Crimson Twilight: Midnight
Chapter 33: Makaelthos Solcry
Part IV: Paladin
"You have a lot to answer for…"
The words echoed repeatedly inside Makaelthos's mind for several reasons. One was that the words were spoken by a being of power he had never imagined was possible. He had only seen Sir Thomas Valorcrescent for a few moments before suddenly passing out. There was something greater than nobility that was etched in his face, it sparkled in his dark brown eyes and it settled in the stern line of his lips when he spoke those words. It spoke of countless sacrifices made for good, of facing the greatest evils…and winning against them. It wasn't the glorious craftsmanship that made his armor shine like they did. The light felt as if they came from the man himself; a brilliant, inner radiance that was accentuated by the intricate engravings on his armor. Makaelthos did not understand a word of the writings that were part of the engravings but something in them spoke of great pride and dignity. For some strange reason, deep down he could not find anything wrong in falling to his knees and worshipping Sir Thomas Valorcrescent. He seemed "godly" in almost every sense of the word. He radiated a righteous aura from every pore of his body and when the creature he was riding referred to him as a demigod and the patron of paladins, the crusader believed it with all his heart. As for the other reason...
'I…I killed him…'
Images of Kallifen lying dead in front of him flashed inside Makaelthos's mind. It was like sitting down and having a drinking contest with Kreizen. At first it didn't feel like anything. Later, always later, it would hit him all at once. It would make him weak-kneed and helpless before knocking him out. The same could be the same with what he felt right now. When he was swinging Mysteltainne about, he could only feel blind rage. All the pent up emotions he ignored for the past five years exploded into a relentless killing spree. Only now did he realize his mistake and its consequences. He had acted like a common murderer; he had failed to follow the crusader's code of killing only in the direst of situations and only if there was no alternative. The shame weighed down on him, a heavy feeling that surpassed any hangover. He felt so ashamed of himself; he didn't know why Sir Thomas did not destroy him on the spot.
"That you are nothing more but moroccan alley-scum!"
Cafilex Sialsanderin's words struck him like a blow. The blacksmith was arrogant and self-centered but he was also right in the end. He didn't deserve Eliarainne; she was a knight of Prontera through and through. Her fighting spirit was so pure while his was tainted by Trynis and NightKnife.
"Stop wallowing in self-pity, crusader. Get up; I haven't the time to waste on watching you sulk."
The voice was familiar to Makaelthos. It was powerful, deep and it came from a throat too large to be human. The sound echoed all around him and he finally realized that he was awake. He rose unsteadily to his feet and waited for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of his surroundings.
"Where am I?"
Makaelthos's eyes finally adjusted to the light. He was inside a gigantic, dome-like structure. The ceiling opened to the sky above them, while the chamber was big enough to…
"You're inside my personal chamber, crusader. As for while you're here…"
Makaelthos focused his attention on the speaker. It was the creature who served as Sir Thomas Valorcrescent's mount. It was as magnificent as ever. Each of its silver scales was about the size of a buckler. Its claws were sword-like, wickedly curved and pointed. Brilliant, silver wings folded on the creature's back. He could tell that if it decided to spread them, they would encircle the chamber's circumference. The creature's head was majestic and reptilian, a large fin extended from the center of its head all the way to its tail. Its eyes lacked pupils and looked more like pools of mercury. The creature licked its lips with a forked tongue and grinned, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"Tom's decided that as punishment for your misdeeds, you're going to serve as a snack for me!"
The creature took a step forward and snorted. A blast of cold exploded from its nostrils, encircling Makaelthos in a sparkling cloud of icy particles. When the cloud dissipated, the area around him was covered in huge blocks of ice. The crusader tried to draw his sword, only to realize that both Khaesilya and Mysteltainne were not by his side. The creature took another step forward and snaked its head towards him. Suddenly it grinned and chuckled deep in its throat.
"I'm just joking, crusader. Relax; it will be another month before I feel the pangs of hunger."
The creature lowered its head as if it was bowing politely.
"My name is Thrackvinyllirix or Thrack for short. As for what I am; I am a silver dragon who serves as Sir Thomas Valorcrescent's mount, herald and confidant."
Makaelthos continued to stare at the magnificent being in front of him. Dragons…the only dragons he ever knew were petites and deleters and they were never as majestic as the creature he was looking at right now. Finally he found his voice and the courage to use it.
"Where is this place? Where are my companions and Sir Thomas Valorcrescent?"
The dragon raised a scaled eyebrow and chuckled again.
"Your companions are in a safe place, Sir Makaelthos Solcry. Tom has to deal with some unexpected matters and as for where we are; we are in the Halls of Ardor, Tom's personal domain located at the outermost edge of Silver Heaven, the first layer of Celestia itself. Do you have anymore questions before I begin?"
Makaelthos looked around him. The chamber was stacked with piles upon piles of platinum coins, gems, jewelry and all sorts of weapons. The dragon, Thrackvinyllirix, was sitting on a massive pile of treasure, his colossal body forming a niche on the pile.
"What does Sir Thomas want from me? Why did he bring me here?"
The dragon suddenly snorted, causing a blast of icy wind to knock Makaelthos down.
"What would any divine patron want from a follower who has made a mistake? Restitution! You have broken the code that binds all paladins regardless of worlds!"
The words only served to infuriate Makaelthos even more.
"I'm not a paladin! Why should your demigod concern himself over me? I'm just a crusader…"
Makaelthos lowered his head. He was not even that. A crusader would never do what he did. The dragon snaked his head forward until his reptilian face was merely a few inches from Makaelthos.
"Crusader…paladin…don't hide behind such words, Sir Makaelthos Solcry. Even though you were a speck of dark grey in the field of blackness that is the Brine Flats, Sir Thomas sensed you from far away, which means that you are still under his sphere of power. Whether you like it or not, you've the makings of a paladin and Tom's not giving that up to your guilt."
Makaelthos rose to his feet once again.
"I am not worthy of…"
The dragon interrupted his words with another snort.
"No one can judge his own worth, Makaelthos Solcry. Whether you are worthy of paladinhood is to be decided by one being only and it certainly isn't you. Come along, I want to show you something…"
The dragon suddenly grasped Makaelthos by the waist with his claw and spread his wings. In a moment they were airborne.
······
'Master Makaelthos…'
The moment the thought crossed Khaesilya's mind, she knew at once that she was awake…
"Welcome to the Halls of Ardor, Khaesilya."
The sohee looked up and found herself staring at the awesome figure of Sir Thomas Valorcrescent. She started back in a fright. The man projected an aura that she found incredibly painful to her. The light that emanated from him seemed to burn her skin.
"I suspected that the light might hurt you. Sometimes, beings are evil only by nature but not by choice."
The sohee looked around. Mysteltainne was still in human form; he sat cross-legged on the floor and stared ahead of him. Sir Thomas stood in front of both of them. While his appearance was intimidating, the expression on his face made them somewhat calmer.
"Where is Master Makaelthos?"
Sir Thomas stared at the large windows that adorned the sides of the room. Khaesilya followed his gaze and realized that they were in some sort of castle. Outside was a huge plain. One side of the field was dominated by a gigantic wall. Even from afar, Khaesilya could see the winged figures that flitted about the structure.
"Your master is…undergoing a few reminder tests. It will be harsh on him but it's better than him continuing on the path he thinks he has chosen. I must ask you to stay here, Khaesilya, if you leave my domain the celestials outside will hunt you down."
Sir Thomas returned his gaze on the sohee.
"Your master has a lot of potential, Khaesilya. I certainly hope he doesn't break in his purification. Please stay here for his sake as well. I apologize for knocking you all out earlier but it was either that or I show you the way to my domain and then erase your memories later. I prefer not to meddle with the minds of others."
With that, Sir Thomas Valorcrescent left the room. There was a table nearby with seats just for two. A meal had been prepared for Khaesilya and Mysteltainne.
'Master Makaelthos…if you survive this being's trials, perhaps our world will have a fighting chance then…'
······
"Where are you taking me?"
Makaelthos had to shout the question out. It was hard to make himself heard because of the powerful draft from the dragon's wings.
"Some place where you can think, crusader! Tom says that you really need to spend some time there!"
Makaelthos watched the scenery below them zoom past. They were moving at an incredible speed. From his position, he could feel the dragon's powerful wing muscles flex with effort. He held on the dragon's back fin as tightly as possible as Thrackvinyllirix suddenly dived.
"We're almost there, crusader!"
The dragon struck the ground with such force that clumps of earth were torn off it. They were in front of another hall. This one had a forbidding atmosphere around it; Makaelthos involuntarily took a step back.
"Go inside…"
The dragon nudged Makaelthos from behind with his claw. His voice was low this time and utterly serious. The crusader knew better than to argue right now. Besides, this must be the place where he was to "answer for his deeds".
The doors of the hall were huge and undecorated. They were made of a white stone that resembled ivory or marble. Despite their huge size, however, they opened easily enough. The interior of the place was dark, even the light from the outside did nothing to illuminate it.
"What is this place?"
The dragon's answer seemed almost solemn when he spoke.
"Sir Thomas always said that the Way of the Paladin is paradoxical. A paladin wields righteousness like a weapon in order to become a weapon in the hands of righteousness. In these words' context, Makaelthos Solcry, you may call this place his forge."
Without another word, the dragon pushed Makaelthos inside the hall. The doors closed quickly, leaving the crusader in complete darkness.
'A forge…am I supposed to be re-tempered?'
A hand suddenly grasped Makaelthos's leg. Reflexively he stepped back and reached for his weapon. His hand grasped nothing though. He had no weapon with him.
"Is this what you wanted, Makaelthos?"
The crusader recognized the voice at once.
"That's impossible! I-I killed you already!"
The hand gripped Makaelthos's leg even tighter.
"Was killing me what you really desired?"
Makaelthos swallowed the lump of fear that was growing in his throat. He knew that this was probably some test from Sir Thomas Valorcrescent. Still, hearing Kallifen's voice reminded him too much of what he had done.
"No it wasn't! Leave me be already, Kallifen!"
Another hand gripped Makaelthos's free leg.
"What about us, Makaelthos Solcry? Did you really want to kill us?"
Several hands were grasping at Makaelthos now. Their moans and questions began to drown each other out, coalescing into a cacophony of tortured cries. The crusader struggled as hard as he could. Panic was beginning to rise to his chest. The cries were grating on both his conscience and his sanity. He kicked and struggled, shoving away the hands that held him. It was useless, no matter how many times he peeled them off, the hands gripped him even tighter. Suddenly, he recognized another voice from the cries.
"You really are a ditch knight! How could I love someone so unworthy?
Makaelthos's chest throbbed painfully. It was true; he was just a common criminal, trying to aspire to things that were beyond his reach. He didn't deserve Eliarainne, he was better off dead. He continued to struggle even harder. He cried out in rage as he pushed the hands back and in order to drown out the painful words.
"If you did manage to free yourself from them, Makaelthos Solcry, where would you go?"
The voice rose above the noise of the cries. Makaelthos froze for a while as he considered the words. He recognized the voice as Sir Thomas Valorcrescent's. Even without seeing the man, he could feel the tremendous presence that the paladin exuded. The hands were gripping him too tightly, even if he wasn't in a panic he would not be able break free from them. He didn't know what was actually inside the hall. It was too dark.
"There is nowhere to go."
The crusader stopped struggling as the hands clawed at him. When he spoke, his voice was free of panic.
"You're right…all of you are right. I killed you all when it turned out that it was not what I wanted. I was rash and I was always looking for the easy way to do things. I killed in order to please Trynis, when it turned out that she was never satisfied with each death."
One by one the hands fell away until only one hand gripped Makaelthos. The crusader lowered his head in shame…
"Kallifen, I killed you because I didn't want to be proven wrong about attacking Trynis. I was tired of looking for alternatives so I chose her way of doing things. How could I have expected to be free of her influence by doing what she would do?"
With those words, the darkness dissipated around Makaelthos like smoke. He was in small, empty room. The walls were made of white stone like the exterior of the hall. In front of him was a ghostly image of Kallifen. The assassin simply smiled gently at him and stroked his goatee before completely vanishing. The voice spoke out once again.
"It is often that the dead are more forgiving on the living than the living of themselves. You realize now, Makaelthos Solcry, that there is no shame in facing the consequences and asking for forgiveness, there is only shame in running away from both."
Makaelthos looked at his hands. The weight of his deeds did not seem so heavy now. It was strange how forgiveness could make everything lighter.
"I didn't expect things to go so simply. How could I have just approached them and apologize."
The crusader looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. Suddenly he felt a brief sensation of sadness around him, as if someone had sighed.
"It will be the first thing you will learn, Makaelthos, that even the mightiest of paladins are far from perfect. No matter how strong a paladin stands, no matter what victories he wins or sacrifices he makes, his character is always flawed and mistakes are bound to happen. To compensate for such limits, a paladin must always be humble, humble enough to face the consequences of each mistake and ask for forgiveness. He sees his flaws clearly and through them he sees the flaws of others, free of the arrogant belief that perfection is attainable, he is never in danger of being corrupted. For, in order to maintain the will to move forward, he seeks to look past these flaws and see only what is good. "
Makaelthos shook his head.
"What's the point in fighting then? If perfection cannot be attained…if I cannot raise myself from lowly beginnings-"
The voice's stern demeanor softened.
"Because perfection is unnecessary; because it is the nature of good to forgive flaws. Only those who are evil seek perfection, for forgiveness has no place in their hearts. You say that you do not deserve Eliarainne because of your attachment to Trynis. This is true, no matter how hard you try to free yourself of the rogue's shadow, even if you succeed in doing so, you will never deserve the knight until she decides that you do; and if she really is good and pure as is the reason why you love her, then she can easily look past your flaws."
Makaelthos felt himself shake. The voice returned to its fierce and stern quality.
"Then my going to Morocc…slaying all those people…slaying Kallifen-"
"Absolutely pointless…the result of the evil in your heart. Because you believed in logic too much, because you could not accept that the knight loved you unconditionally, because you wanted to "prove yourself worthy", because you believed that your flaws will vanish with the rogue's death…all of these things contributed to why you committed that crime, an act that you never wanted!"
Makaelthos fell to his knees. He was almost ready to burst into tears. How could he have not thought of that? How could he have…?
"I…I'm sorry…for all of those things…all of them and more…"
The voice softened once again.
"It's alright, Makaelthos Solcry. I forgive you…"
The crusader's eyes widened. The truth suddenly struck him…
"You realize then, one of the traits that define us. Let it be the first you know of our code then. A paladin is at peace with all things that are not truly evil. He does not seek to prove himself, he finds nothing wrong with imperfection and he knows how to forgive faults. He welcomes changes if they are for good. He accepts the decisions of others so long as they do not lead to evil. He respects boundaries, free will, legitimate authority and personal belief. He strives to work with these instead of going against them."
Makaelthos nodded in understanding. Peace…it was one of the things that he never considered having. He had been too focused on becoming stronger, changing things for the better and forcing his way. No wonder he was doomed not to change Trynis and NightKnife. In the end, it was he who had become bitter. He chose to run away instead of facing the consequences.
"This is but the first of your trials, Makaelthos. Continue moving forward."
The crusader obeyed silently and rose to his feet. There was a doorway ahead of him. Even from afar he could feel the heat that radiated from the door.
"You must realize though, that there are things not even a paladin can reconcile himself with."
Makaelthos opened the door. At once he was greeted by a blast of blistering hot air. The smell of sulphur and brimstone was immediately noticeable. For some reason, a sword was in his hand but seeing what was in front of him, he wondered if he would have a chance to use it.
Standing in front of Makaelthos was a hulking figure, nearly twice his size. It held a jagged sword, shaped to resemble a stroke of lightning, in one hand and a whip in the other. Its weapons, as well as its body, were bathed with lurid, red fires. Its face was bestial, complete with overlarge fangs, small, red eyes and a pair of curved horns jutting sideways from its head. Black lightning suddenly cracked around the creature as it raised its weapons. Makaelthos stepped back, he could not defeat this!
"A balor, a powerful native of The Abyss and one of the strongest members of the tanar'ri… The tanar'ri are forces of chaos and evil, Makaelthos, represented in your world by Baphomet."
Makaelthos's eyes narrowed. Baphomet…he remembered being struck by the goat-demon's massive scythe. He would have been dead by then if it wasn't for Salendriel.
'I will not back down from this monster!'
Makaelthos swung his sword only to have the creature evade it swiftly and lash at him with its whip. The fiery tendril wrapped around his chest and with one tug, the demon pulled him towards its fiery body. The crusader cried out as the flames began to sear his skin. The demon laughed and wrapped its powerfully muscled arms around him. Makaelthos felt his grip on his sword loosen.
'I can't die here…'
The crusader tightened his grip once again and forced his arm out of the demon's burning arms. Before the balor could let him go, he plunged the blade into its right eye. In a flash of light, the demon was gone.
A blast of fire suddenly exploded behind Makaelthos, hurling him forward and knocking him off his feet. He rolled over painfully and looked at his next opponent. He was faced with another tall figure, also wreathed in flames. This one was covered with bright red scales, its massive, bat-like wings wrapped around it like a cloak. Its hands crackled with magical energy while vile liquid dripped from its fangs and hissed when it struck the floor, creating small clouds of steam. Its whip-like tail was covered with barbs and lashed about from behind in impatience.
"Pit fiends are powerful natives of the Nine Hells and among the strongest members of the baatezu…the baatezu are forces of law and evil, enemies of the tanar'ri and represented in your world by the Lord of Death."
Makaelthos charged at the devil, only to be hurled back by an invisible force. The creature gestured, causing wave upon wave of fire to descend on him. He winced painfully as he felt his flesh beginning to char. He was already severely burned by his first opponent. He raised his shield and moved forward once again.
'Lord of Death…he threatens Prontera with his army and desires only to crush it beneath his heel.'
The devil continued to hurl fireballs at Makaelthos's shield, each explosion threatened to knock him down, still he pushed forward until he got within reach. His sword thrust forward, stabbing it in the chest. In an instant, it was gone.
"You're not going to win the next fight, you know…"
Makaelthos looked around. The mental voice did not belong to Sir Thomas. It was also powerful, but it contained a hint of sinister cunning.
"Who are you?"
"I can provide you with sufficient power to win any battle. Just ask for it, you can get the strongest sword, powerful enough to cut through any demon's flesh. Your armor would be invulnerable!"
In front of Makaelthos now stood a thin man, with vulpine features on his face; his hair was black and neatly slicked back. In his hand, he held a sphere of light that seemed to promise power.
"Take the ball and you can triumph over all the fiends that come your way. Come on! I'm offering you the easy path to paladinhood!"
The crusader's eyes narrowed. He had tried the easy way out. It didn't work. This being was.
"If it comes because of you, winning is pointless!"
Makaelthos's sword swung towards the man, who snarled at his answer.
"Then let me show you the fate of the powerless!"
The man suddenly changed shape. In front of Makaelthos was a massive demon, with a feral, dog-like face and a pair of pincers extending from its shoulders. Before he could react, the demon grabbed him with the pair of arms sticking out of its sides. The pincers clamped hard on his armor and began to tear it off. The sharp ends of the pincers sliced through his flesh easily, causing blood to spurt all over the room. Makaelthos grit his teeth as his sword dropped from his bloody gauntlets.
"If you thought I was powerless, then your plan was doomed from the start, demon!"
Makaelthos grabbed the demon's face and concentrated. A burst of light exploded from his body, forming a cross of white light on the ground. The demon screamed and vanished…
"A glabrezu, demons who tempt mortals with power…"
The crusader picked up his sword. His armor was in shreds and blood was streaming from the dozens of cuts he received. His body was still smoking from the initial, fiery assault he withstood.
"You did well, Mak! Now enough of this and bow down!"
Makaelthos easily recognized the voice as Trynis's. He had no idea how she could have entered the hall but…
"Bow down…"
The rogue's voice brooked no disobedience. The powerful yet soft, regal quality in her voice was there. Makaelthos looked up, it was indeed Trynis. Her long, silver hair flowed down her shoulders and all the way to her waist. To him, she seemed more regal than ever, his knees started to give way. Right now, Trynis seemed like some sort of goddess.
'Still, even when you were like this, I wasn't happy in your shadow.'
The rogue looked at him haughtily, waiting for him to bow down. Makaelthos never did, he remained standing resolutely as the rogue's face contorted in anger.
"I served you, Trynis, not because I was awed by your power, it was because I loved you more than anything else. I do not feel the same way anymore. I will not bow before you."
The rogue's features suddenly changed. Her hair turned crimson and large, feathery, red wings sprouted from her back. In the next moment she was holding a burning bow in her hands. Several arrows struck Makaelthos near his shoulders but he did not flinch.
"Foolish mortal! Know your place!"
Makaelthos ignored his wounds and attacked. His sword swung forward, causing the devil to vanish.
"Erinyes, devils who seek to dominate mortals through sheer force of will…"
"Makaelthos!"
The crusader turned around, his eyes widened as he saw who called him.
"Eliarainne! What are you doing here?"
The knight grasped him tightly as Makaelthos fell to his knees, he was running out of strength.
"I followed you here…stop this already, Makaelthos. I don't want to lose you again!"
The crusader shuddered as the knight's hands caressed his bleeding chest.
"Eliarainne…"
Makaelthos shuddered again. Something was different somehow. Eliarainne never seemed lovelier to him. Her lips looked so soft as they neared his own. Her scent was heady and her touch eased his pain. Her form was so tempting now, he wanted to…
'No! I'm in the middle of my trials! How can I think of such things?'
Almost at once, the crusader felt the knight grow colder. She let him go and stepped back. The room resounded with armor crashing to the ground. Makaelthos looked stood up and found Eliarainne's naked form standing in front of him. The dim, red light that illuminated the room, as well as the shadows, seemed to accentuate the curves on her body. His chest ached; his hands seemed to fill with a desire to touch her, but still…
"What's the matter, Makaelthos? Am I not good enough for you?"
The crusader closed his eyes…
"I cannot be distracted here!"
A horrifying shriek caused Makaelthos to open his eyes again. Eliarainne was gone. In her place was a red-haired, female demon with bat-like wings. Without any hesitation he lunged at her. The demon's nails raked a bloody gash across his face, he nearly collapsed at the blow but he managed to strike, causing the demon to vanish.
"Succubi, demons who exist to tempt mortals into wanton acts of lust…"
The crusader plunged the sword into the floor.
"I can't fight anymore, Sir Thomas! I-I've done all that I can!"
"Really? But all that you've done so far is not yet enough."
The room suddenly filled with the same demons that Makaelthos just defeated. But there were multitudes of them this time. They snarled, roared, hissed and shouted death threats and oaths. Makaelthos gripped his sword.
"Will you let them stand there?"
The crusader raised his sword.
"Never! I will die but I will not die doing nothing!"
Before the demons could attack, however, they all vanished.
"You understand then, the next trait that defines us."
The crusader nodded. This time, he knew what Sir Thomas was talking about.
"A paladin tolerates no evil, regardless of form or association. When evil is afoot he does not sit back and consider his options, he goes into action and does what he can to destroy evil. He is not hindered by balance or neutrality. He is a mighty force of righteousness; let the forces of balance worry about equality. He is concerned only by upholding good and destroying evil. He knows who and what he must fight or protect, his goals are clear to him, he can see his allies and enemies with clarity and while others find the lines of good and evil blurred, he knows where they are drawn."
Makaelthos nodded in agreement as he emulated the words. He had passed his second test.
"A paladin, Makaelthos, is decisive. Because he knows what he must do and how he must do it, because he is intimately familiar with his tools and his allies, he never hesitates in his mission. A paladin's courage does not come from recklessness or insanity. He does not rely on luck or the quirks of his foes. His courage comes from careful preparation and knowledge. You understand this now, Makaelthos, take your last test then."
Makaelthos staggered into the last room. Already he could feel the pain of his wounds lessen at the thought of facing the final test.
"This is…"
Makaelthos found himself confronting the daunting figure of Sir Agranias. The abysmal knight's black eyes reflected no emotion as it charged him.
"Agranias the abysmal knight; he holds darkness in his heart, he was created for evil and he knows the feeling of accomplishing that goal If he regresses into the monster who killed your friend's sister what would you do?"
The crusader barely sidestepped the blow, he raised his sword for a killing strike.
"I will fight him…"
"Will you kill him because he is Agranias?"
"When all chances to save him are gone, I will fight him because he fights for evil."
Agranias vanished. In his place stood Trenzein's robed figure. Malevolent energy threatened to explode from his fingertips and his green hair flew wildly about.
"Trenzein Zaisen, a good friend of yours and a valuable ally. If he fails his mission and becomes an insane, rampaging monster like Seithal Jupitel, what would you do?"
The answer was the same for Makaelthos. He had known Trenzein for a long time. The wizard hated losing or giving way to others. He knew that he would not fail, still…
"I will stop his magic."
"Will you kill him because he is Trenzein?"
"I will fight him to protect Rune-Midgard from devastation."
Trenzein's figure vanished, this time, Silmeia's figure appeared. Her eyes glowed red as the tatters of her priestess garb crackled with the energies of Sangius Magnus Exorcismus. Strange and horrific tattoos marked her face and arms.
"Silmeia Cafilence, a person you could always count on to be on the side of good. If she is consumed by her own hate and becomes a pawn of Abraxil Sovivor, will you fight her as well?"
Makaelthos kept sword up. He was shaking at the mere thought fighting the priestess. Silmeia had been among the reasons he never lost hope. If she became like this…
"I will fight her because she has turned from the path of good. If all that's left is Sangius Magnus Exorcismus then I will end that evil spell."
"Will you kill her because she is your close friend?"
The crusader shook his head. With each enemy he faced his mind seemed to become clearer and clearer…
"I will fight her because if she is consumed by her hate then she has already died. I fight to give her peace."
Silmeia's image disappeared. Finally, the moment Makaelthos dreaded had come. In front of him was Eliarainne, covered in the armor of blood knight, Salendriel.
"Eliarainne Sialsanderin, she whom you hold dearer than your own life. If she becomes the blood knight, what would you do?"
"I-I will fight her, to the death if it is the only way. But I will never give up on her…"
Sir Thomas's voice softened.
"Will you kill her because she is the blood knight?"
Makaelthos's voice quivered with a mixture of sadness and resolve. It would tear him apart to do so and if he did not die of his wounds he might die of heartbreak alone.
"I will fight her because I love her."
Sir Thomas's voice held great pride when he spoke again.
"Then you understand, Makaelthos, a paladin's most important trait. A paladin has faith, faith in his friends and faith in his cause. He trusts that good can triumph in all fights. He trusts his friends to overcome their own trials on their own without losing his resolve to do what must be done if they fail. He believes in what he fights for wholeheartedly, without the shadow of a doubt or hesitation."
Another door opened before Makaelthos, when he stepped through it, his wounds vanished. He was suddenly clad in glorious, silver armor; Mysteltainne was by his side once more. He looked to his other side and smiled as he saw Khaesilya. In front of him was Sir Thomas himself. The paladin smiled as he looked him over.
"You've overcome your fears, Makaelthos, and you've come to the decisions you were once too afraid to make. Rune-Midgard is still covered in evil, are you ready to save it with the might of a paladin?"
Makaelthos looked at himself. He could see his own radiance that reflected the clarity of his mind now. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from him, allowing him to fight for what he always wanted to fight for. For good…
"I'm ready…"