A World With/Out Home

Chapter 30: The world that we built on. (Part 2)

Whether they could believe her words or not was hard to tell. The knight however gave the information freely. The number of knights that remained in the complex and those that were nearby. Being of a lower rank, it was clear she didn't know everything but had a general idea of what the Councilman was after. Most the knights had been stationed at the periphery of the Temple grounds to prevent any lingering members of the Hero's Guard to enter. Those that remained inside were guiding a rigorous process of looting, and everything gathered was shipped to the sky fortress through slow moving cargo transports. The main goal however was to eliminate the church. With the leaders of the world dead, the Councilman could take the lead with Lavise's superior technology and arms. Add in what they stole form the Hero's Guard they could stomp out any resistance with ease.

As the knight finished Reina scowl had grown in intensity, "We can't let them take anything else." She paused, eyes drifting to Lillia, "Those 'homunculi' can't leave the temple grounds. We need to stop them. Melissa how much time till Valandus hits the trigger?"

"We have 15 minutes, or did you want me to send the signal now?" Melissa twirled the knight's helmet and pulled out a communicator.

"Not yet but hold on to it. If our cover is blown then send the signal."

"Before you go, there's just one more thing," the knight Talia implored the group with her eyes. "We took many things from the Church but there was one thing that the Councilman took exceptional interest in. It was guarded by a single Church knight, and an incredibly strong one. He managed to hold us off for several hours."

"Was he a large man who used a greatsword?" Reina asked intently.

"No, he was on the thinner side and used magic." The knight grew more serious, "The point is he guarded some kind of box. It was the only thing in the room and unlike everything else. The councilman took it with him. Whatever it was, it was important."

Lillia looked back at Reina, "Do you know what she's talking about?"

"No, I don't." She faced the knight again, "Now Ms Burns, is that all?"

"That's it," the knight closed her eyes ready for what would come next.

"Then my regards." With that Reina jabbed the knight in the neck with a vial of serum. Her eyes rolled back and a moment later her body slumped.

Kyle frowned, "We only have three more of those. She seemed pretty trustworthy."

"Maybe, but if she was trained like Melissa, we can't take our chances." She pulled out a pistol, "Whatever the Council man has we can find later. For now we have to stop those knights transporting anything else. Move up and no surprises this time."

"It went pretty well though," Lillia mumbled.

Reina's eyes grew colder, "This time it did."

With Melissa in the lead they again moved through the reliquary of the church. Like Talia had said most of the treasures had been cleared and the area was empty. The exception was a single room generating a lot of noise.

"You idiots!" an anger filled voice echoed towards them. "Clump it down first or you'll break the glass. That thing inside is more important than a hundred of your lives."

"Yes sir," a grumbled voice replied.

"Just get it moving. We're running out of time."

From around the corner Kyle peeked into the room with Melissa close beside him. Three knights in their usual black armour and a single man dressed in a thick coat. The man was visibly old with thin grey hair and a wiry frame. His eyes focused on the knights as they worked on moving several incredibly large tubes, the contents within covered by a thick cloth.

"Professor Warlow," Reina grit her teeth. "The man's a narcissistic genius and head of Councilman Tombre's research division. Melissa can you take out those knights?"

"One definitely, two maybe, three you're really stretching it. However," she turned her eyes behind her, "if a certain someone did the thing they did before I'll be more than fine."

"No," Lillia answered, "this one is mine." Before anyone could stop her a barrier suddenly erected inside the room blocking all sound. The occupants quickly began to try break out but soon a purple gas filled the chamber and within seconds everyone inside fell to the floor. Lillia released a tired breath and undid her magic. "Don't forget I'm still the current Hero."

"You definitely made that clear," Kyle smiled to her and entered the room double checking the knights. "Yep, they're down."

"Luckily their helmets can't filter the gas," Reina pulled the head pieces off and handed them to Melissa. "Handle any communications."

"I'm on it," though clearly exasperated, she took the helmets.

"Lillia how long will they sleep for?"

"An hour, two at most."

"Good, that should give us enough time to- Kyle wait!"

It was too late as Kyle threw off the cloth covering the tube. The sight caused his heart to clench. Sealed within a murky yellow liquid was a small child who couldn't be older than four, their hair colour, a soft purple.

Lillia froze but only for a moment as hand clenched to her heart she already knew what she was, "We're homunculi... fake humans."

Reina breathed out a sigh, "Yes..., that's why we can't let Councilman Tombre take these away."

"He'd learn how to make an army," Kyle grit his teeth. "So is this why the Church was okay to let Jana and the other's die? Because they made them? Because they weren't human!? How could you all-." A frustration he didn't know how to deal with began to well inside him and would have continued had it not been for Lillia's hand which pressed onto his.

"Kyle, I'm not sure how it was back then, but we changed. No matter what anyone says, I'm still me. You're the one who told me that?"

"I did?"

"Well not you, but Estile did, which is you, so thank you."

"Was this when I blanked out? I can't remember it all but when I try to my heart beats pretty hard."

"D-don't worry about that," Lillia smiled. "Just add this to the ever growing list of questions we have. About what we are..., it's okay. I think I can speak for all of us in the Garden, what we want most is to protect our world. The truth does sting, but it's not something that will change us."

Reina who stood away from them in silence didn't know quite what to think. She had known the truth since she had become a 2nd Officer under the Captain. To her it was a sacrifice that was needed, and in her ten years serving, she had seen many of the children pass away. In her heart she feared what would happen if they ever found the truth. Would the children rebel knowing they weren't proper humans, that they were weapons birthed to fight? And here was her answer, children too pure for war but would partake no matter what.

"I can't apologise for what you are," Reina faced the two wholeheartedly. "But know we did what we believed we had to."

"I understand," Lillia nodded. "We don't have much longer. We'll take care of these knights and then we move, isn't that right?"

"That's right," Reina paused and took a breath. Now was not the time for emotions to control her. "To the Garden."