The Nothingman stood side by side with twenty twelve other Deacon Squires, six men and six women, as the stern-featured Mother Virtue gave her speech. She welcomed the dozen into the ranks of Priest Knight, congratulated them on their training, and told them of their expected duties to the Order and to Nascence. It was about the point in her speech where she was telling of theJourney of Enlightenment that Justice's mind began to wonder...

Back to the dream. The haunting face of the old woman with dark eyes. It was the dream that plauged him for most of his last two years here in the Monistary, yet only last night revealed itself fully.

He, or at least the man he used to be, stood before the witch looking crone, as she sat on the ground, a short, small table in front of her. She had said something to him, appearently offering him a seat opposite her. Yet the faceless figure that was himself shook his head and remained standing. She then pulled something rapped in a black silky cloth from a larged ragged purse. Lying it on the tiny table she slowly, gently unrapped it, ass if she were handleing the most fragile thing in the world. When finally done, it appeared to be a somewhat larger than normal deck of cards. On the backs of the cards were detailed depictions of demons and angels, and in the middle, a nude male and female standing back to back.

Suddenly, as he were watching a holo-video of some sort, the face of the crone rushed at him as if the camera of his mind were giving here a close-up. She stairded into his eyes for what felt like an eternity, seeming to examine his soul, his memory, his very essence. She then nodded knowingly and the view panned out a little, now revieling the table as well. The woman lay her hands flat on the table, palms faceing upward.

The cards began shuffling themselves. Seperating, then re-entering, spinning and then rejoining. Finally the flutter stopped as the deck hovered up chest-level with the dream-state representation of he who would be Justice.

"Draw" she said flatly

The man pulled a single card, barely catching a glimpse before it was pulled out of his hand by some invisable force. It then landed in the center of the table, facing up.

It revealed a man in armor atop a horse, holding an encircled star.

The witch woman smiled knowingly. "The Knight of Pentacles" she explained. "You are a stubborn, hard-headed lad, aren't you? A zelot perhaps. Well, I don't suppose we needed the cards to tell us this" she chuckled.

The deck, still hovering released a second card that lay atop the first. It depicted an armor clad skeleton riding a black horse.

"Death. It covers you. Surrounds you. Draws into you with each breath just as the air you take in. But fear not. Death's promise is not the same as Death's touch"

Before he could ask a question, the next card ejected from the deck, this one landing to the left of the first two. It showed a man straining to carry ten long stalves

"The Ten of Wands. Struggle. Indeed, I can see it as plainly on your face as I can in your soul. It bares down upon you as if it were the weight of the world. A pity"

Again before being able to respond, the deck issued forth another card, this one falling directly above the first and second. It showed a nude male and female facing each other, an angel above them.

"The Lovers. This is above you. She haunts you still, doesn't she? Her face fills your mind as much as the taste of her lips, the warmth of her embrace. It always will, poor Romeo..."

He clenched his fists on this intrusion. His jaw locked forward, trying to regain strength too late, as a single tear fell down his face. But the deck allowed no time for sentiment. It slammed down its next card, this one below the center cards. It had a large demon covering it. Yet it lie upside down.

"The Devil. This is below you. Your bondage comes to an end soon. Your shackles of hopelessness fall behind you."

The next card came, right after she was finished speaking. The man appearently realizing he would not be allowed to ask any questions. This one landed to the right of the center cards. A tomb. A coffin lie inside, with a sword at its side. Three other swoords hand from the wall behind it.

"The four of swords. This lays ahead of you. Not as it should seem, merely a rest for your weary soul, a time of healing."

Finally, the last card came down, as if this time it were randonly thrown down. It showed a robed man holding up a sword in one hand and holding weighing scales in the other.

Suddenly the hag began laughing uncontrolably. She seemed to be mocking his as she cackled on. She then looked back into his eyes with all the the emotion gone from her face. She whispered one last word as she began to fade away

"Justice"

"....Justice Steele...will you please step forward"

The Nothingman shook his head, woke himself from his daydream. He looked forward and saw eleven of his class before him, all kneeling before High-Father Dilagence, who was holding a purple sash.

"Justice Steele?" the High-Father pateintly asked,"Are you alright, my child?"

"I am well, just a bit overwhelmed. Please forgive me High-Father." he responded an then stepped up to join his classmates.

The High-Father merely smiled. He then put the sash he was holding to Justice's lips allowing him to kiss it before he lay it over his neck.

The sash hung evenly down Justice's chest, bearing the insignia of the Order on both sides. He then knelt on one knee, completeling the twelve.

The High-Father spoke.

"Priest Knights, you have done well. Our Lord smiles upon you all this day, bearing down his grace. Please stand and leave these halls behind you, yet remember all you have learned here. Enel portect you all"

The Twelve stood and marched toward The Door, the final step of the graduation ceremony. It was more a portal looking hole that shined too brightly to see what lay beyond it. Justice was the last to step into it before awaking somewhere new, some place he did not remember.

He was inside a coffin of some sort. No, more a personal chamber of some kind. Wires and electrodes were attached to him along his head and body. He could see through the glass of the lid into a large white room. There were other tubes such as his, each had a person in a white robe standing beside it.

In the midst of his confusion, he suddenly heard a vacum like noise as the fuild which filled his chamber suddenly drained. The coffin lie apparatus elevated forward until it stood upright. It ehn opened as did the other eleven surrounding him. The attendants quickly began unattatching wires, tubes and needles and then clothing the graduating class.

As they all stood bewildered, the wall directly in front of them opened up. High-Father Dilagence stood "at ease" beside a tiny opifex woman who sat at a terminal of some sort. A speaker cracled to life as the man's voice echoed into the room, as the white robed ones continued busily outfitting the naked warriors

"Priest Knights. You have successfully graduated into our ranks. The time you have spent training, was all done in a sped up virtual reality learning technique, unique to The Order. What seemed to you to be five years was infact but fifty-seven days in real time,

"This was borne of necessity, as the Forces of the Chosen are mustering. The final battle is close at hand.

"Though the training was virtual, do not think it in any way not real. Your minds have been tought that which it must know. Your bodies have been enhanced during your sleep. The only task that remains is making the two into one. Sister Compassion will now lead you to your orientation."

The Twelve stood, now clad in armor. A combat hardened woman entered the room.

"Priest Knights, Attention!" she sounded. She then did an about face and yelled a final command,"March"

The young woman in the control room looked up to the High-Father with concern on her face. "You did see that, did you not, High-Father?"

"The memory spike on Justice's reading just before awakening?" he asked.

"Well yes," The opifex responded, a bit taken back, "Does that not mean..."

"Nonesence. He showed the highest marks ever recorded. To re-Baptise him could mean loosing those qualities that makes him the warrior he is."

"But the rules clearly state...." she bagan

"Silence, Scribe! I am well aware of the rules. Yet there is not anomoly to report" He leaned over then pressed a few buttons that caused the recording to delete. "Understood, Scribe?"

"Yes, High-Father"

As PaladinZero marched on, he looked down at the black blade in his hand. It had the three crossed swords of the insignia pressed into it. And though he did not remember exactly why, he knew the Four of Swords should hold some meaning to him........