Breaking Providence (Original Fantasy)

Erised was deeply upset about something and it was bugging Marcus that he didn’t know what. Still, her change in attitude was undeniable. She’d been moody ever since they left the border town a week back. No… before that even.
 
“Sir Hero, we’re getting close now.”
 
Blinking, pulled suddenly from his thoughts, Marcus looks over at Angelina, who in turn throws a somewhat purposeful look in the direction of their third party member. Ah, right.
 
“Erised.”
 
Only his voice seems capable of pulling the Demon Assassin out of her funk. Perking up, she looks at him, her tail immediately beginning to swish in the air behind her.
 
“Yes your Lordship?”
 
“We’re almost there. You’ll need to keep your glamour up at all times while we’re in the presence of the Princess and the Paladins. Do you think you can do that? I suppose we’ll also have to make sure we only call you Eris too…”
 
He keeps a close eye on her as he speaks, gauging her reaction. Ultimately, Marcus isn’t surprised by the way she almost immediately droops a little at his words.
 
“Oh. Yes, of course.”
 
He was expecting her to be a little depressed and listless, so that’s not too shocking. What does confuse him however is what’s missing from her reaction. Namely, anger.
 
As Erised quickly brings up her glamour, properly hiding her true demonic visage behind her usual Beastkin Thief appearance, Marcus presses his lips together into a tight, thin line. If he didn’t know any better, he would say she was upset because of where they were going and who they were on their way to ally with. After all, it was the opposite of what the Demon Assassin had claimed she wanted for the past several weeks.
 
There was just one problem with that. Erised had been upset even before the letter delivering the Church’s invitation to join the Princess’ Crusade had arrived upon their doorstep. She had been moody ever since news of the Dark General Roka-Ra’s Orc Warband had reached the town a day before that letter showed up in fact.
 
In the end, it turned out that it was true what they said. Always be careful what you wish for. Marcus and his Party had hung around the border town, mooching off of Beth while waiting for information about orcs to arrive. Any information at all. But not even Marcus had expected the news of General Roka-Ra’s decision. An Orc Warband was something only talked about in the histories.
 
Marcus remembered a few lessons at the Chapel growing up where he’d heard tell of such a thing. Apparently, they used to be a really big deal. Hundreds of years ago, the orcs would form up Warbands and rampage all across the countryside, destroying towns and ransacking villages until an army from the Holy Empire could be assembled to stop them.
 
But that was, obviously, a very long time ago. There hadn’t been an Orc Warband in quite a while, mostly because it was fairly common knowledge that there weren’t enough orcs left to form one. And yet, as if in direct defiance of that common knowledge, General Roka-Ra had declared the creation of one anyways. And now the Holy Empire was facing the greatest threat it had encountered in a long, long time.
 
Though, Angelina had been quick to tell Marcus that it probably wasn’t as bad as all that. The Dark General might call it a Warband, but it probably wouldn’t be anywhere near the size of the Orc Warbands of ancient times. Even Erised, when asked her opinion on it, had scoffed and posited the question of why NOW. If the orcs actually had the numbers for a proper Warband, they would have done this ages ago.
 
… That seemed fair to Marcus, to be honest. Maybe it was all just posturing and bluffing. Still, one thing was for sure, he’d definitely saved himself quite a bit of trouble by staying in town. With the formation of the Orc Warband, whatever it’s size, Marcus now knew for certain that he’d made the right call in listening to his girls.
 
See, the wildlands didn’t just stretch along one side of the Holy Empire. They sort of wrapped around its borders in a way. If you wanted to run into the wildlands, you could go West OR South and you would eventually hit them. Marcus, after dealing with Lord Graham and his bandits, had gone to the West since that was the border with the wildlands that they’d been closest to. The border town they’d eventually ended up in had been the furthest that the Empire Settlements had pushed into the wildlands on the Western Side.
 
However, the Dark General Roka-Ra and her Orc Warband… they were apparently gathering to the South of the Holy Empire. If Marcus had gone rushing off into the wildlands as he’d originally wanted to, not only would he have undeniably gotten lost with nary a hope of locating Roka-Ra and putting an end to this, but he also wouldn’t have been around in town at the right time to receive the letter inviting him and his party to join the Princess’ Crusade.
 
All in all, everything had worked out for the best. That said, Erised was still clearly upset about SOMETHING. And if it wasn’t his decision to go and meet up with the Princess and her Paladin Forces, Marcus honestly didn’t know what it was. Clearing his throat, the half-orc decides to at least try to get to the bottom of things before they reach the Crusade’s camp along the Southern Border.
 
“Eris… is something wrong? Something you want to talk about, maybe?”
 
From the worried look that Priestess Angelina shoots Erised, its obvious she’s noticed the disguised demon’s incredibly bad mood as well. And indeed, the moment Marcus’ words register, Erised hunches in, her glamoured cat ears going flat to her skull as she clutches her hands into fists.
 
“… No Master. What could possibly be wrong?”
 
Marcus winces. He hates it when they have to follow the charade that she’s Eris the Beastkin Thief and he’s her Master, as though he would ever willingly keep a slave. Calling her Eris is plenty easy, its just a shortening of her real name after all but having her call HIM Master… it’s almost enough to shut down his attempt at pressing her on what’s bothering her. Keyword being ‘almost’.
 
“It’s obvious something has upset you. And somehow, I don’t think it’s the fact that we’re going to join up with the Princess and the Church.”
 
Honestly, that in and of itself was something Marcus had tried not to spend too much time thinking about so far. It was one thing to be fighting alongside Paladins. If they were all like Sir Eric, then Marcus didn’t think he would have any issue. However, it was another entirely to be fighting alongside Princess Elsenthia, Heir to the entire Holy Empire.
 
If you’d told Marcus just three months ago, before he’d Awakened and all of this shit had happened, that he would receive an invitation to join the Princess herself as she led a Crusade of Paladins against an Orc Warband… he would have laughed in your face. Or maybe just scowled and ignored you. Probably the second one in all honesty, he hadn’t laughed very much before his Awakening.
 
Still, it was happening. Within the next couple of hours, aided by Angelina’s stamina and speed bolstering magics, they would come upon the Crusade’s Camp and maybe even come face to face with the Princess herself. He was a little nervous, truth be told. But they had no choice. General Roka-Ra and her orcs had to be stopped.

 
Regardless, back to Erised… she’s gone stiff at his assertion, only to seemingly latch onto it like it’s a life raft.
 
“Truly, my- Master? You don’t think I might be a little upset that we’re siding with… Empire Scum?”
 
Marcus sighs and shakes his head.
 
“No Eris, I really don’t. I mean, I’m sure you’re not happy about it… but you were upset even before the letter arrived.”
 
“… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you’re making a mistake siding with the Princess and the Church. Nothing good has ever come out of working with the Church.”
 
She’s painfully transparent. And lying to him. Marcus can’t help but be taken aback by that fact. It’s one thing for Erised to keep secrets, but to outright lie to him? He’s so caught off guard that he doesn’t know what to say. Luckily, Angelina seems to know what to do. Despite Erised’s harsh words, the Holy Priestess takes one look at the disguised demon… and promptly sweeps her up in a big, warm hug.
 
“Oh you poor thing!”
 
“Wha- what are you doing?! D-Did I not just make it clear I despise you and everything you s-stand for?!”
 
Marcus can’t help but grin a little as Erised hisses and puffs up like… well, like the catty Beastkin she’s pretending to be. However, Angelina refuses to let go and Erised, for all that she’s a Demon Assassin and thus a very deadly entity, seems disinclined to actually hurt the Priestess. Indeed, in the end she eventually gives up on struggling and all but snuggles into Angelina’s arms with a loud huff and a roll of her eyes as they continue on their way.
 
It would be quite the lovely moment if not for everything on Marcus’ mind. And don’t get him wrong, it still is. But… the future weighs heavily on him. So heavily in fact that he can’t bring himself to continue trying to interrogate Erised, not now that Angelina has so thoroughly defused the situation. He’s got enough on his plate already with his upcoming meeting with the Princess, and then the whole Orc Warband situation.
 
He's just one half-orc at the end of the day. One very powerful half-orc perhaps, but still…
 
-x-X-x-
 
“Sir Hero! You’re here!”
 
“Paladin Eric?”
 
Marcus can’t help but blink as they’re greeted by a familiar face right outside of the Paladin Camp. Standing there waiting for them is Paladin Eric from the Chapel where Marcus had Awakened all those weeks ago.  At his side, Angelina surges forward to give the Paladin a hug.
 
“Paladin Eric! I didn’t know you would be here!”
 
Laughing, Eric hugs Angelina right back, though his heavy plate armor makes it not nearly as… tight a hug as it could have been. That said, Marcus doesn’t feel a single pang of jealousy or concern over their closeness, much to his surprise. Somehow he can just tell… Priestess Angelina and Paladin Eric’s relationship is a sibling affection and nothing more.
 
They pull apart after a moment with Eric smiling fondly at Angelina.
 
“Yes, well… the Chapel was actually shut down soon after you left. Bishop Archibald was reassigned and so were the rest of us.”
 
That sends a jolt of surprise through Marcus, but the surprise is MUCH greater for Angelina, who looks downright shellshocked.
 
“S-Shut down? Truly?!”
 
Nodding his head, Eric turns a bit solemn.
 
“It happens, from time to time. More in recent years than in the past, but it is what it is. Sometimes the Church reaches too far and too fast, Priestess. Chapels can be built overnight when the Church is flush with enough gold. However, when the gold dries up… Chapels can be closed down overnight as well. But enough of such somber tidings! It is so good to see you again! And you, Sir Hero… allow me to get a good look at you!”
 
Blinking, Marcus instinctively straightens up, one hand holding his glowing halberd and the other falling to the pommel of the shortsword in its sheathe at his side. His armor, crafted by the Chief Blacksmith himself down in the Cathedral Foundries, gleams in the sunlight. Paladin Eric’s eyes slide up and down his figure, taking in every detail before the man eventually gives a single nod.
 
“Not as all-encompassing as I would have chosen for you Sir Hero, but if it works it works. And I’m given to understand that her Holiness, Pope Serafina herself, did the enchantments, didn’t she?”
 
Marcus flushes and nods.
 
“That’s what I was told, yes…”
 
Grinning, Eric shakes his head.
 
“Amazing. In that case, there’s no need for concern. You are likely already untouchable, just as you are.”
 
Thinking back to the battles he’s been in so far; Marcus inclines his head in quiet agreement of that fact. Angelina, meanwhile, clears her throat.
 
“Paladin Eric… we are here at the behest of the Church and the Princess. We received a letter requesting our presence and inviting us to join the Princess’ Council?”
 
Perking up, Eric looks abashed for a second at having gotten caught up in the reunion.
 
“Ah yes! Right this way, right this way!”
 
Marcus does his best to ignore the way the Paladin hadn’t so much as glanced in Erised’s direction. He tries to tell himself that it’s a good thing, all things considered. After all, the less eyes that fell upon his demonic party member, the less likely they were to discover her true nature. In that regard, it was for the best. But at the same time, it did not escape Marcus’ notice that as much as Sir Eric had been happy to see him and Angelina… he hadn’t spared even a single thought to the shackled, enslaved Beastkin Thief in their midst.
 
Letting out an explosive breath, Marcus follows along after Paladin Eric as he leads them into the camp. Paladins can be seen moving about in every direction, some in full armor and some in not. Some are clearly on guard duty, while others are getting food or resting or talking with comrades. All pause upon seeing him, their eyes automatically drawn to his distinctive green skin. Marcus doesn’t blame them for that, given what they’re all out here to fight.
 
With his Dark Presence ability set as low as he can possibly get it in the back of his mind, he won’t be swaying any hearts and minds off of it alone. Unfortunately, the very nature of the ability means that he’s still the center of attention. He likely would be even if he wasn’t a half-orc, though he can’t say for sure. Several of the Paladins look at him with awe and reverence that Marcus knows has nothing to do with his ability OR him as an individual. They’re in awe because they recognize him as the Destined Hero, a legendary figure within the Church.
 
Several other Paladins are a bit more composed about it, giving him an assessing look and usually a simple nod of acknowledgment. Marcus tries to return those to the best of his ability, though there are a lot of people they pass by, and he can’t look everywhere at once.
 
Then there are the few Paladins that have visibly animosity in their eyes. None of those spend too long looking in his direction, and Marcus does his best not to stare too long at them either. It was probably too much to expect them all to love him. Indeed, were they not here to fight orcs? And he WAS a half-orc.
 
But regardless, none of their opinions truly matter, as strange as it is to say that even in the privacy of his own mind. At least, not as much as the opinion of the Heiress to the Holy Empire herself, Princess Elsenthia. Marcus’ mouth grows increasingly dry as Paladin Eric leads them to the largest tent in the center of the camp and then through the tent’s flaps without a second’s thought. The Paladins standing guard there do nothing to bar the path of Marcus or his party, and so he steps in after Sir Eric with Angelina and Erised at his heels.
 
Inside, gathered around a large table with things scattered across it, are more Paladins. And one Princess. He knows her immediately. The moment he lays eyes on her, Marcus knows he’s looking at Princess Elsenthia.
 
Every eye in the tent shoots up at his entrance, but he only has eyes for her… and she only has eyes for him. For a moment, the half-elven Princess looks frozen. Marcus feels frozen as well. Who will blink first? He feels like one of them has to do SOMETHING. Should he speak? No, it should be her, right? No matter what, something has to give. Someone has to-
 
“Princess Elsenthia! It is my honor to announce the arrival of the Destined Hero Marcus and his Party!”
 
As if startled out of a trance, Elsenthia glances to Eric… and then back to Marcus. Smiling softly, the Princess moves around the table and towards him, stopping just a few feet away. Marcus, also broken free of his frozen state, immediately drops to a knee and bows his head in supplication.
 
“Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you.”
 
When he glances up at her a few seconds later, it’s to see the Princess has paled.
 
“Please Sir Hero! Rise! You kneel before no one!”
 
Princess Elsenthia almost seems panicked by his show of deference, and Marcus is reminded of Paladin Eric’s words all that time ago. He kneels before no one… honestly, he had NOT thought that extended to Royalty. Standing up, he can’t help but feel awkward… and so he thrusts a hand out instead for her to shake.
 
“Well… uh, it’s still an honor, Princess.”
 
For just a moment, Elsenthia stares at his hand as though it’s a snake. He wonders if she might be one of those who can’t look past the color of his skin, and wonders further how they’ll work together if she is. But then, a soft, sincere smile graces her features and she takes it. As though something electric and unfathomable has passed between them, she lets out a sigh as she gives his hand a solid shake before releasing it.
 
“The honor is all mine, Sir Hero. Thank you for joining us. Many back in the Capital might think the threat isn’t real, but I can assure you, it’s quite grave indeed.”
 
Around the tent, everyone seems to have been watching their first interaction with bated breath. People relax once Elsenthia leads Marcus back over to the table. He sees now that the table is covered with a map, and that map is in turn covered with pieces meant to represent troops. Now, Marcus doesn’t know much of strategy or even map reading. He barely even knows his numbers. However, he does know enough of pattern recognition and basic math to realize a couple things right off the bat.
 
Number One, he can easily pinpoint the Paladin Camp on the map, given its location with its back to the Capital and the rest of the Holy Empire’s territory.
 
And Number Two… the pieces that were clearly meant to represent the Orc Warband, colored in red… FAR outnumbered the Crusade that the Princess was helming, colored in blue.
 
Lips thinning out as he finally gets a bird’s eye view of their situation, Marcus frowns. Stopping General Roka-Ra and her orcs might be harder than he thought…

-x-X-x-

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