Isle of the Ape by Jason Halstead

  Chapter 17

  "I always feel so inspired when I come in here," Aleena said in a tone hushed with reverence.

  Celos glanced at her. "That's good. The church was built to be uplifting."

  Aleena smiled and moved with her mentor to stand before the altar to Saint Leander. They dropped to their knees and bowed their heads in prayer. After several minutes of silence, Aleena rose up and looked to her right. Celos was gone. She turned and saw him standing back near the entrance. Aleena hurried to join him, and then followed him through the halls to Sir Amos's chambers.

  "Is everything all right?" Celos asked her before he knocked on the door of the head of their order.

  "Yes, why do you ask?"

  "You spent a long time in prayer. Before we present your deeds, I have to be certain there is no doubt in you."

  Aleena smiled. "No, there's no doubt. The more I learn and see the more I want to know. I was—"

  Celos held up his hand to stop her. "What you share with Saint Leander is between the two of you. I have seen all I need to see to know it is time for you to be tested."

  "Thank you. For everything you've done for me, even when you tried to force me out."

  Celos grimaced. "I suppose I should thank you for reminding me of my mistakes. I don't need the sprite's prophecy coming true!"

  "It wasn't a mistake," Aleena insisted. "If you hadn't been so rough on me, I wouldn't have worked as hard as I have. I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today."

  "Perhaps," Celos allowed. "Whatever the case, know that you've won me over to believing in you."

  Aleena felt her cheeks heat up. "Why, Sir Celos, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

  "I can go back to drilling you through all hours of the day if you'd prefer?"

  Aleena chuckled and remembered the time spent answering questions of faith between grueling workouts. "I'd welcome it. What better way to keep us strong of mind and body?"

  Celos shook his head and chuckled. He rapped on the door and waited until they heard the muffled voice bidding them to enter. Celos opened the door and allowed Aleena to enter Sir Amos's office first. He shut it behind them and together they saluted the elder knight.

  "Ah! My young friends, Leander's chosen. How good it is to see you again." Sir Amos rose from his desk with the aid of his hands on his desk. He rounded the desk and walked over to them, moving slower than Aleena remembered. "You look well. Tell me, how fared you in your travels?"

  Aleena fought the urge to frown. Sir Amos had seen potential in her, potential she hadn't even known she had. He gave her a chance when others had laughed in her face. Now he seemed so frail. A little more than a year had passed since she'd fought beside him at the battle of Dragonsgate, but it was a year in which the elder knight had aged considerably.

  Before Celos could respond to the question, Sir Amos looked at Aleena and smiled. He winked at her and said, "Worry not, squire. I've served Leander a great many years and seen many things come to pass. It does my soul well to know that there is a rising passion among the people for Saint Leander. A new church is being built in Highpeak, and much of the fault of this rests on your shoulders, young lady."

  "Me?" Aleena gasped.

  "A serving maid riding into battle as one of Leander's chosen? You've caught the hearts of the people. Men and women alike—they want to know more." Sir Amos sighed and reached up to place his hand on his chest. "My heart is old and has seen many battles; it's tired. It will march on until Leander calls me to his side. I pray he waits long enough for me to see you become a knight."

  Celos and Aleena looked at each other. Celos returned his attention to Sir Amos and spoke. "Sir Amos, the evil that plagued the forest has been banished. It was a nature spirit, a nymph, that fell from grace many years past. Her malevolence lived on and was used by an evil wizard who conducted unwholesome experiments."

  Sir Amos nodded. "I've heard of the tale of the nymph and the warrior. So it was true then?"

  Aleena cleared her throat and received a nod from Celos. "Sir Amos, it was. Her misguided love confused and twisted her. Her body failed her when she misused the magic of nature too often and too much, so she put her essence into her tree. It was that tree that poisoned the land around it and allowed a wizard named Therion to work his evil on the creatures of the forest."

  "Not all the creatures," Celos added.

  "What?" Sir Amos asked. He smiled. "You're not telling me something, are you?"

  Sir Celos chuckled. "It was Aleena who destroyed the nymph's spirit."

  Sir Amos's grin broadened. "Well done!"

  "Wait," Sir Celos said. "There's more. I defended her from the denizens of the swamp and was trapped under the water. She called upon Leander's Light and was blessed with his healing hand to restore me."

  Sir Amos's grin faded as his lips parted. He clamped his mouth shut and smiled again, and then nodded his head while looking at Aleena. "Leander's blessing," he whispered.

  "Sir Amos," Celos said, "I think it's time."

  Aleena glanced back and forth between the two men. "Sir Celos saved me in the swamp, too," she blurted out. "He laid his hand on me after I'd been clubbed on the head and nearly drowned."

  Sir Amos chuckled and shook his head. "This is a blessing upon blessings. Why didn't you mention that, Celos?"

  Celos shrugged. "I was just doing Leander's will."

  Sir Amos chuckled. "Indeed you were. This is cause for a celebration! It has been far too long since the rank of paladins has gained strength instead of lost it."

  Aleena's jaw dropped that time. Paladins were the highest order of the Knights of Leander. They were the truly chosen of Leander. Warriors with a touch of the powers of priests, putting them on an even level with the priests. It made sense, now that she thought about it, but to rise to such a station seemed impossible to her.

  "Paladins?" she breathed.

  "Any opposition will be swept away in the testing, I think," Sir Amos said.

  "What testing is there?" Aleena asked.

  Sir Amos chuckled. "It's not much of a test if you know what it is, now is it, child?"