Chapter 856 (2/2)

*****

Just as Naffur finished the “knighting” ceremony, a chill wind swept across the clearing. Leaves rustled and then… simply stilled. Naffur looked around wildly, his instincts suddenly screaming… something was coming.

There were about fifty people in the clearing. Naffur, the three kneeling in front of him, and then the four dozen or so individuals that had answered the call to defend against the ogres creeping around in the hill after the broken body of a monster child had been discovered. They were mostly monsters, but about a fourth of them were humans.

The humans were individuals who didn’t mind the new forms of the monsters and had agreed to come up and assist in the search when the Knight-Errant of the Order Ducis had decided to lead the search for the culprit.

Naffur hadn’t realized ogres were involved, at the beginning. He likely wouldn’t have said anything if he had. After all, what had ended up happening was three weeks of high-stress guerilla tactics against vastly superior foes. There were times that he couldn’t breathe because the wrong noise would alert the enemy to their position.

And as they quickly figured out, fighting directly against the ogres only meant one thing; death. For all the group had been lucky, there had still been losses. Those losses had been gruesome.

Naffur believed he would never stop having nightmares about some of the bodies they found.

There were a few exceptional people in the crew that made a real difference. These were three individuals who had been able to, if not hold their own, delay an ogre long enough for others to escape. Which was why, after great consideration and confirming with Neveah it was alright, Naffur decided to exercise his ability induct people into the Order Ducis and Knight these brave individuals.

Neveah had told him he could choose five if he so wished. But Naffur was too nervous about making too many waves to use all those spots. After all, he had witnessed the deference with which people treated him just because he was a member of the prestigious Order Ducis. He didn’t want to ruin that by letting the wrong individual into the Order.

Because Orders were growing rapidly in popularity, and because Order Ducis meant the Ghosthound, Naffur was the face of the most widely respected Order in existence. Mostly, that manifested as fascination, because the Order Ducis was the least present of the Orders, due to its low member count.

Hopefully, this would help with that.

But when that cold wind came across the clearing, Naffur froze. Behind his Ghosthound mask, he began to sweat. The temperature didn’t matter; this was something instinctual.

It seemed that the crowd sensed something as well because they began muttering to each other. Only the three kneeling figures seemed oblivious, content to savor the honor of being named to the Order Ducis.

A branch snapped at the far end of the clearing, and then three figures walked out into Naffur’s line of sight. The people at the edge of the crowd turned with a frown at the interruption, then gaped in shock. Like the red sea before Moses, the crowd parted and an aisle between Naffur and the figures opened up.

Naffur sucked in a breath; because looking critically across the clearing at Naffur was his hero, in the flesh: the Ghosthound.

Perhaps most intimidating of all, he was flanked by two… well, Naffur didn’t know what to call them. An honor guard of emerald flame and sharp horns. The two riders were the stuff of nightmares and moved completely silently behind the Ghosthound as he walked quickly across the clearing.

As soon as he approached, the muttering in the crowd ceased. There was… something in the air around the Ghosthound that simply stilled the talk. It was almost an inner illumination that filled the clearing. Besides, considering that what was happening was that three individuals were being named to the Order Ducis, it made a certain distant logical sense that the Ghosthound had shown up.

Had Neveah told him? What was his response?

Perhaps the crowd assumed that they were witnessing history. The Ghosthound descending to add his mark of approval to the appointment. Meanwhile, Naffur was horrified that the Ghosthound was here to reprimand him for his choices. Or… or….

Naffur’s gaze was held by those burning emerald eyes. And a strange and slightly surprising thought emerged in Naffur’s mind. The reason he became the Ghosthound… is focus. What holds his gaze holds his full attention. That energy and ability to throw himself into any activity before him, at the expense of all others… that is his greatest strength. And I… don’t have that…

The Ghosthound stopped at the front, behind the three kneeling figures. Suddenly, the three seemed to realize something was amiss because they twisted around. One thing that Naffur found interesting was how different the three’s reaction was. The leftmost kneeler, Arbor, immediately leapt to its root legs and threw itself at the Ghosthound for a hug.

The rightmost kneeler, Madelyn the scaled lizard person whose fire breath had saved several people’s lives, stood slowly and bowed to the Ghosthound. Her excitement and nervousness were obvious, and seeing her so flustered helped Naffur calm down. After all, at least he was wearing a mask. No one could tell his thoughts.

Could they?

The central kneeler noticed who it was and froze.

The Ghosthound’s chuckle broke most of the tension in the clearing, in spite of the looming presence of the two monstrous riders behind him. He hugged Arbor warmly. “Did I hear correctly? You’ve joined the Order Ducis?”

Arbor let go of the Ghosthound and hopped excitedly from leg to leg, gesturing wildly its assent. Naffur noted with relief that around the Ghosthound, Arbor didn’t at all fear that its fire would burn the man. Likely part of that was due to the fact the Ghosthound apparently created Arbor, but Naffur also liked to think his talks with Arbor about fearing things less had helped.

I’m not the Ghosthound… Naffur thought slowly. But… I have friends. Hopefully… that’s enough.

The Ghosthound then turned to a trembling Madelyn. “And you are?”

“Madelyn, ah, Sir.” She bowed twice more and quick succession. “I promise to never fail or waver. I’ll be an exemplary standard of virtue for the Order.”

The Ghosthound’s smile cut through Naffur’s nerves; it was incredibly sad. “Do your best. But don’t fear failure. Perfection doesn’t exist.”

Then the Ghosthound turned to the kneeling figure, Ajax. And his face changed into something grim and ominous. Because his back was to most of the crowd, they couldn’t see the fury that tightened the Ghosthound’s emerald eyes. Arbor wilted just being near it, and Madelyn’s smile faltered.

“And you,” the Ghosthound said, derision clear in his tone. “You, too, have joined my order?”

Ajax slowly stood, his antennas twitching. Although he looked like a giant cockroach, Ajax had always been at the front of the harrying efforts. It was only due to his tracking Skill that they were able to find the ogres and successfully pull off the harrying campaign. “Yes. And I can assure you that my intentions are pure. Whatever you think I am… where ever I was spawned from, I have risen beyond that. I am my own person.”

The conversation clearly indicated the two had a history, but Naffur couldn’t figure anything out from their worlds. If Ajax knew the Ghosthound, why hadn’t he mentioned it before? Madelyn especially always liked to talk about the Ghosthound’s accomplishments but never had Ajax said a peep about meeting him.

For several long seconds, the Ghosthound stared at Ajax. Ajax didn’t move.

Finally, the Ghosthound sniffed. Then he seemed unhappy, but said, “I’d like to believe that. And everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. One chance. Welcome to the Order Ducis. I’ll be watching you.”

Then, turning on his heel, the Ghosthound walked back out of the clearing.

Some of the solemnity of the moment was spoiled by Arbor waddling after the Ghosthound, dancing to and fro.