Prologue III: The Order

Thankfully, there were no further encounters on the road to Tristan.

Quinn had wanted to remain a while longer, to bury the bodies. But Ingrid refused- they'd suffered too many delays as it was, and in any case, neither of the them had a shovel to dig graves. So, after washing off in the nearby river, and a restless night's sleep, the two set out, leaving the woods and the bodies behind.

It had been a day and a half since their encounter with the bandits. The sea had disappeared as the road turned north, and rocky hills surrounded the two on both sides. But Quinn was in no mood to take in the sights, as his gaze was fixed firmly on his right hand. A thick layer of clouds blanketed the sky above, as though to compliment his gloomy mood.

The ring went dark quickly after the bandits had been… disposed of. And it had remained dark since then. Still, he'd kept a close eye on it- although it had awakened, as Ingrid put it, when his life was threatened, there was no way of knowing if that was the only thing that could wake it up. But Quinn's attention wasn't focused entirely on the ring. His entire hand, from his fingertips down to his wrist, was covered in bandages. As he'd washed himself in the river, he was surprised to find a number of very serious cuts on his hand, the result of crushing that bandit's sword with his bare hand. As Ingrid wrapped his wound, she'd expressed surprise that, with how deep the cuts were, none of his fingers had been cut off.

"How's your hand?" Ingrid asked. Ever since leaving the woods, she had begun treating Quinn much differently- speaking in softer tones, leading him by the hand. Quinn realized she was treating him like a child… but for some reason, he didn't mind that.

He couldn't remember the last time anyone had treated him as a child.

"It'll be fine," Quinn replied. "I've had worse injuries." He tried to flex his fingers, wincing as burning hot needles stabbed into his hand.

"Even so, we should have that looked at as soon as we reach the Abbey."

Another day passed. And soon, a familiar scent cane to Quinn's nose- the salt of the ocean. And on the road ahead, he could see a long grey line that seemed to fill the horizon. As they drew closer, the line grew taller and taller, until Quinn could finally identify it- a wall. An enormous wall that must have been at least twenty peds tall, maybe more. He could only stare- he never imagined people could build something so tall. Set into the wall, at the end of the road just a short distance away, was an enormous arch, with a grille of overlapping metal rods hanging over it. The two passed under it- Quinn hesitantly- and entered a large square.

In the square alone, Quinn saw more people than had ever lived in Lamorak. There was an almost deafening clamor as merchants called to the crowd to advertise their wares, and armored soldiers directed the seemingly endless streams of people. Surrounding the square were buildings of dark brown wood, and grey stone with orange-tiled roofs, packed so closely together that was hardly any space between them. He could only stare at the alien sights before him in a stunned silence.

"Welcome to Tristan," Ingrid said. "Capital of the Kingdom of Bannon." She reached for his hand, and held it in her own. "There's still a ways to go before we reach the Abbey. Stay close, alright?"

Like the child he truly was, he laced his fingers between Ingrid's and held her hand tightly. "Okay."

"You know, I didn't really think about this before, but… this order you're with. What do you do exactly?" Quinn asked.

For several moments, Ingrid was silent, as though contemplating her response. Eventually, she answered, "The Archonite Order is a group of scholars dedicated to the preservation of knowledge across Aurea. Specifically, we seek out Rings of Power, document their abilities, and select and train their Bearers. Once, the Order also served as mediators for conflicts. But that was many years ago, long before I joined."

The two had left the crowds and the cramped streets by the city gate behind. People had bumped and pushed relentlessly against Quinn as they pushed through the crowd, but through it all, Ingrid had kept a tight grip on his hand. He was thankful for that- without her to guide him, he would have doubtlessly been swept away by the seemingly endless river of people. And soon, the tightly-packed buildings gave way to manor houses surrounded by gardens, larger, grander, more spread out, and the two shared the ever-widening streets with only a handful of people.

All of a sudden, Ingrid came to a stop, letting go of Quinn's hand. "We've arrived."

Quinn looked up at the building they'd stopped at, any protests dying away as he stared in a stunned silence. It was… huge . From the name "Abbey," he assumed it would be some small church like the one in Lamorak, but the building was more like a castle than a church. A wall, roughly eighty peds across and ten high, stood on the side they faced, set with small windows at even intervals, topped with tiles of glittering silver. In the center of the wall was a large gate made of dark wood. Rising above the walls was a large building set with an enormous window of stained glass, and behind that, rising even higher, was a towering steeple with a pointed roof of silver tiles. Though the sun was hidden behind the clouds, the white stone of the building seemed to shine with a light of its own.

Ingrid pushed open the gate and entered, with Quinn following. The interior was even more stunning than the exterior- inside the walls, and beyond the covered walkway on the inside was an enormous courtyard, filled with lush green grass, vibrant trees, and flowers of every color imaginable. At the heart was the building with the stained glass Quinn had seen from outside, towering over everything within. Without delay, Ingrid began walking on a small path that led to stained glass building, with Quinn following.

From the side, man wearing a robe of white and silver quickly approached them. "Inquisitor Ingrid, you've returned!" he said, walking alongside the two. "I trust your mission was a success?"

"Of course. Where is Mother Agnes?"

"She's awaiting your return in the audience chamber."

"Good." They came to the building with the stained glass window. Without knocking, or pausing for even a moment, Ingrid pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The interior of the hall was just as grand as its exterior suggested. Despite the overcast weather, the hall was lit brightly by the light filtering in through the enormous windows. He couldn't see it from the outside, but now he could see an image was formed in the stained glass: a strange creature Quinn didn't recognize, resembling a winged snake, coiled on itself in a figure-eight. The interior walls were grey, and draped with tapestries depicting that same strange creature. Inside were more of those robed people, sweeping the floors, dusting tapestries.

But what drew Quinn's attention was a chair- more of a throne, really- sitting on a small, slightly raised platform on the far side of the hall. There were two people, one seated on the throne, the other standing next to it. The standing person was a woman with long blonde hair that reached down past her waist, but the other… The only term Quinn could use to describe her was… white . Like the others he'd seen in the abbey, she wore white robes- pure white, without the silver designs the others had. Her skin too was a ghostly pale, as though she hadn't been in the sun in years. The only part of her that seemed to have any color at all was her hair, and even then, it was colored a faint, almost invisible shade of silver. Her eyes seemed to be shut tightly, but still, he could feel her gaze fall upon him and Ingrid as the two approached.

Ingrid knelt down a few steps from the platform, removing her cap; Quinn stared at her, before quickly kneeling as well. "Mother Agnes," Ingrid said, "my mission was a success."

"So I see," the woman in white replied. She spoke softly, yet her voice easily filled the massive hall. "And I assume this is the boy you mentioned in your report?"

"That is correct, Mother Agnes." Ingrid held her hand out toward Quinn. "This is Quinn."

The woman with long blonde hair let out a disappointed sigh. "Oh. From the name, I assumed you'd be bringing back another girl, Ingrid." She jumped down from the platform and strode to the two, circling around them. "Hmm… a bit on the plain side, too…"

Quinn looked up at the blonde woman. He was curious about her, but at the same time… he wasn't quite sure where to look. He hadn't noticed at first, but her attire left very little to the imagination: a pink swath that he hesitated to call a shirt that left her stomach, shoulders, and collarbone exposed, a pair of shorts that didn't even even cover her thighs, seemingly more suitable as smallclothes than everyday wear, and a pair of long stockings, one pink, one purple.

"You know, most people consider it rude to stare," the blonde woman said. Quinn jolted, quickly realizing the woman had stopped circling and was looking right at him. She gave him a hard glare… before she gave a coy smile. "Luckily for you, I'm not most people." She put her hands behind her head, and… cocked her hips to the side with a wink. "Go ahead. Drink it all in."

"Ah-Uhh…" Quinn stammered and quickly turned his gaze to the floor, his face hot.

"Come now, don't be shy. You were staring so intently before," the woman said. Her tone was strange, as if she were toying with him.

"Master Evangelyne, please," Ingrid said sternly. "I have a report to give."

"Oh, let me have my fun, Ingrid. After all, I've never had so much fun with a man before."

The woman in white then said, "Evangelyne, I must agree with Ingrid. Leave us."

Evangelyne let out a deep sigh, and replied, "Very well." She began to leave, but as she passed by Quinn, she knelt down and blew gently on his ear, making him shiver. " Bye~ " The door Quinn and Ingrid entered opened and swung shut.

After a moment, the elder woman said, "I pray you'll forgive Evangelyne. The discovery of a new Ringbearer, on Bannish soil no less, is exciting news for us all." A pause. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. Introductions are in order." She rested a hand on her chest, and gave a friendly smile. "My name is Mother Agnes. I lead the Archonite Order, and like you, I bear a Ring of Power." She held up her right hand- sure enough, on her ring finger was a copper ring with a wide, flat face, with the image of a flame embossed on it. She returned her hand to her side, and then stood.

"Come, Quinn. Let me see your Ring."

Quinn looked over at Ingrid, uncertain. She nodded, and slowly, Quinn stood, and approached Mother Agnes.

Quinn had though Ingrid had been tall. But Mother Agnes was taller still. In fact, he was certain that Agnes surpassed even Foreman in height. He couldn't help but hesitate as he approached. She urged him on: "There's no need to be frightened. I will not harm you." He stopped in front of her, unsure of what to do. "Let me see your Ring."

Quinn held out his hand. Without hesitation, Mother Agnes laid her hands on his, and touched his ring, her eyes opening ever so slightly for a moment. Quinn shuddered.

In that brief moment, he could have sworn that Mother Agnes's eyes were a pure, solid black.

"Hmm. This Ring is… unfamiliar to me." She looked past him, to Ingrid. "Take him to the archives, Ingrid. Perhaps our records will help us to identify this ring."

Ingrid stood, and placed her cap on her head. "As you wish, Mother Agnes."

"Uh, Miss Ingrid?" Quinn asked. "Who was that blonde lady?"

"That was Master Evangelyne, one of the Order's Archons," she replied. "Like you and Mother Agnes, she bears a Ring of Power."

"There are more of them?" Quinn shuddered slightly. Evangelyne was… much different than anyone else he'd met before. He hoped the others wouldn't be like her.

"There are three others. At the moment, all three are on assignment abroad, though I expect you'll meet them eventually."

"Um, Miss Inquisitor?" a woman in a white and silver robe asked hesitantly.

"Hm?" She looked at the woman. "Oh, my apologies. Now… what was your last question?"

"You were explaining your encounter in the Breuse Forest. You mentioned a partial transformation."

"Yes. Quinn's right arm, right shoulder, and a portion of his face were covered in what looked to be black scales. The transformation wasn't instantaneous though. It took several seconds."

The robed woman wrote something in a small leather-bound book. "Was there anything else?"

"He had a small horn growing from his forehead, on the right side. And his right eye was glowing, the same color as the ring…"

After meeting Mother Agnes, Ingrid had led Quinn to a vast hall filled with books. As soon she explained herself, the two were set upon by men and women in robes of white and silver. Ingrid was pulled aside, and asked numerous questions about the Ring; Quinn was sat in a chair, while other robed people rifled through large books as they inspected the ring.

A robed woman who knelt at Quinn's side, examining the ring, looked over her shoulder. "Anything?"

"I'm not finding any matches," replied another woman. She was seated at a table, rapidly flipping through the pages of a large book. "Honestly, based on Inquisitor Ingrid's descriptions, the only Ring that comes close would be… the Fire Emblem."

"Still, if what the Inquisitor said is true, you'd think there'd be some mention of a Ring like this somewhere," replied yet another robed figure. This one was a man, seated at the table, reading another large tome. "Are we sure it isn't a fake? We have had those before…"

"No," Ingrid replied firmly. "I saw its power for myself, and I'm convinced that Quinn's Ring of Power is genuine. Not to mention, Mother Agnes herself inspected it. If it were fake, she would have seen it."

Ring of Power… Ingrid had mentioned that before, and so had Mother Agnes. It was obvious from how they spoke that they were important, so, Quinn had to ask:

"These 'Rings of Power' you keep mentioning… what are they, exactly?"

The hall fell silent. The robed people looked at Quinn strangely- a few even looked as though they were offended that he'd asked such a question. But, as if to calm them, Ingrid held up her hand, and asked, "What do you know of the history of Aurea, Quinn?"

He was silent.

"…I see. I'll need to ask Mother Agnes if she can include a proper education as part of your training." She stood and approached the table the robed man and woman were seated at- with a wave of her hand, they vacated it. After a moment of searching, she picked up a roll of parchment. "Quinn, come over here for a moment."

Once Quinn reached the table, Ingrid unrolled the parchment and laid it out. Painted on it was a strange image that Quinn had never seen before. "What's that?" he asked.

"This is a map of Aurea."

He stared down at the map. It had… markings, like the ones Foreman wrote in his ledger at the end of each month, and after he'd sold off the iron they'd mined to the merchants.

Ingrid looked at him with an odd expression. "…You don't know how to read, do you?"

He shook his head, slowly. Foreman had decided he had no need to learn that skill.

Ingrid's face tensed. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and mumbled something.

Quinn stammered, "I… I'm sorry, Miss Ingrid."

Ingrid opened her eyes. "I'm not upset, Quinn. Not with you, at least." Her hand returned to her side. "This… complicates things, but I did promise you that I'd answer all of your questions." She leaned over the map, and began to speak:

"Long ago, Aurea- the continent where we live now- was home to beings of unimaginable power, beings that we call 'Archons.' In truth, we don't know much about the Archons: how they lived, where they came from. To be honest, we're not even sure what they looked like. But we do know that thousands of years ago, the Archons fought amongst themselves in a war that we call the Dawn War. This war was so devastating, the Archons completely wiped themselves out, and to this day, Aurea still bears scars from their battles.

"But, although the Archons are gone now, they left artifacts behind- the Rings of Power. Sixteen have been documented so far, and each Ring grants its bearer abilities far beyond that of ordinary human potential. Each one is unique, and completely irreplaceable- even with the most powerful magics of today, nobody has ever successfully created a new Ring." She looked up. "It's no exaggeration to say that Bearers of the Rings of Power have singlehandedly shaped the course of Aurea's history."

Quinn looked down at the black ring on his finger. "And… I have one of those Rings now?"

"You do," Ingrid replied with a nod.

Quinn fell silent, staring down at the ring. Just like on that day, when he first found it, it seemed to carry a tremendous weight. Far too much for such a little thing, he would think… if he hadn't seen its capabilities with his own eyes.

"Some Ringbearers find their Ring by chance," Ingrid began, walking slowly around the table. "Other times, it's seemingly the Ring itself that finds its Bearer." Ingrid took Quinn's hand, running her thumb over the Ring. "You may not believe so, Quinn, but I believe that this Ring chose you. That you found this Ring, because you were meant to have it."

Quinn looked away. "I… I don't know about that…"

"You might not think you should have this Ring, Quinn. But I do. That's why I brought you here. If I didn't, I would've left you in Lamorak. Or, cut that Ring off your finger without a moment's hesitation." Ingrid gripped his hand tightly, and looked him in the eye. "I can't say that your path from this day forward will be easy. But I can say is this, Quinn: me, Mother Agnes, everyone in the Order… we will make you into a man worthy of wearing that Ring." She held his hand tightly in hers. "I promise you."

Quinn said nothing in reply. He simply looked down at the ring on his finger once again.

But, Ingrid squeezed his hand, making him look her in the eye. "Do you still trust me?"

She'd already asked that question. And he'd already given his answer. But, this time was different. When she'd asked him that question in the forest, he answered yes because he believed he didn't have a choice, because trusting her was seemingly the only path available. But now, he believed every word she said, not doubting her even for a moment. He wanted to repay her faith in him. He wanted to become the man she believed that he could be. A strange… feeling came to Quinn's chest. He didn't know what it was. He… didn't know a lot of things.

But there was one thing he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Quinn looked Ingrid in the eye, and gave his answer. It was confident, assured, free of any fear and doubt.

"I trust you."

AN: Hello. Author here. Thank you for reading this far. This story is one of the more ambitious projects I've made, and it's undergone a lot of changes from the original conception to what it is now. I wanted to share aspects of the story, their inspirations, and how they evolved over time with the readers, and I'll be using these author's notes to do just that. I realize that not everyone will be interested in that sort of thing, but I still wanted to share these tidbits of the creative process all the same.

Also, a map of the setting can be found at my Deviantart page. Just stick this at the end of the homepage URL: /silentxwitness/art/Aurea-Map-755856848?ga_submit_new=10%3A1532326745