Chapter 9

Vyth stood alone in the middle of the training ground, swinging his sword, striking into the air again and again. His movements were tight, not from the flow of combat, but from the restlessness pressing against him from within.

The images of the previous day’s meeting did not let him rest. The moment when Aryn looked at him, then told him he had to leave the room before they made their decision. He had not argued.

He knew that in that moment it was not his place to stay. But the silence that remained in him afterward had become more oppressive now than any judgment could have been.

His blade caught the light as it rose, then cut downward again. The cold air stabbed deeper into his lungs after each movement, but he did not slow. Every strike tried to silence a thought. Without success.

"Do I stand by him because I believe he can be saved... or because I am afraid that without him I would lose myself too?"

The echo of the question was almost louder than the sweep of his blade. And although he did not say it aloud, he felt that finding the answer would not come easily.

Vyth’s blade swept through the air again. Aryn stood there, unmoving, her arms loosely crossed.

She did not speak immediately, she only watched as Vyth finished another sequence, then lowered his sword.

"Why are you pushing yourself this hard?" she asked finally.

Vyth wiped his forehead. "I’m training."

"It looks like training." Aryn nodded. "But it isn’t only your body that is moving. What is it that truly drives you?"

Vyth turned his gaze away. He did not want Aryn to see how unsettled he was inside.

"And if you lost what drives you now... would you know where to go next?" Aryn asked quietly.

Vyth did not answer. Not because he lacked an answer. But because the question struck too close.

Aryn watched him for another moment, then took a step forward. "Come with me. There is something you need to see."

Aryn led Vyth in silence. She did not hurry, and she did not explain where they were going. The path was narrow, tall trees leaned over them on both sides, their leaves almost completely blocking the sunlight.

Eventually, behind the lines of trees, a small stone structure covered in moss came into view. The stones were old, some cracked, yet the place carried a gentle sense of peace.

"Long ago, this place gave shelter to travelers." Aryn said quietly as she stopped at the foot of the steps. "A place where one could set down their burden before moving on."

Vyth stepped closer, his fingers brushing along the cold, rough stone. "Why did you bring me here?"

Aryn did not answer immediately. She walked up the steps, sat down on one of them, and let her gaze rest on the open interior of the shrine, where a simple stone slab stood like an altar. "There are warriors who do not only fight against the world." she began slowly. "They fight to make sure the world’s light remains."

Vyth stayed at the bottom of the steps. "And you think I… what kind of warrior am I?"

Aryn shook her head with a faint smile. "This is not something others decide. These warriors are not stronger than the rest. But they see more clearly. And they are able to choose the light even when everything else falls into darkness."

"And if the light disappears?" Vyth asked.

"It does not disappear." Aryn answered, now lifting her eyes to him. "You may simply not see it. In those times, you must remember that it exists. And then you must decide to walk toward it, even if every step is difficult."

Vyth fell silent. He felt that Aryn was not speaking empty words, but opening a door before him, and it was up to him to decide whether he would step through it.

"And what if I start in the wrong direction?"

"Such a path does not become valid because someone marks it." Aryn said calmly. "It becomes valid because someone begins to walk it. The rest… you discover along the way."

The silence of the shrine enveloped them. Vyth knew that this moment meant more than a simple conversation.

And he felt that the weight of the choice was already within him, even if he did not yet know when or how he would act on it.

Aryn said nothing more. She had said everything she wanted to, then stood up and turned away. Her steps echoed softly on the stone until she disappeared through the doorway. She did not ask for an answer. She knew the decision would not be made here, not now.

Vyth remained alone. His gaze stayed on the altar, and his thoughts scattered before slowly coming together again. He went through the path that had brought him here. The training sessions where every movement felt like his body was using its last reserves. The battles where even victory could not cover the emptiness left behind by the losses. The moments when he moved against the current, and those when he let it carry him instead.

He recalled those he had depended on and those he had let go. Kierg, in whom he believed even when others had already turned away. Aryn’s words, which felt like a mirror held up to him. And his own face, which he sometimes felt was not his, as if someone else wore it.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist. Was he capable of taking the next step? Was he ready to walk a path that would test not only his strength but his faith as well? A path that led only forward.

He did not know the answer yet.

Vyth eventually returned to the city. The sun was already high, vendors were offering their goods in the streets, children were running around at the edge of the square. Yet... something was different.

People’s eyes avoided him. There was no open hostility, only that quiet kind of avoidance a person feels when their presence is not wanted. A woman who had recently offered him bread with a smile now hurriedly adjusted her basket and walked in another direction. A blacksmith he had once talked with at length about weapons gave him only a brief nod, then continued his work as if he had not seen him at all.

As he crossed the main square, he noticed a familiar face. A small boy who had once approached him shyly and asked him to teach him swordplay. Vyth wanted to wave to him, but the boy’s eyes widened, and without a word he ran off, as if he had seen something frightening.

Vyth stopped. For a moment, the noisy marketplace around him seemed to fall silent. He had done nothing. He had threatened no one. Yet he felt the distance between them and himself growing.

And then he understood. Kierg’s shadow was on him as well. He did not need to draw a dagger or a sword for people to fear him. It was enough that he stood close to someone whom the city could no longer look upon with trust.

Vyth moved on slowly, watching as people hurried past him. A few greeted him, but most still turned their eyes away.

At the edge of the square, standing beside a well, Llyris was watching him. He did not speak, he only waited until Vyth came closer. When their eyes met, Vyth saw that this was not a simple coincidence. There were questions behind Llyris’s gaze, and a kind of cautious, yet steady curiosity.

When Vyth reached him, Llyris spoke quietly.

"You see it too now, that it cannot stay like this... don’t you?"

He did not say who he meant, yet both of them knew. The brief silence that followed said far more than words could have.

Vyth looked toward the far side of the square, where a few vendors were laying out their goods. Behind the soft conversations and the creaking of carts, the tension lingered, impossible to ignore.

"I see it." he answered at last, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Llyris nodded, but did not ask further. There was no need. He knew Vyth was searching for the answer himself, and perhaps was not ready for it yet.

Their conversation slowly faded, and for a few moments only the quiet sounds of the square filled the space between them. Llyris finally stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder in silence.

"When you decide, do not do it for anyone else. Do it only for yourself."

Vyth looked up at him. Their eyes met briefly, then Llyris released his shoulder and walked toward the other side of the square. Vyth remained alone beside the well.

Early the next morning, Vyth was walking along his usual patrol route when he noticed that the city was unusually restless. Small groups had gathered in front of houses, fragments of whispered conversations drifted through the air. Though the words were not always clear, the tone made it obvious that everyone was talking about the same thing.

A young Guardian hurried toward him. Excitement and uncertainty mixed on his face.

"Did you hear it?" he asked breathlessly.

Vyth slowly shook his head. "What?" he asked.

"The Council... under Aryn’s lead they issued a public order. Kierg must leave the city or submit to a direct investigation by the Alliance of Guardians."

The words hit him as if someone had suddenly pulled the ground out from under him. Not because of their content, but because of how he found out. Not in the Council, not officially, but from a young Guardian on the street, as if it were an ordinary rumor. The cold morning suddenly felt even colder.

Vyth did not answer, he only lowered his eyes for a moment to hide how deeply the news affected him. The young Guardian nodded nervously, then hurried off, as if he already had somewhere else to be.

On the other side of the street, two merchants were leaning close together, and a woman by the well was explaining something to the man beside her, glancing toward Vyth again and again. The words blurred with distance, but the looks spoke clearly.

The news spread through the city like wildfire.

Vyth arrived at the abandoned training ground in the late afternoon. Kierg was standing at the edge of the field, his back to Vyth. He was not training, he was not moving, he was only watching the distant mountains.

"I heard it." Kierg said without turning toward him. His voice was calm, but something tense lay behind his words. "It seems I am no longer needed."

Vyth stepped closer, trying to find the right words. "That is not true. There is still a way back. If you accept the investigation, you can prove that..."

"I do not want to go back." Kierg cut in, and only then did he finally turn toward him. His gaze was cold, but not hostile. It was the look of someone who had already made a decision and would not reconsider it.

Vyth said nothing, he only waited for him to continue.

"When I returned, I thought I might find something again... someone worth staying for." Kierg said slowly. "But the way they look at me... the way they whisper when I walk past them... they do not see the Guardian. Not the companion. Only the weapon they are afraid to use."

Vyth did not answer.

Kierg eventually turned away again, looking back into the distance. "Go home, Vyth. This is no longer your fight."

Vyth did not move immediately. He only watched the tall, motionless figure who had once been one of the symbols of the city’s defense, yet now seemed more like a stranger who could not be brought back from the place he had withdrawn into.

Evening had come. The lights of the city flickered in the distance as Vyth made his way toward the shrine. He did not hurry, with each step he tried to steady his thoughts, but they kept circling stubbornly within him.

The area around the shrine was quiet, just as it had been last time. When he stepped between the tall walls, the noise of the outside world fell silent at once. Vyth stopped, and his gaze moved across the simple shapes of the altar. There was nothing special about it, yet it was strangely heavy to look at. As if every word from the earlier conversation echoed here.

Kierg’s face appeared before him again. The dusty yard of the training ground, the light, and that cold gaze. As if they no longer lived in the same world. His words echoed as well. "I do not want to go back."

Vyth closed his eyes. He tried to imagine what it would have been like if everything had turned out differently. If Kierg had returned and the people had accepted him again. If fear did not follow his every step. But the images would not come together. Reality was far sharper and more rigid.

Aryn’s face came back to him as well. The calm yet weighty gaze when she had led him to the shrine, and that voice which had been both encouraging and relentlessly honest. “A path does not become valid because someone marks it. It becomes valid because someone begins to walk it.” He had not known what to do with those words then. Now, however... now he was beginning to understand.

He sat down on the cold stone bench by the side wall and let the silence slowly wrap around him. He did not pray, he did not search for words. He simply listened. He listened to his own breathing, to the tightness in his chest, and tried to understand what frightened him this much. Whether he would accept Aryn’s offer... or refuse it.

Time passed slowly. He was still alone in the shrine. He felt that he could not wait any longer, at some point he had to choose.

He looked up at the altar. He did not ask for guidance, nor did he expect a miracle. He only knew that this moment mattered. Then he nodded, as if sealing the decision. He accepts the opportunity.

He stood there for another moment, then walked around the altar and ran his fingers along the edge of the cold stone. He could not explain why he did it, but the gesture calmed him. As if he were saying goodbye to what had been until now and was ready for what would come next.

When he stepped out of the shrine, the cool air brushed against his face. The lights of the city still flickered in the distance, but Vyth now looked at them differently.

That evening Vyth did not go home right away. He went straight to the Temple. The hallways were empty, only the faint crackle of the torches broke the silence.

The door to Aryn’s study was open. Inside, Aryn was leaning over the desk, arranging notes, but as soon as she noticed Vyth, she straightened.

"Am I interrupting?" Vyth asked.

"No." Aryn replied, and pushed the parchments aside. "What happened?"

Vyth stepped closer and stopped on the other side of the desk. His voice was calm, and his words came out clearly, without hesitation.

"I accept the opportunity we talked about."

For a brief moment, surprise showed on Aryn’s face. Not much, only a barely noticeable change in her gaze, as if she had not expected this announcement at this exact moment. Then she slowly nodded with recognition.

"I knew you would make this decision sooner or later." she said quietly.

Vyth did not answer, but he felt that the words he had spoken made his resolve final. Aryn’s gaze stayed on him for a moment, as if she were weighing something, then she stepped back to the desk and moved a parchment aside, clearing the space before her.

"Very well." she said at last.

Vyth did not move, he did not turn away, he only stood there, watching Aryn’s movements.

Aryn took out a parchment with golden edges. She held it in her hand for a brief moment, as if considering something, then signaled with her eyes for Vyth to follow.

They stepped into a narrow, dimly lit room where a simple circular pattern was drawn on the stone floor. Aryn stopped at the edge and looked at Vyth with a serious expression.

"This is not about appearances, it is not a ceremony." she said quietly. "There will be no audience, no applause. Only you, and what you will represent from this moment on."

Vyth nodded. He did not try to ask anything, but he felt the deeper meaning behind her words.

"Stand in the center of the circle."

Vyth stepped forward, then Aryn slowly walked around him, and stopped in front of him.

"Kneel."

Vyth obeyed. The movement came almost on its own, yet he felt every muscle tighten. Aryn stepped closer and stopped before him. For a brief moment she simply watched him, then raised her hand and gently placed her palm on his head. Her voice was slow and ceremonial, each word falling with weight.

"I hereby knight you as a Golden Knight. Your task is to guard the light even where everything else falls into darkness. To stand for those who can no longer stand for themselves."

As the ceremonial words faded, a soft, deep hum began to fill the air.

Vyth lifted his gaze in surprise. A golden light appeared around him, at first only glowing faintly on the ground, then slowly rising upward. The light thickened, forming layers, and on his chest the breastplate began to take shape. The armor looked cold, yet a gentle warmth radiated from it.

A moment later the pauldrons formed, then the arm and forearm guards. Each layer fit perfectly onto him, as if it had always belonged to him. Vyth watched as the greaves formed as well, the metal settling into place almost without sound.

When the light finally faded, the armor was complete. Vyth slowly stood up, letting his gaze move across the smooth, golden surface.

Aryn stepped closer and watched him in silence for a moment. "Now you are ready." she said at last, with a quiet note of satisfaction in her voice.

Vyth nodded, but did not speak. He simply stood in the center of the circle, feeling the weightless strength of the armor. He knew that from this moment on he was no longer the same person who had entered this room.

Aryn stepped back slowly, keeping her eyes on him. She stopped a few steps away, then spoke quietly.

"Now you can see who I truly am."

Before Vyth could react, a blinding light filled the room. It did not burn, yet it spread with such force that every shadow vanished. At the center of the light stood Aryn, and her form began to change.

Her face started to shine, her features becoming clear, as if every small human imperfection had been wiped away. Her eyes glowed deeply, and their gaze was both peaceful and impossibly strong. From her back, shapes of light unfolded, then feathers formed around them, turning them into full wings. Each feather flared for a moment before the light softened into a gentle pink shade, and the wings unfolded in their complete form.

When she spoke, her voice was deeper and clearer than ever before, every word ringing as if it spoke directly into Vyth’s soul. He did not only hear it, he felt it.

Vyth could not move at first. The sight was both magnificent and overwhelming, hitting him with such force that the air tightened in his chest. His heart pounded, his fingers curling into fists on their own, as if he needed something to anchor him to the ground.

His knees slowly trembled, and finally gave in. He did not kneel from force or pressure, but because the weight of the moment settled onto him. His hands fell against the armor, as if it could give him stability.

Shock and reverence were reflected on his face. He could not tear his gaze away from Ylena’s radiant form. Every movement, every slight shift of the wings felt as if it came from another world.

He knew that what he saw was not magic. This was the truth that had been kept from him. A secret too great to be described with simple words. And now he was certain that he will never forget it.

The light slowly faded, but Ylena’s radiance did not dim. Her wings remained spread behind her, the feathers glowing in soft shades of pink.

Her gaze fixed on Vyth.

"I have always watched you." she said quietly, her words clear yet weighted. "I did not choose you because you are flawless. Nor because you never make mistakes. I chose you because even in your greatest uncertainty you are able to put others before yourself."

Vyth lowered his eyes for a moment. He knew Ylena had seen everything. His weaknesses as well. Ylena stepped closer, her wings following her movement with a soft rustle.

"A true Golden Knight is not strong because he can fight." she continued. "Strength is not in the sword, not in the armor, not in the magic. It is in the ability to keep one’s faith even when the world trembles around him."

Vyth looked up at her, and their eyes met. He felt that Ylena was not merely speaking words, but giving him something that could not be learned from a book or a lesson.

"The future will test you soon." Ylena’s voice grew slightly deeper, every word leaving her with slow emphasis. "Not only with weapons. With choices. There will be moments when there is no clear good or bad. When your decisions define who you remain."

Vyth swallowed. He had seen countless battles, but this thought... that a choice could be heavier than a sword... somehow felt far more oppressive.

Ylena leaned closer, her gaze holding his without letting go.

"I ask you to keep your humanity. Even when everything else grows dim. Even when everyone around you has already given up."

The words settled slowly within Vyth. He knew he should answer, but his tongue felt heavy, his thoughts tangled. He nodded slowly, unwilling to promise more than he could truly keep.

"I will stay true to my heart..." he said quietly. "...and to my oath."

For a moment, silence followed. A faint, warm smile appeared on Ylena’s face. As if that short answer had been everything she wanted to hear.

Then she stepped back, but her wings remained open. Their light surrounded Vyth, not blinding, but with a protective warmth. In that moment Vyth felt as if every sound in the world had been shut out, and only this moment existed.

The news swept through Glelrun quickly. The day had barely passed, and already every street was whispering about it. Vyth had been named a Golden Knight.

At the market, vendors leaned close together, their voices both excited and cautious.

"This is a good sign. Maybe now something will truly change." a woman said as she placed fresh vegetables into her basket.

"Maybe... but do not forget who he always stood beside." a man replied, not even trying to lower his voice. "That other one... Kierg."

The mood in the streets was mixed. Some felt genuine hope, as if Vyth’s appointment was a sign of a new beginning. Others were still uncertain, their eyes cautious, as if even the golden armor could not completely erase their doubts.

Llyris was already waiting in front of the Temple. When he saw Vyth at the entrance, he smiled broadly.

"Congratulations." he said, and there was no forced politeness in his voice. "I am proud of you."

His words carried honesty, and in his gaze there was a calm certainty that whatever came next, he would stand by his side.

"I hope you know you made the right choice." he added.

Vyth nodded. "I know."

On the other side of the city, Kierg heard the news as well.

Kierg simply stood in silence. A faint, barely noticeable smile appeared on his face. Not mocking, but something rare, a restrained kind of pride.

"Now we truly stand on different sides..." he said at last. He paused for a moment, then added. "...even if we fight for the same thing."

His voice was not bitter, but it carried the recognition that their paths had separated.

Evening slowly settled over the city. The whispers did not fade, the mixture of hope and distrust remained in the air. Vyth knew that the knighting was only the beginning. The real trials were still ahead of him.