The story of an exile

Our exile was striped of his status, of his indentity but not of his faith, Dominus coudn't take out of him his soul, his purpose, his light. But to the naked eye seemed like just another old man with a ragged robe and no pants.Imprisoment was not kind to him, you couldn't spot him in the crowd of exiles in the bowels of the ship.I will always remeber the day he got rid of the brute, I were watching over the walls at Hillock, thinking that if all of us go at him we will finally get rid of the brigand. No one was brave enough, not even me, that rapist was immense, he would kill anyone who dared approach.

There it was, a man with gray hair, a piece of driftwood in hand, torn clothes but his eyes were of fiersome determination. He walked the beach as if it belonged to him. The brigand started running towards him giving away fiersome growls. The Templar did not flindge, he dodged Hillock's fist and smacked him at the back of his head. The brute hit the ground with a powerful thud, stayed innert, he was dead once more. I couldn't believe my eyes, this old man was too agile for his age, he seemed like he had done this countless times, putting down the plague that was Hillock was no easy feat, but it seemed so natural to him, so easy.

I told the guard to open the gate, he was shocked too, he came quickly to his senses and invited the man in. I dared not approach him, I dared not speak, I felt a burning sensation whenever I glanced at him.An old man in ragged robes had freed us of the torment. Strong man stand in Lioneye's Watch, but none are his level. He looked like us, but was not like us. We felt like this man was a gift from God.

He spoke to Nessa, I do not know of what, but returned the day after with a medicine chest. A gift from God indeed. Many were sick or injured, him included, Nessa tended to them. You could tell she wanted to do more. A kind being, none of us knew how such a pure soul ended up in a place like this, Tarkleigh always says that we shouldn't care for the past. I wonder what he has done, I bet it's bad, I shouldn't speek ill of him, he is a good man, keeps us fed, keeps us safe.

I remeber looking at the Templar thinking is not much, but if I were not is so many journyies with him, maybe I will think the same. Tarkleigh saw a oppurtiny in this man, a chance for us to move out of Lioneye's Watch. He asked of him to find a path to the Phenician Forest, as he was not in the best shape, we all know he meant he was not capable. We could see that the Templar cared little of us, not even speaking to us. He understood power, not the lowly lifes of exiles, althougt he spent a lot of time with the demented Bestel. As crazy as he is, Bestel is the only kind of entermainent we have,
maybe he is human after all.

The Exile needed someone to carry the meat back from the Mud Flats, Tarkleigh pointed at me, as I were young and strong, but not courageous enough to go on this journey. But the chance to be near this man got me so excited. I didn't have a choice after all, the deed was done, the time has come for me to pull my weight in our so called fortress. We set our foot on the Coast, without looking at me he said: "Don't get caught by the cannibals, I will not help you, you are to silently follow me and defended yourself."I noded my head, as if he would care. Now when I look at that moment I rember how scared I was, I were imagining the cannibals catching me and cooking me at their crude fire, singing and dancing around, savages, I were a cook back in Oriath and that is no way to treat a meal.

Countless aventures we have been togheter, but that one sticks to my head like it happened moments ago. Dozens of cannibals running at us with their torches and clubs, and he dispached of them so easily, sending ice to them, thaumaturgy he called it, I heard of it before but never seen it, and don't understand even now, when I too have gray hair. Was the scariest moment of my life, I did not know what was more scarier, the cannibals or the exile getting angry with me. I felt like a child in his presence, dragging my arm and scolding me. We arrived at the Mud Flats, he was killing the stupid beasts and carving their meat, storing it in my huge backpack. He told me to return home. Blood froze in my veins, I were to walk the Coast and fend off murderous cannibals while carrying twice my weight? I were not capable of such feat, I were almost crying trying to explain that I couldn't do it, he did not care, he did not feel concern, seemed like he knew I wouldn't make it. He sat me down on the dirt and handed me a virtue gem, just a piece of rock to me, he started rambling about his powers and how to use it, I am a smart man, but all seemed like gibberish to me, he said something about electrons and chanelling. I were not cabale of this too. I felt so small. I were so insignifiant. Tears started pouring out of my eyes, I were living my last moments, I knew, he seemed confused. I think he finnaly understood or was concerned about the people in Lioneye's, he ordered me to carry the bag and keep up with his pace.

Murder was easy to him, effortless, as if it were without consequence, it was the way he is, dispachtced of humans without blinking, at the sight of black ooze coming out of them, he was merely intrigued. He said this was the deed of Kitava, I did not know at the time what he meant. We arrived at Lioneye's and rested for a few hours. He spoke to Tarkleigh showing him some strange shells. I overhead the words "glyphs", "Maligaro" and "submerged
passage". He came shortly after to me and said:"We leave now." I did not want to leave, I knew the man was as likely to kill me as any other creature out there. Tarkleigh and Nessa were looking at me, I coudn't let them down,for a moment I felt like I were important, like they depended upon me. To this day I still wish I would've stayed down, died in Lioneye's Watch, as I have been trough after that is hard on the eyes and on the mind.

The Templar fit he shells into a wall, he looked dissapointed, I guess something was meant to happen. We set up camp near, I were to look for wood, he had gotten us dinner, a baby rhoa, not a year of age, delicasy he called it. For someone so high raking in Oriath the life of an exile suited him well, "enjoyment" does not quite catch it. Well this was my moment I am to cook a meat not availble in Oriath, I were to impress, maybe not prove my worth, but it was the moment for me. Exile had made me see life with other eyes, no longer the herbs around us seemed like weeds or the water as a container for illness.

I made the best Rhoa dinner he ever had, plain meat as many would argue, but in the mouth of an exile, delicacy. He wasn't impressed, at my obviuos enjoyment he just said:"Eat your fill, this may be our last meal". The Mud Flats are cold, the fire seemed powerless againt the water imbeded in the soil, the Sun descended and rose without me getting a full hour of sleep.

To my surprise, the water lowered in the passage, barely reaching the knees, exiled had this grin on his face, the face of a Karui slave who embraced his death. He knew of what it would come, and I were caught in the middle, I had no chance of reaching Lioneye's Watch alive, and no chance of surving the caverns who laid in front of us.

I felt a slimy feeling upon my leg, my blood ran cold, looked down only to see a disgusting being who wraped her tentacles around my leg, I froze. The Templar with inhuman speed latched the creature and threw it againt the wall, proceeding with stomping it until she no longer moved. He spoke with the love of a father:"The sirens like to embrace you with their warmt, their venom will make you forsake reality, they would lure with phantasm, and feast on your flesh". I were astouneded to hear such words, but not for the fear of the creatures lurking within this depths but for the mere fact that the Templar cared for me. He saved me, maybe he liked the Rhoa dinner after all.

We walked the still wet ground with a mixture of paranoia and consideration. Sometimes the ceiling seemed like it were becaming nearer, trapping us with a feeling of claustrophobia, othertimes like we were in labyrith so vast we would never find the end. But we did, only through the Inquisitor peer determination, we are now at cliff side. Quite a peissage, birds making nest at our feet, the blue of the ocean layong lcaim to our eyes. A sight to die for.

And dying we would do, the cannibals are here. Torch in one hand, murderous intent in another. My life flashes upon my eyes once more. I were cowering behind the Templar as he were towering before them, his mere presence insteeled fear. Conjuring ice before his fingers and pushing it towards them, many ran, only the bravest dared to face him. They died a quick death at least.