Judicar

-Daniel Fleeting-

(1097 AD. Somewhere outside Jerusalem)

"And do you accept by choice, the life of the Judicar."

"I do."

"Then stand child, and take up your sword..."

I slowly rose to my feet.

Laid across Father Fredrick's palms was a sword.

It was a plain thing. The hilt was unadorned and wrapped in leather, while the blade itself was made of iron and had a thin layer of rust over it. The only distinguishing feature about the sword was the small cross carved into the base of the blade.

I scoffed. "That is a peasant's sword!" I said.

A dark look passed on Fredrick's face. It was a face that a kindly Father should never wear.

He spoke softly, "You would do well to lose that pride of yours ... it was Satan's undoing and it will be yours too lest you heed yourself."

I swallowed back my retort. I lowered my eyes to the tent's dirt floor. "Yes Father."

He smiled, his face once again gentile

"Now before your rather unfortunate interjection, I was going to tell you of this swords power."

Power?

"Please, go on father," I said.

"This sword, my son, is holy," he said.

I gave the rusted old hunk of metal a once over.

It still looked like something he fished out of a bog.

I decided to play along. "What makes this sword special Father."

His smile grew larger. "My son, this sword was blessed by Pope Urban at my insistence."

I could feel my jaw drop. Pope Urban ... the leader of the True Faith, laid hands on this wretched weapon.

"Pope Urban listens to you?" I asked, still trying to process that the Pope was now somehow involved.

Fredrick chuckled. "He should, my child, as I am his personal advisor to all things demonic."

I felt my legs go weak, and my knees sank to the ground. "His Most Holiness listens to you," I said. "Please forgive my impudence, and share your great wisdom."

I pressed my face into the dirt, and prayed I had not condemned myself.

I felt his hands on my shoulders. He gently raised me, until I once again stood, and looked him in the eyes.

"Hush now Daniel, your humility is admirable, but we are all servants to the light here," he said softly.

"Servants to the Light?" I said questioningly. "You mean servants to God right?"

Fredrick paused. "In a sense yes, God is the ultimate incarnate of Light. But when I say servant of the Light, I simply mean that we are enemies against the Dark, of which Satan is the ultimate incarnate."

I didn't know how to respond.

He just laughed again. "I know this takes time to understand ... and there will be time for that later. But right now, I need to explain what you have become."

I was confused. "Become, Father?" I began. "I have not become anything, I am still Daniel Fleeting, crusader of the Fourth Regiment.

He shook his head. "No Daniel, that life is behind you now," he said. "From hence on, you are a Judicair, or a sword of the Light."

"A Judicair, Father?"

"Yes Daniel. A Judicair is a human immortal servant of the Light, sworn to eliminate all elements of Darkness on Earth so that the Angels may focus on the celestial."