Way of the Moon Bear

Chapter 3: Noble Enforcers

Chapter 3: Noble EnforcersThe central city to all was known by many names. Some called it, the Heart of all Heroes, others knew it as, the Home of Opportunity, but its most popular name was, Mighty Magmalia, and mighty it was. Whilst other cities and kingdoms wallowed in the contained struggles of their walls, Magmalia was famous for intruding in multi-national affairs with only the intentions of uniting and aiding others. Sincere honour and affection was in short supply in the world, so their help was welcomed in the majority lands. The only motive coming from opposing factions was their reluctance to be helped and protected. Their pride and refusal to be assisted usually turned them into enemies of Magmalia, as though it was merely impulse for them to reject positivity. In the beginning, the kingdom was small and unknown, but soon grew rapidly with every new supporter. Men and women from different corners of the world with the ability to put aside their differences eventually came together to create an alliance of saviours, with the sole purpose of bringing peace across the Earth. They no longer carried their former identities that were once determined by their race and ethnicity – all were Magmalian from that point on, regardless of prior differences. In a world full of such pain and torture, the central city was almost too good to be true, but word travelled fast, and more people seeking harmony joined the cause. Five centuries later, and Mighty Magmalia had become the largest of kingdoms, controlled by eight different rulers, representing the different areas of the world, with a total of five Queens and Three Kings. However, all eight of them had passed the responsibility of security and conflict to their elite nine-person team of Paladin Knights. The figureheads of the land wanted to keep their hands clean from orders of extermination and execution to focus on the more peaceful elements of ruling, whilst the Knights ruled over themselves, never having to discuss their matters with their Kings and Queens, allowing them the freedom to keep not only their kingdom safe, but the world as a whole safe from whatever evil they could abolish. The Paladins answered only to their superior, Captain Asieda Hockmunn. Other than his obvious commands, he worked well as a leader with the other eight Knights, unafraid to run through the thickest of dilemmas side by side with them, rather than delivering orders from the comfort of his headquarters. Greenwick had no idea of the kingdom he had passed on his travels, nor did he know the authority vested in Paladin Troyori Quait, known to him simply as the fierce woman with the peculiar red spectacles. If he had known of the famous Magmalia and the power they possessed, he wouldn't have dared steal food from the outskirt markets. Quait had returned to the castle in the middle of the city, after failing to capture Wick and his bear. The structure was mostly white, just like the majority of other buildings in the city. It was built wide as well as tall, giving it the ability to house such a large quantity of soldiers, guardsmen, royal families, and other important figures to the kingdom. Being a Paladin meant that she and her brothers and sisters in arms resided at the tallest point of the castle, as a symbol of watching over the whole city, allowing them to gaze across and look at the precious land they all served to protect. The mainland was surrounded by huge, mountainous walls, creating a large circle that wrapped around for miles. Whilst most natural land was engulfed in forests of trees, Magmalia was a forest of flat-roofed buildings. The people below got on with their lives with no problems, grateful for such a unified benevolence. Most materials and resources passed through the walls as it was only natural for the largest of communities to thrive in the trade and transfer business, making the vast majority of occupants wealthier than what outsiders could have ever imagined. Everyone was happy and they had good reason to be, but it came at a price. Most of Magmalia's civilians had never left the comfort of the kingdom, preventing them from knowing how the world truly functioned beyond the safety of their homes. They believed the whole world lived in harmony just as they did, with no idea of how hard the Paladins worked to keep them safe. The Knights were trained to be humble though, and told to keep their matters and affairs away from the public to maintain a false microcosm of serenity. Just like the other eight Paladins, Troyori had to abide by these rules, all for the sake of the citizen's well-beings. It was cruel in its own right, but they had a compelling reason to do so. They would've rather provided Magmalia's people with an embellished world of peace rather than haunting them of the everyday struggles beyond the borders. Their ultimate goal was to one day create just that, but they were happy to bend the truth up until that point, fully confident that they would achieve their objectives one day anyway. Fundamentally, it was nothing more than a gamble that the Knights had to play for the sake of their people.

Troyori made her way indoors, still in full armour apart from the helmet she hated to wear, as it would tamper with her special goggles. She walked through the many pristine corridors and towards her Captain's private base of operations, passing a few of her fellow comrades that acknowledged one another with a quick beat to the chest with their fist. The door stood before her, but before knocking, she figured out the best way of wording what had happened at the market to prevent her from sounding incompetent. Once she felt confident enough, she knocked three times and awaited a response. “Who is it?” Captain Hockmunn's muffled voice seeped through the door. She stood up straight in respect even though she wasn't in the presence of onlookers, simply by force of habit. “Paladin Quait, Captain. I'd like to discuss the events of my guard duty,” she snapped.

“You may enter,” he commanded. Troyori swung the door open and marched in, before placing her hand on her chest as a salute. Hockmunn did the same back, then prompted her to relax. The Knight was outfitted in a more casual variant of the armour, consisting mostly of chainmail whilst he was indoors, which wrapped around his strong, chiselled physique as though it was all part of his skin. He had short, black hair and a well-groomed beard, stressing to his Paladins and himself that appearances were everything. He was equipped with a face that could switch between friendly and serious in the blink of an eye, so Troyori stayed vigilant and responded to him in the right ways, knowing how his mind and personality worked after their long time together. He leant in front of his desk, giving Quait a casual vibe to her relief. He was evidently softer on her than the other Knights, but they kept it to themselves in case it tarnished both of their reputations. “We've spoken about your helmet, Quait. You either wear it, or you relieve it to the armoury… you can't just carry it around all day,” he chuckled.

“Yes, apologies, Captain. It's just…”.

“Just what?”

“If I don't possess the complete set of armour, I don't feel like a complete Paladin. If only I could wear the helmet without it becoming a hindrance to my eye-wear, Captain”.

“Oh, Troyori, you've always been the most profound. Please, ease your stature… you have permission to speak freely,” he laughed.

“Thank you, Captain”.

“So, I heard about the disaster that happened at the markets today. I was told it was a boy… riding on a bear? They harassed the merchants and destroyed their stock? Oh dear”.

“That's correct”.

“What do you think their motives were?”

“Well, I'd caught the child stealing food, then before I knew it, the grizzly bear had tackled me to the ground and escaped with the boy, demolishing the stalls in the process”.

“So you're saying this bear was trying the save the boy?”

“As much as I'd have hoped it to be a coincidental attack, the fact that the child proceeded to ride on its back makes me think they were well-acquainted prior to the attack”.

“So it was just a child. We can rule out a deliberate attack of terrorism I hope?”

“I believe so”.

“The only issue I have with this is how an animal could be so… so, domesticated? Especially when it's a giant bear,” he sighed with a snigger whilst scratching his head. “So, what happened next?” he asked.

“Oh, well… I chased them on horseback through the North-East portion of the forest… and then they reached the cliffs”.

“Did they escape?”

“They fell… but I believe they both died,” she lied, as it was easier than telling her Captain that a child managed to escape her clutches. “Quait,” he sighed.

“Yes, Captain?”

“You're the youngest of our order. I can imagine there's a great deal of pressure to succeed in difficult circumstances… but lying to your Captain is no success at all. You wouldn't be lying to me right now would you?” he asked whilst coming forward in interest to her upcoming response. His serious side had taken over, so it was best for her to be honest before she missed the chance for redemption. “I'm sorry, Captain. I feared if I'd let them escape, I would be painted in a colour I refuse to associated with”.

“Good. I'm glad you told the truth. We had scouts search the area and we saw pretty evident footprints belonging to a small boy and a bear. If you feel the need to lie to save your reputation, then your reputation must mean a lot to you, and I respect that to some degree. Just don't lie to me again, understand?”

“Yes, Captain. Sorry, Captain”.

“I will keep our discussion between ourselves. I wouldn't want this to affect your status as I know how much of a valuable asset you are to the other Paladins”.

“Thank you, Captain. I appreciate-”.

“That's why I'm placing you in charge of surveying our newest member, Paladin Vousa Falk”.

“I'm sorry?”

“The tenth Knight of our circle has been chosen, and I know you'll watch over him well”.

“With all due respect, Captain, yourself or Paladin Soa are usually the ones in charge of evaluation”.

“I simply wanted to give you the opportunity to become a greater Paladin and see over the training of our next Knight. To achieve ten Paladins is a momentous occasion. Besides, you lied to me, so consider this a form of punishment,” he taunted.

“Then I will accept your offer and see it through with rigorous effort, Captain,” she snapped, almost turning into a different person whenever her career was at stake. “Excellent!” Hockmunn praised. “You're free to go,” he instructed.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said before taking her leave. As soon as the door closed, she let out a huge, overwhelming breath of air and wiped the sweat from her brow. After getting her head back together, she travelled downstairs to the armoury and tossed her unwanted helmet without concern for where it landed, then headed back up to the living quarters to discuss matters with her Paladin members that weren't assigned to any duties that day.

The room was made up of nine beds, soon to be ten, all accompanied with a private chest for personal clothing and items. The other half of the room consisted of arm chairs, surrounded by a large, cosy fireplace. The castle as a whole was carved majestically with marble features, but the dormitory was perhaps the most elegant area of it all, besides the royal chambers. It was the only place they had in the world where they could relax and be themselves, so they valued their time there as though it was payment to their services. Paladin Soa slouched in his chair like it was slowly swallowing him, with a glass of wine in his hand. He was the oldest of the Knights, and his lack of energy made it apparent that he would have had to retire soon. His face was withered and wrinkled and the majority of his hair had done. Quait barged into the room and took a seat beside him without asking. “You're looking displeased,” he stated.

“Nonsense, you're the miserable one, Soa,” she replied whilst snatching his wine from him to take a gulp. The two of them sank down in front of the fire and sighed. “This is about the new Knight isn't it? I'm no longer surveying newcomers. Too old now… less patience,” he explained.

“But why me?”

“The Captain must see some potential in you. It's obvious that you're already one of his favourites”.

“Yes, well perhaps you should try harder then, maybe you could become favoured as well”.

“I no longer crave acceptance. My presence has left its mark, there's no more effort inside of me”.

“Don't let Hockmunn hear you say that”.

“Well that's the thing… I think it's time that I resigned before I push my luck”.

“You can't. The Captain is happy now that there'll be ten of us. If you left, we'd be back down to nine”.

“That doesn't affect my opinion. No matter what good news appears, I'm still ageing,” he exhaled. Quait shook her head, but accepted his answers. Soa had served Magmalia longer than most, yet never held interest in becoming Captain, allowing Hockmunn to fill the seat when the time came. The old man had been a part of the action since before Troyori was born, either preventing or fighting in a number of conflicts. The kingdom was indebted to his years of service, but he wasn't one to search for recognition. “So, when is it you're thinking of quitting?” she jabbed.

“It's difficult to say. I'm still needed with Western command… those Slayer soldiers are trying to push towards the cities. Then there's the matter of Tbrok, who has broken our alliance between us and his Trolls of N'tur Grung. We're still trying to figure out why he'd be so quick to break away from us”.

“You know what Trolls are like… they're stubborn and sporadic. It's probably for the best”.

“But there's a chance they're uniting with our enemies instead”.

“You worry too much. Knowing Tbrok, he was probably just tired of being ordered around by us humans”.

“Still, it's one of many matters that are preventing me from leaving. Once all this dies down, I'll be gone”.

“I'll be sad when you leave… but it'll be a lot more cheerful around here at least,” she joked.

“You've always been a great woman to be beside. I can tell that you'll be working your way up the hill of recognition soon. To that I say good luck… but just be careful of those around you. Your likeability might make you more enemies than friends,” he warned.

“Thank you, Soa. I'll see to it that this kingdom maintains its order,” she smiled. Just then, the newcomer stumbled in, wearing a complete suit of armour including the helmet. He stood in the doorway to salute both Quait and Soa, before rudely walking between them and the fire. “Paladin Soa, Paladin Quait I presume. I am Vousa Falk and I will be under your watchful eyes for the next year,” he announced.

“Yes, yes, you don't have to wear your helmet indoors you know. Also, it's not me, just Quait,” Soa moaned. Vousa unclasped his helmet and pulled it off clumsily. His blonde hair was long and tied back, and his face seemed young and confused. Like most others, he couldn't help but stare at Troyori's red lenses. “How old are you, Vousa?” she asked, knowing that he'd be caught off-guard whilst gawking at her eyes. It took him a worryingly long time to snap out of it, but eventually he readjusted his upright stance and continued to act professional. “I'm twenty-seven, Paladin Quait… may I ask about that thing in front of your eyes?” he asked.

“Excellent, I'm no longer the youngest member… and no you may not. All I will tell you is that they help me focus, and that's all you need to know, is that understood?” she hissed. Soa sniggered to himself. He enjoyed listening to Troyori having to repeat her answers to everyone's inevitable questions regarding her spectacles. He also remembered back to when he asked about them himself, and how she almost bit his head off. “Understood, Paladin Quait,” Vousa stuttered.

“Excellent. That will make our time together a lot less awkward,” she joked with a serious face. Even though her tutoring hadn't officially begun, she was quickly getting the hang of ordering someone below herself. At first, she rejected the idea of taking over for Paladin Soa, but with just one small taste of command, her opinions on the matter had flipped over completely. Paladin Falk had a tough time ahead of him with Troyori watching over. Training someone that was responsible for the fates of the world's largest kingdom was bound to be rough and demanding, as they were expected to be the best of the best, meaning that Vousa would have already come from an outstanding career within the ranks of Magmalia's warriors. Even with an honourable record greater than most, the way of the Paladin still had the chance of breaking the most resilient of people.