan’t pursue!”
“But ma’am!” another Blanken raised his hand “you say they have a Rook! Those beasts are unstoppable by all but the strongest weapons. Surely, we won’t just allow them to make use of it.”
“I shall deal with that myself.” Lady Khullic turned away and passed the empty bowl to a Pawn nearby.
After clapping her hands and setting aside Formal’s spear, Khullic approached her cutlass. The runes on her pauldrons lit up, and soon they broke away from the cutlass’s hilt. Lady Khullic held out her arms as the pauldrons secured themselves to her shoulders. The cloud of shards followed behind them, linking back together into that aethereal floating cape as Lady Khullic ran her hands along her armor.
No Name saw her own confusion mirrored amongst her kin. But many merely nodded at the rather odd commands their Lady was giving. They would not question, would not even dare to wonder the machinations of a Knight.
But No Name could not relate, as she was quickly seeing her chance at revenge slipping away. Brother Holst had made clear the advantage of relying on their brothers and sisters, but No Name just couldn’t stand the idea of doing nothing to contribute to her quarries’ demise. That twisting spark of anger and desperation drove her to rise back to her feet and wheel on Lady Khullic.
“Please don’t deny me this, my Lady!” she begged “Even if only to act as your shield, I must end them! Else the aches in my veins may never truly fade!”
“Then bear my message.”
Immediate and clear, a sudden order that differed from those passed to her kin. No Name’s indignation once more flattered in the face of confusion as Khullic turned on her again.
“Take a Brighthome, venture back to Paradise.” Khullic reached out and ran the fingers of her gauntlet along No Name’s blaster-arm “Tell Perignassi of the Noirite plans, and they will be ruined first and foremost.”
No Name couldn’t speak, Lady Khullic’s presence practically choked her as she was pulled close. She felt herself press against Khullic’s chest piece as the Knight whispered down into her ear.
“Tell him this realm is rife with mortals, and our foe’s ploys will be made meaningless.” Khullic gave a small laugh at the mere thought “He will be stubborn, so you must be doubly so. Stand firm, insist on the truth, and he shall bring this entire farce to a close.”
A new hope boiled within No Name’s shell, her arms carefully reaching up to return the hug in force. Perignassi was known for his quick response time. The moment he was aware of what was happening, there would be another fleet or two combing through the planet and wiping out Noirite stragglers.
And she would be the one to cause it.
Her Knight trusted her to be the death of their efforts. A malformed pawn with no name to speak of. She bit down hard to stop those thoughts from forming fully. Holst had been adamant in showing how such weak perception tainted her performance, kept her from offering her very best to her brothers and sisters.
No Name felt Khullic pulling away, leaving her with a pleasant warmth boiling in her veins. She crossed her arms across her chest, holding herself tightly as the bowl-bearer patted her on the back. She could not hear his words of congratulation, for her ears were only for their Lady.
A large shadow passed over them, bringing No Name’s gaze up towards a Brighthome. One circled the top of the tower while another slowly made its descent down towards them, keeping close to the mountainside to avoid the massive trees.
As it drew close, a voice in their heads grew as well.
“My Lady!” it was Lutro, “I’m sorry, I told Holst it was foolish but he insisted on using his Brighthome to draw out the enemy.”
“Stifle the thoughtspeak sweet brother!” Khullic declared “The Enemy may still be listening.”
Lutro’s voice went silent, but the Brighthome lowered a bit more before two fingers spread open and a single Pawn leaped out. He landed against the ruined helm, catching himself at the tip before staring down. He adjusted the visor of his helmet a bit before leaping down to them. Two pawns backed up to make space as he landed between them, rolling forward onto one knee before Khullic.
“Better!” she chittered happily before reaching down to run her gauntlet along the chipped and battered Pearlglass of his armor “Spread word to the rest of the fleet, you shall gather around the tower while I nullify the Rook.”
“A Rook?!?” Lutro’s head whipped up at that “That’s what their cargo was?!?”
“Perignassi must be told. Our sister here will need a vessel to ferry her back to Paradise.” Khullic waved the blade in No Name’s direction “See her on her way, then you and Holst shall head a defense of the tower.”
That warm feeling vanished.
“He’s dead.” No Name stated, prompting eyes to turn on her “Died luring several foes into revealing themselves.”
“Damn it,” Lutro snarled before lowering his head and raising a thumb to his forehead in prayer.
But Lady Khullic merely hummed in delight at the news, casting her gaze out into the forest whilst tapping her blade against her leg again.
Murmurs sprouted up amongst the Pawns around them, hushed whispers of surprise and anger over the revelation of Holst’s death. It was no surprise, as he had been one of Khullic’s most long-standing allies. Between his death and the losses accrued whilst toppling the tower, they’d be stretched too thin if they actively went around chasing their foes.
That had to be why Khullic’s first orders were to switch to defense. No Name silently chastised herself for ever doubting their Lady’s directives. Clearly there was genius hidden behind that casual veneer she wore, genius befitting of a Knight.
“He died well, then. Let us not mock his loss by playing our foes games.” She tilted her head back towards Lutro “Tell me, brother, have we any clue how much they took from the Tower?”
“No telling, Blackstone arms and maybe a couple longboards.” Lutro shook his head again “Seems they packed lightly to hide their cargo’s signature.”
“Then the plan stays the same.” She turned away again “I won’t be losing more of you to a fight that’s already over.”
“Then why not try these?!?”
Thoughtspeak from above made all of them look to the mountain, towards movement from one of the gaping holes amongst the ragged stones. A blur movement followed by another, then another as dozens then hundreds of large insects burst free and began swarming in a massive cloud along the mountainside.
None of them could see through the swarm, but they could hear the laughter of the pawn within.
“So crunchy! So fervent!” he cheered “Weak lessers hate that I’ve taken their Princess, My Lady!”
“I told you to lure them away!” Lutro spun on a dime before pointing towards him “Return those things to their hive!”
“But see! See how they struggle!” the Queenslayer continued with glee “Fragile! Desperate Lessers!”
It was a transfixing sight, mostly for the unease it brought No Name. She could barely see the rock of the mountain through the swarm. Though the rest of her kin seemed similarly absorbed by the sight, Lady Khullic was not amongst them.
She made her way to Formal’s Spear and picked up the massive weapon with ease, glancing up towards the swarm of insects whilst rubbing a thumb along its handle.
“Best not mistake mortals for an enemy, Brother.” Khullic’s tone lacked the warm cheer of before “It’s not good for us.”
“If not an enemy, then as tools!” was the only reply “Make use of them! We should! We can! We Must!”
For the briefest of moments, Khullic raised Formal’s spear. It was a slight movement, one that made Lutro flinch and several others back up. But then it stopped, the tip lowered again as Khullic gave a shake of her head.
“Then learn of them quietly, Brother.” Khullic stated before setting the handle of the spear in the ground and leaning against it “Deep in the hive, where our foes can’t learn of your work. We wouldn’t want the King’s slaves to learn of your toys before you get to show them off for Perignassi, hm?”
“No!” his joy had turned to anger at the mere thought of it “Quiet! Ours! I’ll make it ours, my lady!”
“And no Thoughtspeak, this is dangerous enough as it is.” Khullic commanded, prompting the swarm to start shifting.
Before their eyes it began moving back into the mountain, chittering and buzzing occasionally joined by manic laughter from within.
“Was he in battle?” one pawn asked as soon as the swarm vanished back into the mountain “That cackling is like those tainted by Haze, but-”
“Nothing Gray about it, friends.” Khullic pushed away from the spear and walked off “Just focus on prior orders and keep the Rules of Play in your thoughts. There’s a reason all Pawns know of them, why they’re built into our very blood.”
“Yes, my lady!” No Name called out with the rest of her kin as the runes on Khullic’s pauldrons glowed.
With only a brief flash, the shards floating around her began to form together. Once again, No Name was treated to the sight of Khullic floating from the ground once the shards had formed into a pair of wings.
They didn’t move like those of the insects, instead gracefully pulling Khullic up past the tree line until none could see her any longer.
No Name hadn’t even realized she was still staring up after her until something nudged her. She looked over to see Lutro watching her expectantly, no doubt eager to get her sent off to their Bishop.
The idea of which still hadn’t fully sunk in for No Name. Despite how important bishops were, the vast majority of Pawns never got close to them, there were even Knights who spend the majority of their career without contact with one.
It was insulting to her kin, to their efforts, that a no named Pawn would have such privilege. It didn’t matter what it was, anything would be better than to spit on the memories of her friends, her family.
Lutro must have noticed her silent fuming, as he was quick to nudge her again.
“Sister?” he gave her a once over “If you’re wounded, all the more reason to make haste to the Brighthome. I’m not as good with the shards as Brother Holst was, but-”
“Unnecessary, brother, though I thank you for offering.” She placed a hand on his shoulder as she walked past “And please, no me as Sister Nona.”
“Oh, I wasn’t aware we had a Nona.” He nodded before following her up past the helm “Did one of our Kin help you find it?”
Nona paused, her thoughts briefly flittering back to Holst’s last moments. Only for a painful simmer to rise in her veins once more. She gritted her teeth and held herself until it passed, she would avenge her kin soon enough.
“Yes.” She said as she continued forth, “That and much, much more.”
