Fools they were, those that dawdled in the way. Could they not comprehend that they were in the presence of their betters? Instead of dashing out of the way of the noble ones, as they rightly should have, these imbeciles lingered yet in their way, cluttering the hall. It was perhaps not their fault. Had they been properly notified of the incoming troop of Paladins, the commonfolk would’ve gladly cleared the way. After all, these were their heroes, the visible hands of their priests, who helped guide the people through times of dark and into the light. But they were never warned, and the valiant ones had to pass through the crowd of commoners.
However, it was not as if the Paladins cared about this inconvenience. Indeed, their minds were more focused upon the task at hand. This was a good thing perhaps, for it was of the utmost importance. It would have to be for these noble ones were avoiding the official channels and instead taking a route through the commoner’s region of the space vessel. Because of this, their arrival would be speedy, but unannounced.
Concern clouded the eyes of the leading Paladin as they all approached their destination. It was a crime to just simply appear at the door of a high priestess. Would their quest excuse this? As the paladin believed, it had to, but if it didn’t, he hoped his messenger had reached them in time to give them fair warning. However, this one did not have long to ponder, for the troop could see the great metal doors that guarded the council chamber beyond. His betters awaited him there.
As the door swung open, all could see a visible change in the demeanor of the Paladins. Had they been previously slouching, they now stood up straight and held their heads high. A proud light glimmered in their eyes and they wore the heraldry of their leaders proudly. It was best that their rulers saw the exemplary troops that they were expected to be.
Beyond the doors there existed a room filled with light. Not the garish, artificial light that filled the corridors and rooms of the rest of the structure; this was a softer, more natural light. From a great window it shone in, illuminating the room. There was not one place that was not lit, from the domed ceiling to the four pale thrones to the reflective, white walls. Even the lone figure gazing out the window glowed with the pale blue light of the star yonder out the window.
The soldiers beheld the majesty of this room in wide-eyed wonder. They had, of course, seen this place quite a few times before, but it never ceased to take their breath away. However, compared to the very presence of the lone figure over by the window, the room’s majesty was diminished.
One by one, each Paladin dropped to the floor before the being. They prostrated themselves before her. Sensing their presence, the womanly creature turned slowly. With a thoughtful expression, she examined each of them, carefully taking in all of their features.
“Rise,” commanded she in a deep, yet melodic voice.
Just as quick as they had been to kneel before her, they now stood. Yet still, they were quite hesitant to look this majestic beast in the eye, or even look upon the ancient holiness that was her face.
“Now, what is so important that you must disturb my meditation, hm?” She wondered.
The commander of the Paladins shifted under the burning gaze of the woman. “We have a report, O Holy Justice, one about our enemies.”
“Proceed.”
The Paladin took little more than a few seconds to compose his thoughts before beginning. But as he started speaking, his words came out rushed and he began to skip details. “In the outer arms of the galaxy, one of our scout ships has discovered the homeworld of a sentient species. A sentient space-faring species, your Holiness. As soon as the ship drew in closer to investigate, they were attacked by a large fleet of the Enemy. It seems like they have been protecting these newcomers.”
The expected response was that the woman would erupt in a fit of righteous rage or extreme anger. It wouldn’t be unusual for her to do so, she had done it many times before. But instead, she merely brushed it off. Just like that, the calm and cool demeanor of this holy being completely changed the view of the Paladins. What had seemed like a major issue, was now nothing more than a minor inconvenience. It was no longer their problem; the holy ones would handle it. So a great weight was lifted from their hearts, but they knew that this was not the last they would see of this matter.
“That is quite important, yes,” she turned back towards the great window, “I suppose it is important enough to disturb my sisters from their rest.”
“And what would you have us do next, Lady Justice?” Wondered the lead Paladin. He braced himself for some impossible task, one he would never return from, like dealing with the petty nobility. But, luckily for him, this task never came.
“For now? Rest, relax. You and your team deserve this for your service to the Hierocracy,” spoke the noble one, “but we will have need of your services soon, so be ready.”
A silent sigh escaped from the Paladin commander’s lips as a wave of relief washed over him. After all the hoops he had to jump through in order to deliver this report to the lady, this rest was well deserved. However, a shadow loomed over him, one that warned him of the difficulty of the tasks ahead.
“We thank you, High One.” He answered simply.
“Dismissed, Paladins,” she replied, “and send in a scribe on the way out.”
Each of the soldiers bowed low in humility, then strode out gladly.
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