Heaven's Blade
Interlude: The Return
His name was Adulis. He had always been the object of ridicule and slander. In his earlier years he had been one of Pronteras most celebrated Priests, his fame once rivaled that of Isidore Cranes or even Wealthow Eyres. But he got involved in an illicit love affair with a young Archer.
The Church forbade its Priests from having love affairs. Priesthood was a solemn oath, where one would forsake everything in the world, especially the deep kind of love. Acolytes could still change mind when they wanted to raise families. But once they decided to marry they could never attain Priesthood.
When the Church learned of his love affair, they condemned the Archer to heresy and had her burned at the stake right before his eyes. After too much grief he went insane. He wandered around Rune-Midgard, known to all as the Blessing-Giver. He kept mumbling her name as he cried. Sometimes he would just laugh very loud, talking to people who werent there.
Some people still had pity on him though, especially the Knights. They would give him some clothes and food. Otherwise they would take him to a trip around cities and tried to explain things to him. He understood them and Healed them for free. Sometimes he would just bless anyone who comes across him with an Impositio Manus or a Gloria. He never hurt children and people.
But, of course, there would always be evil people
Today he was sitting in a corner in Izlude, watching as the people passed him by. Earlier this day a group of kind Hunters gave him a bulging bag of newly baked bread. They sat with him and sang him songs. When they were about to leave him he cried like a child, but they said theyd return to him the next day to sing more songs. He blessed them with a powerful Kyrie Eleison.
"ThereovertheresitsprettyLily" He sang softly as twirled a lock of his long, blue hair. "ShewasveryprettyLilybutshelovedmeI loved herbut she was killedburnedLily, Lily"
Then he laughed really loud. Then he grew somber and started to sing again.
"Oh look, so youre here in Izlude, arent you?"
He looked up, blinking innocently. Three thuggish Archers stood before him, looking on at his pitiful figure with disgust.
"Hello" he smiled bleakly at them. "Have you seen Lily?"
The Archers exchanged dark looks and started to cackle evilly.
"Get up, freak!" said the biggest Archer, grabbing the Priest by the arm violently. "Get up, freak! Lets play!"
Adulis tried to pull his arm, fright in his eyes. "No! Youre bad! Bad!"
The second Archer hit him. "Freak, freak, freak! Youre a freak!"
"Let me go!" He said, panicking. "Let me go! Youre bad!"
He snatched back his arm and started to run. The Archers were fast at his heels. They started to fire arrows at him as he ran, shielding his head with his arms. If he was just in his right mind, he could have taught these punks a lesson. But his period of greatness was over. He couldnt even remember how to use his maxxed Lex Divina.
The sky started to darken, and lightning flashed. Thunder rolled among the dark and low clouds, and the rain started to pour in torrents. People vanished from the streets quickly, packing their things and opening umbrellas.
Their chase had taken them far into the deserted coastlines of Izlude. The poor Priest was soaked and tried to run away, but the Archers wanted to punish him. They caught up with him some 30 meters from the port, and started to beat him up by the shore.
"Take that, freak!"
"Yeah, hes right! FREAK!"
"FREAK! YOURE A FREAK!"
He could do nothing but whimper as they beat him again and again. Then, when he was so bloody, the biggest Archer picked him up by the collar, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground.
"I didnt do anything to youI only loved Lilywas that bad?" he squeaked.
"Shut up, FREAK!" the Archer shouted. Somewhere, lightning flashed and thunder rolled. "Youll go with us!"
Adulis was protesting like a little boy when the Archers hauled him to an island a few meters from the Izludian mainland. The island was relatively small, and reared a circle of palms around an elevated hill. The Archers climbed the hill dragging the poor Priest with them, and when they reached the top dropped him on the ground as if he were a common toy.
"If youre a Priest, revive him!" the third Archer shouted, kicking Adulis in the stomach. "If you dont revive him well feed you to the sharks! NOW!"
Adulis coiled on the muddy ground, whimpering. A beautifully wrought Silver Cross that weighed about fifty pounds was staked deep into the ground. There was a bronze plaque embedded alongside the blades of grass that read:
NERVA ALTHOR
RUNE-MIDGARDS HERO
Died at the young age of 28, 78th year of Heimdall
Lost, but not forgotten.
"What are you waiting for, freak! REVIVE HIM!" the Archers shrieked.
The second Archer snorted with laughter. "As if he could revive Nerva alThor! His body was consumed by magic when he died! REVIVE HIM NOW! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Adulis was still lying hopelessly on the ground, staring hard at the plaque.
"Lets leave him here." The big Archer boomed. "Hed probably die anyway. Let him die beside Nerva alThor."
"Freak!" the third Archer chortled. "FREAK!"
Still laughing they turned to leave. Adulis got up, a Blue Gemstone in his hand. His eyes were blazing.
"RESURRECTION!"
Blue light erupted from the Silver cross. The Archers froze in their tracks and turned around to see what happened, their eyes wide.
"What the?"
Adulis was kneeling, his arms thrown wide. The Blue Gemstone clutched in his right hand was glowing very, very bright. The pillar of light went wider until it swallowed the Silver cross and the plaque.
"Is he joking?" one of the Archers stepped back, fear getting the better of him. "Is this the real thing? Hes just joking, right? That freak cant do a Resurrection!"
The pillar of light vanished. Adulis dropped dead, slumping beside the plaque.
Nothing happened
"It was just a light show." The big Archer snorted. "Lets go."
"No! Look!"
The soil was moving. They watched in horror as the soil slowly swallowed Aduliss body. The soil churned like mad, bumping and bulging. The Silver cross fell. The bronze plaque became dented and crumpled. The bumping and churning continued.
"I think wed better run for it, guys!" the third Archer said fearfully. "I dont like this!"
But even though he said that, his feet was glued firmly to the ground.
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating clearly what happened next. A hand erupted from the ground.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The three Archers bolted and ran away, screaming like mad. The hand writhed and twisted, clawing at the muddy soil. Another hand erupted beside it and started to dig. A head and torso emerged next. It was the naked body of a man. The man heaved himself upward and fell face first onto the soil, breathing deeply.
Lightning flashed again.
The man had a handsome face. His short red hair was wildly against his pale face and caked with mud. He had sharp yellow eyes, and a long scar running across his smooth back. He clenched his hands into fists.
"Damn," he said. "Just when I was already at peace!"
Nerva alThor was back, alive as ever.
