-Callia-

  My heart froze for a moment as his pronouncement settled over me like a wave. All my fatigue and weakness vanished, and even the lingering weight of the sleep potion was gone like a bad dream. I sucked in slowly as my body almost seemed to vibrate with vitality. The moment passes, but the strength remains. I snap open my status, immediately spotting the change.

  

  
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    Divine Witness → Paladin Witness
  
    
  
  
    
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      Trusted by a higher being
    
      
  
  
    
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      Mana holds divine essence
    
      
  
  
    
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      Moderate increase in allure to predators
    
      
  
  
    
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      Increased leveling stat gain +2
    
      
  
  
    
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      +50 Will stat
    
      
  
  
    
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      (new) +1 Vitality stat per level
    
      
  
  
    
  
  
    


  

  Norold easily catches on to my shock and reaches over to pat my shoulder, finally snapping me out of my boosted vitality-induced stupor.

  “Clearly my judgment of your readiness to take on the role wasn’t mistimed after all. It’s never been explicitly explained why some receive such a boon for nothing more than mere words, but I believe in accepting the role you are given the strength to see it through.” Norold seemed eager to share his perspective on the change, but I was entirely absorbed by the extraordinary feeling. I curled the fingers in my hands as tight as I could and then carefully released. I wasn’t stronger, nor was the control of my fingers any different, but the strain from clenching disappeared before I could even fully open my hand. A feeling of invincibility seemed to vibrate within. I slowly took several deep breaths to free myself from the feeling and recenter my focus on the present. Norold had finished talking to me and addressed the paladins and soldiers present.

  “Together with me! Paladins drive back the enemy, squires evacuate the civilians, and soldiers burn the fields.” The majority of the soldiers fell behind in moments as we charged through the fields. Then the squires started falling behind, some lasting longer than others; only one seemed to be able to keep pace. I noticed one of the twenty or so paladins sneak a glance back and radiate a feeling of satisfaction. I turn my attention back forward as the central tower looms closer and closer. I freeze when I reach into my space intending to summon my bow; it wasn’t there. My quiver and knife were also absent. I snap back, trying to remember where they might be, but the last place I had them was in my narrow escape from the wall. I pause and almost groan as I realize what that means. Either Nokin has them stashed away somewhere hidden, or they were lost when I fell into the fields. I checked the void one more time to see if we had any spares and stopped at the only weapon that would be able to handle real combat at my level, Dad’s spear.

  I summoned the spear to my hand and gave it a soft twirl as the weapon seemed almost eager to comply. I’ll need to have a talk with Nokin after this to get back all my gear. Since staying comfortably in the back now seemed out of the cards, I pressed forward quickly, overtaking the paladins at the front. The distant tower loomed closer and closer. Up above I noticed floating platforms with archers moments before multiple whistles let out shrill tones announcing our arrival. I’m among the first to burst out of the relative obscuration of the wheat and into the harvested soil. To my left and right, farmers were turning back from the field, trying to flee towards the central tower. Just a short distance ahead, a floating platform shot out from the tower bearing a contingent of paladins rivalling our own.

  The archers didn’t leave me time to contemplate immediately opening fire. I mentally scoffed at them as I easily maneuvered my way over to the wagons. The man in charge immediately spurred the carriers into action, but I was still faster. I flashed in front of the foremost wagon and carefully delivered a thwack to the back of one man's head and a fist to the other's face. Both controlled and non-lethal. The escort jumped at me, lunging with his spear. I leaned to the side, grabbing it just below the head while thrusting my own straight through the man's chest. I spun and pulled my spear out with a flourish, sending the man's body tumbling behind while I laid my hand on the first cart. A moment of focus was all it took to make it disappear. I stepped to the side as another arrow swished through the space I was standing in. I looked towards the other carts; some were rolling away as the operators fled, but most collapsed as the paladins casually disabled the carts while fighting the escorts.

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  I narrowed my eyes, looking upward as the enemy's response team finally arrived. The paladins jumped from above, crashing heavily into the ground around us. I twirled my spear, catching the head of a falling hammer and twisting it away from my body. While my spear redirected his weapon, my leg shot upward, contesting his mass and falling speed with the force of my kick. It was his breastplate that lost the contest as it crumpled inward, crushing his internal organs. His body went skidding across the ground, coming to a stop lying limp and motionless.

  I tilted my head to the side, letting a sword brush by, cutting some loose hairs and nicking my cheek. I skipped backward, swinging my spear to try to force my new assailant backward. The paladin pressed through the attack using his shield to parry the spear, knocking it wide and breaking my guard. Instead of opening himself up to a kick, he kept his stance low, using his sword to jab at my legs. I let the man score his hit; his sword sank into one leg while my other pressed me forward. My free hand darted forward and snatched the man’s sword hand wrist. He recoiled, and our momentum reversed, with me pressing on my opponent while he tried to separate us with his shield. My hand spun the spear into a reverse grip, stabbing downward over the man's shield while I pushed off my injured leg, using my good leg for an ankle strike. He prioritized the spear, letting me kick his ankle so hard it twisted his foot more than 90 degrees. He tripped backward, landing on the flat of his back. I grabbed my spear with both hands intending to strike the killing blow but had to abort and skip to the side as two more paladins rushed to the aid of the fallen.

  For a moment we stalled as I assessed them and they covered the injured man's stumbling retreat. A wicked grin curled on my mouth as I noticed that my injured leg was already almost completely recovered. The man on the right got impatient, taking a testing stab with his spear. I leaned to the side, narrowly avoiding the blur as the attack came faster than I anticipated. Immediately he was back in an attack stance, following the first jab with another. I deflected with my spear and tried to push in but was forced to duck and disengage as the more patient man intercepted me. I skidded to a stop, but the spearman didn’t let me rest, going in for another flurry of blows. My instincts flared again as I struggled under the combined assault. The spear scratched my ribs as I bent backwards to avoid an arrow that threatened to lodge itself in my chest. The swordsman lunged while I was off balance, but I caught his hand in a kick as I cartwheeled back into a defensive position.

  The spearman interposed himself, taking a defensive stance, but I wasn’t fighting alone. A friendly paladin crashed into the spearman from the side, sending him flying with a devastating shoulder check. The pair went flying off to the side to fight elsewhere while I took the opening to flash right up to the swordsman; he twisted, dodging a lethal strike, but my spear still dug through his armor and into his side. A second thrust moments behind the first, delivering the killing blow to the throat. I pull my spear upward, intercepting the arrow meant to deter my killing blow. I look upward and lock eyes with the irritating archer. He doesn’t have time to respond as I hurl my spear like a javelin. A clean hit through the chest knocks the man onto his back. I focus for a moment on my connection to the spear and shift it into the void and then back into my hands.

  I turn to find my next opponent getting a chance to survey the entire field. Another platform bearing a second wave is imminently about to arrive, but our task was also complete. The soldiers were withdrawing from the burnt fields, and the squires had taken the civilians. The loud echoing of a warhorn rings out, and immediately I see the other paladins disengaging. The enemy's first response team was shattered, and they were rallying with the second team, giving us plenty of time to leave. With the enemy forces fully withdrawn, I can finally get a fair estimate of our losses. Of the twenty to twenty-five paladins leading the charge, we’ve got nineteen withdrawing. I can’t be sure how much damage we did to the enemies, but I’m relatively sure we came out ahead. At the very least we achieved every objective. During the long march back to the outer city, I can see the once vibrant fields now grey and black with ash.

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  Proverbs 2:3-5 NIV - indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.