Shrouded Piety: Order of Yaktosh - Chapter 10

Chapter 9 < | > Chapter 11
With the Massacre at Safed over, Suri continues her search for the tomb of Christ, aided by Templar martial Sir Baldrick. Following a small fight between Crusader and Islamic forces, Suri and Baldrick reconvene to discuss their old friend Sir Egbert. Around the campfire, it is revealed to Suri that Grand Master Bérard has no plan of naming Egbert as his successor, news that greatly unsettles Suri. With boiling rage over this decision, Suri quickly establishes a following comprising simply of Baldrick and his men under the cause of pressuring Bérard to reconsider his nomination. The situation quickly gets out of hand, however, as what starts as a small group of knights following Suri's cause avalanches into something far bigger, not realizing just how influential she is...
==Chapter Reading==
== Chapter 10 – Influentia =
Four years of continuing pain would come for the crusaders following the massacre at Safed. The Egyptian Sultan—Baybars—enjoyed many small victories while Grand Master Bérard and allied holy orders desperately clawed for any opportunity to turn the tide; alas, not even the knighting of Suri would produce any notable victories over those years. The silver lining was that the division and drama surrounding Suri’s presence within the Templar was long over: She was a knight, a Christian, and family.
On one ordinary day outside of Acre, a powerful sun blasted the Earth with its rays. Under the protective shade of an open tent, Suri—armored and robed in Templar white—tended to a large pot of broth with a spoon firmly in her left hand. While the Crimean was stationed within a campsite of moderate scale, there was only one other knight with her. That knight found himself staring off in a specific direction of the countryside.
“What do you think, Suri?”
She had been asked this just as she gave the broth a taste test; consequentially, she burned her tongue and jumped.
“Ow, ow, ow! Ouch. Hot, hot, hot.” Yet for some reason, she would take another taste. “Ow!” The knight directed an offended brow at her and cleared his throat. “Oh, huh? What was that?”
“I ask of you your thoughts on the mission at hand.”
Suri raised a third spoon to her lips and blew on it repeatedly, “Do not worry, Baldrick has matters under control.”
“How are you so sure?”
She smirked, “You are new to the order, I can tell.”
“Remember Safed!” Baldrick shouted from atop a horse. “By the will of God!”
Upon his order, the dirt and dust of ten mounted Templar knights galloped into a party of seven mounted men. Although none of these men carried the insignia of Sultan Baybars or any other Islamic leader, they nevertheless received the crusaders with weapons drawn.
Despite the incredible risk such a bold move threatened, Baldrick took the lead in this charge with the aim of inspiring his men. For the longest time, it looked as though Baldrick was going to crash directly into one of the opposing horsemen, only for both men to turn at the last possible moment and ride off together in a hostile trade of sword clashes.
The remaining cavalry on the field proceeded into their own battle while Baldrick and his target chose to fight further away. The lack of identifying insignia on the Arab riders had led the crusaders into the thought that these may not be elite adversaries, and this wonder would be furthered by the quick blood to come.
In what took only seconds of battle, one man was brutally clobbered in the face by a Templar mace; his horse would take off galloping while his slain owner crashed onto the ground and bled motionless.
With the battle now six-against-ten, the Templar knights found their numerical advantage and superior equipment bringing down the morale of their foes.
Once more, Suri tasted from the broth she was preparing, this time avoiding its heat by letting the sample cool first. She let the taste settle in her mouth for a bit and periodically tenderized her lips.
“I enjoy it!” she said as a self-compliment.
The sole knight alongside her at camp commented, “My mere reservation is that this may not be a good meal to have under a scorching sun.”
“Is that you wanting to avoid my cooking?”
“N-” The knight said not another word for several seconds. “I am fasting today.”
The battle in the nearby field continued but with much less uniformity as all the horse riders rode around in their own personal fights. Baldrick had returned to the center of the skirmish but continued to face the same man as before; the two now rode away in opposite directions, only to turn around at the same time and bravely charge toward each other.
Intent on securing a fast and easy kill, Baldrick readied his sword and fixed his eyes on his approaching opponent, who in turn swung his sword around as a non-fearing message. Just moments before the men could engage in combat, two horsemen rode between them in a chase, consequentially scaring the horse of Baldrick’s foe. All because of this surprise, the spooked horse chose to ride diagonally without command in what would lead to Baldrick crashing into him.
Horse legs tangled in the collision, led to them crashing to the ground, and left both riders ejected from their steads and into the sand. Baldrick initially found himself laying due to the weight of his armor, while his opponent did so due to shock; both would soon get on their feet and draw their swords.
Baldrick, fearing no wrath but God’s, charged his foe with both hands to his hilt. The Templar delivered aggressive two-handed swings in an attempt to assert dominance in the duel, and this effort would pay off and leave him on the clear offensive.
The men maintained close quarters for a lengthy period, all of which saw Baldrick pushing his opponent backward. Although the Templar held the advantage for the entire duration of this fight, one moment would see a thrust coming his way by surprise, compelling the man to retreat a few steps. This moment of withdrawal injected confidence and momentum into Baldrick’s opponent, but this chance to capitalize on the knight’s retreat would disappear as quickly as it came, for a knight still atop his horse had swooped in and decapitated the man with a mighty swing.
Now faced with a beheaded man in the sand, Baldrick lowered his sword and took in the situation with a deep breath; it became soon apparent to him that his men prevailed over their foes without any problem. With this victory in mind, he sheathed his sword and summoned for his horse.
While Baldrick and his men concluded their battle, Suri found herself idling around the encampment with more concentration put toward the lone knight with her. Both were entertained by their discussion and had Suri leaning against a stable post while the knight paced around lightly.
The knight continued, “… and with the earth shaking as it did, we discovered the church’s support structure was not as efficient as we might have hoped. We, thus, found ourselves challenged by a need to upgrade the entire framework of the church before winter proper arrived.”
Suri contributed simply, “The winter would have hindered this project?”
“Oh, very much so, yes.” He added, “The harsh conditions may have otherwise led to disasters only almighty God could save us from.”
“Did your king help fix the church?”
The knight chuckled, “The King of France would never lower himself to assist the troubles of a mere village.”
Suri grimaced and looked off in the sun’s direction. “I could not imagine. Our kings went out of their way to assist in these ways. Of course, our society was of much smaller scale when compared to the likes of France.”
He nodded, “It sounds like you belonged to a very worthy culture.”
This comment led her to become lost in thought. “I do wonder how our society came to collapse.” She lowered her eyelids. “We used to be so united and charitable, until…” She had grabbed this knight’s attention, and as her eyes shifted to the red cross proudly displayed upon his tunic, she would shrug. “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Eventually, a cloud of dust in the distance distracted the two from talking, at first fearing the approach of a surprise raid, but quickly discovering it was the returning cavalry of the Knights Templar. Seven mounted knights acted as confirmation that no tragic losses occurred this day.
Suri opened the camp’s pot of broth as the group approached, then moved in to greet them. Everyone stormed into camp on their own paths, with Sir Baldrick and Suri taking care to greet each other.
“Marshal,” Suri said with straight eyes. She was tossed a satchel so heavy that she was unable to maintain hold of it. “What is this?”
“Saracen gold,” he boasted. “Wealthy as the band of barbarians were, they stood no chance against God’s soldiers.”
Intrigued, Suri knelt down and peeked inside the satchel, indeed revealing countless gold coins, trinkets, and jewelry, including some precious gems. She took out a gold medallion with a cut sapphire and examined it closely.
“These were soldiers of Baybars?”
Baldrick justified, “They did not bear the usual seal of allegiance, but they served him through faith.”
This excuse did not pass by Suri’s suspicions, “I have come to understand many of their faith; they are not ones to swim in riches—it is a sign of unrestrained decadence.” She levied an accusation, “I am not convinced these were the Sultan’s men.”
“Don’t be absurd,” he said after dismounting. “Morals aside, armies need funding. Clearly, these were men transporting troop wages.” He took the satchel away from Suri, rather offended by her lack of compliance. “And so, instead of funding Baybars’ Army of Hell, it shall fund the righteous cause of the Templar Order.”
Suri lifted her hands, “You’re in charge; I am simply calling out the potential sin as I see it.”
“Then let us be done with this discussion and give thanks to God for the meal before us.”
The sun was out on its final hour, and rather than make a night trek back to the castle in Acre, these nine Templar knights chose to camp out together and enjoy the meal Suri prepared. The seven common knights of the order separated themselves from Baldrick and Suri, who chose to embrace their private time together on the other side of the fire. Although they were but meters away from the seven other men, their own loud discussion essentially permitted a private audience between the two old friends.
“Sir Baldrick, I have been wondering…”
“What is it?”
Suri drew the ankh symbol in the sand and quirked her mouth. “Do you remember that Egyptian woman who wanders hopelessly in my necklace—Brunna?”
“Yes, you’ve spoken her name more time than God’s.”
“Okay, well…” she responded with a half offended smirk, “For the longest time, I’ve concluded that, like me, she must be trapped somewhere on God’s Earth—perhaps trapped down some well just as I had been.”
Baldrick slowly nodded, “Do you think she’s down that well in Crimea?”
“No, no, no…” she laughed. “I’ve always reasoned it like this: I am a Goth who became exiled by Goths, in Gothia. Surely, then, Brunna, who is perhaps Egyptian, had been exiled by Egyptians, in Egypt.”
The man nodded, “This makes the most sense to me.”
“This is what I have always believed to be the likely case. Somewhere in Egypt, Brunna is trapped down a well as well. Where, then, would this well be?”
Baldrick thought hard on this, but even the most surface level examination of Egypt’s massive geography—at least when compared to the Crimea—made the situation seem bleak.
“Egypt is a large place, with many villages, temples, and more than enough sand to complicate any search.” He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Suri’s morale was not shaken. “But I had a thought recently. What if Brunna wasn’t exiled by Egyptians, but rather she was taken prisoner by enemies of Egypt.” Baldrick only raised a brow at her. “In Gothia, we were the constant target of Hunnic attacks. Suppose the Huns succeeded in conquesting us; they might have simply captured me, taken me back to their settlement, and lock me up for centuries in some Hunnic dungeon. Who is to say this was not the case for my Brunna?”
“I see.” He widened his eyes upon noticing Suri’s curious eyes, communicating that she was seeking an answer. “Oh, well, I agree that this is very possible… Egypt had many conquerors throughout history…”
“But who would have most likely kidnapped Brunna?”
Baldrick sighed, “This is discussion better suited for the scholarly likes of Sir Egbert.”
“Egbert does not speak to me much these days.”
“Yes, well…” Baldrick proceeded to try his best. “If this Brunna is anything like you, one as great as, say, Alexander ‘the Great’ would have perhaps taken great interest in her. In this event, she may be stuck somewhere in Macedonia.”
Suri commented, “Alexander was ancient even when I was young, but Brunna was trapped in the necklace even then, so, it is possible…”
“Then, of course, there is the simple fact that Egypt was a province of the Roman Empire for a lengthy period. It is very possible that Brunna was identified as a great and powerful asset, and imported from Egypt to Rome itself.”
Suri froze. “Rome.”
“It is possible. All of history’s greatest persons have been to Rome at some point.” He looked her in the eyes. “Even you once found yourself the subject of great Templar discourse on whether to send you to Rome. Perhaps Brunna is in Rome—forgotten, as you were.”
She wondered aloud, “...if only there was some way… some way I could ask Brunna…”
“Show her a picture of Rome?” Suri’s eyes widened. “Have you ever tried communicating with her?”
“For hundreds and hundreds of years. She is… not very social.”
In any case, Baldrick stated, “Rome is a possible lead.”
“Yes, if I can find Rome’s well, maybe I can -” Baldrick’s immediate chuckle offended Suri. “Okay, a list of Rome’s wells, then?”
“Suri…” Baldrick smirked at her, “I do not believe you have any idea just how massive Rome is.” He exhaled and shook at the agitated woman. “Furthermore, you are far too obsessed with wells.”
She stood angrily and defended, “I was thrown down a well and everyone forgot about me for centuries. The well is where people go to be forgotten!”
“It is where you were forgotten. There are many, many, many places a necklace can go and be forgotten.”
This was the comment that succeeded in breaking her morale, and as such, Suri quickly motioned to abandon the discussion.
“Enough of this, I need time to think about Rome.”
“And as I said, Sir Egbert is who to speak with, not me. I am but a Marshal of God.”
Eager to move away from the topic of Brunna, Suri asked of another topic deep with her, “Baldrick, I worry about Egbert. I feel like he becomes sadder and darker with every passing day.”
“Oh, well, our friend Egbert is pessimistic by nature, I am afraid to tell you.”
“But why?”
“What is there to say? He always has been! The man is inherently pessimistic and of unrealistic expectations.” Suri crossed her arms at him, expecting more than just blank comments. “Egbert, he’s… an idealist—always has been. I presume he has told you of his past life of ambitions in the Empire?”
“In Germania? Egbert told me that he was born to serve the Templar.”
This made Baldrick laugh. “Oh, goodness, no… no, no…” Having captured her interest, he continued, “Our friend is from a duchy called Jülich. The way I see it, Egbert’s been stressed from childhood, seeing some repairable flaw in the politics of the Holy Roman Empire.”
She asked, “Is this a discussion I am going to be able to understand?”
“For certain.” He drank from his soup. “The Holy Roman Empire has been said to be a dysfunctional family with a ‘Kaiser’ rarely ever able to pull the family together. Our friend believed that the core of this dysfunction could be found in a straying away from God. He believes that the petty, violent nature of Holy Roman feudalism is the primary obstacle in the Empire’s greatness. To this end, he believes that the entire Holy Roman Empire needs to empower the churches, and lessen that overall authority of the crowns.”
Suri shrugged, “I suppose.”
“Now, Egbert, he did try and motivate his locals to push for this reform, there in Jülich; few in his church’s congregation would sponsor his idea to make a theocracy of the Holy Roman Empire, and this deflated him some. Despite his best effort, Egbert surmised that the culture of the Holy Roman Empire valued its military accomplishments far greater than anything else, and so he changed his strategy: He would inspire the people of Jülich by serving in the Knights Templar, then come back and continue his mission of turning the Empire into a theocracy.”
“He has not mentioned returning to the Holy Roman Empire.”
“That is because he has long given up on the idea.” Suri said nothing, but looked him in the eyes with an interrogative expression. “As I said, he is a man radiating with pessimism. He does not believe in his people’s capacity to absorb his point of view, so he has sworn to reside with the Templar forever and help strengthen it.”
Suri stated bluntly, “He isn’t happy here either.”
“You know as well as I that our Christian brethren have weakened in their charitable resolve over the years. When Sir Egbert arrived, we had swords in as far as Egypt—now we’re struggling to keep ourselves in Acre. He can read the writing on the wall: We are no longer on the offensive.”
“So our military shortcomings are depressing him.”
Baldrick again enjoyed his soup, then casually commented, “He was rather cheerful still up until around the time you showed up.” Suri responded with a startled look, and Baldrick himself almost choked on his food, clearly wanting to rewind. “Err… I didn’t mean it like that.”
Suri pressed for honesty, “I depressed Egbert?”
Not wanting to further complicate the scene, Baldrick clarified, “You did nothing to bring Egbert pain. He was stressed long before you appeared in our lives.”
Now becoming stressed herself, she demanded, “Then what, in your view, led to Egbert’s current sorrow?”
“...I don’t know…” he muttered.
“What?”
He spoke firmly, “I don’t know. I haven’t any idea, honestly.” He rubbed his thumbs together. “If my observation is worth anything to you, there was a strange day years ago when we heard Sir Egbert screaming in the castle armory by himself.” Suri squinted at him, not recalling such an event. “After that day, he became much more isolated in his business, rarely busying himself with others unless it is expected of him.” Suri blinked a few times, then slowly began to widen her eyes toward the fire. “He never admitted to anything out of the ordinary happening that day, but I believe he was covering something up. A man does not simply scream.” Suri had completely frozen in her seat at this point. “I believe this was before you knew how to speak French. I wouldn’t expect you to know what I’m talking about.”
As his words sank into her mind more deeply, she let her eyes take her up to the traveling embers of the campfire, burdened by back-to-back sensitive topics. At the end of the day, Suri was burdened because two people she held dear to her were suffering, and she wanted to rectify both their problems. Saving Brunna was more of a dream than a plan, but bringing Egbert some degree of happiness, she felt, was not a stretch.
Suri raised her bowl of soup close to the fire, trying to heat it up a bit. While doing so, she expressed to Baldrick, “Of course, there is the other obvious fact that Egbert is not getting any younger. I think you would agree that his best days of combat are behind him.”
Baldrick answered, “His days of combat are a good ten years or so behind him. He has more or less embraced the life of a scribe at this point.”
“The only person of such high status to find himself at an even older age at this point is the Grand Master himself.” Baldrick nodded, but with a concerned stare. “Henceforth, I expect Egbert’s best days are still to come.”
“What are you getting at?”
Suri spoke plainly, “Soon, Grand Master Bérard will pass into Heaven, and his successor will be named. We both know that the time has come for the rise of Grand Master Egbert.”
The marshal broke eye contact with her and set his soup aside, momentarily putting both hands together and clearing his throat.
“You believe Sir Egbert will be named the next Grand Master?”
“He is very wise, a natural leader, a high-ranking member of the order, and now among the oldest of the current hierarchy. Under a Grand Master Egbert, we will finally take the necessary steps to make the Templar Order a more open society for the Christian faithful, greatly strengthening our numbers here in Jerusalem.”
Baldrick nodded, “I agree, it may in fact be time that we slacken our expectations of new members, if only to make sure the number of knights within our territory is always increasing rather than decreasing.”
“Respectfully, de Vichiers and Bérard have been too reluctant to change our restrictions out of fear of alienating the other holy orders. I say we forget the other orders and focus on our own walls, and Sir Egbert is just the man to make this happen.”
With a sigh, Baldrick spoke, “I so badly wish I was not the one to break this news to you…”
“What?”
“Sir Egbert will not be named the next Grand Master, for that matter has already been decided for Guillaume de Beaujeu—next in line for Grand Master.”
Suri immediately turned to him with her mouth open—crushed by this revelation. Suri’s taken aback posturing would catch the eye of some of the other knights around the fire, sensing a more interesting discussion than their own was at hand.
“Guillaume?” She searched through a memory index of faces for a moment. “That man who constantly complains of his past defeats? He is very much a pessimist himself.”
“Yes, but his extensive history of battles makes him an ideal successor, as he has experience with a variety of battlefields in the region.” Suri continued to stare with a mouth open. “Unfortunately, he also sponsors the idea that we must appeal to the other holy orders, and I do not wish to scare you, but he was among the faction that wished to have you sent to Rome when you first arrived here.”
“Unbelievable!” Suri shouted.
Baldrick glared, “Suri, that is hardly ideal behavior for a woman.”
Her outburst instantly put the entire camp’s attention onto her, with some knights even inviting themselves to this end of the campfire as she paced around in a frenzy. Suri, with a hand to her sword, had a flame in her heart that was glowing brighter by the second.
“This is not simply the bad call of Grand Master Bérard, but an injustice dealt to the whole Christian world!”
The marshal, nervous about the attention she had gained, raised a hand and warned, “Calm down, Suri. Everything will be fine.”
“Brothers! Do you know why the defenders of Safed fell? It is because we did not have enough knights to come save us. I watched helplessly as Baybars and his men put that castle to death.” She paced over to the larger group of knights, continuing her protest, “No one is joining our poor order anymore because it is inaccessible or unappealing to the common Christian. A Grand Master Guillaume will continue to waste time and resources on bowing to the existing holy orders that already do not approve of us. Enough is enough! We need a Grand Master Egbert—he will introduce the changes needed to win the crusades.”
Her simple speech caused discussion to occur around the campfire, but nothing substantial. Baldrick, needing to make a decision fast, approached her with a mightier pose.
“Suri!” She was so infuriated, and this tiny woman would gladly face the marshal with mean eyes. “I completely agree.”
She grunted, “Oh, you do? Well, that’s great.”
“But what can we do? Bérard has issued his decision, and he is the Grand Master. What’s done is done.”
“No, it isn’t! Not yet!” Suri turned to face the crowd. “Brothers, Bérard may have chosen Guillaume, but that decision is not final until Bérard takes his last breath.” There was skepticism from the seven knights she spoke before, but the support of Sir Baldrick did give her a stronger case. “If you truly want to avenge Safed, then help change Bérard’s mind—help Sir Egbert become the next Grand Master. If we don’t, this order will not last much longer.”
One knight answered, “She’s right, she is absolutely right.” He shook an angry fist. “We cannot survive the leadership of another traditionalist leader, we need new ideas!”
She played off this, “We need Egbert because he will bring all of Christian Europe to Acre. He’ll levy so much support that Baybars will run away from Jerusalem without giving us a fight. That is how we avenge Safed.”
Suri successfully raised the unanimous support of the camp, but Baldrick still stood with a concerned face. As time went by and it because clear to him that no one was in opposition to her, he took a breath and faced her once more.
“Very well, we are on board. The question stands, however: What do we do?”
She said nothing for several seconds, leaving most to assume this was an open-ended question. Eventually, she replied, “We go home, and the nine of us spread the word: Egbert good; Guillaume bad.”
Baldrick clarified, “Or, at least, not ideal.”
She nodded, “We need to encourage the entire order to protest this decision until Bérard is left with no choice but to name Egbert as his successor. The decision of the Grand Master is final, but we must help ensure that he is making the right decision, lest we lose everything we have worked for…”
In the week ahead, a knight of Acre found himself in the castle mess hall with a tray of food both healthful and humble in proportion. After accepting a small portion of rice into the corner of his bowl, he let the next knight through and made his way toward the tables. A mere moment after getting away from the crowd of hungry knights, this man found himself snared by Suri, who had been standing in wait with a feint smirk.
“Are you Luc?”
The knight reached for his heart, conceding that he had been startled by Suri. “Uh, yes. Yes, I am Luc.”
She pointed to a table with her head, “Come eat with us. We wanted to ask you something.”
Luc followed with hesitation, and was especially troubled to find an entire table filled with a particular party of knights. What came to him as an even greater surprise was that these knights seemed to be somewhat loyal to Suri, as her approach led to some getting up to make space for two.
“What is this?” he asked.
Suri sat down with a leg over a knee and faced him, “I have heard that you hold some sway over the western chambers.”
Luc face became slowly amused, “If by ‘sway’ you refer to the fact that I have custodial duties over the western rooms, then yes, I have ‘sway.’”
One knight spoke over Suri, “You manage the beds?”
“More so for the knights not well enough to prepare their own. Why? What’s this about?”
Suri spoke again, “Are you aware that Grand Master Bérard intends to pass the mastership down to a Sir Guillaume de Beaujeu, rather than the more logical choice, Sir Egbert?”
Without looking at anyone but Suri, Luc dropped his brows and replied, “I see no problem with this arrangement. Guillaume is a spirited Templar and a good friend.”
Now Luc would discover the looks of disapproval from the many at this table, especially Suri, who responded by closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh. She looked him in the eyes once more and moved her hands up for a lecture.
“I should remind you, being that I have been here for a long time now, that the closest companions of Grand Master de Vichiers was Sir Egbert, Sir Baldrick, and Sir Bérard. Bérard was his named his successor and Sir Baldrick is our marshal, so is it not logical then that Sir Egbert should be the successor to Bérard?”
Luc winced and shook, “There are many ranking companions of the grand master throughout our history who did not end up rising to the top. Besides, we are long past the days of de Vichiers, what matters is who Bérard desires.”
The entire table began to rumble in protest to this assertion, alarming Luc. Suri crossed her arms and nodded at the rowdy knights.
“What really matters is what the organization wants, and we do not want a Grand Master Guillaume, we want a Grand Master Egbert.”
Luc sucked his lips in as the table threw their support towards Suri. “This is highly unorthodox.”
“The Grand Master wants Guillaume to take over when he dies because their ideals align; these are the same ideals that led Safed to fall.” Luc tapped his fingers down repeatedly upon hearing her argument. “Egbert would be different. He will dismiss the other holy orders and make the changes necessary to bring new generations of men into the Templar.”
Although not seeming very convinced, Luc nevertheless asked, “What is it you want with me?”
Another knight told him, “Join us in protesting Guillaume as successor.”
Suri brought out from a bag several identical sheets of sloppy handwriting.
“These writings tell you everything you need to know about Guillaume and Egbert. We need someone to place these on the beds of all who care to read.”
More intrigued than ever, Luc reached for the papers, but Suri abruptly hurried them back under her sleeve. The man of the hour, Sir Egbert, had approached the table with his attention immediately to the elephant in the room.
“What are you doing out here, Suri?”
Suri wore a smiling mask and replied, “Oh, good day, Egbert. I am only having an engaging talk with my brothers over the future of the Templar.”
Egbert hummed, “You’re right, that does sound rather engaging, especially for you.”
Suri blew her lips, “What? Me? I care very deeply for our campaign. Every time I go searching for an artifact, it is to give our cause strength.”
“Indeed.”
He walked off with a suspicious eye still on Suri. Even with Egbert still looking at her, Suri impatiently resumed her scheming talk.
“Now then, we have time on our side considering Bérard will be with us presumably for years, but we would prefer to get the ball rolling so that Egbert could begin planning for his eventual leadership role now rather than later. He won’t do that while Guillaume remains the chosen successor.”
Luc inquired, “Why are you keeping this mission of yours a secret from Sir Egbert?”
When Suri looked around, she found curious and even concerned gazes from even her supporters. Finally on the defense, she answered honestly, “Because he would tell us to stop. Egbert’s greatest weakness is he is too humble of a man.” Suri stared at the back of Egbert and stated, “So, we must do for him what he will not do for himself.”
Days later, the man known as Guillaume traveled the halls of the Templar castle with haste, alerting fellow knights he passed by but also doing so with a confident figure. The many knights he passed chose to ignore him, raising concern even if he did not show it. Now with a hand instinctively placed to his sword’s hilt, the future grand master entered the chamber of his current master and closed the door behind him. Grand Master Bérard was alone in the room to greet him and did so standing.
“My friend, I am glad you could join me so quickly.”
Guillaume lowered his brows with teeth revealed, “It has been made known to me that you have urgent detail for me?” He rolled his eyes up and sighed, “Please forgive my lateness. Urgent as your request may be, I was in the middle of prayer.”
Bérard closed his eyes and grinned, “No, no, you are just then. I am not superior to God in any way.” Guillaume approached the chair in front of the Grand Master’s table, but Bérard held his hand out in protest. “Do not sit, I will simply have you rising again.”
“Grand Master, am I in trouble?”
“Trouble?” Bérard blinked a few times. “No. No trouble. Though, I am curious…” At this time, he revealed a sheet of paper. “Have you been made aware of this?”
Guillaume took the paper into his hands, at first confused to find a blank page before him; upon flipping it, he was met with an illustration made with ink and a very conservative amount of red food coloring. The man was quickly distracted by the art and its food resources.
“Huh, why, this is an inappropriate use of Templar supply. Why waste the tomato to enhance a picture?” Only now did he more closely examine the figure in question. “I recognize this knight…”
Bérard answered, “It is a drawing of our great ally, Sir Egbert.” Guillaume looked up at him with returning concern. “And what do those protesting words so harshly demand?”
Guillaume only now put his attention onto the bold words so elegantly inked onto the page. “‘Sir Egbert: Future Master by Right.’” He did not make eye contact again with Bérard for some time, shocked by this. Eventually, he lowered the paper and looked the Grand Master in the eyes again.
“Where did you find this?”
“A great friend of ours brought this to my attention. It would seem that my choice of future Grand Master is being challenged.”
Guillaume was left with an open mouth, momentarily worrying, “Grand Master, I hope you have not lost confidence in my ability to lead the Templar forward.”
“On the contrary,” Bérard walked around the table to get closer to the man, “I am far more interested in condemning this break with tradition. The Grand Master’s choice of successor must be respected, otherwise the very institutions that keep this holy order strong will shake.”
“I agree.” Guillaume put his hands behind him and asked, “What will we do?”
“I have not decided on a course of action yet. I worry that action will provoke an exodus of knights away from the Templar oath; I worry as well that inaction will sabotage your efforts in one day transitioning to the rank of Grand Master.”
Guillaume answered, “If you believe Sir Egbert should rise to the task rather than I, I will not object, for he is said to be of master class and leadership.”
“I have no designs on replacing you, especially not with our own knights undermining my position. No, I simply wish to know the source of this insurrection so that I may punish him.”
Guillaume crossed his arms, “Do you have any idea who might be behind this?”
Bérard slowly turned a sharp gaze down onto the very artistic depiction of Sir Egbert. “A man who would rather draw than crusade, and knows Sir Egbert’s features by memory.” They thought about this for a moment, but Bérard soon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “But is the instigator indeed a man?”
At a later date, Suri found herself not so subtly designing a flier with a flattering portrayal of Sir Egbert. In the image, the knight raised a sword over his head and stood behind the walls of Jerusalem. The image was colorless aside from the Templar cross to his chest, which was dyed with tomato. This was the next in a series of many fliers seen throughout the castle, and each subsequent flier demonstrated greater artistic ability than the last. She worked on this drawing in the castle’s meeting chamber, hardly caring who could see her.
The point that she did not care was emphasized when one knight approached her on a bench, not causing so much as a flinch.
“Suri,” he greeted, “I have a question…”
Suri, however, turned her work over to him and asked first, “Do you believe I captured the face of a strong leader? Does this look like a man who could make Baybars run away in tears?”
The knight shut his lips with a discontent sound coming from him. “Apologies, Suri, but I cannot read the face of a drawing, only flesh and blood. Your illustration services its purpose well, I think.”
She rubbed her chin, “Yes, I believe so as well, but I worry there is something cowardly or fake about his eyes.”
After clearing his throat, the knight took back his turn to speak, “Suri, I have just received incredible information by Knight Jacques.”
Suri hardly minded him attention, her hyperfixation on her drawing’s possible flaw consuming her. “Yes.”
“He dared to interrogate the men of the northern barracks on their stance in the Grand Master’s succession. Every man was asked.”
“And?” she threw in some wrinkles under Egbert’s eyes, but immediately regretted this, evident by her cringe.
“It is unanimous. Every knight in the northern side of the castle is behind your cause. They want Sir Egbert.”
This caused Suri to open her eyes, for a time getting lost in thought as she stared up at the Grand Master’s pedestal in the chamber.
“Huh. The northern barracks you say? The northern side of the castle?”
“That is correct.”
Suri’s eyes rolled down, reminiscing. “I remember a time when the northern knights wanted nothing to do with me. They restricted me from accessing all but the southern side of the castle—they wanted to send me to Rome and be done with me forever. Many even wanted me sent back to what remains of Yaktovus.” Without expression but overcome with inner pride, she gloated, “How the tables have turned…”
“This puts our cause in a position of power.”
She nodded, “Acre will fall in days if the entirety of the northern barracks abandons the Templar Order. Indeed, this puts us in a position of great power.”
At this time, Sir Baldrick entered the meeting chamber as if knowing Suri would be here. He invited himself over by the two without hesitation.
Before Baldrick could join the discussion, the lesser knight said, “Unfortunately, it is in the castle’s south where favoritism toward Guillaume remains strong.”
Again, Suri fell into something of a trance, commenting, “And they were the section of the castle that gave me a home when no one else would; now they oppose me. Interesting times…”
“Suri,” Baldrick interrupted.
Suri first issued an order to the knight, “Go to the castle’s south, find out why they are so loyal to a successor who is so flawed.”
“At once.”
The sight of this exchange provoked Baldrick, who responded with crossed arms and narrowed brows. “Excuse me, Suri, what did I just witness?”
She summarized, “The knights of the castle’s south have joined our cause with passionate resolve. Those in the south remain loyal to Guillaume. I am now directing us to concentrate on changing minds there.”
The marshal shook rapidly, “You are not a leader; you do not issue orders to anyone here.”
Suri, surprised by this, nevertheless returned fire with an angry expression of her own, “I did not ask to be leader, nor did I wish to be. It is not my fault that I naturally inspire those to follow me.”
Baldrick pointed to the door, “You just issued a direct order to someone, I both saw and heard it!”
“I am not a leader by right but by circumstance. They follow me without my call, but while I have their attention and admiration, I might as well utilize the men who follow me to achieve the greater good.”
He became stern, “I do not want to see that ever again. We may be on the same side, but we are still knights of Grand Master Bérard by day’s end, and we are obligated to follow the laws he maintains.” He clarified, “You were not granted power, so do not use it.”
Suri challenged the man with a stare, clearly in disagreement. Ultimately, she gave him a careless shrug and said, “There are many little flaws in your argument, but I will abstain from overstepping if it will make you sleep better.”
Baldrick squinted at her, but then said, “Good.”
Suri crossed her arms at him, “Now, is there something you came here for?”
“Yes, indeed. We’ve finished placing your latest images on the walls of the mess hall. What should we d-”
The marshal instantly silenced himself and was left with an open mouth as he read his own words back to himself in his head. Suri sent him a tense smirk, more so in a mocking shape as he struggled to complete his sentence. After consideration, Baldrick chose to concede humiliation and bow to her.
“That is all I wished to say.”
“Oh, I see.”
An awkward moment of tense silence came between them, ended only as Baldrick coughed and turned to his side.
“Well, we will see if your artwork has a persuasive effect on those still unconvinced.”
Suri nodded but offered nothing more.
Baldrick raised his cape and bowed, “Baphomet be with you.”
Suri nodded, “And God with our cause.”
One week later, on an early Sunday evening, the entire Templar Order made their way to the meeting chamber by order of Grand Master Bérard. In that week to follow, Suri would not achieve the total influence she desired of the entire castle, specifically the knights of the southern section, but the influence was nevertheless present everywhere. Bérard was present at his podium, and with Guillaume to his side, there was a positive energy among the dissenting Templar knights that victory was to be announced. Suri, more than anyone, felt optimistic about this surprise meeting, evident by her strutting. Sir Egbert, who walked with her, was not a fan of her behavior.
“Suri, please.”
“What?”
He grimaced, “This is not some fashion show; show some respect within these walls.”
“I apologize,” she said in the direction of the cross. “It is simply a good day, and it seems everyone agrees with me.”
Egbert examined the many knights around the chambers, most of whom planted their eyes onto him and Suri.
“Yes, yes, I would have to concur that everyone does seem to agree with you…” As they reached the front of the room, two knights vacated their seat for Suri and Egbert. “I noticed you have seemingly befriended every knight within this chamber. Quite randomly, I must add.”
Suri sat with a cocky grin, “Oh, it is not random.”
“Indeed?”
“Indeed.” She crossed her arms. “Wait and see.”
Sir Egbert, too, crossed his arms, “I know you are up to something, Suri.” She dropped her grin ever so slightly and looked him in the eyes. “I know that glint.”
Suri’s cross-armed posture changed into a relaxed, behind the neck one. “Glint? I haven’t a clue what you are talking about, really.”
Grand Master Bérard rang a bell five times, silencing the chatter in the room. Guillaume arose from his seat.
“The chamber shall now be silent for the opening prayer.”
Unexpectedly, rowdiness occurred from the crowd of knights that included booing. Guillaume’s eyes became massive in response to the booing, never before witnessing such a straying from orderly manner. Bérard did not react in the slightest to the revolt, but did turn his gaze down to Sir Egbert, who returned the eye contact, then turned tired eyes onto Suri—she beamed and shrugged.
Despite the insubordination, the Grand Master said, “Continue, and see who dares interrupt God.”
Guillaume bit his lip, then proceeded to say, “Lord, God, we your humble defenders of the faith gather here this evening to settle one of man’s disputes once and for all.” Sounds of discontent continued even through the prayer, but became quieter until silent. “Lord, grant us boldness, reason, productivity in our discussion that serves only you, mighty God. Amen.”
The entire room echoed the final word, putting aside their dissent in the name of uniformity and faith. With the prayer out of the way, Guillaume sat down, and Bérard stood from his own seat. All eyes came onto the Grand Master, who remained without expression, as if this were merely everyday business. While Guillaume conceded many looks of nervousness through the intro of this meeting, Bérard appeared to make it a personal mission to show no fear of his knights.
“Tradition and faith in the Lord is the cotton lining that keeps the Templar Order strong and united. God granted man the ability to protest so that his word can be argued even when one seeks to deny or even attempt to destroy evidence of his word. With that said, we honorable many have for many years maintained this Templar institution that has, in effect, become bound to its own traditions and laws inspired by God’s own.” Bérard’s eyes widened and his jawline flexed a little as he emphasized, “You have all dismissed tradition by denying the Grand Master his personal choice of successor.”
Some murmurs of discontent were sounded from the crowd, but for the most part, the Grand Master’s speech was respected. At this point, Bérard let out a sigh and waved his hand to Guillaume, a move that created louder complaints.
“Sir Guillaume was my chosen knight to succeed me when I die, for he demonstrates a proven capacity for leadership, an understanding of our enemy and allies alike, is adaptive to changes in the holy land, and most of all, knows the Templar Order well. I did not choose Guillaume out of some menacing or self-serving reason, but because I felt he is the right choice.”
Suri, with a quirked mouth, paid attention to the sounds of her fellow knights, trying to determine without looking if she still had everyone on her side. Her eyes soon returned to Guillaume, wondering if there was any way she could challenge Bérard on his decision. She did not know Guillaume well enough to speak to his flaws, but he knew Egbert well enough to speak of his strengths. This is where she chose to invest her thinking for the time.
Bérard continued, “I realize now that my decision has provoked very passionate feelings from you all. You have all made it very clear to me that there is popular demand for the rise of a Grand Master Egbert, who possesses his own different but unique strengths.” The mentioning of Sir Egbert and this hypothetical promotion caused the room to clap and cheer. The Grand Master looked down at Guillaume and offered him a helpless shrug, then looked on to the crowd. “As such, if it would please the discoursing majority of this order, I now invite Sir Egbert to rise and offer his response to your demands.”
Suri smiled and turned her head quickly, but was not quick enough as Sir Egbert had already began walking off, as though he knew this invitation was coming. Her smile faded even while everyone else celebrated.
Egbert made his way up to the Grand Master’s podium, where he shook hands with the Grand Master and said something with a laugh, causing Bérard to laugh back in a more stressed manner. Suri’s eyes were fixated on her teacher and her mouth left open.
As Bérard stepped aside to the vacant pedestal and podium to the left, Egbert stood before the crowd and waited for the applause to die down. He gripped the podium by its sides and smacked his lips around in deep thought. Once the room silenced itself, he rolled his gaze up, having formed the words he wanted.
“Huh, Grand Master. My mother would be so angry.” His joke drew in the laughter he aimed for, except from Suri. “Yes, succession of a Grand Master is certainly a very delicate matter, indeed.” He breathed in and said, “In Jülich, we have a saying that I always disliked: ‘The aspiring pack leader rises through thievery.’” Egbert burrowed his brows. “Steal food from others, take what they feel is owed through superior feelings and strength.” He shook his head. “I do not wish to become leader by stealing from a man who has earned it.”
Suri shut her eyes and let out a long, exasperated sigh. Following her was an outpouring of protest to his humble behavior. Sir Egbert blocked the protesting by smirking for a moment, closing his eyes, and then opening them on Suri. He did not wait for the crowd to silence this time.
“Your frustration is understandable, I and many of you share a history of losing battles that we worked tirelessly for. Sometimes we do everything right—we take every calculable move possible and execute it perfectly, only to lose in the end.” He put his hands together and dropped the bomb, “The truth is, none of you ever had a chance at convincing the Grand Master to appoint me for successor for a very simple reason.” He grinned with his teeth out, finding some humor in this revelation. “I was already offered the position of Grand Master long before Guillaume was offered it. I rejected his invitation.”
This announcement took Suri out of her seat, leaving her standing with wide eyes. Everyone else became loud with surprise and discontentment. The Crimean Goth was the only one in the crowd standing and therefore the competing center of attention. Egbert, appropriately, chose to directly face her, as if speaking to her one-on-one.
“I rejected because I do not want to be Grand Master. At the risk of demoralizing the community, I do not know what must be done at this point to win the Crusade. I see a bleak situation that calls for extraordinary—in fact, divine—measures to be taken.” Egbert waved a hand to his right. “Guillaume sees the situation differently. He sees a practical effect forward, therefore, is the right man to one day succeed the Grand Master.” He ended his speech with eyes still on Suri, “Do you understand?”
While many supportive voices in the crowd began to wave around the place, Suri clenched her fists, and with watery eyes excused herself from the chamber, making a scene by walking off toward the entrance. It was a humiliating and frustrating moment for her with everyone watching her disobedience.
Grand Master Bérard stood up with fury, “Su-”
“Grand Master,” Egbert quickly intercepted. “If I may make a request of you.”
Bérard exhaled, “You needn’t make it. Do what you think is right.”
Egbert nodded, then finally stepped away from the Grand Master’s podium—a position he was unlikely to ever find himself in again.
With a snap of his fingers, Guillaume formulated, “Do you two think Suri was behind the protest?”
Egbert and Bérard looked at each other with tired eyes.
A sunset was cast over the ocean, and a fair distance away from the castle, Suri sat against a tree and gazed west into the Mediterranean. She, like so many, appeared tired, but not just because of the failed Grand Master push. She sat alone and dangled around her star necklace, letting her mind chaotically race on a plethora of topics. She could not control her rapidly evolving anger and sadness.
“I even knew which tree you would be sitting against,” Sir Egbert’s voice declared.
Suri responded, “I wasn’t hiding from you.”
With hands behind his back, he approached her side and continued, “Yes, I am the only knight who comes here, after all.” Suri’s eyes remained on the water, intentionally trying to ignore him. “A lot of important people had an opportunity to speak in that meeting—all but one, really.”
With anger, she complained at the ocean, “Why did you reject the offer to be Grand Master when it is the most obvious path forward?”
“I explained that already, Suri. I was not the correct candidate.”
Suri turned her head to look at him, “You are the correct candidate! You are the best, most deserving of them all. You would have beaten Baybars and his minions and saved the holy land.” She crossed her arms over her knees and allowed tears to run from both eyes. “You are too good for this cruel world… I would never have been put down that well if you were among those bishops…”
“Have faith in God, Suri. Pain, defeat, and uncertainty are all elements of his plan for us.”
“What plan had me put down a well? What plan had Yaktovus destroyed? Safed massacred by Baybars?”
Egbert raised a brow, “You doubt God?” He crossed his arms, defending, “You did end up escaping from the well and finding a new family.”
She sighed, “Yes.”
“It took hundreds of years for the answer to that tragedy to come. I say we wait and see what answer God one day produces for Safed.”
Again, she sighed, “Yes, I hope I do not have to wait long for that answer.”
“As for me, understand that I am content with my path. It is not a punishment that I turned down the opportunity. Leadership comes in filled pockets both small and large. I would rather be a leader with smaller pockets to carry than the massive pockets Guillaume will one day burden himself with.”
Suri wiped her eyes, then asked, “Do you sincerely approve of Guillaume? Be honest.”
“I do.”
“Very well.” Suri rested her head back against the bark. “Then I will approve of him, too.”
Sir Egbert smirked, but then closed his eyes and thought about how to bring up a tense topic. Suri, in the meantime, returned to her ocean staring, affording him the time to think of the right words.
“Suri, you are a natural leader, but you must be very conscious of the responsibilities a natural leader holds.” He looked onto the ocean with her. “There are people, like you, who possess the ability to inspire men and women to follow—just by existing. It is both a gift and a curse, and you must exercise better caution.”
Suri whipped her head around at him, seemingly offended, “It is not my fault if people wish to follow me. I did not lead that charge to have you installed, I simply marched, and they followed.”
“But you must know when to reject their loyalty, lest you risk your followers marching into their own destruction.”
Suri launched up to her feet, loudly asserting, “If you are insinuating that I am the reason Yaktovus was destroyed, you need to think once more and then some!” Egbert’s eyes became massive, unexpectedly tripping a sensitive topic. “The Goths followed me on their own, I did not tell them to follow. I simply lived as I still do, and they chose to model their beliefs after my own. Do not try and accuse me of leading them to their death.”
Sir Egbert shook his head, “What… are… you… talking about..?”
“Understand, Egbert, that I am not responsible for anyone who walks behind me. Those Goths who chose to stand behind me, those ‘half-converts,’ I did not preach to them, I did not tell them to think as I do. These knights who supported you today, I did not ask them to follow me, they simply followed. Did I sometimes suggest that they do little favors for the cause? Perhaps, but their decision to follow me was their own, and I do not accept any responsibility!”
Egbert became tempered himself, “Suri, that is utterly childish.”
“Is it utterly childish to lead men into battle to die!?”
“If they are appointed to a commander in the grace of God, then no.” He faced her for the first time. “The difference is that when people see a powerful, immortal woman of God, they are susceptible to a natural influence. You must know when to fight your own influential nature, otherwise people will follow you into the most treacherous of situations!”
Suri was having none of it, completely blocking off his argument, “It is not my responsibility. I make no claim to leadership—never have. So… those who are attracted to me, or my ideas, or causes, they are simply inspired, but not inferior to me.”
Egbert face palmed, “I am going to say this one more time and simply hope the message roots itself in your mind.” He put his hands together, stressing, “Unintended influence leads to unintended leadership. I believe that what occurred today was the result of frustration and misinformation, and therefore started out as intended influence and leadership.” Suri looked down, considering the possibility of this. “But there is no way you intentionally managed to pull the entire Templar Order to your cause in such short time, so the majority of the cause was unintentionally influenced.”
“Yes, but, I drew pictures of you and put them around the castle…”
“You believe some simple posters broke decades of tradition in mere days?” Suri shifted her jaw left and right in thought. “People followed because you are Suri, who radiates with natural influence. You are immortal, powerful, helpful, and considerate. If you plant the flag, people will come to you even without speaking a word.” He concluded, “You must know when it is time to call them out.”
Suri quirked her mouth, “Well…” She pressed her fingers together, quickly concluding herself, “Let us simply agree that today’s meeting was the result of a massive misunderstanding.”
Egbert allowed the matter to rest there. “Then let us return home. If we don’t sleep soon, we will not be rested enough for morning prayers.”
They walked off together, putting the debate of Grand Master succession behind them once and for all. Suri did not get what she wanted as nothing changed in the Templar Order’s succession, but there was nevertheless a different energy now present in the castle, as if Suri changed the very infrastructure of the Knights Templar throughout the weeks. It was perhaps arguable that she has, unintentionally, influenced the very identity of the Templar, for better or worse...
To be continued…
Chapter 9 < | > Chapter 11
==Chapter Summary==
# The chapter opens with Suri staying back in an encampment, cooking food for Sir Baldrick and their knights as they combat Islamic forces a distance away.
# Eventually, Baldrick and his men return to camp victorious and with looted gold. Suri points out that it is unusual for Muslim soldiers to be carrying around so much wealth, and therefore challenges that they were not actually soldiers of Sultan Baybars. The discussion ends without consequence, but Suri feels some concern that they have committed sin.
# Suri discusses Brunna with Baldrick, notably her theory that Brunna was exiled by Egyptians down a well, presuming that their experiences may match. Baldrick shoots down any possibility that they find Brunna if she is trapped somewhere in the vast lands of Egypt, but Suri retorts that enemies of Egypt may have captured her, therefore she could be outside of Egypt. Ultimately, Baldrick punts the discussion over to Sir Egbert, claiming he is more knowledgeable in Egyptian history. Baldrick does, however, make the radical claim that the Romans may have taken Brunna from Egypt, and that Brunna may, in fact, be trapped in Rome.
# A conversation about Rome takes center stage, with Suri becoming quickly convinced of the Rome theory. She believes that somewhere in Rome, she will find Brunna trapped in a well. Suri asks where she can find Rome's well and is mocked for this naivety. Suri chooses to close the discussion on this note, but sticks to her new belief that Brunna is in Rome.
# The conversational topic switches to Sir Egbert. Suri worries that Egbert is miserable, and that she wants to help him. Baldrick reveals to Suri that Egbert has had a stressful life of disappointments, born and raised in the Holy Roman Empire, he wished to reform the empire into a theocracy, but when this effort failed, he joined the Knights Templar to try and build character.
# Suri is disturbed by Baldrick's accidental slip that Egbert seemed to become especially depressed after Suri arrived into the Templar Order. After pressing him, Baldrick unknowingly cites the day when Egbert caught sight of Suri topless. Not wanting to expose her friend, Suri pretends not to know anything about that day.
# Suri tries to see the bright side, suggesting that Egbert's greatest days are still to come, and that the eventual passing of Grand Master Bérard will finally see Egbert become Grand Master. Baldrick breaks the bad news to Suri that Guillaume de Beaujeu has already been named the successor, not Egbert.
# In a fury, Suri talks the camp into seeing the error of this decision, and convinces everyone that Sir Egbert is the ideal successor to be Grand Master. Baldrick is the key player who takes Suri's side, and together, they agree to return to Acre and try to convince knights to help make Egbert the successor.
# That following week, during lunchtime, Suri intercepts the custodian for the western side of the castle and brings him over to their mess hall table. Over the course of a week, a large number of knights have taken to Suri's cause, and altogether they pressure the custodian to help spread their message. By now, Suri has refined her messaging to emphasize that a Grand Master Egbert would prioritize bringing new generations of Christians flocking to the Templar Order, rather than sticking to flawed traditions for the sake of appeasing the other holy orders.
# Sir Egbert notices the meeting at this table and checks on Suri, paranoid of her. She does not reveal to him what they are doing, simply passing it off as a friendly meal. When later asked why Suri would not tell Egbert about their cause, she confesses that she believes he would try and stop her.
# A week or so later, Guillaume is summoned to the Grand Master's chamber for an emergency meeting. There Bérard reveals to Guillaume artwork of Sir Egbert calling for him to take over as successor, one of many fliers mysteriously emerging around the castle. Guillaume is concerned that Bérard will bow to popular demand and transfer the succession to Egbert, but Bérard reassures him that his choice is final. Bérard makes clear that if he concedes to demands, then he is allowing the title of Grand Master to be underminded and for a bad precedent to be established. Bérard does, however, have a suspicion that the instigator behind this is Suri, but fears what might happen if he acts against her.
# On another day, Suri is in the meeting chamber alone, working on yet another flier featuring Egbert. A knight approaches her with the surprising news that every single knight of the northern side of the castle is now part of her cause. This sends Suri into a shock, recalling that it was the northern knights of Acre that once banned her from entering their side of the castle, and that most of them wanted her sent to Rome or even back to the Crimea. Conversely, she is shocked to learn that it is the knights of the southern section that are still mostly loyal to Guillaume, despite being the side that originally allowed her to walk freely.
# As Baldrick is entering the room, he catches Suri ordering the knight to investigate the southern side of the castle and figure out why they are not supporting her cause. Baldrick becomes furious with her, asserting that she does not have any authority to be giving orders to knights.
# A major argument erupts with Suri defending that she did not by choice create followers, but that they naturally came to her. She further defends that if she is to have followers she did not ask for, she may as well instruct them. Baldrick demands that Suri refrain from issuing future orders, which she has little problem accepting.
# Embarrassingly for Baldrick, when Suri asks what it is he wanted with her to begin with, he catches himself about to ask Suri for direction on what to do next for their cause. Realizing the hypocrisy, he stops himself. He wishes Baphomet's strength on her, then leaves.
# Another week later, an emergency evening meeting is called by Grand Master Bérard. Suri walks into the meeting chamber alongside Sir Egbert, but is acting boastful knowing that this meeting was likely concerning the overwhelming amount of support her cause gained. Egbert lectures her on this behavior, to which she acknowledges that it is a good day and that everyone agrees with her. Egbert, in turn, acknowledges that everyone does appear to agree with her.
# Guillaume moves forward with the pre-meeting prayer, but is interrupted by booing.
# Bérard gives his speech, acknowledging the elephant in the room that no one wanted Guillaume as leader, while also tackling the issue of the knights all breaking with tradition of respecting the Grand Master's choice. Bérard explains why he chose Guillaume before inviting Egbert up to the Grand Master's podium. Everyone was delighted by this, but Suri could sense something was wrong.
# Sir Egbert, once on the podium, is rather blunt in stating that he does not want to take away Guillaume's position. The crowd is upset by this, assuming this to be a consequence of his humble nature, but he then makes the grand reveal that he had already been offered the successor role, but turned it down long ago. This reveal struck Suri so harshly that she was the only person to come out of her seat.
# Egbert confesses that he does not believe there is any way of winning the Crusades without divine intervention, therefore, disqualifying him as a suitable Grand Master. He acknowledges that unlike him, Guillaume does have optimism, and therefore the better fit.
# When all of this is said, Suri removes herself from the room without permission. Egbert convinces Bérard to forgive her insubordination.
# Later, Suri is found sitting by a tree next to the shoreline, the same place Egbert took her long ago when he saw her topless. Suri's emotions are running rampantly as she thinks uncontrollably about many different things. Sir Egbert, knowing this is where she would be, tracks her down to this very tree and talks with her.
# Suri demands to know why he truly rejected the grandmastership, but Egbert reasserts his position. She then subtly reveals that the true nature of her cause wasn't because she thinks he is the best leader, but because she strongly believed that he deserved it. She vents that if Egbert had been among the bishops that came to Yaktovus centuries ago, she would have never been exiled down the well.
# Eventually, Egbert lectures Suri on her not being careful with the strong, natural influence she radiates with due to her immortality and powers. To his surprise, Suri rejects any and all responsibility she has ever had for those who follow her. The discussion quickly triggers a sensitive area, leading her to accuse him of insinuating that she was the reason Yaktovus was destroyed centuries ago when many within Yaktovus decided to become 'half-converts' alongside her. She furthermore rejects all responsibility for the men that so recently followed her in protesting Guillaume.
# Ultimately, Suri acknowledges that she is very influential due to her exotic being, but completely rejects any responsibility for those who are influenced by her. She asserts that it is their fault if they follow her to their own doom.
# They agree to disagree for the time being, with Suri simplifying the ordeal of the past weeks as one big misunderstanding. Nevertheless, there is a feeling in the air that there is a much larger albeit subtle consequence to her influencing within the Knights Templar that she realizes.
==Author Notes==
====Saracen Gold====
Although seemingly a bit random, my intention with the brief debate about the nature of the gold was to indicate the possibility that Sir Baldrick attacked mounted men without fully investigating their allegiance. This was a very subtle way of keeping the Knights Templar from being presented too righteously in the story. It also served a dual purpose of clarifying that while Suri is a Templar and seeking a Crusader victory, she is not very zealous. This concentration is to make sure Suri has a pathway back to her Tale of Two Godcrafts values.
====The Power of Influence====
The whole purpose of this chapter was to clearly demonstrate that Suri, who is very powerful, is not just powerful because of her ability to heal wounds or live thousands of years, but also due to her natural influencing. I believe (in the case of Selina just as well) that a person with the kind of abilities and endless longevity that Suri possesses would have a lot of influence over the population around them, even if unintentional. The danger of Suri is that she has a childish manner of approaching this fact, outright refusing to accept that she has to be mindful of the people around her and how strongly aligned they become to her. The topic of influence is something that will be a constant factor throughout Shrouded Piety, and those who once read Tale of Two Godcrafts can probably think of similar incidents where Suri's mere existence inspired the rise of followers that she refused to control.
====A Very Long Delay====
This chapter, I found, was extraordinarily difficult to write. The chapter itself took far more than a year to write, surely as a consequence of being busy, but I would argue even more than that due to writer's block. This particular chapter came with extreme complexity to write for, especially due to the need to effectively capture the influential danger that Suri can potentially be. The real consequence of this delay is that those reading the chapter may detect inconsistencies with every scene, as each scene was written many months apart from one another. The only scenes in this chapter written within days of each other were the final two scenes.
==Chapter Illustration==
This chapter illustration attempted many new ideas. The drawing first started as a sketch which featured just Suri, the background, and simple lines to indicate the direction of light. Once scanned, the sketch was transferred to Adobe Photoshop. Whereas traditionally the strategy at this point would be to trace over the sketch, this instance instead utilized the sketch itself for the line art, simply applying an oil effect to the sketched lines to make the image bleed. Color was then applied over the sketch. This was also the first ever Siontix Realm chapter illustration to experiment with AI, as the background was slightly altered with AI technology simply to try and give it more consistency with the light rays. The background retains its original design almost entirely, but was thrown to AI to generate a more polished final appearance.
The image was prepared through paper and pencil, Adobe Photoshop, and assisted by AI.