460 Reward: Ascension

The crossbow bolt fell out of Ver Dilen's robe, bloodless and broken.

Wilhelm, sweat and blood trickling down his face, gawked at his opponent in disbelief.

"Keep moving!" Dag yelled.

Ver Dilen was already in motion. In a flash of gold, Wilhelm's crumpled form smashed through the stalagmites, splintered armor clattering about.

Cardinal Ver Dilen shook his head. "He has potential, but he's still naïve," he concluded. The monastery's candle flames flickered as he exhaled. He straightened papers in order before sliding them back to the man across the pew.

The man, Isaac, gently slid the papers into his toga, as white as the marble figure of the goddess at the back of the monastery, standing in a beam of sunlight with a smile. "I pray that means you will be better at training Wilhelm than I was. After all, they say the apple does not fall far from the tree," he said.