Chapter 2: A History Lesson

The smell of old books and parchment filled the musty air of the room. Warm sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows, and the hollow echo of a river of footsteps filled the halls beyond.

This is where I have lived and worked for hundreds of years… Pity things are not going so well in the world, these days…

An elderly white dragon dressed in white cloaks with red embroidery leaned on one of the thousands of bookshelves in the archives, breathing lightly and casually. His eyes twinkled a bright blue, despite his slightly withered face. The dragon held a single thick textbook in his right claw.

He looked down at it. It was entitled, The First Age of the New Order. The old dragon smirked and chuckled lightly to himself.

Remember those days, Silverheart? When you were youthful and powerful enough to lead the White Dragons into battle?

“Those days are long gone,” the dragon muttered to himself. “At least I still have my books.” The dragon smiled warmly and placed the book into a wide gap left between a row of books on the shelf he leaned on.

The dragon regained his balance and shuffled over to his extravagant desk at the head of the archives, which was still covered with towering stacks of papers, books, and feathered quills. A single flash of movement caught the elder’s eye as he strolled around the desk.

The young, white dragon child nearly crashed into him.

“OH! Master Silverheart! I’m so sorry – I didn’t realize –“

The elder smiled warmly and patted the child on the shoulder. “No apology needed, little Opalsight. But you might want to slow down while you enter the archives. What caused you to speed along the halls so carelessly?”

Opal gulped and looked down at his feet for a moment, clearly thinking hard.

Silverheart noticed that a piece of parchment was crumpled a little in the whelp’s claws.

“Ummmmm… I missed a day of class… and my parents said you wanted me to –“

“- Come in and see me for your missing work?” The elderly dragon smiled as his continuation of his student’s sentence made the young one look up with a face that held both relief and worry. Opal merely nodded, his eyes twinkling.

Silverheart held his arm around Opal’s shoulder and walked him by his side through the vast aisle of the library. “That’s right… I remember now. You’re Dela and Stonefire’s boy, aren’t you?”

Opal’s eyes held an unsure caution as he slowly nodded. Silverheart padded his student on the back gently as he looked up for the first time since he’d laid eyes on his new arrival.

“Good parents you have, Opal. Fine citizens. Stonefire’s a decorated Elite Warrior, is he not?”

Opal only nodded, his relief returning when he realized the elder was inquiring about his parents rather than his late homework.

“Well, I suppose I better get down to business – your parents expect a great deal from you if they sent you directly to me.” Silverheart stopped in the middle of the aisle, and turned to look down at the diminutive Opal. “Did you read your textbooks while you were gone?”

Opal swallowed hard. “Y…Yes, Master Silverheart. History of the World until the Present Day, right?”

Silverheart nodded. “Very good. It’s a lot to miss out on, for your first day in my class.” The white elder noticed Opal was shivering slightly, and anxiety filled the child’s eyes. Light, he isn’t afraid of me, is he?

Silverheart guided his student to a lonely desk in the middle of the aisle, which was covered with a thin layer of dust. Colored sunshine decorated the grayish coating.

“Would you like to sit down? We have much to talk about…” As Opal sat down in the well-built chair constructed for dragons, Silverheart added, “And you needn’t be afraid, young Opal – I’m not angry with you, nor disappointed. You won’t be punished.”

As Silverheart sat down on the other end of the desk, he noted that Opal visibly relaxed some, but did not erase his worried expression.

“Before we begin our first lesson, I’ll give you about ten minutes to ask me anything you want. Any question, conflict, riddle, quiz, puzzle, advice – anything!”

Opal stopped shivering and then went into deep thought, like before. His eyebrows furled, and his eyes focused hard on a spot on the desk. How the girl dragons must go crazy over him when he’s thinking this hard! At least he looks like a bright student…

At last, Opal smiled for the first time since he’d entered the library, and piqued a question at the informal white dragon across from him. “What was one of the most dangerous battles you’ve ever fought in?”

Silverheart chuckled out loud, a more of an amused snort. “HA!”

Opal added, “Well… at least one that you remember…?”

Silverheart struggled to stifle a fit of laughter from his aged throat. The child thinks I am getting too old to remember anything! There isn’t a single battle that I don’t remember, young one.

“There isn’t a single battle that I don’t remember, young one. Okay. I’ll tell you a story. How about the battle at the revival of the Mana Fortress, at the –“

“- Dawning of the First Age?!” Opal’s voice was excited and his eyes energetic. “Man, everyone’s heard that tale before! Every child in the Order knows about your battle with Hellfire, and your curing Doune Appenfell before the necromancer’s venom killed him! Tell me a story I haven’t heard!”

Silverheart raised an eyebrow, impressed and amused all at once. The child certainly has energy, doesn’t he? Now if I could only get him to stay this excited for the history lesson…

Silverheart didn’t even need to think about what battle came next in his list of most dangerous. He released he words in a suspenseful deluge of adventure. “Okay. Not long after the necromancers vanished, not but two years after the Order was founded a second time, shadow wraiths besieged the Order from the unexplored lands.” Silverheart paused momentarily to make sure Opal was listening. The dragon child’s eyes were mesmerized and hooked on the tale.

The ancient teacher continued. “I was out on the battlefield of the Dragon City, just exiting the main northern cavern, when I was hailed by a series of fireballs and exploding rocks. The ground and mountain shook as though in an earthquake, and I was stuck in the middle of a raging storm of fire, steel, and snow…”

After the story, Opal sat back in his chair, amazed. “WOW! That was awesome, Silverheart! What happened to Calcifer? Did he join the White Dragons? Did you promote Ecxon? What happened next?!”

Silverheart laughed freely this time, his bass-range voice echoing throughout the empty library. The giggles of Opal mixed peacefully with the chord. “No, I’m afraid I’ve said too much already, young one. It’s time for our history lesson.”

Opal slumped a little, disappointment filling his face. “Awwwwwww! Do I have to?”

Silverheart narrowed an eyebrow at Opal. “What’s so bad about history?”

“It’s boring! Nothing exciting ever happens in these big books! I want to hear about action, fighting, victory!” Silverheart could see it in Opal’s eyes. The child wanted to be entertained. Well, it may not be like reading your favorite adventure book, but it’s close enough!

“You’d be surprised how much action and adventure went on in the last 500 years, Opal!”

“Oh yeah? Like what? Mother said we’ve had a packs romance since then!”

Silverheart chuckled. “You mean a pax romana? Yes, we’ve had a long-lasting peace for a while, but that’s relative to today’s world. Much of today’s people don’t know how much action and adventure was done in order to make it seem like a pax romana to the rest of the world.”

Opal leaned in, obviously curious. “What kind of action?”

Silverheart leaned in mere inches from the child’s face, but Opal did not blink or back down. His voice lowered to a whisper. “The kind that heroes were made of!”

Opal smiled as widely as a child getting his favorite present for his birthday, and nodded for Silverheart to continue.

“Very well. But know this – if I once catch you dozing off during my story –“

I’ll do very well to call it story instead of lecture, Light forbid “- then you’ll have twice as much homework as your friends do. Now listen closely. I will repeat things and answer questions only after my lec – ahem – story is complete. I’m warning you, history is not a short thing at all.”

“Ah yes, the history of the Order and Paladin Dynasty.”

“Now, every Paladin since the days of the First Age have married and had children, extending their family lineage down to this very day – fourteen generations of Paladin’s since the second dawn of the Holy Order. Doune was the first to follow the time cataclysm of the Order’s downfall. No sooner had he removed the world of the necromancer threat, a threat of shadow warriors threatened us from an unknown source. The battle I just told you…?”

Opal was actually listening closely, and nodded for Silverheart to continue.

“One such battle. It was one of the only skirmishes to reach one of our capital cities. The attacks never got more than ten miles of the Order’s capital city, Chillandor, but the threats came as close as a mile of the Dragon City. Though the attacks were constant, they lessened as time passed. It became more of a nuisance as the Order grew accustomed to the attacks, so much so where no citizens would be harmed before the militia arrived. Most of the time, the Paladin would be leading the army himself.

“Anyway, so ten years of this passed, and Doune Appenfell found a woman he had been going out with for about five years before then. Her name was Rosaline, and they married and had children - three of them, in fact. One of their eldest boys was named Maximillian, and he was chosen to be the one to undergo the Ordeal when he had come of age. Seeking to continue to Paladin legacy to ensure stability in the Order, Doune and his ethereal parents approved. Max’s brother and sister both aided him in their endeavors, and none of the children knew of the predetermined fate that awaited them.

“This was to ensure that the chosen child would not grow greedy and-or ambitious in his position. This method of childcare has been used in the Paladin’s Dynasty ever since, and not one of the Paladins have gone bad. ‘Quite a feat, if you ask me.” Silverheart chuckled lightly to himself and examined Opal.

The white dragon child, ironically, was leaning ever so closer on the table.

Light, don’t tell me he wants to hear more! I should have a talk with his parents about this child’s upbringing – he’s very bright.

“Once Max had come of age, he underwent the Ordeal, alone. All Paladin’s underwent the Ordeal alone so that they could rid themselves of whatever darkness was left in their hearts and accept the Light that was inherent in their family line. After –“

Opal interrupted. “Master Silverheart?”

The elder was not startled, but impressed. “Yes? You have a question? Could you –“

“Well, I’d like to know now. What is the Ordeal?”

“Well, I told you that – It’s a coming-of-age, a rite of passage for the chosen Squire to become a Paladin. Does that answer your question?” Silverheart was starting to breath at a normal rate again, woken up from his sleepy informality.

“What exactly happens in the Ordeal?”

Silverheart paused. Not many are supposed to know – but it serves the boy well to know as much about the world, especially if he chooses to find out.

“Well, not many people know. After having lived and worked with every Paladin since Doune Tremaine, most have chosen to confide with me, even when I’m not one of their brother dragon steeds. What the Ordeal is, is when the Squire is transported to the mysterious and magical frozen wasteland northwest of the Dragon City. It is a land of endless mountains and icy valleys, from which no normal creature can survive.

“The Squire is transported to the frozen wasteland with no possessions, not even any clothing, save for a ceremonial white robe. The Squire must then find a way to outwit the tests of the Wasteland, and find his way to the Crystal Chamber. It is there that the Squire must face his many reflections of his darker nature, and find a way to seek repentance and peace within himself from his past. If the Squire succeeds – and not a single one has yet failed – he becomes a Paladin, and is rewarded the Sword of Light, a crystalline blade that responds to the Paladin’s unique holy aura.”

Opal was stunned and mesmerized, his eyes wide and mouth open in a gaping smile. Silverheart smirked beneath his teacher’s guise.

“So Max became a Paladin, and knew exactly what he wanted to do first.” Opal leaned in, anxious for an answer.

“And?”

“And… Maximillian created the Order Exploration Corps, and expanded the realms of the known world. Within a year, he had double the size of our maps, although nearly all of it was vast oceans. One small continent stuck out, however, and it was there, Maximillian found, that the shadow creatures were coming from. A vile, evil-infested nest of shadow wraiths, it was. The problem was, that Max did not have enough ships or a significant enough army to assault the Shadow Lands.

“So Max doubled the Order’s defenses and built up his armies in anticipation of a coming war. He had five children, one of which was Glenn, the appointed Squire. Glenn was trained in the arts of war by nearly every dragon and war veteran in existence. Doune had a few brief years with Glenn before passing away at the age of 85. The Order wept for a full year in grief of the passing of the founder of the new Order, but it was business as usual when Glenn became a Paladin, one of even stronger abilities than either Doune or Maximillian.

“Once Glenn was satisfied with his forces, he launched the invasion on the Shadow Lands, and within a few months of sailing, the invasion fleet reached the continent. A great battle followed, committing the full force of the Holy Order and Dragon City – which had not been seen in great force, even at the Battle for the Mana City. Unfortunately, Glenn needed every last soldier, because at the final battle for the Shadow Lands, it came down to Glen yet being outnumbered by the shadow hordes.

“In a daring move against the tide of darkness, Glenn penetrated the heart of the enemy stronghold, and vanquished the Shadow Forces in one fell swoop. As a result, the continent, created by the shadow, began to sink into the ocean atop a deadly whirlpool of darkness. Glenn and his army managed to evacuate the continent and steer clear of the continent’s vortex in time, and watched in silence as the night consumed the entire land. Returning to their homeland, the Order soldiers were greeted by a trio of alien vessels.

“They were sailing ships from a very distant land, and the inhabitants were emissaries of the Elvish Nation.”

Opal’s eyes were the biggest since the ‘story’ began. “WOW! They were really elves?! That long ago?”

Silverheart smiled and nodded.

“Yes. The elves thanked us greatly for destroying the Shadow threat, as the creatures were besieging the Elvish lands for centuries beforehand. Glenn, trained well in diplomacy and benevolence, treated the elvish emissaries to a grand tour of the Order, and made them at home. It appeared as though they were the ancestors of whatever small groups of elves existed in the Order already. The first impression stuck. The elves returned to their heavily-forested lands with good news of the Order.

“Glenn had children the very year the elves returned with a proposal for a complete and unconditional alliance. His dream coming true, Glenn accepted, and a second age of renewed prosperity began for the Order. Glenn’s Squire, Remus Appenfell, was then trained much differently than he, in the fine arts and economics, rather than heavily in the area of war. The Order slowly adjusted their economic engine from a wartime one to a peacetime one. It was for the better, and research and learning reached a high point.

“No conflicts with the alliance between the Order and Elves - the Holy Alliance was far too reputable to challenge, and far too prosperous and benevolent to even consider challenging. Remus had more children at the age of 32, nine, in fact – the most a Paladin had ever bestowed at such an age. His wife, Elizabeth, named their Squire Hugo, in honor of the prospering days of the Order.

“Remus and Hugo… the founders of modern civilization are spoken as names of Legend. Their names are also used in pairs when referring to great luck or prosperity. Technology was being invented at the time that we do not even have today. Magic and music were being constantly explored and refined. The Dragons played less of a protective role and joined the Alliance as a friendly giant. I still remember those days…”

Silverheart paused, looking off into the prismatic sunlight of the stained-glass window. Opal laughed quietly to himself. “Uh… Master Silverheart?”

Startled for the first time, Silverheart looked back at his pupil and smiled warmly. “I’m sorry, Opal… I seem to have drifted off. Memories of when things were better – much better – are a temporary retreat from the real world… Do you want me to continue?”

Opal yawned, but remained energetic to the last. His eyes still twinkled, much like the elder cleric’s had.

“What do you mean by better times…?”

Silverheart’s smile faded as the memories returned. Now you must return to that ill-forgotten world of-

“I do not like remembering it, but you must know what happened. Hugo had only two children, Matthew and Lara. Matthew became Paladin at age forty, in a time when the prosperity hit the highest it ever had in the history of the Order, except for maybe prior to the First Age.”

Silverheart closed his eyes and shuddered, the memories flooding his consciousness like an ice-cold flow of needles. You can never go back, Silverheart. But you must relive those days for the sake of- NO! I do not need those memories! They torture me even as I live a new life, with a new Paladin! I… Must… Continue…

“Silverheart?”

The elder opened his eyes wearily, and smiled faintly in response to the child’s concerned voice.

“I’m sorry. I will continue.”

“Matthew extended the reach of the maps with a second emphasis on the Exploration Corps. What he found a few hundred miles southwest of the Elf Lands was… was not good. He uncovered two warring nations, the Fallah, and the Nuruu. The Fallah appeared to be humans much like the Order’s humans, but they were… less honorable in their actions and promises. The nuruu were…” Silverheart closed his eyes tightly for a moment.

“The nuruu were demon dragons. Horrible mixes of the two creatures, and they were ferocious and aggressive. Both warring nations were terrified by the presence of a powerful expeditionary force from the Order. Matthew, hoping to extend the right arm of friendship as Glenn had before him, had no idea he was shoving his arm into a hornet’s nest. The Fallah pleaded for help against the Nuruu first, and naturally, the Nuruu saw the writing on the wall, did something far more devious, something not thought possible on their part. But then, nearly every blend of a dragon has much to do with excess intelligence and plotting.

“With hindsight, we found out that the Fallah and Nuruu were working together all along. They joined forces and made the whole thing look like a war so they could catch the Order off guard when the time came. The Nuruu appeared peaceful at first, allowing the Fallah to do their work. Matthew served as a negotiator with Lara, and allowed some Fallah to emigrate to the Order.

“With inside spies already placed, the Fallah gathered their terrorist information and struck in full force with the Nuruu, catching the Holy Order completely off-guard. War was declared overnight, and Matthew lost thousands of soldiers on the Fallah mainland in one night. Astonished at their betrayal, Matthew tried to salvage the situation. The Elves intervened, but nothing could stop the armies of both nations.

“War was the only option, but Matthew did not like the idea of unleashing the newfound power of the Order upon the two nations. His golden heart hesitated, and that was all the time the Fallah spies needed. The third night of the war spelled doom for the Order’s technology and research – the spies sabotaged every technological weapon we possessed, and the Order was left at the same state as it had been when Glenn died.

“Seeing no other choice open to him, Matthew declared war on both the Fallah and the Nuruu. With the spies instigating rivalry within the formerly pure society, a small civil war also broke out in the capital cities of the Order – even Chillandor. Matthew withdrew his armies back to the homeland once the nuruu started landing on the northern and western borders.

“It was a dark time for the Order. Though Matthew’s armies number nearly ten times that of Glenn’s Shadowkillers, he was outnumbered. The Elves tried giving it everything they had, but the war against the nuruu involved having their lands invaded as well. The elves apologized for not giving enough assistance, as they had enough trouble taking back their land as it was. All was left were the Dragons and their greatly-improved numbers. Fortunately,” Silverheart eyed Opal narrowly, as if scowling at the child, “The dragons had not decreased or given up their might during the years of peace.”

“We aided the elves and Order equally, and helped create confidence in the partially-corrupted rebels within the Order. Our presence woke up many a betrayed mind, and the civil war came to a halt nearly a month after we sent in our full force. The nuruu tried invading the Dragon City…”

Silverheart smiled faintly, glancing at a grinning Opal. The child continued, “But no-one could stand the might of the Dragon people, determined, could they?”

Silverheart nodded and continued, his smile fading.

“Right you are, Opal. After failing a major attack on the Dragon City, the nuruu gave up on us. Though our presence was encouraging, much pain, suffering and death lay in wait for the soldiers of the Order. The Fallah then played one last card from their hand – they brought back to the Order homeland the Guilds of Dragoons.”

Opal gasped, and terror filled his young face.

“The groups of mercenary killers and assassins that specialized in finding and exterminating dragons… despised, feared, and respected in their own right. Though we were strong dragons… we could only match the dragoons’ power in battle. At the time, every last battle was evenly matched on both sides. The Order was counterattacking ferociously, while the Fallah rampaged and the Nuruu tore through our lines. It was all we dragons could do to keep the Order alive.”

“Matthew had several sons during the Great War… the eldest of which was Elias. Elias became a Paladin at a very early age, early enough to let loose an unforeseen flow of magical energy on the day of his first battle. It was at a moment of direst need, and Elias himself doesn’t remember what caused it. The resulting explosion wiped out all of the enemy forces, and mysteriously left the Order troops unharmed.”

Opal was amazed. “WOAH!! Did he go on to vanquish the rest of the bad guys?”

“No. To this day, none can identify what or why happened at that battlefield – the Battle of the Frozen Fields, just south of the Dragon continent. Since that battle, Elias led his troops to victory against the invaders, though he never reproduced that all-powerful magical effect. It seems the Light may have released enough energy to keep the Order from crumbling beneath its foes’ feet. Anyway, the one battle display scared the Fallah and Nuruu enough to leave our lands forever, and never return.

“Though it could be considered victory, the lack of a resolution to the war left Elias and Matthew disappointed and exhausted. One day before the Elves came to tell the Order the invasion stopped on their homeland as well, Matthew died unexpectedly of a battle wound caused by a skirmish with a nuruu. Without knowing the safety of the Elvish Nation, Matthew died a man who thought he had failed the world.”

Tears came to the elder dragon’s eyes, and he drew a deep breath before continuing.

“After the fighting ended, the Order was left in ruins. Technology was forever lost, even the plans and memory of its existence fading. Academies and great centers of learning were razed to the ground, and all except this building was leveled. This very library…”

Silverheart looked up and sniffed the dusty air. It sounded more like a sad sniffle to Opal, but the child did not dare disturb his teacher.

Silverheart looked down. “That was the last war I would ever serve in. Since then, I was committed to rebuilding the Order’s education structure, never to return to the battlefield. Besides Doune and Richard, our current Paladin, Elias was my closest friend. He knew what it would mean to me to retire me from active duty, to leave the White Dragons…”

Silverheart’s voice faltered, and a few small tears rolled down his scaled face. He turned so not to let his pupil see him weep, but Opal was too smart not to understand.

Sniffing and regaining his composure, Silverheart continued.

“… But I found comfort and friends both within the education system and within my books… Rebuilding the world did not seem so hard when I was helping others learn how to be better individuals, and how to bypass completely the corruption that remained in the Order since the Fallah infected us with it. The dragoons also remained, invisible even to our scrying eyes. They served as mercenaries, and less as dragon-hunters. Nonetheless, we dragons still fear them to this day.

“Elias’s children were few – only three, and it seemed since the Great War the Paladin Dynasty was losing its strength. The Squire then appointed was Nathaniel. He grew up knowing that his world was not perfect, in a world ravaged by the war that he had only the fortune not to witness. But he did have to witness the painful rebuilding and salvaging process. In fact, because of the recurring golden hearts running in the Appenfell family, he became a part of the rebuilding process. On the thirtieth anniversary of the war’s end, Nathan had rebuilt all the buildings of the Order without the aid of the legendary technology we once had. He built a long-standing memorial obelisk in honor of those that died in the war. The memorial still stands the test of time at the very border of the Ordeal Wastelands.”

“Just when we thought we had recovered, another blow hit the Order hard. The Guilds of the recovering economy were demanding more income, less taxes, more rights, and more control within the Order. The dragoons were unleashed as the Guilds’ personal police force. The Order then lost the ability to call upon the dragons as peacekeepers, and the loss of bargaining power only strengthened the Guilds.

“Nathan tried negotiating, but things only got worse as he gave in more and more power to the Guilds in exchange for a still-delayed peace. The Guilds succeeded in buying more and more time for their plan to hatch. Had we only known ahead of time the Guilds would not be content with ‘enough.’ Nathan and his wife, Christina, had only one child – a boy named James. James exhibited little signs of Light’s signature power, but he was intelligent enough to threaten the future of the Guilds’ struggle for more power.

“Before James underwent the Ordeal, the Guilds decided to strike before the Paladin became a bigger threat than ever. Fallah and Nuruu suddenly struck at the western and eastern borders this time, supposedly under command of the now-powerful Guilds. The Guilds attempted a cou de’tat upon Chillandor, and a second Great War erupted. The Guilds took Chillandor, but the hierarchy and government escaped unscathed. James, unlike Matthew, had the tactical prowess to strangle the foundations of the Guild where they were most vulnerable – their banks.

“James pulled a maneuver that no other Paladin had ever done: he froze all the banks for a whole year, supplying Order citizens with a self-devised system of need-based supplies, while slowly choking the money out of the Guilds. One by one, the Guilds dropped out of the resistance, unable to pay the Fallah, Nuruu, nor their dragoon bodyguards. Once each one dropped out of the race for power, James confiscated them and reorganized their administrations, replacing them with talented and unemployed citizens that had been denied opportunities by the Guilds. On top of that, James hired more militia men to guard the new Order Guilds.

“With the money flow deteriorating from the Guilds, the dragoons took a polite bow out of the war. They were confiscated, but not arrested by the Order. Instead, James arranged a contract with some of the dragoon clans to fight against the invading enemies. The dragoons were only too happy to make friends with the Order and aided James in his quest for justice.

“With the dragons, and dragoons, returning to the Order battlefield once more - the Fallah and Nuruu all-too-unaware of this - the tide of the battle quickly turned in favor of the Order. With the specialized might of the dragoons directed against the dragon-like nuruu, the invasion screeched to a halt. James took the liberty of undergoing the Ordeal… and returned barely alive.”

“What?! How can that be?!” Opal asked.

Silverheart shrugged and hung his head a little. “No-one knows. James’ only son, Alexander was only a child at the time, and the Order needed a leader badly. Without a Paladin, and with the dragoons outnumbered, the Order was slowly pushed back. No word came from the elves went sent. It was presumed they either were busy at war, the message never reached them, or they wished to remain out of our wars. As unusual and terrifying as it may sound, the fighting dragged on for decades. Even with Chillandor retaken, the fighting was directed around the Order’s continents. The flow of nuruu and Fallah seemed infinite.

“Alexander became a ferocious general, leading his army to minor victories at skirmishes in the enemies’ lines, but never enough to break them. This was before Alexander even used the full extent of his powers obtained from the Ordeal. He was an amazing tactician, better than James and Matthew before him. He needed little tutoring from Shinryu and myself, and almost seemed to have war born within his instincts.

“After his Ordeal, Alexander proved that the Light had not lost its strength – he and his wife Katherine had ten children, the eldest of which was Victor – a name that would prove as legendary as his father’s. Shortly after Victor’s fifth birthday, Alexander decided it was time to end the bloody war and turn to the fates for an answer. He was 51 at the time, and not showing signs of weakness or aging at all.

“Alexander decided to do something no other Paladin had ever done – he underwent the Ordeal for a second time… and never came back.”

Opal was surprised and angry. “WHAT?! WAIT A MINUTE – You said all the Paladin’s came back from their Ordeals!”

Silverheart sighed, wishing he could continue. “Well… Alexander never returned. Victor, conscious of what his father did and why, worked all the more harder than before at becoming as great as his father. It was presumed the Frozen Wastelands rejected the spirit and plea of Alexander Appenfell, and swallowed him whole for attempting the Ordeal a second time.”

“Victor lived up to his name – he began leading his father’s armies into battle at the age of 16, and was recognized by every soldier in the Order as a competent and respectable General by the time he was 18. The Eastern and Western battlefields, the Fields of Blood, as they were called, extended as far north and south as the former 1st Age map, nearly three-thousand miles. At the center of it all was Victor, dashing between both Order battle lines to do quick errands as they were needed.

“However much good Victor did, he didn’t have the Light of a Paladin, and soon the death toll began to weigh down on the Order’s numbers. Adding fuel to the fire was an unforeseen problem. The Fallah, now very accustomed to fighting Paladins, came up with their version of a Paladin – an unholy Dark Knight. With arcane powers as destructive as a Paladin’s, the Dark Knight single-handedly slaughtered whole armies of the Order. The end was in sight for Victor, and he had only one card left to play.

“With the western battle line buckling under the pressure of the Dark Knight, Victor made a daring gamble on not only his life, but the future of the Holy Order. He underwent the Ordeal.”

Opal gasped deeply, worry filling his face and eyes, but allowed Silverheart to continue, as he did.

“Victor never talked about what happened in that particular Ordeal, but what happened after it was truly a miracle. Victory came back as a Paladin, but towing a very weary, but very powerful Alexander in his arms. The Dragon City reeled from the unexpected occurrence…

“King Bahamut, Lord of the Dragon City and long-time guardian of the human race, was falling extremely ill before then, mostly due to the exhaustion of war and age mounting on him. The very day Victor and Alexander emerged from the Wastelands, they prayed at the foot of the Great War Memorial. Bahamut passed away at that moment, and we shortly thereafter found the Paladins’ location.

“I remember tending to Alexander myself. He was in sore shape, but he exhibited signs of such limitless power of the Light that it cannot be measured. He was the Light personified, for all I could tell. More powerful than all the previous Paladin’s, even Elias, combined. It was in the midst of my care that the bad news reached the Dragon City – the western battle line broke, and the Dark Knight was charging for Chillandor to revive the forbidden Mana City.

“Though incomplete from repairs, the Mana City was a weapon greater than any before – and in the hands of a Dark Paladin, it could be the end of the Order. Undergoing a final field errand for the Paladin Dynasty, I escorted the two Paladins back to Chillandor. They, father and son on their two dragon brethren and steeds, were to the battlefield what Remus and Hugo were to the economy. Any straggling invaders that broke through the battle lines didn’t stand a chance with us riding the clouds.

“We arrived at Chillandor not a moment too soon – the Dark Knight had arrived at the Captial building, his army burning everything in sight. I got wind from a messenger dove that Victor’s wife-to-be, Mary, was safe and in hiding with the local forest elves. Our target set, we dropped Alexander and Victor off before the Dark Knight, and I held back at the battle’s edge in case one of the Paladin’s fell in single combat.

“Father and son had at the Dark Knight as if they were one body, one blade. The Dark Knight’s arcane powers matched Victor’s easily, but could not even compare as a fraction to that of Alexander’s. The two Light warriors overpowered and destroyed the Dark Knight. Unfortunately, Alexander suffered a critical injury in the battle, and collapsed after killing the Dark Knight. I flew down to him to help Victor’s father, but Victor held me back.

“He was right to do so. Alexander was allowed to live by the oath of the Ordeal Wastelands, and now that his purpose was fulfilled, Alexander died in the arms of his son. Seeing as how little work was left to be done, I carried Alexander’s body back to the Dragon City as I followed orders and watched Victor let loose his unmatched fury and holy rage against the invading army. To say the least, all was quiet on the western front by the end of the evening.

“Fortunately for the invaders on the east battle line, they actually got wind of this astounding defeat, and that of the Dark Knight, and made a full retreat. The blood-stained plains of the Eastern Continent soon ran free with the feet and hooves of a thousand Order troops pursuing their enemy to the very ends of the earth. By the time the week was over with, not a single invasion ship was boarded or set sail. Every last invader killed from the countryside.”

Opal slumped back in his seat, letting out a deep sigh of relief, his eyes showing signs of him having run several miles instead of flying them.

“The war was over, and the Nuruu and Fallah driven from our lands for good. But the loss of Alexander was much wept over, and he was buried at the foot of the Great War Memorial, with a second inscription etched into the stone to remember those who died, and the one who gave it all for the peace of the Order…”

Silverheart hesistated. Do you really want to reveal this information to Opal? Not a soul outside the Dragon City knows about it… No. The child should not have to know that… NO-ONE should.

“Well, history goes down from there. Victor and Mary had two sons, Dario and Victor II (pronounced Victor-Appenfell-the-second). Victor Senior then underwent rebuilding the Order yet again, but fortunately not as much was needed as in the first Great War – there wasn’t as much to lose this time around. The Guilds were developing their own direction yet again, and the reconstruction process was more difficult. Both Victors were not as used to rebuilding as their predecessors. Victor Senior died young at the age of 30. Even I have no idea what brought about his death.”

“With no contact from the Elves, and the Order struggling to rebuilt itself to a normal state, Victor II had little source of direction. Fortunately, help revealed itself again. Where the Dragons needed to rebuild themselves, the Heavens and the Haven lent the Appenfell family a valuable asset – an Archangel named Merewen.

“Merewen was possibly the best-equipped soul to help Victor II in his time of rebuilding and learning. She had even more knowledge of the arts as well as healing than even I did. She was powerful, agile, and patient. Well… now I should start saying – IS. Merewen is an immortal soul, and remains at the chief adviser and battle assistant to the Paladin. Victor II married Altema, the most beautiful and talented white mage I’ve ever tutored. Together, they had five children – Silva, Rosa, Daniel, Miguel, and Richard. Richard is our current Paladin, and he is often referred to as Richard “the Lionhearted” Appenfell.

“Despite the resentment and dissent among the Guilds and Dragoons against the Order currently, Richard is making ample use of his capabilities and resources to instill confidence back in the people, as well as maintaining the stability of the Order. However…”

Silverheart paused a final time. Opal knew what he was trying to say, “You said before that things are not so good, now.”

Silverheart blinked. “You’re right, I did. And I wasn’t lying. Richard would agree with me if you asked him, but it is not in the best interest of hope and good futures to think ill of it. As you know, the 500th Anniversary of the dawn of the 1st Age of the New Holy Order is next week, this very day.”

And… you still refuse to tell the child… The thought ate away at Silverheart’s conscience. He pushed it aside.

“Now. Seeing as how that took all of three hours, I will not assign you any homework.”

Opal’s young eyes glowed with excitement and happiness. “YAY! Thank you so much, Master Silverheart!”

“But –“ Silverheart added. The dragon child froze.

“You will have to answer a few questions on review before I let you leave, Opal.”

Opalsight slumped back in his chair and whined a little. “Awwwww! Do I have to? We’ve already stayed past dinnertime!”

“I will serve you dinner myself – your parents already know. I only have a few questions – they won’t take long…”

Opal hung his head a little, looking a little betrayed and wholly reluctant.

“Ohhhh…. All right…”

“First question: Who was the first Paladin of the new age?”

“Easy. Doune Appenfell.”

“Very good! 2nd Question: Which Paladin defeated the Shadow Lands?”

“Uh… Oh yeah! Glenn Appenfell!”

“And?”

“… He was the…third Paladin?”

“Very good, indeed! 3rd Question: What are the two foreign and warring nations in the world today?”

“The Fallah, and the Nuruu. Duh!”

“And can you distinguish the two?”

“… The Fallah are a human-like race, but distinguished by their black cloaks and deceptive personalities. The Nuruu… are…”

“…kind of like-“

“Right! They look a lot like dragons, but are blended with demons and have bigger horns and even less credibility than the Fallah. I think Mother told me they have unnaturally long and twisted horns and talons.”

“You’re quite a good listener, Opalsight. I might consider treating you to dessert as well! 4th Question: Which two Paladins are referred to as signs of prosperity?”

“… Ummmm… Re… Remus… and… Hugo?”

“Right again!” Silverheart was getting really excited. So was Opal, since apparently he, too was amazed he remembered this much.

“Okay, 5th Question: Which Paladin drove back the enemies of the First Great War from the Order lands?”

“Oh yeah! It’s that Elias guy, with his huge magic explosion thingie!”

“Hahaha! You’re getting good at this! 6th Question: Which Paladin underwent the Ordeal a second time?”

Opal’s memory was starting to apply to the short-term. “That was Alexander Appenfell… but he returned!”

“That he did. Great was his purpose, eh? Question #7: Who was Alexander’s son?”

“Victor the first, who… ummm… ended the Second Great War.”

“I’m running out of questions! Here comes #8: What two threats are coming from inside the Order?”

“The Guilds… and … the… ummm…”

A shiver ran up Opal’s spine. “… The dragoons.”

“Quite right. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Opal – being afraid of them.”

“I’m just… not used to thinking about it… it’s dangerous out there, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is, Opal – but they won’t go after a child dragon like you. Only dragons that cause them enough trouble to be worth it. They don’t kill for fun, they just specialize in it.”

“Okay…” Opal was still clearly shaken.

“Question Nine: Who is the current Paladin, and what are his brothers and sisters?”

Opal’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Ummmmmmm… hold on, I know this… Richard is the current Paladin, and his brothers are Miguel… and… Daniel?”

“Yep. Go on.”

“His sisters are… Silva and… Rosa!”

“You’re my best student right now, Opal! Last question: What is the name of the Order’s capital city?”

“Chillandor!”

“YES! You’ve passed the review! You wanna get something to eat at my place?”

Opal looked up at Silverheart as the elder got up from his seat. His teacher may be old, but the dragon cleric legend was still as big as ever, muscles still bulging beneath the scales.

“Huh? Oh, right! I’ll race ya’ to the door!”

“No… please let me stretch out first…!”

But Opal already had sped off for the library exit, leaving Silverheart standing in the aisle. He smiled and laughed aloud to himself. My how the youthful are so energetic these days! I sure hope it’s not all going to waste…

Silverheart started off towards Opal’s direction, but the repressed thought revealed itself.

You can’t ignore the thought, can you? It gnaws away at your sanity every time you try thinking about it.

“I know what it means, but I don’t want to believe it.” Silverheart said quietly to himself.

Yet the notion is totally disturbing. That War Memorial Monument… It has two inscriptions carved into its stone epitaph. The first is for the first war… and the second for the last war, both in honor of the heroes that ended them.

“But…”

But… there is one thing that remains a terrifying and chilling prophecy for the Order… it may be…

“No. Never.”

It cannot be the end of the Order as we know it. I dream of the patients I couldn’t save no longer. I now dream of that monument epitaph…

“The Last Age.”

You know the Ordeal never lies. There is still enough space left on the epitaph for a final inscription…

Silverheart shook the thought off his mind, realizing that he was shivering in the middle of the sun-heated library.

“I’d better go and fix Opal some dinner. He should be starving after such a long lecture… ahem – story…

Silverheart shuffled out towards the exit, where an excited Opal was bouncing up and down on top of his tail. “C’mon, Silverheart! You promised me you’d fix me dinner and dessert!”

Silverheart groaned in unison with his big but unused muscled. “I’m coming already, sheesh! I’m not as young as you are!”

“Yeah,” Opal said, grinning, “But you’re still as fit as a phoenix for battle!”