Read Online The Record of the Saints Caliber by M. David White - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: M. David White
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always so exciting meeting new Saints. Tell me Isley,” said Celacia as she began walking toward the end of the cavern. “Do you know this Saint Ramiel?”
“Yes,” said Isley as he and Nuriel followed behind. “Me and Ramiel spent our youths in Sanctuary together. We both received our Call to Guard around the same time, almost ten years ago.”
“Do you think he’d join us?” asked Celacia.
“Probably not,” said Isley.
“Oh goody,” chirped Celacia.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The tunnel cut through the east side of the volcano and exited upon a large plateau overlooking the volcanic slopes some fifty feet up. This would, no doubt, make an excellent staging area to get the enormous skull down from the mountainside once the men could get it out of the tunnel. Nuriel didn’t know exactly how they had cut the tunnel in the first place, but the decayed stone of the tunnel walls gave her all the clues she needed.
Standing beside Isley and Celacia upon the plateau, Nuriel squinted against the stinging light of day. The sky was a milky blue, barren of clouds, and the desolate, rocky terrain of the Firerims seemed to reflect most of the hot summer sun right back in her face. Nuriel didn’t really like blue, empty skies. Somehow it made her feel small and vulnerable, like she could feel the very vastness of the world around her. She much preferred gray skies. They made her feel more secure, like she was back in the confines of Sanctuary. However, the air out here was much fresher and Nuriel breathed deeply, trying to get the remaining sulfurous fumes out of her lungs.
From this vantage point Nuriel could see a sparkling, moving sea of knights on horseback approaching from the north. Nuriel bit her lip. She was still exhausted from helping move the skull, and she had never seen so many potential enemies gathered in one place before. And these were not untrained, starving peasants from Jerusa. These were skilled knights of Dimethica, accompanied by an Exalted. No mortal man was a match for any member of the Saints Caliber, but with such numbers Nuriel knew the odds were against them.
More disconcerting than the knights, however, was the fact that they were accompanied by Saint Ramiel of the Hammer. Nuriel had never met Saint Ramiel, but she knew that his honorific had not been earned just because he fought with a warhammer. It was earned for his ability to quickly crush his opponents. Powerful Saints were a source of great pride to Kings and their kingdoms and Sanctuary often gifted them to the Exalteds. Nuriel remembered there had been much jealousy amongst the Exalteds of the realms when Sanctuary assigned Ramiel to Dimethica and the Golden Cockerel.
Already Nuriel could pick Ramiel out at the head of the army. His pitch black Star-Armor amongst a sea of shining chrome gave him away. Upon his black horse he flew a red banner bearing his stellaglyph, a broad and powerful looking symbol that Nuriel thought would likely compliment his battle skills.
But then things got worse.
Nuriel’s heart skipped a beat and she could sense Isley tense up as well. Riding alongside Ramiel was a shrouded black figure upon a pale horse, the unmistakable gleam of a mirror-mask from its cloaked face. It was an Oracle.
Nuriel inhaled deeply and bit her lip. She gently tapped Isley on the elbow. He looked at her but all Nuriel could do was look at the ground. “There’s an Oracle with them,” she said.
“It’s ok,” Isley whispered into her ear. He gently stroked her golden hair. “Celacia now holds our Sanguinastrums. It won’t matter if it sees us.”
Nuriel looked up at Isley and she could feel an unbidden tear in her golden eye. “I don’t want it to see me.”
“What are you two whispering about?” chirped Celacia.
Isley looked at Celacia. “Ramiel is accompanied by an Oracle,” he said. “If it sees—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” squawked Celacia. “I find it odd that Admael keeps such tight
“Yes,” said Isley as he and Nuriel followed behind. “Me and Ramiel spent our youths in Sanctuary together. We both received our Call to Guard around the same time, almost ten years ago.”
“Do you think he’d join us?” asked Celacia.
“Probably not,” said Isley.
“Oh goody,” chirped Celacia.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The tunnel cut through the east side of the volcano and exited upon a large plateau overlooking the volcanic slopes some fifty feet up. This would, no doubt, make an excellent staging area to get the enormous skull down from the mountainside once the men could get it out of the tunnel. Nuriel didn’t know exactly how they had cut the tunnel in the first place, but the decayed stone of the tunnel walls gave her all the clues she needed.
Standing beside Isley and Celacia upon the plateau, Nuriel squinted against the stinging light of day. The sky was a milky blue, barren of clouds, and the desolate, rocky terrain of the Firerims seemed to reflect most of the hot summer sun right back in her face. Nuriel didn’t really like blue, empty skies. Somehow it made her feel small and vulnerable, like she could feel the very vastness of the world around her. She much preferred gray skies. They made her feel more secure, like she was back in the confines of Sanctuary. However, the air out here was much fresher and Nuriel breathed deeply, trying to get the remaining sulfurous fumes out of her lungs.
From this vantage point Nuriel could see a sparkling, moving sea of knights on horseback approaching from the north. Nuriel bit her lip. She was still exhausted from helping move the skull, and she had never seen so many potential enemies gathered in one place before. And these were not untrained, starving peasants from Jerusa. These were skilled knights of Dimethica, accompanied by an Exalted. No mortal man was a match for any member of the Saints Caliber, but with such numbers Nuriel knew the odds were against them.
More disconcerting than the knights, however, was the fact that they were accompanied by Saint Ramiel of the Hammer. Nuriel had never met Saint Ramiel, but she knew that his honorific had not been earned just because he fought with a warhammer. It was earned for his ability to quickly crush his opponents. Powerful Saints were a source of great pride to Kings and their kingdoms and Sanctuary often gifted them to the Exalteds. Nuriel remembered there had been much jealousy amongst the Exalteds of the realms when Sanctuary assigned Ramiel to Dimethica and the Golden Cockerel.
Already Nuriel could pick Ramiel out at the head of the army. His pitch black Star-Armor amongst a sea of shining chrome gave him away. Upon his black horse he flew a red banner bearing his stellaglyph, a broad and powerful looking symbol that Nuriel thought would likely compliment his battle skills.
But then things got worse.
Nuriel’s heart skipped a beat and she could sense Isley tense up as well. Riding alongside Ramiel was a shrouded black figure upon a pale horse, the unmistakable gleam of a mirror-mask from its cloaked face. It was an Oracle.
Nuriel inhaled deeply and bit her lip. She gently tapped Isley on the elbow. He looked at her but all Nuriel could do was look at the ground. “There’s an Oracle with them,” she said.
“It’s ok,” Isley whispered into her ear. He gently stroked her golden hair. “Celacia now holds our Sanguinastrums. It won’t matter if it sees us.”
Nuriel looked up at Isley and she could feel an unbidden tear in her golden eye. “I don’t want it to see me.”
“What are you two whispering about?” chirped Celacia.
Isley looked at Celacia. “Ramiel is accompanied by an Oracle,” he said. “If it sees—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” squawked Celacia. “I find it odd that Admael keeps such tight
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