An Angel for Dupont

She suddenly woke up and realised it was all a dream again--this wonderful dream she kept getting nearly every night, since “Father's Voice” had spoken to forty second Class Clerics in the great Training Hall. She got up and had a look out of her window. Normally she should not be able to see through it, as a white sheet of paper normally blocked the view. But she had scraped off a bit of it and now saw Libria in the wonderful and colourful morning light, with the sun just beginning to rise over one of the Equilibrium Centers.

After a minute or two she remembered that today was the test which she and the other thirty-nine students had to take in order to become First Class Clerics. With a look at her watch she saw it was late, and if she did not hurry she would miss the beginning, and would have to wait another year for the next Test. After a few minutes of washing herself and dressing in her best clothing, she ran out of her flat towards the Training Hall. She arrived just in time, as “Father's Voice” was beginning to explain the Test and how it should be done.

“Greetings, students! Today you will be given the honour of taking the test which will elevate you to the stage of First Class Cleric, should you succeed. I will now explain the Test and I demand that you all listen carefully as I shall only explain it once. Here is what you required to do in Order to pass your Test.

"Each one of you will have to fight against a First Class Cleric for a certain time. After your time is over, you will both stop and your test will be done. I will then judge your action, and if I decide you have passed, I will arrange a meeting with each of you separately in my office in order to tell you the results of your test. But you will only get invited if you have passed. All others will be included in the training of Second Class Cleric again and have the chance again in the next year. That will be all; so now each one will be called forward by name and begin the fight, and the others will watch. I wish you a good outcome, for Father and the City of Libria.”

Cleric Wehner stood in the third of the four rows, and she could hear her heart beating faster with each of his words. To her, his speaking was each time like a symphony, which she should love to hear over and over again. She wished she could record each one of his speeches so that she could hear it before she went to bed each evening. But now she began watching each fight carefully, as it could give her valuable information about the persons' style of fighting and so she could judge her own style better against her opponent later. She only hoped it would not be the Cleric they all adored and feared so much; she hoped it would not be Cleric Preston whom she had to fight against--of course then it would be useless. She would not even stand for a minute against him.

Then her name was called, and everyone else watched with great curiosity as she was the only female this year. To speak the truth, there had not been a female Cleric who had the chance to come this far for over twenty years, and so this day was making history--but no one thought for a second that she could not pass if she would do it right and give it her best. She had to fight against a Cleric Marks: He was approximately 1.80 meters tall, slender in figure and had light blue eyes. His hair was brown and short and he seemed swift with the katana sword.

Then her fight began but in truth she fought for the one she loved: she fought for Vice Council Dupont, who she loved truthfully, and only him in the whole of Libria. She would give her life for him if it should come to that in the future, and she was always prepared for that moment. After about ten minutes of continuous fighting they both stopped and parted. All forty students had now finished their tests and now had to wait for the results.

After a bit of time an older man appeared in the Training Hall. He was the right hand of “Father's Voice” and was ordered to tell the results of the tests. He read from a paper that four students had passed the test successfully and that the other thirty-six should please go to assume the normal training again. The names of the successful students were then called out and they were taken to the 'dark office' of Vice Council Dupont. In front of it they were told to wait until called into it and ordered to take a seat.

After the last one in front of her came out her said to her in a whisper: "Be careful what you say to him when he asks you things--he does not seem to be in a good mood today.” She only nodded. Of course, what could he do to her what would be of a negative nature? Finally, she was called in and ordered to stand in front of his desk.

It was the first time she saw his so-called 'dark office,' and she was very impressed with what she saw. She looked around and sensed the presence of the security, which was not visible to the normal eye; she saw a statue of Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders. In front of her was his desk, made out of the best-looking wood she had ever seen, and a big chair behind it, which seemed to be made out of black wood. He had been sitting behind his desk, but now stood up to go around it and towards her.

Standing mere meters before her he began another symphony: "Congratulations, Cleric Wehner; as the only female Cleric in over twenty years, you passed the test and therefore you are now a Grammaton Cleric First Class. Your opponent was very impressed with your fighting skills and predicts a shining future for you if you continue this way of training. Now you will also be assigned to Cleric Marks as a 'partner in crime' against our great City and Father's Law, to fight all Sense Offenders.”

After finishing his speech he went around Cleric Wehner and saw a picture on her left wrist--it seemed to be a mark cut into her skin and depicted the letters V, C, D, which where all three entwined into each other. Behind these was the Symbol of the Tetragrammaton, the four T´s. He did not mention it to her but she noticed that he saw it. Without any further talking he released her to her quarters and went back to sit behind his desk.

As he was alone, he wandered towards the huge window in his 'dark office,' which was in the shape of a huge T, and watched the world go by. He thought of this tattoo Cleric Wehner had, and thought it perhaps to be his initials--but then again, nobody could possibly be so pure as to love him. He had done countless crimes in the name of Father's Law. He was the only one--or so he thought--who was feeling, and he had to hide it from everyone out there.

Could it be, after such a long time? Could it be that Cleric Wehner had trained and fought that hard to come all this way just for him? He knew it was wrong; if she were a Sense Offender with this tattoo, he should have brought her to the Court for justice. But he knew all too well what would happen: she would burn in the fires of Libria, a quick death in seconds. That was what he should have done, but somehow he could not bear the thought of losing her. Would it be allowed for 'Father's Voice' to feel the soft skin of a woman who seemed to have not only erotic feelings for him? Was he allowed to dream again and to begin a relationship with Cleric Wehner?

That and a lot more to come, in the next chapter of the saga !