Chapter Two: Out of the Darkness and into the Light

LIGHT GIVER where can I go that you are not?

 If I go to the Highest peak you are there.

 If I go to the lowest cavern you are there.

If I say to the darkness hide me from the CREATOR

 Or say to the day turn dark and cover me .

You still see me; the darkest darkness is like Light to you. You are everywhere I am or ever could be. –

 LOGOS that appeared on the wall of LOGOS at Morningstar Castle on the day that the Champion was taken to the catacombs.

 Chapter two:

Out of the Darkness and into the LIGHT

The group moved towards the lowest level of the Temple, with the master class inquisitor in front leading the way. Tal was being physically hauled down the stairway by the two temple guardians. His mouth was bleeding from a split lip.  He had received it suggesting that he was perfectly capable of walking to the catacombs without help. After smashing him in the mouth with a rock-hard fist, the guardian on the left, told him to keep his mouth shut.

“After all,” He said; “It has already gotten you in enough trouble for one night.”

            Tal realizing that the guardian was right and he assumed they were just doing their job as they understood it.  Furthermore,, he figured they were making sure the inquisitor saw that they weren’t showing the heretic any mercy.  After all if they showed him mercy or kindness, then it might be remembered later.  That could cause problems for the one who’d acted in showing kindness or mercy. No one wanted the kind of problems that ended with them in the torture chamber known as the inquisition hall.

            As they passed the servant's level and entered into the Inquisitor’s training level Tal realized that the doors here had something that no door in any of the other training levels had, locks.  No one entered the domain of the Inquisitors without someone letting them in. Reversely no one left the domain of the Inquisitors without someone letting them out.  

            From the training level, they reached the first of three levels of testing cells. This was where those suspected of having the Taint of Darkness would await their call to the Testing for taint. Tal was grateful not to be stopping, but he was well aware that when he had no instructors name to give the Chief Confessor that this would be his next stop.  

“Was it worth it?” He wondered. “Was reading, copying, and meditating on the forbidden texts really worth all the trouble he was headed for?” 

The despair over what he was about to endure washed over him. However, it couldn’t diminish the closeness to the LIGHT GIVER he felt within  that scroll.  He remembered another passage from the scroll that summed up his feelings very well.  The LIGHT GIVER had asked his followers once, after a number of people had turned against him, if they would leave him as well. One of them had replied, just like Tal’s heart did now; “Where else can we go your words bring us to life.”

            As that thought finished in his mind, the group exited the stairs having arrived at the deepest level of the Temple.  They were standing in a short hallway with a large ironwood door, and two wall mounted torches on either side.  The Master Inquisitor removed the key from his pocket as they approached the door and unlocked it. He then took the torch from the left side of the wall and taking Tal by the arm entered the catacombs.  

            Just inside the door the Master Inquisitor looked back at the guardians and said: “I’m taking him to the first turn. Wait here for my return and whatever you do don't let this door close until I get back.” The guardians nodded and took up positions on either side of the door frame blocking the door open.  

                 As Tal was being led deeper into the Catacombs, the torchlight revealed that the ceiling was at least ten stones high. The granite block walls were wide enough that six horses could have been ridden side by side without touching each other or the walls.  The floor too was made of granite block.  

            Moving deeper down the corridor they passed several passageways on the left. When they reached the first turn on the right, the inquisitor rounded the corner, turned and looked at Tal. 

“Pay attention to what I am about to tell you.” His tone somber.  “Your life may depend on it.”  “You may think that you understand darkness, but you don’t. Once I leave taking this torch with me, the door is closed and locked leaving you in total darkness.  You won’t even be able to see your hand in front of your face.”  

            He then took Tal’s right hand and placed it on the wall. “The way to the meditation chamber is along this path.  Just keep your hand on the wall. If the wall turns you turn with it.  You will know that you have reached the meditation chamber when the wall  no longer feels straight but rounded.”  “When you get there, sit with your back against the wall.  Take the three hours and contemplate on what led you down this dark path. Do not move from that spot until someone with a torch or lamp comes to get you” 

The inquisitor moving to look Tal square in the eye, continued “The most important thing for you to understand is that the darkness is so complete you’ll have no sense of direction. No matter what happens or how scared you become don’t take your hand off the wall until you reach the meditation chamber.  Because if you do you will certainly become lost in the catacombs.”    

Then with a sad smile he said; “I am not trying to scare you.  Each inquisitor is sent here on his first day of training. They are told the same thing but each year someone takes their hand of the wall and becomes lost.” When it happened to me, I was down here five days before someone found me. It took me almost a year to recover enough to be able to try again.  Some of my classmates were never found at least one a year is lost and given up for dead after seven days. None of those given up have ever returned. So don’t take your hand off that wall until it curves under your hand. When you reach the Meditation chamber sit down and don’t get up again until you have light to see by.”

 With a final shudder, the inquisitor said: “You may be on the path to darkness, but no one deserves to die down here.  However, if you don’t do what I have told you there is a great possibility that you will. Do you understand?”  

            Tal, his face drained of blood by fear. Nodded and said; “Don’t take my hand of the wall no matter what and sit down until someone brings a light once I am in the chamber. Yes, I understand.”  

            “Good.” Replied the Inquisitor. Then he turned around and headed back up the corridor to the door.

 Tal was left all alone in the thickening darkness with just his thoughts and growing fear as companions. After a few minutes, Tal heard him thank the guardians. Then he heard the booming echo of  the door being closed. The darkness surrounded Tal so completely that black was too mild a word to describe it. 

            As he was walking along the corridor, with his right hand solidly on the wall, Tal began to understand just what the Chief Illuminator had meant about  understanding the Darkness.  Try as he might Tal couldn’t see anything. Not even his hand in front of his face. He knew this because when he had tried, he had mashed his nose with his hand.  The further he walked the more real the darkness seemed. It was like it had weight and was pressing in on him from every side. Never before had the Darkness seemed anything more than a concept of evil, but now it felt real. More than real, it felt alive.  

            Tal reached the first turn in the corridor, a left-hand turn. As he went left, he began to feel as if the Darkness was stalking him. He suddenly was sure that the Darkness was real, and it was evil. Real and evil, and it wanted to destroy him. 

“He had to get out of this place. Why would they send anyone down here?  Were his questions and thoughts so bad that he deserved to be stalked and destroyed like prey?” “Because that was what he was here, prey.” Without further thought Tal began to run.  

            He was not scared. He was beyond that, he was terrified. The faster he ran the more sure he was that the Darkness was going to consume him. First, it would crush him then it would devour him and when the Confessor came, there would be nothing left of him. That must have been what happened to those illuminators whom no one ever saw again. The Darkness had devoured them.  With that thought, terror became something more. Tal’s reasoning left him. He dropped his hand from the wall and started running as fast as he could, flying down the corridor without thought or reason.   

            Suddenly, he ran full speed into the wall knocking him  off his feet.  He scrambled back up, still in terror making the right-hand turn and kept running. He picked up speed with each passing step until he was practically flying again. When he hit the next wall, he didn’t even realize it. His head connected with the stone floor and Tal, for one brief second, before unconsciousness took him, saw bright-colored  specks in the darkness.    

            When Tal awoke he was still in darkness and fear came rushing back on him. He sat up and realized that he was still in the catacombs. He had no idea how long he had been there or where he was exactly. How many turns had he missed after he took his hand off the wall?  How could he have given in so easily after the warning the Master Inquisitor had given him?  As these questions ran through his mind he suddenly realized that the darkness seemed to be lessening.

He heard someone call his name and saw a faint light down the corridor. He thought that in the darkness he had not only gotten completely turned around but had lost time, three hours had gone very fast it seemed. 

“My Lord please don’t leave. I got lost in the darkness but I see your light and I am heading toward you now.” Tal cried rising to his feet and heading towards the light.

 

“Am I really your Lord Tal? The voice replied.

“ I don’t understand your question my Lord.” Tal responded as he rounded the corner and saw the man who was waiting on him. The man was not the Chief Confessor, he wasn’t a confessor at all, nor was he carrying a lantern. It appeared that the light Tal was heading to was coming from the man himself.  Tal realized he was standing in the presence of a Heavenly messenger. 

            The Messenger had short tightly curled brown hair and a matching beard.  Completely crossing his forehead and disappearing into his hair line was a row of very unique scars. His eyes were a shade of green that Tal had never seen before. He was about the same height as Tal maybe a little taller, around six or six and a half stones.

He was dressed in the finest and purest white robe Tal could have imagined. Running across his body from his Right shoulder was a sash of the deepest purple cloth. 

“Who are you my Lord?”

“I am He whose words you were reading today. I was there as you asked if it was possible to ask and receive answers. I have been waiting for someone to ask that question since my words were removed from the Logos room at Morningstar. I must again ask you Tal, am I your Lord?”

Tal’s heartfelt reply was “Without a doubt my Liege.”   

“Ah that is a different question my young seeker. Am I your Liege as well?  Would you consider me both your Lord and your King?” The LIGHT GIVER asked.

Falling to his knees head bowed low Tal responded with a resounding “You are the LIGHT GIVER how can I respond but with yes to both with all my heart.”

The LIGHT GIVER , using scared hands, lifted Tal to his feet “Do not be so quick to answer my next request Tal for I am going to ask a hard thing of you. Since the day the enemy of the Light who calls himself the Chief Illuminator of the Keepers of Light removed my true words from the access of the people. I have been looking for a Champion to stand and fight for me. Are you willing to take on that role Tal?”

“Before you answer know that if you accept this role you will be considered a Heretic by those who have trained you. They will hunt you to kill you. But others out there in the Kingdom of Light have been waiting for the true words to be spoken again. They will flock to your banner as an army to over throw the darkness. The task is hard and the rewards are not guaranteed but I will empower you and give you gifts necessary to fulfill your mission.”

“Now I need your answer Tal do you accept the role of Champion of the Light Giver?” 

“My Lord” Tal answered, with fear and awe on his face. “I will accept the role of Your Champion but I must ask why me? I mean there must be others better equipped to fight for you, like King Solaris at Morningstar or one of his soldiers. Why would you ask me, a minor scribe in what is obviously the order of your enemy?”

With a smile the LIGHT GIVER said “I am glad that you accept my request Tal and the reason is that I don’t want someone better equipped. You have the scroll of my Logos in your possession and you have been reading it for the better part of this year. You must know by now that I always use those who are willing not those who are best equipped. In your weakness My strength will shine through.  Fear not Tal for the gifts I am about to give you are strong for the tearing down of the enemy strongholds.”

Looking deep into Tal’s eyes the LIGHT GIVER went on to add: “The main reason you were chosen is that you were selected  by my father and I before you were even born.  One of the last things added to the wall in the Logos room at Morningstar Castle was by my last prophet. He added a Prophecy about you over a thousand years ago. When you get to Morningstar ask the King to show it to you.”

“Our time grows short they are searching for you. Now let us leave this place for a time and retire to my throne room, so that I may impart my gifts and instructions to you. That will allow you time to be ministered to by my messengers and prepare for the ordeal you must needs go through when your order recovers you.”

With that ,Tal and the LIGHT GIVER took a few steps forward and were translated from the Catacombs of Darkness to the Throne room of the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.      

Chapter one :Disillusionment and Illumination

Chapter One:

Disillusionment and Illumination

Had he known that today would be the day that changed everything he believed to be true he would have stayed in bed, but he didn’t.  Transcription Scribe Tal awoke with a start to realize that the sun was too bright for the time he was supposed to have gotten up.  He must have overslept again. How was that possible?  Yes, he had been up late meditating on the LOGOS he had copied during the day; but he had asked his roommate to awaken him before leaving for his watch assignment.  Tal realized that he must have rolled over and gone back to sleep after Jarrod left, and now he was late again.  How could he keep doing this? Master Scribe Dankrad had told him over and over how important this copy of the LOGOS was. It was going to the new chapel being built in Luminous City. 

The only thing keeping the chapel from officially opening was that it didn’t have a copy of the LOGOS for its dedication ceremony. The new crown jewel in the Keepers holdings was this chapel that was right down the road from Castle Morningstar in the capitol of the Kingdom of Light.  Some said that it wasn’t a chapel but that the Chief Illuminator was planning on making it the new Temple so that he would be close to advise his brother the King on spiritual matters. However, it couldn’t open because Tal hadn’t finished the transcription of the LOGOS for the chapel. He had to find a way to start being early and get caught up before they regretted promoting him to Transcription class so young.

            Looking quickly around the small sleeping cubical that he shared with Jarrod, Tal searched for his robe from yesterday.  He didn’t have time to go down to the laundry and get a clean one, so he searched under the beds for it not finding a thing. He looked around the small meditation desk and under it finding nothing as well. Then he opened the wardrobe on the opposite wall where Jarrod kept his guardsmen armor and found the black robe of a scribe class Keeper hanging from one of the armor hooks. Once again, Jarrod had picked up after him.  Tal pulled the robe over his head as he went out the door, trying to put his sandals on as he ran for the stairs in the Temple of the Keepers of Light.

Up the stairs he flew from the second floor dormitory level, past the third floor acolyte learning level, listening to the acolytes practice the hymns as he flew past the opening.  Then Tal tiptoed past the fourth floor Confessors training level. There was no way he wanted to attract the attention of a Confessor right now and have to admit to the sin of procrastination, or even worse laziness. If the Confessor was any good at what he did, then Tal’s real taint would be revealed, and he would be sent to the Inquisitors for the Test. What would that reveal about him? After getting several stairs past the opening, Tal raced to the top floor. This was his stop, the Scribes transcription level.  

As he exited onto the floor, he stopped for just a brief minute to look at himself in the reflecting glass. Tal saw what he always saw--a young man of 20 with close cut dark hair, emerald green eyes with flecks of gold in them, and a scrawny pale complexion from too many hours spent indoors.  “Just once”, he thought, “I would like to be someone who people would notice and be drawn to.” Then knowing he had wasted too much of the time he had to transcribe LOGOS, he hurried down the corridor to his copy room.  

All copy rooms looked the same. That way if you got transferred from one Master to another, you instantly felt at ease and able to work. Along the back wall the furthest from the light were the preservation chests of the LOGOS.  The ones on the right were the Authorized LOGOS scrolls, one scroll for every scribe assigned to the room. The preservation chests were made of cedar wood, and the outsides had been coated with a finish that was resistant to light and water to help preserve the LOGOS so that each scroll would last up to two times longer than it normally would have. This was done to cut down on the number of recopies that had to be made.

On the left side of the back wall was one large steel chest with a huge lock on the front. This held the Original copies of the tainted LOGOS, removed twenty years earlier by the current Chief Illuminator after the LIGHT GIVER revealed to him that the LOGOS they had been following for generations had been corrupted a thousand years earlier.  Just in front of that wall were the windows that ran down the outside wall of the room and up into a domed crystal ceiling allowing the maximum amount of natural light for the scribes to copy by.  Just to the front of the preservation chests was the Master Scribe’s Desk where the Master Class Scribe and overseer of the room sat hard at work checking a recently completed copy of the LOGOS for error or taint before releasing it to the chapel it had been created for.  Then three desks across and four desks deep from there to the entrance room was where the Subscription Class scribes desks were placed, all of which were already filled except of the one in the far right corner, the one belonging to Tal. 

Tal walked quickly and quietly to his desk and began to get set up for today’s copying.  First, he checked to make sure that there were twelve fresh Eagle quills for him to copy with.  Only the eagle was considered holy to the LIGHT GIVER so that its tail feathers could be harvested for the copying of the LOGOS. Next he checked his ink well and realized that he had been in such a hurry to leave the night before that he had neglected to fill it. So he took his well and went back to the entrance room where on the left sat a cask of the blackest ink the Kingdom of Light could manufacture.  He carefully filled the well half way knowing that the air of the open ink well would cause it to become to dry by lunch and be unusable. He did not want to have to spend half his lunch time washing the well. He learned as a novice to only get what he would need till lunch, then he could quickly wipe out the well and refill it after eating. 

            With that accomplished and the well neatly back in its nest on the copy desk, Tal opened the scroll well on the left side of the desk and threaded the LOGOS scroll he was laboring so diligently over through the copy placard, a wooden square much like a picture frame that would hold a whole day’s worth of scroll to be copied and dried. The placard opened on a hinge to the bottom of the desk and latched into place in each corner. Leaving the placard raised, Tal opened the preservation box on the right and attached his copy of the logos into the scroll roller and began to slowly crank the handle until he had no print between the two vertical slats of the placard. He lowered the placard with his left hand while keeping the scroll rolled snug with his right and snapped the latches at each corner into place keeping the empty section of the scroll in place.

Once this was done, he closed the side of the preservation box being careful to make sure the scroll exiting it was lined up with the small slit that allowed the scroll to run to the placard; and then he latched it in place and released the winding handle tension so as not to put stress on the skin of the scroll.

Then and only then did Tal approach Master Dankrad’s desk and ask for the key to his Authorized LOGOS preservation box. Master Dankrad looked at Tal, then looked at the time keeper on his desk. “Tal, I for the life of me cannot understand you. You are the most gifted young scribe we have here at the Temple, and I and the Chief Scribe have both personally gone out on a limb recommending you for this most prestigious honor. *We even promoted you from novice to transcription class six years sooner than any scribe has ever been promoted, making you the youngest transcription scribe ever and yet you arrive late every day. You know that the only thing now keeping the chapel of Luminous City from being dedicated and operational is the arrival of their copy of the Authorized LOGOS. You should be the first one here and the last one to leave. I tell you this every day and yet here you are again late.”

“I know, Master Dankrad, I do apologize for being late again. I even made arrangements for someone to awaken me before first light. My plan was to be early but I must have fallen back to sleep.” Tal replied.  “Let me get my key and I will get right to work.”

As Dankrad scowled at Tal without saying a word, Tal began to get nervous. “Have they checked the scroll then?” he wondered. “Do they know what I have been doing for the past 7 months? If so, why is there no Confessor here, or worse an Inquisitor?”

With a deep sigh that showed just how perplexed he was, Master Dankrad reached into his desk and handed Tal the key to the preservation chests.

“Here, Tal, get your scroll and get to work. However, today you will work through lunch, and I will come back and get you for midday devotions. Also, Tal, I myself will come by your room in the morning and awaken you and escort you to breakfast and straight to here.” With those words, the Master went back to checking the scroll on his own desk against his authorized LOGOS scroll.

Tal approached his preservation chest and opened it. There within lay a copy of the LOGOS. Not raising it enough to be seen by anyone, he turned it until he found the strange mark he was looking for, a circle with a cross and an x through it. When he saw that mark, he felt relief and fear at the same time--relief because that meant no one had figured out that somehow he had been given an original copy of the LOGOS not an authorized copy, and fearful because it would mean death to be caught with one.

He should have turned it in when he first started working on his current copy, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He had wanted to know how the original was tainted; and because of the trust that Master Dankrad had in him, no one had checked his scroll to see what he was copying. He figured at the time that it would end up in some small little chapel where it wasn’t even read but used as a symbol, and he would have been right if not for the plague of a month ago. Now instead he was the transcription scribe to the most highly coveted new chapel construction project ever undertaken.

 Tal quickly lifted the LOGOS and carried it to his reader box.  He then placed the whole scroll inside, threaded the end through the slit and latched the box. Tal opened the reader placard, lined up the scroll, and threaded the end into the readers scroll roller in its protection box and carefully turned the scrolling arm until the text he was working on was displayed in the reader placard.  Then keeping the arm snug, he snapped the placard in place. After releasing the arm, Tal sat down to copy. 

  

Tal was finding it nearly impossible to complete the task of copying the scroll because he kept being drawn to read the restricted parts. Even though he knew that the Chief Illuminator had discovered them to be heresy and not found in the oldest copy he had discovered in the catacombs of the Keep, Tal couldn’t stop.  They spoke to his soul like nothing in the authorized text. What he was supposed to be copying made him feel imprisoned by the Logos and unworthy of the LIGHT GIVER’S love. But the words of the unauthorized text made his soul feel light, free, and empowered to do great things. So his work slowed as he found himself reading more than writing.      

           

He would have gotten away with this indiscretion too if not for the midday devotional requirement. When he failed to hear the bell calling for assembly, the Master Scribe took notice of him and came by to rouse him to devotions.  That was when it was discovered that Tal had not even completed a half a page of copying for a whole morning’s work. Tal looked at his Master who was reminding him yet again of the shortness of the time left till his chapel would be ready for dedication. He stressed that the completed copy of the LOGOS must be finished and delivered before that time for proper sanctification of the chapel. Tal responded with “I understand, Master Dankrad, I just seem to be overwhelmed by the manifestation of the Logos in my possession this morning.”

Master Dankrad smiled and patted his pet student on the arm and answered, “Oh, Tal, that happened to all of us at first but you must overcome it.  Take the afternoon and the text you were transcribing and spend time with it in the meditation closet. But you must return ready to make up for lost time tomorrow.  And whatever you do, do not be late for dinner, as you are to service the Chief Illuminator tonight. It would not look good on our department for the youngest transcription scribe ever to be late to his mandatory service.” 

“Oh, thank you, Master. I will be there on time and will certainly strive to catch up tomorrow on my copying for the chapel.” Tal replied. And with that he gathered up the scroll that had so enthralled him. Tal was gone before Master Dankrad could notice that it was not the authorized copy but one of the tainted scrolls.

           

That should have been the end of the incident accept the words that he had meditated on all afternoon was not an authorized passage; and it had overwhelmed him because it seemed to indicate that a more intimate connection to the LIGHT GIVER was possible.  It simply stated,   “Call out to me and I will answer you and show you great things you never even thought about.”  Was it really possible? Not only that, was it that simple to just ask? He spent all his time thinking and pondering the implications of why this would be part of the Heretic writings? And then he realized that he would have to rush to get changed to serve the Chief Illuminator at dinner and be on time. 

Tal rushed down the hall and stopped at the first doorway on the right to get a clean robe from the laundry. The Laundry Mistress, with a chuckle in her voice and an amused twinkle in her eye, told Tal that Master Dankrad had asked her to remind him to be on time. Furthermore, he was to serve with the dignity and honor that set the Scribe sect apart from all the other Classes of the Keepers. Even that added pressure couldn’t stop the text Tal had been meditating over all day from echoing through his mind.  It seemed like he could almost here the LIGHT GIVER saying, “Ask me, Tal. Let me show you great and wondrous things.”

After a quick wash and a not so quick changing of robes, Tal made himself presentable for the service he was to render. He headed back down to the main level and into the kitchen to find the head cupbearer and receive his instructions. Grabbing the golden serving tray reserved for use by the Chief Illuminator, Tal carefully arranged the plates and bowls filled with the meal’s first course. 

The dining room, the second largest main floor room, was to the left of the kitchen. The Chief Illuminator’s table, directly before the entrance to the kitchen, was on a raised dais as was fitting for one of his status.  His elaborately carved chair was in the very center of the table with five chairs on either side.

Three of these, on either side, were occupied by the Chiefs from each sect of the Keepers. To the right were the Chief Confessor, Chief Scribe, and the Chief of the Acolytes.  To his left were the Chief Inquisitor, Captain of the Temple Guardians, and the Head Master Illuminator. The other chairs on either side were normally empty, reserved for honored guests invited to the meal.

Arranged in front of the dais toward the main entrance were six rows of tables. Each Sect had its own table where they would sit and break bread together. It was not forbidden but highly frowned upon to fellowship with the other sects before nightly vespers was over. This fostered a continuing learning atmosphere during meal times. Here one could ask their sect mates for help or clarification of the day‘s studies. 

Tal was so deep in thought that his serving actions were automatic and the sounds and smells of the meal were lost to him. All that kept running through his head was, “Is it possible? Was hearing from the LIGHT GIVER as easy as just asking?”

As he filled the Chief Illuminator‘s glass after serving the main course, Tal found himself requesting, “Chief Illuminator, may I ask you a personal question?” 

The Illuminator looked at him with surprise, and after giving him an assessing look, gave a brief nod of his head.

Tal leaned closer and whispered, “Does the LIGHT GIVER answer us when we ask him to show us things we don’t understand?”  The look that Tal received was one of shock and outrage.

In a voice that carried around the hall, causing every head to turn and all conversation to cease, the Chief Illuminator said, “Who do you think you are? Are you my confessor? Are you an Illuminator? No! No, I didn’t think so!”

“You were tasked with the privilege of serving me, which makes you a lower level something.  Are you a junior confessor? No! How about a lower level inquisitor? Again, I can see from your face you are not. So tell me, what is your name, rank and classification?”

“My Lord, I am Tal, a Transcription Class Scribe,” Tal replied.

“Aren’t you young for a Transcription Class Scribe?  Wait, you said Tal was your name?”

Tal with a voice quaking with fear answered, “Yes, your Grace.”

“I have heard of you, our youngest Transcription Class Scribe. If you weren’t needed at the new chapel, I would suggest to Chief Scribe Truman that you be returned to Novice class.”

Rising from his chair to tower over Tal, Chief Illuminator Hanapo thundered, “Let me explain to you that I will not answer your question for two reasons! First, this subject is one that can only come from the study of the Tainted Scrolls, which I can tell from your face that you are well aware of!”

“The fact that you still decided to ask it tells me that you are dangerously close to going down the path of darkness! You are not old enough to have studied those scrolls, so where did you hear this blasphemous topic?”

Tal whispered around the lump of fear and doom in his throat, “I am not sure but it has been burning within me all day.”

With a look of disgust and unbelief, Hanapo continued, “Second, even if it wasn’t down the path to darkness, you are not a member of the Illuminator class so you do not have the maturity to handle the answer.” 

“To save your soul and bring you back to the path of light, I am remanding you to the inquisitors. They will escort you to the catacomb Meditation chamber. There you will spend three hours of contemplation in the effects of the darkness and allowing the heresy of the tainted scrolls to occupy your thoughts.”

“Sit and think about your blasphemous direction and contemplate why you would imperil your soul by withholding where this teaching came to you from. At the end of three hours, I will send my personal Confessor to hear your confession, as well as the name of who has been instructing you in the tainted scrolls.  After your confession, he will bring you back to the path of light with absolution.”  

Then with a snap of his finger, two temple guardians appeared and grabbed Tal. Dragging him from the dinning hall, they headed towards a waiting Inquisitor with the key to the catacombs. None too gently, the guards took their young charge into the lowest depths of the Temple.









Prolog

To the Royal Champion,

            I want to thank your majesties for the privilege of chronicling the History of the Champion of Light and his Helpmate. I have strived to interview as many of the people involved in the events as I could given your desire to have this chronicle be one of fact and not of myth or legend. I, of course, had to take some leeway with the side of the Keepers of the Light as I felt it not wise to approach that few left in the northern Kingdom. I thought after their significant losses to your majesties, they would not be too willing to share their story with us.

I have learned much about you and the LIGHT GIVER in the documentation of this history and pray along with you that this chronicle will bring many others into the freedom of the LIGHT GIVER. Any suggestions you have after reading this telling of your story, please let me know so that the proper changes can be made. I am as convinced as I can be that I did not take a creative license with this work; and as much as people may think it is a fictionalized account or legend, every word is true based upon eyewitness testimony and the memories of those who were there. 

                                                                        Your Servant and the LIGHT GIVER’S,

                                                                                    Jasper Royal Bard and Chronicler

  

 When darkness reigns in the Kingdom of Light 

And all seems lost in the blackest night 

From the Keepers camp, a true champion shall arise.

And with him once more the True LIGHT shall thrive.

And these shall be the signs, he is right

He shall be cloaked in the Armor of the Light. 

There from his hand LIGHTS power shall pour. 

And drive the Keepers from the kingdom's door.

 

--Prophecy of the Champion found in the records of the Historians and on the wall of the LOGOS of LIGHT room in the Morningstar Castle.