The Warden's Awakening

Chapter VIII - Storm Night

Rain. Finally. Lacen had longed for rain to cool Calcin down. He was sick and tired of heat, and his clothing sticking to him and his sweat. The wind was chilly as well, which felt amazing as he stood under a tree, letting the wind blow his shirt around him like a flag. He loved it.

"You are going to get sick," Vrenan said, sitting under the tree, warming himself by the fire.

"I worked with an apothecary for four years, I think I can handle myself if I get sick," Lacen said. He walked back over to the fire and sat across from Vrenan. The paladin's armor was laying next to him, covered by the cape. His sword was up against the tree. Lacen's was in his lap, as he was inspecting it.

"Your sword. You made it?" Vrenan asked.

"I did. When I studied in Morvan," Lacen said, handing the blade to Vrenan.

"What did you study?" he asked, looking over the blade. He was quite impressed actually. He had only seen such craftsmanship in Keldris City.

"History and Law," he admitted.

"And you crafted this blade?"

"I worked with an arms merchant for most of my time in Morvan. He was insistent that we make what we sell. I became pretty handy at the forge," Lacen said. Vrenan handed the blade back to him.

"You are... odd," he said to Lacen.

Lacen chuckled a bit. "And why is that?"

"Normally, when someone desires a position in the Inquestors, they either have family in them already, or they buy their way in through the barons. You seek to gain your title through hard work and perseverance."

"And you find that odd?" Lacen did not understand what he meant by this statement.

"I do," he began. Vrenan stood up and grabbed his blade. He leaned against the tree and unsheathed his sword, watching as the rain danced off of it. "When I signed up with the Paladins, I was young. I had no ties to them, so I signed on as a Paladin Guard. Each Paladin is allotted two of them to fight alongside him or her, and the two learn from their leader. I wanted what you want, to help people, to defend the world from the Skellund. I fought hard to get where I was. And every day some nobody would simply walk in and have his golden armor handed to him on a silver platter. I hated it. Too many Paladins received their armor that way.

"I say that it is odd for you to want to fight, only because I have seen too much of the laziness that runs rampant in the Paladins. The Inquest is no different where we are. Maybe in Calcin it is, but I... I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. The world needs people who are willing to work. Willing to fight," he said. He sheathed his blade, and placed it back against the tree. He stood silent for a few moments before Lacen spoke up, looking at the sash on Vrenan's sword.

"Who was she?" he asked. Vrenan closed his eyes.

"She was to be my wife," he said. Lacen had read a while ago that most knights would take a lady's favor and tie it around their sword so they would always know where to find it on the battlefield. Clearly, Lacen had guessed right.

"What happened to her?"

"That is a story for another time," he said, sitting back down by the fire. Lacen was glad Vrenan had spoken to him about his early days as a Paladin Aid. He saw a lot of what he did not want to become in Vrenan: a broken man with nothing left to live for but his oath. Lacen may have wanted to be an Inquestor more than anything, but he did eventually want a family.

There was a clap of thunder in the distance, breaking the silence. Lacen spoke up.

"What do you think of these stones?" he asked. Vrenan's gaze focused to the fire.

"The Treatise does not speak of stones coming from the ground to doom mankind. Therefore I have no reason to worry myself. The Three will protect us," he said. Lacen tried to hide his discomfort. Vrenan worshiped the Three, and he was freely allowed to do so. In the Empire it was even encouraged. However, Lacen had been taught by the Tome when in Morvan, and had experiences to reinforce his beliefs. He was not ready to get into an ideological war with Vrenan.

"I see. I have only heard what the Seers are shouting the streets about signs. Whether they are actually true is another question entirely," Lacen said.

"The Seers... they are a confusing bunch. Sworn to uphold the Treatise, yet preach from the Tome. They are contradictory," he said.

"They see. That is what they are meant to do," Lacen said, trying to end the conversation before it turned down a dark road. By the One, if a Paladin found out he did not worship the Three, he'd probably be killed right there. At the very least dragged into the Heatlands. He prayed the discussion would not come up again.

With that, he laid himself down, using his bag as a pillow, and closed his eyes. The sound of rain falling around him quickly lulled him to sleep.

Vrenan stayed awake for a bit longer. He remembered his first few days as Paladin Aid. He was so happy and so proud to be given the chance. He promised he would not let any of them down, even recited the oaths in his sleep. Yet he was in Calcin, his first assignment as a Paladin, and he was just gathering information. All because he did the proper thing. He cursed in his head and rested himself on his side. He too fell asleep quickly, hoping to avoid any would be thoughts of happier times.

The sun once again woke Lacen from his sleep. This time, however, it was peering over the horizon. He never liked being woken up that way. At his home in White Whirl, there was a thin crack in his wall that let the sun pour in when it rose, waking him at sunrise. A few more minutes would not have hurt him.

He lifted himself from his makeshift pillow and stretched his neck and sides. It was not the most comfortable of nights rests he had ever had, but it was sleep. Vrenan and he would reach Calcinia in only a matter of hours, which would give Lacen plenty of time to set up a room at an Inn, and prepare for his interview.

Thinking about how close they were made his heart race. His mind began swirling with questions. Would they accept him? Would he be one of a thousand people all waiting to apply? Had he practiced the interview techniques enough? Was he good enough to be in the Inquest? Once he got the position, then what? Would he want to move up and become Inquestor Major?

Calm.

He tried to relax his mind and stood up, waking Bareek and Vrenan as he did. The horen let out a yawn as Lacen patted him on the nose. Vrenan stretched and made an inhuman sound as he did.

"I see no bandits stole anything from us," he said. Lacen nodded.

"It would seem that any bandits were too afraid to steal from two sleeping, defenseless travelers," Lacen said, trying to joke.

"Yes, but still, check everything to make sure. I knew a man once who could hide himself so completely, that he could be right in front of you, and you would not see him," He said sternly. Was he referring to the magics?

"What do you mean?" Lacen asked, putting his bag up on Bareek.

"The twelve magics. One of them is Camouflage. This man was quite good at it," Vrenan explained, slightly annoyed that he had to tell him of something so basic. Lacen had no desire to learn any of them, aside from Send, which his father had taught him when he was younger. It was one of the mundane forms, and the risk of possession was minimal when using it.

Vrenan placed his bag upon his horen, which Lacen discovered to be named Vilda. He then uncovered his armor and grabbed one of his gauntlets, placing it on his right hand.

"Would you mind helping me into my armor?" Vrenan asked, almost painfully. Clearly Vrenan was not accustomed to asking for help. Lacen nodded and grabbed the chest plate. He strapped it to the back plate with Vrenan in between, enclosing him in the thick armor. Next came the leg guards, which strapped on easily, followed by the cape. Lacen had assumed it was red. How glorious it must have looked on the field of battle. Did paladins actually wear their capes in combat?

"Thank you," Vrenan said, moving his arms to get comfortable in the armor. He grabbed his sword and tied it to his waist, and mounted Vilda. Lacen did the same, mounting Bareek and the two continued their journey to Calcinia.

Lacen had failed to calm himself.