Chapter 1: Awakening

In a dark land, in a dark castle, a dark figure sat upon a dark throne.

At long last, His battle was over. He alone stood triumphant. And all with the power to oppose Him had either submitted… or were dead.

But His work was far from over. Already, spies were at work gathering information in the human world, filling in gaps left behind as He had fought to secure His position.

And, He had His own matter He wished to see to. Of those who had acknowledged His right to rule, there were four with unmatched power: a lord of the undead, a lord of demons, a lord of beasts, and a father of unspeakable abominations. He had chosen these four to serve as His generals, to be the Black Hand that would strike the first blow against humanity.

A formidable array, to be sure. But He felt something was missing. He needed one final player: a traitor. One who would willingly reject their humanity and serve His will.

After all, what was a hand without five fingers?

Fortunately, His spies had assisted with this as well. All over the world, bait had been placed. Artifacts that would call to those with strong desires in their hearts, whispering sweet words, promising to give them everything they could ever want… so long as they pledged themselves to Him. From these servants, He would select His final general. As for the rest… they would serve their purpose.

The net had been cast. All He had to do now… was wait.

The young man awoke with a start.

The first thing he noticed was that he was lying down, on a hard, unforgiving surface. So he opened his eyes and climbed to his feet, to find himself in the middle of a road of hard dirt. The road stretched to meet the horizon both in front and behind him- on either side of him, golden waist-high grass swayed gently in the breeze. Above, the sun shone brightly in a vibrant blue sky unmarred by clouds.

The young man looked around, confusion welling within him. This place was unlike any he'd ever seen before- not a difficult feat, in fairness, but it was a far cry from the wooded trail that led away from his small village. And more worryingly, the young man couldn't seem to recall how he'd gotten here. The last thing he could remember was walking down the road, away from the village, and then…

The young man shook his head. Standing around confused wasn't going to get him anywhere. He was clearly standing on a road. So it must lead somewhere. So, the young man began to walk, following the road in front of him.

He walked.

And walked.

The young man walked for a long time. He wasn't quite sure how long. The sun stood motionless in the sky overhead, and there were no trees, no buildings, no crossroads… no landmarks of any kind. Not even a bend in the road. Nothing but endless fields of grass stretching as far as the eye could see. The young man felt as though he hadn't moved from the spot where he'd awoken. But as long as he kept moving forward, he would have to find something.

…right?

As soon as he thought this, the young man spotted something ahead, just barely rising over the horizon. The young man's pace quickened- as he neared, he saw that the object was a signpost, standing in the center of the road. There was no road past the sign; it ended in yet another grassy field. But that wasn't all. Leaning against the post was a figure, draped in a brown cloak, their face obscured by a hat with a wide brim. The young man's pace slowed to a wary creep as soon as he laid eyes on the figure.

The figure shifted as the young man approached, turning their gaze toward him. But it wasn't until he was a few paces away that the figure finally spoke, with a young woman's mirthful voice: "You sure know how to keep a girl waiting, don't you, Abel?"

Abel froze mid-step. "Wh… How do you know my name?" he stammered.

The stranger pushed herself away from the signpost. "Well I wouldn't be a very good messenger if I didn't know who I was supposed to deliver my message to." She lifted the brim of her hat, as if to get a better look at Abel- her face, still round with youth, was framed by dark brown hair pulled into tight curls. "...Though I suppose in this case, you're not the recipient- you're the package."

"What- package?" Abel asked. "What's that supposed to mean? And, where are we? Who are you?"

But the woman didn't answer. Rather, she reached into the pocket of her cloak, and retrieved what looked to be a small silver disc. She looked at it, and frowned. "Look," she began, with a serious expression. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but we're almost out of time, so I need you to listen to me carefully. When you wake up, you'll be in an abbey controlled by the Order. When you do, speak these words to the first person you meet. They'll understand what it means."

The woman then said three strange words, the likes of which Abel had never heard before.

Abel repeated the three words- they felt strange in his mouth, and saying them seemed to make his tongue tingle. He then stammered, "I… I don't understand."

The stranger stepped past Abel. "Sorry kid, but I've done my part. The rest is in your hands now." She gave a lazy wave as she walked down the road Abel had come, not even bothering to look back.

Abel turned, and began to follow the stranger. But after only a few steps, the ground beneath his feet crumbled away, and he plunged into a dark, impenetrable void.

For the second time, Abel awoke. But his second awakening was much more difficult than his first.

The first thing Abel became aware of was the familiar buzz of insects. The second thing he noticed was that he was lying on something… soft, almost indescribably so. If he was lying in a bed, it was undoubtedly the most comfortable bed he'd ever laid in.

Abel's third realization came about when he tried to sit up: he couldn't move. At all. He felt impossibly heavy, as if he were made of stone, and as hard as he strained, his body refused to cooperate. Even the previously simple act of opening his eyes proved a tremendous challenge. But open them he did, to be greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling hanging over him. He blinked a few times, slowly, to clear the blurriness from his vision, but he could see nothing but dusty rafters. His eyes may have been open, but the rest of his body was still paralyzed- he couldn't even turn his head to see the rest of the room.

Abel wasn't quite sure how long he laid there, staring up at that ceiling. But as he lay motionless, he became aware of a sound beneath the buzz of insects: the inhale and exhale of someone breathing. The sound was slow, and regular- whoever was in the room with him must have been asleep.

Over the next few minutes, Abel became reacquainted with his jaw, slowly working it open. He had no idea where he was, or how he'd gotten there, but if there was someone else with him, they might be able to answer that question. But he had to get their attention somehow. Once Abel had opened his jaw wide enough, he inhaled deeply, and called out as loudly as he could.

…Or at least, he tried to. Again, Abel's body refused to obey, and all that emerged from his throat was a faint, hoarse wheeze. Abel's efforts caused him to realize how incredibly thirsty he was. With this new incentive in mind, he inhaled, preparing to call out again.

But he needn't have bothered. There was a sound of shifting fabric, and a soft voice murmured, "…mmm… huh?" Then, something clattered to the floor, and a figure entered Abel's field of view.

It was… a girl. And a pretty one, at that. In an instant, Abel was mesmerized; he'd never met anyone with such brilliant blue eyes, or with such beautiful golden hair. "You're awake! Oh thank god!" she cried, before stepping back, out of his line of sight. Abel tried to respond, but the young woman cut him off. "I'll be back in just a moment! Don't try to move!" There was a flurry of footsteps, and the creak of a door opening; then, nothing but the buzzing of insects. All Abel could do was wait, musing that he couldn't move as much as he might have wanted to.

But he wouldn't be kept waiting for long. With another flurry of steps, the blonde girl returned to his side, a wooden cup in one hand. "Okay…" she breathed, looping her free hand under Abel's back. "I'm going to sit you up now. It might hurt a bit, but try to bear with it, alright?" She strained, mumbling, "Come on… up… you… go!" as she pulled Abel into a sitting position.

Abel finally found his voice. He cried out in agony as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt in his life flared up and down the left side of his body. He felt as if he were being burned and stabbed with knives all at once. So blinding was the pain that he barely felt the cup being pressed against his lips. But the young woman's words cut through the haze: "I know it hurts. Just drink this. It'll help numb the pain." Abel complied, his mouth filling with an overwhelmingly bitter taste. He forced himself to swallow the bitter liquid, and a warmth flowed down his throat and into the rest of his body, completely smothering the pain, just as the young woman said it would.

After a few swallows, the cup was drained. The young woman put her hands on Abel's shoulders and gently laid him down. "Th… th…" He tried to speak, but what little energy he had was completely spent, and he slipped into unconsciousness almost the moment his head touched his pillow.

When Abel awoke again, the room was bathed in a golden light. With a groan, he reached up to rub his eyes… then froze. He… he could move. Filled with a sudden urge to test the limit of his newfound autonomy, he willed himself to sit up. His side pulsed painfully, and he could swear he could hear his joints creak in protest, but in the end, his body obeyed, and Abel sat upright.

The room beyond Abel's bed was, in a word, plain. The cracked white plaster walls were bare, with only a single window set into it on his left, and a door on his right. Golden rays of sunlight streamed through the window, through which he could see a sea of green leaves. Also on the right, by his bedside, rested a sturdy-looking wooden chair- no doubt it was where the woman from earlier had been watching over him, but at the moment it stood unoccupied.

Speaking of the woman, where had she gone? And… where was he, exactly? She had been looking after him, so he assumed he was safe, but… at the very least, it couldn't hurt to have a look around. So he drew back the sheet covering him, only then noticing that someone had changed his clothes- he was clad in a white shirt and white trousers made from some soft fabric. Granted, his previous outfit likely wasn't in any shape to be worn, but… did that mean the girl had-

Abel shook his head. Best not to think about that now. He tried to swing his legs over the edge of the bed, but they were oddly unresponsive, as if they were made of wood. Undeterred, Abel moved them by hand, one at a time, until his feet were dangling over the side. Then, Abel stood.

But the moment his feet touched the floor, his knees buckled and he fell with a heavy thud. He gasped as pain flared across the entire left half of his body. He tried to rise, to put his legs under him, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't seem to stand- it was as if all the strength had been sapped out of him.

There was a loud creak, as if a door had just opened. "Oh my god!" In an instant, Abel was enveloped by something warm, as it lifted him to his feet. He tried to pull away, but he simply had no strength, and all he could do was let himself be picked up and sat back down on the bed. All the while, a gentle voice said to him, "It's alright, I've got you… I've got you…"

Once he was on the bed, Abel's helper stepped back. It was, of course, the young woman from earlier, but now that he could move freely, he could take in all her features in full. The woman standing before him, clad in robes of blue-and-white, was so… different from anyone he'd ever met before. Her hair was golden, trailing down her back, her skin pale and delicate-looking. Abel had seen her attire before- priests clad in those same robes sometimes came to his village, to give blessings, hear confessions, consecrate the dead, and… other priestly things. But what struck Abel the most… were her eyes. Bright blue. He couldn't stop staring.

She was only the second person Abel had ever met who had blue eyes. The first was himself.

Suddenly, the young woman reached out and lifted Abel's shirt. Abel was too stunned to so much as gasp in surprise as she stared intently at his stomach, before breathing a sigh of relief and sinking into the chair behind her. Then she locked eyes with Abel, glaring. "What were you doing!?" she suddenly said. "You aren't well enough to move around on your own yet! What if you'd reopened your wounds!?"

Abel flinched. "I- …I'm sorry…"

The woman's face instantly softened, and she looked away. "No… I'm the one who should apologize. I'm the one who asked to look after you. I shouldn't have left you alone the way I did. Anyway…" She turned back to Abel. "…How are you feeling? Do you need me to bring you more medicine?"

"I… I'm alright," Abel replied. In truth, his side was still pulsing with pain- it hurt just to breathe. But he was determined to not let his discomfort show. "What… where are we?"

"You're safe, don't worry. You're in Hokes. In the Abbey of Saint Katherine." The woman blinked, as if she'd suddenly remembered something. "Oh I'm terribly sorry, I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet! I'm Lailah. I'm a priestess here at the abbey. Well, I'm still just an apprentice, technically."

Hokes… Abel thought to himself. So I made it that far, at least. In truth, Abel had never set foot outside his village. All he knew of Hokes came from what he'd overheard from others: that it was the closest town to Seles, and that it was less than a day's travel away. Several moments passed before Abel realized the priestess- …that Lailah was staring at him expectantly. She must've been waiting for him to introduce himself. "I'm… Abel," he finally said. Lailah waited a few moments, but Abel said no more.

After an uncomfortably long pause, the priestess then asked, "So… what brought you to Hokes? Are you looking for work?"

Abel shook his head. "I'm just trying to make my way to Lohan."

"You must be from one of the outlying villages, then," she replied. Then she gasped. "I see now! You're a pilgrim, aren't you?" She smiled at Abel. "I think it's wonderful that someone your age is taking their duties to the Church so seriously." Lailah's smile was warm, and gentle; it was a smile that made his heart flutter, and his face burn. He had to turn away.

So the confusion didn't set in until the priestess asked, "So, will you be traveling straight to Apollonia, or will you be visiting other holy sites along the way?"

Abel turned back to Lailah, brow furrowed. "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

The priestess tilted her head, equally confused. "You… are making the pilgrimage to Lescatie, aren't you?"

Abel sat in a confused silence. He'd never heard the name before in his life. But before he could respond, the door to the room opened, and a woman stepped in. She was neither very young, nor very old, with brown hair that touched her shoulders and eyes like cold steel, her face set in a stern expression. She wore robes that were like Lailah's, but in black-and-white rather than blue-and-white. Her eyes instantly fell on Abel. "Hmm… you're awake then. Good. Then I don't need to waste any time."

Lailah quickly rose to her feet. "Er… Sister Superior!"

The woman didn't reply as she walked to the foot of Abel's bed. Rather, she pulled something out from within her robes and stuck it in her mouth- a pipe. There was a spark when she snapped her fingers over the end, and a small wisp of smoke began to rise from within. The woman breathed in, and after exhaling a cloud of thin smoke, she said, "First, I must apologize. I realize your condition is far from ideal, but I have a few questions I need to ask you."

"Sister Alexei-" Lailah began, before catching herself.,"…Sister Superior, can't this wait? Abel's only just woken up!"

The older priestess inhaled from her pipe deeply. "As his caretaker, I would hope that you of all people would understand the implications of his wounds. Now…" Her gaze turned to Abel. "...what exactly happened to you out there?"

Abel looked away. He'd been deliberately putting the thought out of his mind. But he couldn't deny the truth of what had happened any longer. So, he took a deep breath- wincing as pain flared in his side for a moment- and began recounting the events that took place after leaving his village.

The wind was cold as it whipped against Abel's face, penetrating his shirt like a thousand invisible needles of ice. He wished he thought to take a coat before setting out.

Leaving Seles in the middle of the night… wasn't the best idea, he admitted. But he had made up his mind. There would be less people about at this time, less people to try and stop him. All he could do was hope that by the time his master and the others realized he was gone, he would be far enough away that chasing him down would be more trouble than it was worth.

Abel had always dreamed of leaving. Of escaping Master Rachel, Zechariah, and everyone else, of escaping their harsh words and contemptuous gazes. He'd even managed to scrounge together a handful of copper pieces for this day. They probably wouldn't get him very far, but who would be so heartless as to turn away a young traveler trying to make his way in the world? Or so Abel hoped.

He shivered as he trudged quickly down the road, still wishing he had a coat, fearing that at any moment, a hand would grip his shoulder from behind and stop him in his tracks. The trees alongside the road formed eerie silhouettes in the darkness, and strange calls sounded from deeper within the forest. He quickened his pace even more. Abel had already been walking for quite some time- shouldn't have reached the nearest town by now?

"Hold it," a rough voice called. Abel froze. Had someone from Seles seen him and followed him? But then, the brush alongside the road ahead rustled, and a man stepped into the open- though it was dark, and he was some distance away, the man was not anyone Abel recognized. There was another rustling, and two more men stepped into the road behind Abel, cutting off any escape.

"This here's a toll road, I'm afraid," the man in front of Abel said. "Pay the toll and we let you pass. Don't, and… Well, you won't like what happens next."

Abel shivered, and not because of the cold. Ignorant of the world as he was, even he could see through the man's lie. They were obviously bandits. But what could he do? He had no weapon, and he was outnumbered. And trying to escape through the trees would likely only slow him down enough for the men to catch him. Abel silently cursed himself for what he was about to do, but it was the only realistic option he had.

Abel reached into his pocket, taking out the half-dozen pieces of copper there, and held out his arm, trembling. "H… Here…" he said weakly. It took nearly every ounce of effort within him to force out that one word.

The man snatched the money out of Abel's open hand. He quickly counted the copper pieces, before looking back to Abel, face darkening with rage. "What the hell is this?" he demanded.

Able flinched, stepping back. "I… I don't have any more," he stammered.

In an instant, the man threw the copper pieces aside and rushed towards Abel, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and lifting him off the ground with ease. "Do you think this is a game, boy!? Or do you think a man's life is worth so little!?"

"Please, I-I don't have any money!" Abel pleaded. "I'm just a poor traveler trying to make my way to Lohan, so…"

For a moment, the man held Abel's collar, his rancid breath washing over Abel's face. Then, one of the men behind Abel called out, "Hey Boss, I think this guy is one of those people tryin' ta go to the Holy See. Whaddya call 'em… uh, pilgrims!"

The man glared at Abel for several long moments. Then, he dropped Abel. "A pilgrim, at your age. How awfully pious of you." His voice carried a strange tone, as if not fully convinced by his underling's explanation.

With shaking legs, Abel rose to his feet. The man had turned slightly, hand on his chin, as though pondering something. Then his gaze returned to Abel once again.

He was smiling.

"You know… I think I can help you," the man said. He took a step forward.

Instinctively, Abel stepped back. Whatever "help" this man had in mind, the young man was certain he didn't want it. But before he could even begin planning an escape, the man said, "Hold him." The men behind them grabbed Abel by the arms, holding him firmly in place. He tried to break free, but the men may as well have been iron shackles.

"Instead of just going on a pilgrimage to earn the gods' favor…" The man slowly approached Abel, drawing a long dagger from his belt. Its blade seemed to glow in the darkness. The man's smile widened.

"…how about I send you to meet them?"

The room was silent for several long moments. "…I… don't remember what happened after that," Abel finally said.

That was a lie. If anything, Abel was shocked by how vividly he could recall what happened next. But the memory alone made his side ache terribly. He feared that if he were to recount the experience aloud, to put the memory into words, that the words would be enough to open his wounds anew.

He turned his gaze back to the priestesses. Lailah sat, as still as a statue, hands clamped over her mouth, eyes wide in horror. The older priestess smoked her pipe in silence, an unreadable expression on her face.

The priestess in black was the first to speak: "The men who attacked you… they were human? You're sure of that?"

"Y-Yeah…" Abel stammered, nodding.

The woman snuffed out her pipe, and rubbed her temple. "As if we didn't have enough to worry about…" she muttered before turning her attention back to Abel. "I'll need to pass on what you've told me to the town watch. Hokes should be safe from bandits, but the outer villages may be in danger, and the last thing we need are travelers being attacked on the roads." Her attention shifted to Lailah. "How are his wounds?"

Lailah jolted, as if suddenly awakened. "H-His wounds?" she stammered, before collecting herself. "They're… healing surprisingly quickly, all things considered. At this rate, he should be back on his feet in just a few days."

The older woman gave an approving nod. "I see. I'll leave his treatment to you then." And with that, the elder priestess left the room.

The sun had already risen when Abel woke up the next morning. His side flared with pain when he sat up to look around, but it was neither as intense as the day before, nor did it spread as far. Lailah was nowhere to be found, but it seemed he was healing quickly just as she said.

Sleeping in with a rare occurrence for Abel. He usually awoke early… mainly because his master dragged him out of bed by the heels before dawn. Speaking of his master, she doubtlessly realized he was gone by now. Was she out there looking for him? Or had she written him off as a lost cause? He hoped it wasn't the former. If she came to Hokes, and the abbey found out, they might return him to her. And if that happened-

The door creaked open, and Lailah stepped in, tray in hand. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Abel replied. After ravenously devouring the breakfast Lailah brought him, he turned to the priestess and asked, "Sister Lailah, I've been meaning-"

"Just 'Lailah,'" the priestess interrupted. "I haven't earned my vestments, so I'm not a full Sister of the Order yet."

"…Lailah, then," Abel said. "How exactly did I get here? Did someone from the abbey find me, or…?"

Lailah shook her head. "No, a stranger brought you to us. She didn't say a word to anyone, and as soon as she turned you over, she vanished before we could ask her any questions about you." She touched her chin. "That would've been… about five days ago.

Five days… that would definitely explain why he was so hungry. But Lailah's words stoked his curiosity. "This traveler… do you remember what they looked like?"

Lailah's eyes flicked to the side. "I… I don't." Her brow furrowed. "That's… odd. I-I know I saw her face, but… I can't seem to remember it…"

"Oh. That's a shame. But it's alright." Abel hoped he might learn something about his savior. After all, he was only alive today because of her. But as long as the subject of strange women was on his mind… "Who was that other priestess from yesterday?"

"That was Sister Alexei. She's in charge of the Abbey," Lailah replied, turning to face Abel. "I'm sorry if she seemed a bit short-tempered. But she's been under a lot of stress lately. The town's woodsmen have been getting injured more often lately. It's our responsibility to treat them, but we're running low on medical supplies. Of course, the head diocese does what it can for us, but…"

Abel's mind, and eyes, began to wander as he listen to Lailah… until a harsh voice called "Hey!" He jolted, his attention instantly snapping back to the priestess. But it hadn't been Lailah who called him. His mouth hung open in shock as he tried to comprehend just what he was seeing. He even blinked several times, but the image didn't fade.

A tiny blue-haired woman with fluttering in the air between Abel and Lailah. She crossed her arms over her chest, and gave Abel a hard glare. "You have something you're supposed to be doing right now," she said in a rough, scratchy voice.

"Abel? Is something wrong?" Lailah asked. She was looking right at the tiny woman, but didn't react to her presence at all, as though she couldn't see her. And she didn't seem to hear her voice, either.

"It's… nothing," Abel stammered, unable to look Lailah's way. Mainly because the tiny woman was still fluttering in front of her, glaring at him. What should he do? Was the tiny woman even real, or was she part of his imagination? Either way, it wouldn't do any good for him to start questioning what Lailah most likely saw as empty air. He had to get her out of the room.

Fortunately, bedridden as he was, that would be a simple matter. "…Actually, there is something."

In an instant, Lailah was out of her chair and at his side. "What is it?"

"It's… my side. It hurts just to breathe. Is there anything you can do about it?" That much was true, if a bit exaggerated- the pain was there, but it was much more manageable than it had been the day before.

Lailah nodded. "Of course. I'll bring you some medicine." The priestess then left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Once Lailah was gone, the tiny woman shot Abel another glare. "That wasn't the message you were supposed to deliver."

"Hold on," Abel said. With Lailah gone, he could give the tiny woman his full attention. She was no taller than the length of his hand, and barefoot, clad in a short, flowing white dress. Her hair was cut short, and colored the same shade of blue as the sky, her eyes a vibrant pink that he could see despite her size and distance. But it was the pure white wings on her back, the golden ring floating just over her head that Abel found most curious. "Who… what are you? A fairy?"

The tiny woman indignantly put her hands on her hips. "Do I look like a-" She stopped, and looked down at herself. "…Well I guess I kinda do look like a fairy right now. But that's not the point!" She pointed at Abel. "Lord Hermes entrusted you to deliver a message!"

"A message?" Abel asked.

Then, he remembered.

The dream- or, had it been a dream?- of meeting that strange woman at the signpost, and the strange words she had spoken to him.

The tiny woman fluttered closer. "Remember now?"

Abel nodded. "…I do."

The tiny woman fluttered even closer. "Then you know what you have to do next, don't you?"

Before Abel could answer, the door opened. "I'm back!" Lailah called, wooden cup in hand. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

As the priestess crossed the room, Abel replied, "It's fine. But there's something I wanted to say to you."

"What is it?" Lailah reached his bed, extending the cup toward him.

Abel didn't take it. Instead, he took a breath, and spoke three words:

"Klaatu. Barada. Nikto."

In the corner of his eye, Abel saw the tiny woman. She was still glaring at him, but she gave him a small nod.

There was a clatter as the cup slipped from Lailah's fingers and fell to the floor. Lailah slowly backed away, covering her mouth, eyes wide. "W… What did you just say?"

"Klaatu. Barada. Nikto." Abel repeated, the words making his lips tingle as he spoke them. He added, "The person who gave me this message told me that… you would understand what it meant."

For several moments, Lailah stood frozen. Then she whirled around and sprinted out of the room, throwing the door open with a loud bang. Through the door, Abel could hear the priestess's voice echoing as she called out "Sister Superior! Sister Alexei, come quickly!…"