The Paladin

Genesis - Chapter Eight

The rebels gathered in some ruins for the night. The rebels were mumbling that Sam was at fault. She brought the spy and the Paladin, who they now said was the false one, a liar. They went quite whenever she got near, it was then she realized that they no longer had faith in her.

She sat alone after that. She pulled out a small book, one that Tiffany kept. She wrote in there about Matt and how he was becoming the Hero. He was slow, but he came to be who they both believed he was. Sam could only imagine what that was like. A big man turning into a hero, how it could be so great for her to know that she found the one she loved and find he was the Paladin. Sam buried her head in her arms.

"Sam." Someone called at her. "We are leaving."

"What?"

"The 'Paladin', as you called him is now dead. Your hope is gone and now our faith in you is too. You and Colin can keep fighting on your own, but we are leaving." The two watched as two hundred people walked away into the night. Only a few remained

Sam walked over the site of the Mountain once stood. The biggest boulder was no higher than her hip. Colin followed her. "I know that he was the real deal Sam, but even Solas could not live through this." He picked up a rock. "I can only hope that we can win without him, may he rest in peace."

"I...I thought that he could get his full power if he read the book. He fought for her and his friends and so if he learned that they did the same, he would awaken his powers" She looked up in the sky. "All of this is my fault. I even vouched for the spy when he came to me. If he was not here, we would be still whole and we would have the Paladin."

Then some stones started to move. Colin ready his rifle and Sam got her daggers out. A hand shot out of the rubble, then it pulled out a whole body. Matt coughed from being under a dust filled cavern. "Anyone have some water?"

Sam ran over and gave him some. "How did you survive this?"

Matt knocked on his chest. His whole body was in full body armor that then seem to move. "ACA. Tiff had made a last one. She was going to use it, but never did. I was thinking that I needed to keep running to you guys, but the cave was too deep. So I went back and grabbed it. It is much stronger than you would think with the Arts going through it." He looked around. "Where is everyone?"

Colin walked up. "They left. We all thought you were dead. They stayed only because of you." Matt nodded. "They only followed us because we had the key to find you. Now that you are gone, well we have nothing."

Matt looked like a weight had just been placed on his shoulders again. He failed more people, why did he always fail people. Was he not the hero that everyone thought he was? Maybe he really did get lucky with Aries. Maybe even with all that he had, he wasn't really the Paladin. Had he been lied to all this time? Even by The Goddess?

He stood and walked to look at the dawn sun rise. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, the Goddess. "You have doubt about your quest."

He pulled away. "Yeah, how can I be the hero that this world need when I cannot ever win? I only won because of others helping. Am I not meant to win alone?"

"That depends."

"On what?" He yelled. Time was frozen so not to draw attention to them. "Scorpio, the brothers helped. Aires, Tiff distracted him. When I fought Solas, I was saved. ALL THREE times! And now the entire Rebellion is gone. Now tell me, how can I win?"

She smiled again. "Because now you are ready." He didn't get it. "You have suffered much. You know what it is like to be powerless. Your powers will now see you through." Then she pointed at something before disappearing.

He looked to where he felt she was guiding him. He saw Oath Keeper. It must have fallen out of his bandolier. He stood and walked to it.

He gripped it, he felt the power flowing through it. Blue runes glowed, and he let go. He closed his eyes and recalled everything he had been through. It was with this sword he beat Aries. With this sword, he vowed to stop Solas and save the world. It was because of Tiff that he fought. He would keep going if only for her.

Matt opened his eyes and breathed in deep. He griped Oath Keeper and rose. "Gather all you can." He looked at Sam. "Tell them that the Paladin is still alive and is calling on them to fight for their land. Tomorrow we fight for all of our futures. One last all or nothing fight." Sam smiled and nodded. "Colin, we need any and all vehicles you can get. Steal, or have them donated. We need everything." Colin ran off. "Tomorrow we finish this war one way or another."