(FREE COMPLETE BOOK) Wothlondia Rising, Beginnings Saga, Book 1

Chapter 2, Strength of Faith (Garius Forge short)

Chapter 2

Strength of Faith

Garius Forge was sweating profusely.

His woollen garments that were situated beneath his golden armor were soaked, as was his face and head beneath the heavy, steel helm. Perspiration covered his chest inside his hauberk, and everywhere else for that matter. It was the end of Summer’s Fade and it was still hot, even here up north, and he and his group were covered from head to toe with the golden plated armor customarily worn by the servants of The Shimmering One. They each wore a white tabard as well, bearing the symbol of the sun-god stamped proudly upon their chests. It was yet another reflection of their unyielding commitment as a devotee to the sun-god.

His assignment was to travel east with a group of paladins on a pilgrimage. Garius and the four knights under his command—Matthias, Marcus, Bralon and Micah—rode on the backs of mighty warhorses, complete with lean muscles and mighty strides. Their movement was unusually slow this day, however, as they were charged with escorting their guest, the halfling healer named Divah, to the village of Dhegg, and then home to Merithia in the northeast section of the Shindar region. This was all part of their instructions given them by the High Priest, Tiyarnon.

Halflings, as is common knowledge throughout Wothlondia, have an affinity for healing as the druids do, by tapping into the spiritualistic powers originating from the Feyfields. Rumor has it that they are more in tune with that particular plane of magic than even the elves, to whom they are closely related. Simply put, halflings are smaller versions of the elves and closely resemble them in every manner possible, including their appearance.

The sun reached its pinnacle and the halfling woman recognized that Sun’s Peak was upon them. This time of day caused the men to collectively pause for a moment of reflection in reverence to the god of the sun. The female halfling sat quietly and observed the ritual with compliance and great interest.

Divah was an expert healer who needed no aid from the gods of the realms—she was a natural healer able to mimic the healing prayers of even the High Priest with the simplest of efforts. The healing gift was innate to many halflings, though she was more skilled than most. She was believed to have a direct connection to the Regenerative Plane, with which most healers of the realm would be envious.

Divah was quite diminutive but was especially delicate, even for a halfling, a fact offered by many of the priests she’d met in Oakhaven. She delicately brushed the white hair away from her vibrant green eyes and continued to observe the priests.

She sat atop a pony that trekked rather more slowly than the men would have liked, she knew, but they each kept their tongues silent at the behest of the warpriest, Garius, who led them along. After all, they were to escort her safely, and were not given any constraints on time.

Divah had been sent by Rimbo Hollytoe, the village elder of Merithia, to observe the temple of The Shimmering One in Oakhaven and to meet with the eldest priest, Tiyarnon, to gain an understanding of how they went about tapping into the regenerative plane. She had left two others behind in Oakhaven to further investigate the procedures and to document it for further analysis. Likewise, Tiyarnon had instructed this small group of attendants to glean some wisdom from the Merithian halfling as best they could.

“I cannot wait to visit Dhegg and to examine the tinctures and potions and other wares offered by Larwinckle and the gnome merchants there! They are rumored to have rare tomes and recipes concerning healing elixirs and things of that nature for sale, too,” the halfling woman said excitedly to Garius, who rode beside her, regarding the halfling’s unbridled enthusiasm with a smile of his own.