Jarod woke up in a pool of warm water, it bubbled from the very stones beneath him. His headache was gone, as were most of his aches. He was just getting comfortable when he remembered the monster mutilating Chen.

"Chen!" He jumped up from the water. It was reflex and surprise, maybe even a twinge of a nightmare he didn't remember. He was full on naked, and was about to thank god, or as he was realizing, the gods, that nobody was there to see him when he heard a voice chime in behind him.

"Glad to see you're awake." He turned around and an old man he didn't recognize in a white robe. Jarod nervously covered his bits and sunk back into the water.

"Is he-"

"Chen is alive. Though he will be leaving the academy at the end of the week."

"What!? He's being kicked out!?"

"Yes." The old man grunted and leaned back in his chair. His back audibly clicked and he made a satisfied expression.

"He didn't do anything wrong!" Jarod felt guilty, beyond guilty even. If he hadn't helped with making that dungeon, Chen would still be okay. Unharmed.

"How can you train a one armed soldier? If it makes you feel any better, Steel is leaving as well." The old man was almost dismissive. How could he care so little? Jarod didn't like Steel, but the order was his life.

"You haven't said me yet."

"You're a special case. You-"

"Bullshit! You just want my powers!" Jarod stood up again, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. The old man sighed.

"I'll get paladin Kaya." He stood up and left the room. Jarod was frozen in his accusatory pose before he realized he needed pants. He looked around and only saw a few towels hanging on the wall, so he ran to one and slung it around his waist. When he sat down he started to examine the room more. There were stone walls and several pools like the one he was resting in. The room was steamy, and his head was surprisingly clear. Incredibly so. He could tell why some people swore by saunas.

Kaya entered the room, still wearing her plate armor. Jarod wondered if she even had other clothing. He was so relaxed in here he almost forgot he was angry.

"So I see you scared our medic away."

"Was it that bad?"

"Several cracked ribs. Something you all shared, actually. Plus, you were at negative mana, which I didn't even know was possible. I've seen mana droughts, and mana fevers, but not like that."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I take it that's why I'm here?"

"It's why we built the citadel here. Some of the strongest mana wells in the world. They're of the fire aspect, so they heat the stone. We carved the baths and added water."

"I enjoy the lore, but why do I stay while Chen and Steel are kicked out?"

"You're an asset Jarod. We need you as a force against evil, whether or not you stand with us. We kick out recruits every year, whether its due to poor performance or injury."

"It's not fair." Jarod said.

"Life isn't fair. You should be healed by now. Your training resumes tomorrow."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I stay if they stay." Jarod placed his ultimatum without really thinking. Kaya's eye twitched.

"So you're saying you'll leave if they do?" She said through gritted teeth.

"I am." Jarod said. Guess you don't like people denying your orders, huh? Jarod thought.

"Fine." Was she was calling his bluff? Jarod was honestly terrified of this outside world.

"Fine?"

"I would say pack your things, but that would require you to have possessions. To make a compromise of your situation, we'll tell you three the hidden tenets."

Jarod remembered Priest Pardim talking about the hidden tenets. The order had a handful of rules they always follow, but keep secret from most non-members. They're more of a traditional secret than a really dangerous one, but it's a show of trust to teach them to three expelled initiates.

"You'll learn them tomorrow. For now, rest." She stood up and left the room. Her armor still gleaming and perfect.

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When Jarod saw Chen in a new audience chamber the next day, he couldn't help but feel guilt again for his missing arm. Jarod almost believed they could use magic to give him a new one. He was still wrapped in bandages, but was magically healed and quite alive. His eyes though, were sunken, and he stared off distantly. He was still Chen, but he was distant now. Saddened by his loss that Jarod couldn't understand.

The chamber was deep within the citadel, with a raised stone platform in the center.

A beautiful woman was waiting in a throne on top of the platform, wearing modest white robes that matched the color of her white hair. Steel came in last, more sullen than even Chen.

"Hello, young ones." She spoke in a singsong voice.

Steel immediately kneeled. He glanced at Chen and Jarod. Chen kneeled next, and Jarod didn't want to feel like the odd one out so he kneeled as well. This must be the Oracle they talked about so much.

"Our hidden tenets are only two. Passed down for their necessity." She spoke in a pausing manner, letting every word take some weight. Though, Jarod found it annoying, almost like William Shatner's overacting.

"One: to fight darkness and evil wherever we can, to exterminate the sources where we do not wish to see them." That one was pretty obvious. Not really hidden in Jarod's opinion.

"Two: To never eradicate darkness. We could eliminate the dark cults of the world with our strength, but we do not. For every scale needs a balance, and without evil our order would cease, and without our order evil will come back stronger than ever."

Now that one, Jarod found ridiculously self serving. But he kept his mouth shut. The Oracle smiled warmly, then waved the young men away. Men at arms awaited them outside the chamber, and escorted them to the citadel's exit. Jarod wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to his friends. Steel and Chen were quiet when they stepped onto the rickety wagon that went into town for supplies every week. It was held a day so that they could ride down. Jarod put his head in his hands. He didn't even have a class. He was stuck with two broken men, and didn't know what to do when he got into town. Maybe he could convince the others to talk to him over the long journey down the mountain.