After traveling for a couple of days I had gotten a feel for the Grand Master and the order. The order recruits only the most promising people all across the galaxy. They usually scout the young so that they have plenty of time to train and become the best that they can. People can decline of course though it is very rare for that to happen. The recruits are usually between 10 and 15 years old, though variations do occur. They then spend 10 years training relentlessly and educated to the highest degree. They may also receive genetic and biological augmentations to further increase their capabilities.
After their training is finished they would then apprentice under a veteran paladin of the order for twenty years. Once the twenty years is over the veteran paladin would then declare whether or not the recruit's training is fully over or if they should train for a longer period. Should the training be deemed over they would then have a ceremony to initiate the new paladin into the order. They would then serve until they died. This meant that paladins could serve for thousands of years, as the augmentations would make them effectively immortal.
The order had a world that is the main base for the order. This is where the training would take place and where all fallen paladins would be laid to rest. The world also held all the records of the order and is where they made and contained all their armour and weapons. This planet is extremely well defended. This is the same for the other militant orders of the Tailmen.
The Grand Master had been with the order for thousands of years and is one of the oldest members of the order. Most members of the order reach a point where they feel that they should die. This usually happens between a couple hundred to a thousand years of living. These members would then set out on a pilgrimage to either rekindle their wanting sense of life or hunt down and die killing Arch Heretics. These heretics are usually people who either want to spread chaos or did horrendous acts.
When these members die their armour then lets out a signal the nanosecond they died. A team is then sent to recover the body alongside the weapons and armour. They are then taken back to the base planet and a ceremony is held to honor the life of the paladin.
While I was learning this I was sparring with the Grand Master. He is an extremely skilled combatant and surpassed me in skill. I learned a lot from him in the time that we sparred. Once I was equal in terms of individual skill we moved on to how well we could command and lead. He showed no mercy. I lost repeatedly and would only start to come back as we started to arrive at the Holy World Ulysim. Once we arrived I joined the Grand Master along with his retinue with my guards.
Together we went down to the planet in shuttles and landed on the planet. The planet had a vast fleet along with multiple space stations protecting it. It also had a planetary shield covering it. We landed on the private pad of the biggest temple on the planet. This place is where the High Tain lived and worked from.
Once we landed we departed from the shuttles and formed a massive squad. With this squad, we moved along the pathway and entered the temple. The inside was clean and well maintained, though barren of decorations. We walked through the halls of the temple for a couple of minutes until we arrived at a pair of doors. Some of the guards broke off from the formation and lined themselves against the walls and beside the doors. They opened the doors and I walked inside.
The room had a couple of couches and tables spread around, pieces of art were put on the walls. Inside the remaining guards spread across the room and went to all possible entry points. I went to sit across from the elderly woman that sat on one of the couches. The woman watched me the entire time with a smile on her face.
Once I sat down she got up and kneeled on the ground. "Holy Father, it is a great honor and privilege to meet you. I swear my fealty and the fealty of the Tailmen to you. We are yours to command and do with as you please." She spoke in a reverent voice. I got up and raised her.
"How could I refuse such faithful people. First, you must have all of the major leaders of the faith and the governance meet here as soon as possible. People are fickle and I must be sure that I can rely on everyone. Once that happens we can go on to destroy the false Alpha out there." I spoke. She then got up and started to put out orders that all the major members of faith and government needed to arrive at the planet as soon as possible. Failure to do so would be Arch Heresy and they would be hunted down.
Once she finished that I had her tell me all about the religious doctrines and what the religion preached. She told me with great zeal. She spoke of the origin of the faith during what they called the great journey. She spoke of how they arrived on this planet and spread the religion to its people and helped them advance their technology. One of the doctrines is to always use what materials were available and to never waste. Another was to take care of the planet as it gave birth to the people that inhabit it.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Over the next couple of days, I accompanied the High Tain across the planet. She spoke to every pilgrim that she could and would help heal any illness that popped up. The priests of the faith would all learn how to use UE to help heal and cure people. They said that it was only with the help of the Alpha that they were able to use such gifts. They also taught that the universe craved balance and that evil would always be present. Using this teaching they would say that it was the duty of the people to not fall into this evil as it would turn them away from the embrace of the Heavenly Being.
I witnessed her carry out religious sermons and listen to the worries of the people. She cared a lot for the people and truly lived up to the position of the leader of a theocracy. She was very adept at governing and helped develop worlds upon worlds. The days passed and all of the leaders from across the Tailmen came together. They all gathered together in one room. My guards and the Valaryian Order lined the walls and the halls. Only the officials were allowed into the room.
Once I was told they had all gathered I walked with the High Tain into the room. Most of the government officials had inquisitive expressions about who I was while all everyone else immediately got out of their chairs and kneeled. "We greet our Holy Father." They said as one.
Hearing this the rest of them followed suit. "Raise and take your seats. We have much to discuss." I said noticing the lack of one single person. "Who is missing?"
"That would be the Maiden. She had been in isolation since we have perceived of the birth of your vessel." The High Tain said.
"Who is she?"
"She is the one said to be in most contact with the gods. She is also supposed to be either your wife or concubine, depending on your choice."
"Oh? When was the decision made for there to be a maiden?"
"This was made in the early days of the faith so that you could have only the purest and most loyal companion."
"I see. I will visit her when this meeting is done. For now, let us get down to business." I said before finally sitting down. The chair is quite comfortable and elegant.
"Of course sir. What shall we start will?"
"First off, who here doubts that I am the Alpha," I spoke looking at each person. One brave person rose from their seat.
"I do. Though the High Tain said that you were, I have seen nothing of the fact. The records and texts speak of your form being most like and you emitting a holy aura. So far you look like a regular person albeit a very good-looking one." He said. Several others nodded along with him. The rest looked extremely displeased.
One of the priests rose. "Who are you to say what the Alpha can look like. How dare you doubt the High Tains words. She is the most devout person among us and would know whether or not this is the Alpha." They spoke with an annoyed tone.
"I never said I doubted the High Tain but people are still prone to mistakes. Who is to say that she isn't being fooled?" He spoke. The idea that the High Tain would be fooled angered the rest of the priests.
"How did you even get your position with such a lack of faith?" A priest questioned.
"Governing worlds take more than faith priest." He said with a tinge of venom. "Maybe if you spent more time doing it you would know that."
The conversation quickly grew into an argument among them. It was weird, each of these people should be highly devout and would work alongside each other. They shouldn't have grown so hostile to each other. I quickly sent out my senses to see if anything was amiss.
I picked up something wrong with each of their auras. Searching closer I found out that there was something that was making them more prone to hostility. I saw that most of them were infected except for a couple of them. Investigating the unexpected ones I saw that they had a device that was connected to whatever was making th others hostile.
Looking closer I saw that it was an animal or bug of some kind that was releasing very small UE waves to the affected. Seeing this I released my aura so that everyone would freeze and shut up. I then called in some of the guards. When the guards arrived I told them to hold everyone down except the High Tain. They did so shortly and I calmed down my aura. I then went over to one of the unaffected and looked them in the eyes.
"Who are you," I asked. Staring them in the eyes.
"So you figured it out huh," she said, "I'm gonna lie you are impressive. Sadly you will be demolished by the Alpha we created." She then tried to shift into her mist form. My aura blasted out before she could and I stopped her and the other. They were surprised when I stopped them.
"You think some fake could compare to me," I growled, "you are greatly mistaken. I am THE Alpha. There is no other. When I met your fake I will obliterate the abomination. Sadly you will not live to see that happen."
I then raised my hand and pressed it against her head. Perhaps sensing a form of danger about what I was going to do she started to struggle. With my hand against her head, I then pulled the vast strength of my soul and shot it against hers. She screeched out in pain as my soul shattered hers. In that one instant, she felt unimaginable pain.
Her form started to dissolve and dissipate. She was no more. I then turned to the other ones.
"I am Alpha Andemion Omega. Those of you who side with the abomination shall suffer the same fate. There will be no mercy. Only destruction awaits you." I said before they destroyed their forms and had their souls pulled to some other place. I let them do this. I will arrive and destroy them. After all, I knew where they were. Every one of them was in my sight and wouldn't escape.