“An excellent question my boy. Most of those who cultivate spirit tend to form war groups with those who do not worship the same god because they wish their war groups to have an array of different powers. Those who follow the same god tend to have similar powers. Let's take myself as an example, I am a follower of Solarius in the Order of Might. That means my abilities tend to lean towards a frontline fighter. If I was to form a group with only those that were members of the Order of Might, we would most likely have no spellcasters or ranged fighters. If we encountered an enemy with long range capabilities, we would be picked apart from a distance.” Lief explained.
“That makes a lot of sense. However, what about the different Orders under Solarius? You have explained them before. There is the Order of Light which is primarily spellcasters and healers, the Order of Might who are frontline fighters, and the Order of Wisdom who consists of a few different specializations like tacticians, spellcasters, and priests. What is the point of forming these groups if they are only going to split up and head their separate ways in times of war?” Quin asked.
“The Orders are primarily religious. We organized ourselves into Orders in order to be a part of those who follow similar tenets that Solarius teaches. Someone who is in the Order of Wisdom, although they worship Solarius and hold all of his tenets close to his heart, will prioritize the pursuit of knowledge over the pursuit of power. So it's primarily a mode of organizing followers with similar goals. However there are times during war that the Orders will gather their followers and move in large specialized groups for a specific purpose,” Lief answered.
“Hmm, I could see those in the Order of Light that specialize in healing gathering together to form large groups of healers during the aftermath of a battle,” Quin mused.
“Exactly. That specific group calls themselves the Healers of Light. There is another group in the Order of Light called The Wrath of the Sun. They consist of spellcasters that focus on inflicting damage. It's very impressive to see them in action. When hundreds or thousands of Solar Flares or similar spells are launched simultaneously, very few can stand against it,” Lief agreed.
“So are you in a specialized group?” Quin asked.
“I am not currently since there have not been any large scale battles during my lifetime. I have participated in the frequent battles and skirmishes with the Dark Pantheon, but nothing that required specialized groups sorted by Order. If I was to join a group, I would probably join The Immovable Wall under the Order of Might. It's a group specializing in holding the front line of battles and withstanding heavy fire,” Lief said.
“Ha! That is such a lame name compared to other groups like The Wrath of the Sun,” Quin laughed. Lief rolled his eyes.
“You would probably join The Light Brigade once we get you properly trained in the lance on a mount,” Lief continued while ignoring Quin’s jab at his potential future affiliation.
“Now that is a proper name for a group. It's intimidating, honorable, and powerful,” Quin continued to poke Lief for a reaction. Lief just rolled his eyes once more.
It was then Lief and Quin left the residential district and approached another large wall with a portcullis. The wall stretched around the center of the city and formed a protective barrier around the city’s most important assets. City function buildings, armories, temples, and all other important structures laid within the second set of walls. Behind those walls laid their destination, the Temple of Solarius.
The walls were not nearly as grandiose as the walls around the city, but were still suitably impressive. There were even four spires like those at the outside of the city in each cardinal direction.
The duo approached the gates and Lief explained their identities and stories. There was not a guard at the gates who recognized Lief this time, but the follower of Veritas easily verified their identity and allowed them entry. The pair that followed Solarius entered the inner sanctum of the city with no issues.
If Quin thought the buildings in the shopping district and the residential district were lavish and impressive he was mistaken. Quin gazed around him at each building that rose into the sky, adorned with white marble pillars, and embellished with gold trimming. Statues of famous heroes and warriors arose from the streets in powerful poses. Beneath these heroes, emerald trees, trimmed to perfection, lined the sidewalks.
The surroundings were so picturesque that Quin could not help but to gawk, despite having done it nearly all day. In the back of Quin’s mind, he thought to himself that his jaw might be sore tomorrow from how much it had been hanging open today. Quin continued to follow Lief on autopilot through the streets while Lief pointed out buildings of significance.
“On your left is the Bank of Clarion. Clarion being the goddess of prudence, wisdom, and foresight makes her followers the most ideal candidates for handling the finances of the Light Pantheon. We will need to set you up an account there eventually. No one launches a holy crusade without significant funding,” Lief rambled.
“Ahead, about three buildings down is city hall. Every twenty five years, the followers that currently reside in the city hold an election to choose one of our own to run Cremoor. You think it would be a popular position, but it's actually quite the hassle and the workload cuts significantly into your time to cultivate spirit or hone your powers. Therefore most who run for the position do it out of duty to the city or have hit a bottleneck and need some time to plan and consider their next move. The city lord usually works together with mortals who hold their own elections for the other governmental positions,” Lief continued.
“Ah now we are getting into the truly important places. The temples and churches.” Lief proclaimed.
Lief did not need to give voice to the majesty of it all. Fifty one temples stood in a semicircle surrounding a single spire that rose high above anything in Cremoor. The spire stood in a massive open courtyard at the end of the street. The spire looked like some sort of fantastical tower out of a story.
This tower was different from the other spires in the city of Cremoor. It was made of a white stone instead of gray. It had a wide open door at the base and windows that ran up the side of the tower. The tower was incredibly thick at the base, but gradually ran into a point as it ascended into the sky. At the top of the tower was a ball of fire that was far larger than any of the other spires. Quin could almost feel the heat from this distance.
“The master spire. It controls all the others in the city. Anglos Menthis is the controller, he is a follower of Aegis and boasts a lineage that goes all the way back to the third era of man when Cremoor and the spires was created. In fact, it was his ancestors that created the spires. Ever since then, his family has protected Cremoor and the north from the Dark Pantheon by ensuring that none can breach its walls. The followers in this city use the master spire as their primary meeting place for important decisions like electing the city lord as opposed to the city hall,” Lief explained.
Quin was suitably impressed with the master spire and its magnificence. He had to tear his eyes away from it to study the temples that ringed it. There he was floored by the sight. Each temple was distinct and stunning in its own peculiar way. Quin could spend days studying the fifty one temples that ringed the massive courtyard containing the master spire and still be impressed. The uniqueness that perfectly embodied each god and goddess conveyed their domain perfectly. It made it so Quin could immediately discern what temple belonged to what god.
Quin may not have been completely speechless had he been to other major cities and seen that this form of treatment for the gods was standard, but he had been nowhere besides his home in the Abil Mountains. Therefore he was completely shocked. His eyes scanned over each temple before falling upon the one that truly mattered, the Temple of Solarius.
The Temple of Solarius was placed in the center stage of the other temples. The entire temple was bedecked in gold. The temple was separated into a dozen tiers that got progressively smaller as it ascended into the sky where it was topped by a golden globe that depicted a map of the world. The globe slowly spun and radiated a gentle light that reassured all that gazed upon it.
Each tier’s roof contained statues that displayed various famous heroes that followed the light of Solarius. The statues immortalized women wielding large broadswords, men brandishing shields, spellcasters throwing fire, and healers tending to the sick. All of these heroes had their own story and Quin felt compelled to learn each of their tales.
Quin and Lief strode toward the Temple of Solarius as Quin studied it. They ascended a staircase along with many others who were visiting the temple. The staircase that led up to the temple entrance contained exactly fifty one stairs, clearly symbolizing the fifty one deities in the Light Pantheon. They reached the entrance to the temple that had several golden pillars with swirls of earthy brown. Embedded into the floor’s entrance was the symbol of Solarius, the golden tipped triangle. Upon reaching this symbol, Quin went to its center and knelt as he desperately felt the need to pray in that moment. There he prayed to his father.
Quin did not pray to ask his father for something, but prayed to his father because it felt right to do upon entering his father’s sanctum. Quin knew his father saw every step of his journey to reach this destination, but in his prayer, Quin told his father of everything he encountered since he had ascended. Quin knelt there with his head bowed in the triangle for nearly half an hour as he relayed his journey to the father he knew to be listening. It elevated a heaviness in Quin’s heart that he never knew he had. It felt right and made Quin feel refreshed.
Quin stood and looked around his surroundings and noticed something that was not pertaining to the temple. Many stood by watching him, both inside and outside of the temple, with looks of reverence on their faces. There was a silence in the temple that was not present when he entered. Warriors stood by with their helmets removed and clasped over their hearts. Priests and priestesses knelt with their hands clasped towards him, praying as he had been. Mortals who did not cultivate spirit gazed upon him in awe.
Quin grew a bit panicked to be at the center of attention. He then noticed that the symbol of Solarius was glowing gently in time with his heartbeat. Quin looked down at his feet mildly startled. This caused some of his untrimmed blonde hair to fall in his eyes which he immediately noticed was glowing far brighter than usual. His hair was pulsing light in time with his heart and the symbol. Solarius had heard Quin’s prayer and wanted his son to know so. Quin somehow knew this instinctively and it brought a smile and a few tears of happiness to his face. Then the moment of happiness was interrupted.
“Praise be to Solarius!” A priest that was dressed in white robes with a golden trim cried out, breaking the quiet tranquility. This immediately broke the spell that had seemed to have fallen amongst those present. Priests and Priestesses rose from their own prayers to Solarius. Warriors and spellcasters hammered fists against their armor or staffs against the stone floor. Others broke into cheers or clapping.
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Quin turned to Lief Stoneheart for guidance, but saw him hammering his fist against his armor like the others with a broad smile on his face. Lief did however nod in reassurance. The priest who spoke earlier strode forward after a minute of the chaotic scene. Everyone fell quiet again.
“Let us welcome a new child of Solarius into his temple for the first time. Not only are we blessed to have a new warrior to carry on our holy crusade to bring light to the world, but this warrior is clearly a Chosen One. May Solarius guide you Chosen One and may your light bring glory to our god and safety to all of those under the sun,” The priest proclaimed. The crowd remained silent as they waited for Quin to speak.
“And may Solarius guide all of you. I will grow strong in order to protect all those who believe in the Light Pantheon and the guiding light of Solarius,” Quin responded to the priest by expanding upon the customary greeting that was taught to him.
This reply caused cheers to break out amongst all that were present as they had received a blessing from a Chosen One and seen what could potentially be a historical moment in the far future when Quin became a powerhouse of the Light Pantheon.
After the cheering died down, most left to go about their normal duties, but the priest remained. Lief strode forward to the priest and touched his brow in a gesture of respect for the man. This caused Quin to study the man in more detail. He was clearly someone of importance for Lief to pay respect to him.
The man was actually quite old for a follower of a god where spirit kept most looking young. The man had a soft caramel skin color that came from long exposure to the sun. His skin was mildly wrinkled in particular around his eyes which must have come from smiling which he was doing now. He had a bright white smile with perfect teeth that seemed at odds with his aged appearance. He had graying hair that had not gone completely bone white as it was still speckled with black. The remnants of black hair hinted at what he looked like in his youth. His eyes were black and would have matched what would have been his hair color in youth.
“Lief Stoneheart, I am glad to see you return after all these years. We all feared the worst for you, but I see another adventure has brought you and the church of Solarius as a whole a boon that we could not have imagined,” The man greeted Lief. Then he turned to Quin. “I am Patrick Falter, the Head Priest of this temple in Cremoor. What is your name Chosen One? I am eager to learn all I can about our future rising star.”
“My name is Quin. Lief has raised me all of my life and has brought me here to train to become the warrior I wish and am destined to be,” Quin replied while reaching out his hand for a handshake.
The priest returned his handshake with a grip that was not firm or soft. Quin had to consciously reign in his strength to avoid his habit of putting all of his strength into handshakes. Lief tormented Quin by relentlessly crushing Quin’s hand whenever they shook hands. This translated into Quin picking up the habit. The habit was further reinforced when Quin and Sorin started doing this as a form of competition between them.
“Truly a man worthy of Solarius’s blessing. Come with me brothers, I am sure you are tired from your journey and need your accommodations,” said Patrick Falter.
Patrick then led Quin and Lief into the temple. Quin quickly lost his way and Patrick led them through the temple. He passed rooms made for prayer, gathering spirit, classrooms, cafeterias, kitchens, and countless other amenities. The Temple of Solarius was not just a house of prayer and worship, but a place where those who followed Solarius lived, slept, and trained.
Quin asked questions as they journeyed deeper and higher into the temple. Quin learned that the temple housed the families of those who followed Solarius and a school of orphans. Those families and orphans were taught and provided jobs when they had no schooling or work. The priests and priestesses worked endlessly to provide those in need both in and out of the temple with everything they needed.
As their journey was long, Quin began to learn through his questions that he was only scratching the surface of what the Temple of Solarius did and how it functioned. Quin did not realize his education was lacking so much. He shot a raised eyebrow at Lief who shrugged and gestured at his armor then mimed hitting something. The message was clear. Lief could only teach how to punch and stab because he cared for little else. Quin rolled his eyes and for once questioned Solarius’s choice of teacher for him. Quin would need to attend classes or obtain a tutor of sorts for affairs that did not involve martial combat.
Finally the trio had arrived at a door located on the fourth level of the temple of Solarius. Patrick pushed the door open and gestured at it for Quin to enter. Quin stepped inside and found himself in a posh suite with a sitting room with an adjoining bedroom and bathroom. It was a splendid suit with white stone floors, soft golden walls, and red furniture.
“These can be your quarters during your time in Cremoor, Quin. I hope it is to your liking,” Patrick said.
“Most definitely. I have never lived somewhere so wonderful. It's like a dream, I would have never been able to picture this before today,” Quin replied.
“A humble young man, wonderful. Stay humble my young brother. Do not let these comforts cause you to stray from your devotion to Solarius,” Patrick complimented and warned.
“I would never stray, sir,” Quin replied with a bob of his head. Then Quin realized something. “Are you not staying in this suite Lief?”
“No, my boy. I have my own quarters on the eighth floor of the temple. As you increase in strength you will receive better accommodations on the higher levels. Once you become someone of my strength, you can even obtain permanent quarters that they will keep reserved for you,” Lief answered. Quin nodded in understanding. “Get some rest Quin. Either I or someone else will come collect you for breakfast in the morning. We will discuss our future plans tomorrow as well.”
Lief ruffled Quin’s hair and then left, taking Patrick with him. Quin was left alone in his new room. It then occurred to Quin that he had never had his own room. The cabin in the Abil Mountains was a single room that he shared with Lief. The freedom of being alone in his own room was liberating and lonely at the same time.
With that realization, Quin set about unpacking his backpack. Then he used the bathroom where he was able to bathe in a tub that filled and emptied itself with heated water. It was a novel Quin did not realize he would enjoy till he experienced it. Finally, Quin went to the bedroom and climbed into the incredibly soft covers and cushy mattress and fell fast asleep.
While Quin went to bed, Lief Stoneheart and Patrick Falter ascended to the twelve story of the temple. Patrick was mildly confused on why Stoneheart had insisted that they needed to report to Thorne Ironclad, the head of the Cremoor branch of the Solarius Orders immediately.
While Patrick was the Head Priest and managed the spiritual and charitable affairs of the Temple of Solarius in Cremoor, Thorne managed the followers of Solarius when it came to military matters. The official title for Thorne Ironclad’s position was High Templar. This position came with more power than the Head Priest and the obligation to report to the various Orders of Solarius so that they could coordinate military ventures and training of the Solarius Order.
Patrick and Thorne worked in tandem to keep the Temple of Solarius in Cremoor in excellent condition and working like a well practiced battle formation. Due to Patrick being Head Priest, Lief was able to pass unimpeded through the various guard stations to reach Thorne’s office. Normally, Lief would be stopped and prodded to schedule a meeting, which could take Lief weeks to see the very busy Thorne Ironclad. Granted Lief may have been able to bully his way through using the shock factor of his reappearance after so much time as almost every single veteran guard had recognized their brother in arms and worship.
Eventually after many flights of stairs, winding corridors, and guards proclaiming in surprise to see Lief Stoneheart, the duo arrived at Thorne’s office. Patrick pushed open the door to Thorne’s office and stepped inside, followed by Lief. The opening of the door revealed a pleasant office with very little decoration.
The office was purely for work and meetings and its furniture followed that purpose. There was a large oak desk with a chair on either side. Along the walls there were no decorations, only several bookshelves containing hundreds of ledgers that could have held anything from financial records to the latest reports from No Man’s Land. In the corner of the room were two couches with a coffee table in between.
“I do not have any meetings scheduled for the next hour.” Thorne Ironclad said from behind the desk where he was hunched over a piece of parchment with a quill and pot of ink.
Thorne Ironclad was a towering figure, standing almost two meters with a muscular build and skin weathered by countless battles. His piercing steel-blue eyes, set beneath thick brows, revealed a life of unyielding determination, with a wild mane of dark hair streaked with silver and a neatly trimmed beard framed his rugged face.
“Busy as ever I see,” Lief spoke upon entering the room. Thorne’s writing immediately halted and his head shot up where he met Lief’s eyes. His face broke into a radiant smile.
“Son of a bitch, you aren’t dead. Come here you big lug,” Thorne proclaimed as he rose from his desk after carefully putting his quill back into the ink pot. The two men embraced in a large hug. “Almost eighteen years you have been gone. You do not write, you do not send a messenger. Where have you been my friend?”
“I have a very important tale to tell you about my travels, Thorne. I brought Head Priest Patrick with me so he could be informed as well,” Lief spoke.
“It must be important then. Let's have a seat,” Thorne responded before ushering Patrick and Lief onto the couches in one corner of the room.
Once seated Thorne gestured for Lief to speak his mind. Once Lief began to tell his tale, Thorne asked him to pause immediately. Thorne then rose and left the room to cancel the rest of the night’s appointments.
When Thorne returned, he locked the door and settled back onto the couches with not a word. Lief continued his tale. He told them about how he received a divine revelation from Solarius about Quin and Sorin's eventual birth in the Abil Mountains. He had immediately departed. Lief then spoke about his encounter with Magnus Warbringer on the way into the Abil Mountains and how they reached an uneasy truce after both were injured. He then spoke about the death of Quin’s mother Loma during childbirth and how he began to raise Quin while Magnus raised Sorin.
“To think two Demigods were not only born at the same time, but to the same mother. Vesperos is truly a cunning and wicked god,” Patrick spoke in a low whisper. Thorne remained quiet and let Lief finish his report.
Lief continued and spoke about raising Quin and their eventual departure. Lief spoke of the battle with Magnus Warbringer and his death. Thorne and Patrick’s face brightened during the telling of this story before falling again upon the explanation of Sorin’s escape.
“The escape of the spawn of Vesperos is truly unfortunate. We can only hope he died on his journey out of the Abil Mountains and to whatever destination Magnus Warbringer pointed him to,” Thorne voiced.
The others voiced their agreement. Lief then rounded off the tale with his and Quin’s journey to Cremoor and Quin’s ascension to the rank of Acolyte. Once the story was finished the three sat in silence for a time.
“We will need to do a full report to the Orders of Solarius about this. They will need to begin war preparations immediately because if we do not, then the Dark Pantheon will,” Thorne spoke.
“Would it not be better to keep this under wraps until Quin is powerful enough to protect himself while reporting the possible existence of a Dark Pantheon Demigod?” Patrick voiced.
“I do agree that Sorin’s existence needs to be known so the Light Pantheon can begin searching for and potentially eliminating him. As for Quin, I believe that we should keep as much as possible about Quin a secret. The reports should only go to those holding the position of High Templar or higher as some of them probably already know of his existence. That way Quin will have more time to grow and the Light Pantheon will be prepared for war,” Lief stated his opinion.
“The council leaders of the Orders of Solarius should be deciding this matter. All we must do is report it and follow their orders. Whatever the outcome is however, we will be in the thick of it,” Thorne declared.
The three men then sighed as they realized the sizable workload they had ahead of them for the foreseeable future. Together, they began drafting a report for the Orders of Solarius. By morning, they had compiled all the information they had and had sent a coded report with the fastest aerial tamed beast in the Temple of Solarius. It was bound for the Holy City of Caer Mana.