4.2 Re-born
to his legacy
Helmut sat there to listen to priest who told him a
startling tale of the Crusaders. What intrigues him was the priest spoke of his
ancestors involved in it; he knew from the family history that his ancestors
did served as knights in the previous Crusades under the banner of the Teutonic
Knights. But since the last hundred years, there was no mentioned of that in
the family. The last one to be involved in the knights was his great
grandfather, Kruger Schmidt who was a contributor to the cause in medical aids
and funds.
"Helmut, you were named by your father after
your ancestors who were the first Crusaders." Father Joseph told him.
"He held that broadsword in his hands that was once belonged to the man
named Arthur. It’s the famed Excalibur."
"Bah! Father Joseph, You had me mistaken me for
a child to listen to tales." Helmut shrugged off the tales suddenly
bestowed on him by this old priest.
"This broadsword you carried had a long
history. Its most famous one was the tale of the Arthurian realm. The name
Excalibur was it given then and stood till today. It disappeared on the death
of the fable King Arthur, but before it was to be Arthur, it was known as
Caledfwlch or Caladbolg, the broadsword
of Fergus mac Roich. Caladbolg was also known
for its incredible power and was carried by some of Ireland's
greatest heroes. The name had another name; "hard cleft" in Irish, or as a generic term for "great
broadswords".
"But the broadsword was not one owned by any
country or King, or even conqueror. It was rumored to surface when it’s needed.
It surfaced later as the broadsword of Attila; the legendary weapon once
carried by Attila the Hun. Or known
then as the "broadsword of the war god;" Some legends refer to it
simply as "az Isten kardja," the broadsword of God."
"In the eleventh century, some five hundred
years after the death of Attila, a broadsword claimed to have belonged to him
surfaced to the Kings of Hungary, then who claimed and linked to Attila with
their right to rule. The King held the broadsword that was given by the queen-mother
of King Salomon to Otho, Duke of Bavaria.
Otho had given it to Dedus, younger son of the Margrave Dedus, after whose
death it had come to the Hungary king. Soon after, it came back to your family
in Bavaria and was kept since then. Your family may had been elected as it
custodian."
"Behold what you wield may be your destiny to
continue its legacy as a Crusader."
"Thank you, Father Joseph. It was a fairly long
tale but I am not linked to it. I held onto this broadsword as it was the only
thing left in my family after the war." Helmut picked up the broadsword in
his hand. "It’s all I have now,"
"True, Helmut. A broadsword that only you can
wield as one day you may call upon it to slaughter the Gods." Father
Joseph spoke out loud. "I saw you and the broadsword, and I knew your
destine lies here. There been a calling for the resurrection of the Crusaders.
Your great ancestors were once and you would be the next."
"Crusaders? Those are the tales of the old
folks. I am not one. I was an officer of United Europe....."
"And your last battle was defending the
Vatican. You fought on despite injuries, and it was me who carted you away. I
tended to you and then sent you off until we met here again." Father
Joseph remembered the siege on the city of Vatican. It was a hard fought battle
that lasted over two months; of countless waves of soldiers and armored. When
all was in a standstill, the siege was imposed and millions died in hunger. The
only thing kept the defenders going was their faith.
"Father Joseph, I am not fighting anymore
battles from now. I am just going to devote my time to keep my friends alive
and safe." Helmut sighed in this reply. "My days as the professional
solder are over. I am just now..."
"Be a warrior of the faith; a Crusader."
Father Joseph intervened in. "Hear me out, child. The previous war was not
by Man but by a great Pretender. He who pretended had influenced the war that
killed the millions, and now ruled over the rest. He must be stopped and you
are one of them. You cannot do it alone although you wield the broadsword to
kill him, but you need your other warriors to assist you. Alone you would fail.
With the four of you, you may succeed. They are coming for you or you may go to
them. You cannot deny your destiny."
Helmut picked up his broadsword and took leave of
the older priest. He was returning back to his castle.
No comments:
Post a Comment