Broken Circle

Chapter 3: A Holy Calling

    *I'm gonna say that all templar recruits get to join knighthood at 18. I'm thinking about making it kinda enemies to lovers 😈 there will be other characters and romances blooming too I'm just so excited! I'm getting a feeling for the story and characters I hope you guys like them too I know the story is a bit slow but we will get things rolling soon hopefully!*

*I feel like feedback is fun so for my dragon age fans comment and tell me who your favorite dragon age character is! Mine is Alistair from origins he is so dorky and adorable Varric is a close second! If you are reading my story and don't know dragon age well then tell me your favorite tv show*

-------------------------------------------------------------

Dolan:

     The clanging of steel echoed throughout the training grounds. I felt sweat beading on my forehead as the sun was beating down on us, my armor absorbing the heat.
   "Now that you are all outfitted it is time to take your vows. You have been called upon the Maker to protect the innocent. You will also be assigned to your new roles within order." Knight-Commander Alaric shouted, addressing the recruits. Today is the day we solidify our futures and our holy calling. After reaching our eighteenth birthdays we qualified to take our vows for knighthood. I wasn't worried about where this life would take me, I had faith that the Maker would lead me wherever I was meant to be. I had been living in the order the longest out of all the recruits. I was born into a noble family, and since I was the fourth born of five sons, everyone knew that my chances of becoming heir would be slim. My father decided my life would be better spent in service of the chantry. So at the tender age of six he sent me off to live among the order and train to become a templar.
      Being of a noble family, the others suspected I was favored because of my title. That meant I had to work extra hard to prove my worth. My early days living in the order were spent learning the chant of light and andraste's teachings. When I was nine I decided it was time to start learning some techniques. I wanted to make sure that there was no way anyone could argue that this was my calling. I somehow managed to convince knight-lieutenant Brennan to train me in secret at night. After years of rigorous training I started to outshine the other recruits with my sword and shield skills. Now it was time to make our vows and pledge our lives to the Maker and his will.
    "I will call each of you forward and you will recite your vows, then I will give you your first philter of lyrium. Please try to be quiet and respectful to each other while you wait for your turn." Knight-Commander Alaric's voice echoed through the training grounds and all the noise came to a halt. Other templars in the yard watched onward, excited to gain new knight-templars. Arlotto quickly jabbed me with his elbow as quietly as he could and whispered in my ear "Goodluck" Arlotto was my closest friend among the recruits. He was the only one who accepted me as I was, and didn't view me as a pampered noble whose father sent him here to gain good standing with the order. Granted these were my father's intentions, I treated this life seriously. My faith was strong and I believed in the cause.
      Arlotto was from Antiva. His family traveled here to Ferelden to become farmers. He had his mother, father, and two sisters. Arlotto loved pretending sticks were swords and would attack the scarecrow outside, pretending it was a bandit. A group of templars were traveling through the area and saw him playing outside. Apparently his playful swordplay with the scarecrow had impressed the templars. They said they liked his passion. So they talked with his parents and recruited him for the order when he was eleven. While I preferred a longsword and shield, Arlotto preferred a Warhammer. He wasn't much taller than I, and didn't have the muscle mass I did, so I was surprised he could even lift the thing, let alone be a force of nature with it. He was one of the few recruits who could beat me in training from time to time. 
      We watched and waited patiently for our turns. Arlotto was one of the first to take his vows. I tried my best to pay attention but nervousness clenched at my stomach and thoughts relentlessly invaded my head. After what felt like an eternity my name rang out and distracted me from my state of paralysis.
     "Dolan, please approach" Knight-Commander Alaric repeated my name, gesturing for me to come forward. My feet felt like lead as I forced myself to take steps forward. My heart was beating like a drum, and I worried it would echo through my armor and everyone could hear it. This was the moment I became a real member of the order. No more questions about whether I belonged. I would finally find my holy calling. I finally approached the commander and he instructed me to take my vows.
     "I vow to protect the innocent from abominations. I vow to cast aside ambition, power, and gold. I give myself to the order of the templars. I give myself to the will of the Maker!" I recite my vows and take the philter he presents. I open it and inhale the scent of the strange blue liquid. It was no secret that templars got their abilities from ingesting lyrium. This was the only part that worried me, since the liquid was highly addictive. It was the price we paid to be able to use abilities to interrupt magic. I pressed the philter to my lips and chugged the blue liquid. It was impossible to describe the feeling as it coursed through my body. The closest thing to it was taking a deep breath on a cold winter morning. The taste is equally strange. Very earthy and a hint of...mint? The taste seemed to keep changing the more I ingested it. Finally I finished the beverage and made my way to the others who had taken their vows. We watched and waited for the rest to finish theirs. Now we were knight-templars. 
      "Now that you all have taken your vows and drank your first dose of lyrium, it is time to let you know what your jobs will be." He started assigning people to towers, different strongholds, and whether they would travel hunting abominations and apostates. That is what I would prefer. I wanted to travel across the country. Arlotto was stationed at the Circle tower on Lake Calenhand. Normally he would be upset by this but since one of our fellow recruits growing up that had caught his eye was stationed there as well, I'm sure he was alright with the position. Finally I was assigned and it was as if the Maker heard my prayers. I would be traveling around Thedas helping make the world safer. This is where my life under the Maker finally begins.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This chapter is short and a little rushed but I really wanted to be done with backstory and lore and finally get into the plot. The next chapter is much more exciting finally getting to introduce some fun characters and happy banter among friends and get some plot going! Finally!