The Prayer Incomplete

The surreal sound of 200 men moving at exactly the same time, in unison. 

It is the opposite of nature. 

The wind in the trees. Birds wings. Foxes drinking water from a stream. Natural normal sounds. 

Not here. Not in the Temple of Might. 

Stupid name. Stupid bullshit. Men. Who taught them this? 

She's on the way. She is walking up the steps.

She is a teacher. 

They left out the second half of the prayer. 

She's on the way. 

They got on their knees and crossed their feet at the ankles as that is how they were taught to pray. 

And they recite all they know. 

"We will meet strength with strength

We will meet power with power 

We will meet cruelty with cruelty" 

The wind opens the doors for her and she arrives. 

"Finish the prayer!" 

She is lean; starved and powerful she moves like a taught piece of rope brought to life by anger and she cannot be stopped. 

Everyone is looking at her. They know, somehow, she is a rope that will hang someone. 

Good.

Listen. 

"Finish the prayer!" 

They have no idea what she means. In a few senses. The Commandant approaches her.

He has no idea. 

"No women are permitted in the Temple of Might!"  

Old. Stupid. He has no idea. 

"Test me, sir," she says. 

"You are a stupid little girl and you do not belong here!" He shouts. He believes it. 

No idea. 

She feels bad for him. She has to kill him. But she knows he has to hit her before she can take this temple. 

"Stupid little girl!" and he backhands her first, and open-hand slaps her as a follow-up. 

She takes it. 

"You are incorrect." She says with confidence that shakes him, she spits out so little blood she feels insulted by just having to think You're in charge here? 

"Who.. who are you?" with a tone that realizes he bit off far more than he can chew. 

Faster than a snake would strike she moves on him and puts one dagger in his right lung and goes from a ninety-degree angle to another ninety-degree angle and slides another dagger into his left lung at a high opposite angle and leaves the blades in him. 

She steps away like a dancer at the end of an epic play. She lets nature take its course. She catches him as he falls and gently places him on the floor. 

Now he is dying. She goes to her knees and whispers in his ear. 

"You lied to these men," as his body betrays him "You lied to them, and this is compassion. If they knew what you did? The things they would do to you. You liar. You fiend. I will make all of them pray over you. I will punish you with compassion. When I see you in the City of Light you will apologize to me." 

His heart continues it's treason and keeps pumping blood; killing him, slowly.  

She stands up.

She watches his body continue trying. It is so quiet and the space is so big they can hear it because they have learned so much about the power of silence.

They can hear the echo's as his heart tries to do the only thing it knows how to do. 

The thump THUMP  thump THUMP of the human heart. And they all listen. He can't breathe anymore. She stands over him; the blood lets off some steam on the floor. 

They stay on their knees in the First Position.

She had to do this. 

It's so cold in the Temple of Might on the floor made of a single stone that the sinner's blood starts to crystalize.

Some damned fool moved.  

"Stay the fuck on your knees!" She says with confidence that would kill. "This is MY temple now. You are all my disciples now. If you wish to debate that? The pit is right there." She drew her sword and used it to point.   

An old man turned on his knees

"I am Keshjan, number one of this company and I bring my respect and my experience," said the old , man "I am loyal to the two hundred; We were unaware it was taken from you and my sword is yours." 

"Rise up, Keshjan," she took his chin and lifted him "you are with me now." 

"Can I now tell you the rest of the prayer?" She asked. 

"Yes please," Keshjan said. 

"Then you must again kneel," she said and grabbed the former leader proved sinner's body by his collar and started dragging it.  

"I can..." Keshjan started.

"You will not, you maintain the position," she said simply. 

She dragged the body to the center of the temple, across a great stone into a circle. The smell of blood. She turned to the formation. 

"You have been lied to!" 

No one moved; covered in blood? She must know something! 

"You only know the first half of prayer! Here is the second part!" 

Then she moved like the wind into the position. 

"You will repeat after me!" 

"I will meet suffering with compassion. 

I will meet fear with safety, 

I will meet pain with comfort

I am a Paladin; I pray for the power to save lives!"

Silence. And then. They all leaned forward and then they looked up.

Ready. Willing. Able. 

"Save lives?!" she shouted

Two hundred men said, "SAVE LIVES!" 

"We understand each other. Pray over this sinner and someone draw me a bath."