3.9

A statue with a sword was seen next to a huge door. Nott, looking at her, stopped. He recognized it at a glance just by the position the statue is in, as well as the symbol carved into the hilt. He was the God of Knights, Honor, Pride and Battle. The one whom all knights praise as their lord and follow, as well as having a high position in their belief, second only to the empire's three divines. Arthorius.

The statue was large, the same size as Zephyra, wearing a knight's armor and sword, without any helmet. From the figure, it was possible to see his shoulder-length hair, his eyes closed and a firm and resolute expression. He was demonstrating commitment with both hands on the handle and a solidity that spoke of confidence.

His legend was known to all who wanted to be knights or who followed the path of the sword.

Of commoner origin, he was just an orphan who walked the streets and was unknown to everyone, until he helped a nobleman by saving his life. He was repaid by becoming an apprentice knight, where he began to learn and know his talent with the sword.

Afterwards, wars and countless battles took place in his world, fighting humans, elves, demons, returning victorious and with his conquests being spread throughout the four corners of his kingdom. However, to be an idol of the knights, one must be the symbol that represents his principles, and he fulfilled it. Loyalty was practically etched into his bones, for he always protected his lord, the son of the noble he aided, and was as much his sword as his shield.

According to legend, after the death of the one he serves, he vanished into the world. There was no idea where he went or if he was even alive.

Nott knelt and placed the sword in front of him, holding it with the point to the ground. It was a gesture known to them to pay respect to their veterans, it was the highest expression a knight could make. He didn't say anything, just stayed like that for a little while before he got up and looked at the statue again.

"Who is it?" James asked the priest leading them. "Is it okay for him to do that?"

"Arthorius, the God of Knights." He replied. "Usually the knights who come to the temple do this for the statue.

"Oh…"

James knew such a god. Because of his noble birth, it was part of his education to have knowledge about the main gods that influenced the empire, as well as their histories and conquests. He just didn't recognize it, like Nott, but he knew that Arthorius was a guide for those who pursue honor, loyalty and chivalry.

Although he didn't have a strong sense like Nott, he still had a certain amount of respect for the one they called the God of Knights even though he was a mage.

"Want to know a fun fact?" He asked the priest to the pair beside him.

"Huh? Of course." James said, large eyes focused on the priest's honey ones. The priest smiled at him.

"There is a theory that the lord, in the legend of Arthorius, was not only his master, but also his lover. There are a few paragraphs in the story that hint at this, such as the part "And when he reached the domain of the rescued, he met his destiny, which was dazzling like a ray of sunlight", and in the part "With devotion, he looked at the master. His sword lowered and kneeling. Everything about him was his." But maybe whoever wrote it didn't want to make it too obvious. It even fits his legend and journey. A knight who fell in love with his master, but still hasn't abandoned his duty, sounds like something that could happen." The priest said, smiling at Nott. "It's not interesting?"

"Yes." James nodded. He was curious to know if it was true, but he knew there was no way to confirm it.

Brandon heard this and found it a bit ironic in the current empire. The God of Knights, the one who is greatly revered by many, especially knights – mostly nobles –, has a lover of the same sex, which is not well seen in aristocratic society. How would they feel if the theory were true? He would like to know.

"Very." Brandon said with the vision on the god.

"Let's go?" He asked, already walking towards the main hall.

"Nott! Let's go." James spoke loudly, drawing the knight's attention.

The brown-haired man put his sword away and quickly followed the young master and his friend behind the priest. He took one last look at the god's statue with admiration in his eyes, before moving on.

A massive stone door, unlike all the wooden ones that came before it, was over two meters high and had carved figures that represented something. They were gods, that much Brandon knew. A tiger on top of clouds accompanied by lightning; a sea serpent in the ocean and, finally, a wolf on the peak of a forested cliff. All three were in proportionally opposite positions, with a ball in the center of the door, but broken in two.

The main hall was opened by the priest in a simple way, with the push of his hands, giving the impression that it was super strong, because of the material and structure of the door.

"Ooooh, isn't that heavy, Mr. Priest?" James asked impressed. The priest laughed.

"No, the door contains the 'Lightness' spell."

With the push, the interior was revealed to them.

White-floored, the room stretched several meters in a spacious square shape. There were chandeliers attached to the ceiling, as well as a large circular painting with several images separated by segments. The stained glass windows that were seen in the hall grew in size, being almost the size of the wall, and their designs became richer and more well worked, clean and bright. There were rows of chairs and a walkway to the altar, which rose a few inches to see the end.

The space was huge, it could contain a large group of people, and this was seen in official and religious events. Elegant, noble and sacred, the entire space exuded a sense of peace. In addition to flags hanging from the ceiling, there were statues in three corners of the altar, the tiger, the serpent and the wolf, which were engraved on the door. They were Lucan's three patrons and the main gods of the empire.

The largest object in the room, Lucan's symbol, the Trian Star.

The star was on the wall behind the altar. His oh-so-large symbol could be seen at the end of the room and would still be well seen. She served as a guide, as a light, as a hope for those who are in despair. Everyone saw that star as representing the light that descended from the heavens in ancient times.

"This, gentlemen, is the main hall." The priest said in awe. There was a proud tone in his voice, just like when the temple was praised.

None of the three said anything, as they were carefully observing every part of the room. They weren't the only ones there, there were a few more people passing by, praying, admiring, mostly priests and temple priests.

Brandon looked up and saw the painting on the ceiling. The whole painting had a circular format, starting with places in full darkness, with fire, fights and sadness, being portrayed in different ways, but in short the purplish black defined the darkness that surrounded everything. He knew what that was there, everyone in the empire had an idea of what that painting represented.

Lucan's story.

The story was so old that its origin spoke about distant times and that there is almost no record, only oral histories and some scriptures, and could be considered almost fanciful if it weren't for other countries, with their religions, having a similarity between the origins .

In times when there is no record, a darkness that did not know its origin, its purpose or how it spread, dominated the world. Everywhere had shadows, darkness, even the Sun did not shine on the earth and for living beings. Along with such darkness came the feelings of survival on the part of all races. There was no friendship, companionship, it was every man for himself.

Fights, wars and deep sadness were so common at the time that you could see them around every corner.

Then there was light, the first miracle. A ball of light descended from the heavens to the ground, cutting through the darkness and pushing it away for all to see. The fear that permeates the survivors continued, due to the unknown origin of the object that drives away the darkness. Many thought it would be the end.

However, as if to prove otherwise, the sky where the ball landed began to lighten. Sunlight permeated the darkness of the heavens and reached the earth. It was seen in the hole that there was in the dark clouds the beautiful blue sky that had not been seen for a long time.

Soon came the second miracle.

Beings all over the world descended from the sky, as fast as the ball of light, and chased away the darkness with a simple wave of the hand. Their appearances were beautiful, but their strength was as intense as their beauty. They were different in shape, height and even races.

It was the gods.

Such beings appeared bringing hope to all those surrounded by darkness. Just their presence was enough to have belief and develop faith in them. Salvation was at hand for them, the end near, and lasting peace with the light.

And finally, the third miracle. The emergence of those blessed and chosen by the gods themselves. Divided into two groups, the first were those who could use divine power, contributing their faith and belief and transmitting the words and their existence to others, and the second, the chosen ones, were the Celestias, those who could use their powers in near-pure form. It is widely believed that they were the very children of the gods who came to the mortal plane.

With the third miracle came the end of the darkness and the light persevered. The end of the Dark Ages.

The ceiling painting represented all phases and miracles, and the painter had put a lot of effort into it, as all the images were well crafted and conveyed the message directly. It was one of the most beautiful treasures of the empire, being often portrayed and referenced in works, mainly in paintings, which reached the homes of the nobles.

"On the ceiling is Gregori's painting, "The Ancient Times", which tells the myth of the Age of Darkness, from before the gods appeared to how much after." The priest began to explain, seeing Brandon look at the painting. "It was made two hundred years ago and is often used as a study for art lovers for aesthetics."

"The main hall is mainly used for official events, both of the empire and religion, and prayers from the bishop to the priests of the temple, but for masses smaller rooms are used than this one with several priests of different gods." The priest circled the room, showing, pointing and talking to the trio. "Usually, those who come here are those who want to feel closer to the three patrons, Shew, Cyr and Opaz. Shew, as you know, is the God of the Skies, represented by the tiger; Cyr is the Goddess of the Oceans; and, lastly, , Nox, the God of the Lands."

He pointed to each of the statues that stood in the corner of the altar. A tiger with clouds at his feet and lightning in his whiskers, Shew. A large serpent that seemed to be looking at his prey, Cyr. And a wolf so big and fierce its teeth were the size of a finger, Nox. All three were known as the patrons of the Lucan religion.

"They were the ones who appeared in the land that is now the empire, so their story is retold and they have a lot of influence in Yulard. Which is different in other countries that had other gods in those lands." Said the priest. "There are also three houses that make reference to patrons, because their founders were the first Celestias chosen by the gods. One of them is the imperial family with Shew in its coat of arms. The other is the family of Grand Duke Noir, with Nox. Last is the Syzen family, which stands on the coast of the empire."

With the end of the speech, in front of the statue of Nox, the brown-haired priest turned to the trio who were seeing the figure of God and then with the vision on him. He was a little embarrassed by the three pairs of eyes on him.

"I think I got carried away telling you about the temple. Did you get bored? I usually do that with guests." the priest asked, scratching his head.

"No." James shook his head and Nott shook his head, smiling.

"We appreciate you taking the time to show us around the temple and main hall." Brandon spoke, bowing in thanks. The priest blushed a little at such a gesture.

"No need for that. I'm glad you liked it. Some get bored and some don't like it when I talk about theories." Said the cloaked man. "I take it you're off already? It's mid-afternoon and I still have errands to run. You can stay and walk around the temple if you like."

"Fine, we'll go too." Brandon spoke politely. "If possible, can you take us to the gate?"

"It is clear." The priest smiled.

James glared at Brandon and accepted. They still had to go home, even though it was mid-afternoon. They were out early, she didn't want to worry her parents, and her legs were a little tired from all that walking. He wasn't used to this, even he felt that he might develop a callus if he continued, but that could be solved with magic.

The day's tour was productive. Although it didn't have to be done all in one day, James didn't know if he could go out or have free time again. So he had to do it all in one day, even though he wanted to climb on Nott's shoulders and be carried.

The trip to the temple was good for James and Nott, for one learned interesting things and one more knowledge, while the other saw the statue of his God in front of him, honoring his profession as a knight. For Brandon, it was illuminating. He didn't have many ideas about the gods, other than what was seen in Phillip's and James' classes, but it was good. It also gave him some thought.

And a little bit of his anxiety has been lowered, one that nobody knows anything about.