Voice of Virtue

The sound of wood clashing against each other fills the training area of the leftover knights in Wra'thez. The training ground in the palace houses another visitor for this special day. A female paladin demonstrates her strength as she imbues the wooden sparring swords with divine power as she strikes the now fifth dummy. A light resembling that of a bright early dawn surrounds the sword, both shattering as the sword hits the dummy with force.

Cristal stands still, her hand outstretched as one of the junior knight's hands over another sparring sword.

"Did our material offend you?" A voice asks speaking with the sternness that can only come with authority. "Otherwise I see no need for this unnecessary damage." The armored Hedara An'Yis finishes her rebuke, a slight grin on her face.

The unarmored Cristal turns around to watch the copper-skinned elf approach. "The material hasn't..... Yet. Hopefully, we can keep that so this day." Cristal replies as she looks at Hedara's hands. The hands reach for a satchel attached to the elf's side as she pulls out a letter.

"After we managed to communicate the grand duke of your party's presence in the duchy. We received word of the commanding paladin representing the central holy empire. This letter was addressed to one called "Crala Issital, a blond-haired paladin running around with four others." Since the grand duke is your employer he doesn't count and three of the four others matched the description."

Cristal grabs the letter with the seal of a half-risen sun and simply puts it away. "Was that all?"

"My presence would annoy you as a paladin so no, there is nothing else." Hedara says as she unsheathes her blade and walks over to another dummy, slashing it precisely where the neck is.

"I'm not a paladin." Cristal says, a surge of divine power crackles through the wooden sword. The currently broken-down sparring sword she wields strikes against another dummy, both shattering once again. The young knight tries to hand over another sparring sword, the young eyes wide open and unable to look away whilst the palms are sweaty. Cristal waves away the offer as she returns to her own room.

***

Seated in the guest room, she carefully opens the letter. A sigh escapes her lip even before reading the letter.

'Crala Issital

I pray for Asariel's kindness that this letter does actually reach your hands. The sight of my letters returning unopened has become a larger burden than I would like to admit.

It has come to my knowledge that you and I are currently separated by not even more than a week's worth of travel. In case you're wondering the grand duke of Norka did not see the need to hide this information from his allies.

My duty forces me to stay put here and observe the ever-growing encroachment of the Sopoirs. Honestly, I do not believe they will attack without support from the eastern holy empire and the elder branch of the church. Something highly unlikely with the current state of the emperor.

With that out of the way, I wanted to be the one to tell you this. The priest that abused your righteousness for his own personal gain has officially been detained three years ago, and a year later was executed by command of the pope himself.

I know that the scars brought by him and by us might never heal. The fool that I was, unaware and mistaken that your health was not solely physical whilst I left your mind hanging at the edge of the dark.

I know that you left with that girl and her companions because she brought you the ability to hope once again. At first, that concept seemed so strange to me. "How could a poor red-haired dreamer help one of the most promising paladins of this age?" I asked myself.

How wrong was I? I should've asked, "what have we ever done to help you?" So I stopped sending letters that commanded you to return. I even thought about breaking off the search entirely, until one of the trackers found her grave.

Immediately I demanded an explanation of what happened from the adventuring guild. The betrayal must have hurt.

It was not your fault. Don't even think for a second that it was.

This letter cannot hold the number of things I still want to say to you. I pray to Asariel that you will honor me with your presence again.'

- Paladin Caldron Issital, your brother-

The blond-haired paladin slightly rubs her forehead, unsure how to react to the news. Opposing feelings such as relief and also sadness linger as she imagines the voice of her older brother reading this for her. A man described as the model paladin, one that lives and would die for the words of the goddess. The man she looked up to most and the reason she became a paladin.

"Commander… They do say time waits for no one." The blond-haired paladin mumbles as she folds the letter carefully.

"Are you okay?" The concerned voice from Tika asks as she already stands in the room. "I heard you were here, but I didn't receive any reply when I knocked." She quickly adds on, defending herself from any unjust assumptions.

"I'm… I'm fine." Cristal responds before she stands up. "Did anyone bother you today or someone else from our group for that matter?"

"Gunnir and Hellas were together and claimed they've not been approached for anything suspicious. Whilst the grand duke seemed to have warned Sol. Personally apart from a small conversation with Talade Jivalidin who seemed rather eager to know the cost of certain arcane experiments, there was really nothing of essence to discuss."

"What about the crow wizard? Brandubh, I believe. What do you think of him? What's his goal?"

"As a privately taught mage, who did not have to go to Drearorth thanks to my father's paranoia. It's not unusual for mages to work at a noble's court. It allows for research expenses and connections. But I believe there is more to it than that, my teacher for example was very open about the fact that she used the excuse to educate me to avoid the watchful eyes of the upper echelon. Describing it as "having to constantly watch your step or lose everything you have. So I rather watch a little brat like you.""

"You're a confusing bunch."

"Immortality and power will do that. But don't lump me in with them. I'm not going around calling you a preaching battle nun, aren't I?" Tika says standing before the door, not hiding her mischievous smile as she mocks one of her dearest friends. A short dignified laughter escapes Cristal as she also smiles at Tika's remarks.

"You better not, or I'll smite you!" Cristal responds as she joins the walking outside Tika, continuing their lighthearted banter as they search for the others of the group.