CHAPTER ELEVENTHE HIGH PRIEST AND THE HOLY STONE

  It was early in the morning, just past daybreak in The Holy City when High Priest Liam Jarstinian woke from a dreamless sleep. It vexed him a bit, as he had prayed to Elion the night before that he would be given an answer, or at least a sign in regards to the mercenary he’d met yesterday. The whole ordeal was almost beyond belief. Garrick Landow had brought to The Holy City what, indeed, looked like proof of where the long lost Scepter Sword of the King Priest was, and now, thought Jarstinian, what shall be done about it?

  According to the ancient scroll the mercenary had been given by Braelind, who had been on his way back from a pilgrimage to the ruins of the original Holy Temple just before he died, the Scepter Sword was actually still there, only hidden by the King Priest’s personal scribe beneath the holy altar in the throne room, so that the invading goblins could not find it. It was the final fail safe measure, even after the King Priest had taken the three holy stones out of its hilt and divided them, so its true power could not be unleashed if it did actually fall into any enemy hands.

  According to Jarstinian’s old friend, he had found the scroll in The Catacombs where its author, the King Priest’s scribe had penned his own final words along with the Scepter Sword’s location, in case he was taken from his hiding pce by the vile goblin horde. And sadly, thought the High Priest, that must have been what happened.

  Jarstinian sat up in bed and wiped his eyes. Not only to help ease his way into fully opening them, as the bright sun was now shining through his chamber window, but also because the whole scenario of what had been brought before him yesterday was still weighing heavily on his mind.

  After getting up from his bed, Jarstinian ran one hand over his well groomed, short gray beard and the other over his long gray hair. Then the still well-fit High Priest grabbed for the ceremonial white robes that he’d wear, along with the other Brethren, for the day. His, of course, with the gold trim and sign of Elion embroidered over both sides of his chest, as every other previous High Priest’s had worn for centuries before him.

  As Jarstinian started to put on the robes, he smiled. It was an ironic smile for sure, as the thought of the mercenary came to him. Garrick was what he had been, before he had found his true calling by Elion. For half his life, Liam Jarstinian had put on chain mail instead of robes and carried a sword instead of a staff. It seemed like a lifetime ago, thought the High Priest, as he thanked the god of all creation for the blessing of becoming the holy leader of all the Human Kingdom Lands, and for his strong retionship not just with his fellow Brethren, but also with King Brock.

  Still, Jarstinian thought, to go on another quest, to go into battle, even just to swing a sword again. The thrill, the danger! Garrick even reminded him of himself back then. Brash, but full of heart and understanding. If he could only go on one adventure again like the old days, before he became the High Priest, before he became cooped up in The Holy City, as beautiful and splendid as it was.

  At least the Brethren went about mostly as they willed, but of course there was the hierarchy to think about, thought Jarstinian. For if he were killed suddenly, like Queen Marianna, the transition would throw The Holy City and Aubrelon, not to mention all of the kingdom, into chaos again, after finally bouncing back from war just a year ago.

  Now, with his robes tied around his waist, and his right hand clutching the divine staff of creation, the ornate ceremonial staff of the High Priests for over hundreds of years, Liam Jarstinian looked toward his amulet that hung on the wall. Unlike his staff however, the Amulet of Sacredness was far from ceremonial.

  The Holy Amulet held one of the three Holy Stones of Elion, one of the very stones that had come from the King Priest’s Scepter Sword. Unlike the elves and dwarves, the humans were the only ones to still have one in safe keeping. The dwarves’ Holy Stone was pced into a ring, but it was currently in the clutches of the dangersome dragon Firebaugh, and the elves’ Holy Stone was adorned in a bracelet, now in the possession of the sinister Shadowmage.

  As the High Priest bent down and pulled his white shoes from underneath his giant bed, suddenly another thought jumped out at him. According to the legend, it would take all three Stones with a representative of each race to break the spell surrounding the original temple ruins. For a while now Cerelene Lightshower had been staying in The Holy City. The niece to Elf Queen Ilsa Lightshower had asked for sanctuary after the queen had exiled her for a year, and despite some of The Brethren being against the idea, he had been moved by Elion in a dream to allow her to stay until she had found her way.

  Was that part of Elion’s pn? thought Jarstinian. Could the god of all creation be reaching out again after leaving to create other worlds? The High Priest’s mind continued to race. With Braelind finding what seemed like proof of the fabled Scepter Sword of the King Priest, could Garrick be the human representative, and Cerelene the elven?

  “However, what of the dwarven representative?” spoke Jarstinian with a whisper. Then a grin crept over his face. “Maybe we must have faith he or she will appear along the way?”

  The High Priest shook his head, still unsure of what to do. Thankfully, it was still an hour before he held his second and final audience with the mercenary and The Brethren regarding this.

  I will take this final hour in the prayer chamber and have faith Elion will give me an answer on what this all means, thought the High Priest. Then he took a step toward the Holy Amulet hanging on the wall.

  Liam Jarstinian breathed in quickly at what he saw, and then exhaled slowly as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the sight was still the same. The Holy Stone of Elion was glowing brightly. With his eyes closed again, the High Priest of The Human Kingdom Lands lifted his head to the ceiling, stretched his arms out to his sides and praised the god of all creation. After finally putting on the Amulet, the glow slowly lessened and the Stone returned to normal. Then the High Priest opened the door and stepped out.

  “Your Eminence, shall I announce to The Brethren that after your morning prayers, we will reconvene?” asked Aldon, as he bowed humbly.

  “No my brother,” replied the High Priest. “Gather The Brethren now, along with Garrick Landow and Cerelene Lightshower.”

  After Jarstinian stopped for a moment, his mind racing, he continued. “Also notify Elias Romwell. I believe your favorite Knight of Providence has his next mission.”

  Then the High Priest cradled the Holy Stone in his hand and said graciously. “Elion has given me a sign.”

  Aldon stood up tall again and looked at Jarstinian with eyes wide. Then slowly smiled back in anticipation of the High Priest’s next words.

  After he grabbed the old cleric’s shoulder with his left hand, he continued. “The Scepter Sword is not only real Aldon, Elion has chosen a mercenary, of all things, to lead the quest to acquire it...”

  High Priest Liam Jarstinian closed his eyes and smiled thankfully at the words he thought he’d never utter in his lifetime.

  “...And in doing so, finally bring harmony back to the world of Danaria.”