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The Making of a Paladin


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Posted 23 October 2002 - 04:40 AM

The Making of a Paladin
by Ryan Brady

Imoen gasped as she peered around the keep with her wide, curious eyes. “Wow! This place is so big! And so beautiful!”

She skipped along side Jaycen as the two children walked through the immaculately groomed gardens that lined the inner grounds of Candlekeep. Every few feet she would stop to take a closer look at one of the hundreds of unique plants and flowers that she had never seen before or to marvel at the huge marble fountains that sprayed a fine, cool mist into the warm summer air. She was so glad Gorion brought her here, even though she didn’t like the idea of leaving her sick mother alone. Hopefully mom would get better soon. Gorion did say that mom wouldn’t be suffering for too much longer, and that made Imoen feel a little bit better about leaving her for awhile.

“I wish I could live here like you do, Jaycey. I don’t see how I could ever get tired of this place,” she beamed.

“Wait until you’ve lived here for a couple years,” Jaycen replied. “It gets boring real quick. And my name is Jaycen, not Jaycey,” he added with a hint of annoyance.

“Okay, Jaycey. I’ll keep that in mind,” she smiled.

Jaycen opened his mouth to protest, but before he could get a single word out the young girl was dashing off across the garden to chase after a squirrel.

“Oh, you’re such a little cutie!” she squealed. “Come here you! I’m gonna hug you, and kiss you, and cuddle you...”

“Imoen, don’t chase the squirrels!” Jaycen called after her. “They could have rabies!”

Shaking his head, he made his way back to the Candlekeep Inn. Seeing that her new friend was leaving without her, Imoen scurried off to catch up with him. “Hey! Wait for me!” she called out.

Imoen plopped down next to Jaycen by the old, dilapidated wagon that sat behind the inn. Jaycen was tossing small pebbles across the road, trying to get them to sail over the walls of the inner grounds. Imoen tossed a few stones herself, though hers barely made it across the roadway. She quickly grew tired of the activity and decided it would be much more fun to try and knock Jaycen’s stones out of the air with her own. As one of Jaycen’s stones sailed across the roadway she sent one of her own stones chasing after it. Crack! Her stone struck his and sent it flying off on a tangent.

Jaycen glanced over at her in amazement. Lucky shot, he thought. Again he threw one of his stones, again she tossed one of hers after it, and again the two struck together and fell out of the sky.

“How’d you do that?” Jaycen asked with astonishment.

“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Sharp eye. Good aim. Quick reflexes, maybe.” She seemed rather unimpressed with her accomplishment. “So, what d’ya do for fun around here?” she asked as she rolled over on her side and peered up at him with a cheery smiled.

“Well, my studies and chores keep me pretty busy,” Jaycen admitted. He looked around the keep, running through his daily routine in his mind. What DID he do for fun? “Umm...well, there’s plenty of books in the library, and...uh...sometimes Hull let’s me polish his sword... Oh! And just last week, Reevor paid me 2 whole gold pieces to clean the rats out of his storehouse!”

“BORING!” Imoen moaned as she rolled on her back and shook her head. She rolled back on her side, brushed her crimson hair out of her face and rested her chin in her hand to stare at him for a few seconds with her sweet, baby-blue eyes. “You need to learn how to have some real fun,” she grinned as she poked him in the chest. Jumping to her feet she grabbed him by the hands and pulled him up. “Come on, let’s go play a game!”

“Okay. I think Winthrop has a chess set in one of the guest rooms. Or we could borrow Fuller’s dragonball...”

“No, no, not one of those kinds of games. Let’s play something fun and exciting!” she beamed. “Let’s play The Paladin, the Princess, and the Evil Wizard!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever played that game,” Jaycen admitted. It didn’t sound like any game he had ever heard of. “What are the rules?”

“That’s the best part--there are no rules! We just make ‘em up as we go along.”

“So, how do you win?” He was becoming a bit skeptical of this “game” of hers.

“You don’t win, you just play and have fun.”

Well, that just sounded like a complete waste of time, then. What good is a game if you can’t win it? Still, Gorion said it was Jaycen’s job to keep Imoen entertained during her visit, so he guessed he had better humor her for now.

“Alright, let’s play The Paladin, the Princess, and the Evil Wizard. So how do you play?”

Imoen clapped her hands and bounced up and down excitedly. “Oh, boy! I’ve never played this game with someone else before!”

Dashing back toward the inn, she leaped up on the side of the old wagon and scrambled inside. A few seconds later her head peeked out from under the heavy canvas tarp covering the top and sides of the wagon.

“I’m a beautiful princess,” she proclaimed. “And I’ve been kidnapped by an eeeevil wizard...”

“Why’d he kidnap you?” Jaycen asked. This was starting to sound like a pretty silly game.

“Umm...I dunno. I guess ‘cause he’s an evil wizard. And that’s what evil wizards do to beautiful princesses.”

“Well, that’s stupid,” Jaycen huffed. “Wizards don’t just go around kidnapping princesses for no good reason.”

“Sure they do!” Imoen protested. “That’s why they’re evil wizards!”

“Alright,” Jaycen sighed. “So you’re a beautiful princess, huh?”

“Yup. And you’re gonna be the brave paladin who’s gonna rescue me.”

“Can I be the wizard?” Jaycen asked.

“No, you can’t be the wizard!” she scolded. How could he even THINK about being the wizard?

“Why not?”

This guy just really didn’t have a clue. This was going to be harder than she thought. “BECAUSE,” she sighed, giving her explanation slowly so each word would sink in, “he’s the EVIL wizard. You can’t play the bad guy!” That didn’t seem to satisfy him very much, so she figured she’d have to give a little better reason. “Besides, I think you’d make a much better paladin than a wizard.”

“What’d ya mean? I could be a wizard if I wanted to!”

“Well, sure ya could,” she shrugged. “But what I’m sayin’ is that you’d make a BETTER paladin. You know, cause you’re strong and brave and...um...” Her smooth white skin turned a slightly brighter shade of pink as she giggled uncontrollably. “...well, you’re pretty handsome.”

Did she just say...handsome? Maybe that was just part of the game. No, they hadn’t started playing yet. Jaycen just stood there staring at her for a few moments with his mouth wide open but no words coming out.

“So, you just seem more like a paladin than a wizard to me,” Imoen smiled.

Puffing his chest out with pride, Jaycen arched his back and struck the noblest stance he could. “Very well, m’lady. I shall be your paladin!”

“See! Ya even got the speech down,” she laughed. “Okay, so I’m the beautiful princess who’s been kidnapped by the evil wizard, and you’re the brave and noble paladin who’s gonna rescue me. The wizard’s taken me to a spooky castle on a far away island, and there’s all kinds of mean, nasty monsters guarding me.” She ducked back into the wagon and popped out a few seconds later with a four foot wooden pole which she tossed to Jaycen. “Here. You’ll need a sword if you’re gonna fight all those monsters. This is a powerful magic sword. You got it by killing a big, nasty dragon!”

“A dragon?” Jaycen smiled. “Wow. I’m that good, am I?”

“And then some!” Imoen smiled back. “Okay, so you’ve just arrived on the island and now you’re gonna have to sneak into the castle and save me before that evil wizard does all sorts of nasty things to me.”

Leaning back into the wagon, she placed the back of her hand against her forehead and peered off into the distance. “Oh, dearest me,” she sighed. “Won’t someone save me from the clutches of this evil wizard?”

“Never fear, m’lady!” Jaycen shouted. “The blade of justice shall strike swift and sure!”

“Oh, save me, my brave paladin,” Imoen cooed as Jaycen dashed around the courtyard, swinging his sword against the imaginary monsters. He slashed his way though legions of vampires and hordes of beholders, boldly challenged powerful liches and laughed at a group of meager umber hulks. All the while, Imoen cheered him on and provided blow-by-blow commentary on how each of his opponents fell before his mighty blade.

Leaping up onto the wagon, Jaycen dove under the canvas tarp and grabbed Imoen by the shoulders. “Fear not, princess! It is I, Sir Jaycen...” He paused for a moment. He kind of liked the sound of that. “...and I am here to save you!”

Throwing her arms around him, Imoen hugged Jaycen tightly. “Oh, my brave paladin, I was so scared for you! You came all this way to save me and you were almost... I’m sorry, Sir Jaycen, I was just so, so scared...”

“You are safe now, and that’s all that matters,” Jaycen replied. “Come, I shall take you away from this terrible place.”

“Yes,” Imoen nodded. “We must leave quickly before... Oh, no!” She pointed out across the courtyard with a trembling finger. “It’s the evil wizard! He’s come to get you too! Look out! He’s casting his spell at you!” Leaning toward Jaycen she whispered into his ear, "You're not gonna be able to resist it, okay?"

"Okay," he whispered back, then clutched his chest and fell to the ground with an agonizing groan.

Clutching her own chest, Imoen fell to the ground next to Jaycen. "Oh, no! He has stolen our souls with his evil magic!"

"Why'd he steal our souls?" Jaycen whispered. Cocking one eyebrow, Imoen just stared at him for a moment. "Oh, right. Because he's the evil wizard and that's what evil wizards do."

"Now you're gettin' the hang of it!" she laughed, then jumped to her feet and took on a serious expression again. "Come, my paladin! We must catch this evil wizard and get our souls back before he uses them for his evil purposes. The safety of all the Realms depends upon us!"

The two dashed around Candlekeep as they pursued the evil wizard all across the Sword Coast. Imoen led them to a city buried under the Sea of Swords and into a series of dark underground caverns. Eventually, they reached the evil wizard's secret stronghold located deep beneath the earth in the very core of the world.

The two heroes stopped before the giant door which stood between them and the wizard and prepared themselves. "Stay here, princess," Jaycen ordered. "I shall deal with this fiend myself."

"You can't go alone!" Imoen protested. "He is powerful and you will need my assistance."

"Do not worry for my safety," Jaycen replied. "Virtue shall be my shield, righteous vengeance shall be my sword, and your love shall be my strength and hope."

Imoen let out a meek little sigh as Jaycen dashed off across the dirt path and behind the old wagon again to attack the evil wizard in his lair. After a few minutes she shook her head lightly to snap herself out of her own personal fantasy and return to the one she and Jaycen were sharing, then proceeded to give him more commentary on the battle.

"His spells are too powerful!" she called out. "You can't break through his defenses!" Racing over to his side, she grabbed him by the arm and stared sharply into his eyes. "You cannot defeat him alone, but together we shall prevail! For I am not just a princess...I am also a powerful sorceress!"

Stepping back a bit, she flung her hands in the air and began weaving them in intricate patterns, then thrust her palms forward. "My magic shall protect you from his spells..." Again she traced her arcane patterns in the air. "...and I can destroy his defenses for you. There! He is vulnerable! Strike now, my paladin!"

With a mighty battle cry, Jaycen leaped into the air and thrust his sword forward to impale the wizard on his blade.

"We did it!" Imoen cried out. "The evil wizard's dead! Yeeeeaaaaa!"

The two hugged each other briefly then drew back but didn't completely break their embrace.

"I liked that game, Imoen," Jaycen admitted. "That was a lot of fun. And I really liked being a paladin. There's something about smiting evil in the name of righteousness that just sounds really neat."

"Well, maybe you should start training to be a real paladin," she suggested.

"Oh, Gorion would never allow that," he laughed. "He wants me to become a priest. I'm just gonna have to leave being a paladin to my fantasies and dreams."

Imoen shrugged. "Dreams are just a realities waiting for you to make them happen. If you want it bad enough, I'm sure you'll find a way."

"Maybe I will," he nodded.

"You should at least try," she suggested. "Don't be afraid to loose something that was never meant to be."

"You know, you're right," Jaycen replied with a nod. "In fact, I think I'm gonna go talk to Gorion about it right now. Thanks, Imoen. And thanks for playing that game with me."

A mischievous gleam sparkled in the young girl's eyes as a naughty little smile slowly crept across her face. "Well...it's not over yet," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Her face started to turn a slightly brighter shade of pink as she explained the one final rule to her game. "A heroic tale is never over until the paladin kisses the princess."

"The paladin is...supposed to kiss the princess?" he asked, as his voice cracked slightly.

"Those are the rules," she shrugged. "And paladins NEVER break the rules." Closing her eyes, she leaned forward and puckered her lips.

Well, if those were the rules and if he was going to be a paladin, Jaycen supposed he had better follow them. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard, then leaned forward but stopped a few inches from her face.

Wait a second...should his hands be on her shoulders or her hips? Or maybe one around her back...or...or on the back of her head? Hmm, shoulders should be okay...he hoped. Oh yeah, and he should probably close his eyes too. Or should he? Well, she was closing her eyes. Okay, eyes closed. Now we're ready. Wait, wait, wait! Wouldn't their noses smack together? How the heck are the physics of this thing supposed to work? Maybe if he tipped his head to one side...

The next thing he knew, something soft and smooth was pressing up against his lips. He just stood there, completely petrified. Okay...now what? How long was he supposed to stay there? Was there something else he was supposed to be doing?

"Move around a little," Imoen whispered. Jaycen swayed back and forth a bit and sent the young girl into a fit of giggling. "No, silly, I mean move your lips around." Move them around? How? He tried doing as she suggested but the end result was more like a fish blowing bubbles. With a snort and a snicker, Imoen fell back and collapsed to the ground, then burst out laughing.

"Oh, by the gods, Jaycen...you're terrible," she giggled through her bouts of laughter. When she finally regained her composure and opened her eyes, she found Jaycen standing before her with a horribly dejected look on his face. Oops. That wasn't quite the reaction she was trying for. Perhaps her assessment of his kissing skills was a little too harsh. Besides, who was she to be a critic? Seeing as how that was her first kiss, she really didn't have much to compare it too.

"Oh, don't worry," she smiled as she jumped to her feet. Leaning in closer, she whispered into his ear. "That just means we'll have to practice a little more. After all, if you're gonna be a paladin then you better learn how to kiss a pretty girl."

She started to lean into him in again but quickly pulled back as a voice from across the keep called out her name. "I'm comin', Gorion!" she yelled back, then tore off down the dirt road at a full sprint.

Jaycen stood by the side of the inn, watching her sprint down the trail until she disappeared around the corner of the inner grounds. Her final words echoed through his mind. "If you're gonna be a paladin then you better learn how to kiss a pretty girl. " A smile slowly crept over his face, then he raced off down the trail himself.

"Gorion!" he called out. "Gorion! I wanna be a paladin!"




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