Gideon had woken up surprised to still be alive, not knowing where he was. A demon perched on his chest, its claws dripping red with blood, and it took to the skies when he groggily tried to swat at it. He lay his head back in the grass for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had happened.
The last thing he remembered was fighting a horde of goblins in the woods. He sat up and looked around. A goblin corpse lay not far from him, its throat torn out, and he was a fair distance out of the trees.
Had the Elwin girl pulled him out of the forest? It was the only explanation that came to him, but it didn’t make sense. She was a witch, someone who trafficked with demons, had even left one of them to watch over him. There had been nothing stopping her from killing him, or just leaving him in the forest for goblins to find later.
So why had she done it?
He turned the question over in his head as he pulled himself up. He had come up with no satisfactory conclusions by the time he had started down the road to Wayford. He still hadn’t come up with any answers by the time he had passed through the town, leaving through the north gate.
Clara Elwin, a witch sworn to the infernal, had saved the life of Gideon Farrin, a Paladin. It seemed simple enough when you laid the facts out like that. But it was those facts that made things complicated. Demons were evil, he had been taught, and those that willingly used their powers were just as evil. He was a Paladin, sworn enemy of all that threatened humankind, especially witches and demons.
By those teachings, Clara Elwin should be evil, and he should be her enemy. But she had gone out of her way to save his life, even though it had come with no benefit to her. She had left her demon to watch over him while he lay in his ensorcelled slumber.
Did that not make her good?
He had not fully decided by the time he turned off of the main road, an hour outside of town. A thin, worn path led to a small chapel that stood alone on the roadside. Gideon pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
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The interior of the chapel was much like outside, clean and well maintained. A censer burned atop the altar, smoke trailing lazily from it to fill the small building with a calming scent. There was only one person in the chapel at the moment, seated in the pews.
He was a man of perhaps middle age, with hair that had just started to go gray; a lean, fit man despite his years, with a sheathed sword lying across his knees as he sat, contrasted by a walking stick leaned against the bench. His clothes were simple and drab, but he bore the holy symbol of a Paladin around his neck. He turned towards the doors as he heard them open, and a smile crossed his face when he saw Gideon.
“Good morning, Sir Ilbert.”
Ilbert stood, grabbing his walking stick, and crossed the nave to Gideon. He walked with a noticeable limp from some injury sustained in his past adventures, the reason he stayed and tended this chapel. Gideon had once felt sorry for his mentor’s impairment, but he seemed truly happy where he was.
“Gideon, my boy. I did not expect you back so soon. Have you had any luck?”
Gideon nodded and reached into his pack, producing a bundle of pristine white cloth. He unwrapped the bundle to reveal an elaborately decorated sword hilt, its silver crossguard sculpted in the shape of wings and set with a brilliant ruby. There was maybe an inch of blade that jaggedly protruded, the rest of it missing.
“Exactly where they said it would be, and as beautiful as all the rumours claimed,” Gideon said as he gave the hilt a few mock swings.
“I trust it wasn’t too much trouble to recover?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle, as you can see. It was in the hands of some ghouls. Honestly, I would go through a lot more to see such a relic reclaimed, even incomplete as it is.”
“It may not need to remain so for much longer. I’ve word from Calador that the priests there have uncovered the location of the blade - or some part of it, at least. If you want to aid them in seeking it…”
Gideon thought about that for a moment. It had been some time since he visited the capital. “I may just do that.”
“You wouldn’t need to leave immediately, of course. I know you’ve been on the road for a few days, so you’re free, if you might wish, to rest for a bit. Perhaps share some tales from your journey; I must live vicariously through you, with this old wound,” Ilbert said, motioning to his leg.
Gideon shook his head. “I want to be leaving as soon as possible, as appealing as some rest sounds. There’s something that happened to me on the road, actually…” he said, motioning to the pews.
The two of them moved over and sat down. Gideon recounted his learning of the witch in Almerra, followed by his encounter in the woods, ending with his being put to sleep. “I woke up, alive and well, outside of the forest. I have been trying to figure out why this Elwin girl might have saved me, when she should have slain me - or at least simply left me for dead.”
Ilbert sat with his walking stick in front of him, fingers clasped over its handle. “Have you considered, Gideon, that this woman is not evil? That despite her choice of magic, she may be deserving of pardon?”
The words surprised Gideon. “She uses infernal magic, summons demons. By the Church’s teachings, she is tainted beyond saving.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Ilbert chuckled. “That is the common stance on such magic, yes, but things are rarely so black and white in reality, Gideon. In fact, there is nothing in the Church’s laws that explicitly condemns any other type of magic, as much as some argue that there should be. While the kingdom has outlawed infernalism, it has never been for the Church to pass its own judgment on these matters, often as it is that we are called to assist in their apprehension.
“We Paladins embody the angelic virtues of hope and courage. Our presence is a beacon of light in the world, and we are often enforcers of justice for the Church and the kingdom. Sometimes we must also temper that justice with mercy. These laws must be set for society to operate, but our order has the power to overrule such laws. It is a difficult thing to teach, so each of us must trust his own judgment in these matters.”
Gideon sat quietly as he thought about that. He had always thought of the order’s responsibilities as fairly straightforward: uphold the laws of the Church, and defend the people from any threats. But what Ilbert said made sense. Sometimes the law, strictly followed, was not entirely fair.
“So you think this Clara Elwin might have a good reason for turning to infernalism?”
Ilbert shrugged. “I have not met her. But by your own admission, she saved your life. It bears a second thought, at the very least.”
Gideon’s mouth twisted into a faint frown. He had become a Paladin to defend people from monsters, not judge who was damned or innocent. It wasn’t something he could decide without meeting Clara Elwin again, so he pushed those thoughts away for the moment. He sat and conversed with Ilbert for a bit longer, recounting some of his journey for the sword hilt.
It wasn’t long before Gideon rose, stretching. “I should get back on the road. Thank you for your guidance, as ever, Sir Ilbert.”
“It is what I live for, my boy. Angels guide you.”
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Gideon left the chapel feeling significantly less conflicted. He hadn’t been exposed to much of Ilbert’s philosophy in the past, focused as he had been on learning the skills of a Paladin and the tenets of the Church. But the older Paladin’s words made sense, and Ilbert had been renowned and respected when he was still capable of traveling. He wouldn’t have been so well regarded if his philosophy was flawed.
He would have liked to stay at the chapel and rest for a bit longer, but he wanted to find Clara. He wasn’t entirely sure where to start, but the girl couldn’t have gone very far since the encounter with the goblins.
Gideon tried to place himself in the witch’s shoes. She had left him alive, but hadn’t stayed to watch him personally. She might still think the Paladin her enemy; he may well still have been before his visit to Ilbert’s chapel. He wasn’t sure of Clara’s goals, but he didn’t think she would stay in Wayford if she thought an agent of the Church was still hunting her.
Rymoor seemed a likely destination for her, then, the only town connected to Wayford by road aside from Almerra. He would go there and ask if she had passed through town, and perhaps wait for her if she hadn’t yet.
The travel passed without incident. Gideon had gone down this road frequently in the past, and the sights of the countryside were familiar to him. He had helped most of the farmers in the area with some problem or another at various points in the past. They were just distant enough from the towns to be harassed by what lurked beyond the boundaries of civilization.
He passed into Rymoor several hours after leaving the chapel. “Has a young noblewoman with dark hair come into town today?” he asked the guard on duty, an anxious-looking young man wearing an oversized helmet and a gambeson that barely fit him.
“Not today, sir Paladin. If it’s someone you’re expecting, I can find you later…”
Gideon clapped the watchman on the shoulder. “Good lad. I’ll be waiting at The Copper Cup.”
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The Copper Cup was a small inn that sat near Rymoor’s southern entrance, just beside the road that cut through town. It wasn’t a particularly refined establishment, but it was the best the small town could afford.
Gideon took a seat at a table near the door and ordered some food. The tavern had simple fare, but it was filling enough. He listened to the room as he sat and ate, picking up snippets of conversation.
“…goblins on the road to Dreham…”
“…a Paladin by the door there…?”
“…heard there was bandits in the forest…”
An hour passed before Gideon saw the watchman from before peek into the tavern and look around. He had changed out of his uniform and was now dressed in simple commoner’s clothes. His face lit up and he slipped inside when he noticed Gideon at his table.
“Sir Paladin,” he began, saluting with a hand on his chest. “Gifford - the watchman on duty right now - says he just saw the woman you described. Said she started asking about adventurer’s guilds, and went in the direction of the Sword and Talon.”
Gideon stood and thanked the young watchman with a silver talon, then left the inn. He wove through the streets, knowing the town reasonably well, and was in front of the Sword and Talon within a few minutes. He saw the woman examining the guild’s bulletin board, and stepped up behind her.
“Thinking of becoming an adventurer?” Gideon asked as Clara turned to face him.
Her hand came up defensively, and it looked like she was preparing to cast a spell. Gideon raised his hands up, palms out to show that he was unarmed. “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to harm you.”
Clara eyed him skeptically. “Why? The other day you were dead set on passing the Church’s judgment on me.”
Gideon shrugged. “And then you saved my life, despite that. You could have easily left me for dead in the forest, but you chose not to. I wanted to find out why.”
“Does it matter why, Paladin? Doesn’t the Church teach that we should all look out for one another as best we are able?”
“The Church also teaches that those who consort with demons are no better than their infernal masters, incapable of such selfless acts.”
Clara was silent for a moment. “That is exactly why I did what I did. Because you - the Church - believe me incapable of it.”
Gideon stroked his chin as he looked at her. She was not particularly forthcoming; it seemed he wouldn’t be able to come to any conclusions from a single conversation. He motioned to the guild’s door. “So, adventuring?”
Clara looked back at the bulletin board, seemingly caught off guard by the change in topic. “I need to get to Calador, but I don’t have the funds for such a long journey. It seems the easiest way to make some coin quickly.”
That was certainly true, Gideon thought. Quick coin, but dangerous, especially for a lone, inexperienced woman. “Can I propose something to you?” Clara tilted her head slightly, and Gideon took that as an invitation to continue. “I can escort you to Calador, and cover the expense.”
Clara’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you want to do that?”
“To be honest, you confuse me,” Gideon stated. “By the Church’s teachings, all those touched by the infernal are beyond saving. However, you saved me, despite me being your enemy at the time. Perhaps…” He grimaced. “The Church is not entirely correct on this matter. I need to travel with you and observe your actions before I cast my judgment.”
The woman continued to look skeptical, and it was a few more seconds before she responded. “…Fine.”
Gideon waited for a further response, but none came. He stood awkwardly for a moment, then motioned down the road. “I’ll be staying the night at an inn called The Copper Cup. We can get you a room there and purchase some supplies come morning.” When he didn’t hear any sign of acknowledgement from Clara he turned back to look at her. She stared at him warily for a second before giving a hesitant nod. Gideon gave her a smile that he hoped was reassuring, and guided her back down the road to the inn.