Chapter 15
As time went on, Aiden had become more than familiar with the recognition of witchcraft as well as methods to eliminate it. From the beginning, he learned that all life is sacred. Therefore, the preferred means of dispatching it was not necessary to remove it from its female host but to infuse it with the warm light of God. This he would do by a simple laying on of hands. He had also been taught that the presence of God was the only thing the devil would run from. But when this failed, the only cure was at the looped end of a rope, or the sharp end of the sword. Aiden was now ready for the next step, the one that, if he could master it, would set him apart from every monk who had ever been a brother of the Urielin Order. He would walk the earth as God's living Angel of death, a danger only to the devil, whether incarnate or in the practice of the dark arts. Since its creation, the Order had been in possession of a rather unique book. A grimoire. It was an ancient book of instruction in the art of black magic. It covered such subjects as the rite of initiation, the casting of spells, symbols, numerology as well as the harvesting of souls from the young. He was first required to read it, in order to familiarize himself with the inner workings of witchcraft. Then, he would destroy it.
This part of his spiritual education would take place outside the walls of the monastery, where he could speak without defiling the sanctity of monastic law. Again, Aiden received the guidance of the Abbot, who informed him that the book, like every other book of its kind, was possessed by evil. And while not a human host through which to speak, the words within it spoke volumes, simply by virtue of both their nature and intent. Some had attempted to burn it. But, not only was it immune from the flames' destructiveness, but it's pages also let out a chorus of taunting laughter whenever the book was laid to the fire. So, to keep the evil contained within it, the book was stored in one of the walls of the Abbot's cell. The stones that hid it was marked with the monogram of Christ since the Orders beginnings, only it's Abbot knew of its existence as they were the ones charged with the responsibility of watching for the one person who could destroy it.
Having retrieved the grimoire, the Abbot walked Aiden to the back of the monastery. Aiden, however, brought with him the two books he would keep within arms reach for the rest of his life. The Bible and the Rite of Exorcism. They approached the wooden block where he had spent so much time chopping wood during his youth. The Abbot set the grimoire on it and stood back as Aiden reviewed some key passages. He turned to the Abbot with a confused look. "Father, what do I do?" he asked.
The Abbot briefly stepped up to him, giving him only a few words of advice. "Raise your hand and concentrate."
It is the natural tendency to complicate those things that are intrinsically simple and for this, more words would translate into less understanding.
The Abbot moved back as Aiden held up his right hand, palm facing the grimoire, the Rite of Exorcism open and his left hand. He began with the benediction, followed by the Lord's prayer. As he read aloud, Aiden glanced up at the grimoire and noticed it remained unchanged. The Abbot stepped up again.
"Aiden," he began. "You must speak from your heart. The words are nothing without passion."
He began again and after delivering the Lord's prayer, commenced with the rite of exorcism. He had not been ordained as a priest but was merely a simple monk, blessed with the gift of divine power. Continuing the rite, he spoke with passion and intent, focusing his attention on the grimoire. But as the sun approached the evening horizon, the only thing Aiden noticed was a tingling sensation around his hand. No doubt, the result of holding it over his head for so long.
He followed the Abbot back into the monastery, feeling as though he'd failed both God and himself. Being shown back to his cell, the Abbot put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. He sat on the edge of his cot, reading the Rite of Exorcism. It occurred to him that his initial experience, having taken place in the small, candle-filled room might have been the product of his imagination. But, the Abbot had been present and was convinced of Aiden's gift. Yet, like everything else Aiden had learned, destroying evil would also take time to master. In the meantime, he would also be taught the ways of wilderness living and when he was not focused on the task of exorcism, he would be in the surrounding woods, learning about plants, how to find clean water and start a fire, among other things. The Abbot, being elderly, sent one of Aiden's fellow monks to mentor him. All the monks were highly skilled at living off the land. The monastery would not have been able to survive otherwise.