"To Zilo! Not only did he save Cruxis, but he's ensured us a victory in the tournament!" Shouts Leo raising a drink.
The four swordsman of Swords and Sorcery Inc. clang together their mugs of ale in a tavern connected to their inn. the tournament's matches came to an end and it was now night back at the inn the fighters were provided.
"Wasn't anything, just had to show Matrix that swords are nice, but swords and magic are better." Cruxis pats Leo on the shoulder and says, "You deserve thanks too Leo. Without you Zilo wouldn't have had the opening he needed."
"EEey! I helped too." Slurred Alaroc. "He onlyyy managgged thanks tah me letterrrr." Zilo raises his eyebrows to that and retrieves his now mended bag, stating, "Actually, I lost my bag during the climb. I never got to hand the letter over." Says Zilo retrieving the letter.
Alaroc pops up and casually takes the letter back. "Ah, no harrmm, no foul friend." Alaroc's letter slips and wafts into his mug and the cavalier downs the drink.
Zilo looks to the cavalier and asks, "I've been wondering Alaroc, now that we aren't limited to swords, what are you gonna do? We all have magic but-" Alaroc slams down his mug, shaking the table, and pointing at the bard.
"Do you think me a one sword pony! Not so! I have but the one pony, Loyal twenty-four. Also the elves gave me a nice gift for helping them find their lost armada!"
"You plan to use that? Good thing I'm not facing you next."
Leo looks solemnly to the paladin, finishing his drink for some courage and saying, " About that Cruxis, your next opponent. He may not be as easy as you think."
"Don't worry, I saw when he defended me from you, his skills are second to none, but he's no match for me when I have the gods helping me from the start. Freya may have helped me recover, but Arete guiding my sword will be unbeatable in combat."
"Well just so you know he too is a... Wait you have two gods? Is that allowed?"
"Why wouldn't it be? I'm a paladin, not a cleric."
Alaroc tilts his head and responds, "Wha?"
"It's cause of Cleric Domains." Says Zilo from one side of the table. He seems to be holding up a small notebook and he explains,
"I asked May about it while we hunted the hobgoblins a while back. Clerics like her pull their power from worship and devotion to a single god, that god responds in turn and lends them their divine power. They only go into one church and devote their lives to that church. Think of them like a spear, focusing one point to be an effective weapon."
Zilo motions to Cruxis and continues, "Paladins, from what I've researched, work different. They are more like a mace than a spear, a lot more bulk and unfocused on one spot."
"How crude." Says Leo calling for another drink from the barmaid.
"Not at all, I said a mace, not a club. Maces still need to be cast and forged like spears, but in a different way. Paladins actually spend much of their early years studying all gods, mostly those of Good and Law. They value each God equally and travel on pilgrimages to each church to study, only once they have a connection to each do they settle on one real set of values, but the connection is still there to each god."
Zilo motions to Cruxis and asks, "That right? I only got a cleric's impression from May."
"Mostly, yes, We don't use domains like Clerics, and we do connect to many gods, but we can't really use that connection for a back and forth to the level of a cleric, but in our pilgrimages we also have to train as we go, the road is rough, and many times I was attacked in my travels."
Zilo leans in and says, "Out of curiosity, which God did you decide to serve?" Cruxis' face goes a bit red and he scratches his head and he says, " About that, I would like Freya since I was raised by the Clerics of Freya, but Arete matched my style far more, I couldn't really decide at the time."
"And so he ran instead!" A fist hits the table as a man they do not recognize stands by the side of the table. Cruxis' eyes meet with the man and his jaw drops as the rest of the heroes flinch away in shock. The man has green eyes and a shaved head with remnants of brown on his scalp.
The man grits his teeth as Zilo makes a double take and asks, "Were you just waiting for us to...?"
"Aakif!? Is that you?!" Interrupts Cruxis.
"Yeah you deserter, happy you finally recognize me."
"You four know eachodar!?" Says Alaroc with his eyes swaying around a bit as he points to the two of them.
Leo's eyes darted about as the two men stared each other down. His eyes final snap wide and he says, "You really are a Paladin!?"
"You're bald!?" Says Zilo with a legitimately shocked expression on his face, moreso than Leo or Alaroc.
Aakif ignores the three of them and leans over Cruxis imposingly and says, "You look good, glad to see you found some replacements for me and the sisters of Freya."
"What do you want Aakif?" Says Cruxis seeming to be more curious than threatened.
Aakif stands straight and responds, "I just wanted to make sure your friends know your truth before tomorrow. I'll show you that a follower of Freya is superior to a follower of nothing." And Aakif spins on his heels and proceeds away up the inn's stairs.
The heroes all watch as Aakif saunters away before turning to Cruxis who looks down to his drink and sighs.
"Aakif is right, I never technically finished my pilgrimage. A paladin needs to take 5 years after their 16th birthday to visit each church and return to their home church. I've been traveling for nearly three times that amount."
Leo tilts his head and asks, "So you worship all the gods, but didn't settle on one god? But aren't... You know what, I've stopped caring. I'll stick with spell books, much more straightforward." Leo leans back content to stop listening, retrieving his spellbook with Secluded Grimoire.
Cruxis turns to Leo and Alaroc and continues, " Me and Aakif were orphaned and raised by the sisters of Freya, we couldn't become clerics for her, so paladins seemed the next best way to pay her back. We left for the pilgrimage at the same time, as brothers, but we got separated and I felt a different calling, decided to see the world rather than sit in a church waiting to be sent out."
"Rough break buddy," says Zilo. Cruxis stands and begins to walk off Alaroc points to his half finished drink and asks, "You gonna finish dat?"
"Not in a very merry mood right now, I'm turning in early."
The rest of the group watch as their friend mopes up the steps, Zilo looks back to the others and says, "Well so looks like tomorrow will have an interesting fight."
"More than just them friend." Says Alaroc leaning over to the bard.
Leo takes his nose out of his book and asks, "Zilo if you had to pick your biggest weakness, what would you say it is."
Zilo perks over to Leo and says, "Oh gods I don't know, cute animals I'd say. They demand my attention when I spot them."
Alaroc points at Leo, but looks at Zilo, "Friend, Leo's match was right next to yours. That means you two will be fighting tomorrow too."
"We Will!?" Reacts the bard in shock. Meanwhile Leo snaps his book closed with a smile and says, "Paying attention and noticing things, perfect for my stealth spells, good luck tomorrow Zilo." And the magus also walks up to sleep.
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