Vindicator of the Gods

Prologue

He donned his usual garb – golden armor complete with his violet cloak. He attached his exquisitely adorned sword-hilt to his belt and stretched his back. Studying himself in the large mirror across the room, he combed his hair. He was tall for a southerner; broad shouldered, muscular, and clean shaved. His thick hair was black as night. A stern face it was, though good enough looking. Too bad no one will ever see me like this again he mused. The helmet was donned and at once he turned from the southern man called Kon’il to yet another nameless vindicator. The attire was richly adorned with exquisite golden embroideries, and eagles were sculpted on several places across the armor in honor of Beledan, the God of insight and knowledge.

The vindicators were the army of the Gods, each having given up all that had previously been their lives. Both their names and any bonds that they might have – Everything they put aside in service for the Gods. Once their training was complete, each vindicator would also be allocated to one of the high temples to serve under each respective high priest. Kon’il had been chosen to serve Beledan. Of course his name had been discarded with everything else, as was the custom – now simply being called Vindicator.

Kon’il forced his boots onto his feet and slammed the door open, drawing a deep breath from the not-so-fresh air. He was standing in the grand city of Nethem, the center of the world, the King’s seat as well as home of the Gods. By foreigners it was typically called The City of Spires, a well-deserved name. The city was filled with hundreds of great towers all reaching for the skies, towering over castles like men tower over mice. From afar, it looked like a giant stand of spears. The tallest of the towers belonged to the high temples, as they were closer to the Gods.

Of course, with such a grand city it was impossible to keep it clean and free from vermin – the vermin of the lower city. Kon’il had seen it with his own eyes many a time; they had literally raised a second city around Nethem. It was neigh on impossible to stop, and very hard to control it. It was all they could do to close the gates and only allow certain people into the city. Ungodly and wicked people lived there, or so he had been told. Even though the lower city was far away from where he was standing, the rank stench of the place reached him.

No more time to linger and muse on such matters, he had to be at the temple. The high priest had told them of a visitor that was coming today, some very rich merchant from across the seas. Kon’il could not say why such a man would be of interest to them. Such a rich merchant couldn’t be anything but self-centered and ungodly, surely? He kept musing about it while he made his way towards Beledan’s high temple.

“Vindicator.” It was some merchant that was opening his shop for the morning. ”Beledan’s wisdom.” Kon’il was so distracted he almost walked straight into him. As a Vindicator, he had no obligation to excuse himself or even look the merchant’s way.

“I am sorry,” he muttered anyway, and trudged on. Had he seen the baffled expression of merchant, it would have put a smile on his face.

Two Vindicators stood guard outside the temple of Beledan, wearing the same outfit as Kon’il. They lift their hands in greeting, but didn’t utter a word as he entered through the heavy gates. The high priest was talking to some errand boy who ran off a second later. The priests of the gods were dressed in equal extravagance as the vindicators. A long violet robe with golden eagle embroideries graced this priest. A black necklace around his throat revealed his identity as the highest of the priests. Age had taken its toll, the receding hair left a hole on his head where wrinkled and spotted skin had claimed territory.

The inside of the temple gave a grand impression. The dark marble floor had a hint of violet, and large oval windows let in beams of light that reflected off the floor. If one were to look straight up, one would not be able to tell how far away the ceiling was. There was a grand golden eagle pictured on it, looking down upon them from afar. Probably a hundred meters, Kon’il had always thought, and that was only the second floor. Great spiral staircases were erected at the opposite side of the chamber, spiraling up towards the sky and closer to Beledan himself. Beledan’s Spire was one of the largest in the city, only looked down upon by the spire of Keulest, belonging to the god of Justice. His Priests and vindicators were all clad in white, as that was his color. When the priest spotted him, he called him over.