The Sons of Gods

Quin awoke at sunrise as usual. He relieved himself and freshened up. He felt completely refreshed after sleeping in what must have been the most comfortable bed in existence. He would have never imagined such a beautiful night of rest. Quin hoped it was repeatable and not a fluke. If he rested this well everyday he could train from dawn to dusk and awake anew each day.

Quin spent some time praying and exploring his room once again, before hearing a knock on his door. He crossed the room and opened it to reveal Patrick. Patrick was a direct contrast to Quin. While Quin looked incredibly vitalized and ready for a full day as an energetic young man, Patrick looked incredibly tired and several years older than he had the previous day. Patrick Falter had large bags under his eyes and was stifling a yawn. His shoulders were slumped in exhaustion as if the weight of the world rested upon his shoulders.

“Good morning Head Priest Falter, you appear unwell. Is there a way I can assist you?” Quin asked with concern.

“There is no need for such a thing, simply an old man not getting enough sleep. I stayed up far later into the night than an old man should have. I was kept up by an interesting discussion with Lief Stoneheart and High Templar Ironclad about the most intriguing young man,” Patrick said while waving off the offer of help. Patrick gave Quin a glowing smile that was tired, but incredibly genuine.

“Oh? What did you discuss about me?” Quin asked with a bit of nervousness.

“Your heritage and story mostly. You truly are a special young man and it is my greatest joy and pleasure to have met you during my meager lifetime. Do not worry Quin, High Templar Ironclad and I plan to keep your background as anonymous as possible. We wish to follow Lief’s plan of letting this young tree grow on its own as much as possible,” Patrick said with a smile.

“That is a relief to hear to be honest. I genuinely feel no different from any other follower of Solarius therefore I expect to be treated as just another Acolyte,” Quin replied.

“I am sorry Quin, but we cannot treat you like a regular Acolyte as you are anything but that. We can however treat you like a Chosen One and a supreme talent with the resources that it entails. No one would expect anything different. Now we must move along. We can talk while I give you a tour of the Temple of Solarius before your training classes. Conveniently, you arrived early enough that they have only been in session for approximately a month,” Patrick explained.

Quin frowned a bit at the explanation of special treatment, but he assumed if that was expected for anyone who was talented then it shouldn’t be an issue. Quin nodded in acknowledgement and acceptance of Patrick’s explanation. With Quin’s agreement, the pair left Quin’s room behind. Patrick began to guide Quin through the hallways and staircases that created a maze within the Temple of Solarius.

“We mentioned a tutor for you to help you become educated in ways that are not all warfare and combat. I have decided that I will take that role. We will meet twice a week for three hours in the morning. Does this sound feasible?” Patrick asked.

“Very much so Head Priest Falter. I appreciate you sacrificing your time to teach me. Are you sure you wish to be the one to teach me? I am sure that you are very busy as the Head Priest,” Quin vocalized. Patrick smiled at the question.

“Do not think you are imposing upon me, Quin. I am being selfish when it comes to taking upon this task. I could not give up such an opportunity to teach someone who will be entered into the annals of history and will lead the Light Pantheon into a new era. Please forgive me for my selfishness,” Patrick said calmly and inclined his head in apology to Quin.

“Please raise your head. No man should bow before me no matter how much potential I possess or how far I rise. The only ones who deserve our reverence are our Gods,” Quin said, flustered.

“Well spoken Quin. You are wise beyond your years,” The old priest praised.

The duo lapsed into silence for a few minutes before they reached their first destination. It was a series of classrooms, filled with students of a wide array of ages. Patrick explained in depth how the Temple of Solarius, along with many other temples, offered education to all those who asked. Quin was impressed with their generosity and remarked about how well educated the populus must be compared to his village where very few could read and write. Patrick beamed at the praise and in pride of his temple.

Patrick Falter then led Quin to the various amenities and areas that were open to him as an Acolyte who followed Solarius. Quin saw the meditation rooms meant to enhance the collection of spirit and attune it to more closely match Solarius. Patrick did not explain how the attuning process took place, but did specify that Quin would be able to sense the spirit in that environment very easily due to his worship of Solarius and therefore speed up the gathering process. Quin most certainly would be visiting those rooms often.

Next Quin saw the orphanage where young kids played and laughed in a variety of rooms and outdoor gardens. It warmed Quin’s heart and had him come to the revelation that as the son of Solarius, he would need to fight to protect these innocents and ensure that they grow up without being threatened. It made him motivated and he almost turned back to head to the meditation rooms at that instant.

Patrick guided Quin to the library. It was incredible to behold and had more books that Quin had even imagined existed. He could not fathom if anyone could read them all. He swore that he would come back in his free time and at least peruse a few books. After the library was the hospital where those who followed Solarius learned and performed the art of healing to the sick and wounded. There were very few in the hospital at this time so Quin did not see any healing done by those who wielded the powers of Solarius. Quin was curious to see spells or abilities that could heal so he vowed to himself to come back at a later date. After the hospital, Patrick took Quin through a series of training grounds.

Each and every ground was in use by various training classes. Acolytes and Disciples practiced with weapons, dueled, ran formations, and sweated while completing cardio regiments. Each and every student, boy or girl, wore the same white tunic with the triangle symbol of Solarius emblazoned on the chest. A lot of the tunics were losing their pristine white to dust and sweat, however the symbol of Solarius never faded and stood out as a cry to the world.

“Will I be joining one of these classes? You mentioned that I would be,” Quin asked.

“You will be joining a training group, but none of these. They are all followers of Solarius and therefore treated well and given excellent instructors, but those who are particularly talented attend a speciality regime with other talents from different temples. You will be joining one of those special groups,” Patrick explained.

This made Quin a bit excited since he had already accepted the special treatment and therefore no longer felt guilty over it. Especially since he saw how well the other followers of Solarius were being trained even without special treatment. Quin wished to meet and interact with other followers in the other temples.

Upon passing through the training grounds filled with followers of Solarius, Quin and Patrick reached a series of armories. Quin walked through the armory and gazed upon hundreds of weapons, each pristine and shining. Warhammers, spears, and swords of all kinds lined the walls. Quin was tempted to try out several.

“Although you can checkout and use whatever weapons are in these armories, I believe the broadsword you have is a finer quality than whatever you will find in the armory. Even if it is not as shiny. Lief Stoneheart gave you his old broadsword that he used to wield up until the end of the Disciple Rank,” Patrick stated.

“How do you know that?” Quin questioned.

“Hahahaha, I have been the High Priest for a very long time and a priest for even longer than that. I was a budding teacher and priest while Lief was an Acolyte much like you. I watched him grow up and even taught several of his general education classes. However, he was never much of a student and tended to forget everything I taught him,” Patrick laughed and Quin joined in.

Patrick led Quin through the armory and into a side room. Inside were several racks stuffed full of the same tunics the Acolytes and Disciples wore outside. Patrick walked down the rank while reading the labels on the racks.

“Ah, this one should fit you,” Patrick said softly.

Patrick pulled one of the tunics from the rack and presented it to Quin. Quin was wearing a roughspun cotton shirt and pants. Quin happily accepted the tunic and slid it over his clothes. It felt good and hugged him in just the right way. It made him feel like another one of the brothers and sisters in the service to Solarius.

“Thank you! It's perfect,” Quin voiced his gratitude.

“Excellent, glad to hear I have not lost my eye for outfitting students. I was worried I had lost the knack and would give a big young man like you something too small. I will arrange for someone to obtain more tunics in this size along with other clothes for you to be delivered to your room,” Patrick said.

“What about armor? Will I need to get outfitted for that?” Quin asked eagerly. He was excited to obtain armor like his mentor Lief Stoneheart.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but you will need to earn your armor. It is far too expensive to equip every single boy and girl who are still growing in many ways with a set of armor. You can either purchase your own or earn it through merit by ascending to the Disciple rank,” Patrick apologized.

“Oh, that is fair enough I suppose,” Quin said, disappointed for a moment before realizing he was getting exactly what he asked for. Patrick was treating him like every other Acolyte like he had requested and that pleased Quin. He was worried that he would stand out too much and be isolated from the rest of the Acolytes like he was isolated in the village.

The thought of the village and his only friend in the village put a small damper on Quin's mood. Quin missed Sorin dearly. If only his twin had Solarius as a father as well. Quin imagined the two going on grand adventures and taking to the battlefield for honor and glory side by side. Quin was shaken from his daydream as Patrick moved to leave the room.

Together the pair left the armory and passed the stables. Quin wanted a tour of the stables, but Patrick told him that Lief reserved that honor when asking him to give Quin a tour. It was with that bit of disappointment that Patrick said they had a single other noteworthy destination on their agenda for the day. Granted there was much more contained within the Temple of Solarius, including a church that could seat thousands, but Patrick was reaching the end of his free time and would need to return to his duties soon. So Patrick took Quin to the dining hall as their last stop.

Rows and rows of tables were set out in rows with benches to be seated upon. Food was served in a buffet style where the cooks would refresh the supply of whatever was on the menu for that day. Breakfast was usually plain according to Patrick, but with how much time the tour took, it was well into lunch. Quin had to admire the efficiency and order of the lines and everyone obtaining the options when it came to meals, of which there were several.

While waiting in line with Patrick, who was constantly being greeted by all of those who passed by, Quin glanced into the kitchen. There he saw a variety of people hard at work. Followers and mortals worked side by side in preparing fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients for dishes. Quin also saw some enthusiastic boys and girls standing on stools to help out their elders with chopping vegetables. The atmosphere in the kitchen was hectic, but filled with purpose and joy in the task that everyone shared.

When Quin looked away from the kitchen, he found Patrick watching him. Patrick smiled at him and a small tear came to Patrick’s eye which he wiped away quickly. In that moment Quin saw the true extent of the love and devotion that Patrick held for all of those who followed Solarius, especially those who lived under his care. Quin knew almost no one at the Temple of Solarius in Cremoor, but he could tell that no other would be a better High Priest than Patrick Falter.

“You must forgive this old man, my eyes tend to water from time to time. You will understand when you are older,” Patrick excused his display of emotion with the excuse of age.

“You love this temple and its people don’t you?” Quin asked despite already knowing the answer.

“My duty is my greatest joy,” Patrick responded with a smile.

Together the two obtained their meals and sat at one of the tables surrounded by others also partaking in their meals. Everyone turned and greeted the Head Priest who greeted them in return and introduced Quin to them. Everyone was friendly and said hello before returning to their conversations and meals. Once Patrick and Quin had their meals while making polite conversation, Patrick began to instruct Quin on how to reach his training class for the day.

“Your training sessions will rotate between the temples of those in your training group. Therefore everyday you will need to go to a new temple. Each temple will have a different instructor on that rotation. Today, the lesson will take place at the Temple of Valor. That is the last temple in the rotation, but with the addition of you, the Temple of Solarius has been added to the end of the queue with Lief Stoneheart as your instructor. Therefore you will have your lesson here tomorrow. As for the rest of the temples in the rotation, I do not know the specifics so you will need to ask your new compatriots,” Patrick explained.

“Upon presenting yourself at the door in about an hour, state that you are there to join Training Cohort Eighteen and someone will be able to guide you to your destination. From there you should meet those in your cohort and hopefully form a bond as I am sure they are excellent talents,” Patrick finished.

“I understand High Priest Falter, I will conduct myself in a manner benefiting a follower of Solarius,” Quin responded.

“I never had any doubt you would. Now I must take my leave. Remember our lessons, we will meet in classroom seven in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Patrick excused himself.

Patrick left with a flurry of his priest robes and several good days and goodbyes to those around them. Quin watched as he slowly moved his way from the room, stopping or being stopped by a greeting every few meters. Quin stayed at the table for a few minutes longer to catch his breath. The day had been a tad bit overwhelming with how much he had absorbed and it was only just getting started.

When Quin rose, he made a beeline to his suite of rooms in the temple. He needed to collect his weapon before going to his lesson. Quin did not waste time collecting his broadsword, strapping it to his back, and then departing for the Temple of Valor. Quin left the Temple of Solarius and emerged into the massive courtyard in front of the temples that ringed the control spire in the center of the courtyard.

The courtyard was bustling with followers and mortals alike running to and fro. Followers were traveling between temples and the control spire on various business, leaving the temple district on working or mundane matters, or simply having a chat with other followers. Mortals in official looking clothing traveled to and from the control spire on business while others of all classes traveled to the temple of their choice to pray or attend a mass.

Despite the massive crowd that contained more people than Quin had ever laid eyes upon, Quin was easily able to navigate to the Temple of Valor. The sheer size of the courtyard made it so despite the large crowd, there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out when striding towards their destination. It had still taken Quin approximately half an hour to traverse the courtyard and weave his way around anyone in his path to reach the Temple of Valor. This was despite the Temple of Valor being nineteenth in the line of temples, only eighteen temples away from the Temple of Solarius.

The Temple of Valor was easy to pick out and pinpoint. At the front of the temple was a massive statue, several dozen meters tall, depicting Valor himself. Valor, the God of Courage and Righteous Strength, was an incredibly muscular male that wore a kilt and sandals that wove up his powerful legs to the top of his calves. Valor had a sparse yet neatly trimmed beard and hair that fell to his shoulders. Atop his head was a crown with a single plume that stood for courage in the face of adversity. In Valor’s hands was a sword that was firmly planted into the ground and a shield with the face of a roaring lion.

Behind the statue of Valor was his temple. It stood atop a series of steps. On each side of those steps were more statues depicting Valor in various states of battle. The temple itself was made of black onyx with gold trim. The entrance was through seven golden and black pillars that rose high into the sky, but only reached the shoulder of the statue of Valor. In the black onyx of the temple, were carvings depicting the greatest battles won by the followers of Valor. Quin could not say he recognized any of the scenes, but his education was lacking a tad when it came to the history of the followers of Valor.

Quin went up the steps, none of those present at the entrance even sparing him more than cursory glance. It appeared to Quin that followers of other temples visiting each other was a normal occurrence. It was with this thought that Quin began to notice others decked in garb that belonged to other temples than Valor’s. When Quin entered the temple he approached a priest that looked more like a warrior who enjoyed chewing rocks and lifting tree trunks for fun than praying in a temple. Additionally, Quin noticed that the priest carried a shield upon his back and a sword at his waist. This was unlike what the priest of Solarius did, which was to carry no weapon at all, but Quin supposed it fit with the teachings and ways of Valor for his priests to carry weapons..

“Excuse me Sir, could you help me for a few moments? I need directions,” Quin asked the man.

“Of course young follower of Solarius, what may I assist you with?” The priest asked.

“I am completely new to the city and was assigned to be a part of Training Cohort Eighteen. I was instructed that the lessons for my cohort would be here. Could you direct me to the training grounds?” Quin explained his situation.

“Of course! You must be a talented young man to be assigned to Training Cohort Eighteen. That's the cohort with Zacharia Dencath, he is a rising star in our Temple of Valor and incredibly strong for his age! Follow me this way,” The man said with enthusiasm.

The priest of Valor led Quin through the temple and they eventually reached a training ground. On the training ground stood five figures, four male and one female. All of those present were all similar to Quin’s age give or take a year or so. Everyone was all dressed in the tunics of their respective temples reserved for Acolytes. Quin had noticed there was a tad bit of difference in the cut of the robes of those who were warriors and those who were priests or priestesses. All of the men wore tunics that were outfitted for battle. The woman was dressed in a priestess tunic of Purity and carried a clipboard, writing quill, and a bag of medical supplies draped over her shoulder.

“Greetings Lauren! I have brought you your last charge,” The priest called out in greeting.

“Ah, thank you David. I appreciate you guiding him here,” The woman replied with a smile.

“Always a pleasure to be of service. May Valor guide you to fruitful training,” David the priest of Valor stated before turning and leaving. Quin stepped forward onto the training field.

“Hello there, welcome to Training Cohort Eighteen. I am Lauren Hess and I am the cohort's manager and emergency healer if necessary,” The woman stepped forward and introduced herself to Quin with a pearly white smile.

Quin studied the woman. Lauren was beautiful with strawberry blonde hair that cascaded down to her mid back. She had a modest chest and butt that was completely concealed within the loose robes she wore showing her status as a priestess. She appeared to be incredibly innocent, like she had never seen a battle, let alone bloodshed or tragedy. Her face did not have a single blemish or freckle upon her features. She had a set of soft brown, trustworthy eyes. Quin could see this woman having never lied or said a mean thing in her life. In some deep level in his heart, he felt the instinct to protect her if something happened.

“A pleasure to meet you, my name is Quin,” Quin introduced himself while walking to her and held out his hand for a handshake.

“Oh, my apologies, it's a pleasure to meet you and I do not wish to be rude, but I cannot shake your hand. Followers of Purity tend to avoid physical contact with the opposite sex,” Lauren apologized while turning a little pink in the cheeks. The look made Quin blush and retract his hand. Quin even felt a little guilty for not knowing this fact and causing her a bit of embarrassment.

“Oh no, my fault, I am sorry. I grew up in the Abil Mountains and my teacher tended to neglect anything not involved with combat or cultivating spirit so I tend to be a bit ignorant at times. I am working on improving my knowledge of the nuisances of other religions. So if I do or say something offensive, please correct me,” Quin explained.

“All is well. Anyways, welcome to the group, let's have everyone introduce themselves,” Lauren said.