The Paladin Order Reformed 4 Burdened

"It was worth it." Was the only thought that was in my mind as I laid gasping upon the sweat laden grounds of the courtyard sucking in as much air as my lungs would allow. Sir Richard relished every second of it. After a few moments rest, he decided he was finally satisfied, but not completely sated with my punishment.

"It might be best to do some core exercises, we don't want to leave such an important part out, do we Christian?"

He took great pleasure watching my expression turn from exhaustion to dread and fear, my eyes screamed for mercy, but there was none to be found in his. I close my eyes and wait expectantly for him to recite his order. Then something unexpected happens.

"Just kidding Christian, you've worked exceptionally hard today, how about you take the rest of the afternoon off."

This takes me completely off guard, Sir Richard has never been someone to give breaks or days off. Never in my life has he allowed a workout or a lesson to end unfinished. I look at him in surprise trying to read his expression to see if he's trying to give me false hope, but what I see is an emotion that is completely foreign, something that I have never seen in his eyes. I've lived my entire life with Sir Richard, I know his patterns, his moods, and his personality, I can tell when he's happy or sad. I know when he's going to give me an extremely difficult a.s.signment just by a look. This knowledge does nothing to comfort me as I fight the dread that rises in my heart. I try to ignore it, but what I see behind his fake smile and glazed expression is undoubtedly fear in his eyes.

"Are you sure? Is everything.."

He interrupts me. "Of course I'm sure, how about you go introduce yourself to some of the girls in the village. You always say you don't have any time to meet any, nows your chance."

"Sure...Yeah...." I say warily, I don't know what's happening, but I don't think it's my place to question him.

With some effort, I sc.r.a.pe myself off the courtyard ground and turn to ask Sir Richard what he is going to do, but when I look I find that he has completely disappeared, leaving me alone to tend to my fatigue by myself. As I walk to the main door of the stronghold a figure appears in peripheral vision, when I look to see who it is I find no one to be anywhere near. My tired mind writes it off as my imagination, I don't dwell on it long, as a bath at the temple was my main priority in that moment. After dropping off my equipment at my room I make my way towards the temple for a much-needed bath. One of the good things about the Order stronghold that we live in is it's proximity to the town's temple. Taking a hot bath after a grueling day's training is sometimes the only reason I'm able to finish. As soon as I get to the temple I let the hot water melt away all my tension, allowing it to dissolve all the soreness I've gathered from the day's training, leaving me in a state of complete bliss. Even with the near healing effect the water usually brings, my mind can't help but be troubled. I can't shake how odd it was, I know it was just an expression, but my stomach can't help but be in knots. I try and forget everything for the moment and let the water's soothing warmth envelop me.

I finish my bath hoping I didn't waste too much time, I swear the temple bath has its own realm of time, hours seem like minutes within its soothing embrace. I dry myself and put on a casual garb, before heading back towards my room. I get halfway there and decide to check on Sir Richard, I know its probably nothing, but checking will hopefully put my nerves at ease.

I walk purposefully through the desolate corridors until I get to Sir Richard's room, I'm about to knock on his door until I notice a light from Sir Richards's study illuminates the corridor, which he usually doesn't use at this hour. Quiet words from the study affirm my speculation of its being in use, but who could Sir Richard be talking to? I've never known him to be close enough to anyone to warrant a hushed nighttime discussion, heck he doesn't even have those with me.

I walk silently pressing myself against the wall to keep my presence as minimal as possible, the door of the study is opened enough to allow a sliver of candlelight to escape. I approach the door and stand quietly against the wall, not daring to look inside. I strain my ears to hear the conversation within, but their voices are to quiet too hear. I decided to enhance my hearing with a spell, I connect mentally to my mana while envisioning the spell, then silently cast [Etherial Sense: Hearing]. I silently thank Sir Richard for his extensive training and listen to the conversation within.

"I told you to leave Manson, what is it that you don't understand about "Finish your business and get the h.e.l.l out of my sight." It seems like pretty simple instructions to me, even for someone as thick-skulled as yourself."

"Now now Richard is that any way to talk to your "Superior". The person who's name I can only a.s.sume to be Manson emphasized the word Superior.

"You know I'm the one who rightfully earned the t.i.tle Knight Saint, I only relinquished it so you would leave me the h.e.l.l alone. What happened to our agreement? You do whatever you want in the capital and I live out the last of my days in a backwater town, that seems pretty simple to me."

Sir Richard finishes with a hushed but fierce tone. The other voice waves it off by saying. "Of course the agreement is still valid, you've been so wonderfully obedient I thought I would come down to thank you."

"Bull c.r.a.p, you don't do anything for the sake of it, there's always an angle with you. So what is it?"

Manson chuckles quietly "You caught me, I've heard so much about that apprentice of yours that I couldn't help but come and see him for myself. What was his name again? Chris, Carson, Christa..... "

A loud thud sounds from inside the room, I hear a chair slide back. "b.a.s.t.a.r.d! If you dare come anywhere near him I swear on the G.o.d above all things that I will personally destroy everything that you hold dear right before I crush your windpipe. I may be old, but I've defeated legions of demons alone, you don't think I can't rip out your throat with my pinkie finger." From his tone, I know he means it.

"You've always been rash Richard, try and imagine it, that boy of yours is going to be sent to war by next year. Do you really think that making an enemy of me now is good for either of you?"

Sir Richard releases a string of curses unbefitting of a Paladin knight.

"What do you want you two-timing Charleton?"

"Nothing major, just a few of your old comrades are trying to resist the new "vision" the Order has. I'd like you to speak some sense into them, otherwise, well you understand don't you?"

I try to listen to the conversation further, but I hear footsteps coming towards me. I don't have time to think of what to do, I instinctively put up the first spell that came to mind praying to G.o.d that I wouldn't be noticed.

The door opens and a wiry man with gaunt skin and a patchwork beard steps cautiously out of the study. I sink further into the depths of the shadows at the end of the corridor where I'm at and hope that he doesn't notice me through my [Shroud of Darkness] Spell. He scans the hallway, momentarily settling on the spot I'm hiding at, thankfully he seems not to notice me. After he's satisfied there is no one here he walks in the other direction towards the exit. I wait for what seems like hours until I knew for certain that Manson won't return, I dispelled [Shroud of Darkness] then activated [Erase Presence], [Light Refraction], and [Soft Step]. Three spells are the most I can maintain at the same time at my current level, but these three spells make me nearly impossible to notice. I carefully make my way back to my room burdened by this new knowledge that I have no right having.

When I finally laid down in my bed a sense of relief washes over me, I hadn't noticed the pent up breath that I held almost the entire way back to my room until I released it. The events that transpired replayed continuously in my mind, I kept thinking about it over and over again. I ran scenarios in my head trying to find a way to resolve everything, but nothing that I thought of ended well. I have no idea what I should do, I want to confront Sir Richard about this, but I fear that it wouldn't make a difference. Who is Manson? What does he want from Sir Richard? In the end, there were only more questions, questions that I had no answer to.

The weight of all this laid heavy on me as I tried to sleep, it took a long time for rest to finally find me and when it did it was fitful rest. When dawn came signaling another day as it had so many other times, I found no answer to my questions. Only another day that I was to conquer and another challenge I had to face.