Most were not as large. All had been in far worse states of repair.

The memory swept over him, of a battlefield where angels had died and demons were defeated, where beings who lived as long as stars had perished to protect their mortal charges. It should have been a depressing thought but it was not. It reminded him that the faith he served had mighty allies, that he had a place in the great scheme of things. He was part of an ancient tradition, in the service of a much larger cause.

He looked up at the armour and contemplated the being who had once occupied it. It too had been a soldier of the Light. It too had fought against demons of the Shadow. It had sacrificed itself as Gerd had.

He thought about his friend. He had known the abbot since they were boys together on Mount Aethelas more than thirty years ago. They had trained together, fought together, taken their vows together. They had sworn to protect the innocent, uphold the Law and oppose the Shadow. Gerd had fallen doing that. There could be no better death. Surely he now walked in the Holy Sun’s Light.

And yet emptiness gnawed away at Kormak. Was there really any Light to walk into? He had met beings who questioned the basis of his faith, and they had been convincing. He had slain those said to be gods. He had seen no evidence that they would return as their worshippers claimed. Perhaps it was as some of the ancient philosophers said. There was nothing after death, just non-being.

Gerd had been brave and fought the good fight. He had tried to protect the innocent and oppose the Shadow. He had upheld the Law. Those were worthy things, even if there was no reward save a sense of satisfaction in the present world.

So where was it? Where was the satisfaction? He had no reward but his uncertainty, no judge but his dark thoughts. He could only stand in the shadow of a dead angel and wrestle with doubt, and come up with no answers.

He was just a man. Not a saint. Not a prophet. He could not be expected to answer eternal questions. He needed to find his own way out of his personal darkness and back into the Light. The angel could not help him. The kneeling priests could not help him.

He thought about Aemon and his brother. He disliked the way they expected to be obeyed.