Chapter 39: Preparations, the origins of Demons and the 72 pillars.

"Miracle, hey, miracle." Jakob opened his eyes slowly, seeing that he was lying on a chaise longue or at least his torso and arms did. He used the half couch as a pillow of sorts and wanted to fall back into his bliss of a dream again, but the man behind him wouldn't have it.

"Up and shine. The Lord will not do the work for us.

With a grunt and turning of his head, the teenage boy saw that Godfrey stood behind him with Raymond and someone Jakob had no idea who it was.

"Lord Godfrey, you had a pleasant sleep? Asked the Slytherin boy as he got up and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

"It was pleasant enough but seeing your spark of youth made me indulge more than my old body would allow." chuckled the leader. The man who stood beside him did not look amused.

Godfrey cleared his throat awkwardly as he noticed the glare and introduced them to each other.

"This is the boy I told you about, Father. This is our miracle, Jakob Quade." the priest stepped forward in his simple brown dress. The thing that stood out about the man was the three crosses he was wearing. One was a grand silver necklace that went down to his chest. The second cross was hanging from the belt going down to his kneecap, and the third was the one he held in his hand.

"I have heard much about you, and you carry my last name as well?'" The father, Quade, had a german accent but not as heavy as Godfrey's french.

Looking at the boy with a curious inspecting look, he nodded after a while.

"I can see that you have our eyes and nose. But the rest must come from another line. But there is no doubt about it. You are of my kin."

Jakob hastily rose and shook the man's hand.

"It's an honour to meet you… priest?"

Godfrey smiled as he saw the usual stern and sometimes feared priest give Jakob a welcoming smile.

"You may call me father, my son. Now let's take a walk. I wish to hear all about my family on the other side of the ocean." The older Quade led Jakob out, and the rest of the men continued their planning around the table.

As they came out, the soldiers and knights were already up and sat tiredly, eating their porridge for breakfast. They walked in silence for a while. Jakob, who had no idea what to say to his ancestor, only gave him an occasional sideglance as they continued.

"I have met your two companions. They have been of great aid when helping the injured."

The Quade heir's eyes widened a bit.

"Are they alright?"

The priest gave him an amused glance and chuckled a bit.

"They are fine, but I must admit that the black haired is more capable of handling death than your redheaded one."

Jakob scratched the back of his head a bit awkwardly.

"Yeh, she has lived a comfortable life."

The silence continued for a while, only breaking when some soldiers bowed before the priest, saying good morning or requesting a blessing.

"You seem very popular. Do they all know you?" asked the Slytherin. The people had acted with more respect towards the older Quade than even some of the nobles in the royal tent.

"Not more than the usual priest." answered the father giving Jakob a discreetly suspicious glance that the boy didn't notice.

They exited the war camp and continued with the Jerusalem wall on their left.

"Godfrey believes that you are sent from god Jakob, he has told me how you appeared, and I have a hard time not believing that God has sent you to help us."

The Quade heir frowned.

"But that is not what you wish to speak with me about so far from the encampment."

The priest nodded, stopped and turned to face the boy.

"While these people are unaware of the enchantments on your robe or the Invisible holster you have on your right arm, I'm not blind. I can see more than you think."

Jakob observed the expression on the man's face, trying to figure out if this ancestor of his was truly a friend or foe.

"I won't lie to you. You are of my blood. My name is Quade. How can you see through all that?" questioned the younger of the two, still maintaining eye contact.

"I am also of magical origins. I use my knowledge to help aid those that serve my Lord."

"So you really believe in this man?" asked Jakob, confused.

Father Geoffrey raised an eyebrow towards the boy.

"He is not just a man, son. And if you need to ask, you are not truly a believer. You are of my blood, so I will give you one chance to tell me your true intentions."

Jakob knew he couldn't just tell the man that he would steal some of the sand time sand or that he was from the future, so he thought of a story as he spoke.

"I have heard much about this new religion and decided to learn more about it. My family wouldn't understand, so I decided to take a little trip with my two friends. We had no idea that the city was under siege but are willing to lend a hand if needed."

The priest stood still for a full minute. Watching the boy, trying to figure out if the things he had told him were true.

"You are either a good liar, or you speak the truth. But you have provided us aid, so I'm willing to guess that at least some of the parts are facts."

He gestured for Jakob to continue while walking beside him.

"What do you wish to learn about our Lord? How Jesus was able to walk on water? How he could resurrect from the dead? Perhaps how he was able to exorcise demons into a herd of pigs?"

Jakob stopped at the last sentence the priest had spoken.

"Wait, you said demons. You know about them?"

The brown-clothes man gave The younger Quade a wary look.

"Why are they of interest to you?"

"I have a bad history with them and find myself without any information on how to defend myself or even kill one." answered the boy with a frown.

Geoffrey looked relieved and offered Jakob a smile.

Far off in the distance stood two knights watching the priest and the other unknown young man taking a stroll.

"What do you think he is telling the boy?" Asked the knight on the right, looking at his childhood friend who had used his sword to lean on.

"Knowing father Quade, he is probably scolding him, making him want to return to where ever he came from. Hey, do you remember when he caught us stealing those apples when we were kids?"

The knight to the left widened his eyes in recollection and burst out laughing.

"Yeh, he gave us a real good beating. Even mother was..."

The two knights stopped as their captain ordered them to hurry up and left the two Quades alone.

Unknown to the temporary observers, Jakob and Geoffrey continued their chat.

"There is a book that I can show you. And having a bit of knowledge myself, I could teach you while we are here. If that is something you wish, of course."

Jakob nodded in gratefully for the aid.

"Father, I really appreciate your help, but I need to ask why?"

Geoffrey chuckled.

"I never had children of my own. It was only me, my younger brother and my younger sister. She died of dragon pox, and my brother has chosen to cut ties with me for my decision to aid the non-magical world and my faith. When Godfrey told me about you, he said that you were sent from God to win us this war. I believe he sent you as a sign that having faith always gives rewards."

The two walked back slowly to the encampment, deciding to have their first lesson the next morning.

"I will have someone to collect you and take you to your friends in the evening, son," said Geoffrey as he waved goodbye.

Jakob gave a slight bow and waved back before turning towards the tent opening, where two knights stood in full armour, staring at him.

"Um, how do I say this… isn't it hot… Chaud à l'intérieur?"

The Knights looked at each other, then back at Jakob, and started to chuckle.

"Your french is terrible. But yes. It's like I'm being cooked inside."

Answered the right templar.

Jakob frowned. Of course, his french was terrible. He learned it today.

"I will see if I can get you something to drink." he walked inside, receiving a grateful bow of the twos head as he passed them.

" Ah, monsieur Quade! We have been waiting for your arrival. The priest was good to you, yes? No beatings?" asked Godfrey, betraying his discreet nervousness about the boy's state after meeting the feared father. The latter had even been a terror for him when he was younger.

"He was very good to me, but you should have someone fetch a drink to your guards outside. They are wearing plate armour in the blistering sun," asked Jakob as he walked over to the table, not noticing the surprise on his leader's face. Godfrey smiled warmly and waved his hand towards a boy.

"Tremper les gardes dans l'eau, ils ont mérité les louanges de notre miracle." The boy hurried outside, and Godfrey switched his gaze back to Jakob, standing beside the table, leaning in to see the added pieces.

"We have done what you proposed. We will have two siege towers and a battering ram ready in two days if it is God's will." Informed Raymond of Normandy, looking towards the boy with a new respect in his eye and a bit of pride, being the one to tell him the good news.

Jakob looked towards Godfrey for future plans, and the older man walked over.

"We will focus our attack on the gate, putting our siege towers here and here," said the leader, pointing at the two points beside the gate.

Jakob looked up at the man and then at the rest of them. They were all waiting for his approval. Jakob had already given them a free card and now felt slightly tired over the way they planned. He wasn't a miracle. It had been a miracle that they had gotten this far already.

"you have three legions. You have a whole city with walls almost reaching the clouds and only one gate. Can someone tell me if there are any weak spots? The gate is, of course, going to be heavily fortified and won't be easily taken."

The men stood around the table, silently watching the map for a while. One of the younger men, looking like he might be 18, looked at what Jakob believed was his father's appearance-wise and then at Jakob.

"There is a part here." said the young man, pointing at the north side of the wall.

"Our scouts have seen that it's not as heavily fortified. as the rest of the city."

"Yes, but it's useless. When the enemies see us moving the army, they will regroup in a matter of hours." One of the elder nobles waved his hand dismissively towards the boy who, in turn, looked down, taking a step back."

Jakob gave the nobleman a tired glare, which made the religious man shut up a bit nervous.

"Then we split up the armies in two. We make Jerusalem think we are attacking in the south when we actually are attacking from the north as well. We move the main force by night and then attack at dawn using siege towers at both sides."

The men looked surprised again, but Godfrey shook his head.

"A good suggestion, but we won't have enough time. The sun will rise before we even get from here to there."

Jakob sighed in frustration.

The nobles, the self-proclaimed ruler and Jakob stood for a few more hours, trying to discuss different strategies and ideas. Still, no one could come up with something good enough.

"Maybe we will be blessed with knowledge after we return from the service at the mount of olives." sighed Godfrey massaging his right temple.

Jakob frowned as he surveyed the map.

"Wait, what did you just say?"

Godfrey looked confused at the boy.

"The service in the mount of olives?"

"Yes. When is that?" asked Jakob gesturing for Godfrey to continue.

"It's in two days. Father Quade is leading it, and we will have our final prayer there in the evening."

Jakob laughed in victory and leaned down at the table.

"That's it! We will gather there and perform the service. Then when night falls, half of the army will light two torches each and go back to the southern side." said Jakob excitedly, pointing to the south wall.

"The rest of us move in darkness to the northern side, and when sunrise commences, so does our attack."

The men all stared at him again and then towards their leader, making Jakob have a Déjà vu from last time, and Godfrey opened his arms and gave the muggle-hating wizard a hug.

"Superbe, you are truly sent from God!"

They stayed for a while more, having dinner sent into the tent. At the same time, they went over some possible strategies to easiest move the army there without the watchers on the wall noticing anything.

When the meeting was over, the different noblemen exited the tent as Jakob sat down and closed his eyes, feeling the day's tiredness beating on him. Godfrey had patted him on the shoulder before leaving, and Jakob breathed a sigh of relief. It could work, and then he would finally have his damned sand.

Suddenly a man walked inside carrying something heavy and walking towards the confused Quade heir.

"ils m'ont dit de t'aider avec ça." Spoke the armoured bearded man standing in front of Jakob and dropped the heavy armoury and white tunic with the red cross on the floor. Making The wizard's eyes widen in shock, and raising his hands.

"No. I'm not wearing that."

The man started talking to Jakob in frustration as he picked up the chainmail and pressed it on Jakob's chest, believing that the boy was an idiot.

"I will end you. I have done worse for less. No, get the fuck off me! That's it. You are getting cursed." Jakob, who had tried to push the mountain of a man away, was about to reach for his wand when another voice was heard.

"You are a part of this crusade now, son. It's time you look the part." Jakob watched the entrance, saw father Quade step inside, and nodded to the angry man, who gave a bow and left the tent.

Jakob sighed.

"This is your doing?"

The priest walked up to Jakob and hunched down, picking up the shirt made of metal rings.

"You will not be fighting in those clothes. You are going to be in the front with Godfrey, and God will at least be humbled by you showing him some respect."

Father Quade glanced around, then waved his cross on the armour, mumbling and then gave it to Jakob, who was surprised to feel that it was light. Almost like a hoodie.

"Is that cross your-"

"Connection to God? Yes, it is, and we will never speak of this again. Get dressed and meet me outside when you are done, son."

Jakob sighed as he watched the older man walk outside.

"Being teleported 1000 years back in time, and I still have a father that calls me son the same way." Mumbled the irritated boy as he took off the black dress that he had been gifted by Ravenclaw.

He began taking on the white striped-looking nightgown and looked at the hat with disdain.

"Nope. not wearing that."

Then he continued, taking on the leather tunic and tying the endless knots to keep in on.

When he was done with that, he took in the chainmail, the white tunic showing the red cross, and the white cloak sporting the same symbol on his back.

The fit was perfect, and he moved around in it, taking in the feeling of the armour as it was his first time having something like this on himself.

"Everything for a chance of finding the sand." sighed Jakob and walked over to his bag, putting down the black dress and taking up the sword he had been gifted by Gryffindor, tying the hilt to his belt.

When he walked out of the tent, Geoffrey turned at looked at him, impressed.

"The colour of light fits you. And you fill out the armour Nicely. It would surely have been a shame if you looked like a walking stick." chuckled the priest as he began walking out from camp with the Quade heir beside him.

"Where are we going?" Asked Jakob interested.

"They say you are smarter than 10 grown men. Refrain from doing something so obvious to show them wrong. I told you we would meet your companions earlier and am a man of my word."

Jakob looked straight forward towards the follower camp and then down at his armour.

"You did this on purpose. You think this will make them start believing in your God. which in turn will turn me too." deadpanned Jakob.

The priest chuckled, seeing that Jakob had called his little stunt.

"You know what, you might be smarter than five of them."

Jakob looked unamused.

"What actually says that your God is different from the other ones? Someone told me that the old gods were just demons hiding and adapting to our world."

Geoffrey stopped and gave Jakob a serious stare.

"You are correct in your assumptions of the older gods. They have many faces and bring cloaked gifts to those who worship them. The difference between them and the true God is very simple. Can you guess what that is?" Jakob frowned and shook his head.

"Then we will start our first lesson now. What is it that demons crave more than everything else?"

"souls?" answered Jakob in the form of a question.

The priest nodded.

"Good. Now tell me, how would a demon go around and receive as many souls as possible and do as little work as possible?"

Jakob thought momentarily as they walked on the hard, cracked desert ground. He looked over at the lit torches as nightfall had arrived, and then he answered.

"Sacrifices."

"Maybe six full-grown men." mused the priest giving him an approving smile.

"So, knowing this, it's hard for someone like you and me to have faith in any god, correct?"

Jakob nodded, focusing fully on the priest as they walked forwards, his sword and armour making a dull sound every time he took a step.

"So what would the true god have to prove to us to not be discarded as another demon?"

"that he didn't require any sacrifices."

Geoffrey clapped his hands once.

"Exactly, son! You are sure as smart as seven grown men."

Jakob gave a quick smile in appreciation but then looked deep in thought. The priest waited for a moment before saying.

"Let me guess, you are wondering what the catch is?"

Jakob turned to the man, surprised, which made father Quade chuckle.

"I have asked that question myself once. A god with no hidden agenda? That only wants us to have faith and repent for our sins?"

The priest shook his head, still smiling.

"But you see, son. That is harder than taking any life. To still have faith when your prayers aren't answered, when a loved one is needlessly killed or when you are tempted by other powers. To still stand strong and believe in Jesus and God is what he truly wants."

"He wants endless loyalty?" questioned Jakob.

"It's hard to describe what fate is like. You might believe it's loyalty, love and devotion, but It's more than that. It's like describing a colour to a man who had been blind his whole life."

Jakob frowned.

"You are pretty good at talking, father, but I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. We might have the same enemy, but I will never kneel before anyone. Not to God and not to this man you call Jesus. To rely on someone or something for safety is the reason the demons have such control over humanity. It's a weakness."

"I won't expect you to turn to our saviour in a day, son. You might not ever, but understanding is always a great source of power. But know this. There is no sin that God won't forgive. Faith is the light that guides you through the darkness.

Jakob frowned at the last sentence, hearing the priest talking about darkness. Did he know something that he shouldn't?

The Slytherin boy observed but couldn't detect any emotions on the priest's face. Instead of asking more, he turned his eyes forward, seeing the follower's camp closing in and two girls with their backs turned towards him.

Jakob smiled as he recognised the red-haired and dark-haired girl sitting in front of a fire together with four other women, eating and laughing.

The two Quade's walked up, and when Jakob closed in, the other four women looked wide-eyed at Jakob and the priest beside him.

Pansy and Ivy looked confused at the sudden stop of chatter and turned around. Ivy and Pansy wore a mixture of curious shock, seeing the knight that looked like the spitting image of Jakob.

"You are alright and behaving. That is a plus." Chuckled Jakob, but as he spoke the words, the understanding that it was truly him embraced the two. Ivy, who had stared at him with an open mouth and a small blush, dropped her bowl of stew.

"Shit." whispered the redhead, hurriedly picking up her bowl as the other females giggled at the obvious crush she was showing.

Pansy stood up quickly, ignoring the mess Ivy had made and walked over to him, observing the armour and a small blush exactly like the redheads crept up her face.

"You look…nice." Jakob gave her an amused glance, and the priest beside him cleared his throat.

"Right. Um, Ivy, Ivy, forget about the bowl and come here," said Jakob trying to hold his laugh as he saw the embarrassed girl standing up and walking over to them.

"I believe that you have met my relative father, Quade?" The two girls glanced over at the wizard priest, giving him a slight bow.

"Um. Yeh, he has been keeping an eye on us, helping us a lot," answered Ivy, giving the older man a smile.

"You two ladies have been of great aid here. Without you, I'm sure half our wounded would have perished." replies the priest making Jakob look at the two in surprise.

"You have helped them?" then giving Pansy a confused glance. And continued.

"You both helped the… men?" Pansy nodded.

"We do what we can to help." She said knowingly to Jakob.

"Good job, you two. That makes one less thing to think about." Ivy noticed the relieved expression on Jakob's face and thought of the things Pansy had told her before.

"What have you been doing? We haven't heard a word about you since we arrived, "The redhead continued with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Nothing much. Just given some aid to Godfrey about.-"

"Nothing much?" interrupted the priest, giving Jakob a raised eyebrow.

The boy in armour sighed, turning towards him.

"Right now, I have only given some aid in the strategic plans for the coming assault. In three days, we will actually see if it works or not. Until then, I have done nothing much, like I said before."

Father Quade conceded and didn't press the issue further.

"Can you manage two more days here?" asked Jakob, turning to the two girls.

Pansy and Ivy glanced at each other, knowing these two days would be demanding.

They both turned back to Jakob, who observed the two and together, they nodded.

He gave them a slight smile, observed the state of the clothes they were wearing, and looked at Ivy.

"First time being in a place like this can break someone."

The redhead smiled reassuringly at the worried look Jakob gave her.

"I won't, and even if I wanted, Pansy wouldn't let me. We are fine. I promise."

Jakob nodded and took a step closer, pulling them into a hug.

"If you feel any danger or sense that something isn't right, I am in the royal tent. Leave everything and run to me. Don't nod or give any confirmation that I said anything. Just remember and act." whispered the boy and released them.

"Quade, we need to return. You will see them again when the crusade is finished."

Jakob gave the two girls a nod and turned, walking away with the priest beside him. The two girls watched them leave the light from the fireplace and slowly disappear into the night.

When they turned and sat down by the fire again, the other woman gave them knowingly smiles, and one younger girl even giggled.

"un chevalier en armure brillante." said a blonde older woman giving the two girls a wink. Pansy rolled her eyes as she began eating again.

"What did she say?" asked Ivy looking between the blonde and Pansy.

"She called him a knight in shining armour." snorted pansy into her bowl, trying to cover her blush.

Ivy stared into the fire, still having red cheeks and mouthed discreetly.

"Yeh, he is."

The morning after, Jakob ate breakfast with the other knights in one of the tents he had been led to by Godfrey himself. Making the men inside it take notice of the young teenager.

He sat right now, ignoring the man in Infront of him, who seemed to be in a particularly chatty mood and focused on eating his yoghurt, boiled egg and porridge. When he was done, he walked out into the blistering sun and felt the warmth digging into his body without wearing his charmed clothes.

The Slytherin boy stretched his body and was preparing for his morning run when he was stopped by a voice behind him.

"You are not running in this weather and not with the Jerusalems might watching you. They will use you as a practice target."

Jakob closed his eyes, wishing he could cast one little curse on his ancestor. But instead, he turned around, putting on his charming smile.

"We will start our second class today. As you did so well last night."

Jakob thought for a moment and shrugged. He could have been made to do worse things and followed Father Quade into a tent, having a cross at the top of it.

When the priest and the dark wizard entered the holy tent, the latter looked around. There wasn't much to speak of.

The priest owned a bed that didn't look so comfortable and a closed chest. There was a chamber pot under the bed and a tray with water standing on a stool beside the bed. There was a desk to his left, together with a chair.

Jakob would have been impressed if it wasn't for one thing. On the priest's bed lay a book.

One that Jakob looked very interesting to Jakob.

The cover was black, cracked leather with the inscription.

Clavicula Salomonis.

The priest picked up the book and gestured for Jakob to sit on the chair while he opened the text.

"Do you recognise this book?" asked the older to the younger, who shook his head, wearing a small frown.

"This is a very special book. The man who wrote it was a king and a powerful one. His name was Solomon, and he built the first church in the holy city. This."

Said Geoffrey, patting the book.

"Is his grimoire, the key of Solomon that he made to his son. But God seemed to have other plans for it. And now it rests with me."

Jakob looked very intrigued by Geoffrey's words.

"You will be studying this under my supervision. Solomon was great, but greatness doesn't always mean good." the older wizard gave Jakob a meaningful look.

"There are five different segments. We don't have enough time to go through them all, so we will begin with learning about who God is. Then we will continue with the creation of everything and the new testament before moving over to the 72 Demons that rule hell."

"Wait, did you say 72? Are there only 72 demons in hell? Would that even-"

"Don't interrupt your teacher, son. Take out your hands."

Jakob frowned in confusion and showed his hands to the priest.

"Turn them so that the palm faces the table."

The Slytherin had no idea what was going on, but the priest had knowledge that he needed, so he did what he was told.

Geoffrey pulled out a long thin stick from his robes and slammed it on Jakob's fingers with such force that Jakob yelled in both surprise, pain and anger.

He looked down at the red line and gave the priest a mixture of a smirk and a hateful glare.

"Oh, you are a dead man walking alright." said the boy, slowly standing up, preparing to make the priest suffer before killing him.

The brown-clothed father didn't seem fazed at all by Jakob's threat.

"You won't hurt me, son. But you need discipline. I can tell your former teacher hasn't taught you this, so I will take up that responsibility. You will do as I say, and to start, you will sit down."

"You think your God is going to save you? No one will be able to look at you when I'm done."

Geoffrey tilted his head towards the boy and tilted his head, wearing a smirk. Jakob glanced down at the book and understood why the priest wasn't scared, dawning upon his crestfallen face.

"What the hell is that?" asked Jakob almost sadly, knowing he wouldn't get to injure the man even slightly.

"It's Hebrew, and not many can read it. This is why you won't hurt me, and you will receive two more slaps for those threats."

Jakob glared at the man and slowly took out his hands while sitting on his chair again.

The priest raised his stick and struck twice more, only receiving two grunts from the boy this time.

"More threats, or are we going to begin the lesson?"

Jakob closed his red fists that had a small stream of blood droplets showing and nodded.

" If you have any questions, you will raise your hand. Now let's begin from the start. In the beginning, there was only darkness. Then God said, let there be light…." the priest continued telling Jakob about the creator and how he created the world and the angels. He told him about Lucifer Morningstar, the first who had rebelled.

Jakob actually thought that Lucifer was right in rebelling. Why would an angel bow down to a man? It was as crazy as if magical bowing down to muggles. He, however, kept those thoughts to himself as Geoffrey continued.

" When Lucifer was cast out and down into hell, he became the first archdemon. The ruler. But he'll is large, and the demons too large in numbers for one angel to keep in check. But with Lucifer fell 72 other angels. They are known as the Ars Goetia or the 72 pillars."

Jakob listened with attention. Not even the ancient rune professor could ever invoke.

" These 72 pillars are the strongest hell has to offer, and king Solomon witnessed them all and wrote them down, creating this book. They have all different abilities and vary in strength. The ranks go from counts, dukes, presidents, princes to even kings."

Jakob raised his hand, and the priest gestured for him to speak.

" what is Lucifer if there are already kings?"

" The first of the fallen. The most evil of them all is an Emporer. Everyone answers to him, but Morningstar has given the 72 pillars the control of the residing demons in the form of legions. He trusts his brothers and sisters fully to carry out his will."

Geoffrey sat down in his bed, looking amused at the boy's thoughtful expression.

" You might be wondering why the Emporer isn't more involved." Jakob nodded, trying to figure out the answer, but then gave in and gestured for Father Quade to continue.

" Satan has his own ambition and is very cunning." Jakob cringed a bit, hearing those two words in the same sentence. Seeing too many similarities between the two.

" His ambition was never to rule hell. He was cast out from his home into another world by his father, whom he loved dearly. And for what? Not obeying orders? Not bowing to those lesser than himself? He wants two things."

The priest put up a finger.

" he wants to return home and be with his father, brothers and sisters again."

Geoffrey put up a second finger.

" And he wants to take revenge on the reason that he was cast out. So he left the ruling to his siblings, only interfering when something major happened. Other than that, he planned and schemes to find a way back home."

That day Jakob learned everything about the Emporer of hell and the birth and death of Jesus Christ. They had to stop for a while because of Jakob's confusion about the Trinity.

" So you are telling me that he is God's son but also God himself? And what do you even mean by holy spirit? Aren't spirits evil?"

Even the usually calm priest had to drag his hand through his hair multiple times in frustration as the boy found another question that birthed a new explanation.

In the end, Jakob said he understood, but the priest had his doubts.

The two ate dinner and were done with the background story when night fell. Jakob assured he would be back in the morning so they could start as early as possible on the information in the book.

Geoffrey had ensured that they would have more time after the siege. Still, the time traveller insisted as there was no insurance that they would even get to say goodbye after he had collected the sand. When morning arrived, Jakob stood outside the priest's tent with breakfast. Ready to learn more.

Geoffrey, who was walking out to take his morning piss in peace, jumped as he saw the boy standing there with a charming smile and breakfast in hand.

" Go inside and wait for me." sighed the priest, feeling that his age was maybe catching up to him.

They continued the second day by going through the different demons. Jakob listened and tried to put everyone to memory.

He was impressed by some, though when he heard one of them, he frowned.

.

" Baal seems very similar to a Norse god I heard about. His name was-"

" Thor? The God of thunder. Yes, that would be him. He is also Zeus, the God of lightning by the Greeks, and now you see it."

Geoffrey leaned back with a victorious smile as Jakob let that information sink in.

" So some of them are already here? Isn't Baal a king? How did he escape?" asked Jakob baffled. Centuries of people had sacrificed in different parts of the world to this archdemon. Thinking they would join him in the various heavens, he made them believe. Instead, they were all damned for eternity to hell.

The father shrugged.

" There are no records of how some of them have been summoned, but it's simple to summon a lesser demon. It gets, however, harder the stronger the demon gets. Summoning a king would require a sacrifice so large that an entire city needed to be killed. But this only theories, backed up by the church, of course."

They continued on. They went through the different demons, and when dinner was served, They continued while eating, something the Quade priest hadn't done since he was a scholar himself.

When their dinner was finished, Jakob had learned about the 72 Pillars putting them all to memory.

" Now, let's get to the good part." smiled the priest.

" To understand how to defeat a demon, you first need to understand what evil is. There are different kinds of powers in this world we live in. Non-magical can't use any. However, they can borrow magic from us, such as blessed or cursed objects. They can wield a sacred sword, but when the charm is drained, they will be unable to renew it.

Jakob had knowledge of this. One certain Modesty had done exactly this with the cursed book in Salem.

Father Quade held up his left, almost like he held something he wanted to show Jakob.

" There is light. Light is pure and good and lives in us all. But then there is dark."

Jakob listened extra carefully as the priest held up his right hand.

" The darkness is the light's natural enemy but also an ally. Where there is light, there is also darkness, and so forth." Demons, however, are not made from either light or dark. They are made from what Christians at least call evil. The fourth power we call simply magic."

Jakob frowned at this and raised his hand.

" So you are telling me that Darkness has nothing to do with demons?"

The priest nodded his head.

Demons that were already in hell have their own power. They might not call it evil, but that's the only word we have to describe their unnatural powers."

Geoffrey sighed as he saw the confusion on the boy's face.

" Demons are not light or dark. They are evil. The 72 pillars are light that has fallen to evil." Jakob squinted his eyes, trying to understand this one as the older man continued, talking slower.

The 72 pillars act and controls the rest of the evil demons. But they are, in the beginning, made from light. Light that has been infected and twisted by evil but Ligh nonetheless.

"So how do I destroy them? Both the Demons and the 72 pillars?"

Geoffrey leaned in, showing excitement over the next thing he was about to tell Jakob.

"To kill the flesh and cast one of the 72 pillars down back into hell, you can use any sort of mean you see fit if you get lucky enough. But to destroy them and ensure they never return, you must use the power opposite their core."

Jakob thought for a moment, and then his eyes widened.

"Darkness?"

The man smiled and let out a sigh as the boy finally understood.

"Yes, Darkness is what can destroy them. If you want the same result on the demons, you must use the opposite of evil."

"Good?" asked Jakob, confused. Geoffrey laughed.

"That would be the day. No, son, the power opposite to evil is magic. But know this. as you wield the very thing to destroy them, they also wield the same weapon towards you."

" But if I die, what would be the difference between getting stabbed by a sword or this evil you speak of?"

"You have a soul, don't you? Evil will make sure that your soul won't reach the afterlife."

Jakob thought for a moment, thinking about the gift Morgan had once received from a demon. It made no sense.

" But why would the 72 pillars wield the power that could destroy them? Why even show everyone that it even exists?" asked an even more confused Jakob.

The wise man chuckled, looking at Jakob, remembering himself asking that same question when he was younger.

" That is Morningstar's doing. He is the master of cunning and deceit. He has shown this kind of behaviour before. Tell me if you knew of a weapon so mighty and strong that only that particular weapon could end your life. What would you do so that your enemies never found out it was your weakness?"

Jakob's eyes widened, and a smile grew on his lips.

" I would make them all think it couldn't hurt me and use it as my own." the priest nodded satisfactorily.

" They can wield it and even gift it to some. But they don't tell you that it's the only thing that could also destroy them."

A frown appeared on Jakob's face.

" But what is darkness? I mean, light has angels and other stuff. Evil has demons. Magic has us, but what does darkness have?"

Geoffrey raised his shoulder. Tilting his head a little.

" Nothing is known about the darkness yet. Only that it exists in us all and can grow if we don't cleanse ourselves, but other than that, information on the subject is very limited."

Geoffrey yawned, stretched after their intense class, and looked out through a window flap in the tent, seeing that nightfall had arrived long ago.

" This concludes our study. We will continue our studies if you survive the siege the day after tomorrow, but I believe you have a good view of the subject.

Jakob frowned, feeling a bit disappointed over the fact that this study had come to an end.

They said their goodbyes, and Jakob took a stroll, trying to comprehend everything he had learned.

" So I can destroy the 72 pillars and the demons because of my darkness and magic. I wonder what else I need to know about them. I didn't get any information about the orange-eye demon that Morgan summoned. I need to learn more about this. And the older Gods are Demons?

The Slytherin boy walked around alone in the camp, not caring about the chatter and laughter by the fires or the army behind Jerusalems walls. He only thought about this new puzzle peace he had found and tried to insert it into every question he had ever had.

When the last day for preparation arrived, Jakob stood inside the tent with the other men around the table. They had gone over the exact strategy and how their attack inside the city would proceed.

When evening fell, Jakob stood on the mount of olives together with the rest of the army. He was placed near the nobles and Godfrey as their long parade had just finished. He listened to the prayers of Father Quade. He saw the way people were kneeling and almost frantically praying in fascination.

"Not even Tom could make his followers this loyal," whispered Jakob as the 20 000 soldiers prayed for the siege to be victorious.

When the ceremony was finished, Raymond took command of a third of the army and began their long walk back towards the southern part of the wall, ensuring that all the soldiers carried more torches to not raise any suspicion.

Jakob and Godfrey took the main force with the rest of the nobles and began their quiet and dark wander towards the northern wall. The final assault would commence in only a few hours when they had arrived at the designated spot. The army tried to get some rest before the sun shone, but even Jakob was too excited to get a shut eye. This would be something he had never done before, and he couldn't wait to get inside the city walls.

When sunrise arrived, the army and the siege tower stood ready.

Jakob was seated on a horse for the first time, feeling comfortable enough, staring at the walls ahead. The bell of war had begun, and he could hear different shouts in a language he had never heard before.

" Are you ready, Quade? If this assault succeeds, you will be rewarded for aiding the rightful ruler of the kingdom of Jerusalem," said Godfrey. Placed on a white horse with a crown on his head, he stared back and gave Jakob a feral smile.

Jakob looked around and saw the soldiers around him. They looked almost like animals. They were bloodthirsty, and a fire in their eyes made his blood pump harder in his veins. The adrenaline started pumping through his body as he watched the army of killing machines, and it was surely something to behold. Jakob turned back with his own unnatural smirk giving the nod. Godfrey turned his head towards the Jerusalem wall and drew his sword, Holding it up into the air.

" Today, we take the holy city! Today we write history! Today we show the world the might of the crusade! Deus vult!" Roared the crowned king.

"Deus vult!" roared the sea of red-crossed soldiers as their assault began.