Chapter 13: Forgiven in Death (Conditional Forgiveness)

Subject: Keeper Virgil Location: Laberin - The Gravegreen Bar

Blades clashed. Rallying cries met agonized screams, low grunts were all but drowned out. A chaotic cacophony resounded through the Gravegreen bar.

Virgil struggled to overpower his training, guiding his solblade away from vital organs. The blade’s keen black metal was too sharp for comfort.

Conventional Temple Guardians use shields. We shouldn’t even have these blades. If I make it out of this, I’ll say something. I don’t care how conspicuous that would make us.

The Keepers weren’t having any trouble keeping the attackers away, but that wasn’t their objective. They were trying to keep people from killing themselves to Galar’s incomprehensible power. The knights fought, as instructed, to disarm opponents rather than to wound them. They knew that anything they tried to do to a foe in Galarious’s presence would only turn back on them.

Bodies dropped, gradually coating the floor with thick puddles. Combatants began tripping over the fallen and tumbling to the ground themselves. This was probably the safest place to be right now.

Virgil had never seen anything like this before. His time with Galar had been short, and he’d heard the stories of what to expect, but nothing compared to seeing it. Magic like this just didn’t exist.

So... this is why they call Galarious a living miracle. This is why people like Colten revere him.

At least nine people had died, but the fighting had occupied the crowd’s attention, and no one had caught on to what was causing it. The bloodthirsty fervor held all but the knights under its sway.

As he fought furiously, watching criminals all around falling to mysterious wounds, Virgil felt scared.

What if I accidentally inflict a fatal wound? I’ll die too, won’t I?

Truthfully, he was in denial. This power couldn’t possibly bring down Shrouds knights as effectively as it did mere commoners, could it?

A Grey’s eyes began to shadow, dark green veins extending out from her eyes. She lowered her blade and held out a hand.

“Mage,” Colten called out, pointing with his free hand.

Galar acted first, darting out and dodging the swing of a blade not meant for him, before arriving at the Vanguard mage. Galar reached out with both hands and touched her cheeks. She dropped her solblade, and her eyes lazily drifted closed.

The veins and shadowing receded. The mage slumped over. Virgil couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if Galar had put the woman to sleep.

The other knights were worried that someone would attack their commander while he was exposed. Virgil also considered that any given wound could pierce the strange safeguard Galar used, and end his life.

No one made a move toward the unarmed Hexaline Knight. He swept a quizzical stare in a semi-circle around the room, and those closest to him stumbled backward to avoid him. Virgil watched expectantly to see what his master would do.

The youngest Hexaline Knight in Shroud’s history had indulged in numerous forms of entertainment in Virgil’s presence, but this was a new side to him. While Galar was rushing toward the combat mage, Galar looked desperate to stop her. Now, he looked like he was searching for a way to stop all the fighting.

“I really just wanted to have fun,” Galar complained, his voice barely audible over the clamor. “This isn’t...”

Galar looked back at the knights who were still protecting the bar’s owner and staff. His lip quivered, silver eyes wept for more lives than those in this bar. Nosk’s Empty Vessel had memories, Virgil was sure of it. Even if his life was incomprehensible to the other Keepers, they were there.

The Hexaline Knight looked away. The other knights would only do as they were commanded because they bought into the idea of the person they put pedestal, not the scared boy himself.

Virgil’s criticisms of his commander dissolved in that well of tears. He didn’t deify Galar like the others, which put him in a unique position to come to his commander’s rescue.

A spark of something approaching respect ignited, jolting him into action. A desire to protect Galar sustained him.

Dropping his weapon, Virgil turned to the shelf of hard liquor and pointed out a bottle. The owner rushed to meet his request. Hands-on the bottle, Virgil began to disassemble a military flare for the powder inside.

The thick fluid inside the bottle was meant to be diluted in a less viscous liquid before one consumed it. However, it would only burn like Virgil wanted it to while highly concentrated.

“I just… need… a… moment…” Virgil mumbled, dumping the powder into a different container.

All he had on-hand was a drinking glass. Virgil did the same for the alcohol, selecting a separate container.

Colten was the only one who could understand what he wanted to do without using more time to explain than they had.

The liquor was black. The powder was silver.

Virgil stifled a chuckle. It was a fitting color scheme for the commander who was making him go to these lengths to save the lives of petty criminals.

Subject: Keeper Virgil Location: Laberin - The Gravegreen Bar

Temple Guardian squads used one channel of magic above all others: Vitality. Thematically, healing spells fit well with the concept of forgiveness.

The Keepers were no different, but Virgil knew that Colten had used Veracity spells to entertain Galar before. For all he could do, Galar didn’t have a good grasp of magic. His fascination with material goods extended into spells that could be used for entertainment.

“Colten, I need a red sign,” Virgil softly requested, referencing a shared memory.

Colten would know what he was trying to do with just that much to go off of. He only hoped Galar’s holy shield wouldn’t affect what he was about to do.

Virgil flung the glass of liquor high into the air. Colten had already sheathed his weapon in preparation. His hands were free.

Colten spread both arms and brought them in again, completing a circular gesture. Virgil didn’t understand it, but gestures like these helped mages cast spells.

The airborne glob of liquid stopped rising, but it did not fall. It traced a path throughout the room, spreading horizontally, a small distance beneath the ceiling. It avoided the wood support beams as it traveled.

Already, some of the combatants were stopping to staring at the magically controlled liquid. Even after it completed its journey, it remained held aloft.

Next, Virgil carefully held the glass sparkling silver flare powder in the air. He didn’t toss it, fearing it would disperse. Instead, he delicately poured it out, allowing his friend to do the rest.

With one hand extended in the direction of the suspended black liquid, Colten brought his free hand around and gently guided the powder until it had joined with the path of the suspended liquor. Then, he waited for Virgil’s command.

“Pray to Nosk, Keepers,” Virgil shouted. “Pray that everyone here finds forgiveness!” he yelled with enthusiasm that could almost be mistaken for conviction.

Virgil was a knight of Nosk, after all. You needed some faith to dedicate your life in the service of The Pure.

All but Colten performed the prayer. Even Virgil cast his eyes down while his hands were joined. When he finally closed his eyes, he heard the loud *pop* of the ignition, then the *crackle* of the powder, followed by the sudden screams of everyone who hadn’t closed their eyes.

That was Virgil’s cue to open his eyes again. A stumbling mass of criminals shuffled about, disoriented by the improvised flash bomb. Smoke layered the upper air of the bar. Clinging to it was the heavy smell of burning chemicals.

“Keepers, disarm them!” Virgil ordered.

The Keepers sprung into action, securing weapons and binding the criminals as best they could. There was rope behind the counter.

The Hexaline Knight that Virgil now knew would forgive Virgil for issuing orders like this. He wasn’t concerned because what mattered most at that moment was that he had stopped the violence. Half the criminals were dead, but half were still alive.

Galar walked over to the pile of corpses on the floor, biting his lip while frowning. He was unsettled, but Virgil couldn’t read much more than that.

Noticing the knight studying him, Galar gave a discreet nod.

“I was willing to forgive them all with no consequences if only they had confessed and left peacefully,” Galar mumbled.

“Is your forgiveness that conditional?” Virgil bravely asked, almost immediately regretting it.

“I’ve learned many things recently. I learned that sometimes it is easier to forgive others when you forgive yourself. I’ll forgive myself for having a limited amount of forgiveness inside me.”

Virgil nodded respectfully in response.

“I can forgive them in death, but they are dead because they couldn’t forgive themselves,” Galar continued, wincing for some unknown reason.

Virgil didn’t comment on the Hexaline Knight’s last comment. Instead, he turned to face the owner and his staff. Virgil almost felt sorry for forcing them to play host to such an inevitable bloodbath.

Galar wasn’t done with Virgil. Delicate footsteps approached from behind, stopping a short distance away. Virgil turned and saw Galar studying him.

Though he was a third short of his underling’s height, the owner found the young Hexaline Knight’s presence more terrifying now that he had seen what he could do.

I wonder if he is regretting refusing to serve Galar. But it isn’t like the commander announced his presence.

“I’m sorry for what you saw,” Galar offered. “We will send Enforcers to take care of the rest. This should cover the damage,” Galar offered, sympathies supplemented by three alde coins pressed to the counter.

The owner looked down at the coins in disbelief. The gleaming blue-gray face of each coin was inscribed by a purple cluster of hexagons. The edges of the coins were also purple.

Virgil was equally stunned. Each of those coins was worth 90 medows, or a plentiful 1,890 husc coins. Even knights of his rank wouldn’t carry around wealth like that without reason.

“Who named this bar?” Virgil blurted out.

Maybe it was because the sight of such recompensation startled him. Virgil knew he likely wouldn’t get another chance to satisfy this small curiosity.

“M-my late wife,” the owner stammered, similarly startled by the sudden bestowment of wealth. “She wanted this place to be something special. She thought that naming it after flourishflora would help out the people living here by sending a message. We used to tend the bar together in the beginning, but she was killed. An accident during a brawl.”

“That is terrible,” Galar said sympathetically. “I hope the person responsible was locked up.”

“Actually, that’s him right over there,” the owner said as he pointed to a dead body on the floor.

It was the Gray who had first offered to take Virgil and Colten to “safety”.

Subject: Keeper Virgil Location: Laberin - The Gravegreen Bar

“May I know what a flourishflora is?” Galar asked Virgil as they were preparing to leave. “I’ve heard the word, but I don’t understand what it means.”

The owner, who was still waiting patiently at the bar, coins untouched, couldn’t mask a look of disbelief. Virgil could see him questioning who would ask such a simple question. Even he found himself wondering about this, but he had the composure to conceal it.

“A flourishflora is a type of plant that is known for its ability to produce more energy than it takes to sustain it,” Virgil explained.

He went on to briefly summarize the Gravegreen flourishflora for Galar. While he did so, he watched the Hexaline Knight nodding along like he genuinely was hearing this for the first time.

“How can that be possible?” Galar wondered aloud. “It produces more than it is given? Why aren’t flourishflora used for energy everywhere?”

“They are hard to grow,” Virgil explained.

He struggled to think of the right information to share. Honestly, he didn’t know the proper answer. It was like when a very young child asked a parent about the darksprawl. Or, when they saw one of Shroud’s sleek airships for the first time and thought it was strange that flying vehicles weren’t used to bring people places.

As an adult, it was a fact that was taken for granted. You heard that something was dangerous enough times, and you eventually accepted that the surface was where it was safe. People didn’t belong above or below that thin plane of land. On a grand scale, the distance from the tallest mountain to the lowest valley paled in comparison to all that lay beyond.

Did I ever ask those questions? Virgil wondered. I think it was in school that I learned to stop asking questions. Galar still hasn’t learned that inquiry invites misfortune.

“If you want, I’ll find someone who can explain it to you when we return to the base,” Virgil offered, trying to help his commander in more ways than one.

“Yes. Do that,” Galar replied.

Reaching into his coin pouch a second time, the Hexaline Knight placed three more shiny aldes on the counter. The mouths of Gravegreen’s owner and staff hung open.

“Keepers, we are leaving,” Galar ordered.

The knights grouped up behind their commander.

The empty vessel doesn’t know about flourishflora, Virgil mused in astonishment.

As they reached the door, Galar began to tremble. He collapsed just as Virgil rushed forward to catch him.

Cradling his unconscious commander in his arms, Virgil noticed that the young Hexaline Knight’s skin looked had a corpse-like pallor. Worried, Virgil swung his head around to look at the other knights. None shared his fearfulness.

Colten shook his head side-to-side at Virgil and then began a prayer to Nosk. The other knights joined in, no doubt praying for Galar’s wellbeing. Virgil couldn’t join in because he was still holding the unconscious commander.

Galar’s price? How many times have they witnessed this?

Colten finished his prayers and gave Virgil a knowing smile.

“You’ve finally experienced it for yourself. How was it to witness Galar’s miracles for the first time? I can carry him for you,” Colten offered.

“No, I can hold him,” Virgil replied. “I’ll make sure he gets back to the base safely. Just watch my back for me.”

“You’ve got it, friend. That’s a good enough answer for me. We’ll protect Nosk’s Vessel together.”