VII.

It had been two days since our meeting with Hetod. We were camped out in the plains, gathered around a fire after cooking and eating our dinners. Sefgh sat next to M-Bot, who had a latch in its shoulder opened up. She was delicately repairing its wiring, using a propped-up electric light to see more clearly.

M-B: Can you go faster? That feels weird.

S: Do you want to keep using your arm?

M-B: I often enjoy using my arm.

S: Then let me take my time.

[...]

MN: I see some dark clouds coming. Should we sleep in the vehicle tonight?

M: Nah, who the hell wants to sleep in there? If it rains, the tents're jus' fine.

MN: Alright, just letting you know.

[...]

S: Stay still for this part, it's going to give a little shock.

[She pulls a wire out of its port, then quickly reattaches it to a new one.]

M-B: That hurt!

S: I told you!

M-B: Not how much!

S: Oh, whatever. It should be fixed now, try moving your arm again.

[M-Bot experimentally moves and flexes its arm without issue.]

M-B: Feels good.

S: You're welcome!

M-B: Yeah.

[...]

F.P.: H-hey, can I ask something?

S: Yeah?

F.P.: I've been reading that Alzeki thinks everyone outside the community is, uh, basically evil, right? And that conversion isn't even the goal, really. So, where does that leave me? I'm not... you know, tainted, am I?

S: Conversion's not the goal, but you have converted, right?

F.P.: Yeah.

M: Then everything's fine! You don't gotta worry about it.

F.P.: I-I guess. There's more stuff I've been thinking about, though.

S: Like what?

F.P.: I mean... he talks sometimes about... technology, right? Not liking it. And he talks sometimes about, gender... uh, just, men of the house, kind of... I don't even know what I'm saying.

M: What is it?

F.P.: I mean, it's just... Sefgh, you're a believer, but you... it seems like... there's a lot about you Alzeki shouldn't like?

S: The church makes exceptions.

F.P.: Yeah, but...

S: Can we talk about this another time?

M: It is pretty late!

F.P.: Uh, sure. Sorry.

S: No problem. Just - I don't want to talk about stuff like this right now. I just want to look at the Moon. You should, too - it's a symbol of the church.

M: The sun gives life, the Moon brings meanin'.

M-B: What about Mars?

M: Shush.

[...]

M-B: Can we talk about it?

S: I said I don't want to talk now.

M-B: Come on, you've noticed it too. Yet you've ignored it. We need to talk about it.

F.P.: What?

M-B: The prophecy. We've been following it perfectly.

MN: I'm with Sef. We can talk about this tomorrow.

M-B: Tomorrow you'll just put it off again. We need to talk about it now.

S: No, we don't! Let's go to sleep already.

M-B: I need to talk about it now!

F.P.: You mean Alzeki's prophecies, right?

M: F.P., how much do you know about 'em? Maybe we really oughta fill you in, actually. Anyone remember everythin'?

MN: No, I usually tune that stuff out.

S: Some believer you are! At least I could understand Matt forgetting it, but you don't have any excuse.

M: Hah!

MN: Then you remember all of it?

S: Not all of it.

MN: M-Bot?

M-B: I have a perfectly photographic memory. Of course, they don't let me into the church, so I only know what you've told me. I guess Alzeki didn't want to make an exception for me.

[Sefgh winced a little.]

S: Alright, I'll recite everything I remember. Ready, F.P.?

[F.P. nodded, leaning in attentively.]

S: Alzeki's talked about his prophecies for as long as he's been our Relayer, but the prophecy itself only came into effect a couple years ago, in 4016. This prophecy was that two forces of evil, a demonic apprentice and a man in a faceless mask, would duel above our town. When this came true, there was a gap of two years before the next step of the prophecy, that we would be visited by another high being to choose four followers to go on a divine mission.

M: Durin' that gap we still weren't totally sure the prophecy was real, but after that...

S: Well, maybe you weren't sure it was real! I always believed.

M: Uh huh, sure. What 'bout you, Maine?

MN: Everything Alzeki says is a half-truth. So far the prophecy's been accurate, but there's no reason to think it'll stay accurate.

S: But it has been accurate so far, that's the thing! That's what M-Bot was getting at. It talked about everyone we've met - Zsuius is the 'heartless mercenary' it mentions, I think we can say now. Like, when we were in that awful forest - it talks about us going to a fogged forest, meeting the heartless mercenary a second and third time, seeing the man in the faceless mask, meeting a wounded veteran - spiritually wounded it turned out, not physically like we thought - it missed a couple things, like that path with all the corpses, but none of the predictions it did make were wrong! Now we're in the chapter that talks about all the mercenaries in a row. We've killed the first three, just like in the prophecy!

F.P.: So what happens next?

S: We'll meet the next two and get rid of them, too. The wording's not as clear there, but we think that still means we're, well, killing them. Some kind of event will happen with the last one to split us up temporarily, and then we'll pass through the Kingdom of Christ and finally meet Cardo. We're supposed to stay in his house until some kind of 'calamitous event', after which we chase him down and go to war with his cult. The language here is vague, but quite violent. Then...

F.P.: Then?

S: ...Then the Church at large is led to war and slaughtered.

F.P.: Oh.

S: After that, the language gets a lot weirder. It's, uh...

M: Hard to tell exactly what it means. Hopefully that means that earlier bit's misleadin', too.

S: It's not something we talk about a lot.

M-B: Or ever.

MN: I think it was only ever mentioned once. Hard to forget, though.

F.P.: Does that mean... we...?

S: No, no - we survive no matter what, at least. Cold comfort. But anyways... after that there's another major showdown with the invoker of death, or Cardo, which leaves us scattered. He is struck down, a long night reigns, and then he returns to 'eat existence'. It's only then that we finally kill him for good, and the flames of anger consume the world, and it is reborn in glory.

MN: From what we can tell, at least.

M-B: It's a terrible prophecy. Too much wriggle room, for one. That's a very simplified version of what I've gotten my ears talked off about. It's also awful for all of us, and the fact it hasn't been shaken off yet is a problem.

M: I don't think it's gettin' shaken off.

M-B: If the prophecy is right, the world ends. And you didn't mention one important part.

S: I don't want to mention that part!

M-B: Sefgh dies.

F.P.: Jesus! Don't keep secrets like that!

S: Don't say that! Either of you! We say Al, or Almendra, not his name. Jesus was a false prophet, remember?

F.P.: Who cares about that, you're gonna die!

S: And so has Maine! We can come back as long as Almendra wills it, and I believe she does. Don't you, Maine?

MN: I hate to say it, but yes. These things do have a way of... working themselves out when you have a real god on your side.

S: And you know what, too, my shadow's in that prophecy! There's a line about it - Matt, do you remember the exact line?

M: 'On the eve of the first siege against the invoker of death, a hero's shadow will be pinned to the earth and exposed to the light.'

S: So see, F.P.? You'll get what you want!

F.P.: I-I wasn't even asking about that! Hey, I know I'm not so close with you as you all are with each other, but I still care if you're going to die! That's a big deal!

S: But you'll stay with us?

F.P.: What? Yes! Of course. It's important, and I know you're right, but- you're just being so casual about this, is all! It's like you don't even care!

M-B: She does. She just won't show it.

S: Shut up! I'm more worried about killing others than about dying myself.

M-B: More worried about other lives than your own. How selfless.

S: You got that right! And again, it doesn't even matter anyways, so let's drop it already! If there's anything we need to avoid - and this is if it's not presented in a misleading way - it's the death of the Church members!

F.P.: But why would that be misdirection? Wouldn't Alzeki want people not to know about their deaths at all?

MN: Alzeki tells them they'll die for him so they can accept it. It's a way to bring them deeper into the cult.

S: It's not that either. He's just relaying the prophecy as he's received it!

M-B: I don't believe that.

S: Well, it's true! You don't have to believe it, because it's true no matter what! Now stop talking, all of you. I don't want to talk any more about any of this. It's too late in the night, alright? We can talk more about it tomorrow.

M-B: Fine. At least we've talked about it at all. I can't stand the repression you all have. I'm sick of this and I'm going to go for a walk.

F.P.: Can I come with you?

M-B: Sure. No talking about any of this, though. Sefgh said so.

S: Oh, whatever. Go catch bugs.

[M-Bot and F.P. leave.]

S: I just don't get why it acts like that. It's so... just...

M: Hardheaded?

S: No, not just that.

M: Rebellious, too.

S: Exactly!

M: Well, we're in a pretty stressful situation, y'know. Makes sense these kinds'a things'll boil over. Just gotta try not to scratch at it too much, yeah?

S: I guess. But Al, it gets so exhausting! Every day, all the time, so pessimistic. Hard to talk to, hard to convince... I mean really, so what about that prophecy!? You have to have faith! It's such a basic tenet! Sometimes I wonder if it even believes at all, or if it's just trying to fit in.

MN: Can you really blame it? It's not like there were any other options back home.

S: Yeah, but... oh God, you're getting me arguing again! Stop! I need to sleep.

M: Oh, alright. Before I sleep though, I'm gonna go take a walk too. Maybe see if I can't catch up with those two.

S: Alright. Stay safe, Matt.

Standing up and leaving camp, I decided I'd give Maine and Sef some time to themselves. They were always close friends, but lately they were especially enjoying each other's company. If they wondered where I'd been, I'd say I had just gotten lost. For a second I wondered if I shouldn't really try and go find M-Bot and F.P., but no. They would come back on their own regardless, and there was more important business to take care of. It was a dark night now, so dark you could hardly see in front of you, the stars covered by thick clouds rolling over the sky. I pulled out a flashlight and let its weak glow guide me. The sounds of chirping crickets filled the air, and the grasses were tall and thick. I walked ahead, keeping my mind clear, until reaching the edge of the woods. From there it was hardly a minute until I met up with the man I'd come there to meet, Wold.

Wold was the man who had appeared above our town that fateful day and helped to kickstart the prophecy.

I was on my way home when the duel had broken out, and in panic I had fled into the forest surrounding our town. Wandering, I'd chanced upon him as he recovered from the wounds Zezklez's demon had given him. From then, we had kept in touch, although this is my first time writing about him here in these pages. I suppose I've always been anxious about someone reading my journal and finding out, but soon enough that won't be such a problem. He was still wearing the same featureless purple robes and steel mask - I had never seen him wear anything else. His mask let off a soft glow as I illuminated him.

"Turn your light off. We must not be seen," he said.

"Good to see you too, Wold. Y'called?" I asked. We coordinated in secret with a small, boxy long-distance device - when he gave the signal the light on top flashed, and it was time to meet.

"Just a progress check. The three hitmen are dead?"

"Yep. Delth, Ethae, Hetod, all gone. Odhte, Nightshade, Zsuius, still workin' on it. You didn't tell me about Zsuius' plans!"

"There are many plans in the world, Matt. One need not worry about them all."

"I suppose. Still though, could'a killed him a lot earlier."

"But does your prophecy say that?"

"Hell no. Bastard still shows up in that thing three or four more times after this. No idea why that guy of all people is so important. Guess he did give us some good lessons an' such, though. You know anythin' more about him you ain't tellin' me?"

"My guess is as good as yours. All I know is that he seeks the ring. He wants personal gain, revenge. A classic archetype."

"Well, it was a nasty surprise, and we just had a bit of a crappy argument over at camp. I think it's all goin' more or less as written, though. Another week or two of this, then we get to the Kingdom, finally meet up with Cardo. Ain't lookin forward to that, I gotta say."

"Neither am I. It will be quite unpleasant. What a world, that it's come to this... That damned Zezklez! Every time I see him, I wish I could wipe him out right then and there. Alas, it's only a shadow."

"I still don't get what y'mean by that, Wold."

"You will in due time. Some things are better left unexplained, even to allies. I hope you understand; you've been a true light, Matt. I look forward to our meetings greatly."

"Heh, thanks. Me too."

There was a pause in the conversation. I looked around, and it was too dark to see anything in front of me.

"I ask this every time, but are y'really sure about all this, Wold? There's gotta be another way."

"I've thought it through many times. It's the only way to stop his influence, Matt. Once he is done, there will be nothing left. I've seen it before, that gnawing void. There can be no compromise, and no hesitation. I only wish for your assistance, and to share these last moments with you, my friend."

"You say that every time, too!"

"The truth does not change."

"Guess not. Hard to avoid gettin' second thoughts, though."

"Second thoughts are only natural, but you must avoid them becoming actions."

"Second actions, y'mean."

"Yes. Is there anything more to report?"

"Don't think so."

"Then I will be gone. Take care, Matt." Wold flicked his hand and vanished in the blink of an eye.

I sat down. It was pretty common, after our meetings, for me to stay in the woods and think things through. There was a lot to chew on, and I had to make sure I was really doing the right thing. It was so easy to get caught in mental loops, the same kinds of traps and fallacies we had only just talked through, and without taking time to process them I might walk out at any moment. I couldn't, though. I was his only friend.

I sat in thought for around an hour before finally returning to camp.