Journey for the Chosen

Chapter 1

Thomas the Little woke up from a familiar dream by a rude awakening. He was told to meet the castle commander and receive orders; his orders were to go to the capital city and meet with the lord commander of the High and Holy Order of Knights. Thomas made the journey from Ruin at the border to Holy Hill in the capital when he arrived in Holy Hill the Lord Commander said he was joining an escort party of high esteem and the party would meet with the personal retinue of the important person. The rest of the escort party gathered for two days during that time Thomas learned where the escort party was headed, through Ruin and ending at Rage and it made Thomas upset as he was already at Ruin to begin with. When the party arrived at Ruin Thomas discovered that he would be escorting his old commander to Rage and the purpose was to propose an engagement on behalf of the King. The escort party arrived at Rage and found no princess to propose to, the Highland King said she must be found before she is proposed to, the party sent Thomas to find her and it took him nearly three days to track her and when he did find her she proposed to him. Thomas brought her back to the palace named Rage and the next day they would sail back to the south, but on the sea voyage they encountered a storm and both of the parties ships foundered and they were picked up by Ransomers, but one of the Ransomers was an old friend of Thomas.

"Yatwenn this is agony. I'm sorry but you can't tell the story."

"This story will serve for the girls Ohtwenn, just let me finish."

"Well ladies. Does this story live up to your expectations?"

"No!"

"Yatwenn. The story of Zophiel the Guardian ranks about the most sacred of our stories. It must be told with the highest reverence."

"Tell us the story."

"Please tell us the story of Zophiel the Guardian so we may all learn."

The story begins with Thomas dreaming on a mid-autumn morning. This was a dream he would remember, and it was a dream he recognized. In the dream he felt younger, not like a child but like an untested young man. "I am with you again; we will never be apart." Thomas knew this dream it is known as the voice of the maiden. He had dreamed it the night after he was made a knight and the day before he crossed the floating channel. Before addressing the uncanniness of the dream, Thomas remembered how the channel and his name changed after the war. When he had risen from his bunk Thomas reflected on the dream. The voice of the maiden seemed different now, he thought a more religious man would know why and carried on with his day.

Thomas was strong and lean, he was a ranger and a scout, he was scouting since his first months as a soldier, and once he was a knight, he was made a full-fledged ranger. Rangers must train and be the most elite in the entire kingdom, unrivaled in negotiating terrain, tracking, and dueling. Training started in the morning and ending at night, Thomas needed to walk thirty miles, fully laden, in a day at a moment's notice. He would always train in his full plate armor to keep himself strong and fast, as he would often go without it while ranging.

At the end of his training Thomas noticed the quarter master of Ruin watching his training. He was waiting impatiently, obviously waiting for the training to end. He directed Thomas to the tower over the gate to see the commander. Thomas had learned a bit of courtesy and grace in his year brushing shoulders with knights of high birth, not enough to rival anyone entrenched in politicking but certainly enough not to offend nobility. Thomas never blessed the commander at Ruin with the slightest courtesy. The commander was named Wyke Son of Three Towers, Three Towers is one of the most important castles on the Island and the commander was previously in command of deep reserves such deep reserve that he was still in Byke during the war. Thomas the Traveler was sent to Ruin to take command but weeks later was replaced by Wyke Son of Three Towers.

The confrontation this time was short, strictly involving the needs of the day. Those needs were for Thomas to meet with the Lord Commander of the High and Holy Order of Knights in person at holy hill in the capital. Thomas the Traveler prepared for a quick journey, throughout his preparation he considered how he should travel to Holy Hill. Thomas' first thought was to make all haste and answer the summons, but he also thought he should bring a small cavalcade to Holy Hill would be a better way to answer a summons from the Lord Commander of the High and Holy Order of Knights. After long consideration Thomas had come to his decision, all haste hopefully to express an eagerness to answer the summons. So, he started down the Righteous Road alone with a single horse.

"I mean no disrespect, but I've always heard that Thomas was rudely awaken after the dream."

"I must have skipped that bit accidentally. Ladies would you mind if Ohtwenn tells the next part?"

"Let Ohtwenn tell us."