***
When they stopped for dinner near a Knightly Shrine, Taith wandered freely about the camp, irritating people. Finally, when everyone sat down to eat, they realized he was missing--along with several items.
"He must have fled," said Lannon. "I'll go find him."
"I'll go as well," said Aldreya, her face showing frustration.
They hurried off into the dense fog, following Taith's trail. Lannon was easily able to track him down. They caught him standing near a little stream, the bag of stolen items slung over one shoulder.
Aldreya snatched the goods from Taith's hands. "That is theft, Taith. And being a thief is offensive to the Divine Essence. It is also clearly immoral. I am very disappointed in you."
"I don't care!" Taith shouted at her. "You should have let me leave with those goods. I could have sold them and bought food. You've ruined everything. If you force me to come back to camp, I'll do something to your horse when you're sleeping." An evil glint shone in his gaze.
Aldreya's eyes widened. "You certainly will not!"
"Never make such a threat again," said Lannon, feeling disgust. "The Greywinds are noble and innocent. Why would you ever harm one?"
"I will do it," Taith insisted, his voice cold.
"For one thing," said Aldreya, "it wouldn't be wise. These are war horses, Taith. They're fully trained to defend themselves. They can kill quite easily. I would hate to see something bad happen to you."
Lannon had had enough. He seized Taith's shoulder. "Come with me to the Knightly Shrine. I want to show you what Dremlock is all about." When Taith didn't respond, Lannon raised his voice. "Do as I command, Taith."
"Fine," Taith muttered. "I don't want you using that weird and horrible sorcery on me again." With that, he followed Lannon through the fog. At one point Taith stopped, and Lannon turned to gaze at him.
"Keep following, Taith," Lannon ordered. He raised his hand. "I can make you follow against your will. You know I can."
Taith shuddered. "No need for that."
Soon the Knightly Shrine stood before them--an ancient stone dome with two statues of Dwarven Dark Knights on either side of the door. It was a beautiful little shrine, the white stone blocks overgrown with vines and a fountain ringed with fairy statues standing next to the path. Lannon paused at the fountain drink the cold, delicious water. Then they proceeded on.
A notice was inscribed on the stone door:
ONLY THE PURE OF HEART SHALL ENTER HERE:
THOSE WHO TREAT OTHERS KINDLY
THOSE WHO HONOR THE DIVINE ESSENCE
AND THE CHILDREN OF OUR LAND
"What does it say?" asked Taith, looking fearful.
"Can't you read?" Lannon asked.
"Not very well," said Taith. "Just some of the smaller words."
Lannon winked at Taith. "It says you can enter."
Taith looked skeptical. "Why? I'm not a Knight, and I don't care about your stupid Divine Essence. If I enter, I might get struck down."
"You won't get struck down," said Lannon, pulling the stone door open. "Follow along now, Taith." With that, he entered the shrine.
They stood in a circular chamber that contained stone benches, a rectangular altar, and statues of famous Knights, including, of course, Kuran Darkender--the original and greatest Lord Knight of Dremlock. The most powerful and noble warrior who had ever lived, incorruptible to Tharnin, towered over the other statues, yet at his feet lay a serpent-like figure with evil eyes--a warning that some unknown servant of the Deep Shadow below Dremlock had slain this seemingly invincible Knight. It was a chilling image that sent shivers down Lannon's spine.
The shrine was clean and smelled of recently burned incense. Lannon lit some incense that was in a brass holder and some candles, and the two of them sat down on a bench facing the altar. Lannon sat in silence for a time, letting the soothing atmosphere settle over them--hoping that young Taith would be enlightened. The presence of the Divine Essence was strong here--perhaps strong enough to seep into Taith's soul and bring about some changes.
But Taith was not so easily swayed.
"Are we going to sit here all day?" Taith groaned. "This stupid shrine is boring, and the statues are ugly. At least take me back to camp."
"It's peaceful," said Lannon. "Don't you think? Look at the statues of those great Knights, who once brought peace and justice to Silverland."
"Who cares?" said Taith. "Some old dead Knights who fought wars. And it stinks in here. That incense smells like dung."
"It smells of fine spices," Lannon argued.
"Dung," Taith insisted. "I hate it in here."
For an instant, Lannon's will faltered. Taith seemed to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He could sit in this wondrous shrine and feel nothing but boredom and contempt, while he plotted to steal, irritate others endlessly, and perhaps even attempt to torture the horses (that last one really made Lannon's blood boil). Lannon suddenly felt he was wasting his time.
Yet Lannon shored up his patience and tried again. "Look there, Taith," he said, pointing at a stone plaque that listed The Six Gluttonous Demons that Divine Knights--and all people in general--were supposed to be wary of. These demons were, supposedly, the greatest threat to humanity:
The Six Gluttonous Demons
Lust of the Eye
The eye seeks pleasure but is never satisfied, as the body and world decays. And so we learn the fate of many kings who waste away on silk and furs. Let the dancers dance, but let the eye look upon many great accomplishments. The enemy of this demon is Hard Work.
Wine and Related Concoctions
The mind is dulled with pleasure, while the body and world decays. The common enemy of this demon is Strict Moderation, though to truly be safe from this sly foe one should practice Utter Avoidance.
Love of Coin and Gem
The purse is full, but the soul is empty and so the purse seems empty. This is the fate of those who hoard treasure uselessly in dark places and live in fear that it will be discovered by thieves. The enemy of this demon is Appreciation of Wealth.
Lust of the Mind
Cast your gaze from the beautiful maiden, oh Knight of the Divine Order, lest your feet take command and carry you to ruin. The enemy of this demon is Purity of Thought, to prevent it from entering.
Justification of Anger
Anger will grow to consume everything under the illusion of being justified. The enemy of this demon is Patience, for the more patience grows, the more anger shrinks.
Smoldering Hatred
The heart is driven by pain to hate, but the hate in turn keeps the heart in an injured state. The enemy of this demon is Forgiveness, which is not to be confused with exempting a lawbreaker from being held accountable for evil actions.
Lannon read them aloud, pride in his voice. When he was finished, he said, "So those are some demons to be wary of that could cause you grief, Taith. They have led many great Knights to ruin throughout the ages."
Taith yawned. "I think what you read is actually quite stupid. How can a purse be full but empty at the same time? If it's full, it's not empty. And how is wine a demon? It's a drink you pour down your throat. Do you drink a demon? I could write better stuff than that and it would make more sense."
"It was originally written in a different language," said Lannon, "called Birlote Secondary or Birlote Divine. It might not be a perfect translation, but these are warnings from the Divine Essence itself."
Taith shrugged. "They don't make sense."
"I could try to explain it," said Lannon, "but I'm not going to. I guess it doesn't matter. You're not going to be a Divine Knight anyway, so you won't have to worry about all of our silly rules. Actually, I'm not sure why I even brought you here." Lannon's mood was sinking by the moment, and he felt weary. Taith seemed to mock everything Lannon cared about, and even though Taith was only a lad, it bothered Lannon. He knew some of what the Divine Knights believed seemed laughable to those outside the kingdom, but Lannon had
always embraced the teachings wholeheartedly. It was a way of life for him and he had wanted Taith to share a bit in the joy of it. Instead, the lad was bored out of his mind.
"Can we go yet?" asked Taith.
Lannon rose. "Yes, we can leave." He glanced at the altar, where words were written in the Sacred Text that only a Dark Watchman could read. To everyone else, the runes would simply appear as meaningless mystical symbols.
The inscription read:
IF YOU CAN READ THIS,
YOU ARE A DARK WATCHMAN
Lannon smiled. The Divine Essence had a sense of humor that, although displayed only rarely, was legendary at Dremlock. This was one of the best examples of it Lannon had ever witnessed. Their god was a strange creature, demanding that no one worship it but allowing for prayer. It believed itself merely to be a servant of a more powerful god that existed above a mountain. Yet it was thought of, and treated like, the lone god of Dremlock Kingdom. It was the earthy link to the Great Light--something that had a physical presence in the world and made decisions that directly affected the land.
Lannon grabbed Taith's arm. "Come on, young man. Time to go join the others."
"Wait a moment," said Taith. "I'm trying to read what that says on the altar."
"You can't," said Lannon, tugging at him.
"Then you tell me what it says," said Taith. "Or can't you read it?"
"I can," said Lannon. "But I am forbidden to tell you."
"Then I'll read it myself," said Taith. He squinted. "If...you...can..." He shook his head. "What is that next word?"
For a moment Lannon stood in stunned silence, overwhelmed by the realization in his mind. Then he gathered his wits and said, "The word is read, Taith."
"Right," said Taith. "If...you...can...read...this...you...are...a...something...something."
"A Dark Watchman," Lannon finished, in amazement. "Then you are a Dark Watchman. And, well, that seems to be what you are."
"Me?" said Taith, raising his eyebrows. "No way is that possible. I don't know anything about that stuff. Is that what you are, Lannon?"
Lannon nodded. "Has anything strange ever happened to you? Have you seen things you shouldn't be able to see?"
"No, nothing like that," said Taith. "I did have a friend once--a girl around my age. She used to move stuff around just by waving at it, like rocks and stuff. It made her really tired, though, so she didn't do it often."
"Do you know where she lives?" asked Lannon.
"Maybe," said Taith. He struggled to remember. "She moved to the city of Kalamede, I think, a few years ago. Maybe like...five years ago."
"Are you sure it wasn't you moving the rocks?" asked Lannon, wondering what this could possibly all mean.
"No, it was definitely her," said Taith. "She would fall asleep afterward. She even got sick a couple times and couldn't stand up. It was weird. I told her to quit doing it. What's this about, anyways?"
"I don't know," said Lannon. "I will discuss it with Aldreya. Meanwhile, you will join the others and you will behave. Is that understood?"
Taith nodded. "I suppose."