The Last Paladin of Highmoore: The Legends of Valoria

Chapters 25, 26 & 27

"Was Belias the first Daemon knight that you encountered?"

"He was but enough talk of the past young cadet. Let us attend to the business at hand." Marec pulled his and Alec's packs from Alec's back and set them on the floor just inside the temple doors. They walked inside a few steps and were greeted by a man in long flowing brown robes.

"Ah, Sir Marec, welcome back. It has been quite some time since you last visited us. Is this a new recruit, I presume?"

"Not exactly Triam, this cadet was chosen by another. I have, however, taken it upon myself to fulfill the sacred duty of training this cadet." Triam looked most confused by the news.

"With so few paladins left in the region, who by Aneira's name could have selected him?" Marec nodded his head towards Alec's hand which now rested upon his sword belt. Alec took the queue and delicately removed the Sidonis sword from its protective sheath. Triam gasped at the sign of the sword and Alec could swear that the old man wept as he stared upon the blade.

"How did you come upon this sword?" Alec looked to Marec who nodded. Alec cleared his throat and then answered.

"I encountered a Daemon knight and in a moment of desperation I pledged an oath in blood to Sidonis and Aneira that if they granted me strength that I would protect the priestess Talia from the forces of Daemon." Triam grew silent for a moment and Alec feared that he had said too much.

"The time it seems is finally at hand. To be honest I had hoped that it waited for the next age or so but it appears that it is time."

"Time for what sir?"

"When the heart of malice beats again and the one who has fallen enacts her unholy vengeance, the Forsaken shall march with fire and death upon the lands of Valoria. In their time of need, Aneira's shield shall appear among the people gleaming green and gold and safeguard the divine as they rise to again seal away the heart of darkness." Alec's eyes opened wide.

"That was what Tear said when she went into trance!" Marec nodded his head at Alec's recollection and then spoke.

"That hardly surprises. Tear is a divine and as such, she has had some access to Aneira's prophecies. Triam, is there not more to this prophecy?" Triam nodded his head.

Yes, there are several pieces to this puzzle. However, much of it has been stricken from record by order of the grand priestess but what I do recall says something like...

"To flame and ruin, he of one thousand blackened souls shall call upon the sword of his nemesis and by Aneira's spilt blood, shall reclaim what was taken from him. Aneira's shield shall fall by the hand of the sentinels' betrayer." Triam stopped and Alec looked to him an expression of horror across his face.

"I am sorry young cadet, I do not remember the rest. It has been sometime since the old scrolls were lost."

"What does it mean?"

"It could mean a great many things. One thing that I can tell you is that Aneira's blood often times refers to the death of a nymph or to the blood of a divine and that Daemon's nemesis is Aneira and you hold her sword." Triam pointed to the blade by Alec's side. Alec looked down to it and nearly dropped it to the ground.

"Then we must be rid of it. We must take the Sidonis sword somewhere that Daemon will never find it." Both Marec and Triam shook their heads at Alec.

"I am afraid that it is not that simple. Even if we hid the sword in the grand shrine Daemon would still find a way to claim the blade for himself. The only way that we can protect the sword and thereby negate the prophecy is to train you in the ways of the paladin so that you may keep the sword safe. There is no other way." A terrifying rush of emotions flooded through Alec as he considered all that he was being confronted with.