"Back at it again Marcus? You know skipping Affinity control training isn't going to look good on the Paladins assessment."
Marcus, a tall man with broad shoulders currently dressed in leather training armor winced as if caught stealing. He was out in the large square, near the fountain containing the statue of an angelic lady praying, in front of the cathedral. He was entertaining a group of children, as he often did.
The people of the town of Saint Armingtons loved Marcus, not many of the other Acolytes took time out of their day to spend it with the "common" peoples. The majority of Acolytes were the sons and daughters of Nobles or wealthy enough families to be mistaken as such. All except for Marcus of course.
"Forget that, I actually have a reason for talking to you, you know."
Marcus looked back toward Rictor, who had become more serious suddenly,
"Oh? For once you're not just here to poke at me?"
Rictor put his hand on marcus's shoulder,
"My brother, you might be screwed, —
the sword trainer sent me for you." Rictor went on about how they both had to show up at the training garden and so on. Marcus turned back to the children, ignoring Rictor's babble, and gently patting the heads of the two closest to him.
"Remember to be good, and the Gods may decide to bless you."
Rictor had stopped yapping behind him, and threw his whole arm over Marcus's shoulder leaning heavily on him.
"Are you ready now?"
"Ready as I could be, I suppose."
They were walking back to the Cathedral across the square when Rictor finally asked what had been on his mind for a while.
"Why do you come out here every day brother."
Marcus paused, the question made him think back to the man he called father, the man he looked up to for so long, the paladin who had saved him when he was a boy even though they weren't actually related by blood he thought of him as so.
Marcus into Rictor's bright curious eyes,
"I do it because the kids need something to look up to, something good and heroic, what a Paladin should be."
"Youre trying to look like… A Heroic Paladin?" Rictor snickered.
"Dont say it like that."
Marcus puffed his chest pridefully as began to speak with a stalwart expression.
"Everyone should be allowed the right to dream, that out there it isn't all harsh and cruel, that there is always good, and doing good as that Heroic Paladin, spreading joy and helping people gives me purpose."
Rictor pitied his friend for his obviously rehearsed performance,
"My brother, you're not quite a paladin yet. I miss the old man too but,-"
"If I act like what i want to be, then i will eventually become it, right." Marcus gazed up at the sky,
Rictor looked up, following Marcus's gaze, toward floating banner hanging off the front of the cathedral, a memorial of the old paladin who had taken Marcus in.
Marcus grasped this sword tight,
"Cant you see? I can't let the old man down."
"Yeah okay, "big dreamer." You've got to start going to affinity training though, or else that "Heroic Paladin" isn't going to have any skills to fight EEEVILLL." Rictor laughed, giving marcus a nudge in the side
"Oof! Gods give me patience, before I have to show Rictor my heroic head smack." Marcus let out a relieving sigh and slung his arm over Rictor crossing over his.
"Alright then, better get going"
"Else the Priest will start quoting scripture till dawn." Groaned Marcus, "I don't think my hand could handle writing all that down"
#
Three men, Marcus, Rictor and another man wearing leather armor stood in the midst of a long courtyard, it was mostly dirt, but was surrounded by a lavish garden with tall walls of bush, tree, and vines. This was a training area, meant for the Paladin Order located at the Saint Armingtons Cathedral.
The Man with them was larger, more built than the two of them, older as well, with a warm yet grisly look about him. He was an instructor, a sword trainer and today he would be punishing two of the most unfortunate Paladin Acolytes, who just so happened to be caught skipping magic control training.
The instructor spiked his wooden blade into the dirt between his feet,
"Boys! Today I am to be your butcher." He took a sharp look at the two young men before him.
"You've been placed on my block to chop you up, toss you into the furnace, and make you into something better."
"Look at yourselves!" He slung his blade tip up toward the two,
"One of you can't even dress properly. How can you ever expect to pass the Paladins Assessment if you can't even follow a simple clothing mandate."
Marcus straightened his posture, with a slipping smirk. He was proud he wasn't the target of the instructor's fury. He always followed the rules of the Church, after all, his biggest dream was to become a true paladin someday, a Heroic Paladin. If it wasn't for Rictor, the unkempt man next to him, currently stuffing his shirt into his pants, Marcus wouldn't have been in this mess at all.
Marcus sighed deeply, looking at Rictor through the side of his eye.
"I can't believe you've gotten me into this, what was it you said you drug me along for."
Rictor had finished stuffing his shirt into his pants, and looked up at Marcus.
"Well a beautiful lady told me she needed help tending to her garden, and well obviously I thought she meant something else."
"And why did you think bringing me along was necessary?" Marcus said, sporting a confused face.
"I mean look at you, I thought it would be a good opportunity for a lonesome man such as yourself to learn the ways of women," Rictor snickered, then frowned,
"Unfortunately, she actually did need help, but not for the garden I had wished for."
Marcus raised his wooden sword toward the instructor and whispered toward Rictor,
"You're an idiot."
#
Birds chirped merrily as they swooped past the colorful Cathedral windows. The halls of the Cathedral were beautifully designed, being a Greater Cathedral, with its ornate ceilings, and beautifully accented walls, like the entire building was a large sculpture. Though it was nothing compared to the Cathedrals in larger, more important cities.
Marcus and Rictor came up to the end of a long hall, doors here and there on either side, all looking more important the further toward the end, and another larger door on the end alone
"The Bishop should be waiting inside, Marcus." Rictor spoke hesitantly.
"Did they say why he called on me specifically?" Marcus asked, looking forward toward the gilded door.
"You know they wouldn't –"
"Wouldn't tell an acolyte." Marcus interrupted.
"That's the life I suppose, for now at least. But I have a couple ideas as to why you're here."
Rictor continued,
"Here's hoping I'll see you later brother." Rictor swiftly returned down the hall.
Marcus stood before the looming door, taking in the fact he would come face to face with the Bishop of the Greater St. Armingtons Cathedral.
"This is the Life. –
– and for now I may only be an Acolyte, but I will become that Heroic Paladin. I need to.
"Soon I hope."
Marcus stood outside the dark Wooden door at the end of the hall, the intimidating size of the thing would make most wonder if it were even possible for a single man to heave it open with all his might. Marcus however, being familiar with the way things were at the cathedral and its many enchantments, knew there had to be some condition by which it would open with ease.
Must be a mechanism on the inside, likely a security measure in case of emergency.
Marcus thought, eyeing the edges of the massive doorway.
He took a substantial breath, gathering himself, this would be the first time he had seen the bishop, and that could only mean one of two things.
"Its either the worst punishment imaginable, and I get kicked out, or, maybe –
Marcus began to hear a creaking sound, ever so slight, coming from the hinge of the magnificent door. The nerves Marcus had been shoving down into the deepest pits of his belly began to rise again, the time for his meeting had arrived.
The door swung open swiftly as a large man in black crossed the threshold, he hadnt been watching where he was going and very nearly ran into Marcus as he came through.
Marcus noticed another man behind the first, certainly a small person, considering Marcus hardly noticed him behind the wide frame of the first.
The smaller whispered to the beast of a man,
"Watch yourself you beast, you nearly cracked right into that man." who was currently trying to squeeze through the gap between the big man holding the door and the door-frame.
Marcus couldn't tell anything about them, they were completely covered in black robes and cloaks, the only identifying factor he could observe was the size of their frame, and the voices that followed.
"Its no problem sir, the man merely brushed the space between us." Marcus said nodding his head slightly as a show of respect.
"Though if he had hit me I might have flung clear across the hall. He sure is a large one." Marcus joked.
The big man heaved a low, slow, almost grumbing chuckle from his belly. Strangely Marcus could smell a hint of an earthy scent as he did so.
That's not quite flowers, or grass, smells more like roots, fresh from the ground. Odd. Marcus was a little surprised, not having smelled such a strange scent from a man, Butwho am I, he thought, to judge a man on scent alone. He himself hadn't exactly often smelled pleasant, he had trained almost every day after all.
The men passed by Marcus and began down the hall. Marcus could still hear them from a distance as the hall allowed voices to travel quite a bit farther than an average space.
The little man stretched up, as to speak into the other's ear.
"He's a big one, almost as big as you Brute. Yes, he will do nicely I believe."
Marcus's attention shifted toward the room beyond the door.
The Bishop is just beyond that arch, and here I am anxious, shove it down Marcus. Your a Paladin Acolyte, act like one.
A voice came from just out of view beyond the door,
"Come in now Acolyte."
It was stern and strong, yet not harsh. Marcus could feel tension rising from within, he crept up to the door grasping the handle and pulling hesitantly.
That's the Bishop's voice? I had thought he would sound more… Old, or gruff even.
Marcus calmed a bit as he thought of how that Heroic Paladin he dreamed of being would respond.
"Acolyte Marcus Armadeus, reporting to summons sir." Marcus put his right fist to the center of his chest, and his left directly under as if holding an invisible longsword, this was known as the Paladins Salute, and a respectful nod was customary when adressing someone above your rank.
The Bishop was standing with his back toward the door, looking out a stained glass window toward the garden's center, where the Paladins trained.
"As expected of you, you're quite nervous I know, but this isn't a negative visit. —
— However, would you like to explain to me why you've been skipping your affinity control training?" The bishop's tone hadn't changed, he didn't seem too upset, but Marcus couldn't help feeling a bit intimidated by the man.
Marcus made a pained face but quickly rid of it,
"Apologies Father Cifarelli, I – Marcus paused, Should I lie? He thought, "No, a true Paladin would not lie. A Paladin would never desert his honor for such a thing."
"I thought it a better use of my time to assist the people, and teach them of the Gods."
Father Cifarelli sighed turning to look at Marcus, then caame around the desk between them, to a small table situated with two ornamented couches in the center of the room.
"I suppose of all the training to skip, it's not the worst, if you can make up for it with pure force that is."
Marcus was relieved, he thought of the Bishop as a generous man.
"I believe I can." Said Marcus, taking a seat across from the Bishop,
"Yes, I've seen you training. Your magic is quite powerful, unrefined however, but it more than makes up for the lack of finesse."
The Bishop took a sip from a goblet on the table between them,
"As you may have heard, the latest Paladin assessment is about to begin Marcus, and as you know I have the duty to assign the upcoming quests…"
Marcus knew there was only one reason the bishop would even consider speaking with an acolyte about anything regarding the Paladins Assessment, and his excitement was welling up from within.
"Of course sir, but why speak with me about the Quests I -."
I can't let my emotions get the better of me, I can't sound too expecting, the old man would want me to be calm.
Marcus couldn't help but think of his father, after all he had been dreaming of the opportunity for his entire life as far as he could recall, and it was thanks to his "old man" that he had the chance to be part of something bigger than himself.
"Come now Marcus, I know you've been anticipating this for quite some time. You've been exceptional, you are the top of your class in magical power, Swordsmanship, and you've learned well the ways of the Church of Celestia, though your control of the power you have isn't exactly the Best among your classmates." "Nevertheless you have done well for yourself here."
Bishop Cifarelli took another sip from his goblet, giving Marcus a moment to bask in his praise.
Marcus closed his eyes, fighting the welling of emotions like a blaze within his chest, a knot forming in his throat.
"It's all thanks to you and the old man sir that I was permitted to stay here and learn under his guidance, I don't know what would have become of me if you hadn't allowed it. I will forever be grateful to you." Marcus could feel a tear rolling down the side of his face, a far too seldom occurrence for the man.
"Yes…He was a great Paladin, and a wonderful man. A shame he passed so soon to the Assessment, i know he would want you to know, he believed in you."
"Thank you Sir."
The Bishop offered Marcus a cup of wine, and stood from the table.
"Stand with me Marcus." He said, waving a beckoning hand.
"Sir!" Marcus wiped his tear, dried his eyes, and met the Bishop's stance, goblet of wine in hand.
"Marcus, I'm certain by now you've discerned the reason I've called upon you today." the bishop raised Marcus's hand holding the goblet, and Marcus obediently held it in place.
"Due to your exceptional performance here at Saint Armingtons, I hereby grant you a placement as a candidate for a Paladins Quest."
Marcus saluted, nodding his head towards the Bishop. His heart was pounding in his chest, he could hear the beat in his head as the emotion flooded his body. Finally, it was time, he would be considered by the churches council at the paladins assessment.
Thoughts raced through was mine as to what it could possibly be, as to where he could be sent on this quest, what would his mission be?
I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Bishop nodded as well, it wasn't customary for someone in his station to nod to a simple acolyte, but out of respect for the late old man and for the prospective paladin before him, he did so.
"I'll be putting in a good word for you at the paladin's assessment, four acolytes will be chosen. I hope to see you fulfill your fathers expectations. Mine as well…"
"In the name of the gods, I swear I will do all I can to be the best paladin to graduate from Saint Arlington's Cathedral." Marcus nodded once again, and finished his salute.
Father Cifarelli clinked his goblet against Marcus's and they both emptied their cups.
Father Cifarelli congratulated Marcus, and he said their farewells, but as Marcus open the door to leave, just as he was about to cross the threshold, the bishop called out from his desk.
"Oh and Marcus, when you do receive your quest, and I have faith that you will, do not return a failure. Think of your father, what would he think if you came back to Saint Armingtons would nothing to show for all his efforts."
The sudden change in tone caught Marcus off guard.
That sounded like a different person from the generous bishop from just a few minutes ago. What happened? What am I thinking, who am I the judge, of course he wouldn't want me to fail the churches reputation is at stake. He's a very important man and I can't let him down.
"Of course, father Cifarelli."
Marcus couldn't quite be sure, but the bishop was whispering something to himself, smiling, looking out the stained glass window at the two men from earlier in pitch black robes now leaving the cathedral.
"Yes, he'll do nicely indeed."
It would've been a nice comment if he hadn't said it so strange, the words sent a creeping down Marcus's spine as he swung closed the massive door.