[Melas] Chapter 109: Estia III - Motivation

Estia arrived back at the Infernalis, her mission hanging in her mind. She wanted to head straight to Jahar’taw. She could not wait to get her hands on a member of the Church. And a Saintess too?

If she could, she would have flown straight to the Taw Kingdom without looking back. But she had to return to the Infernalis because she had to find an apprentice. This mission she was assigned served to hone her skills.

Not her strength. But her… empathy skills? Teamwork skills? She was not entirely sure what Kores, her mentor and the only other Demon here, was thinking when he sent her the missive.

She navigated through the stone hallways illuminated by magic, before finding him not long after. He was in a more cavernous room, looking over a group of confused Goblins as he spoke to them. Was this some sort of inauguration process?

Estia knew that Kores was oftentimes in charge of inducting new members into the Dark Crusaders. However, she never really saw it herself. Too often, she was away from the Infernalis. And she was not brought into the organization via ordinary means.

Once Kores was finished with his speech, she approached him, an annoyed-but-not-really look on her face. “What is this?” She produced the message she received.

He frowned. “That’s the message I sent you, Estia.”

“What’s this crap?” Estia emphasized, pointing a finger on the ending part of her message. “Why must I bring a Disciple with me?”

Kores’ eyes widened in understanding. “Ah,” he made a sound. Then he scratched his chin. “That is a stipulation added by other Heralds, at the request of their Apostles.”

She frowned. “Did Mishik demand this?”

“More than a single Apostle made the request, Estia.” He shook his head. “And I agreed to it because I thought it would be good for you.”

Scoffing, Estia crossed her arms. “You know as well as I do that if I can’t deal with a Saintess, a single Disciple won’t be able to make a difference.”

“I’ve clearly stated what it would do for you in the message.”

“And I still don’t get it.” She glowered. “Why would I need to work with someone weaker than me?”

“As opposed to someone stronger than you?” Kores raised a brow— his single horn almost being pushed back with it.

“Someone of equal strength to me. Or I could go on my own,” Estia offered.

Kores sighed. “I am sorry, Estia. However, I will not reverse my decision. You will have to do this with one of the Disciples here in the Infernalis. Otherwise, I will not allow you to take this mission. And I may pass it on to another Herald, for their Apostle to take instead.”

She paused, her forehead creasing. “You’re going to give this mission to Mishik, aren’t you?”

“...if she is available, I will.”

“That’s not fair!” Estia pointed accusingly at Kores. “How can she even be available— isn’t she preoccupied with her task all the way on the other side of Vitae?!”

“I am disinterested in your rivalry with that Goblin, Estia.” Kores spoke firmly. He gestured for her to follow him. “And neither do I think you will go against my orders, will you?”

She followed him, her face twisted into a scowl, but she still followed him. “Of course not…”

It was not that she was too reticent to confront Kores over something she did not like. It was just that this was an opportunity she could not pass up. And also— she respected him. He was the only other Demon currently in the Infernalis. There was no reason for her to be antagonistic towards him.

Estia was led to another chamber within the labyrinth of tunnels. Here, she saw a training session being carried out. Disciples— Goblins, some Elves and Beastmen, as well as a handful of Humans— were gathered here. Some of them were seated on the floor, studying a tome, while others were more proactive and testing each other in combat.

A Goblin backed away from a Cat Beastkin. The latter was using enchantments to enhance her claws. She moved like a blur, dancing between the deluge of spells the Goblin threw at her. Flipping over a Fireball, she landed right on the Goblin and thrusted her claws on his face.

The fight was over. The attack stopped. More fights like this were happening within the large, expansive room. There were separate areas for each battle. It was almost like a gladiator pit. The ones Estia had seen when she traveled the Free Lands.

Or is it the Chained Lands now? Last she heard, most of the big Free Cities had fallen. Either to Abominations, or to the slave revolts.

There was a Human and a Goblin locked in battle. They were both casting Dispel Magic with one hand, and another spell with the other. It was not a true fight— but more of a drill to train their skills and their refinement over mana.

Estia scoffed. As if that can help them in the battlefield. She knew how often new Disciples would freeze up from inexperience. It was unfortunate that the Dark Crusaders prioritized talent over hard work and power.

She remembered hearing of some incredibly talented Human noble from the Soli who was brought into the Dark Crusaders. He was going to be a Herald, they said. He was sent to the Free Lands when the Abominations broke out— and apparently he died to a little girl.

The daughter of the Fiend. But a little girl, nonetheless.

There was not much potential to be seen here, for Estia. Even as Kores ushered her forward. “Pick out a Disciple of your choice. They will be assigned under your watch. Ensure that they do not die, no matter what.”

Their presence drew some eyes— a few definitely heard what he said— but otherwise, no one approached them. It was not uncommon for such things to happen. The way the Dark Crusaders functioned in the first place gave a lot of agency to each faction in the group. And even more so to each Dark Acolyte.

Estia cast an uncaring gaze across the room. No one here caught her interest. She was meaning to just pick a random Disciple and be done with it, when an explosion caught her eye. She cocked her head in the direction of the powerful spell.

An Orc slammed a fist to the ground, sending a small shockwave out. He frowned as a Goblin scurried away from the attack, a bow held in hand, circling him. The Orc harrumphed and pillars shot up out of the ground.

It was not anything special. A single Scatter Columns spell. It was slightly impressive that he could cast it as a Disciple, but Estia did not find herself particularly surprised. There always was one or two talented individuals in a group like this. It was enough for Estia, at least.

She just needed to choose someone. Raising a hand, she pointed at the Orc. “He’ll do—” She paused.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the Goblin draw his bow back. An enchantment covered the arrowhead, but it was not one for piercing or for exploding, like most others here would use. Raw strength— power was what talent gave.

It was not the type of conniving Estia cared for. She respected strength. She knew it was important for an individual. But she understood that wits was just as important. Authority too. And this Goblin walked with authority. Even though he seemed to be outmatched, he moved with the confidence that he would win.

That captivated Esta. She felt her eyebrows cocking up as the Goblin loosed the bolt. It flew at the Orc, only to vanish. The Orc frowned, taking a step forward— and stumbled back as the bolt stuck itself through his shoulder.

He roared in pain. The Orc took a step forward, creating a boulder, and tossed it at the Goblin. But the Goblin shot it out of the air. This time, his bolt did explode, and it turned the stone into a rain of chunky earth.

Just as the Orc was about to cast another spell, the Goblin tugged at the air. A shimmer appeared where he pulled. It was a rope— it had been turned invisible? Or at least, camouflage with the dark cave walls. The arrow on the Orc’s shoulder came flying back at him, tearing his wound open, causing a deluge of blood to pour out.

The Orc cried out in pain, but tried to press forward. He took two steps, before he fell, crying as he clasped at his shoulder. Estia nodded, almost approvingly. A curse, then. Not an enchantment. The Goblin fooled the Orc by layering their invisibility enchantment over their bleed curse. It was not the greatest show of genius, but it was a tactic that worked. Especially with such an overconfident opponent.

“I want him,” Estia said, pointing at the Goblin.

Kores looked at the Goblin as he stalked off. An Apostle— the only one in the room— came over to the Orc, and quickly undid the curse, offering him a healing potion. “Perhaps he is a bit too vicious, however not a bad choice.”

“Do you know him?”

“His name is Karna,” Kores explained. “He was stationed in the Free Lands, under the supervision of Victorianus Valens.”

“I… don’t really care.” Estia shook her head. “Just tell me about his abilities. What can he do?”

“He was never especially talented, according to his Dark Commander. However, once Victorianus Valens was killed, he was recommended to become a Dark Acolyte. He failed his first test, but showed rapid improvement when he was tested again only two months later.”

“So, a hard worker?” she pointed out.

“Indeed.” Nodding, Kores raised a hand and called out. “Disciple Karna, your presence is required.”

The Goblin stopped fiddling with his bow and slung it over his shoulder. He walked over to the pair, a frown on his face. “Did I do something wrong, Herald? I believe I used my abilities to win fairly.”

“You did. Perhaps you could have used a lesser curse to beat your opponent. Otherwise, we are not here to repimand you.”

Karna raised a brow. “What am I needed for, Herald?”

Estia stepped forward, a smirk on her face. “I am Estia, Apostle of the Herald Kores. I have been given a task to travel to Jahar’taw. To exterminate members of the Church, harassing our operations there.”

He paused. “...you’re joking, right?”

She shrugged. “Does this look like a joke?”

“No— I…” he trailed off. Karna took a moment to steel himself, grunting before facing her gaze. “This task… I would be honored to work under you, Apostle Estia.”

Peering into him, Estia asked, “Even if it means facing a Saintess in combat?”

The Goblin’s eyes went round for a moment. But his answer did not change. “No, Apostle Estia.”

She glanced back at Kores. He did not seem to have any comments. He probably wants to evaluate how I handle this. Shaking her head, she patted him on the shoulder. “Enough of the formalities, Karna. I am aware that Goblins prioritize such titles, but they mean nothing to me. The only thing that matters is action. And I do hope your actions match your words.”

He bit his lower lip. “Yes, Apo— Estia.”

“Now come. We are leaving.”

“Right now?” He blinked.

“Of course.” A sly smile spread across Estia’s face. “I will not waste any time. This Saintess has been killing too many of our people in Jahar’taw. We shall put a stop to it as soon as possible.”

Karna hesitated. Then he nodded. She started away from Kores, waving goodbye to him. The Herald did not respond other than crossing his hands behind his back in parade rest.

He watched her leave as Karna followed behind her. Once they were down a few hallways, Estia glanced over at  the Goblin.

“Tell me, Karna. Kores told me that you saw a rapid rise in strength recently. That you have been working harder than you ever have before. Is this true?”

“To a certain extent, it is correct,” Karna said. “I have always wanted to become a Herald. Maybe even a Dark Sage. But those goals were always so… intangible. I worked hard for it, but I never pushed myself to my limits, until I bled every single day.”

“Then what happened? What sparked this change?” She gave him an inquiring look.

He turned his gaze to the palm of his hand. “Because I wanted power. I had seen what true talent was— and I realized how weak I was. And that gave me a goal. One that was in front of me. A tangible one.”

Estia raised a brow. “What exactly is this goal?”

Karna shook his head, grunting. “The daughter of the Fiend— that traitor. I will be the one to kill her.”

Author's Note:

KARNA IS FUCKING BACK. AHHHHHHHHHH I HAVE BEEN PLANNING THIS FOR OVER A YEAR. I AM SO EXCITED.