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The soldiers of the Rod were actually a rather credible force; Fiernon had to admit. They were certainly some of the finest soldiers outside of Oorstemoth itself. They were also extremely thorough, and competent in other matters. He would not be able to get past them, invisible or not, to carry out justice. Technically, he supposed he should sentence the Rod as being obstructers of justice; however, that might be impractical at this time. Further, they’d obviously taken the ship into custody. Obviously, they were aware of the perfidious and malefactorious nature of its proprietor. They must be conducting their own investigation. Thus in their own small way, they were agents of justice.

Admittedly, as such organizations ran the Rod did try to uphold some semblance of justice and law, at least compared to most heathens and barbarians around the world. Even so, the Rod was a bit lax on certain key points, and at times had in fact been questionable in its actions regarding the preservation of law and order. Fiernon suspected that this came from ultimately serving a deity, rather than serving the law itself. In summary of this learned and legal discourse with himself, Fiernon was not quite ready to judge that the Rod was up to ethically questionable activities; that would require further investigation. Nonetheless, ethically questionable or not, they did prevent, or at least delay, the required judicial action.

Fiernon shook his head. This was most unfortunate. He would not be able to wait until the Rod had completed its investigation. His superiors had instructed him to follow the principal perpetrators of lascivious and wanton illegal destruction as soon as possible. If he stayed around to enact the requisite portions of the judicial code upon Asmeth and his crew, he’d most likely lose the trail of the more heinously guilty parties. Justice would have to be patient a while longer to exact its price upon Asmeth and his scallywags of surreptitious seagoing smugglers.

Chapter 60

The morning sunlight shone brightly down upon the sea below him. A gloriously bright and sunny morning to begin once again the quest to defeat the scions of sin and perdition. A morning to begin anew. The past forgotten. Talarius adjusted his visor slightly to reduce the glare. The wind of their passage penetrated his helmet as a gentle breeze. He peered down to his right, between War Arrow’s neck and right wing. The city of Hoggensforth lay spread out before him.

Slightly to the north and to the east of the city, he could see the clearing in which the Rod had assembled. Unfortunately, the folk of Hoggensforth were denied the benefits of a full Temple of Tiernon, and thus a parade ground for assembling the Rod. The citizenry had to make due with but a small chapel dedicated to Tiernon.

He knew priests that would say it was truly a shame, that all should be allowed maximum opportunity to witness the glory of Tiernon, but that, unfortunately, material resources were always insufficient to cover all required spiritual needs. While he agreed it was a shame, that the glory of Tiernon could not be spread so, the more pressing reason he regretted the lack of a full Temple was the good that such a resource could have done in the community. Not only would it provide a bastion of light in the Darkness, but also in times less pressing it could provide aid and sustenance to the less fortunate. That was one of the challenges that Tiernon gave his followers, to overcome the adversity of material limitations, in order that they test themselves and prove their worthiness for his glory and love. Not that Tiernon could not be generous to those proven worthy, he certainly was. But first, one must prove oneself worthy. One must not fail in the never-ending battle against the Dark.

Talarius sighed, Tiernon had been generous and allowed him multiple opportunities to prove himself. Whenever he felt assailed by doubts, Tiernon would provide a suitable challenge to relieve those doubts. Tiernon had seen fit to grant him the rank of Knight Rampant, and challenged him many times with evil on which to test his worthiness and prove his faith. He knew that the vampires had been a test. A test of his faith and his spiritual and emotional strength. Now, once again though, as the cycles seemed to go, he was being given the opportunity to test his physical strength as well as his cunning and wits.

He’d stopped by to talk with Iskerus before heading to Hoggensforth. It appeared that an army of demons had entered the world through the actions of a priest who had failed in a test of worthiness. The demons, led by an Archaedemon, were on the march to Freehold, for Tiernon knew what sort of Dark-inspired activity. Talarius dreaded the damage that such beings would wreak upon the poor unfortunates in their path. Secretly, inside, however, he rather looked forward to being able to test himself against an Archaedemon. He’d never actually slain an Archaedemon before. Many a lesser demon than what he would now face, but this would be new. The sheer physical and mental challenge kept him from thinking of darker thoughts. Of memories best put behind with cloudy skies.

Talarius relished the opportunity to slay this archfiend from the pits. He’d spent the entire night in prayer and sharpening Ruiden. Not that Ruiden ever needed sharpening, but he wanted to believe, needed to believe, that the symbolism was also important. The battle was about to begin again. The eternal struggle against the forces of tyranny and evil incarnate. A clear cut, unblemished, challenge at last, after a year of slaying nothing but vampires and the associated problems they raised. Problems for those they plagued and the deeper, darker, problems they brought forth for Talarius.

War Arrow was now over the impromptu parade ground and was circling. A fine steed, Talarius thought, a fine friend. He had to suppress a momentary feeling of pride in their work together. Hubris had been the downfall of many a soldier for the good. Talarius would not fall into that trap. Not again. Not ever again. What he felt for his friend, was admiration. Admiration at her spirit and determination in the face of evil. War Arrow had taken him into many a campaign over their ten years together. Indeed, without War Arrow, fighting those cursed airborne demons would have been a lot trickier. Never a moment of hesitation, never a doubt. War Arrow understood the mission. Understood the danger of hesitation. Of faltering, the danger of failing those in need. War Arrow was a companion he could depend on. One who wouldn’t succumb. Wouldn’t fail the test.

Talarius absently brushed a wrinkle from the surcoat over War Arrow’s magical barding as he searched for Barabus on the parade ground. It seemed he and the Arch-Vicar General were to be once again comrades in the struggle. The Arch-Vicar was a good man, if a little too soft on the Enemy for Talarius’ taste. However, each must prove his worthiness in his own way. Talarius knew that he himself had once been too soft. Too afraid of doing what needed to be done. That wouldn’t happen again though. One Melissance was enough.

It seemed that even as he spotted Barabus, so the Arch-Vicar General had Talarius’ location pointed out to him. Talarius could see the Arch-Vicar shading his eyes and staring up into the sky in Talarius’ direction. Talarius drew his sword in a salute to the Arch-Vicar General and the undertaking they were about to begin in the name of their Lord. He allowed Ruiden to flash brilliantly for a few moments, along with his own armor. He then allowed them to return to their more traditional, blessed, but naturally shiny state. He pointed out the place he wished to land to War Arrow, who quickly began the final descent onto the parade ground. Talarius placed Ruiden across his knees as they began the descent. He’d need Ruiden again, for a more formal salute when the landed. Under his helmet, Talarius once again smiled, grimly, at the prospect of the coming battle. A chance to prove himself. A chance to test strength against strength. A chance to forget.

Barabus shielded his eyes from the sunlight as his page pointed out the location of the winged horse in the sky. “Well, be ready,” he said to the men surrounding him, including the recent high priest of Gizzor Del. “Here comes the man, the legend incarnate,” he said under his breath so that no one else might here. Even as he peered skyward, he saw the knight raise his sword in a salute. Despite the angle of the sun, it appeared that Talarius’ armor and sword were reflecting a great deal of sunlight, causing people to blink their eyes.