Paladyn

Sir Hagen, a young paladin and novice of the Order of the Guardians of the Eye of Inos, followed the king's road from the Order's headquarters in the Gorgother Mountains to Britain. As a newly ordained monk, he served as a messenger to Master Pyraeus, Archmage of the Ring of Fire. Despite his youth (he was no more than 20 years old), he was a seasoned warrior and had seen more than one battle, and many an infidel had perished under his sword. The position of messenger did not suit him. He was furious with his superiors for granting him such a lowly position, but his loyalty to the Order, the oath of allegiance he had taken at ordination, and the awareness that expressing anger could only worsen his situation kept him silent. He was on his way to Britain to deliver a letter from the Archmage to King Gomez. He was told that it was a message of "great importance to the entire kingdom," so delivering it on time could help him advance. As he considered the possibility of being appointed to Master Pyraeus's bodyguard, a terrified woman's scream echoed from the forest along the road. Hagen drew his sword and steed his steed in the direction of the scream. After riding a few dozen meters, he reached a small clearing, where an extraordinary sight met his eyes. In the center of the clearing stood a merchant's wagon. The harness was torn, so the horses had likely ripped it off during their escape. A woman lay beneath the wagon. Hagen, as a paladin, could sense the spark of life in any creature. There was none in the woman's body. Several stocky figures with dark green skin ran around the wagon—these were orcs. Some were searching the wagon, others were attacking a defending man with a pitchfork, who was trying to break free from the circle of attackers. Hagen silently advanced to the attack. Some of the Orders considered the surprise attack a disgrace. Most of them no longer existed. Always engaging in open combat, without any strategic maneuvers, they were quickly destroyed by far more numerous foes. Hagen's Order thought differently—and therefore persisted as a significant force in Britain. However, the sound of a galloping horse caught the attention of one of the orcs. The young paladin ripped its throat open with the point of his sword. The bloody gurgle emanating from the dying man's mouth attracted the attention of his comrades, who abandoned their prey and prepared to repel the attack of this new enemy. Hagen reached the edge of the clearing and dismounted. He knew that fighting the agile orcs on horseback, especially alone, had no chance of success. He grabbed the shield attached to his saddlebags and slowly moved toward the enemies. He mentally recited the "Prayer for the Aura of Armor." It was a formula that a mage would consider a magical spell, but to the paladin, it was a prayer to Inos, through which the good god surrounded the warrior with his divine protection. Hagen's armor and shield gleamed as if they reflected the flames from Inos's altar for a moment. Hagen uttered a short prayer of thanks and charged into battle, his god's name on his lips. The orcs retreated a few steps,However, a moment later, the first of them dared to attack. The orcs feared the Mark of Inos, which had been emblazoned on the paladin's shield ever since the Order had slaughtered the forces of Karga the Scarred, leader of the First Horde. The monster gripped his spear more firmly and charged at the youth. When he came within striking distance, he feigned a blow to the heart, then quickly crouched, trying to strike his opponent in the abdomen. Hagen leaned back slightly and shielded himself. The spearhead sparked, ricocheting off the polished metal. A fiery reflection flashed at the point of impact, but the shield remained unblemished. The Aura of Armor protected its bearer from potential damage. Striking from below, the orc left his head and torso exposed. Hagen took advantage of this, severing his arm with a powerful overhead blow. Defeated, he collapsed to the ground with a savage scream. Another orc charged at the paladin, seeing the paladin's shoulder exposed by a deep blow. Hagen spotted him, parrying the blow of his curved saber, raising his sword after wrenching it from the orc's carcass. Crossing his blade with the holy warrior, the orc pressed with all his might, but he couldn't deflect the paladin's sword even an inch. Hagen tightened his grip on the hilt of his weapon and uttered aloud the words, "Inois Electru!" The surprised orc saw small bolts of lightning begin to coil along the enemy blade. But before he could react, the bolts also entwined his weapon, striking its wielder. The stench of charred carrion filled the clearing. Three opponents remained. Two of them looked at each other and charged at the paladin, shouting the names of the foul orc gods. Hagen raised his sword above his head and, whispering "Inois Vutrus Ini Electru," lowered it in a diagonal arc, touching the ground with the point. As it moved along the blade, the same lightning discharges that had fried his previous opponent appeared. This time, however, lightning bolts formed a semicircle in the air in front of the warrior, matching the sword's movement. A moment after it was fully formed, the arc of lightning moved with incredible speed towards the attacking orcs. When the discharges touched the monsters' skin, the stench of burning flesh filled the air again. The last enemy, seeing the carnage the paladin had inflicted on his companions, fled into the forest. Hagen concentrated, trying to sense the presence of the Evil Ones. Sensing none, he turned towards the wounded man.A fiery reflection flashed at the point of impact, but the shield remained unblemished. The Armor Aura shielded its bearer from potential damage. Striking from below, the orc left his head and torso exposed. Hagen took advantage of this, severing his arm with a powerful overhead blow. Defeated, he collapsed to the ground with a savage scream. Another orc charged at the paladin, seeing the paladin's exposed shoulder as an opening for attack. Hagen spotted him, parrying a curved saber blow, raising his sword after wrenching it from the orc's carcass. Crossing his blade with the holy warrior, the orc pressed with all his might, but he couldn't deflect the paladin's sword even an inch. Hagen tightened his grip on the hilt of his weapon and loudly uttered the words: "Inois Electru!" The surprised orc saw small bolts of lightning begin to coil along the enemy blade. Before he could react, however, lightning bolts also engulfed his weapon, striking its wielder. The stench of charred carrion spread across the clearing. Three opponents remained. Two of them looked at each other and charged at the paladin, shouting the names of the foul orc gods. Hagen raised his sword above his head and, whispering, "Inois Vutrus Ini Electru," lowered it in a diagonal arc, touching the ground with its point. As it moved along the blade, the same lightning bolts that had fried his previous opponent appeared. This time, however, the lightning bolts formed a semicircle in the air in front of the warrior, matching the shape of the sword's movement. A moment after fully formed, the arc of lightning bolts moved with incredible speed towards the attacking orcs. When the bolts touched the monsters' skin, the stench of burning flesh filled the air again. The last opponent, seeing the carnage the paladin had inflicted on his companions, fled into the forest. Hagen concentrated, trying to sense the presence of the Evil Ones. Sensing none, he turned toward the wounded man.A fiery reflection flashed at the point of impact, but the shield remained unblemished. The Armor Aura shielded its bearer from potential damage. Striking from below, the orc left his head and torso exposed. Hagen took advantage of this, severing his arm with a powerful overhead blow. Defeated, he collapsed to the ground with a savage scream. Another orc charged at the paladin, seeing the paladin's exposed shoulder as an opening for attack. Hagen spotted him, parrying a curved saber blow, raising his sword after wrenching it from the orc's carcass. Crossing his blade with the holy warrior, the orc pressed with all his might, but he couldn't deflect the paladin's sword even an inch. Hagen tightened his grip on the hilt of his weapon and loudly uttered the words: "Inois Electru!" The surprised orc saw small bolts of lightning begin to coil along the enemy blade. Before he could react, however, lightning bolts also engulfed his weapon, striking its wielder. The stench of charred carrion spread across the clearing. Three opponents remained. Two of them looked at each other and charged at the paladin, shouting the names of the foul orc gods. Hagen raised his sword above his head and, whispering, "Inois Vutrus Ini Electru," lowered it in a diagonal arc, touching the ground with its point. As it moved along the blade, the same lightning bolts that had fried his previous opponent appeared. This time, however, the lightning bolts formed a semicircle in the air in front of the warrior, matching the shape of the sword's movement. A moment after fully formed, the arc of lightning bolts moved with incredible speed towards the attacking orcs. When the bolts touched the monsters' skin, the stench of burning flesh filled the air again. The last opponent, seeing the carnage the paladin had inflicted on his companions, fled into the forest. Hagen concentrated, trying to sense the presence of the Evil Ones. Sensing none, he turned toward the wounded man.Three opponents remained. Two of them looked at each other and charged at the paladin, shouting the names of the foul orc gods. Hagen raised his sword above his head and, whispering, "Inois Vutrus Ini Electru," brought it down in a diagonal arc, touching the ground with its point. As it moved along the blade, the same lightning discharges that had fried his previous opponent appeared. This time, however, the lightning formed a semicircle in the air in front of the warrior, its shape corresponding to the sword's movement. A moment after it was fully formed, the arc of lightning moved with incredible speed towards the attacking orcs. When the discharges touched the monsters' skin, the stench of burning flesh filled the air again. The last enemy, seeing the carnage the paladin had inflicted on his companions, fled into the forest. Hagen concentrated, trying to sense the presence of the Evil Ones. Sensing none, he turned towards the wounded man.Three opponents remained. Two of them looked at each other and charged at the paladin, shouting the names of the foul orc gods. Hagen raised his sword above his head and, whispering, "Inois Vutrus Ini Electru," brought it down in a diagonal arc, touching the ground with its point. As it moved along the blade, the same lightning discharges that had fried his previous opponent appeared. This time, however, the lightning formed a semicircle in the air in front of the warrior, its shape corresponding to the sword's movement. A moment after it was fully formed, the arc of lightning moved with incredible speed towards the attacking orcs. When the discharges touched the monsters' skin, the stench of burning flesh filled the air again. The last enemy, seeing the carnage the paladin had inflicted on his companions, fled into the forest. Hagen concentrated, trying to sense the presence of the Evil Ones. Sensing none, he turned towards the wounded man.

***

"Thank you, Sir Knight," the man rasped. "Speak nothing, good man," Hagen said. He removed his glove, placed his hand against the man's chest, and whispered a prayer. The palm of his hand glowed with a delicate blue glow, and the man's wounds began to heal, the bleeding stopped, finally leaving only a small scar. The man watched it all in disbelief. "Thank you, esteemed lord!" he finally exclaimed. "Thank not me, but the power of great Inos," the paladin said with exultation. "What are your names, good man?" "Kacper, sir. I am a carpenter." I was traveling to the capital, where my uncle had a job for me in his workshop, when those monsters kidnapped the horses, dragged our wagon here, and—” The last words caught in his throat, as if he only now realized what had truly happened. “They killed my wife and kidnapped my child,” he finished, sobbing. Hagen looked at him with sympathy. “Perhaps it’s not too late to help her,” the young warrior said, and the carpenter looked at him with a look of despair mixed with hope. “There’s a temple of Inos in Britain. Perhaps the priests can resurrect her, but we must hurry,” he explained the situation to Kacper, then added thoughtfully. “How old is your child?” “She’s still a baby, my lord. Four months old,” the man replied. “So the orcs will probably want to sacrifice her to one of their blasphemous gods.” "Hagen said, but seeing the despair and terror on his father's face, he added, "But before that happens, they'll have to perform many long rituals. By then, the little one will be safe. Perhaps we'll be able to save your child too. Let's go to the city," the young man said, hitching his steed, who was clearly not happy about it, to the cart

.

They reached the city a few hours later. They went to the temple without delay. Hagen, as a paladin and member of the Order, obtained permission from the Master of the temple to perform the resurrection ritual. So, after entrusting Caspar to the care of the temple servants and his wife's body to the priests, he and the Master of the temple set off for the king. The procession, which the Master's bodyguards organized on this occasion, attracted the attention of curious passersby. Upon reaching the palace, they were immediately received by the ruler, as if the king were impatiently awaiting a letter from the archmage. "Greetings, eminent paladin," the king said majestically. "Greetings, most serene lord," Hagen replied. "I bring you a letter from Archmaster Pyraeus, humble servant of Inos from the circle of fire." He bowed slightly and handed the sealed envelope to the king's servant, who in turn handed the letter to his master. "Thank you, eminent paladin." I am pleased you delivered this message so quickly. "Sir, as I was on my way to you, I encountered orcs who attacked your subject's wagon, killed his wife, and kidnapped the child for some vile purpose. We entrusted this poor man's wife to the care of the priests of Inos, hoping that the good god would allow us to resurrect her. I pray you grant me permission to embark on an expedition against these foul creatures who dared to appear a few hours' journey from your capital." Hearing these words, the king's anger flared. "Orcs?! A few hours from the capital?! Where did you encounter them, holy warrior?" "In Blackwood Forest," Hagen replied. "I authorize this expedition! More! I will place a detachment of my bodyguard under your command to further aid you in dealing with the filth and retrieving the child." "Thank you, my lord." The paladin bowed slightly. "But before that," the king continued, "I will send scouts to investigate these orcs. I invite you to be my guest while they investigate.

" ***

Hagen wandered through the forest at the head of 20 of the king's guards. Despite marching through the forest for several hours, they hadn't encountered a single orc. The soldiers were already beginning to loudly voice their complaints about the futility of this expedition. When a trumpet sounded from several hundred meters away, "This is the orcs' warning. Prepare for battle! Pray to Inos!" he shouted, raising his sword to the sky. "Inos! Whose fire protects us from the darkness and cold of night! By whose fire we prepare our meals! By whose fire we forge our weapons! Bless us and let us conquer the foul monsters that stand in our way." The soldiers looked at him ironically as their armor gleamed with a bright light, and rivers of blood flowed from the blades of their drawn swords. Hagen looked at them triumphantly. "Whoever believes in Inos will never be abandoned by him! March forward in tight formation!" he shouted, directing the soldiers toward a nearby ravine. As they marched through the ravine, the horses showed signs of nervousness, which also affected the riders.

Suddenly, a pack of orcs burst out at them from the end of the ravine. "Charge, march!" the paladin ordered, and with a shout he charged at the enemy. "Inos!" the guardsmen joined in, spurring their horses and following their leader. The attacking orcs began to flee in panic when they saw the charging cavalry, but they had little chance. Those whose bones hadn't been shattered by the hooves of the heavy warhorses lost their heads under the riders' blows. Finally, they burst into a square covered with cracked flagstones. The orcs within, seeing the fate of their brethren, took refuge in a massive structure at the end of the square, likely their temple. The entrances were covered with thick lianas, so the riders were forced to dismount and fight on foot. Seeing this, the orcs ran out of the temple with a wild squawk. "Form a wedge! Forward march! We must drive them back into the temple!" Remember: Inos is with you!" Hagen shouted, standing at the tip of the wedge. A moment later, the orcish onslaught descended upon him. As the paladin had expected, the main attack was broken by the wedge, its force distributed across both flanks. Hagen met the first attack, shielding himself, behind which he extended his sword, pointing directly at the attacking monsters. The first orc impaled himself directly on the blade, pushed by the onslaught of his brethren. With effort, he freed his weapon, parrying the blows the pressed mass of monsters sent his way with a shield. He crossed his blade with the orcish blade, trying to find openings in the wielder's defenses. His opponent must have been an experienced warrior, as he effectively blocked all attempted attacks. Hagen glanced at his companions – they were bravely resisting their enemies, none of them fallen, and their blades left deep marks on the orcish carcasses lying at their feet. "Well, when honorable combat isn't enough," Hagen thought, and kicked his opponent in the groin. The orc's pupils dilated in pain, and he instinctively tried to cover the attacked area with his hands, exposing his upper body. The paladin took advantage of this, sinking his sword into the orc's shoulder, nearly severing his arm. The monster slumped to the ground with a gurgling sound, blood gushing from the wound and mouth. The two orcs behind him, who had been unable to reach the young paladin until then, attacked furiously. Hagen retreated, but a moment later took a few steps forward, pushing the attackers back with his shield. "Force, march forward!" he shouted. The soldiers advanced. Despite their numerical superiority, the orcs were pushed back all the way to the temple gate. Despite their wounds, the guards held valiantly. The narrow gateway prevented the orcs from forming a line of more than four men. The guards formed a semicircle around the entrance. In a last-ditch effort, the orcs tried to break the encirclement, and three of them rushed out. Seeing this, Hagen jumped right in front of them, crouched, and slashed them with his sword in a roundhouse, rising diagonally. The first of them received a cut to the abdomen,which caused the monster's entrails to gush out. The second, noticing the paladin's attack, tried to defend himself with his spear, but Hagen's blade shattered the shaft and tore through his chest. The last of them managed to shield himself with a studded shield, but the force of the blow threw him back, impaling him on his comrade's sword. Seeing this, Hagen gave the order to attack. With Inos's name on their lips, the guardsmen charged. They burst into the temple, trampling orcs along the way. Those who survived were cut down by the guardsmen. The last of the orcs attacked Hagen. "You shall not pass!" he screeched and charged at the paladin with his sword raised. Hagen quickly ran up to him, impaling him, and then pierced him through and through. The dying monster rested its head on the paladin's shoulder, much like a child rests its head on its parent's shoulder, and perished. Hagen threw the orc carcass aside in disgust.