Blood of the Righteous

The Angelic Blade

This was it. It was time for the Test of the Angelic Blade.

Gabriel sat on a wooden bench outside the Tribunal room, four servants and five other high initiates present. For seven years they had prepared themselves for this day. The outcome of today would mean either the honor of being a full Knight, or the disgrace of being exiled to Coldar's Springs. Gabriel wondered what it meant to serve the order in Coldar's Springs. No one ever spoke of it, or what ultimately became of The Fallen, as those who were rejected were so called.

"I wish they would get a move on," Demetrius said. "The anticipation is making me want to explode!"

"Two Knights have come in from Ulster," said Barnabas, another of the initiates soon to be tested.

As was the custom, when a Knight of the Order of the Holy Defenders returned to Avonshire after being out in the world, they immediately had to grasp the hilt of the Angelic Blade. While these subsequent testings were said to be less traumatic than an initiate's first, they were no less important, as a fallen Defender could act as an infiltrator for those who wished to do the order harm.

They had been waiting outside the Tribunal room for an hour. Their testing was to begin at sunset, however the previous group had gone long, then the council had been delayed further by the return of the other two Knights.

Gabriel shifted on the hard bench. He was thankful that this test required no ceremonial armor, as sitting upon the stiff wood was uncomfortable enough.

The waiting area outside of the Tribunal room was the same cold stone that most of the Hall of the Defenders' interiors seemed to consist of, with no decorations of any kind, save the four benches. The voices from the other side of the double doors were muffled, far beyond the ability of even the most determined spy to hear what was occurring on the other side.

The Order guarded its secrets surrounding the Angelic Blade as closely as an embezzling banker guarded his true ledger. Two guards were posted outside of the Tribunal room at all times when the council was in session. The chamber itself was almost soundproof, except for the doors, but they had been doubly padded in order to distort anything spoken inside.

Jonathan paced back and forth in front of Gabriel. He had been in constant prayer since his Test of Knowledge two days before, and practically also since his Test of Combat the day before that.

Time moved by slowly as the six initiates continued to wait. The small candle lanterns swung ever so slightly back and forth as the cool evening breeze blew through the many windows in the waiting area. It had started raining the day before, and the rain had continued until midday this day, giving the otherwise hot month of Summerlight a respite with an unseasonably cool evening. Still, several of the initiates were sweating. This was the least demanding, yet most difficult test of all.

Finally, the door opened.

The initiates all jumped to their feet, Demetrius shaking his leg, which had fallen asleep.

A Defender, hair and beard white with age, yet his face chiseled with wisdom and his eyes filled with strength, strode out of the room. "High Initiates of the Order of the Holy Defenders, I bid you enter."

One by one they entered the chamber, the old Knight saying "God be with you" to each of them in turn. Gabriel was the last to enter.

"God be with you," the Knight said.

"And also with you," replied Gabriel.

The old man smiled. Gabriel had been the only one to reply to him.