The Legendary Arcane Master

6. Ellis.

It was early spring, the months of bitterness had ended their cold and frigid reign. Ushering in the months of prosperity and life. New leaves began to grow on the naked trees, small bodies of water began to melt along with the large mounds of ice and snow.

A delicate and luxurious carriage slowly cruised along the wet mess that was the forest road. The vehicle was being pulled by four handsome white horses who donned thin Metal Armor.

Sadly their beautiful armor and long flowing coats were splattered with mud and muck. Both the horses and the carriage struggled to travel through the slimy brown soil. The group of knights marching on ahead were even more pitiful, as they clumsily shuffled through the loose wet dirt while being weighed down by their thick Metal Armor, long Spears and heavy Shields.

A few wooden wagons trailed behind the carriage. The large Bison huffed as they struggled to pull the heavy wagons laden with goods, through the mud.

The group would have looked Grand and valiant under usual circumstances, but now they looked down trodden and travel-weary. They had successful passed through the dire magical forest and were close to a settlement.

This type of group is the type of prey that bandits loved the most. As people usually let their guards down after surviving the perilous forest of magical creatures. Forgetting that humans were just as much a danger to them as well.

However, this clumsy group had not been attacked even once since leaving the magical forest. This was because the beautiful Crest displayed on the sides of the carriage. The Crest was also worn by both the horses and the knights.

An exquisite Golden circle with two beautiful dove wings attached to it.

This was the symbol of the Church!

No bandit or mercenary group would dare to attack anyone who bore the holy Crest of the Church. These people were blessed by the Gods and wielded mystical powers similar to Mages!

In previous years, many ignorant fools would attack the groups bearing the church's insignia in greed. However they were all cut down by these 'clumsy' knights!

These knights were Holy judgment warriors groomed specially by the church. It is said that each and every one of them possessed the strength ten men, their bodies were cleansed by holy water and they could create arcs of golden light with just a swing of their swords!

O::.

Ellis pulled apart the curtains of the carriage and gazed out into the sprawling forest that was blooming as it usually did in the months of life. Cool frosty breeze drifted into carriage, chilling him to the bones.

He tugged at his delicate Priest robe as he mentally cursed the persistent chill left behind by the previous months of bitterness.

As the carriage jerked and swayed, Ellis could help but ask,"Brother Hill, can we reach Crestell by nightfall?" Finally, the long and unpleasant trip made him ask this childish question to the old acolyte that had followed him to this desolate place.

"Don't fret Reverend, by the will of the Gods we should arrive by midday at most!" The old Acolyte Hill blew a breath of warm air from his mouth to warm his chilly fingers as he added, "There should only be a score of kilometers of mountain road between here and Crestell."

Reverend Ellis sighed as he pulled the curtains shut. He knew that the old acolyte hill was a bit senile. With the pase at which they were moving, there was no way they would be arriving at the 'City' until tomorrow at least.

Alas he could do nothing about it. They had just left the magical forest and the horses were obviously feeling tired from the journey and the muddy road didn't help. How he wished they were the magical colts bred by the Church.

Magical steeds such as these could run at blinding speeds and carry heavy loads far greater than usual horses.

"Show me the map." He said to his acolyte companion.

After receiving the brown parchment, Ellis scanned it's content before sighing in frustration. From what he could see, the closest settlement they could possibly rest at for the night, would be Hog dung village.

Just the crude and barbaric name told the young Reverend every thing he needed to know about that village. It was a probably a shabby place with completely no facilities and only a few rundown straw houses. Judging from the name the place probably stank of hog droppings!

Ellis was fatigued and travel-worn. He had never traveled for such a long time and never experienced the horrors of the magical forest.

He had been born into an ordinary noble house back in kaunan city and sent to the Church after his Awakening ceremony eight years ago. He had a decent affinity for Aqua magic. However his father, wanting to gain the church's favour, shuttled him away to study the holy scriptures passed down by the Gods.

His faith in the Gods allowed him to master a few holy spells, enabling him to become a Priest. Unfortunately he couldn't gain the favor of the Lords of Heaven.

He was unable to master any more holy spells causing his status amongst his peers to stagnate and then drop. While his brothers and sisters mastered holy spells that are able to harm and vanquish demonic entities.

He couldn't even bless holy water! As a Priest blessed with the affinity of water, his most basic spells should be water based. However he only managed to master elementary holy spells such as low leveled divination and water cleanse!

Ellis closed his eyes and after a short prayer, asking the Gods for strength, he collected himself. After a few breaths he opened his eyes and retrieved an elegant and magical parchment and unrolled it. This parchment paper was the deed to the land that the holy Cathedral will be built upon in Crestell City!

While he wasn't blessed in the arts of the divine, he always prided himself in his intellect. Seeing his status falling dangerously to that of a lowly acolyte. Ellis searched the kingdom and find a small City where the church had not yet established itself. He would leave the cathedral of kaunan, which was over flowing with blessed talents and establish a branch in desolate areas.

Reverend Ellis decided that he'd rather be the head of a Lizard than the tail of a Dragon!

As the closest large settlement he could find, Crestell became his place of refuge. Here in the small countryside town, he could awe the ignorant villagers with his holy magic and bring more believers into the embrace of the Heavenly Lords!

Yes! He would save the sinners, heal the sick and spread the glorious compassion of the Gods!

R3×¥ûπ©