THE SACRED CODEX OF LEGACY: CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

¹And the hour of choosing was accomplished, and each of the three kings did stand before the altar of the Lord, each with a chalice in hand.
²And lo, the voice of the Most High came forth as thunder upon still waters, and the place where they stood was shaken, but they were not afraid.
³Then spake the Lord, saying, “Ye have chosen, and thy choosing is sealed before Me. The cup that ye have taken shall not depart from thy hand, nor from the hand of thy seed after thee.”
⁴“For I am the Lord, and I change not. My covenants are sure, and My word endureth to all generations.”
⁵“Now therefore, let each king drink all that remains in his chalice, that the covenant may be fulfilled in him and in the people of his house.”
⁶And Loras, King of the Delmarians, did lift up the Chalice of Knowledge, and drank thereof. And it was as clear as crystal, and sweet to the tongue, and yet it burned within his belly like a fire of understanding.
⁷And his eyes were opened, and he beheld the order of the Heavens, and the deep foundations of Ivalice, and the hidden things that lie beneath all things.
⁸And he fell upon his face, saying, “I am undone, for I see that I knew nothing. How wondrous are Thy works, O Lord, and how unsearchable Thy ways!”
⁹Then spake the Lord unto Loras, saying:
¹⁰“Because thou hast chosen the Cup of Knowledge, and hast desired to know My works and ways, behold, I make with thee a covenant.”
¹¹“Thy seed shall multiply exceedingly, and they shall be called the sons of the scribe and the builders of understanding.”
¹²“In every generation shall there arise from thy house those who shall interpret the stars, and read the tongues of the ancients, and uncover the bones of Ivalice.”
¹³“They shall be as lamps unto the nations, and their scrolls shall be sought out from the ends of the world.”
¹⁴“And when kings shall err, and priests forget the truth, then shall thy sons remind them, saying, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it hath always been.’”
¹⁵“But know thou this also: knowledge puffeth up, and he that trusteth in his own understanding shall fall.”
¹⁶“See therefore to it, that thy seed remember the Source of all wisdom, and that they boast not in their minds.”
¹⁷“For I the Lord am not mocked, and the proud I abase, but the humble I exalt.”
¹⁸Then Loras rose, trembling, and his countenance was changed, and a mark as of fire rested upon his brow.
¹⁹And he worshipped the Lord, saying, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. Let it be unto me as Thou hast spoken.”
²⁰Then Baltrain, King of the Kezrethites, took the Chalice of Power, and drank thereof. And the liquid within was red as blood and thick as wine, and it roared in his veins like the sound of battle.
²¹And his arms were strengthened, and his voice became as a trumpet. And there was might in his limbs as of ten men, and dominion in his gaze.
²²And he cried aloud, saying, “By Thee, O Lord, I have leapt over walls. By Thy hand I shall scatter armies and break the horn of the wicked.”
²³Then the Lord said unto Baltrain:
²⁴“Because thou hast chosen the Cup of Power, and hast desired to rule in justice and protect the weak, behold, I make with thee a covenant.”
²⁵“Thy house shall be established among the kingdoms of Ivalice, and thy seed shall reign with the sword and the scepter.”
²⁶“From thy loins shall come mighty rulers and great captains of war, and they shall be feared and honored among men.”
²⁷“The banners of thy house shall be raised upon many hills, and thy throne shall endure for generations.”
²⁸“When the nations rage and the wicked rise up, thy sons shall stand in the breach, and be as lions among the beasts of the field.”
²⁹“But hear also this: power corrupteth, and he who seeketh dominion for his own sake shall become as a beast, devouring the flock.”
³⁰“Therefore let thy sons learn mercy, and rule with righteousness, and let them remember that the sword is given only to him who serves the greater peace.”
³¹“For I the Lord love justice, and delight not in slaughter, but in order and the defense of the helpless.”
³²Then Baltrain bowed the knee, and Ivalice groaned beneath him. And a crown of flame was seen upon his head, though no hand placed it there.
³³And he cried out, “O Lord of Hosts, make me not as the kings of the nations, who glorify themselves. Let me be a shield to the poor, and a terror to them that oppress.”
³⁴And lastly, Cadra, King of the Avarites, lifted the Chalice of Wisdom. And its contents were still and without color, like the morning dew, and silent upon the tongue.
³⁵And when he drank, a deep stillness entered into him, and he saw not with his eyes but with his soul.
³⁶And the voice of the Lord came unto him as a whisper on the wind, saying:
³⁷“Because thou hast chosen the Cup of Wisdom, and not sought thyself but the good of thy people, behold, I make with thee the greatest of covenants.”
³⁸“Thy seed shall be as a light in the darkness, and from thy house shall arise the saviours of the world.”
³⁹“In the days of great peril, when all hope is lost, and the hearts of men grow cold, then shall one come forth from thy line, anointed with My Spirit.”
⁴⁰“He shall bear no crown, nor wield a sword, yet shall he overthrow princes and humble nations. He shall speak truth, and the mountains shall melt before him.”
⁴¹“The powers of darkness shall rise against him, and he shall be wounded, yet shall he not fall. And by his hand shall My people be delivered.”
⁴²“This is the covenant I make with thee, Cadra: that thy name shall be remembered in the days to come, and thy house shall be called the house of the Shepherd.”
⁴³“And in the end of days, when the Heavens are rolled up as a scroll, and the stars fall from their places, thy seed shall stand beside Me in glory.”
⁴⁴“But be not proud, and let none in thy house think themselves greater than their brethren. For the wise man serveth, and the fool ruleth.”
⁴⁵“Let the greatest be least, and let him who would lead, first wash the feet of the lowly.”
⁴⁶Then Cadra covered his face and wept, and his tears fell upon the ground and became as pearls, which the angels gathered.
⁴⁷And a mantle of light was laid upon his shoulders, woven of threads not of this world.
⁴⁸And he said, “O Lord, who am I, that Thou shouldst remember me? Let Thy servant walk in Thy ways, and be found faithful.”
⁴⁹And the Lord lifted His hand, and the Heavens opened, and there was a silence upon Ivalice.
⁵⁰And a great host was seen in the sky, arrayed in brightness, and they cried one to another, saying, “Holy is the Lord, who setteth kings upon Ivalice and maketh covenants with the sons of men!”
⁵¹And there was given unto each king a seal: unto Loras, the Seal of the Key; unto Baltrain, the Seal of the Sword; unto Cadra, the Seal of the Crozier.
⁵²And it was commanded that these seals be kept in the houses of their sons forever, and be brought forth in times of trial, that the people might remember the covenant of the chalices.
⁵³And the three kings worshipped the Lord together, and gave thanks for His mercy and for the calling that was laid upon them.
⁵⁴And it was written in the books of the ancients that from that day, the tribes of men were set upon their paths: the tribe of the scholar, the tribe of the king, and the tribe of the seer.
⁵⁵And the Lord departed from them in the cloud, and the fire returned to the mountain. And the plain was still, and the birds returned, and the beasts did not fear.
⁵⁶But the kings were never again as they were before, for the Word of the Lord had come unto them, and they had drunk of the cups that changeth a man forever.
⁵⁷And thus ended the Covenant of the Chalices, which the Lord made with the kings of men in the days of their innocence.

▷THE SEVEN SCRIPTURES OF THE CHURCH OF GLABADOS
    ▷THE FIRST TESTAMENT
        ▷THE SACRED CODEX OF LEGACY
            ▶1—2—3—4—5

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