Chapter 1

“Beware, my brothers, that you do not fall into temptation, lest you lose yourself and your soul. But instead, focus on the Divine, the righteous, and it will lead you to Salvation.”

Chaplain Saul was preaching to a congregation of 42 members of House Righteous, a moderately-sized temple dedicated to Chirrus (“keer-us”), the god of justice. Although not the most popular member of the Divine Pantheon in the current increasingly corrupt and hedonistic age, he was still worshiped by many men who sought to bring about the end of the abuses of power.

Indeed, this was the reason that Brother Godwin had decided to join House Righteous only 5 years prior. He had seen first hand what powerful people got away with in the government, and his sensibilities could not tolerate it.

Now a full Brother, Edward Godwin was one of the fastest advancing members of the organization, and at the tender age of 23. Godwin knew that many of his brothers were jealous of his advancement, and considered him still too naive to be a leader in the organization.

To prove himself to others, and himself, Godwin made a vow to travel with some fellow brothers on an outreach trip. There would be 3 other men with Godwin in their troop, and their mission was to observe the nearby town of Addersfield for any transgressions against the law. Travel was only a one day trip by horse, and it was seen as a necessary function for those who sought to bring Chirrus’ weighing hand to the rest of the world.

“The world we live in is corrupt- full of the personal satisfaction, at the expense of others. When you go out, you will see the influence of this sin- whether it be the thief who steals your gold, or the biased official who overlooks the crimes of their son...” Chaplain Saul continued. Many brothers were nodding in assent.

“Only by submitting ourselves to the law, and becoming obedient to the order of things, do we find our true calling in life. By serving each other through trust and humility, we make our society better for all. It is the calling of our god, and the calling of our order” Saul said, increasing in volume. He lifted his hands up...

“Amen” came the choral reply from the congregation.

The Chaplain looked out over the men with a stoic gaze, his blue eyes searching the crowd. His chiseled face slowly turned around the room.

“There are some of you who have taken it upon yourselves to bring fairness and justice to one of the heathen towns of this world. This is not an easy task- for truly I warn you that the temptations of corruption are strong. They are far stronger now than in ages past, when empires stood guard to protect the rights of its people, when men and women could walk safely down the streets without fear of their fellow man.”

Edward had read about the times of the Icathian Age, when the Grand Empire stretched to control nearly half of the known world. As Saul had described, it was a nobler time back then, one filled with pride and order. It was also a time where Chirrus was worshipped in every city, along with the other deities from the good side of the pantheon. That was nearly three centuries ago, however...

“Although it pains me to think of a time that was much better than ours, the truth is that our mission has always remained the same- to protect the weak and powerless from the unjust, to bring law and order to civilization. The time has come for our fellow brothers to take up this holy task, to spread the news that Chirrus has heard their cries for justice. Will you heed the call?!”

“Yes, by the power of Chirrus” shouted the group.

“May the scales bring us peace” Chaplain Saul intoned, signalling the end of the lecture.

“Amen” Edward replied.

Edward woke up early the next morning, performed his personal rituals, and went to the mess hall to eat breakfast. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of the mornings, when many of his brothers were still sleeping.

“Good morning Brother Godwin”, came a familiar voice. A man only a year older than Edward sat down at the long table.

“Good morning, Eli” Edward responded. Despite being a little older than him, Eli was still an Acolyte, a rank lower than Edward.

“How are you feeling about your trip tomorrow?” Eli continued. Eli always seemed pleasant, and perhaps that was the reason Eli overlooked Edwards’ quick rise in the organization. “A little nervous, but eager to finally put my training to use” Edward admitted. Although Edward always put on a self-confident face with everyone else, he felt like being more honest with Eli.

“Yeah, I’ll bet. I don’t really remember much of my time before coming here, so I’d be nervous going out, too.” Edward remembered that Eli was only a child when he was brought in, homeless and without any family.

“You would do great, Eli” Edward said, smiling. He thought about all the friendships Eli had made here, and how his charisma would be a great asset in spreading their message to an often-deaf world.

“Yeah, thanks. But only Brothers can venture out of House Righteous...”

“You’ll get there soon, Eli” Edward said, optimistically. Based on the time he had been here, Eli was lagging behind some of the others. It wasn’t for lack of effort, though. He’s just a little slower at everything, Edward thought.

“I hope so, then maybe we could go out on missions together” Eli said.

“I’d like that” Edward replied. It’d be nice to go with a friend...

“Godwin, Green, you’re up!”

Edward tightened his grip on the small shield on his left arm, and strode confidently out to the dueling circle. Watching his opponent, he ran through his usual analysis-

Larger in size, longer reach, but often overextends. Relies on strong, heavy blows to weaken opponents and create openings. Stance is good, feet are slow. Psychologically, will likely start with aggressive maneuvers given his dislike for me.

Stay quick, Edward told himself, match aggression with quick movement and counters. Develop range and wait for the right timing before engaging...

“Begin!” came the quartermaster’s yell.

“AAaahhh.” Before a second had even commenced, Edward saw the black sap swinging in a three-quarter motion towards the left of his body.

“Ah” Edward quickly exhaled, shortly meeting the club-like weapon with the soft wood of his shield. The impact jolted his arm a bit, but he was still in control.

Edward landed with his own blow on Aidan’s shield, although his was much lighter. The true purpose of Edward’s counter was to force Aidan to block high, making him a split second slower with his next swing.

Edward slid to his right, away from Aidan’s weapon side. Although Aidan was strong and could swing faster than the other men, Edward was quick enough and smart enough to withstand the onslaught, usually.

bang came the next blow, again towards Edward’s head. Edward knew it wasn’t just his impressive size- Aidan liked going for the impressive knockouts. And if he took out Edward, it would be the talk of the House.

Edward continued sliding to his right, keeping his shield arm up to deflect the incoming blows. With his quick feet, Edward was able to create some space, although Aidan closed it quickly with his large steps...

bang came another blow. That one stung.

Edward winced, which he knew Aidan would see through their reinforced helmets.

Dropping his shield arm just a bit lower, Aidan yelled again with another ferocious swing.

Instead of taking another hit, however, Edward took a small step to his left and brought his shield up tight to his helmet. Bending towards his right with his upper body, he swung himself forward in a dipping motion to dodge the blow, and met Aidan’s knee with a clean hit of his own. Edward felt the hard contact of his club with the side of his right knee.

Following up on his maneuver, Edward completed his motion with a short step of his right foot, and swiveled to his left so that his left foot was forward again. Facing the back of his opponent, he saw that Aidan was limping around to face him again.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Edward slammed home on Aidan’s shield with his club, hitting it hard enough that he would have to keep thinking defensively. After the second quick blow, Edward bull rushed him with his shield in front of him, pushing Aidan backwards.

Not enough to knock him on his back, Edward pushed off with his shield to separate himself, lest they get into a grappling match. Throwing with as much power as he could, Edward took his back leg and snapped it towards Aidan’s right leg, right at the inner thigh.

The next thing he knew, Aidan’s leg fell from underneath him, and he landed forward on the ground.

With his shield down, Aidan’s helmet was exposed, and Edward took advantage by whacking him on the left side of it. With the special reinforcement used in training, it was not enough to knock Aidan unconscious, however it was disorienting.

Knowing that Aidan’s instinct would be to bring his shield up to where he had been struck, Edward circled to his right, around behind Aidan’s shield. Landing a single blow to the back of Aidan’s helmet, he saw Aidan’s head jolt forward, and he knew the fight was over.

“Enough!” came the quartermaster’s bellow. Edward instantly stopped, and circled over to his side of the circle. He strode confidently over to his bench, dropping his shield and club before working on his armor. He could feel the stares of the observers on him, and the silence was deafening.

Looking behind him, Edward saw the quartermaster attending to Aidan, talking to him about his injuries. Edward kept his focus on removing his armor, however, and thought about the fight they just had-

Good lateral move to avoid his swing, although risky. If he had seen me dropping low, he could’ve knocked me down with that heavy swing of his. He won’t leave himself open like that again...

Edward dropped his helmet, and felt the fresh air on his sweaty skin- and it would only take one blow to the head for me to lose any speed advantage.

Looking back to the dueling circle, he saw that Aidan was now sitting up- he’s pretty popular with the other Brothers, this may not bode well with me. Edward sighed, thinking of the ostracization that would be coming his way- and the looks.

Having calmed himself down, Edward no longer felt his heart pumping as loud, and wanted to check on Aidan. But knowing Aidan, Edward knew it would be better to stay away.

Edward was done removing the armor pieces around his torso, shoulders, and thighs, when he heard an angry yell behind him

“Get this thing off me!” Looks like he’s back...

Edward waited by his gear, calmly looking towards the quartermaster. It took half a minute for the quartermaster Bruno to help Aidan remove his helmet, however, and when he did, it flew across the courtyard.

“My fucking knee!” Aidan snarled. Profanity was rarely tolerated in the rest of the temple, but emotions often flared in the courtyard.

“You’re excused, Godwin” Bruno said. Edward nodded in respect, and grabbed his gear so he could return them to the weapons shed.

The reactions from people the rest of the day was mixed; some gave disapproving looks, while others were excited and curious enough to get all of the gory details. Edward knew that the interest in him wouldn’t last long, though.

After completing daytime chores, studying the holy scripts, and eating supper, Edward was back in his 10’ x 10’ room, getting ready for an early bedtime. As was his usual pre-bedtime routine, he worked out for half an hour, cycling from one exercise to another. He enjoyed exercises that tested his endurance, and he liked to slow down his movements until he felt the pain in his muscles.

After completing his push-ups, sit-ups, and chin lifts, Edward worked on his balance and core strength by putting himself into awkward positions. He had read about the different styles of exercise from one of the books from the library, and was amazed at how effective they were. Not only did it give him strength, but quickness and stamina, too.

After finishing, Edward went to the chest with all of his belongings, and went to put on a fresh shirt for bed. He saw his reflection in the mirror, and stopped to examine the progress his body had made.

At 5’11’’ and 180 pounds, Edward didn’t have the big muscles that some of the other brothers had, but he was very toned with very little fat on his body. Although most brothers hadn’t seen his slim and fit figure underneath the heavy silver robes he wore, his strength with the temple’s weaponry was unmatched for anyone his height.

Flexing in the mirror, Edward wondered if there were other men out there with his physicality and strength- I’d like to meet them, he thought. Maybe I can train myself to be better. He had read about massive training academies in the old days, where young men trained to be soldiers and go to war.

Not that Edward wanted to go to war. His military training here at House Righteous was mandatory, same as it was for everyone else. It was expected that members of the Chirrus order could defend themselves should they need to, most often with a mace or other bludgeoning weapon. Justice was not welcomed by everyone, after all.

Edward fell asleep wondering what challenges would await him in Addersfield

Edward woke up in the morning and ate breakfast quickly, so that he would have plenty of time to pack up. He met up with his fellow Brothers for the journey- Amos, Laramis, and Jethros, and they were off with a blessing from Chaplain Saul.

Amos was the oldest of the group at 42 years old, and had been on over a dozen missions outside of the temple. He remained a Brother despite his many years at House Righteous, and the reason was his disinterest in leadership and the managing of the temple’s day to day activities. Amos preferred to be among his brothers, teaching them through his experiences. He was also accomplished in many areas of combat, and knew what to expect on their missions.

Laramis was a few years older than Edward, and like Eli, grew up at the temple. Whereas Eli was pleasant to be around however, Laramis was not. Most times, Laramis was quiet, only speaking when necessary, or to offer some sort of reproach. It was the kind of attitude that the temple fomented in its congregation, and Edward sometimes wondered if he was going down that path as well.

Lastly, there was Jethros, who was also a few years older than Edward. Much more talkative than his counterpart, Jethros was a bit of a know-it-all, who didn’t know it all. A little too egotistical for Edward’s liking, Jethros often liked to joke around to make himself sound better. Although smart and very competitive, Jethros was sometimes put in his place by Edward during shared study classes, and especially during combat training.

Each Brother rode a horse for the journey, with Amos taking the lead-

“It’s been half a year since I was in Addersfield” Amos explained, turning his head to the side so that the other Brothers could hear him. “It’s a town of about 1500 souls, the largest town in any direction for several days travel. Being closer to the more populated cities of Andalusia and Hornwallis, it has many similarities in government- there is a single leader with most of the power, with several bodies of governance below him.”

“What’s his name?” Edward asked.

“Samuel Taggart” Jethros interjected, enunciating the name, “Son of William Taggart, of course.”

“Yeah, Sam’s been ruler since his father passed... ‘bout 7 years ago” Amos continued. “We ran into some trouble with the town guard last fall, but we straightened it out.”

“The Guard are not to be trusted” Laramis said with acrimony. Edward remembered that Laramis was on the last mission trip with Amos. This was both his and Jethros’ first time, having both attained Brotherhood in the winter.

“Yeah” Amos said with some sadness, “I don’t know what to expect this time around. The agreement that we’ve kept with Addersfield for decades now is in the balance.”

The agreement, which allowed Brothers and higher ranking members of Chirrus to enforce the law, was always thought to be an assumed contractual arrangement. Initially an Empiric Order from the times of the Grand Empire, it allowed the religious order to maintain a high level of civility throughout the empire, curtailing the abuses of power than man inevitably succumbed to. Without that agreement, the influence of Chirrus would diminish significantly.

“Seemed that a lot of people were in favor of having us there, after all” Amos continued, “And that’s what made the Town Guard back down on some of the charges we were making.”

Sounds like there could be trouble, Edward thought.

The Brothers did not have any problems on the road, and were within sight of the town before dusk.

“Let me do the talking, Brothers” Amos stated. Moving up to the gate, Amos opened his silver robe and pulled the hood back.

“Greetings, I am Amos from House Righteous. I am here with my travelling companions on our outreach mission to your fair town. I formally request entrance for us.”

From a small opening in the gate’s lower guard house, a head popped into view-

“We know who you are. But we don’t allow entrance at night. You will have to come back in the morning.”

There’s no way we are staying out here in the cold. And it’s not even dark out yet!

“To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” Amos started.

“The Town Guard” said the voice. This is not going well, Edward thought.

“I will have the Town Guard know that we are guests of Lord Taggart, and will see him on the morrow...” Amos said, implying the threat of reprimand.

Edward heard some grumbling, and thought he heard some swearing from behind the arrow slit.

With a loud creak, the large wooden doors opened, and the party trotted their horses in. Amos gave them all a concerned look-

“I take it you didn’t have this trouble the last time?” Jethros asked. Amos didn’t answer at first- “Come on, the inn is not far.”

The group continued into the town, trotting their horses on the rough cobblestone path that led from the main gate into the center of town. There were many houses about, with little space in between. Men and women walked up and down the street, slowly moving to their destination before dark. Kids were also in the street, running about and playing games, their mothers yelling at them to come inside for supper.

Edward noticed the attire of the townspeople, which was simple and bare. Although he had been raised in the country, even country folk had clothes in better shape than the ones here.

As they got closer to the center of town, the buildings were getting larger, and they passed many businesses. The people here look better off, too.

Edward was taking in all of the sights and sounds, trying to catch up with the group moving in single file, when he saw something that caught his eye-

Woah

Standing by one of the buildings was a young woman with curly, fiery red hair. She was wearing a dark blue laced bodice, which pushed her breasts up, and a shimmering blue skirt that ended around her mid-thigh.