The Mystery Unfurls | Tales of the Knights - Pt. 3

 As the great beast fell, the nobleman, who had turned to watch the battle unfolding, let out a cry of dismay. In a panic, he began rushing down the stairs just as the knights scattered across the chamber were picking themselves up. As Gideon spotted him reaching the bottom of the staircase, it seemed for a moment as though the crazed man might attack the knights in a desperate attempt to save himself. Instead, he began rushing on a path towards the fallen monster's side. Unwilling to tolerate anything further, though his every muscle ached in doing so, Gideon intercepted the traitor and tackled him to the floor. Grappling him in a hold, he ignored the madman's thrashing and raving and pulled him along to the centre of the chamber where the others were regrouping. Despite the fact that they were no doubt still recovering, they commendably gathered into standing formation as he approached to give their next instructions.
 "Raymond, Kyland, make sure that he does not escape," he began, forcefully shoving his captive into a stumble towards the two knights so they could take hold of him. "He is to be brought back with us to answer for his crimes."
 Turning to June, the one whose lance had felled their foe, he indicated towards it.
 "Ensure that beast is dealt with. I don't know what he was planning to do with it, but we shouldn't neglect the remains. Use my blade and see what you can retrieve from it."
 June accepted the plasma blade with an affirmative nod and thumbed the activation switch as she moved over to her prize. The last knight had been left in the worst shape by their foe, the impact that had sent him crashing into the wall was left imprinted into his breastplate and it was taking some effort for him to maintain his posture.
 "At ease, Maximilian. Use this time to gather your strength - we want you in good shape for our journey back." After a moment, he too nodded in affirmation, but Gideon could tell he was reluctant do nothing while the others carried out their tasks, and added, "While you do, keep watch over that cavern for us. If anything changes, give us a signal."
 Lastly, he opened his comms link to their transport, where Albest would still be waiting. The signal underground was poor, but at this distance was still sufficient for his message. Checking the displays at the edge of his visor, he reached under the side of his faceplate and tapped a sequence which provided the location and time to rendezvous. Moments later, he heard the return sequence in his earpiece, confirming the same details.

 With the other matters delegated, Gideon finally turned to the balcony above where he would take care of his own matter. On his approach, he inspected the scuffed, wooden staircase leading up. Although he was more used to constructions of stone, metal and heavy, ceramic plate, his years of siege experience informed him that the construction indeed seemed sturdy enough to hold his weight in armour - provided that he was careful about it. Never one to rush, he cautiously placed his foot on the first step and listened to the creaking of the wood as he gradually shifted his full mass onto it. Now content that it would hold, he steadily made his way to the desk where the noble had been working, to take stock of the materials and seize anything of import. A number of battered tomes had been stacked haphazardly on each side, with a mess of various loose sheets sandwiched between. As he had begun to suspect, the pages of the open book at the centre were covered in frantic scrawlings and a number of symbols that held no meaning to the castellan. In the vague hopes that it might shed some light on the matter, he scanned one of the recent additions. 

 The guardian continues to recover in its den, but the faithless are no doubt on their way. The hirelings seem well equipped, though they too are weak of faith, but I can only hope they do enough to slow the interlopers until it is ready for them.

 There was the madness he expected, but there was also clear intent within it. The expectation that Gideon and his forces would arrive, the plan to stall them with the mercenaries they had encountered at the edge of the town, and the goal of defending this 'guardian'. He looked back towards the chamber floor below and, with growing disgust, realised that the term was being used to refer to the metal-skinned monster they had just fought. The same as the kind that continued to attack the people of the Kingdoms across the land, and that he and his comrades within the knight orders were giving their all to defeat. That someone within the realm would not only welcome one of these creatures but also try to defend it was as utterly incomprehensible as it was sickening. He closed the book firmly, then began stacking it and the other materials to take back with him. He would gladly have destroyed the book for its contents alone, but it would serve as evidence for the judgement to come - and if the vile journal harshened the decision, then at least it would serve some purpose.
 With his responsibility sorted, Gideon began to head back down, but as he did, the stairs began to tremble and shake. For a moment, he believed his underlying rage had threatened the integrity of the stairway, but then Maximilian gave the signal he had been waiting for: with a rumbling shower of luminscent, molten rock, the citadrell burst through from cave where the beast had lurked and slowed to a halt. It was time for them all to return.