The Sword Saints

23. The Vice of War

(Melias)

"Aspiring to achieve one's goals and ambitions is admirable and should be pursued, but take heed; do not let the cloud of greed obstruct your vision, for the line between ambition and greed is already blurry."

- The Book of Candor: Ch. 5: verse 6.

It didn't take Melias and Abigail long to return to the temple. The downslope descent carried them fast, their legs flying downhill. They dodged people and horses and other obstacles, but they didn't delay.

Melias stepped through the threshold of the temple. A few patrons were huddled in pews, praying and reciting lines from the Virtuous Books. Melias quieted his steps. Melias wasn't an overly pious man, but he adhered to the Virtues as best he could, and he would be respectful to those who did as well, even though he was in a hurry.

Abi followed him. He walked briskly to the far end of the temple and went through the back door to where he knew the priests lived and worked when they weren't tending to the faithful. He'd noticed too that there had been no priests out in the atrium. They could have been in the back tending to Gelion. He didn't take that as a good sign.

They walked to the back and made their way through hallways and stairwells until they came into a large foyer. It was a lounge area, with bookcases and cushioned chairs and benches and a large table in the middle. A solitary priest stood by one of the bookcases, his fingers running across the spines of the texts, searching for a title. Melias cleared his throat.

The priest flinched. He turned and placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, greetings. You startled me." He was an older man, probably into his sixth decade. His face was a canvas of wrinkles and age spots, and, besides his brow, there wasn't a single hair upon him. He would have been rather tall, but he had a crook in his back that made him hunch.

Melias apologized. "We're here for Gelion."

He nodded. "Of course. Please follow me." He led them down a long hallway lit only by the occasional candle set in an alcove. They came to a low hanging room with a row of beds to one side and a wall full of potions and healing materials on the other. In one of the beds was Gelion, shirtless, unconscious, and very pale. The three priests that had carried Gelion away stood in a small circle speaking in hushed whispers. A fourth priest, who wore red robes instead of the usual white, stood with them.

The high priest, as red was their traditional color. However, the man was younger than most, his eyes vibrant and clear and his face only showing a few wrinkles here and there.

He turned away from his priests and gave Melias and Abi a slight bow. "You must be the Sword Saint, Melias. A pleasure to meet you. I am the head priest, Heath"

"Nice to meet you." They shook hands.

Abi introduced herself as well. "How is he?"

"Surprisingly well. A miracle, really. We stitched up his wounds and rubbed mending powder over them and gave him potions of healing, but even so I didn't give him a chance to live. But already he seems to be responding well. Don't mind the paleness either; that's simply from the blood loss."

Melias thought about it. "Sword Saints are usually pretty hardy, though I wouldn't say that we have unnatural healing abilities, at least not usually." There were certainly examples to the contrary. Angnorr was practically immortal and he'd heard rumors that Asha could heal remarkably fast as well.