toward his chest. He looked confused for a moment but he quickly recovered, smiling kindly at Jonas. “You look like a cavalier.”
“That I do,” said Jonas.
Kandris nodded his head and his smile disappeared. “It is not my place to pry, sir. I apologize.”
“You are not in the wrong, Kandris. It’s not that simple, I’m afraid,” Jonas said, trying to reassure the young warrior. “And I am no sir, just a few years older than you actually.”
“Very well, and thank you. Well, if you will all follow me. I will take you to the council room.” Kandris turned, walking back the way he had come.
The council room was large and empty except for six chairs sitting on a raised ledge on the far side. The wooden chairs were carved with intricate symbols and writing. Above each chair on the wall was an embroidered tapestry representing each of the benevolent gods of Kraawn.
The chairs were all occupied as they entered the room. Kandris bowed deeply to the six occupants of the chairs and then left the room quickly. Jonas recognized the old priest Rayall sitting in the chair below the symbol of Halyean. The old man smiled at them as they walked closer to the priests.
“Welcome to Annure, it is a pleasure to see a cavalier in our halls,” said a middle aged man sitting in the middle chair. The four-pointed star above him marked him as a priest of Ulren. “I am Lyrus, high priest to Ulren.” The man was tanned and his curly brown hair was streaked slightly with gray above the ears. His smile was warm and sincere. “You have met Rayall already. To my right is Tundis, high priest to Nomus, and Jeweleasiam, high priestess to Inis. On my left is Weelon, high priest to Bandris, and Lulaylin, high priestess to Shyann.”
They all nodded as they were introduced.
“Thank you, high priest Lyrus, for agreeing to meet with us. As you know, I am Taleen, cavalier to Helikon. This is Kiln and Jonas. We have many questions that need answering and we came here as the likely source for those answers.”
“I’m assuming that your questions concern Jonas,” Lyrus reasoned.
All the priests stared at Jonas intently.
“They do,” replied Taleen.
“Jonas, can you please tell me how you bear the armor and weapons of a cavalier and yet we know nothing of you?” Lyrus asked.
“I can, and I will sir,” replied Jonas, taking a deep breath to prepare for his story. Jonas began his tale again. The council members all leaned forward in their chairs as the story progressed. He tried to judge their reactions as the story unfolded, but they were very good at masking their emotions. Finally, Jonas finished with the battle against the Greever. There was only silence in the room as the council members digested the tale.
“Jonas, may we see this symbol that you speak of?” asked Lulaylin, priestess to Shyann. She was older than the rest and she wore a silver hairpiece with Shyann’s symbol etched into it. It covered her forehead and her long gray hair was pulled back behind her ears. Her gown was made from expensive green silk that matched her eyes perfectly. Lulaylin was beautiful for someone her age and Jonas was drawn to her sparkling green eyes. But once there, he saw an underlying intensity that did not match her appearance.
“You may,” Jonas said as he began unbuckling his breastplate and setting it on the smooth polished stone at his feet. He then lifted the tight chain mail shirt over his head.
“Where did you get that armor?” Lulaylin asked.
“From Shyann’s tomb,” he replied, setting the light metal shirt on the ground.
Lulaylin stood up in her chair in shock. “That cannot be! No one has found her tomb in a thousand years!” she said as her voice rose in disbelief.
Jonas did not react to her outburst but looked at her sincerely. “I do not lie. I was led by a huge stag to her tomb underneath a giant oak tree. It was there that she gave me this armor and these weapons.”
Lulaylin sat back down, but her eyes still reflected her shock. “That cannot be. You are not even a cavalier.”
“It is true,” replied Kiln. “I was there.”
Lulaylin directed her fiery eyes toward Kiln. “Your loyalty and honor is in question General. Why would we believe an oath breaker?”
“Lulaylin!” bellowed Lyrus. “General Kiln is our guest. Do not show disrespect.”
Kiln’s face was calm and emotionless as he addressed the priestess. “You know nothing