According to Sir Emeric's reports, when he, Sir Philip, and Sir Cristoff drew near the church, they found the steps crowded with the faithful. Having responded mostly to stories of monsters, ghouls, and demons, Sir Emeric reported that it was refreshing to see so many hopeful faces, for once.

"Please allow us entry," said Sir Emeric in a loud, commanding voice. With a gentle gauntlet on the shoulder of the nearest Elekvaz citizen, he brushed one man aside and the others followed, bowing their heads as the three Templars passed.

The sanctuary was just as crowded. On one side, Sir Emeric saw a long line of people, some with injuries or maladies, others clearly sick, and some holding babes in their arms. All craned their necks to peer over the shoulders of those in front of them to catch a glimpse of the saint. On the other side, Sir Emeric saw a line of people shuffling back out of the church, all of them with satisfied grins, some with tears of joy in their eyes.

The Templars strode up the middle aisle, and soon they saw him. He was a young man, barely more than a boy, with one eye missing. Sir Emeric noted the genuine, serene smile on the young man's face as he prayed a blessing over a baby held out to him. Whether there were miracles or not, Sir Emeric could hardly imagine this young man being sinister in any way.

The young man looked up at Sir Emeric as he drew close, and the line of people backed away to give them room. Sir Emeric stood far taller than the suspected saint, but the young man showed no sign of the usual fear people had when encountering a Templar knight whose face lay hidden behind a helm.

"Are you Giradin?" Sir Emeric asked.

The young man nodded. "I am."

"I am called Sir Emeric. This is Sir Philip and Sir Cristoff, my brothers at arms. However this turns out, it is a pleasure to meet you, Giradin."

"Ummm... thank you," said Giradin.

Sir Emeric paused a moment, then removed his helmet. According to a number of sources, Sir Emeric had long, red hair which fell down in waves over his shoulders. His skin was rough, and a short, scarlet beard hugged his square jaw. His cheekbones were pronounced, and he had eyes as green as a field after a rainy season. The people of Elekvaz said Sir Emeric was the most handsome man they had ever seen.

Sir Emeric asked, "Why don't you tell me how this all started, Giradin? Tell me how it was you discovered that God favors you."

Giradin proceeded to tell Sir Emeric a tale about a cinder ghost, a dear friend who came to his rescue, and an answered prayer just when all hope seemed lost. Most of the story sounded like a fairly typical encounter with a vengeful spirit, up until the moment Giradin began to glow with a heavenly light and the spirit recoiled from him. Sir Philip and Sir Cristoff asked a few questions about the details to confirm that this was, in fact, an aschengeist and not a demon of some sort.

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But Sir Emeric asked what he thought were the far more important questions. A ghost was a nuisance to deal with, but a saint had the power to change the world. "And you are a Christian, yes?"

"I am," said Giradin.

"Have you ever studied to become a clergyman?" asked Sir Emeric.

"No," said Giradin. "I'm afraid not. I was a cobbler's apprentice before Melcher Fitz conscripted me into the Crows."

Sir Emeric knowingly nodded his head. "Has a miracle occurred immediately after you prayed before?"

Giradin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, a few days ago there was a fire here in the city, and everyone was in a panic, even me. When I finally got a hold of myself, I stopped and prayed for deliverance, and it started pouring rain. The rain put out the fires and calmed everyone down. That might be a miracle."

Sir Emeric nodded again. "Do not doubt, lad. That was a miracle. Now, how do you feel? In general, I mean."

"I feel good," said Giradin. "Ever since Melcher Fitz conscripted me I've been afraid almost all the time, but now I don't feel afraid of anything anymore. I just feel... good inside. I don't know how to describe it."

Sir Emeric laughed and patted Giradin's shoulder. "Well, that's good. I hope you continue to feel that way."

"So, does this mean... you know... that it's true?" Giradin asked. "Am I a saint?"

Sir Emeric shrugged. "I can't say for sure. So far, it sounds like it's true, but I still need to speak with a few more people. Sir Philip and Sir Cristoff, in the meantime, will find and banish the aschengeist. You've nothing to fear." The Templar gave a dismissing gesture to his fellows. They bowed and walked off to do their duty.

After Sir Emeric left the church, he interviewed many others in Elekvaz whom Giradin had blessed.

A man with a weak right leg said strength returned to his thigh after all these years.

A woman who'd been sick claimed she'd been cured.

A boy who'd been suffering from sleep terrors every night said he was finally free of whatever demon sought to disturb his dreams.

And there were those who saw Giradin repel the aschengeist. Every witness reported the same thing: a beautiful choir of voices, like all the angels in Heaven speaking at once in a language beyond human understanding. Then white light emanated from Giradin's body, and the aschengeist fled from him.

But the report which stood out to Sir Emeric the most was one he received from a young man with unusually strong arms and shoulders. A young man named Tebbe.

"I came to the saint to request a blessing. He laid his hand on my chest and I felt something fill me, something both warm and cool at the same time." Tebbe undid his tunic's laces over his chest and bared his strong breast to Sir Emeric. The Templar gasped at the sight. Tebbe's veins were aglow with a golden light, illuminating his skin.

Tebbe continued, "Since the saint laid his hands on me, I've not felt tired or hungry. There's a constant taste in my mouth like the sweetest honey and the most succulent meat at the same time. Everything I see looks beautiful, and every sound I hear is like music. Giradin's blessing is the best thing that ever happened to me. Wherever he goes I want to be there too."