Dark Born - Ch. 035

Necessary Decisions

"Who are you people?!" the priest's voice boomed.

He stood at the entrance of the crypt, breathing hard, his robe slightly disheveled. He had likely rushed down here as quickly as he could. His blue eyes swept over the three of them, hands already balled into fists at his side.

Adam froze, staring in shock. How was the man here? No, that was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was that he was here right now, and he had seen them. Trying to talk their way out of this was already out of the question, especially with how angry the man looked. All they could do now was stop him before he could raise an alarm, and if necessary to kill him.

He glanced at Elsa, and she looked uncertain. The man was a priest. Adam himself felt nothing about that, but Elsa... she might hesitate. If it came to violence, there was a possibility she might hold back. Nero, on the other hand, was already moving. Her hand had settled firmly on the hilt of the dagger at her waist, fingers tightening, ready.

Adam raised a hand slightly, a clear signal for Nero to stay calm and not do anything for now. Then he locked his eyes on the priest. "That's a fair question," he replied finally. "And I'll answer... right after you answer a few of mine."

Adam didn't expect the words to change anything. The outcome of this encounter had already been decided the moment the priest stepped into the crypt.

But he tried anyway... for Elsa's sake.

At his words, the priest stared at him for a long, charged moment without saying a word in response. Then his eyes shifted to Elsa, and recognition sparked in them. The anger drained out of his face, leaving it smooth, more calculating.

"Commander Elsa Dein," the priest said with a faint nod. "... of the Knight Order." His gaze moved to Adam, and the corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile. "Which means you must be him... the boy of interest." Finally, his eyes settled on Nero and his smile sharpened. "And you brought along the Queen's pet. How interesting."

Adam's brow furrowed. Something was off here. This man wasn't an ordinary priest. He was someone high up in the Church hierarchy, perhaps powerful as well. He recognized all three of them, yet didn't seem even remotely fazed.

And he showed no interest in calling for help...

But then, the situation also offered a chance. A high ranking member of the Church had appeared before them, all alone. They wouldn't get another opportunity like this.

"Since you clearly know who I am," Adam said, tone calm but edged. "I'm willing to bet you know a great deal more. I have questions, important ones... and I'd rather not resort to violence to get the answers. But I suspect you won't make this easy."

The old priest cocked his head, studying Adam with the mild curiosity of a scholar examining something interesting. "Hmm. Interesting indeed," he murmured. "You are important to us, boy. So I will offer you a chance. Submit willingly. Pledge yourself to the Church and His Holiness, aid us in our holy purpose, and you will be rewarded. Refuse..." His smile thinned and fell away. "Well, we will still take what we desire. It will simply be a far more unpleasant experience for you."

Adam's face didn't change, but amusement rose in his chest and he bit it down. This was the first time anyone had ever tried to buy him.

"You say 'holy purpose'," he replied finally. "But you mean resurrecting some dead guy." His eyes narrowed. "What exactly makes him so important?"

The priest's gaze flicked toward the crystal coffin. He said nothing about Adam's question, he also didn't confirm or deny the part about resurrecting the founder. Instead, he just turned to Elsa, his voice becoming almost paternal.

"That offer extends to you as well, Commander Dein," he said. "Submit yourself to the Church, offer your complete devotion to His Holiness... and the dream that drives you to climb the Tower of Heaven, to risk everything, may yet be fulfilled. The Church has always valued your service to the kingdom."

The Tower of Heaven? What did that have to do with--Adam's stomach fell. He remembered her mentioning it a long time ago, when they had first started to know each other... how she'd been repelled on the forty-first floor and had nearly died. But she'd never told him why she was climbing the Tower, what wish was important enough for her to risk her life. Just like she still hadn't explained the scar across her stomach.

For someone he knew so well, there were still so many shadows she kept hidden.

Adam glanced at her, thoughtful.

Elsa said nothing in response to the priest's offer. She simply stared at the man, rigid, her emerald eyes sparking with both anger and disbelief.

The priest next shifted his attention to Nero. His tone grew colder, heavier. "As for you, dark elf... you'll receive no kindness or mercy. For your trespass, your punishment will be painful, and it will be remembered. A lesson for your Queen... a message of what becomes of those who presume to meddle in matters far beyond their station."

Nero growled low in throat and drew her daggers.

The priest paid her no more mind than he would a hissing cat, his gaze shifting back to Adam, darting between him and Elsa. "So, do you accept this fair offer?"

Adam held the priest's gaze without flinching, his expression calm. He allowed the silence to stretch for a moment, then gave a scoff, shaking his head slightly.

"Submit?" He repeated the words. "Yeah, that's not happening."

"Hmm," the priest muttered simply, as though he had expected exactly that sort of response. Then he looked at Elsa. "And you commander, what is your answer?"

Elsa's expression hardened, her fists tightening until the veins almost popped. For several seconds she said nothing as different emotions warred within her. Then she drew in a slow, deep breath as if to settle herself and keep from killing him on the spot.

"I refuse," she replied, her voice final.

Adam couldn't help the smile that took his face at her response.

It seemed as though she might not hesitate after all. He didn't need to worry too much about her.

The priest sighed, shaking his head. "How truly disappointing."

"Well, we've heard your offer," Adam said. "I'm not going to waste time with counter-offers you'll never accept." He took a step forward. "So I'll be clear... you're going to answer all my questions, every single one of them. The only choice you have in this is whether you answer them willingly... or whether I make it an extremely unpleasant experience for you."

"Such boldness," the priest said, his tone laced with mocking approval. "I have always advised we simply capture you, but wiser heads urged caution. Yet here you are now, delivered freely into our hands. Truly, the Divine favors our endeavor."

Adam gave a short, humorless laugh. "I knew that I'd have to kill a few priests eventually, but I didn't think it would happen so soon." His gaze flicked to the coffin behind him, then returned to the priest, and a cold smile slightly stretched his lips. "You're in luck though. Not only do you get to die first, there's already a coffin waiting. It might be a tight fit, but I'm sure we can make it work."

"How dare--"

"What?" Adam interrupted. "You should be grateful. You'll get to rest beside your founder... right after you've told me everything I need to know."

The old priest's face twisted with fury, even harsher than when he had first appeared in the crypt. The kind and calm facade he wore shattered completely. Whether it was the casual desecration of the founder's resting place or the promise of his own death that had struck the man deepest, Adam couldn't tell, and he didn't particularly care either.

By his side, Elsa stiffened, visibly shocked by the casual brutality and cold cruelty in his words. Her lips parted open, but no sound came out. Nero, on the other hand, wore a faint smile, the first genuine expression of approval Adam had ever seen from her.

"You insolent little whelp," the priest snarled, voice echoing across the chamber. "How dare you speak of the Saint with such filth... Aegis Valdun!" The priest's command echoed through the crypt, like a hammer striking an anvil.

That didn't sound good..

Adam's hunch was confirmed as dust sifted down from the ceiling, then a grinding noise filled the chamber, stone shifting against stone. All around them, the giant armored statues began to stir, the ground trembling in their wake.

Their massive helmeted heads turned slowly, more dust cascading from their shoulders like falling snow, and their eyes flickered to life with a bright white glow. Each statue was at least five meters tall, wielding enormous swords and axes that looked like they could crush boulders in a single strike.

"Shit," Adam said in a quiet murmur, already channeling energy into his hands. He had expected some kind of defense would be in place, but this still caught him by surprise.

The first statue moved, another followed right after, then another. In a matter of moments, they were fully awakened, all twelve of them, dragging their massive weapons against the floor as they stepped forward.

They would be really difficult to deal with, but--

"I'll handle the statues," Elsa said quickly, her voice steady as it shifted seamlessly into command. "You go after the priest, he's controlling them." She hesitated there, then looked at him. "Adam... show restraint."

At the words, her earlier plea to him in the carriage echoed in his mind; about not becoming a monster. He had no doubt that was what she meant now.

"I know," Adam replied quietly.

Elsa inhaled a slow breath and she drew her swords. Seconds later, a sudden golden light exploded around her body, even her hair lifted as if caught in a current.

Adam blinked once, and she moved. She shot upward--jumped? Flew? He wasn't certain which. Her body just lifted clean off the ground, streaking through the air. It was fast, controlled, and utterly unlike anything he had seen her do before.

Just how much was she holding back in their training?

In the next instant, light blades formed around her, dozens of them, far larger and longer than the ones she had summoned in the warehouse all those weeks ago. They hovered for a fraction of a second, then launched. Golden streaks tore through the air, directly toward the advancing statues. One struck a giant square in the chest, cracking stone and jutting out from the back. The statue fell backward, crashing into the polished floor hard enough to crack the marble. Another light blade pierced through a raised arm, shattering it at the joint. The chamber rang with impact after impact.

Then Elsa dove right into the fray, her body a blur of golden light as she weaved between massive swings of stone weapons. Even against creatures three times her size, she seemed utterly unstoppable. Elsa took on all twelve of them at once, by herself.... and she was still flying. It would take a while for him to get used to that.

Adam watched for a second longer, just enough to once more be awestruck by her overwhelming power. Then he shifted focus, and that was when he noticed Nero was already moving. The dark elf wasn't built for fighting towering stone giants, she was an assassin. Her target was clear... the priest himself.

For the brief moment Adam could track her; the dark elf moved low and fast, her daggers drawn, then she activated her magic and vanished out of sight completely. When she reappeared, she was behind the priest, daggers flashing toward his neck to end him.

But the priest reacted instantly. He lifted his hand, and a concussive blast slammed into Nero, hurling her away. The magic wasn't visible like the others Adam had seen, but he felt it all the same; a sharp distortion that warped the air. Wind magic? No. The ring on his left hand flared with white light at the moment of release. An artifact.

The force sent Nero flying fast backward like she'd been struck by a powerful battering ram, crashing hard into one of the pillars. The stone nearly shattered on impact and a sharp breath rushed out of her lungs, then she dropped limply to the floor.

"Know your place, loathsome creature," the priest spat.

Nero wasn't moving. Despite their turbulent relationship, Adam felt worry creep into his chest. That wasn't a normal strike. She should have rolled with the impact, even evaded it with her quick reflex. Whatever the priest had unleashed carried far more power than raw force. It was clearly some kind of artifact.

Adam took a step forward, intending to rush to the dark elf, when the priest's gaze snapped to him, the ring on his finger flaring again. Adam's eyes widened. He didn't see the attack coming, but all of his instinct screamed.

In a flash, Adam thrust his free hand forward, forming his dark barrier just as the blast struck. The shield held, but the force behind it was immense, hurling him backward like a ragdoll. His body slammed into the wall with a sickening crack, and blood surged up his throat, spilling out from his mouth.

"Adam!" A distant voice called. Elsa's.

Adam couldn't move. His body just twitched against the cracked stone as he tried to force breath into his lungs. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, trailing down his chin, and for a moment, the world seemed distant and hollow like he was underwater. He gritted his teeth, bearing it all. He was still in danger here, it wasn't over.

Slowly, unsteadily, Adam began to push himself upright, forcing his body to move despite the pain. He used his hand to brace against the wall, wincing faintly. When he got to his feet, he spat out a mouthful of blood, then exhaled a breath, steadying himself.

What the fuck was that? Some kind of Divine power? It was far too powerful. His shield was the only reason he hadn't ended up unconscious like Nero. He couldn't afford to take another hit like that. Shield or not, he wouldn't recover so quickly a second time.

Adam lifted his gaze back to the priest, and a sudden surprise seized him.

The man was frozen to the spot, staring at him with wide-eyed disbelief, as though he'd just witnessed a sight no one was ever meant to. "Impossible..." he said, his voice dropping low, almost inaudible. "That magic... how do you possess it? What are you?"

He knew...

He knew about Zelphyr's power, and perhaps more.

Adam's face cracked with a faint smile despite the bitter ache tearing through his body, and he forced himself to stand straighter, no longer needing the wall. "That..." he muttered roughly, "... is one of the things you're going to tell me."

The priest's shock quietly dimmed, and he mirrored Adam's smile, though his was sharper, more predatory. "I will offer you a final chance, boy," he muttered, his blue gaze steady and his expression shifting back into an almost perfect calm. It was eerie how smoothly he changed. "You possess so much that we seek. Submit yourself to the church."

Adam drew out his stolen dagger. "Again... not happening."

He shot a quick glance in Elsa's direction, to let her know he was alright. But she was distracted, locked in combat with the statues--eight of them now--her golden light flashing as she moved through the air, carving chunks out of their stone bodies. The four she'd already felled were reduced to shattered debris across the marble floor, and yet, the remaining ones pressed her just enough to keep her from coming to his aid.

The chamber thundered with the sound of their raging battle, growing louder with each impact. That wasn't good. They were underground, several floors beneath the main cathedral. The sound might not carry all the way, but that could change at any moment. The longer this dragged on, the greater the chance someone would notice. Another priest, or perhaps guards. They needed to end this... quickly. And they needed to leave.

The priest let out a breath, shaking his head. "Foolish. You only make your future more painful than it needs to be." He raised that same ringed hand forward. "But do not fret, you will not die here. Though I cannot say the same for your--"

Adam didn't wait for him to finish. He surged forward, ignoring the grinding pain in his ribs. The priest's eyes narrowed, and he released another explosive burst. This time Adam was ready. He twisted sharply, slipping past the blast as it tore past him, close enough that he felt it drag at his clothes. The force slammed into the wall behind him with a cracking sound, and stone exploded outward in a spray of dust and debris.

Another blast, and Adam ducked low quickly, feeling the pressure shear across his back like a blade. The attacks were too fast, too precise. He couldn't even see them, only predict their angle from the priests' position, and the slightest miscalculation would see him blown away. Still, he had no choice but to face it this way.

Shadow-warp was useless here. The entire chamber was flooded with harsh white light from lanterns hung everywhere; far too many to simply destroy. And summoning his shadow clones--the few he was able to--wouldn't achieve anything either. They would only drain him quicker while the priest picked them off with those unseen strikes. There was just no clever way to get through this. He had to do it the hard way.

Adam thrust his hand and unleashed a jet of black fire. The dark flames surged in a violent stream, twisting and roaring through the air, tearing straight toward the priest. For a split second, impact was certain. Then he raised his hand, ring flaring. The black fire hit an unseen barrier with a thundering clap, scattering violently like water against glass. The flames splashed outward, licking across the walls and ceiling. The priest staggered back a single step, his robes snapping behind him, but his defense held... for now.

However powerful the artifact was, it was still mana. He--

Something shifted. The priest's eyes moved, not toward him, behind. Adam saw it at the same time and killed his flames. Nero. She had recovered. She burst into view from nothingness, her form just snapping into existence mid-air behind the priest, twin daggers descending toward his neck in a clean, brutal arc. But something was off--her leap was a fraction too slow, her footwork heavy. She was struggling with pain and injuries.

That gave the priest a chance. He stepped sideways at the last moment, the dagger slicing past his throat, close enough to graze his skin and draw blood.

"Persistent vermin," the priest spat in annoyance, turning toward her with his hand outstretched. The ring flared white again, power gathering for a finishing blow.

That moment of distraction was all Adam needed. He exploded forward, pouring everything into that single burst of speed. In an instant, distance vanished and the priest's eyes widened at his sudden closeness. Before he could even think to do anything, Adam's dagger flashed, slicing downward in a blur of motion. A second later, the priest's scream rippled through the crypt as his hand--still wearing the ring--separated cleanly from his wrist and hit the marble floor with a dull sound, the glow dying out instantly.

Adam didn't stop. He drove his shoulder into the priest's chest, knocking the older man to the floor. The impact jarred Adam's injured rib, but he ignored the pain, pressing his bloody dagger against the priest's throat, hard enough to draw blood.

"Call them off," Adam hissed quietly.

Behind them, the sounds of battle continued as Elsa dismantled another statue with a resounding crack. There were six of them left now, and the priest's connection to them clearly hadn't faltered as they fought without any sign of slowing.

The man gasped, his face pale with fury, clutching the stump of his wrist as blood pulsed between his fingers. His eyes, however, burned with defiance. "Do it..." he wheezed, his jaw clenching as he forced the words out. "I do not fear death. I live only to serve his Holiness, another will take my place if I fall. We are many and righteous." He sounded less like a priest and more like a deeply fanatical cult member.

"I said call them off..." Adam demanded again, eyes cold, unblinking, and his grip steady despite the tremor running through his injured body. He pressed the blade deeper into the soft flesh, and a thin line of blood slid down. "Now..."

The priest said nothing, he just stared right back at him, keeping his silence. Adam's gaze hardened. He watched the man carefully, searching for any sign of fear, calculation, anything at all; but there was nothing there... only stubborn refusal remained in his blue eyes.

"... Fine," Adam muttered. Without another word, he pulled the dagger away, and the priest's expression immediately shifted, first confusion, then to suspicion. Adam rose to his feet slowly, ignoring the sharp ache as he did. "Nero... hold him."

It was a clear, direct command, yet the dark elf offered none of the snide comment or dirty glance she usually would have. She just obeyed. Despite the blood at the corner of her mouth and the stiffness in her movements, she moved gracefully, dropping a knee onto the priest's chest and pressing her dagger firmly against the side of his neck.

He struggled once and Nero pressed her dagger harder. "Do not test me, wretched human," she whispered coldly. "I'll carve your spine out through your throat."

Not sparing them another glance, Adam turned around and began walking toward the crystal coffin at the end of the chamber. There was only one thought in his mind.

Behind him, the priest's breath hitched. "No... what are you doing?"

Adam offered no response, he just climbed the altar, stopping beside the coffin and briefly staring down through the glass at the preserved corpse within. Then he raised his hand. Black flames flickered to life instantly, dancing harmlessly over his palm

And over the coffin...

"I'll tell you one more time... call off the statues," Adam said, a sudden coldness slipping in. "Then tell me everything you know. Leave nothing out."

Realization dawned and the priest's face drained entirely of color, panic flooding his blue eyes for the first time. "You cannot... the Saint!" he stuttered. "Blasphemy!"

Adam fed more energy into the dark flames, the fire swelling in his palm, growing denser, licking at the air just inches above the crystal lid. The priest's eyes widened. Even Nero stilled for a second, her grip tightening slightly as she stared at the flames. Perhaps she was realizing how much he had restrained himself during their clash in the warehouse... how much worse it could have been.

"You have three seconds,"

"No..." The priest shook his head, then his mouth parted open, but no extra words came out, only a strangled sound of horror as the black flames nearly brushed against the crystal lid, the runes flaring.

"Three," Adam counted.

The remaining statues still thundered, clashing with Elsa. Stone shattered, golden blades sang through the air. But the priest no longer seemed to hear any of it.

"Two."

A desperate noise ripped from the old man's throat.

"One--"

"Aegis Dirh!" the priest screamed. "Aegis Dirh!"

The command rang through the crypt like a tolling bell. The giant statues faltered mid-swing, their glowing white eyes flickering like dying flames. Several of them froze in place, their weapons hovering. Aegis'Valdun, whatever the hell that meant, had clearly been the activation phrase. Then this was the shut down phrase.

But they did not shut down...

The light in the statues' eyes suddenly surged back--unstable, flickering--but still active. Three of them not engaged with Elsa suddenly turned, their massive forms pivoted away from her with earth-shaking steps and charged straight in Adam's direction.

He clicked his tongue in irritation... the bastard priest. He had half a mind to make good on his threat and burn the coffin, but then he noticed--

The statues never reached him

Nero's eyes widened in realization and she leapt away quickly.

With horrifying coordination, the three colossal guardians brought their enormous maces and axes down... directly onto the priest.

The impact was catastrophic.

A loud thud mixed with a wet, sickening crunch echoed through the chamber. The priest didn't even have time to scream. His body was just instantly pulverized, reduced to a mangled, bloody smear across the marble floor, limbs crushed beyond recognition.

What the f--

Adam couldn't finish that thought. He watched, shock deepening as every statue in the crypt went dark at once, as though their final purpose had been fulfilled. The white glow vanished from all their eyes, stone bodies locking rigid with deep grinding sounds, weapons clattering to the ground or embedding deep into the floor.

The silence that fell over the crypt was so heavy it felt as though he'd suddenly lost his hearing.

Nero, clear of the danger, spat out a muted curse, then wiped flecks of blood from her face. A second later, Elsa landed nearby in a flash of golden light, breathing hard, her eyes wide with shock. No doubt she had seen what happened as well.

"He... commanded them to kill him," Adam said in quiet disbelief, staring at the bloody and broken mess that had once been the priest. "That was a suicide order."

Elsa lowered her swords, the golden light around her dimming, her gaze also fixed on the crushed remains of the priest. "So he would rather die than speak?"

"I didn't expect that either," Adam admitted quietly.

He had really underestimated their devotion. It was the kind of thing he'd only seen in documentaries about cults.

"We should leave," Elsa said, her voice tight with urgency as she glanced toward the crypt entrance. "Before anyone comes to investigate the noise."

Adam exhaled, letting the black flames in his palm fade into nothingness. His gaze drifted to the untouched coffin, then to the silent statues frozen throughout the chamber.

What now? They had learned something certainly, but nowhere near enough. The priest had taken all his secrets to the grave. Clever, fanatical bastard. Still, the founder's remains were now completely undefended. A small part of Adam wanted to press further; to examine the coffin more closely, try to decipher the runes etched around it, even return to their earlier hunt for hidden archives and libraries.

No... not tonight.

He swept his gaze across the devastated crypt, seeing the shattered statues, cracked marble, blood pooling across the floor. There was no hiding that someone had been here, their only priority now was ensuring the Church didn't actually find them here.

Staying longer, no matter how tempting, was asking to be caught.

"Yeah," Adam said finally, shoulders straightening. "We've confirmed enough. We know who the enemy is... and we know what they're after."

Elsa didn't argue, she didn't even flinch when he called the Church the "enemy."

Adam turned to Nero. "Fine with leaving?"

The dark elf met his gaze for a moment, her face twisted in a thoughtful frown and an unreadable look lingering in her red eyes. Finally she gave a nod, sheathing her daggers quickly, and without another word, she started toward the exit.

Elsa gave him a glance and started toward the exit. Adam still hesitated, his gaze drifting back to the flattened, gory corpse of the priest.

The ring he had worn... it was an incredibly powerful artifact, leaving something like that behind felt almost criminal.

But it belonged to the Church, that thought was enough to kill any temptation. He had no intention of carrying around a relic that might be tracked, or cursed.

He released a sigh, turning his back on the bloody mess and taking one last look at the crypt--at the statues, the pristine crystal coffin--before following after Elsa.

As they climbed the stairs that led to the shadows of the cathedral, a decision steeled in his mind. He would return alone.

The Church knew more about Zelphyr than they publicly revealed. It was no longer just a suspicion, he knew for certain now. And he needed to know everything they knew. Next time, he would find that first priest he had met--the one who'd tried to convert him--and make him answer every question... whatever it took.

And Elsa wouldn't be there to restrain him.

*****

Priest Sallo knelt on the marble ground, his head bowed low, kknee aching from the strain, but he didn't dare move. Before him, seated upon a high seat, was His Holiness, Valerian Lowald. His gray eyes were fixed on Sallo, studying him silently.

"... That is the full report, Your Holiness," Sallo concluded.

There was no response for a long moment, His Holiness just continued to study him as though weighing his usefulness. Finally, he spoke in a calm voice.

"The floor keeper has given his life?"

"He has," Sallo answered immediately, lowering himself even further on instinct. "Brother Aldric served faithfully until the end. The crypt sustained damage and several of the guardians were destroyed, but the Saint was untouched."

"Take heed, Sallo. This can never repeat."

Sallo swallowed hard. "We have already taken extraordinary measures to ensure it does not," he said. "The Saint shall never be disturbed again."

"Hmm... and the intruders?"

"They escaped before we could respond," he answered, his own fury rising at the admission. "There is still no official confirmation of their identities, however..."

"You have suspicions."

Sallo hesitated. "We suspect Knight Commander Elsa Dein to be involved. She has been inquiring deeply for a while, and she is difficult to control."

His Holiness's expression did not change, but the air seemed to grow colder.

"If the Commander is indeed the intruder, then she has uncovered the truth. Which means the boy has as well." His jaw locked. "What more have we learned about him?"

"Very little of value, I'm afraid. Our spies insist he is difficult to follow."

Another pressing silence filled the chamber.

His Holiness closed his eyes briefly, then exhaled a slow breath.

"It seems simple observation is no longer sufficient," he voiced at last. "They have acted against us. Now we shall act in turn." His eyes opened. "It is time we take a more... direct approach. Begin making preparations to capture him, Sallo."

"As you decree, Your Holiness." Sallo replied without hesitation. He rose, bowed deeply until his robes brushed the floor, then turned and left the chamber.

Once outside, Priest Sallo found Julius waiting in the corridor, leaning casually against a heavy pillar.

"I did not order you to wait, Julius," Sallo said.

The knight gave a slight bow of deference. "Apologies, I am just restless," he said in a controlled tone. "Is His Holiness well?"

"He is well," Sallo replied, walking ahead as Julius fell into step beside him. "And he has decided it is time to move beyond observing." He glanced at the knight. "It seems you may finally have your chance."

At those words, Julius's fists clenched and the edge of his lips pulled slightly.

"At last," he murmured.

****

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