The Tested

"Avenge your brothers."

With that command, the Antagonistic Buddha fell silent, and we let his words take root in our souls.

He leaned heavily on the shattered spear shaft that served as his walking staff. I have never seen him look so weary.

It has been a year since we last gathered here. A year since our many enemies laid aside their differences and found common purpose. A year since the vicious assault upon our home. So many of our brethren perished in the opening salvo. In the chaos, we mounted a flimsy resistance. Our forces wilted before the onslaught.

In the darkest moment, when it seemed their forces would overwhelm us, the Antagonistic Buddha stood defiant. He gave us the order to flee with the junior adepts and the neophytes, then thrust his spear into the heart of the fighting. He was a dervish. My last glimpse of him was a blur of saffron silk stabbing into the fury.

I gathered what brothers I could and escaped into the emergency tunnels. In a moment of despair, I doubted I'd ever see the Buddha again. Our enemies were relentless, and the fighting thundered and echoed deep into the tunnels.

The next morning, I reached one of our emergency caches and found alternative identity papers. Over the next few weeks, I moved east. I never stayed in one place long enough to be overtaken by the enemy's bloodhounds, but was careful no to move with undue haste which might attract attention.

Eventually, I found employment in a suburban carwash many states away from the monastery. This barely afforded me a living wage, but I was grateful. Fortunately, as an ascetic, I was conditioned to a spartan existence. My diet of Ramen noodles and soda crackers may not have been nutritious, but it filled my belly.

At long last, my melancholy weekly visits to an internet cafe were rewarded when I received a callback message from the Great Sage. I packed my few belongings and left immediately. My job was hardly worth formally resigning.

And so I journeyed back to the beginning. I traveled first by bus, then began the long foot ascent to the monastery ruins. I went by the less arduous route and avoided climbing the sheer wall candidates are required to scale. I was the first to arrive, and I passed the time setting up a camp and sifting the ashes for remnants of our former life. Others soon joined me. We cried tears of joy to see each other again. Then, when we woke yesterday, we found the Antagonistic Buddha among us.

There were but a handful of us to take the Buddha's charge. We knew more escaped with us a year ago. some may have been overtaken in flight, or rounded up later. Sadly, we suspected most had broken faith and chosen not to return. Still we believe we shall be enough... and we will rebuild.

The Antagonistic Buddha has called us, "The Tested." He will meet with each brother going out as a knight errant. It shall be my duty to rebuild our records. Our struggle is righteous and our story is too precious to lose.