I think I need admin 10 to form Italy, so it's a long way off. Plus Naples's colour looks a lot better.
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I think I need admin 10 to form Italy, so it's a long way off. Plus Naples's colour looks a lot better.
If he has Lombardia he only needs Admin 10 but that's a whiles away
Broken
The wind blowing in from the Mediterranean whipped past the Archangel Michael as he stood upon the edge of a cliff in Sicily. Everything was so calm and quiet here now that the Aragonese had been driven from the island. It had only taken a few days to cleanse the island, since the infected had nowhere to run. He much preferred it here than northern Italy. Here there was the sea separating him from the many problems of the world. It made his burdens a bit more bearable, at least for awhile.
Michael nudged his feet forward until his toes dangled over the edge of the cliff. His balance remained steady even as the wind pushed against him. His cloak snapped back and forth in the wind behind him until he released the clasp and let it fly off into the air. It fluttered wildly for a moment before spiralling around and down into the sea far below. The waves caught it and dragged it into the rocks that lined the cliff. The archangel hoped he would not meet a similar fate.
With his cloak out of the way, Michael spread his wings. His right wing still bent at a slightly odd angle, but with slow persistence the archangel forced it to extend to its full length. He winced as pain shot through his shoulder and the wing folded back a bit. Bracing himself against the pain, he forced the wing back out. His damaged wing felt like it was about to break off his back, but he refused to fold it back in. He would overcome this.
Michael closed his eyes and focused on the sensation of the wind blowing through his feathers on his wings. It was a soothing feeling, at least for his left wing. His right still ached stubbornly, but he refused to let it bother him. Thoughts flowed out of his mind as he focused on nothing but the moment. When his mind was at last empty, the archangel leaned forward and let himself fall off the cliff ledge.
The wind whipped against Michael’s face and through his hair as he plummeted through the air, pinning his wings to his back. He opened his eyes and watched as the sharp rocks drew closer and closer. The archangel felt no fear, only determination. He would not give in to weakness. Just as it seemed that he was going to dash against the rocks, the archangel spread his wings out. They caught the wind and lifted him up, allowing him to glide away from the rocks and out over the water. He’d done it at last.
A smile spread across Michael’s face. He was flying again, after being unable to ever since he landed down on Earth. The sensation was liberating, as though nothing could hold him back. He went to fly up higher, pushing with his wings to gain height. As he did so, his right wing cramped and he instinctively pulled it in close. With only one wing extended, his lost his lift and spiralled down into the sea. He hit the Mediterranean with a big splash, water spraying up in all directions.
After swimming back up the surface, Michael let out an angry growl and slammed his fists against the water’s surface. He’d been so close, yet had failed. He looked up at the sky, wanting nothing more than to fly out in the open amongst the clouds. A few seagulls flew by, squawking at him as though they found his predicament amusing. The archangel ignored them and began the long swim back to shore. He’d get there eventually. He would not let himself remain broken forever.
* * * * *
I've decided that for the next little while that I'm only going to update this AAR twice a week. My iAAR is consuming a lot of time and honestly I'm not feeling too inspired at the moment, which makes it very difficult to write updates. I'm hoping that by cutting back in the number of updates a week, it'll give me the leeway to write out some updates freely without forcing them out and thus making my work suffer. I hope everyone understands.
The wind blowing in from the Mediterranean whipped past the Archangel Michael as he stood upon the edge of a cliff in Sicily. Everything was so calm and quiet here now that the Aragonese had been driven from the island. It had only taken a few days to cleanse the island, since the infected had nowhere to run. He much preferred it here than northern Italy. Here there was the sea separating him from the many problems of the world. It made his burdens a bit more bearable, at least for awhile.
Michael nudged his feet forward until his toes dangled over the edge of the cliff. His balance remained steady even as the wind pushed against him. His cloak snapped back and forth in the wind behind him until he released the clasp and let it fly off into the air. It fluttered wildly for a moment before spiralling around and down into the sea far below. The waves caught it and dragged it into the rocks that lined the cliff. The archangel hoped he would not meet a similar fate.
With his cloak out of the way, Michael spread his wings. His right wing still bent at a slightly odd angle, but with slow persistence the archangel forced it to extend to its full length. He winced as pain shot through his shoulder and the wing folded back a bit. Bracing himself against the pain, he forced the wing back out. His damaged wing felt like it was about to break off his back, but he refused to fold it back in. He would overcome this.
Michael closed his eyes and focused on the sensation of the wind blowing through his feathers on his wings. It was a soothing feeling, at least for his left wing. His right still ached stubbornly, but he refused to let it bother him. Thoughts flowed out of his mind as he focused on nothing but the moment. When his mind was at last empty, the archangel leaned forward and let himself fall off the cliff ledge.
The wind whipped against Michael’s face and through his hair as he plummeted through the air, pinning his wings to his back. He opened his eyes and watched as the sharp rocks drew closer and closer. The archangel felt no fear, only determination. He would not give in to weakness. Just as it seemed that he was going to dash against the rocks, the archangel spread his wings out. They caught the wind and lifted him up, allowing him to glide away from the rocks and out over the water. He’d done it at last.
A smile spread across Michael’s face. He was flying again, after being unable to ever since he landed down on Earth. The sensation was liberating, as though nothing could hold him back. He went to fly up higher, pushing with his wings to gain height. As he did so, his right wing cramped and he instinctively pulled it in close. With only one wing extended, his lost his lift and spiralled down into the sea. He hit the Mediterranean with a big splash, water spraying up in all directions.
After swimming back up the surface, Michael let out an angry growl and slammed his fists against the water’s surface. He’d been so close, yet had failed. He looked up at the sky, wanting nothing more than to fly out in the open amongst the clouds. A few seagulls flew by, squawking at him as though they found his predicament amusing. The archangel ignored them and began the long swim back to shore. He’d get there eventually. He would not let himself remain broken forever.
* * * * *
I've decided that for the next little while that I'm only going to update this AAR twice a week. My iAAR is consuming a lot of time and honestly I'm not feeling too inspired at the moment, which makes it very difficult to write updates. I'm hoping that by cutting back in the number of updates a week, it'll give me the leeway to write out some updates freely without forcing them out and thus making my work suffer. I hope everyone understands.
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- 1
Looks like Michael wants to leave the problems on Earth behind him. The scenes he must see aren't pretty and one cannot blame the archangel for wanting to escape.
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End of a Rivalry
December of 1455 started off fairly uneventful with the only exciting event of note being the repayment on the final loan, meaning Naples was no longer in debt. This was met with much less enthusiasm than when Hungary attacked Austria. That was one more enemy who would be too preoccupied to be that much of a threat.
The New Year brought battle with the Swiss, who were trying to take Graubünden, something that could not be allowed. Their army wasn’t exactly that big of a threat, and even without a proficient general the army assigned to the attack easily defeated the Swiss. It was then a matter of hunting down the remains.
The army, freed up from taking on the Swiss, split to siege St. Gallen and Waldstatte. The final Milanese province was already controlled by rebels. Unable to fight back, the small army sent into the province raided the Milanese treasury and made off with their money. They’d be funding Naples’s war efforts once again.
Just because the Neapolitan army was doing well again on the northern front didn’t mean that Naples could neglect building up the army. Another four infantry and one cavalry regiments were recruited down in Central Italy.
A strange meeting occurred in February. A diplomat arrived from Savoy begging for Renato to accept a concession of defeat. What surprised the king was that this diplomat was not diseased at all, rather than his enemy giving in. When questioned, he merely stated that his king had a priest at court who could perform miracles. He would not elaborate further. Unable to get any more out of him, Renato demanded that Savoy pay him an indemnity. The diplomat was unsure if it would be accepted, but was willing to return to Savoy to speak to his king. Michael requested to accompany him, and did so. He returned with a peace treaty in Naples’s favour.
The Aragonese navy still sat outside Napoli, trapping the Neapolitan navy in port. Renato ordered the construction of five more galleys, which would give Naples the numbers if they could finally utilize them. They needed to watch out for the Venetian navy as well.
In March spies reported a battle in Konstanz where the Wurttemberg army was destroyed by Augsburg. One less enemy to worry about. The news was certainly met with much more fanfare than when the Austrians routed the Aquileian army next to Treviso.
The people of Calabria continued to face blockade, although they didn’t let that deter them. Renato continued to ensure they were properly supplied, for they were a hardy people who never gave in to the enemy. They certainly complained less than some of the merchants, who were quite annoyed with the continued state of world affairs. Trade was not easy with everyone trying to kill everyone else, but Renato refused to listen to their complaints. If they couldn’t handle what was going on in the world, that was their problem.
Renato was not surprised in June to receive a war declaration from Milan. Obviously the country was still angry that Naples had raided their treasury, but there was nothing that Milan could do with rebels controlling their countryside.
The much bigger threat was Austria. Two regiments tried to sneak into Trent, but the army moved quickly to intervene. Things looked glum when an army of 13,000 Austrians was spotted in Lienz on the way to join the battle. As usual, General Carlo Gori ordered all spare regiments to separate from nearby sieges to come to the aid of the beleaguered army. It was soon clear though that they didn’t have the numbers. The two armies besieging Switzerland were ordered east to help. Their arrival was just what Gori needed to drive the Austrians from Naples.
The 27th of August proved to be a momentous day. After getting butchered by Castile, Aragon had finally lost the will to fight. With Sicily and Malta firmly in Naples’s control, Renato saw no more need to be at war with Aragon. Using Michael as an intermediary, he was able to get Aragon to agree to pay Naples and renounce their claim on Malta. Renato suspected the claim meant nothing when every country was arbitrarily attacking each other, but it was still a victory. Naples had bested its greatest foe, and perhaps for the last time. With Aragon kicked out of Italy, Renato saw no more reason to be at war with them again. This also meant that Naples could focus its might north now that the south was secure. It was time to free Italy.
December of 1455 started off fairly uneventful with the only exciting event of note being the repayment on the final loan, meaning Naples was no longer in debt. This was met with much less enthusiasm than when Hungary attacked Austria. That was one more enemy who would be too preoccupied to be that much of a threat.
The New Year brought battle with the Swiss, who were trying to take Graubünden, something that could not be allowed. Their army wasn’t exactly that big of a threat, and even without a proficient general the army assigned to the attack easily defeated the Swiss. It was then a matter of hunting down the remains.
The army, freed up from taking on the Swiss, split to siege St. Gallen and Waldstatte. The final Milanese province was already controlled by rebels. Unable to fight back, the small army sent into the province raided the Milanese treasury and made off with their money. They’d be funding Naples’s war efforts once again.
Just because the Neapolitan army was doing well again on the northern front didn’t mean that Naples could neglect building up the army. Another four infantry and one cavalry regiments were recruited down in Central Italy.
A strange meeting occurred in February. A diplomat arrived from Savoy begging for Renato to accept a concession of defeat. What surprised the king was that this diplomat was not diseased at all, rather than his enemy giving in. When questioned, he merely stated that his king had a priest at court who could perform miracles. He would not elaborate further. Unable to get any more out of him, Renato demanded that Savoy pay him an indemnity. The diplomat was unsure if it would be accepted, but was willing to return to Savoy to speak to his king. Michael requested to accompany him, and did so. He returned with a peace treaty in Naples’s favour.
The Aragonese navy still sat outside Napoli, trapping the Neapolitan navy in port. Renato ordered the construction of five more galleys, which would give Naples the numbers if they could finally utilize them. They needed to watch out for the Venetian navy as well.
In March spies reported a battle in Konstanz where the Wurttemberg army was destroyed by Augsburg. One less enemy to worry about. The news was certainly met with much more fanfare than when the Austrians routed the Aquileian army next to Treviso.
The people of Calabria continued to face blockade, although they didn’t let that deter them. Renato continued to ensure they were properly supplied, for they were a hardy people who never gave in to the enemy. They certainly complained less than some of the merchants, who were quite annoyed with the continued state of world affairs. Trade was not easy with everyone trying to kill everyone else, but Renato refused to listen to their complaints. If they couldn’t handle what was going on in the world, that was their problem.
Renato was not surprised in June to receive a war declaration from Milan. Obviously the country was still angry that Naples had raided their treasury, but there was nothing that Milan could do with rebels controlling their countryside.
The much bigger threat was Austria. Two regiments tried to sneak into Trent, but the army moved quickly to intervene. Things looked glum when an army of 13,000 Austrians was spotted in Lienz on the way to join the battle. As usual, General Carlo Gori ordered all spare regiments to separate from nearby sieges to come to the aid of the beleaguered army. It was soon clear though that they didn’t have the numbers. The two armies besieging Switzerland were ordered east to help. Their arrival was just what Gori needed to drive the Austrians from Naples.
The 27th of August proved to be a momentous day. After getting butchered by Castile, Aragon had finally lost the will to fight. With Sicily and Malta firmly in Naples’s control, Renato saw no more need to be at war with Aragon. Using Michael as an intermediary, he was able to get Aragon to agree to pay Naples and renounce their claim on Malta. Renato suspected the claim meant nothing when every country was arbitrarily attacking each other, but it was still a victory. Naples had bested its greatest foe, and perhaps for the last time. With Aragon kicked out of Italy, Renato saw no more reason to be at war with them again. This also meant that Naples could focus its might north now that the south was secure. It was time to free Italy.
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Interesting...you could also turtle in Italy once you have all of the required land to form Italy or you could use your easily defensible position to blob into the Balkans, the HRE, or France and then Iberia.
Iberia is probably the best choice since I need to take out Castile before they get too blobby.
Better do that soon, before they start colonizing. Then they'll be impossible to destroy.
I've seen timelapses where they blob heavily in the Americas while still at war. It's not pretty.I have a feeling the AI doesn't colonize when they're eternally at war.
Interesting. What spies could possibly go into such dangerous lands, and live?
God, now you made me want a spy thriller update!Very good ones.
God, now you made me want a spy thriller update!
Lol, more stuff to write about. I'm having a hard enough time just trying to write an update, period.
Colonizing actually isn't a big help in this mod. The natives are extremely rich and strong as they get insane boni for being at peace. All of the Americas are quickly filled by countries, and thanks to the diplomatic reputation any CN has immediate 100% liberty desire... Colonizing won't help Castile at all. It is just their position that makes it so incredibly strong. A native game in this mod is very interesting, and when the Europeans arrive, they are very likely to find a few heavily blobbed incredibly rich Natives who can just drawn any European with unlimited manpower. Better abstain from colonies.
But good to see that there are some diplomats unaffected... until they are killed, of course.
But good to see that there are some diplomats unaffected... until they are killed, of course
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Colonizing actually isn't a big help in this mod. The natives are extremely rich and strong as they get insane boni for being at peace. All of the Americas are quickly filled by countries, and thanks to the diplomatic reputation any CN has immediate 100% liberty desire... Colonizing won't help Castile at all. It is just their position that makes it so incredibly strong. A native game in this mod is very interesting, and when the Europeans arrive, they are very likely to find a few heavily blobbed incredibly rich Natives who can just drawn any European with unlimited manpower. Better abstain from colonies.
But good to see that there are some diplomats unaffected... until they are killed, of course
Ah, I always wondered what would happen with the colonial nations. I figured they'd be impossible to maintain.
You'll see why these diplomats are unaffected in the next update.
Savoy’s Protector
The trip to Savoie was quite eventful. The carriage the Archangel Michael was travelling in with the Savoyard diplomat was attacked several times by the diseased. The two dozen guards assigned had seemed excessive when Michael first started out on the journey, but as they entered Savoy it soon became clear why they were needed as dozens of diseased swarmed the carriage on several occasions. The archangel himself had been forced to draw his sword and slay several of them to ensure they didn’t overrun the group. He preferred to heal those poor souls, but sometimes it could not be done. Even more disturbing was when a couple of the guards started to act aggressively, pushing around their comrades and the like. When two drew their swords and attacked each other, Michael knew something was wrong. After the two were tied down by the others, the archangel took a closer look. Their irises had gone black and inky veins filled the whites of their eyes, a clear sign of disease. Michael didn’t understand what was going on. These men had clearly been cured at some point, which should have made them immune. Was the plague overcoming the immunity? That thought frightened the archangel more than anything.
When they finally arrived at the Savoyard capital, Michael was surprised to find the city seemingly unaffected by the plague. People walked the streets at ease, shopping in the markets and chatting with their neighbours. The only thing that stood out as out of the ordinary was the large number of armed men manning the walls. The city was fortified as though it expected to be besieged at any moment. Michael expected that with diseased rampaging across the countryside, this was a way to keep them out of the city. How the people in the city remained unaffected by the plague was unknown. Michael asked the diplomat, but he kept mentioning this supposed priest that could perform miracles. The archangel would need to meet this priest.
The peace talks with the Savoyard king went better than expected. The king was stern, but at least sane. He knew that his country was outmatched, especially when he had to deal with the plague that made his own people so aggressive. He accepted the concessions presented by Michael, offering to pay an indemnity. He did warn the archangel that while the capital was at peace, the rest of the country was unrestrained. If the Savoyard people attacked Naples, it was not by the king’s will. Knowing how the plague worked in most regards, the archangel accepted this explanation. Perhaps it even explained why offers of peace had been made before and then broken. What wasn’t explained was how all these kings remained unaffected by the plague while the peasantry was afflicted. The archangel decided to spend a few days in the Savoyard capital, hoping to find an answer.
On the last day before his departure, Michael stood up on the battlements of the castle, looking out at the city before him. If he didn’t know better, one wouldn’t even know the plague existed by looking at this city. Everything was so calm and peaceful. He still had not solved the mystery of their cured state. Trying to find this miracle-working priest had turned up nothing. Everyone he spoke to said that the man was reclusive and no one knew where he lived. He only appeared when the king asked for his presence. Other than that, no one knew anything about him. Maybe he’d never find out what was truly going on.
Footsteps drew Michael out of his revelry. A cloaked figure walked up behind him and stood beside him on the battlements. The man pulled back his hood to reveal a boyish face and curly brown locks. The man looked as though he were in his early twenties and was lucky to be even five feet tall. Michael glanced over at him, wondering what he wanted.
“I believe you have been looking for me.” The man’s voice was smooth like silk and held a sense of certainty.
“You are the priest everyone spoke of then?” the archangel asked.
“Indeed. You probably have many questions for me, archangel.” The priest turned toward him, looking up at him with creamy brown eyes. “I will answer whatever you ask.”
Michael raised an eyebrow. He had not suspected this priest to come find him. He also had not expected a priest of such renown to be so young. “Very well. Who are you and how is it that you have cured these people? I can only assume this is your handiwork if the people at this court are calling you a miracle worker.”
The priest smiled as he looked out at the city. “I am indeed responsible for saving these people, although it is a continuous effort. This sinful plague of Lucifer’s is strong. As to who I am, I go by the name Matthias. I am just like you, although perhaps not as esteemed in the eyes of God.” The priest undid the drawstring of his cloak, letting it fall to the ground. Its removal revealed wings, about half the size of the archangel’s but wings nonetheless.
Michael smirked at the sudden answer to so many of his questions. An angel at work here in Savoy would explain how this city had been spared from the plague. “So you have been curing the people of Savoy, or at least their capital? It is good to see others doing the work of God.”
“I try my best, but it is a difficult task that is not always successful.”
The angel’s words reminded Michael of the incident days before with the guards. Why had people apparently cured by this angel succumbed to the plague anyway? “I take it that the plague has been much more difficult to combat than you had hoped?”
The angel Matthias remained silent for a moment as he stared out at the city before speaking again. “I have done all I can to save these people, but it is an endless task. I have heard word of your exploits in Naples and how Italy is being freed from the plague because of you. I wish I could say the same for here. Unfortunately, I do not possess the power that you do, otherwise Savoy would be cured by now.”
Michael tilted his head. “What do you mean by that?”
“When you cure people, they are cured permanently, are they not? I have heard no evidence to suggest otherwise.”
An image of Conquest came to mind, but Michael kept that to himself. That was one unusual occasion, but otherwise the angel was correct. “As far as I have seen, yes.”
“Well that is not the case here. When I cure someone, it is only temporary. They last maybe a week or two at the most before succumbing once more to the plague. Exposure to plague victims only hastens the process. It has taken all my effort just to keep this one city clean.”
Michael looked out at the city. There had to be thousands of people living there. “How are you even able to cure these people over and over again? There are surely too many to cure individually every week?”
“I have my ways,” Matthias said. “Perhaps you would like to see how?”
The angel had Michael intrigued. If Matthias had found a way to cure an entire city at once, Michael wanted to know how. He gave a small nod to answer the question.
Matthias stepped back from the archangel and faced the city. He took in a deep breath and raised his hands to the sky. He began to glow, faintly at first but then brighter with every second. Michael had to avert his eyes after a minute when the brightness became unbearable. Faint tendrils floated out over the city and sank down to the streets. They blanketed the capital like a web until the entire city was covered. Then black wisps began to slowly travel up the tendrils back to the angel. As the angel absorbed the wisps, he winced and the light he emitted fainted, but he did not stop. More and more flowed into him until he was covered in blackness. Matthias let out a pained groan before he collapsed to the ground, the tendrils disappearing and the black motes sinking into his skin.
Michael rushed over to the angel and turned him over so he faced upwards. The angel’s skin was ashy and covered in blackish veins. His eyes were clouded and pale. Raspy breaths escaped through his cracked lips. The angel looked as though he had been infected. The archangel needed to do something. He placed his hands on the angel’s chest, ready to help cure him.
Matthias’s hand snapped up and closed around Michael’s wrist before he could continue. “Do not try to cure me. I cannot let you be tainted as I am.”
Michael wanted to do it anyway, but the angel continued to give him a tense stare until he backed away. He shook his head and said, “I do not understand.”
Matthias took in several shaky breathes before speaking. “I must take the plague into myself if I wish to save these people. It is the only way to cure so many at once, otherwise they would succumb like the others. It is the least I can do in His name.”
The two remained quiet for several minutes, Michael feeling sorry for the angel and helpless to do anything. He could only watch as the angel’s complexion brightened and his skin smoothed. His eyes returned to their creamy brown as a smile spread across his face. He rose to his feet, good as new. “There, it is done.”
“That is a risky thing to do. You could become infected yourself.”
“That is true, but at least I have God’s influence on my side. These people have nothing. I am willing to risk myself if it means keeping these people safe. I can only hope that God looks out for me and keeps me safe while I do His work.”
A sad smile crossed Michael’s face. “The world would be so much better off if more angels and archangels shared your attitude.”
“The world would be much better off if Lucifer had stayed in Hell. Unfortunately, he was never one to follow the rules.” Without another word, Matthias grabbed his cloak, headed towards the stairwell, and left Michael to ponder his thoughts out on the battlements. He had much to consider.
* * * * *
It's becoming clear to me that I underestimated how much time my iAAR would take when I first started it. I'm finding it more difficult to write updates for this AAR, especially since I'm not very inspired at the moment. I've thus decided I'm cutting it loose from the game and swapping to purely narrative updates to speed up the plot and work towards a conclusion. I won't abandon this AAR, but I'd like it to end soon so I can move on to other things. I'll make sure though that it receives a proper ending at least.
The trip to Savoie was quite eventful. The carriage the Archangel Michael was travelling in with the Savoyard diplomat was attacked several times by the diseased. The two dozen guards assigned had seemed excessive when Michael first started out on the journey, but as they entered Savoy it soon became clear why they were needed as dozens of diseased swarmed the carriage on several occasions. The archangel himself had been forced to draw his sword and slay several of them to ensure they didn’t overrun the group. He preferred to heal those poor souls, but sometimes it could not be done. Even more disturbing was when a couple of the guards started to act aggressively, pushing around their comrades and the like. When two drew their swords and attacked each other, Michael knew something was wrong. After the two were tied down by the others, the archangel took a closer look. Their irises had gone black and inky veins filled the whites of their eyes, a clear sign of disease. Michael didn’t understand what was going on. These men had clearly been cured at some point, which should have made them immune. Was the plague overcoming the immunity? That thought frightened the archangel more than anything.
When they finally arrived at the Savoyard capital, Michael was surprised to find the city seemingly unaffected by the plague. People walked the streets at ease, shopping in the markets and chatting with their neighbours. The only thing that stood out as out of the ordinary was the large number of armed men manning the walls. The city was fortified as though it expected to be besieged at any moment. Michael expected that with diseased rampaging across the countryside, this was a way to keep them out of the city. How the people in the city remained unaffected by the plague was unknown. Michael asked the diplomat, but he kept mentioning this supposed priest that could perform miracles. The archangel would need to meet this priest.
The peace talks with the Savoyard king went better than expected. The king was stern, but at least sane. He knew that his country was outmatched, especially when he had to deal with the plague that made his own people so aggressive. He accepted the concessions presented by Michael, offering to pay an indemnity. He did warn the archangel that while the capital was at peace, the rest of the country was unrestrained. If the Savoyard people attacked Naples, it was not by the king’s will. Knowing how the plague worked in most regards, the archangel accepted this explanation. Perhaps it even explained why offers of peace had been made before and then broken. What wasn’t explained was how all these kings remained unaffected by the plague while the peasantry was afflicted. The archangel decided to spend a few days in the Savoyard capital, hoping to find an answer.
On the last day before his departure, Michael stood up on the battlements of the castle, looking out at the city before him. If he didn’t know better, one wouldn’t even know the plague existed by looking at this city. Everything was so calm and peaceful. He still had not solved the mystery of their cured state. Trying to find this miracle-working priest had turned up nothing. Everyone he spoke to said that the man was reclusive and no one knew where he lived. He only appeared when the king asked for his presence. Other than that, no one knew anything about him. Maybe he’d never find out what was truly going on.
Footsteps drew Michael out of his revelry. A cloaked figure walked up behind him and stood beside him on the battlements. The man pulled back his hood to reveal a boyish face and curly brown locks. The man looked as though he were in his early twenties and was lucky to be even five feet tall. Michael glanced over at him, wondering what he wanted.
“I believe you have been looking for me.” The man’s voice was smooth like silk and held a sense of certainty.
“You are the priest everyone spoke of then?” the archangel asked.
“Indeed. You probably have many questions for me, archangel.” The priest turned toward him, looking up at him with creamy brown eyes. “I will answer whatever you ask.”
Michael raised an eyebrow. He had not suspected this priest to come find him. He also had not expected a priest of such renown to be so young. “Very well. Who are you and how is it that you have cured these people? I can only assume this is your handiwork if the people at this court are calling you a miracle worker.”
The priest smiled as he looked out at the city. “I am indeed responsible for saving these people, although it is a continuous effort. This sinful plague of Lucifer’s is strong. As to who I am, I go by the name Matthias. I am just like you, although perhaps not as esteemed in the eyes of God.” The priest undid the drawstring of his cloak, letting it fall to the ground. Its removal revealed wings, about half the size of the archangel’s but wings nonetheless.
Michael smirked at the sudden answer to so many of his questions. An angel at work here in Savoy would explain how this city had been spared from the plague. “So you have been curing the people of Savoy, or at least their capital? It is good to see others doing the work of God.”
“I try my best, but it is a difficult task that is not always successful.”
The angel’s words reminded Michael of the incident days before with the guards. Why had people apparently cured by this angel succumbed to the plague anyway? “I take it that the plague has been much more difficult to combat than you had hoped?”
The angel Matthias remained silent for a moment as he stared out at the city before speaking again. “I have done all I can to save these people, but it is an endless task. I have heard word of your exploits in Naples and how Italy is being freed from the plague because of you. I wish I could say the same for here. Unfortunately, I do not possess the power that you do, otherwise Savoy would be cured by now.”
Michael tilted his head. “What do you mean by that?”
“When you cure people, they are cured permanently, are they not? I have heard no evidence to suggest otherwise.”
An image of Conquest came to mind, but Michael kept that to himself. That was one unusual occasion, but otherwise the angel was correct. “As far as I have seen, yes.”
“Well that is not the case here. When I cure someone, it is only temporary. They last maybe a week or two at the most before succumbing once more to the plague. Exposure to plague victims only hastens the process. It has taken all my effort just to keep this one city clean.”
Michael looked out at the city. There had to be thousands of people living there. “How are you even able to cure these people over and over again? There are surely too many to cure individually every week?”
“I have my ways,” Matthias said. “Perhaps you would like to see how?”
The angel had Michael intrigued. If Matthias had found a way to cure an entire city at once, Michael wanted to know how. He gave a small nod to answer the question.
Matthias stepped back from the archangel and faced the city. He took in a deep breath and raised his hands to the sky. He began to glow, faintly at first but then brighter with every second. Michael had to avert his eyes after a minute when the brightness became unbearable. Faint tendrils floated out over the city and sank down to the streets. They blanketed the capital like a web until the entire city was covered. Then black wisps began to slowly travel up the tendrils back to the angel. As the angel absorbed the wisps, he winced and the light he emitted fainted, but he did not stop. More and more flowed into him until he was covered in blackness. Matthias let out a pained groan before he collapsed to the ground, the tendrils disappearing and the black motes sinking into his skin.
Michael rushed over to the angel and turned him over so he faced upwards. The angel’s skin was ashy and covered in blackish veins. His eyes were clouded and pale. Raspy breaths escaped through his cracked lips. The angel looked as though he had been infected. The archangel needed to do something. He placed his hands on the angel’s chest, ready to help cure him.
Matthias’s hand snapped up and closed around Michael’s wrist before he could continue. “Do not try to cure me. I cannot let you be tainted as I am.”
Michael wanted to do it anyway, but the angel continued to give him a tense stare until he backed away. He shook his head and said, “I do not understand.”
Matthias took in several shaky breathes before speaking. “I must take the plague into myself if I wish to save these people. It is the only way to cure so many at once, otherwise they would succumb like the others. It is the least I can do in His name.”
The two remained quiet for several minutes, Michael feeling sorry for the angel and helpless to do anything. He could only watch as the angel’s complexion brightened and his skin smoothed. His eyes returned to their creamy brown as a smile spread across his face. He rose to his feet, good as new. “There, it is done.”
“That is a risky thing to do. You could become infected yourself.”
“That is true, but at least I have God’s influence on my side. These people have nothing. I am willing to risk myself if it means keeping these people safe. I can only hope that God looks out for me and keeps me safe while I do His work.”
A sad smile crossed Michael’s face. “The world would be so much better off if more angels and archangels shared your attitude.”
“The world would be much better off if Lucifer had stayed in Hell. Unfortunately, he was never one to follow the rules.” Without another word, Matthias grabbed his cloak, headed towards the stairwell, and left Michael to ponder his thoughts out on the battlements. He had much to consider.
* * * * *
It's becoming clear to me that I underestimated how much time my iAAR would take when I first started it. I'm finding it more difficult to write updates for this AAR, especially since I'm not very inspired at the moment. I've thus decided I'm cutting it loose from the game and swapping to purely narrative updates to speed up the plot and work towards a conclusion. I won't abandon this AAR, but I'd like it to end soon so I can move on to other things. I'll make sure though that it receives a proper ending at least.
- 4
I haven't ordered my computer yet, if I did, I would try to take over this but sadly I can't afford it quite yet.