A little known history

"OK, Winlay." Mika's voice lowered to a whisper even though the pair was probably in the most isolated location in all of Telnon. "You know about the Templar, right?" Of course Winlay knew about the Guardians of the Church, without the Templar to defend the Church of Xelta who knows how far and wide the influence of the heretics might spread. "Over fifty years ago, one of the Templar Commanders came to the bitter understanding that the order was on the wrong path." After Winlay's recent experience with the Templar, it was not hard to see the commander's fears. Mika paused for a couple seconds probably trying to figure out how much she should share.

"This Templar founded a secret order he called the Chevaliers; still under the order of the Oracle, but hidden from almost everyone else." Winlay bit her lip nervously, a secret society hidden right inside the Church? This was scary stuff. "The idea, Winlay, was that a small group of highly trained members positioned in just the right places could be used to tip the balance of pawer within the Church at some pivotal moment in time."

"Like planting a vine in just the right spot;" Winlay offered, using what she knew best to make sense of all this. "Watering, training and pruning it until it might bear fruit, years later."

"Well, OK" Miya was thinking more of pressure points in a fighter's wrist, but maybe this analogy had some merit too. She went on more easily after that.

"Chevalier work in small groups, like Adam and I here in Telnon. I don't know how many of us there are, I don't even think Adam knows, but it's not like there are enough of us to field an army. The strength of the Chevalier lies in our placement, skills and dedication. Every single one of us are willing to die for the cause; and now, I'm afraid dear Winlay, you're in the same boat as us." The normally cheerful Mika looks downright serious, and Winlay had no doubt that if they were discovered by the Templar, either Mika or Adam would make sure that none of them would be taken alive.

"How come I've never ever heard of your group?" Winlay asks so she doesn't have to think about that gruesome fate. "I don't think anyone has." Mika seems ready for this particular question.

"So far, Winlay, the Chevalier have been in hiding and any actions taken have been done in the shadows." Mika took a deep breath and then got back to the man she knew Winlay wanted to learn more about. "It isn't uncommon for a single Chevalier like Adam to act as a sleeper for years at a time before acting on their orders. It's only because he was stationed at the convent that he was able to discover the Oracle was here. I got sent to back him up because I knew him back when I first started training."