144 The Pure Soul

AUTHOR'S POV

"Are you done fooling around?", Alesso uttered impulsively as he grab Vesta by her arm. He knew that if Vesta wanted to open the carriage door to get to Bertram, the paladin crusader could simply tear it in one blow.

"The paladin archer", Vesta winced while Alesso forcibly grabs her arm away from the door. "I'm just bidding my goodbyes to your good friend", she stepped back with her hands up noticing Alesso's glowing fists.

"What a memorable farewell. Looks like the priest is entertained", Alesso darkened his eyes as he peek at the frightened priest from the window.

"Really? You're going to hit me only because of the prank I pulled?", Vesta chuckled nervously.

"Not exactly", Alesso have figured out that the person in front of him is not the paladin crusader that he knows. "Why don't you pull put that labrys to make this even?", he said with much intimidation.

Highly strung, Vesta met Alesso's fiery gaze as if the paladin archer isn't bluffing. Scared to death, she swallowed a large lump in her throat along with the frazzles that make her palms sweat and jittery. "Heh. You all ain't worth my time", Vesta shook her head and tried as much not to provoke the paladin archer. She caught a glimpse of the archers and coachmen standing nearby who seemed to have fixed their prying eyes on her. "What?! Get lost!", she yelled in prideful embarassment as she walk away.

Instantly, Vesta became a stranger to Alesso while he watch her back down and walk away. Each time his fists glow with his aura, Vesta would grab his fists and and douse his light with her excessive aura. And yet today, he saw fear and hesitation in Vesta's eyes when he ignited his powers, and worse, the intrepid paladin crusader who's known to be very pugnacious raised a white flag against him.

"Are you alright?", Alesso gently knocked on the glass door. The door slightly opened and revealed a disheveled priest who seemed like he almost peed on himself.

Bertram nodded as he breathe shakily. "I'm.. I'm fine now".

"Get ready!", Alesso called the archers and coachmen to prepare for their departure while he close the carriage door.

Instantaneously, Bertram held on the door and sat back on the coach. "Sir Alesso, do you mind coming in the carriage with me?", Bertram asked with a frown on his face. With no uttered words, Alesso obliged and signaled the coachmen and the escort archers to start the journey to Beorg mountains. Alesso sat on the adjacent seat and opened the windows to let the fresh breeze in. Looking at Bertram, he could only feel sorry for him.

"I..", Bertram tried to find the words and hoped the decision he's choosing won't fail him. "I have never had a very good intuition. I trust people easily. I… I always look for the brighter things. I am frail and..", he paused.

"I'm sorry Bertram, but where are you getting at?", Alesso indeed feel pity on the priest, however he wouldn't let Bertram belittle his own self for being who he is. In the first place, Vesta picked on him and Alesso can't figure out why.

Bertram suddenly dropped on his knees in the moving carriage as he hand over a tiny trinket wrapped in Alesso's brown kerchief. "Please take this from me!!! It's eating all the courage I have left!!", Bertram plead. "I-it's the traveler's stone", he revealed eagerly.

Alesso wasn't a bit surprised. He knew that one way or the other, someone will rise claiming the posession of the traveler's stone after the Holy Land was attacked and burned down. "I know what it is". Prior, Alesso have realized that the visit of the priests to the palace should circle on the whereabouts and safety of the traveler's stone - the relic that the church has been guarding in seclusion using the oldest form of divine magic. However, the King never brought it up. The talk of the meeting was unexpectedly irrelevant and unbecoming of the King. It was as if, the King doesn't care who's hands get on the Traveler's Stone. Marvelled, the paladin archer may have thought that the King has been waiting for this time to come… that the travelers will come back and claim their relic, like a bait to entice its prey. Surprisingly, the entirety of today's agenda of the Holy Land survivor priests left one missing preacher, and another who's losing his wits. "Why are you giving it to me?", Alesso asked.

The paladin archer thinks that if the stone falls in the hands of someone righteous, it will go straight to the royals, without any doubt. And now he's puzzled, why this terrified priest is surrendering the traveler's relic to him even after meeting both the King and Queen.

"Y-you don't want to take it?", Bertram was extremely astounded how Alesso took time to accept the stone, compared to Vesta who seemed to be head over heels for it. "This is.. the traveler's stone!!", he repeated as he lifted the wrapped stone towards Alesso.

"How did you get it? Why did you take it out from the dungeons?", Alesso curiously asked.

"I didn't take it.. not on my personal accord. High Priest Onias entrusted it to me during the fall of the Holy Land. He said, it's no longer safe there", Bertram explained. "I was chosen to protect it, for I was the only choice that time.. But… I can't, Sir Alesso!! I can't even protect myself!!", he positively claimed with self-blame and great sadness.

Then, it struck Alesso. Vesta knew that the traveler's stone is with Bertram. The torment, and the intimidation towards Bertram was because the priest has the posession of the traveler's stone that the paladin crusader wants to despairingly retrieve. "Why does Vesta want the stone?", Alesso asked.

"I don't know, but the Queen… she's the one aiming for the stone. Lady Vesta… she's like the Queen's hound dog…", Bertram lowered his hand as he speak lowly.

"That's impossible", Alesso shook his head in dismay.

"At this time, there's no more impossible. I've seen it in my own eyes! You've known the axe wielder for so long, so you tell me that she's no stranger to you now", Bertram convinced that made him rattle Alesso's doubts even more. "So please Sir Alesso, take this!! I don't want to end up like Father Elijah! Take this damned stone!!", he bawled out like a madman.

Bertram's right, Alesso thought. Vesta is not what she seem to be. Moreso, he's baffled on the possibility that the Queen might be behind these all. "Hold on… what are you saying? Where's Father Elijah?".

"I think he's dead… I saw his body being taken out of the Queen's chambers", Bertram remembered such awful memory that he just want to vanish and never be seen for the fear of his life.

Alesso now understood clearly how heavy the weight Father Bertram was carrying that made his knees tremble so much. Earning enemies in the Queen and a paladin would surely make his entire body weak. Alesso grab hold of the wrapped stone in Bertram's hand, and pushed it towards the priest. "Keep it, Bertram", he said. For paladins like him who are immersed in constant dangers, Alesso considers himself not the best option to be the keeper of the traveler's stone. It is conspicouous of them like sitting ducks. "This was placed under your care because Onias saw something in you. It's not the ounce of bravery, or the faith you behold.." Alesso explained.

"Then, what!? What makes me worthy to be the keeper of this stone?", Bertram asked tearfully.

"It's the purity of your soul", Alesso said that seemed like have struck Bertram's senses. The church cleanses its priests not to become easy targets of soul travelers. The evil could only shelter in those who have poisoned minds. "If the stone falls into the wrong person, all hell will set loose. So hang in there, Father Bertram… until I figure out what to do. For now, we'll keep you safe in Beorg, and I'll make sure that you'll have less to think about, especially your safety", the paladin archer assured even without a plan.