<div align="center"><strong>One-on-One with Miss Violet Maui</strong><br/>(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Undefeated/bg1_paladin_male.jpg)</div><br/><br/>The dirt path ahead of him seemed to stretch on forever, but Thomas knew he wasn't far at all. Not anymore. Days of riding had certainly taken their toll on his mind and spirit, but not quite as much as the Summoning had. The mere memory of it made his steel-blue eyes narrow in disgust.<br/><br/>Despite the fancy title, the Summoning was nothing more than a conference of knights and powerful clerics called together more and more frequently these days - by the reigning Prince. And although the Prince always used some lofty pretense to draw their attention, it seemed all he truly wanted to do was gather more power for himself and a handful of greedy, social-climbing Bishops who filled the royal cofers.<br/><br/>Thomas sighed. His was young, but old beyond his years. He'd fought and bled in countless battles for the Republic, bore innumerable scars and made sacrifices few men would have been willing to make in order to be accepted into the Order of Dana. He was a Paladin of the Republic, with the divine blessing of the goddess Dana, sworn to be a paragon of virtue for all the days of his life.<br/><br/>But things had changed in recent years. The government had strayed from their path, true justice and honor seeming less important than amassing wealth - or taking it by force from weaker realms. Maybe they'd always been that way, and he'd simply been to young and loyal and naive to understand. But the current Prince, in only his second year as ruler, seemed much more open about his greed than any of his predecessors. The thought of the Republic falling apart due to power-grabbing and backroom politics went against everything in the Tenets of Law, the guidelines passed down by Dana herself and that had helped steer the realm for centuries.<br/><br/>But now, there was no question that the realm was indeed beginning to crumble.<br/><br/>And the nightmares...nightmares about Thomas failing the goddess and failing to help preserve his beloved Republic had plagued him for weeks. Nightmares about himself being corrupted by the evil of those around him..<br/><br/>He shook off those dark thoughts, his home within view now. He gave his steed, Guillotine, a grateful pat on the horse's muscular white neck. He eagerly leapt off his horse and stabled it, his weariness beginning to overtake him as soon as he entered the front door of his modest home. What little armor he wore on the long ride was carefully removed and discarded, along with his blade. His bed summoned him.<br/><br/>He didn't bother to disrobe as he leapt onto his mattress, closing his eyes. Hopefully, there would be no nightmares tonight. He wasn't sure he could bear them anymore.<br/><br/>