In the Wake of the Silver Lion

[StrongBear 1184]

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

For a boy to turn into a man, he must go through trials and tribulations. - The same goes for a squire who wishes to become a Paladin. As one would expect Elias Asul’onn went through many such things, either it would be his two marriages or even from being a squire to Paladin, many bumps on the journey and many different paths but all reached the same end goal, well they did for a time. 

It was supposed to be a normal patrol, nothing was supposed to go awry but everything quickly went downhill. One…two….three….there were only two left against a congregation before long only one remained standing, there the now silver-haired man. Elias stood alone given an ultimatum - to surround or risk the life of another. He quickly weighed his options, the percentage of fighting more, the percentage of his chance of survival if he were to be taken as a captive. His choice had come forward, offering his hands to those he lost against, there was no need for him to even put up a fight for it surely was a losing one in that situation. So for the time being, the old man was held in a deep cell within the Queendom. To help pass his time, many visitors flocked to see the Paladin that had been captured but they were all taken back by his words, by his calmness, and even by the topic of conversations many spent hours listening to. Elias had lost track of time, there were no windows, and he only felt the cold blizzard once, that was when he was allowed to go outside but had to remain bound in chains. As more time slipped by, there was suddenly an array of familiar voices calling out for the silver hair man, his time of rescue had arrived. Before he knew it, there stood the familiar elfess in the entryway of his cell, his grandmother along with a few others had come to rescue the old man which was possibly a deathly fate. Once on the surface of the Queendom once more, there he was greeted by many brothers and sisters in arms from the Vale.

 

A few days had passed since his return to civilization, and Elias slowly got back to working on what needed to be done for a Paladin’s duties never rest. He was called to help secure a prized target, one he had just seen days before his capture at the Queendom. He silently recalled the interaction but he had work to do, the ritual had to be done for it would’ve taken a major player off the battlefield for the time being or so he thought. Another set of days passed, Elias was chatting with a friend within the tavern at the Vale before another came shouting for help, that there was something in the woods harassing people. So the old man did what he does, change into his armor and fetch his weaponry before stepping out of the Vale with two others in tow. Once they were in the wood, there Elias saw who should’ve been locked away, confused but didn’t show it, few words were spoken back and forth before Elias turned his attention towards the large flesh golem, he was called to challenge it would have been dishonorable for the man to turn down such a thing. So there he stood, battling it out with a large flesh creature but however the Lich had other plans, for he had also brought another undead soldier but he barely moved nor defended, easily taken out at the end. The battle in the woods took some time but it only caused the Paladin to grow more tired and irritated with the circumstances, everything was adding up to something but what was that something?

 

Elias was given a warning, he was even told not to wander alone outside of the Vale. Keep inside the walls for he should surely be safe? The Vale was always kept under lock and key, one way in and many ways out if one were to jump from the walls into the ocean below. It was the safest place he could be, right? If people were truly after him they wouldn’t be so brazen enough to attempt an attack from the Vale, not in the slightest with the chance of survival.

 

At first, it was an anonymous letter, which was quickly talked about among fellow paladins, Elias quickly shrugged it off since he had not planned on leaving the Vale, then it was a random shout from a stranger asking for him. It was now, Elias started to piece things together, maybe they were targeting him but how could he possibly be different from the rest in the Order, was it because he was deemed as an easy target after his capture? Another shout rings from the Vale gate. This time it was familiar, it was the same Lich that he had dealt with earlier, the old man’s heart began to race now but he did not show the internal panic that was raging. He found another friend, giving him a warning before moving to his house, gathering what he needed, and quickly scribbled down a call for help. He passes in front of the gate, not even batting an eye at the scene out there as he makes his way to the aviary, quickly finding a bird to send a letter off. There stood a stranger in front of him, one the old man has never seen before, then suddenly from behind a butt of an ax came down upon Elias’ head, causing the man to stumble, he shouts, calling for help, as Elias looked back, he caught a quick glimpse of four then everything went dark. 

The next feeling to wash over the Paladin was something that he had not felt before, it was not the warmth from his Lord's blessing, it was something far darker and macabre, his very soul was whisked away, leaving his mortal body lifeless as he went into the very depths of  Hell where he stood before Ebrietaes, seeing everything that no mortal man should be able to see, all of the sin and abomination that call this place home, it was nothing but pure horror for the old man. Where his soul was, it wished to make its return to the mortal plane, back to the husk it was from. Suddenly life had awoken in Elias once more, but it was not on the battlefield, but it was in his house, his room surrounded but three people, people he would lay his life down for. He was horrified by what he saw, those images will be forever engraved within his mind for he was surely going to overcome those sleepless nights once more hopefully.

 

 

 

Spoiler

Hi hello! It's another Strong post for y'all to read! Some of these events are public knowledge if y'know y'know but if you don't, it's that simple. Feel free to like and comment - as those little green arrows make the world go round!