Chapter 2 Part 3: Victorious But Lost

A cheer went up from the acolytes who were a mess of emotions after their rebirth into the halls of the living, and sudden euphoric fight and victory over the goblin filth. Understandable, and the Arch Paladin feared this would only increase as they took a full existential look at their predicament.

The stars were strange. The goblins were stranger. Something was a miss and it was an ever present looming threat churning Xavos’ stomach into a mess of anxious knots. He hid his discomfort with the expertise of a man long at command. His acolytes were skilled but young. They would be unnerved if not handled properly, and none of them needed to know all the list of fears and possible outcomes churning their way through the worst possibilities in their Arch Paladin’s head. That was the reality of leadership, and Xavos would take up its burden for his lost and youthful pupils for there was none other for them to follow.

With that in mind, the Paladin walked out ahead of his acolytes grinning and congratulating and distracting as he went. Xavos pounded Antain on his broad shoulders praising the young man’s quick thinking for capturing fugitives efficiently. The Paladin then swooped to the lean master archer Cor for his ever present and appreciated marksmanship that prevented a few scrappy climbers from escaping the small canyon. Not a feat to be ignored. No one wanted to wake to a cannibal eating their liver in their sleep.

The Paladin spied a brooding Ulmian sulking into the shadows as the young man was apt to do after battle energy had worn off. The acolyte was most likely thinking on the inevitable interrogation of his prisoners in his pocket dimension. It would be a nasty business. Goblins made all business nastier than necessary. So without missing a beat, Xavos cheered the young acolyte from afar for his handy work, and his Arch Paladin’s high expectations of him in the future. The Paladins efforts began to break the spell of anxiety before it could take hold and spread.

This went on for a while as Xavos held his high energy persona. With each step he took the Arch Paladin made a mental calculation of who had survived the final battle with the undead. There were far too few faces to comfort the increasing grief in the Paladin soul. Yes, without the betrayal all of them would have perished, but none-the-less Xavos felt anger tugging around funeral processions in his mind’s eye.

Whether the thought was logical or emotional, Xavos felt sure the blame lay on the heads of the conspirators whoever they were. Revenge was of the Lord, but the Paladin was feeling a certain pull to be an instrument of said vengeance. The Blessed Savior knew he was willing. He just best be sure not to be too willing. Such emotional drain had a way of blinding an avenger of blood when he needed his full vision. Still, there was other work to be done first.

When the Paladin was sure his pupils were fully engulfed in their merriment at surviving the impossible, and destroying an expected foe; Xavos signaled to his Chief Page to follow him. When Bolane had managed to make a tactful retreat the Paladin drew the young man close so he could whisper to him.

“Bolane go to an observation post and check in with the engineers and mages beneath. Please see how they fair. Then do us a favor and see if you can spy where we are and how much time has transpired,” Xavos smiled and led the way toward the massive craft, and the horrid slaughter done to the wonderful hearty grass the goblins had crushed with their metal boots.

“Yes, my Arch Paladin.”

“And Bolane, keep the results between us if you would. Whatever the news I would give it personally to the acolytes and denizens of the castle.”

“You needed have asked my Arch Paladin.”

“Good man as always,” Xavos kept an eye on his Chief Page as he filtered through the crowd with such skill and grace a spymaster would have been jealous. The boy was loyal to a fault. Too loyal. He should’ve been a Paladin by now despite his youth, but had chosen to stay with his teacher instead. The choice had perhaps saved his life, yet if things were as the Arch Paladin feared then they were going to need Paladins in haste.

In fact, even if things were well with the sanctuary, and all thoughts of conspiracy were overdrawn or even the hands of justice had already acted, there was still the small issue of Xavos being the last living Paladin. No Arch Paladin worth his salt would rest on his laurels when his order was in danger of extinction. This warrior of light may enjoy the boy’s company, and professionalism, but no one could deny the need. Xavos could not be everywhere at once especially if he had to root out a conspiracy, deal with goblin incursions, and teach the next generation of Paladins. Bolane was going to have to enter the brotherhood kicking and screaming before long, and that was that.

But, the eventuality was still a worry left for the time being. No need to bother about the steak before the bullogre had been slain in the hunt. For now survival was in order. They had no concept of what world they were waking too after all, but Xavos felt sure there were more answers upon the flying ship trespassing on his island.

With a simple nod from Antain three acolytes of the more nimble variety ascended the ropes anchoring the floating ship to the flying isle, and in a flash had gained entry into the craft. A moment later five goblins flew silently out of the large doorway all dead before they hit the ground.

Efficient as always were the scouts. Ranger Paladins were not to be trifled with even in their scout training. The Arch Paladin sighed as the leader in him realized he was going to have to find some proper rangers to complete his scouts’ training since his forte had led him to more public displays on the battlefield rather than stealth and field craft. Complications were mounting by the second. Xavos had a feeling they were only going to grow as time went on.

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