Andrilison

The church of the light

She led the man into a large church hall. He wandered around looking in the sweetly cool room in comparison to the desert outside. It was a bright stone room was tapestries and large stained glass windows. A few people silent robed in white were wandering around or praying under their breath. A part of the floor at the altar was glass with a deep chasm reaching down hundreds of feet. A faint glow emanated from the bottom.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You are in the Church of the Light my child," she responded quickly.

"Why am I here?"

"I was told to search for you and bring you here so that is a question you should ask The Enlightened."

"Well where are they?"

"When she is ready I will take you to her."

She led him to a hall that was set out with food and drink at a single place. She pulled a chair out and beckoned him to take a seat. When he sat down and started eating she left. Before long she came back and waited for him to finish. About ten minutes elapsed and he finally set down the cup and sat back. He turned to the woman standing by a door.

"Excuse me. Can I ask your name?" he inquired.

"Eleanor."

"Well Eleanor, I may be biased since I haven't eaten in a week but this is the best meal I've had in a long time."

She chuckled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Would you mind if I led you to your room."

"Of course not."

He followed her out of the door and into a vast courtyard. It was grassy despite the sand outside and their were lush trees and bushes sand another plant-life living in contentment. Some other robed figures sat on benches reading and meditating. He crossed the yard and into a block of buildings. He followed her until suddenly she stopped at a seemingly random door and opened it. Stepping he noticed a small but nice room. It had a bed and a table and a small waterfall trickled steaming water into a basin then into a pool in the corner. She stepped out back into the corridor, "Feel free to get clean then take a walk around. I'll find you when we need you." She shut the door and left the man alone.

He took off his ragged and sandy clothes and stepped in to the pool. For a few minutes he melted in the pool of water and washed all the hardships away. Getting out and drying off with a towel he put on the clothes left for him.

Relaxing a bit he stepped out of the room and into the courtyard. He sat on one of the benches soaking in the beauty and smells of vegetation and freshly-cut grass. Slowly he dozed off in the calm. Starting back to reality he realised Eleanor had shaken him awake. The sun was slowly beginning to set, "She's ready for you."

He was led through corridors and stairways all around the labyrinthine church. Eventually they arrived at a big door at the top of the tallest tower. Three knocks, enter. It was almost pitch black inside the cramped room. A singular cushion was in the centre with the Enlightened presumably sitting on it.

"Welcome Gen, to the tower." She said.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know many tings about you, soldier of Andrilison."

He stepped back into a closed door.

"You shouldn't be scared, I am with those your Lord fights for." She stated.

"Why am I here?"

"You are here for the Light saved you from the sand. You have a destiny not ready to end yet. We want to don you with gleaming armour and a blinding sword. We want you as our warrior."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

She stood up and led him over to a solitary slit window in the wall. Through it another gravel courtyard could be seen. Illuminated by flaming torches hundreds of monks worked through combat in each other. A bell sounded and they stopped and instinctively formed a square rank. Each produced a spear of light and stood to attention. Gen looked to The Enlightened. She stared back.

"We are in a time of war. Golmatoth has broken the seal to the abyss. His forces are massing in Vitrea and soon they shall march out. His forces are an army that will conquer this world unless great heroes like you rise to face them."

"But I'm just a-"

"The world will burn. The grass black with ash and the mountains crumbled to dust. Evil roams free and the great cities we live in cleansed. Humanity is enslaved to masters that know no mercy. The light will be extinguished and hope stomped out. Andrilison will fall first. I need you to take my forces and stand with them."

"Fine. But I don't promise victory."

"Victory can't be promised. Only achieved. Good luck and may the Light be with you."

That night Gen lay in bed awake, her words circling like a hurricane in his head. 'Great heroes like you'.