After randomly colliding with one of his followers in the corridor of their hidden base, the Ashen Knight was all apologies.

“Oh no, I am so sorry,” he said to the girl as he knelt to help her gather up her things. “Look at me being mister silly! It’s the helmet, it’s very intimidating as you’re no doubt aware, but gosh, my peripheral vision is just awful in it!”

As always, he wore his fearsome looking set of fire blackened enchanted armor, which when combined with his flowing black cape, gave him a sinister appearance that could be startling to behold. Which was ironic considering his scrupulously polite mannerisms and ever friendly voice. To his followers who revered him, he seemed more like a beloved older sibling than the supreme commander of their forces.

This was a sentiment the Ashen Knight went out of his way to encourage. He preferred for his people to think of themselves as family. It inspired loyalty and commitment, after all.

“No, no, my lord, the fault is entirely mine,” the girl said as she quickly scooped up her papers and folders. “I get so lost in my own thoughts that I don’t pay attention to my surroundings, please forgive my clumsiness.”

“I really don’t believe that anyone’s at fault here, much less that anything needs to be forgiven,” said the Ashen Knight. He then reached for his helmet and removed it, revealing a roguishly handsome face.

The girl felt her breath catch in her chest at this unexpected revelation. Many people within the organization had wondered what sort of features went along with the Ashen Knight’s compelling voice. Her friends would have been stunned to learn that the leader of their great revolution was gorgeous. His dirty blonde hair was the sort of tousled mess that women longed to run their fingers through and his chiseled features (which were in need of a razor’s touch) were highlighted by the warm and welcoming smile he wore that felt like the light of the sun itself. Not to mention his hazel eyes that twinkled at her with humility and good humor.

By the gods, he’s so pretty, she thought to herself.

She then felt her cheeks bloom once she realized that she was staring at him, which caused her to squeak in embarrassment. Then she hurriedly finished collecting her things, thanked him for his consideration and scurried quickly away.

“Hmm,” he said to himself, before rising to his feet to resume walking to his personal quarters.

Once inside his enormous room, he tossed his helmet onto his bed then took a seat in the massive thronelike chair that sat in the center of his living space. Then he began pushing a foot along the floor until his seat began spinning in place, giving a childish whoop of glee as the centrifugal motion caused his hair to flap in one direction. Once it stopped moving, he gave a contented sigh and said, “Total eclipse of the heart, please.”

“Turn around, bright eyes,” gently sang a man’s voice from the speakers hidden throughout the room.

“Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you’re never coming ‘round,” replied the Ashen Knight with closed eyes as he gently strummed an air guitar.

“Turn around,” repeated the man’s voice.

“Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears!” continued the Ashen Knight.

It went on like this for a while until the song finished building to its crescendo. When Riley Kilo’s face appeared on the massive viewing screen on his wall, she saw the Knight whipping his head back and forth while shouting, “I really need you tonight! Forever’s going to start tonight! Forever’s going to start tonight!”

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked him in a mildly stunned voice as he continued to rock out to that classic eighties chart topper.

In response, he held up a single finger, signaling for her to remain silent until the song finished. “Once upon a time there was light in my life, Riley. Now there’s only love in the dark. Nothing I can say. A total eclipse of the heart.”

“Didn’t know you were a fan of pop rock oldies,” she said.

“I’m a mystery even to myself,” he admitted with some humility. “What can I say? I’ve always enjoyed the music of Heart.”

“Excuse me?” Riley asked him with some confusion.

“Heart,” he repeated. “A famous hard rock duet. They started out in the seventies with Barracuda. They’ve got a ton of hits, I’m sure you’ve heard at least one of them.”

“Yeah, I know who Heart is, you goof. Total Eclipse of the Heart is a Bonnie Tyler song,” Riley retorted. “You didn’t know that?”

“Not uh,” he said in shock. “I’m positive it’s Heart.”

“Yes, huh,” Riley insisted. “Look it up if you don’t believe me.”

“Wikipedia isn’t a reliable source of information,” he scowled. “You can’t even source it in college. You can’t even source it in middle school.”

“Bonnie Tyler,” Riley repeated with crushing finality.

“Is it really?” he asked sadly.

“Yep,” she smirked.

“Darn.”

“Facts, not feelings, snowflake.”

“Well, I still like that song,” he replied. “So, how can I help you today?”

“We’ve lost Arden Krayle,” Riley said grimly. “She’s disappeared. Vanished from sight. She might be dead.”

“Ohhh,” the Ashen Knight said, as he nodded his head in understanding. “Heh, I get why you’re worried now. Have no fear, Riley, Ardale hasn’t died. She defected.”

“WHAT? What do you mean by that?!” yelled Riley.

“Well, defection is when you switch positions between two opposing sides,” the Ashen Knight patiently explained. “Ardale was once on our side, now she’s chosen to support Count Marcis—”

“I know what defection means, you tool! What I want to know is how you could let this happen!” Riley said angrily as she gripped the side of her head in frustration. “She’s our Lady Kestrel! The face of the revolution! This is going to be a huge blow to our morale!”

“Riley, why can’t you be happy for her?” the Ashen Knight asked her. “She’s got some to love now and like Ringo Starr teaches us, love: it don’t come easy.”

“Why don’t you take anything seriously?” bemoaned Riley.

“Because I have more experience with these sorts of situations than you realize,” he said with a knowing smile. “And besides, I’m glad Arden found someone. She was never comfortable with the role of savior that we picked out for her. Taking her leave of us was a smart choice for her mental health.”

“But the sword,” Riley said impatiently. “How are we going to succeed without the sword?”

The Ashen Knight laughed at her worried tone of voice, truly tickled by her growing panic. “Riley, come on. Don’t worry about the sword, the sword is most definitely covered.”

He then rose from his chair and walked towards one of the closets in his room and opened it for her. As soon as he finished turning the doorknob, out clattered dozens and dozens of similar looking weapons, each one of them a masterfully crafted sword in a leather scabbard embellished with gold enameling.

If they all looked similar, it was because they were. All of them were the exact same weapon.

Riley’s eyes widened in surprise. “Those are all…”

“Yep. Every single one of them,” the Ashen Knight said cheerfully. “Each one a holy sword with the accompanying power to be wielded by a chosen maiden.”

“But there’s only one holy sword in all the world,” Riley said in amazement.

“Of course,” he nodded. “One holy sword in all the world. But there are loads of the same world across the multiverse, so conversely, there are also loads of the same sword. You just have to know where to go to collect the ones no one is using.”

“What are you going to do with them all?” Riley asked him.

“Nothing,” he said. “I’ve tried establishing a Holy maiden corps a few times before. It never worked out the way I hoped it would. Having a few hundred girls running around swinging those swords always ends so poorly! It’s best just to stick with two or three per reality.”

“Well, we still don’t have anyone to wield one of those things on our behalf, do we?” asked Riley.

“Of course, we do,” he smiled. “And unlike Arden, this one’s a real deal chosen of the gods. If anything, Arden was just a placeholder while we waited for the real Lady Kestrel to escape her bonds and return to the world to face the empress for us.”

“What? Who?” Riley asked excitedly. “Who have you found?”

The Ashen Knight’s smile grew even wider as he said, “Fenneth Godwell.”

“SHUT UP!” screamed Riley.

“Don’t wanna,” he said with good natured smugness.

“You’ve got to be fucking with me!” Riley squealed. “Everly killed her years ago!”

“You’d have to take me to dinner first,” the Ashen Knight said shyly. “But seriously, Everly brought Fenneth back to life for some weird Everly reason. Who can say why? I mean, let’s face it, she’s daft. There’s no point in trying to understand the why of it all. Let’s just take advantage of a good situation!”

“What’s our approach? Can she be convinced to join us?” Riley asked eagerly.

“Oh, trust me, anyone can be convinced to do anything, given enough time,” the Ashen Knight said with complete confidence. “All we have to do is be willing to make the effort.”

“You seem certain of yourself,” Riley said.

“Trust me, I’ve seen scenarios like this play out constantly,” said the Ashen Knight. “Fenn’s a good girl at heart. She’s only ever wanted to do the right thing out of a genuine love for her people and her family. Everly took away both of those. She’s already primed to play her role. It’ll just take a little more pressure to make her see our side of things.”

A sudden realization dawned in Riley’s eyes. “This is why you—"

“Yep,” he said sadly. “A necessary sacrifice for a better tomorrow.”

“God, you’re cold,” Riley said sourly. “All this time, I thought you were holding her captive to keep her from interfering with our plans. But you knew a situation like this was going to unfold all along, didn’t you? And you always intended to—”

“Ah, relax now,” the Ashen Knight said. “I’m not a schemer, Riley. It’s just that I’ve seen these patterns play out so many times before that it’s not difficult to predict what’s going to happen next. Anyway, the burden will be on me alone. None of this is your fault.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Riley said bitterly. “I’m the one who set the dominos in motion. This is all happening because of me.”

It’s so convenient that you honestly believe that, the Knight thought glibly to himself before saying in a grave voice, “That isn’t true in the slightest. What you do now, you do to protect the future of your world. If you succeed, you’ll fade from existence, having never been born. You’re the one making the ultimate sacrifice, Riley. You’re the real hero in all of this. Anything I can do to lighten your burden is my great honor. Not as your co-conspirator, but as your friend.”

This is the part where you tear up and thank me sincerely for my help, he predicted.

“God…thank you,” Riley said quietly, as her eyes began to glisten before she wiped the back of her hand against them in embarrassment. “Thank you so much for this. All of this.”

“There’s no need for thanks, Riley,” he assured her. “I swear in all honesty that you’re doing so much for me without even realizing it. Your courage inspires me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Riley said with continued embarrassment. “Listen, I’ve got to cut out. Bruticus says our transmission window is narrowing. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

“I look forward to it,” he said to her.

When she vanished from his screen, he grinned and said, “Crazy on you,” then resumed strumming his air guitar when the familiar acoustic rhythms of that song began to sound throughout his room.

God, he loved these songs. Heart was so cool! Did they really not write Total Eclipse? That seemed impossible! Who the heck was Bonnie Tyler? Riley had to be wrong. She was probably under a lot of pressure trying to keep her meddling with the time stream from being discovered by her fellow Forge Knights.

She was clearly cracking under the strain of it all.

“Well, watcha’ gonna do when everybody’s insane?” he asked himself.

Seriously, what great songs.

__

Later, he approached the HQ's prisoner cells, escorted by three heavily armed guards. He'd donned his helmet once more and was humming to himself as he walked. He also thought about that girl he’d bumped into earlier. What a cutie she’d been. And just his type too. Self-abasing and quick to apologize even if she wasn’t necessarily at fault. That bespoke a certain lack of confidence in herself that he found appealing.

Did he want her? He thought he just might. But it wasn’t his managerial style to pursue a romantic relationship with an employee. It was important to avoid power imbalances in a relationship. Or at least, apparent power imbalances. The illusion of equality had to be maintained for the good of both participants.

Should he fire her? If he cast her out of the organization, then wouldn’t that make him free to pursue her? No, she’d probably resent him over that. People could hold grudges over the smallest things. Wait, what if he seduced her and then later had her killed? That could work. Who would complain then?

But wait, if he used office resources to pay for an assassination, couldn’t that be misconstrued as harassment? Should he do it himself? What if he just broke her neck while they were both lying in bed? No, that would definitely look bad in front of others. The cleaning crew would probably file a complaint once he asked them to dispose of the body.

Besides, killing someone personally was distasteful. He’d evolved beyond such behavior. Also, the human body did things when it suddenly ceased living. Nasty things. He liked his silk sheets. Even if he had them thoroughly cleaned afterwards, he’d never be able to sleep peacefully on them again.

Gosh, pursuing a satisfying courtship sure is complicated these days, he thought glumly to himself. Modern romance is tough on a working man.

When they arrived at a specific cell door, he gestured for his men to step in ahead of himself. Then he waited until a full count of ten passed before he entered it personally.

“Oh, good, the shackles held up,” he said happily. “You wouldn’t believe how often people escape those bindings. I guess all the meals we forced you to skip paid off, huh, Laurel?”

An emaciated woman hung bound to the wall, staring balefully at him. Unrecognizable as she was in her current condition, and weak though she appeared to be, the Ashen Knight made no move to step closer to her. No matter the reality, this lady was always quite the firecracker!

Not that it had ever saved her before.

“So, the head coward himself appears before me,” growled the former maiden of the holy blade. “Come to taunt me, bastard? Why show up now?”

“Well, today’s a pretty important day, Laurel,” replied the Ashen Knight. “A pretty momentous day indeed. You see, I’ve finally located your sister. Took me a darn long while, but I diiiiiid it. And I’m pleased as punch to inform you that circumstances have molded her mentally into just what I need her to be.”

“You’re lying,” Laurel accused him. “Fenneth was murdered years ago.”

“Wrongo-bongo,” he corrected her. “I don’t really want to go over the details again with a less important character in the overall narrative, but let me assure you, she’s alive, she’s doing well, and she’s ticked off. But not quite ticked off enough to suit my purposes. Luckily, that’s where you come in.”

“I won’t do a thing to help you,” she replied. “Not a single damn thing.”

“That’s fine. I respect your resolve,” he said earnestly. “But really, Laurel. You don’t have to do anything at all. I’m just going to use you like Pearl Jam used teenage suicide. For inspiration.”

With a snap of his fingers, the three guards approached the helpless Laurel with their weapons drawn. “Make it quick, lads. She deserves that much.”

“Bastard,” Laurel said contemptuously as the first of the blades slid into her. “You cowardly bastard. Too afraid to do the deed…yourself?” she gasped.

“I would if I had to,” the Ashen Knight said sincerely. “But I’m the hero of this story, Laurel. And when possible, I prefer to leave my hands as pure as my heartfelt intentions. This is a sacrifice; so just think of me as the priest who oversees the ritual, my dear lost lamb.”

Laurel tried to say something else, but her throat began to fill with blood as the guards hurriedly stabbed her. Soon, she lost consciousness and fell still. It didn’t take long for her heartbeat to fade.

“Phew, I’m glad we got that out of the way,” the Ashen Knight said in relief. “These little executions are always so unpleasant, aren’t they? Don’t answer that question, it’s completely rhetorical,” he added when one of the guards began to speak up.

“Get her down from there and clean her up,” he ordered them. “Put her in something white. She always looked lovely in white, didn’t she? Make her presentable, boys. Remember, the story we’re about to sell to our next client is one of tragedy. Tragedies only stick with us if the victims are pretty. So, make sure they make her look pretty, okay? Get on it!”

He waved a hand at them to hurry up as he stepped into the corridor. Then he carefully checked his boots to make sure he hadn’t tracked any blood out of the cell with him. It bothered people when he walked around with bloodied footsteps. They never said anything, but he could tell.

He could always tell.

A thought occurred to him after he finished his examination. Since he was down in the cells, wouldn’t it be nice to see his guest? He’d been busy with work related matters for so long that he’d become downright neglectful of her. Wasn’t that rude of him? It felt rude. He should do better.

Well, part of making amends is acknowledging your faults, he thought to himself. With that in mind, he walked off to see Lady Sylvain, the former leader of the Western temple, and his second captive of note. Well, his primary one now, what with Laurel choosing to help him entice her sister to his cause.

__

Sylvain was a beautiful woman of half-elven heritage who had weathered centuries of life as a stalwart defender of her faith. She’d created a massive organization to support her goal of protecting humanity from demonic incursions and growing her influence across the world. Ordinarily, she was a formidable leader and a powerful warrior who inspired awe and devotion in those who beheld her.

But today, she was a fearful thing that masked her terror with belligerent anger. Although her room was lavishly furnished and as comfortable as the Ashen Knight’s own residence, she took no pleasure in her surroundings. In fact, she wanted desperately to leave.

The Ashen Knight found her current state of dismay absolutely enchanting. This was exactly how a legendary heroine who’d endured more tragedy and loss than any ordinary mortal soul could bear, should be; broken by her failures and terrified of the future to come, yet still defiant even in the face of calamity.

Sylvain was wonderful. He was so glad he’d decided to keep her alive. Not that she appreciated his mercy.

“Release me, cur!” she demanded as soon as her eyes beheld him. “How long will you deny me my freedom?”

“Only until I’m certain that your organization has been suitably purified,” he told her with a voice laden with regret. “As I’ve explained to you before, I admire you greatly, my lady. But until we can be certain that the creatures of the empress have been completely eliminated, then we can’t risk your life by setting you free. I only do what is necessary, for your sake and the sake of the world.”

That was a complete lie. He’d already personally overseen the destruction of every single one of Everly’s pets that had infiltrated Sylvain’s organization and had taken great pleasure in watching them cry out pitifully for their mother as they died. They’d been so pathetically unaware of how little their creator regarded them. He doubted she’d even hold a grudge against him for their deaths.

He wouldn’t have.

“You keep saying that, over and over, but you do nothing to prove it,” Sylvain said. “At this point, it’s obvious that you’re playing games. Do you take satisfaction in watching my plight? Am I a source of amusement for your twisted mind?”

“Nothing of the sort,” he said in a wounded tone of voice.

Yes, yes, obviously, he thought pleasurably to himself.

“You’re a wicked liar,” she spat before turning her back to him.

“Hey, I understand your feelings, Sylvain,” he said. “You feel like you’re a prisoner! After all, a lavish cage is still a cage. But I promise you, my lips to heaven’s ears, as soon as this unpleasantness with the empress is sorted, I’ll personally set you free.”

Sylvain’s expression of withering contempt did not waver. “You’ll free me, will you? Just as you freed poor Alec?” she asked him.

The Ashen Knight gave a helpless shrug as he replied. “I keep trying to tell you, Sylvie, that wasn’t Alec. It was an abomination disguised as a man. A walking indecency garbed in the flesh of humanity. It had to be destroyed.”

“Liar!” Sylvain said shrilly as she struck at the invisible wall of her cell. “I saw what you did to him! You made me watch!”

“Only so that you could see with your own eyes the lengths to which you had been deceived,” said the Knight. “He was an imposter, Sylvie. A liar who swindled his way both into your life and into your bed. And even worse…he left you bearing his demonic seed.”

Sylvain’s face instantly paled as fear began creeping across it, replacing the anger that had been there moments before. “You know?” she trembled.

“I know so much,” the Knight said with a voice that was dripping with solemnity and compassion. “So very, very much. But it’s okay, Sylvain. You’re not facing this alone. We’ll have the creature removed soon. It’ll be as though it never existed. An unpleasant dream that will never haunt you again.”

“I won’t let you touch my child!” Sylvain shouted with equal parts fury and horror as her hands ran protectively over her abdomen. “I won’t let you hurt him!”

The Ashen Knight sighed despairingly. “Oh, poor Sylvain. Is that really what you want?”

“Yes!” Sylvain said. “You will not touch this life that grows within me.”

“Well, it’s your call,” he said regretfully. “I consider myself an ally to women everywhere. I would never force you to be separated from your progeny. The choice will always be yours. Free will matters to me. And hey; you matter to me as well.”

“Please just leave me alone,” Sylvain said as she huddled on her mattress. “Just go away.”

“Of course,” he said. Before leaving the room, he wished her a good night. When he stepped back into the corridor he did so with a whistle and an additional pep to his step.

What was it about the sight of a distraught woman who was powerless to do anything to help herself, that just felt…so right? That was a real mystery to the Ashen Knight. A question that he’d love to ask other people more often but the few times that he had, they would always stare at him in bewilderment and then slowly back away or find excuses to leave the area.

Why couldn’t a man just ask a simple question?

Still, his visit with Sylvain had been a balm to his spirit after that small unpleasantness with Laurel. He felt refreshed now and ready to open negotiations with dear little Fenneth.

What a productive day this was turning into! Feeling inspired by the inevitability of his success, the Ashen Knight raised his hands and began strumming his fingers to the music he heard perfectly in his mind as he sauntered away towards completing yet another one of his goals.

“Craaaaaazy on yooooouuuu!” he soulfully sang to an audience only he could see.

An audience that soon filled his ears with rapturous applause.