Chapter 1

     Sometimes ignorance can be a gift from God. For after all, if one cannot escape the beast, what comfort is there in knowing that he stalks. So to those of you who would flee, know that the beast is far swifter. For you, the choice of ignorance, is the right one. But to those of you who would stand and fight, know that with God's help, the beast can be brought to yield. It is for you, that I tell this tale. 

 ‘Twas an October night in the south of France. The year of our Lord was 1307. It was a time when great stone castles rose to meet the heavens.  A time when men wore mail to blunt the stings of slashing blades.

     On this black starlit night, light autumn breezes danced softly about on shadowed fields. The night sky glistened with the sparkle of a thousand stars, as an eerie silence came to rest upon the land. Below  in the darkness, the fiery whites of nervous eyes flickered, taking hold of the torch lit tower before them. Ominous was its stark silhouette, as it cast it blackness upon the stars in the heavens beyond. Then, in an instant, the cloak of night was pierced by the steely glare of drawn swords. Suddenly, the gleam of one blade struck skyward, as a mighty shout roared forth from a darkened ravine, "For God and Man. St. Michael, Grant Us Victory. Quit ut Deus?"  In a thundering rumble, a quarter score of brazened knights raced forth a foot. Their shouts hurled at the darkness, as they stormed through the bastion's open gate. Soon white surcoats flashed in the torch lit court yard, as only three drew swords against them. But alas, the three were quickly hewed, like wheat before the scythe.

     Echoes of their screams soon silenced, as Egon gathered his diabolical captives before him. Casting them to their knees, the young knight commanded aloud, "Speak demons! Where are the others?"  A shaggy bowed head rose slowly to look upon him and answered in a trembling voice, "They are gone, My Lord."  "And the treasure, he parried?"  "I am afraid it travels with them."

     The young grand knight questioned again, raising the head of another by a grasp of hair, "Where have they fled to?"  "We do not know, merciful one. We are but mere squires, left only to tend to the torches."  Releasing his grip, Egon paused to consider his charge. After a moment of silence, he turned to Edico, and with fire in his eyes commanded, "Put these serpents to the sword, Brother. Then burn their evil carcasses."

      A short time later, the sun blazed anew upon a glowing violet horizon. Its rays awoke the deep rich colors within the stained glass above, as Egon entered the grand hall. Within, the great stone walls echoed with the clanking of armor, as the searchers began their task. All had been striped bare, but for a single red banner, hung from the rafters in prominence. Strange banner this be, thought Egon. For it bore two knights on a single horse, one facing forward, the other facing to the rear.  While Egon pondered the banner's meaning, Perigrin returned to the grand hall. He entered through a darkened alcove, sword trembling in hand, as too the flaming torch held in the other. Quickly he came to stand before Egon with a face of fear and sweat bead upon his brow. In in a raspy voice he whispered, "Grand Knight, grasp the cross hung round thy throat. For what lies below  is no less then a sight from hell itself."  Quickly Egon drew his sword and beckoned to the others, "Each of you, light torches." Then turning to Perigrin, he commanded, "Lead us to this place, Brother."

     Through the alcove they marched in single file and came upon a darkened stairwell. Their descent was swift, but at stairs end, they were halted by a putrid stench that spoke of an unholy death.  In the torch light before them, stood a great stone archway, its passage sealed with the black of darkness. Cautiously, they entered, as glints of torch light danced upon their drawn blades. Within, Egon quickly spied lamp stands about in the shadows. With haste in his voice, he turned to Perigrin and whispered, "Light those lamps so we may see what stands before us."     Quickly the light washed the darkness from the walls. Before their eyes, stood great stone demons posed for the strike. Dark sentinels they be, casting their shadows upon the gray stained walls. Accursed walls they be too, adorned with demonic landscapes, tattooed by artists lacking in skill. Instantly, the lamps' flickering gave motion to the statues, causing all to tighten grip upon the hilt of their swords. But their motions soon ceased as the light took hold.

    Once more, Egon took lead and approached the spectral altar in the rear. Quickly he came to pause, as he peered into the pit which encircled it. The sight, now beheld by all, was more than even these men of war could fathom. For below were hoards of serpents, slithering among the bones and decaying remains of slaughtered children. Egon drew back in nausea, and gasped in a whisper, "For the love of God, leave us withdraw."   With swords at the ready, the nervous band backed slowly from the hall. Not a man would turn his sight from the altar until the stairs were quickly reached. Then one by one, each raced up the stone steps for the light above. Egon then quickly called his council to withdraw at once, and set up a camp outside of the tower’s walls. 

     At midday, Monsignor Leveque arrived in the company of the king's emissary, the Marquis de Moreau. Egon quickly gave his report, but neither man dared to enter the unhallowed grounds. Instead, the monsignor called for Bishop Montclaire to be summoned, and the tower sealed until his arrival. That night the camp fires cast eerie dances of shadows upon the fortress walls. For there was no sleep to be had, as the monsignor performed exorcisms within his tent. Perigrin was last to be sent, but never arrived. For he had secretly chose the drinking of spirits to chase the demons from his soul.

     The next morning, the crisp autumn sun greeted the day with the arrival of the bishop and his party. Immediately, the bishop called council within the monsignor's tent. There, amid council, Egon was summoned and brought before him. The bishop smiled a pleasant greeting, then ordered, "Grand Knight, have your men search about and gather casks of oil and spirits. When they have completed the task, return here to me."  "It shall be done, Your Grace." Then quickly Egon departed.

     Upon his return, the bishop rose and ordered Egon to draw his sword and kneel before him. Crossing his hands above Egon's head, he raised his eyes to heaven in silent prayer. When he had finished, he turned his eyes once more to the bowed knight and spoke aloud.

     "Egon, Brother of the Sword, do you renounce Satan and his minions of evil?"

     "I do, Your Grace."

     "Do you swear your allegiance to Almighty God, our Father, with your whole heart and immortal soul?"

     "With my whole heart and soul, Your Grace, I so do."

     Then raising his staff, the bishop turned his eyes to heaven once more, and began to pray aloud, "Almighty God, our father, sent forth your Arch Angel to embody the spirit of this humble servant before me. Harden his sword with thine goodness and truth, so he may defend us as we do thy bidding. I ask this in the name of thy Holy Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior." Then staring deep into Egon's eyes, he commanded, "Rise Egon, Knight of the White Stone, and lead us to our task."  Blessing himself, the tall young knight rose with sword in hand. Then quickly he took lead, as the bishop, monsignor, and three priests followed him in procession from the tent. When they approached the threshold of the gate house, there was a sudden trembling of the ground beneath their feet. Startled, the party halted and the bishop came forth. Egon tightened hold on his sword, and each man blessed himself, as the wiry old bishop raised his staff and shouted before the gate.

     "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil one." 

     All went still as the sun enlarged and cast a radiant glow upon them. The bishop then turned to Egon with a nod, and once more the young knight took lead of the procession. They entered through the great hall and proceeded down the stone steps towards the chamber of evil. At its threshold, Egon brought them to halt, and once more the bishop came forth. Staring into the darkness he caste sprinkles of holy water before them. Instantly, the chamber echoed with cracking hisses, as the spattering droplets purified the unhallowed ground on which they fell. The bishop then raised his staff once more and pounded its end to the floor with three deafening retorts, "I come in the name of God the Almighty to cast you out and reclaim that which is his."

     The ground rumbled again as the young priests anxiously blessed themselves. But calm returned as the old prince entered the hall, and with his staff beckoned the party to follow.      Silently they walked in touch light and stopped before the pit. From the corner of his eye, Egon glimpsed a motion from one of the stone sentinels. Quickly, he singled it out for stare and slowly raised his sword. The blade suddenly pulsed with a pale blue light and instantly, the demon froze. Once more the silence was broken, as all joined in unison, reciting the Lord's Prayer. When the last echo of their voices had ceased, the bishop turned to his priests, "Go above and gather the oil and spirits and bring them here before me."

     In priests absence, the bishop suddenly began to speak aloud, as if in answer to an invisible inquisitor. But neither Egon nor the monsignor were privileged to the questions being asked. At first his voice trembled, but then steadily rose in anger, "No! Be gone, evil one. No! Be gone, evil one." Then in one final great shout, the gray hair bishop thundered aloud, "God is my master, and I renounce you and all of your temptations." With that, silence returned, then quickly ended with the echoing steps of the returning priests.

     When the casks were placed before him, the bishop cantered a blessing and turned to the serpent's pit. He sprinkled holy water upon it and shouted once more with a pound of his staff, "I demand, in the name of God the Almighty, the release of these innocent souls!" In response the ground shook and a pale white mist rose from the pit. Suddenly, the evil stench was vanquished.

     The bishop then turned and crossed the wooden bridge and stood stern before the altar of evil. Raising his staff once more, he spat upon its brown stained slab. In defiance he then turned his back upon it as it glowed with a dull orange hue. Then gathering his strength, he removed a Eucharist from his pouch and turned to face the abomination once more. Making the sign of the cross he gently placed the holy host upon the glowing slab. Then drawing back, he pounded his staff three more times and thundered, "Jesus, our Lord and Savior, grant these innocent souls peace."  Instantly the Eucharist glowed and the brown stains upon the altar liquefied into streams of bright red blood. All stared in awe at the mystical sight, watching in silence as the blood ran unto the floor and vanished in a mist. Suddenly a piercing scream from hell rang out and the altar split in two, crumbling to a heap of chalky gray dust. All but the bishop and Egon dropped to the knees in fear.  Once more Egon's sword glowed a deep blue, but quickly flashed to a brilliant white, lighting the great hall about them. Within an instant the shadows returned and his blade was restored to its steely hue. The bishop then turned to the priests and spoke with a nod, "Pour forth the oil and spirits upon this bridge and pit."

     When the task was done, the bishop took the torch from Egon and set fire to the liquid about. In a mighty roar, pure bright red flames burst forth, without a trace of blue or yellow within. Their dancing fury caste deep purple shadows upon the walls, as the bishop turned his party, "It is done. Thanks be to God. Now leave us depart." The fellowship followed the bishop's lead and all withdrew in silent procession.

     An hour later, the sun shone high above, as a late noon meal was prepared at the camp. Egon sat at the bishop's long table, while the others dined about on the grounds. Throughout the meal, the conversation was light, and not a mention was made of the recent events. When the meal was done, the bishop's party made ready for his departure. Egon though, was pondering what he thought to be an embarrassment. So he gathered his courage and approached the old bishop as he was boarding his coach.

     "Your Grace, he spoke, forgive my ignorance, but I know nothing of this Order of the White Stone you have conveyed upon me." The bishop took his seat and responded with a gentle smile, "Nor should you, my son. For the time is yet to come when you shall be called upon to know its vows. Keep holy, my child, and give it no further thought for now." Then the old church prince added, "I have granted your council rest at my estate. The good monsignor shall guide you there. I’m afraid I shall be away for a time, but I will return before your departure home." Then the old bishop nodded to the driver, and with a slap of the reins, the coach departed in urgent gallop and quickly vanished in the pursuing cloud of dust rising from the road.

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