Chapter 3 Part 1: A Lull Before The Storm

Xavos gave the sinking moon racing the airship Lina’s Flight, as the mule woman had called the flying craft, a moody glare as he willed the infernal contraption to more speed. He could tell the craft was going quite fast for non teleportation modes of transport, but the Paladin was impatient nonetheless. Though there were soldiers and honor guard aboard the ark most were refugees as the sea dwarves had paid dearly to buy the ark fleet time to embark.

Their men at arms were gutted. Only a handful made it to their boats after holding against the Sea Lich’s krakens. To give so much only to be betrayed by the ones you saved, and then be tortured and abused by goblins once you finally awake was untenable. The Arch Paladin was already bent on righting this wrong since interested parties were clearly still around to keep attempting their conspiracy. He might be jumping to conclusions, but Xavos felt it in his bones the conspirators had sent these cave apes after them.

The Paladin ran his hand along the metal walls of the ship that defied the rules of nature by learning the rules of nature rather than through magic. If the mule woman was to be believed this piece of master craftsmanship had him wondering just how long lived these conspirators were. Nothing of this ship could’ve been made without magic when they were awake. Yet he could sense no magic in use beyond poultry spells on locks and cooking utensils. Long indeed would the art of the craftsmen need to mature before the engineers could have mastered this feat. That and the mule lady was starting to make Xavos feel old indeed.

“So, you blokes are dressed pretty funny. And talk all high minded like a pricy lady at court. This a circus of some kind? I like carnies myself. I bet I know a strong man or two you know about scarlet bossman,” Mule woman, whose name still eluded Xavos, was now talking gibberish again. However, if she kept flying and stayed agreeable long enough to drop off the company of acolytes and their Arch Paladin upon the ark she could jabber on as much as she wished.

Some of the younger acolytes were sending her rather robust upper form longer glances than proper, and were in danger of needing to seek aid in defense against the demons of lust now that they had time to observe her. Ah the impetuousness of youth. It was good that Paladins were not required to take oaths of celibacy especially as the blood that produced men app for the path of the holy warrior ran thick within family lines.

Still, the fools may take a moment to listen to her nattering on while nervous to guess they would know no peace in the house with such an uncouth woman. Youth rarely looked far into the future, but as long as they didn’t attempt to break oaths on their matrimony laws the Arch Paladin didn’t care. The Paladin Code was very strict on sexual conduct, and for good reason. Sexual sin broke protection from the Almighty of Heavens’ Armies. Not something one could risk losing in their calling.

Not to mention Xavos couldn’t afford to have any dropouts refuse completing their training to run off with a wench. The strategist in him guessed he was going to need another generation of Paladins fast. These goblins were bold, and far too large in numbers for simple raiding parties. That wasn’t even touching on what the undead legions had been up to while they were in stasis.

“I know not what circus means lady, but we are acolytes to the Arch Paladin Xavos. The Arch Paladin of Man,” good old Antain was not ready to be insulted by a mule he’d bed one day, and ignore the next. Xavos still had headaches thinking of how long it took to impress upon the youth that sexual impropriety would actually hamper his connection to his creator, and thus his powers granted to him by said God. All men had their failings including the Arch Paladin himself.

This was the trouble of the lull between action. One’s mind wandered in all directions. Existential thoughts of horror, apprehension, doubts, fears, worries, and last of all to the prime objective of the body producing heirs. Though few in this circumstance view the obvious results of union of the flesh when dealing with the rigors and stress of combat. The body does far too good a job at the enticing to think of farther down the road then the bedroom.

This left the good teacher Paladin, of which Xavos was the last, to ensure the Acolytes stayed on track. Thank goodness they would reach the battle in minutes rather than days, or there might have been real trouble.

“What bumkin ranch did you grow up in? Oh let me guess the Drowned Plains outside of Urktown. I know a few cowboy types out that way. All sirs and ma’ams and all that and never see the pick pocket coming,” The Mule purred sagely as the nervousness in her voice dissipated some now that the conversation was back onto her own sensibilities.

Yes, more than one of the sisters of the cloth would do this as well. A mere annoyance till you need one to reattach a screaming man's leg or restore an eye. Then the chore of the listening became horror itself as those ladies were quite used to the gore, and so continued their female revelry even as they stitched and healed in the tents by battlefields. Still, with this one talking perhaps some more willing information could be gleaned.

“Are there any Paladins in these fields of Urktown, good engineer?” Xavos asked with a practiced tactful air. The Mule looked up in surprise as if she had forgotten the hulk of flesh and armor was standing five feet to her left. She probably had with all the attention she was getting from the strapping acolytes in the back who hadn’t been around the fairer sex for an abhorrent amount of time for young men of their ages.

“Paladins! You mean like in them old nursery rhymes and such? Paladins are just legends, bossman. Though I admit you do look the part you can’t be like a school boy on his first year on the farm trying to live all the old wives tales forever," The acolytes had mixed reactions, but Antain and his right hand man Thoral looked with rising realization and horror at their Arch Paladin. They always were smarter than their looks, matching blond hair, and bravado on the battlefield would suggest.

Yes, this was just another confirmation. They had been in the stasis field for quite a long time. Long enough that the Paladins were just old legends that sacrificed themselves in an epoch far away from daily life. It was as Xavos feared. However, the fight was at hand, and he needed his students focused, or he could spend blood and arms he could not afford to lose in their predicament even to pathetic ape goblins.

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