Somewhere in the Church,
"Your Grace, we have received reports of some suspicious activities in the town of Ashford. Some of our spies have seen people wearing cloaks and hoods, carrying wands and scrolls, and chanting strange words. They suspect that they are wizards…"
The knight bowed his head and reported to the bishop, who was sitting on a throne-like chair in a large and ornate hall. The bishop was an old and stern man, with a long white beard and a bald head. He wore a white robe with gold embroidery, and a large cross around his neck. He held a staff in one hand, and a book in the other.
The bishop frowned and narrowed his eyes.
"Wizards? In Ashford? How dare they defile our land with their evil and corruption? How dare they challenge our authority and our faith? How dare they mock our God and his light?"
He slammed his staff on the floor, making a loud noise.
"We must not tolerate this blasphemy and this rebellion. We must not let them spread their lies and their darkness. We must not let them harm our people and our mission."
He raised his hand and pointed to the knight.
"Send some of our best guardians to Ashford. Tell them to find and capture these wizards, and bring them to me. I will personally judge them and punish them for their crimes. I will make them repent and renounce their dark arts, or I will make them burn in the holy fire."
He lowered his hand and nodded to the knight.
"Go now, my son. And may God bless you and guide you."
The knight nodded back and saluted.
"Yes, Your Grace. I will do as you command. And may God protect you and watch over you."
He turned around and left the hall, followed by some other knights who were waiting outside.
The bishop watched him go, then closed his eyes and prayed.
"O God, our Father, our Creator, our Savior. You who are the source of all light and all life. You who are the ruler of all heaven and all earth. You who are the judge of all good and all evil. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and grant me your wisdom and your strength. Help me to lead your Church, your people, your army. Help me to spread your word, your will, your light. Help me to fight your enemies, your rivals, your darkness. Help me to serve you, to honor you, to love you. Amen."
He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, where a large painting of God's face was depicted.
He smiled and whispered.
"I am your faithful servant, O Lord. And I will do anything for you."
The scene changes and we see the protagonist standing in front of the Church leader, who is holding the crystal that can detect the blessing of the light. The crystal shows nothing. He doesn't have the blessing of the light. But then we see a senior knight say that he has the talent to become a knight.
I looked at the crystal that was touching my forehead.
It didn't glow.
It didn't show anything.
It meant that I didn't have the blessing of the light.
I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me.
I was disappointed because I had hoped that I had something special in me, something that could make me different from others…"
I was glad that I didn't have to go with these strangers, who claimed to be from the Church, who claimed to have the blessing of the light, who claimed to serve God and his mission.
I wanted to stay here, with my parents, with my friends, with my village.
I wanted to live a normal and peaceful life.
The Church leader looked at me with pity and regret.
"I'm sorry, my child. You don't have the blessing of the light. Please step aside."
He moved his hand away from my forehead and gestured for me to leave.
I nodded and turned around, ready to join my parents, who were waiting for me with open arms.
But before I could take a step, I heard another voice.
"Wait a minute."
I stopped and looked back.
It was one of the knights who had accompanied the Church group. He was a tall and muscular man, with short black hair and brown eyes. He wore a metal armor and carried a sword and a shield. He looked at me with interest and curiosity.
He walked towards me and stopped in front of me. He bent down and looked into my eyes.
"What is your name, boy?" He asked me.
"Jack." I said.
"Jack." He repeated. "That's a good name. A strong name. A name fit for a knight."
He smiled and ruffled my hair.
"You know, boy, you may not have the blessing of the light, but you have something else. Something that I can see in your eyes. Something that I can feel in your spirit."