Chapter 37: Joan (2) (2/2)

When he reappeared, he was in a room dimly lit with candles dripping of wax.

Three men lay sleeping upon slabs of rock. Upon his appearance, they stirred, almost mechanically sitting up.

”The Battle of Patay is a must have victory for His Majesty. Go.”

”Yes.”

The three men inexplicably slipped into the shadows as well.

Pierre slowly walked across the room after they vanished, appearing by an alter with a closed black book. He stroked the cover almost affectionately, but also somehow simultaneously felt afraid to open up its pages.

'The Bishop will lead us to glory. Our names will go down in history…'

A dark glow emitted from the book.

**

Joan expressionlessly walked, leaning heavily on her crutch through the corridors of the main stronghold. Her face would sometimes flicker into a smile when she passed by someone, but the smile would just as quickly fade once she had passed.

It took over a long, but she eventually made it back to the outer walls to find the very same ten knights who had followed her out to greet Leonel and Aina.

”Get ready.” She said plainly. ”This will be an important battle.”

Her smile was strikingly missing. Looking at her like this almost gave one a severe case of cognitive dissonance.

”Did those bastards make you angry again, Sister?”

The knight who spoke got a sword hilt to the back of his head, causing him to cry out in pain.

”Is it time yet, Sister?”

”No. The time isn't ripe.”

”Must we really continue to win battles for them?”

”God has a plan, Michael. Believe in the Bishop. When this is all over, our names will ring throughout history. We will be the ones who bring this forsaken Earth closer to God.”

Joan grabbed her flag. A golden glow emitted from its pole, radiating out like rays of sunshine.

She used her one good leg to pull herself onto her white steed, sitting tall with her smile once more back on her face.