The sun started setting on Midandria. People were gathering at the square at the city’s inner ring where the statue of William, the Light Bringer stood.

“They say the Vicar’s coming?” A short and stout bearded man said.

“Yes Chief! But we don’t know where. It's a big city!” a lady with glasses said.

The crowd talked and whispered as they walked around.

Harthur seeing the confusion decided to check on the people, “The Vicar is showing up today?”

“Yes Sir!” a man answered, “We heard it early today from a knight but they didn’t say where!”

“He rarely goes out to see the people this past year,” Harthur said.

“But if the Vicar wanted to raise the morale of the people, especially the refugees. He would need to be in the new town for the refugees on the north gate. This is also my chance! I’ll seek advice from him!”

“My hunch is he will be at the New Town to check with the refugees,” he said to the man.

“So he wants to see us? But wouldn’t it be better to wait for him here? He will surely pass through here since the Vicar’s Pillar is just over there,” the man pointed.

“Oh, these people haven't seen him ever!”

“No, he won’t pass through here,” Harthur said. “He likes to surprise the people so I don’t think he will pass out of that gate”

“Oh, so the new town then.”

“Yes, I’ll be going there as well.”

“Okay, thank you, kind Sir!”

“Kind Sir? People from the provinces are so polite. They shouldn’t have to go through this. They shouldn’t even be here. We failed to protect them!”

Harthur looked up at the towering statue in front of him. A long-haired man riding a dragon holding up a huge hammer towards the God’s Pillar. It was said that his hammer shone so bright that demons crumble at the sight of it and that is how he saved the nation from its dark pasts.

The north gate was already full of people; refugees, commoners, squires, merchants, and guilds. Sighs of wonder and awe can be heard outside the new town made up of shanties.

Harthur started running “I was right! But I’m late!”

At the center, the Vicar was radiating. He waved his staff and blue and white specks of light sparkled and floated all around everyone. The Vicar raised both of his hands and started slowly floating. The people knelt and some started crying.

“Let me help you,” an old and gentle voice popped into Harthur’s head.

The people were shaken, they cried harder and some fainted. All of them heard it inside their minds. They couldn’t believe that the holy man would treat them this way.

“Please Vicar, tell me how can I make the knighthood better?” Harthur asked.

“Let the light lead you!” the Vicar answered.

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A surge of emotion swelled up from inside Harthur. He rubbed the tears that formed at the side of his eyes and his spirit and morale were floating.

“The light, It only meant one thing! I will become a knight!”

He opened his eyes and the Vicar was gone but the people hadn’t moved yet. Still praying and settling themselves on the miraculous event that transpired. The number of refugees changed a lot since Harthur last visited the site. There were only several stacks of wooden shanties. It was quickly set up so the refugees could have something warm to sleep on. But now hundreds piled around the center where the Vicar had shown himself. And now that the Vicar’s blinding light is gone Harthur saw a ten-foot pillar at the center of the town. A circle was drawn on the ground around it.

“What’s a pillar doing here?” Harthur walked to the center passing people who were still kneeling and praying. Symbols from a language he doesn’t know were etched all over the pillar. He touched the runes and a cold and dark emotion ran up his spine.

“What is this?”

“Sir Rigers! Please get out of the circle, ” A squire came from behind him.

Harthur quickly stepped out of the circle and turned around, “Good day Sir! I apologize, I was just curious. I never saw this before.”

The squire was surprised to see Harthur, “No need to apologize Sir Rigers! Glad to see you back in the city.”

“Do you know what its for?”

“Yes, it's a magical barrier for everyone’s protection here. As you know, this town is outside the city so its barriers do not apply.”

“Thank you,” Harthur bowed.

“Come back anytime, Sir,” he said.

“Of course, it's a magical barrier for protection,“ he whispered as he walked back to the city.

Determined more than ever, Harthur marched to the Knights Pillar to report. He walked for three days to get back from his last mission and already had a list of errands planned to do. The three pillars of the Vicari faith lie in key places within the city at its outer ring. The three formed a triangle pointing east, to the God’s Pillar outside Midandria. Inside this triangle are the main city square and the important districts of the city.

Squires loitered around the huge pillar, discussing their missions and day-to-day affairs. The Knight’s Pillar matches the other two pillars in everything except for the huge hammer carving above its also huge gate. Harthur had always wondered how these pillars were built, it always felt to him that those magical days were never coming back and these amazing feats would remain unattainable forever.

The one huge door of the pillar led to an open space where a wide stair at the center led to the upper floor. Lots of squires still loitered around. Several rooms were equally divided around the stairs and served as meeting, planning, and training rooms.

At the top of the stairs are two High Squires standing on a platform. Behind them is a huge block of white wall.

“Harthur Rigers, reporting from mission”, Harthur showed them a parchment, where he wrote his report.

One of the High Squires, a woman read his parchment while the other High Squire, a man juggled with his hands, and several parchments came out flying from the magical white wall. The man rotated the parchment above their heads never touching it with his hands. One of them floated down to the hand of the woman.

“You are dismissed and under arrest.” the woman said, looking him straight in the eyes.

Harthur’s face turned serious.

“For helping a mercenary, causing serious injuries to a fellow squire, and refusing to arrest an oathless.”

“So it begins. I should have been more careful!”

Lordred walked out of the hall from the left smiling at Harthur.

“Now go to your rightful place! Peasant!!” He said to Harthur. “Arrest him!”

Three squires came up from the stairs, two of them held Harthur in his arms, “Sir Rigers, please do not resist.” The third one said as he took Harthur’s shield blade and bag.

“The mercenary you’re saying saved squires! Save so many people!”

Lordred laughed, “See? He’s admitting! You don’t even need to scan him!”

“He’s not even a mercenary! He’s just a guy who wants to save people!”

“Take him away!” Lordred said and the squires pulled Harthur.

“How? How is this happening? The Vicar just blessed me! He talked to me!”

“The Knights need me! We are weak! We can’t save people!”

“Quiet!” The High Squire said she waved her hand and her ring lit up. Harthur’s eyes slowly closed and his body became heavy. “Sleep!” she said.