Stepping into the study, Gardinal was dumbstruck. It was a huge round chamber with walls of towering bookshelves. In nine corners of the room sat nine shrines. A shrine for each god. Gardinal gasped, he had heard it rumoured but could hardly believe it to be true. The current Golden Hammer was famed for being a dedicant and gifted child of all nine of the gods. He would spend time in worship to each god every morning, and in turn was capable of wielding the holy light born of the entire pantheon. Gardinal felt awe at the sight of it all. Gardinal felt unworthy at the sight of him. Sitting at a large eldyn-oak carved desk in the centre of the room, a large stained glass window behind him, was the man himself. The Golden Hammer.

From the long grey hair and fine lines across his face, the man appeared the same age as the Bishop of Life. That was where the similarities between the two of them ended. The Golden Hammer looked as though he was forged by his namesake. Even seated, the man was a towering, powerful figure unlike any Sherya Gardinal had seen before. In only his priestly robes and a short gold-fringed multicoloured chasuble draping his shoulder, Gardinal could see the man’s thick muscles moving beneath finely spun white wool.

“Brother Gardinal, a pleasure to finally meet you.” The legend rose from his seat, becoming an even more impressive sight at his full towering height. He strode over and Gardinal fell to his knee.

“Your Grace, I am honoured by your presence.” Gardinal responded, casting his eyes to the floor. The Golden Hammer was the aspiration of every member of his order. The station that formed the namesake of his order, The Order of the Golden Hammers. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring to be in the presence of this man.

Approaching, the Golden Hammer touched a bent finger to Gardinal’s left shoulder, his forehead, then his right shoulder. “May the True Father guide you, brother in faith.” The man smiled warmly at Gardinal, then continued. “Please, rise. We have much to speak of and I am, unfortunately, quite busy.” The Golden Hammer motioned casually for Gardinal to sit in a chair on the other side of his desk. Gardinal did as he was bid, sitting stiff in the well carved plush seat.

“I don’t know what use I might be to Your Grace, but everything that I am is at your disposal…Your Grace.” Gardinal stammered. He felt like a fool, stumbling over his every word.

“Peace, Brother, this is not an interrogation. I have been informed of what occurred a week past by Brother Derenath. Now I wish to hear it from you as well.” The Golden Hammer responded. “In your own words, please.”

So Gardinal told him everything he could remember. Of how he had been walking through Silvermarket. Of how Jösef had burst from the shadows. Of the shadowy arrow in the dark that had killed the great hero. Gardinal even told him about the shield and showed it to him.

Eventually they sat in silence. The Golden Hammer obviously deep in thought.

“This all proves quite the problem Brother Gardinal.” The living legend broke the silence. “There is a particular piece of this investigation that had made it of the utmost importance to His Majesty the king. I wish to share it with you, but I will need assurances that it will not leave this chamber.” The Golden Hammer eyed Gardinal, awaiting a response.

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

“Ah, well of course Your Grace. My discretion is assured; I vow my life on it.” Gardinal responded.

“I do not doubt you would. But I have certain concerns that lay beyond the normal bounds of a spoken oath. Would you enter a binding oath, Brother Gardinal?” The Golden Hammer asked, and Gardinal swallowed hard. A binding oath was an incredibly powerful use of Seratosian light. Only the power of the True Father, god of leadership and order, could be used for such a thing. Power that Gardinal had only read about in ancient treatises. But he would not deny the leader of his order. This was the way of his path, the path of the Golden Hammers.

“I agree.” Gardinal answered resolutely. A heavy gulp betraying his nervousness.

“Good, hold out your hand.” The Golden Hammer commanded, and Gardinal did as he was told. Placing his hand upon the table palm up.

The Golden Hammer placed his hand upon Gardinal’s, and in a heartbeat thick twisting threads of glowing golden light began to bridge the gap between them. It wrapped their hands in a twisting tapestry of power. It flowed into Gardinal’s hand, like a thousand little hairs tickling the edges of his skin.

“Do you, Gardinal of Kin Belnur, vow to hold this secret within your heart until I, the Golden Hammer, do say that you may speak it?” He asked.

“I do.” Gardinal vowed. As he said the words, the web of light collapsed into their arms, with a burst of power that left every muscle in Gardinal’s body feeling as though it had suddenly been used to push a mountain. Gardinal struggled to even gasp.

“I apologize.” The Golden Hammer said with a slight chuckle as Gardinal recovered. “The Father’s light can be a bit much for those not accustomed to it. His light can be more… forceful than the First Mother’s. “

“You’re telling me.” Gardinal gasped for air as he responded. The Golden Hammer chuckled, then shifted to serious.

“I asked you to make a vow for a reason though Brother Gardinal.” The Golden Hammer began. “And it is a simple one. The death of Jösef Silverarm is remarkably similar to another that I myself investigated sixteen years ago.” The Golden Hammer paused, and Gardinal's mind caught up. Sixteen years ago? Wait, that would be… “The death of the princess was under similar circumstances you see.”

Gardinal furrowed his brow. “A killer that only strikes every sixteen years?” He asked. “What would be the point of killing Silverarm though? Why would the Theremya want him dead?” Gardinal continued, then stopped as the Golden Hammer’s face shifted. That single movement spoke volumes about the war Gardinal had lost so much in. “You don’t believe it was the Theremya.” He said with astonishment.

The Golden Hammer seemed to hesitate before speaking. “I… never did believe so. The accusation was based on hearsay and backed by parties that stood to gain much from the war. I doubted the Theremya’s fault then as much as I do now.” The Golden Hammer shook his head. “But that leaves us with a problem. There is someone in the city who is capable of assassinating the most influential, powerful people in our kingdom.” The Golden Hammer let the sentence end, but Gardinal caught the insinuation.

“The king isn’t safe.” Gardinal realized. The Golden Hammer nodded. “That still doesn’t explain why he would kill Brother Silverarm though.” Gardinal exclaimed. “What does killing him gain?”

The Golden Hammer nodded in agreement. “It is a conundrum. Yes. But we must remain vigilant. I have Brother Derenath investigating in the meantime. But as for you.” The Golden Hammer patted a large pile of papers and ledgers on his desk. “I have been reading about you.”