| Order in Chaos |
It had been four years since his arrival at Mount Veri and it had been today that had finally given Brular Eglis,
Keeper of the Flame, his deepest disappointment. Only a few hours ago, Torliana, a Kindling of the Brotherhood
of the Flame had attempted to pass the test that would mark her as a Flame Dancer. The Mistress of the Flame,
Rynalia, had been certain the elf would be able to shed her chaotic nature and become one of the youngest to ever
succeed in finding the spark of Order that resides in all things, even those that appear as chaotic as dancing
flames. For a brief moment, it seemed Torliana had succeeded in her task. She moved as one with the flames.
Then, just as quickly, she had stumbled and fallen into the fires.
He had extinguished the dancing flames with a wave of his hand before turning his back on Torliana and leaving
the testing chamber. She had found him later as he was bidding goodnight to the setting sun.
"Perhaps you didn't notice, but I did manage to control the flames for a moment," she said.
He turned to look at her. "And that is my point. You sought to impose your own control; your own idea of Order
on the Sacred Flame instead of finding and following the pattern that was already there. We do not establish the
pattern; we only accept and let it guide us. You must walk that path if you wish to remain here, Torliana. I do not
see you progressing any further along this path, but you are still a Child of the Flame and will always remain so.
Good night to you. May the Sacred Flame warm and strengthen you." He turned and walked back into the temple.
"And you," he heard her say behind him.
There was something else troubling this particular Kindling; however, it was something she appeared unwilling to
speak of and he did not feel it appropriate to push at this time and he had another task to tend to this night before
he could seek his rest.
#
Brular closed the book and placed it first into the oiled cloth then into its protective box. He had finally completed
the new Book of Law the Speaker of the Flame had requested and would be able to present it to him when he
visited Mount Veri at the Feast of the Summer Flame in a few weeks. The only flaw in the book was the page
where Torliana had accidentally spilled his inkbottle. She had seemed distracted and troubled that day as well,
much as she had been after failing the test earlier.
"Keeper!" Rynalia burst into his office as he placed the sealed box into the wall and reshaped the stones that
protected it. Tyleria, Rogierin and Susaval followed the Mistress of the Flame.
"Mistress?" Brular looked at the lines of concern on each of the four faces and the readied weapons they carried.
He drew a black rod from his belt. "What has happened?"
"Chaos and evil have invaded Mount Veri," Tyleria said.
"From where, we do not know," Susaval said. "Chaos demons roam the halls and a thick fog rolls through the
corridors. The fog seems to carry magic that is causing confusion, and crazed behavior."
"In addition to the demon attacks, members of the temple are attacking each other," Rynalia said.
"Even in chaos there is a spark of order. We must find the one who is directing this attack," Brular said, reaching
for a large shield. The door burst open again and he spun around; his rod held ready as he channeled the fires of
Hellavar into it and began casting his spell.
Tyleria and the others darted forward as the energy from Brular's spell struck the demons. Several of the smaller
ones staggered, but the majority only paused before they began their own attacks.
Rogierin began chanting and Brular nodded as a column of flame surrounded several of the demons. One fell as
another roared and lunged at Rynalia. The Mistress of the Flame dodged to the side and her foot lashed out to
catch the demon in the head. He hit the floor with a solid thud.
Brular focused his attention on a shadow moving in the back of the group. A greater chaos demon was gesturing
and mumbling as he watched them. Brular raised the black rod as he called a pillar of flame down to strike the
demon.
The demon only laughed as the flames faded and two balors appeared in front of Tyleria. The paladin took a step
back as she brought her sword up in a guard position. Both of the balors held swords shaped like bolts of
lightning as they stepped forward. Tyleria blocked the swing from the one to her right as the other balor brought
his sword in a low swing toward her leg. Susaval launched himself toward the balor, his feet aimed toward the
demon's back.
"No!" Rynalia yelled as the balor laughed and spun around. The demon's sword flashed as it cut through the
monk's legs.
The chaos demon raised his hands and several bolts of electricity streaked from them to strike the fallen monk.
Susaval remained silent as his body twitched. When the bolts faded, the monk's body lay charred and twisted.
"He was strong, but not strong enough," the chaos demon said. "I do not believe all of these will be needed to
defeat you." The demon waved his hand and all of the remaining smaller demons crumpled to the floor, leaving
only a handful of the others still fighting, the one who had spoken and the two balors. "My Lady will find the
battle more interesting if it is a bit more evenly matched. Though not so much so that you have any chance of
surviving."
"Who is this Lady you speak of?" Brular asked.
"Her name is not known on this world at this time. However, you will be learning it soon enough." The demon
raised his hands and a shimmering wall of force surrounded Brular.
"No!" Brular screamed as he watched the attacks continue. Despite his helplessness, he felt renewed hope as
Rynalia and the others dispatched the lesser-ranked chaos demons.
As one of the balors attacked Rogierin, Brular tried to call on the power of Hellavar to transfer his injuries to
himself. The magic that would have allowed him to protect Rogierin failed and he fell to his knees as he continued
to call on Hellavar.
"Hellavar's Fires consume you!" Rogierin called forth a tremendous burst of holy fire around himself and one of
the balors. The powerful demon roared in pain as the fire consumed him. Rogierin lay unmoving on the floor.
"A priest strong in his faith and another who cannot even call on his god so he can protect his allies. What a pity,"
the chaos demon said. He waved his hands and everyone in the room, with the exception of him and Brular,
froze. "That's two of them fallen. There are still two of them left and only one of my balors. Perhaps I will need
to take a more direct hand in this matter." The demon paused as his gaze passed from Tyleria to Rynalia then
back to Brular.
Brular squared his shoulders as he looked at the demon. "What is it you want of us?"
The demon began laughing. "We were sent here because one of your own decided to call on the powers of chaos.
This place of order has fallen," he said. The demon stepped forward and seemed to study both Tyleria and
Rynalia for several minutes. "One of these two, while true to the Order, has also tapped into the power of the
Chaos in her own being. She has found balance, something rare in a place such as this. I am surprised, given how
blind her Keeper is." The demon turned and looked at him. "However, he will learn about that power also in time.
The Lady is often unaware of the plots and machinations of others; even those that affect her own."
The demon paused as he cocked his head to the side as if listening to something. "Ah, she finally comes," he said
with a large grin. "Time this was over." He reached out and with his powerful claws ripped open Tyleria and
Rynalia's chests. He released the women from the spell holding them and they both gasped once before they fell
to the floor.
Brular heard the door to his offices open as the chaos demon and the balor both vanished. The wall of force was
still shimmering around him as Torliana stepped through the door.
"What have you done?" he demanded raising his rod again, even if the gesture was useless.
Torliana held out her hand and his wand vanished in a flash of flame, as did his shield.
He stared at her as the wall of force continued to separate them. She should not have been able to penetrate the
demon's magic that easily.
"I have only done what you expected me to do, Keeper," she said. "I have opened myself to the chaos of my own
nature. And now, it is time for you to know the true power of chaos." She waved her hand and smiled.
Brular didn't fight the clawed hands that grabbed him and drug him back into the portal of swirling color and
chaotic sounds. He was the Keeper of the Flame of Mount Veri and as such was responsible for all the souls that
dwelt there. He had failed to protect them, had failed to see what was happening with Torliana, a Kindling he
himself had personally mentored for the past year. He accepted whatever fate he now faced as penance for those
failures.
