The Dragon Knight Prophecy

1-27 Two hearts bound as one

 Gersius followed a strange man down a flight of stairs into the lower tunnels of the temple. He wasn't accustomed to seeing men of Ulustrha in armor and brandishing weapons, but this man was clearly a warrior. He wore the plate and chain of his order with a noble dignity and carried a long-handled ax at his side. He wasn't wearing a helm allowing Gersius to see his neatly trimmed beard that ringed his mouth. He had a calm, honest sort of expression, but his eyes betrayed the constant thinking of a warrior.

"Here is where we keep our armor," he said and took Gersius to a sturdy door. He fished a key from his belt and unlocked it, throwing it wide before motioning him to go inside.

"I thank you," Gersius said with a nod. "It is very gracious of your temple to equip me."

"It is our pleasure," the stranger replied as he squared his shoulders. "It isn't often such a warrior comes to our temple. It will be refreshing to know our arms will be put to good use."

"You know who I am then?" Gersius asked as the man nodded and informed him that he was sworn to secrecy. "Then I must thank you again. I appreciate the arms, but there is a great blessing in not needing to put such things to use."

"Indeed, there is," the man answered. "But men like you and I were made for battle. There is no shame in answering its call. Now, go and select whatever you need. I will wait by the stairs for you to return."

Gersius entered a chamber hollowed from the rock of the mountain and lit by glowing balls of water. It was filled with racks that contained armor of a dizzying variety of sizes. Most of it appeared to be mail, but there were many suits of mixed mail and plate. He would choose from the mixed armor, opting for as much protection as possible. It would never be as protective as the armor the priests of Astikar wore, but it would offer a great deal more flexibility and movement. In the hands of a skilled swordsman like himself, that advantage in speed would be deadly. Of course, it was colored in the greens and blues of the order of Ulustrah, and a few elements bore emblems of her faith.

He began the arduous task of looking for armor that would fit him properly. Most of the equipment was sized for women, but one rack near the back contained suits for men. Unfortunately, armor was often handcrafted for an individual, and he had to try many pieces before he found some that fit. Eventually, he settled on a particular set, flexing his arms in fine mail as he tested the fit.

He looked around for boots but realized that the order of Ulustrah didn't wear plated grieves. He would have to settle for his sturdy boots, which would be more comfortable anyway. Gloves were more of a challenge as nearly all of them were too small for his hands. He finally found a pair large enough with a metal plate bolted to the back of the hand. His final task was to find a helm and settled on a simple conical design with a nose guard and slit at the chin.

"This will have to do," he said as he put the helmet on and tested the fit. For the first time in days, he felt like a soldier again, protected in his armor and ready for battle. Almost on instinct, he went to embrace divine power but stopped as the memory of what that power had done haunted him. Instead, he returned to the hall and was directed to a room where he could look for a weapon.

This room was longer but a little more narrow and filled with weapons racks. Barrels of spears dominated one wall with neat piles of metal-capped clubs in the center. There were weapons of almost every kind, but it was clear this order preferred the club as they were almost everywhere. Gersius assumed it was because they didn't like to kill, but even a club could kill in the right hands. He picked through the racks of swords, looking for something with good heft and a firm grip. He wanted a sword that felt natural in hand and would flow in the dance of combat. He tested several by going through a few maneuvers but ultimately discarded them. He finally found a simple sword with a broad blade that felt right, and after a few quick swings, he knew this was the one.