The Shield Bearer

Chapter 24

During Rene's time frozen away from the world, much had changed. When the star fell, it changed the very climate of the realm. Those lands that were once livable, near the northern expanse, were now covered in an unending winter. Lands to the south, that were once hot and steamy, were now temperate. And the far southern ice pack had swallowed up many of the deep southern settlements.

All of the races were forced to move much closer together, than they ever had before. This could have created a terrible war. But mortals can be amazingly tolerant, when circumstances demand unity. The survival of all, now relied on them working together and sharing the now greatly limited resources. As long as they worked together, there was plenty for all. They all just had to adjust to the fact that resources were not nearly as infinite as they had foolishly thought.

So it is, that humans, elves, dwarves, orcs and halflings have come together and created a unified kingdom. With this unification, an exchange of knowledge was inevitable. All of the races of light have awakened with this knowledge. New understandings of magic, faith and technology have brought about innovation and creativity, the likes that this realm has never seen. We are truly proud of our children.

But this time has not been good for the faithful. Rifts have formed within the churches. The first one, began over young Rene's absence. The seers, could foresee her return. And within those visions, they saw Rene embracing Arianna, The Dark Queen. Their visions did not extend beyond that event.

This lead many to believe that Rene would return and join The Dark Queen's cause. So, they decided to try and find her and slay her, before she could be turned. James found it harder and harder to keep them from success. He knew that the seers were only glimpsing a part of what was to come. He knew that Rene would not join The Dark Queen. Despite his position as Arch Priest, the fearful ignored his words, saying that his vision was blinded, by his relationship to Rene.

Eventually, those fearful people, attempted a coup against James. They sought to remove him from his position as Arch Priest, through force. They were thwarted by the Paladins of Light, who trusted in James' judgement. Many of them died, protecting their spiritual leader. But in the end, those who trusted James, were victorious.

Victory isn't always a pretty thing. There are always losers in such battles. Those losers, fled the kingdom and began their own temple. This temple is not sanctioned by Astra, but this has not stopped it's growing influence along the borders of the kingdom. Many disenfranchised people have joined it's numbers. This false temple has inspired similar actions among the other faiths. This fact saddens us greatly. While it is contained, now, such behaviors, such thoughts, can spread like a twisted virus, marring the souls of our children.

Sadly, a much more urgent matter is demanding our attention. The Dark Queen has gained the backing of The Gods of Darkness. Emboldened by her successful slaying of Rysor, they have decided to defy the will of the Divines. And we, The Gods of Light, find ourselves in a new and uncomfortable position.

You see, The Gods of Darkness are not necessarily evil beings. They tend to the matters of the shadows and the darkened souls. They are the punishers of the vile and despicable that threaten the will of the Divines. They are the ones who temper and manage the chaos that is a necessary part of any living system. And now, they have ceased to perform their duties. They have decided instead to call on the very darkness that they once maintained, to serve their new purpose. They seek to take the mortal realm and use it as their base of operations, for their war to take the astral realm, for themselves.

They believe that Arianna is and will be the key to their success. And if they succeed in taking this realm...then the entire system, that the Divines put in place to maintain life, could collapse. In the eyes of the Divines, life is the most important thing in the universe. So, they have asked us, to do whatever it takes, to either return The Gods of Darkness to their roles, or to replace them.

So, there is to be war. We must ask our children, to give their lives so that life may continue. This is not an easy thing for us to do. We were chosen as their gods, because we love them, because we have proven that we would do anything that was needed to protect them. And now, we must prove that we can and will sacrifice, even them, in the hopes that life can continue across the coming eons.

Rene opened her eyes to take in the reactions of the others, who were receiving this same message, from The Gods of Light. Here at the table, were The Champions of Light. There was Rene and Lawrence, the servants of Astra and Rysor. There was Tijer the orc and Beakbeard the dwarf, the servants of Orthis, the orcish god, and Thallus the dwarven god. And there was Lianthe the elf and Geryld the halfling, the servants of Silverleyf, the elven god, and Gwynth, the halfling goddess.

Everybody just sat silently and looked at each other. There didn't seem to be any words to convey what they were all feeling. Rene felt an overwhelming sense of both awe and sadness. Her heart ached for the sacrifice and for the pain and suffering that this war would bring the people.

And then, there was the pressure of what she and the others were expected to do and become. They would have to battle on the behalf of the Gods of Light against the Gods of Darkness. Mortals clashing with gods...it was a frightful thought.

Lawrence reached over and covered Rene's hand with his own. "Don't think about it." His voice was cool and confident. "Don't think about what it all means. This is all a matter of faith. As long as our faith is true, then we will succeed." His words weren't just meant for Rene. They stirred everybody at the table out of their own overwhelming thoughts.

James took that cue, from his position at the podium at the end of the room. "I believe that we all have a lot to think on, after these revelations. Why don't all of you, go and rest. We will discuss this more after you have had the time to fully absorb what we have been told." With that, everybody but Rene and Lawrence rose from the table and left.

James gave the two of them a questioning look. "Is there something else?"

Rene wasn't sure why she had stayed, other than the fact that Lawrence was still holding her hand, on the table. She didn't want to break that contact.

"I just thought we should tell you, that calling Rene, The Shield Maiden, may not be appropriate anymore. We are married now, after all. I don't think that she would qualify as a maiden, anymore." Lawrence squeezed Rene's hand as he said this.

Rene actually felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment at this statement. She had thought about this a bit, but never thought to bring it up. The term maiden, implied that she hadn't been with a man. That definitely wasn't an accurate characterization of her, any more. Lawrence had proposed marriage to her, shortly after they had arrived at the temple, nearly two years ago. They had married only a few days after that. Then, he had quite vigorously demonstrated his gentlemanly skills to her.

James made a kind of snorting sound at Lawrence's words. "I really hadn't thought about that. I guess you are right. I will stop referring to her as The Shield Maiden. Is, The Shield Bearer, acceptable?"

Rene was still too embarrassed to speak, so she simply nodded.

"Very well. From now on, you will be The Shield Bearer." James made it sound like a formal declaration. "Now, why don't you two go get some rest, or do whatever it is you feel like doing."