Order Of Illumination - The Pain of A Thousand Souls - by Azeem

Saracen.... Saracen..... Saracen SARACEN!
The gates of the marble city burning, the bodies of innocent women and children lay scattered on the ground everywhere. The men dismembered and spiked upon burning pyres.
The Cathedral ablaze and with the bodies of his beloved Order nailed upon the walls of the once virgin white holy sanctum. One figure stood atop the fountain now red with blood.

"You failed me brother..... Now you have failed them....."

The fires spread and consumed him

His screams could be heard throughout the halls of the sanctum.

He was covered in frost and the walls of his spartan cell the colour of molten rock. More burning scars covered his body in a language only few understood. This was the 45 night since that rock ledge in the cold north and this was the 45 glowing scar he received. Each one pulsing with the golden light of his faith. What was happening to him, He dared not confide in his brothers, not even the Sage. This was too dangerous, they wouldn’t understand him. They would think him tainted. His heart still empty and longing for his lost brother. Cartheron.

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Two figures stood atop the crenulations of the cathedral. A female young and lithe, yet standing proudly and emanating the power of her station, Kaylaruana. The other gruff and broader of stature, cradling a beautifully crafted golden gryphon shaped helm, Krieghund.

They watched as the huge figure wearing the blue and golden robes of their Order crossed the courtyard below. The girl was the first to speak.
"I have heard his screams while on watch brother. He blames himself for the passing of our brother".
"Aye sister, I have heard his cries too. You would be wise to keep a wide birth from him".
"But Brother Krieghund, Azeem is our Brother too and one of the forefathers of the Order. We cannot abandon him now in his time of need!"
"I do not mean abandon Sister. I have heard whispers that he is of the shadowbane. He acts autonomously and is almost as zealous as that of the fallen Scarlet Crusade".

Just then the figure in the courtyard stopped and looked up at the two figures with atop of the cathedral walls. His eyes locked with them both, the pain of a thousand souls hidden within those dark eyes. It could have been days or hours that Kaylaruana and Krieghund stood there in that baleful gaze of Azeem. Neither of them moved as Azeem lowered his head and carried on his way.

"A wide birth indeed Brother, A wide birth indeed". Murmured Kaylaruana