Angels
One of the things Lothric looked forward to each day now, was a report from Gotthard. Apparently, though they were making substantial progress winding through the underground labyrinth, they finally had a lead on the location of the Demon Prince. It seemed the closer they got, the more cave collapses they ran into, wasting time as they either had to clear out the cave in or scout out an alternate path.
Lothric had been spending the last several weeks handling the reactions to the news of Knight General Godwyn's tragic death ever since his corpse was sent back to Lothric. Standard procedure was to return the corpse to the flame to avoid the undead curse, which Emma and her priests were handling. His father was still refusing to leave his studies to attend to matters of the kingdom, only this time, since the matter was urgent enough - they needed to replace one of the Three Pillars after all - King Oceiros was forced to officially declare Lothric as the ruling authority in his stead. The declaration didn't impact much on a day to day level, but it did remove several of the more serious obstacles. Moving forward he would be able to circumvent the Three Pillars if the matter was serious enough.
Thankfully, the knights did not seem to be too hindered by the change in leadership. From what he had been able to gather, the knights still within the kingdom were continuing to receive their orders from Knight Commanders Estrid and Oswin while those in the tunnels were now receiving their orders from Lorian. There were of course pockets of dissenters crying foul play, but they were dismissed by the majority who had held no love or respect for the man. There were also the wounded who had already returned from the border and had seen Lorian, Gotthard, and Godwyn fighting alongside one another for the majority of the campaign.
Lothric was lying in his bed reading through the various letters he had received over the past few days when the door to his room opened without a knock first. He didn't bother glancing up from the letter in hand when Kamui entered, instead only dryly asking, "What news?"
"It's Gertrude. Something strange has happened to her."
He set down the letter and sat up, ignoring how light headed and dizzy it made him feel. "What do you mean?"
"Albert is with her now, I'll take you to them."
Kamui offered his hand to assist Lothric which he gratefully accepted and moved off the bed, slowly following the hunter through the halls, though with great effort. It was the most he had moved in weeks - Lothric hadn't realized until now just how quickly his condition had been deteriorating.
When they reached her, the first thing Lothric noticed was her eyes. She was sitting on the floor, furiously scrawling words on paper, but her eyes were blankly staring straight ahead with blood streaming from the corners. Albert was standing over her, a collection of papers in hand that were covered in the same fevered handwriting as the sheet Gertrude was currently writing on.
"Gertrude?" Lothric asked as he knelt down beside her. She paused her writing, setting down the piece of charcoal she was using to write with and reached for him. Her hands grabbed his shoulders, dragging him into a hug where she held him for several moments before pulling back and sliding her hands over his face and smiling. He ignored the fact that she was getting charcoal all over his face as he stared at her and asked, "what are you doing?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She let go of him, tapping her throat and shaking her head - somehow she had lost her voice he realized. Was it also from whatever had caused her to go blind? Gertrude stood, shuffling forward and reaching out until she found Albert. In a swift motion, she snatched the papers from his hands and thrust them towards where Lothric was still kneeling. He took them from her and began looking through them.
The writing was fanatical and largely incomprehensible; the little he was able to make out spoke of angels and light, but not the light of the First Flame. Lothric flipped through the other pages, trying to make sense of any of it, but to no avail.
In front of him, Gertrude was practically beaming when he placed the papers back in her hands. She shuffled them back into a stack and set them on the ground before kneeling and feeling around for her chimes. Once she had them in her hand, she closed her eyes, raising them up. They began to glow, as they usually did when someone was channeling a miracle through it, but this time the light was far brighter and more intense than anything Lothric had seen before. Around them, feathers began to float down after appearing out of thin air and the air around them practically hummed. The feeling disappeared for a moment before several pillars of white light flooded down around them, the intensity of which forced Lothric to cover his eyes. The pillars remained as they emitted a sound of chimes before slowly dissipating.
Lothric looked towards the ceiling as the light faded and saw that where the light had appeared from, the ceiling was completely destroyed. They were on the ground floor of several stories, but Lothric was now able to see straight up to the sky. The power Gertrude displayed was both terrifying and incredible.
"What is this power?" Lothric asked.
Gertrude grabbed his hand, holding his palm flat as she traced the letters on his hand, over and over and over again.
Angels.
"What are angels?"
She opened her mouth to try and speak only to be reminded that she didn't have the ability anymore. Gertrude let go of his hand and reached for her papers again. Lothric found an empty page in her pile and handed it to her where she began to scrawl nearly illegible. She passed him the paper when she was done writing, holding the rest of the pages closely to her chest. It was borderline illegible, as with everything she had written, letters overlapping one another, but Lothric was able to read it.
The angel said they will save us all, it told me of how it will bring new light once the light of the First Flame is extinguished.
You don't need to die.
They will save you.
We will all be saved.
Lothric placed the paper in his robes and turned to Albert and Kamui. "Place her in her room, bring her all the paper and charcoal she desires. Do not let anyone enter. Do not speak to anyone about this."
They each bowed and placed a hand on each of Gertrude's shoulders, leading her down the hall. She twisted in their grasp trying to turn back to Lothric, her hand outstretched. Lothric did his best to ignore the look of desperation on her face as he watched her until she was out of sight. He placed a hand over his robe where the paper was, before turning around and making his way back to his room.
This was the last thing that Lothric needed at the moment. He wasn't sure what Gertrude meant by angels, or any of what she said, but regardless of whether or not it was all delusions there was no denying that the power she had shown was quite real and very powerful.
It was also heretical.
While he and Gertrude had always shared their disillusionment with the nature of the First Flame, her complete dismissal of it in favor of these 'angels' was far beyond the line they had previously drawn. If his father was to find out about her beliefs…
Lothric steadied himself as he walked, running his hand along the wall as he went. He couldn't be worried about the possibility of the consequences of Gertrude's condition now. Lothric just needed to focus on what he could control; he needed to keep Gertrude in her room, he needed to keep the pressure on the demon campaign, he needed to take care of Wulfred, and so much more.
Lothric cursed, leaning heavily against the wall and closed his eyes. Everything was spinning as he struggled to catch his breath. Each breath was becoming a struggle as Lothric fought to take in air. His ears began to ring as his knees buckled beneath him and he collapsed to the ground.
The world went black.
x
"What happened?" Lothric could barely make out the voice of Emma. Her voice sounded so very far away.
"I don't know," someone else replied. "Dunnere came across Prince Lothric during his rounds. He said Prince Lothric had already collapsed on the ground when he found him."
Who was that speaking? Lothric tried to open his eyes only to find he couldn't move at all. But he was so hot. His veins felt as though they were burning.
"Is he all right?"
"Not at all. He was always prone to illnesses growing up, but I've never seen him in a state like this before."
Ah. It was Master Aelfric. That's why his voice was so familiar.
"You must help him."
Something grabbed his leg and Lothric burned. The world went black again.
x
He drifted in and out of consciousness with no concept of time.
x
Lothric awoke, tears streaming from his eyes. He couldn't feel his arms. He couldn't feel his legs.
"Gods above," he heard Master Aelfric mutter. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"What's happening to him?" Emma's voice.
"The bones in his arms and legs are… splintering? But that can't be right." Something pressed into his leg and Lothric's world became inconceivable pain and he could do nothing but scream.
He screamed until his throat was raw and darkness took over once more.
x
Each time he awoke was pure agony.
Lothric felt the cool press of a hand on his chest, but all he could see when he opened his eyes was a blinding white light and the vague shape of a woman. His chest started warming as he closed his eyes again, embracing the relaxing feeling spreading through his limbs.
He could feel his hands again, Lothric realized and curled his fingers. He opened his eyes again, only this time he was able to see the woman. She was sitting on the edge of his bed with a thin bandage wrapped around her head, covering her eyes, and auburn hair framing her face.
He opened his mouth to speak, only to stop when he felt his throat burn at the effort.
She placed a finger to her lips before placing a hand over his eyes where he succumbed to sleep again.
x
When he finally awoke and was able to open his eyes, Lothric was met with the sight of Emma sitting beside his bed running her fingers over her ring that signified her role as High Priestess. Her eyes were shut as she murmured quietly to herself.
"Emma?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
She jumped. "Prince Lothric, how are you feeling?"
"Like death might be a kindness." He struggled to sit up, leaning heavily against the headboard on the bed. "How long?"
"Nearly a month, dear." She ran the back of her hand across his forehead. "I'm afraid your condition placed us in a difficult position with all that was, and still is, happening."
Lothric used his elbow to prop himself up into a sitting position, slapping away Emma's hand with his other hand. "What do you mean? What is happening?"
"It's Lady Gertrude," she lowered her voice, "the poor dear has gone quite mad. She's lost both her sight and her voice, but somehow a portion of the kingdom has deluded themselves into believing her something, I-I don't know? Holy? One of her followers said they saw her heal you. That through her, 'angels' healed you."
A woman surrounded by white light, pressing a finger to her lips.
"Where is she now?"
Emma pursed her lips and said nothing.
"Emma!" he hissed with as much bitterness as he could manage, "where is she?"
"King Oceiros demanded she be found and brought to the Grand Archives. As of yet, no one has been able to find her. We believe that she was helped by several members of the staff who believe in her heresy."
So she was still safe. For now. What of the papers with her writings? Lothric frowned and moved to get out of his bed. Emma placed an arm under his, helping him up. "Does this mean Father has returned?"
"In a sense. He has returned to Lothric, but remains sealed in the Grand Archives. He appointed Wulfred to act in his stead until you stabilized." She hesitated, "Wulfred demanded that all troops who were acting in support of your brother's campaign return immediately."
"What of Lorian?"
"No word yet."
"Wynfrith? Gotthard?"
"Gotthard returned a few days ago; I can bring him to you if you would like."
Lothric struggled his way to his feet, fighting the wave of dizziness that washed over him. "Have him meet me in my study."
"Prince Lothric, you should remain here and rest, it's far too soon! Allow me to fetch Master Aelfric-"
Lothric shook his head. "I will be fine."
Emma was about to say something in rebuttal, but instead bowed and left the room.
Lothric took a moment to collect himself before teleporting himself to his study. He didn't trust his ability to walk in his current condition, and though his teleportation sorcery drained him, it was likely the safer option.
Piled on his desk were numerous letters each of which had been opened and read before being re-sealed. It was standard procedure when anyone of importance was temporarily indisposed. Lothric sat down and started flipping through them. Most were the standard updates he received. Several letters from Gotthard outlining their progress that abruptly stopped after the third letter. There were several from the Cathedral of the Deep. Apparently word of Gertrude's angels had reached the Deacons who were furious.
After a short while there was a knock on the door as Gotthard announced his presence before entering. He bowed, "I'm glad to see you well, Prince Lothric."
"If one could call my condition well." Lothric motioned for the man to sit down across from him. "What news from the campaign?"
"As I'm sure you've heard by now, Head Scholar Wulfred called for a cease to the campaign in your absence, and with a void for the Pillar of Knights along with the power granted to him by King Oceiros, we had no choice but to follow his orders. But we were close. Given a few more weeks, we could have finished the campaign. "
"What of Lorian?"
Gotthard leaned back in his chair. "Your brother remains on the Demon Prince's trail, along with Wynfrith at your command, as well as one of the priests per Lady Emma's orders."
"She disobeyed Wulfred's orders?"
"Not quite," Gotthard chuckled, "the way I understand it happened is Lady Emma convinced Wulfred that a single priest would be an acceptable risk if it means guaranteeing the return of Prince Lorian. He had no choice but to agree."
"How many were lost to the campaign?"
"Not as many as Godwyn had anticipated. The first strike utilizing the wyverns was pivotal in reducing their numbers, despite the fact that I still don't fully trust them. Overall, roughly nine score dead, the majority of whom were knights, including Knight General Godwyn. Among them were a handful of scouts and two priests. The scouts remain unaccounted for; lost in cave-ins I believe."
"More lost than I would have preferred, but understandable given the scope of the task." Lothric mindlessly traced his fingers along the edge of one of the letters. "Thank you, Gotthard, for assisting my brother."
"It was my honor, Prince Lothric. Your brother is a keen and terrifying warrior, but he also has a good sense for strategy. I would attribute most of the lives saved were thanks to him. He was the one who insisted that we should be involved in the first attack in the most vulnerable positions. And I was happy to assist in the other matter as well."
Gotthard reached into his robes and pulled something out, holding it out to Lothric who opened his hand and accepted the item - a ring. He ran a finger over the ring, admiring the design. The Pillar rings were a true marvel. While they primarily served to signify one's status as a Pillar, each ring had also been enchanted according to the Pillar signified.
"Why did Wulfred not try to force my brother to return?" Lothric asked.
"Oh believe me, he tried. He knew he could not outright order Prince Lorian, so he made sure his messenger stressed the urgency of your condition."
"And yet he is not here," Lothric noted.
"I believe he said 'so long as my brother still lives, I will continue the task he set me on,' or something to that effect." Gotthard said with a laugh, "You two have great faith that the other will live. I envy such faith."
Lothric said nothing in response; of course they had faith in each other. Lothric was fairly certain that should anything happen to Lorian that he would know the moment it happened. Undoubtedly Lorian felt the same.
"I heard about Gertrude. Would you like me to find her?"
Lothric looked at the man, wondering how much he could trust the man. Allowing him to assist in the assassination of Godwyn was one thing, but the situation with Gertrude was different. How could he be trusted to let her live if she continued to impact the state of the kingdom?
"No, I wish her to remain unharmed and unfound for as long as possible; so long as you do not have contrary orders from my father, that is."
"None as of this moment. King Oceiros has little use for me recently."
"Good. What I would like from you is a list of those who believe what Gertrude is saying, particularly the zealots. I want to know what they are doing, what their plans may be, and how it may impact the kingdom." Lothric leaned forward in his chair, "We are in a precarious position, Gotthard. Even the slightest upheaval could lead us to ruin. We can neither risk persecuting those who have been led astray nor allow them to grow to numbers beyond our control."
"I understand. I will vet the hunters assigned to this task myself and ensure they are trustworthy."
While Gotthard and his hunters could manage the situation and provide Lothric with all the information regarding the current state of affairs, it would not address the underlying issue of the claim that angels exist and hold the same reverence as the Gods and First Flame. Lothric understood this,and understood that even while he could not act directly, gathering information would be necessary to intervene in the future.
He would need Wulfred and Emma's expertise on such matters, loathe as he was to admit it. Particularly in his current state.
"Gotthard, please convene the Pillars. Bring them here, not to the usual meeting chambers. We are missing a Pillar regardless."
"As you wish."
Lothric resumed flipping through the letters while he waited for Gotthard to return. The majority were status reports from the villages - no good news, just as Lothric had feared. With the knights returned to the kingdom, they would be able to be dispatched to the usual patrol routes once more. One positive at least to come from Wulfred's decision to recall them from the campaign.
When he finally returned with Wulfred and Emma, Lothric was fighting a wave of lightheadedness which he hoped the others wouldn't notice.
"Prince Lothric, it is good to see you well." Wulfred said as he took a seat on the chair furthest from Lothric. "Your sudden illness along with the King's absence left us in quite the predicament, but it seems now that order has been restored."
Emma took the seat nearest to Lothric while Gotthard stood silently in the back of the room. Lothric knew it went without saying that what they had discussed earlier would not be addressed with Emma and Wulfred.
"It is my understanding the wyverns were a tremendous asset during the campaign, Wulfred. I take it you are pleased with the results?"
"Oh, indeed." Wulfred smiled. "Their work has given me new insight into what King Oceiros stumbled upon in regards to the connection between wyvern and rider. Should the opportunity ever present itself again, we could find a way to tame even the most powerful dragon-kin."
"And yet you called an end to the campaign."
"With Knight General Godwyn killed in action along with several scores of men, our losses were no longer worth the risk presented. It is wiser to regroup and collect ourselves before rekindling the campaign." He tilted his head to the side. "You will need to decide on Knight General Godwyn's replacement. Both Oswin and Estrid are well qualified and would allow for a smooth transition."
"I would like to confer with the knights directly once they return from the campaign before I make a decision." Lothric said evenly. While true, he and Wulfred both knew what his decision was and how that would reflect back upon him.
"Prince Lorian may not return. It would be wise of you to consider other options." Wulfred was certainly never afraid to be forthright with Lothric, no matter the subject.
"Regardless, that is not why I have asked you here today. We need to discuss Gertrude and her followers. As you are all aware, she has made claims that she has been visited by what she calls angels." Lothric steepled his fingers below his chin, "Have either of you heard of these angels before?"
"There have been no such recordings in any of the holy books I have encountered." Emma said. "But it cannot be denied that the power she has is very much real. Kamui informed me that the damage near where you collapsed was the result of a miracle she cast."
"It is."
"Did she describe these 'angels' at all?" Wulfred asked.
Lothric thought about it, "She wrote of their large humanoid shape and wings but nothing else regarding their description. She had a manifesto she had been writing - was it retrieved before she disappeared?"
"One of my hunters presented it to me upon my return." Gotthard reached into his robes and pulled out a sheaf of papers, the same papers she had been writing before Lothric had collapsed. He handed the pages to Wulfred who flipped through them, passing each one to Emma as he finished reading.
"Though much of this is unintelligible, there are a few phrases which she repeats and I can only assume hold some significance. She repeats the phrase 'The angel's power lies within' several times over the course of the passages."
"Within?" Emma frowned. "She also describes at one point 'man's power will be unleashed as the First Flame fades.' The way it is described reminds me of the texts from the Sable Church of Londo. They believe that the power of man is unleashed from their back as the First Flame fades, and so to combat their fate they wear large stone shells upon their backs to keep the power contained."
"The Pus of Man," Wulfred agreed, "yes they do have a similarity in beliefs."
"And we have seen the Pus of Man emerge before," Lothric said, remembering his father's experiment on the hollow. "Perhaps that is what she saw?"
"Unlikely," Wulfred disagreed, "she very clearly described the wings, and there has been nothing in the past to indicate that the Pus of Man is capable of granting miracles. I believe that whatever she saw is truly unique from the Pus of Man as we know it. It may be something entirely different or perhaps even some twisted evolution of the Pus of Man. It is likely that the miracle she learned would be able to provide some insight into the truth."
"Regardless of what she believes to be true or what these angels truly are, the fact that people are believing in these angels is a threat to the kingdom. It could not have happened at a worse time." Emma's voice darkened. "The time of rekindling the First Flame draws ever closer and now we must contend with these dissenters. They must be stopped."
"Escalation of the situation is not the answer, Emma," Lothric chastised. "Between the situation with my Father, Godwyn's death, the Demon Prince, Pontiff Sulyvahn, the Evangelists, and now this, I fear the people of the kingdom will turn on us at the slightest provocation. We must be strategic in how we handle this situation."
"We should contain this heresy at the source: capture Gertrude and allow me to examine her." Wulfred proposed. "If you allow me to have full access, I am confident I will be able to find the answers you seek."
Lothric looked across the room towards Gotthard. The Black Hand inclined his head, nearly imperceptible but it was enough. Lothric let his gaze fall on Emma and Wulfred for a few moments before he spoke. "You truly believe this is the best course of action?"
"Nip it in the bud before it can flourish, yes."
"Emma?" Lothric asked.
"I am inclined to agree with Head Scholar Wulfred."
"Gotthard?"
"I will assign my hunters to begin the search and will report as soon as anything is discovered." The answer was carefully crafted and Lothric was grateful he had had the chance to discuss this matter with the man beforehand.
Lothric nodded. "In addition to Gotthard's search, I believe we should take other measures. Emma, I would like you to begin holding ceremonies for the commoners in the cathedral. The commoners will likely respond better to your sermons than those of one of your priests. Wulfred, I will leave Gertrude's manuscript in your hands. Inform me if you find anything useful in its contents."
They both nodded.
"Then you are all dismissed. I have preparations to make."
"Prince Lothric, if you don't mind," Emma interrupted, "but I believe you should make a public appearance to show the people you are in fact in good health and have recovered."
"If they believed it was at Gertrude's hands, would that not have the opposite effect?" Lothric asked.
"Not if we handle the appearance correctly."
"What did you have in mind?"
Emma clasped her hands together, taking care to maintain eye contact with him. "I believe, since you have been given authority by King Oceiros to lead in his stead, we should hold a coronation."
"He is not King yet," Wulfred hissed.
"We don't need to have an official crowning. It will be symbolic. The people know King Oceiros remains the true King even in his absence. This is purely for Prince Lothric to make an appearance while also reminding the people of the importance of the First Flame."
"Very well." Lothric agreed. As much as he hated making such appearances, he knew this would be necessary. "As you say, this ceremony, even if symbolic, may be just what this kingdom needs to experience a moment of unity."
"Excellent! I will handle the details and organize the ceremony." Emma placed a hand on Lothric's shoulder. "Perhaps Prince Lorian will return in time to witness it."