The Black Knight Box Set

by Christian J Gilliland

  Auroch was one of the big ones. He stood as tall as a Gaian and had a bull’s head and horns. His body was covered in brown fur and he walked on hooves instead of feet. In his hands, he carried a long pole-arm with a thick shimmering red blade at the end.

  “There sure are a lot of them,” The blonde-haired Elf said, “What do we do?”

  “Our best,” DeMaario commanded. He held his sword at the ready and the rest of the party followed suit, “Remember, give it your all. You cannot die here.”

  “On me,” An annoyed Crinnan pushed his way in front of the others, “Two of you take Auroch, distract him while the rest of us start picking the others off. They have us beat by numbers; we need to level the field.

  “You two,” DeMaario looked at Hiilda and the Marke, the black-haired Vampre, “Distract Auroch. We will fight alongside Crinnan to thin them out.”

  “Stay alive long enough for me to open the portal,” Crinnan added, “Once it is open, we go through.”

  “Acknowledged,” DeMaario said.

  “Okay everyone, thank you for watching, I have found the demon hunter,” Crinnan heard Auroch say as he approached, “Watch me completely fuck his day and as always make sure you like, share and subscribe to my channel!”

  “What is he talking about?” Crinnan asked.

  “He is broadcasting this to all of Govia,” Andeel, the blonde Elf said, “There are millions of Govians watching.”

  “About to watch him die.” Crinnan snarled. He stepped forward and threw his palm out. A blast of lightning shot forward toward Auroch. The streamer leaped out of the way and the lightning blasted into another demon, knocking him onto his back.

  “Go!” Crinnan shouted. He charged forward, quickly cutting through the throat of the first demon that crossed his path. He shot a blast of lightning into the next demon, knocking him back and then stabbed his sword through its head.

  Hiilda and Marke charged at Auroch. Auroch was standing and quickly swiped at their feet with his weapon. Hiilda leaped out of the way but the weapon hit Marke in the legs, knocking him over. Hiilda darted forward, swiping at Auroch with her sword. Auroch took a cut to his upper arm but turned and slammed his fist into her jaw, spinning her backward and knocking her to the ground.

  “Fuck that!” Auroch laughed, “Fucking pussies!” He scanned the battleground, looking for Crinnan and saw him cutting through his fellow demons.

  “Kill him!” Auroch shouted at all the demons on the ground, “What the fuck are you assholes waiting for!”

  Crinnan shoved his blade through the chest of a demon and ripped it out. Blood sprayed him in the face and he quickly turned around and saw Auroch charging toward him. He fired a blast of lightning at him, but once again Auroch dodged it. The portal suddenly opened to Crinnan’s left but Hiilda and Marke were on the ground, incapacitated.

  “Fucking shit dammit!” Crinnan groaned. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he left them behind. He turned toward DeMaario and shouted, “Hey, help them!”

  “On it!” DeMaario shouted as he ran to the others. Crinnan jerked out of the way just as Auroch charged through, swiping his weapon through the air.

  “Piece of shit!” Auroch roared, spinning to face Crinnan. The remaining demons stopped and watched as Crinnan and Auroch met. It was a spectacle for sure, seeing one of their own celebrities face a notorious demon killer.

  “Take this!” Auroch shouted as he swung his glaive at Crinnan. Crinnan snorted and jumped backward just in time to dodge the attack. Auruch swung his weapon back around and lunged forward at Crinnan, who batted it away with his own sword.

  “Done playing?” Crinnan smirked at him, “How many people are watching?”

  “Three million, you piece of shit,” Auruch charged forward with an unexpected speed and performed his signature move, slamming his forehead into Crinnan’s stomach. He lifted him off the ground and tossed him aside, the other demons cheered.

  Crinnan hit the ground but quickly rolled onto his feet. Auruch turned to face him and Crinnan smiled.

  “Time to be done with this, I have a date waiting,” Crinnan smirked and sent a bolt of lightning into the ground in front of Auroch as he charged forward. Dirt and ash splashed up into Auroch’s face and he jerked back from the unexpected blast. While he was distracted, Crinnan leaped into the air and drove his sword down through Auroch’s sternum knocking him backward. He lost his balance and Crinnan landed on top of him. He pulled his sword from the demon and jumped off.

  “You fucking asshole!” Auroch shouted as blood spewed and bubbled from his mouth. Crinnan stood scowling over him and shook his head.

  “Fuck Govia,” Crinnan knew that his words were being broadcasted all over the Empire and he knelt down and grabbed the demon by the throat.

  “Fuck the Emperor and his bitch of a mother,” Crinnan snarled. At that, he slammed the point of his sword through Auroch’s forehead and pulled it back out again.

  DeMaario had revived his squad mates and they all ran up to Crinnan’s side. Crinnan looked at the demons surrounding him and shook his head. They were beginning to vanish as they all scrambled to log out of the game.

  “Forget them,” Crinnan sighed, looking to the others, “They’re nothing. Let’s just keep going.”

  “Let’s go,” DeMaario called out. The five of them turned and walked through the portal, emerging in the Third Level on the other side. Crinnan once again saw Dread’s Keep and he hurried up to the gate.

  “We are almost to level four,” Crinnan announced as they walked inside the courtyard walls. Fortunately, there was not another army of monsters waiting for him, “My friends are waiting for us there.”

  “Perfect,” DeMaario replied, “I have a relic that can be used once we get to level four. It will open a portal that will bypass level five and get us straight to level six. Once we arrive, hopefully, we can quickly get you to level seven and out of this nightmare forever.”

  “Good.” Crinnan nodded his head. He approached the doors to the keep and pushed them open. The five of them stepped inside and Crinnan immediately realized that they all remained together instead of individually facing their fears like he had before.

  “The accounts we purchased have already gone through this trial,” DeMaario explained, “We can proceed to the throne room.”

  “Great.” Crinnan was relieved that he did not have to go through the trial again. They walked to the end of the large foyer and through a door. Crinnan found that they were in the room that he and Milinka had waited for Ander in for so long. He looked down at the wall where they had sat and smiled. He was getting close, he was ready to find her again.

  As the group stepped into the throne room, Crinnan saw the Lord of Dread’s Keep seated in his throne once again. He did not move as the five of them approached, only sat with his chin rested on his fist like he had before.

  “Will we face him?” DeMaario asked, squeezing the handle of his sword. “He looks to be a rather dreadful being.”

  “That is probably why he is the Lord of Dread’s keep,” Crinnan replied sarcastically as they walked up to the foot of the steps. Crinnan saw his own body lying on the ground beneath the throne. His head had been caved in and his brains and blood had spilled out onto the ground. His mouth was wide open, nearly all of his teeth had been broken out and one of his eyeballs hung from its socket.

  The sight of his own dead and mutilated body thrust Crinnan into a moment of existential deliberation. It was a rare occurrence, Crinnan thought, for one to see their own corpse. He thought of his life and of his time in the Hells and wondered if everything he was doing even mattered. Seeing himself dead told him that it did not.

  “You have returned.” The Lord declared, his voice once again reverberating on the inside of his helmet. Crinnan stepped forward and nodded.

  “I have. May I pass this time?”

  “You may,” The Lord replied, “You have passed your trial, satisfied all requirements. Congratulations, the fourt
h level is yours to behold.” At that, a portal opened to the right of the throne and the Lord of Dread’s Keep held his hand out toward it.

  Crinnan and the others stepped up the stairs and toward the swirling blue light. As Crinnan passed the Lord, he snapped his scepter out, preventing the others from entering.

  “This portal is not for you,” The Lord said to the members of Hope’s Point, “You must find another way.”

  “Oh, come on!” Marke exclaimed, “What must we do?”

  “Enough, Marke,” DeMaario shook his head. He fished a small blue gem from his pocket and tossed it to Crinnan. Crinnan caught it and examined it.

  “It is the relic I spoke of earlier,” DeMaario informed him, “Break it when you find your friends and you will gain enough experience to pass into the next level.”

  “Thanks,” Crinnan said as he gave them a nod. He slipped the stone in his pocket and paused just before entering the portal.

  “I will tell my commander of you,” he promised, “I do not know what will become of it, but I guess I owe you at least that.” DeMaario nodded and Crinnan vanished as he stepped through the portal.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sarasin VIII

  23rd of Ramlia – 346AG

  12:00 – Canrom City Fairgrounds

  “Only by his grace shall we succeed!” Lazarus declared to the crowd standing before him. Through the microphone, his voice rang out so the whole city could hear, “Only through her power shall we triumph. We are a people bound by our faith in the one true entity worth believing in. Science cannot save you; technology cannot bring you eternal joy. Only by embracing the eternal truth of our goddess Dura’Ana and her son, my father, our great Emperor Cidro will we ever truly know freedom!”

  The crowd cheered and Lazarus reveled in it for a moment before he held out his hands to silence them, “I thank you all in the name of our great mother for coming to be with us today. There is no greater honor for a Prince than to be able to speak to his people. You are all my children and I take great pride in each and every one of you.” The people cheered again and Bishop General Klaus walked up to Lazarus’ side.

  When the cheering died down Lazarus spoke again, “Now it is my great honor to present to you one of the finest Bishop Generals in Govian history. A fierce and fearless warrior who has triumphed in countless battles and who has slain hundreds if not thousands of infidels. The commander of one-fifth of our Emperor Cidro’s armies, and head of the Inquisitors, Bishop General Klaus Reeynlas!” Klaus held his arms out before the crowd and a frenzied cheering erupted. Lazarus saluted to him and walked backstage.

  Sarasin smiled as Lazarus stepped toward her, “Lively bunch we have today,” he wiped the sweat from his brow and put his hands on her shoulders, “Are you certain you will be able to handle them?”

  “If I can handle you, I can handle anything,” she said playfully, looking into his eyes. Lazarus raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

  “Not too loud my love,” He gently caressed her hair, “We do not need the people getting the wrong idea. In love, yes, but nasty...” His arms fell to his side and he stepped back with a smile. Eryc, who was only feet away, sighed at the sight and rolled his eyes.

  “So how long should Klaus take?” Sarasin asked as she peeked out onto the stage, “I am eager to get out there and get this over with.”

  “Not very,” Lazarus replied, “He will be very direct and to the point as he always is. He will spout something or another about leading the Inquisitors to round up and execute the heretics. He will get the people frenzied, they certainly do love hearing about blood. Then it will be your turn to keep that flame burning.”

  “Should not take much. Considering the fact that I am not much more than a political icon. I could feed them anything really and they will eat it up.”

  “But you will stick to the script,” Lazarus said quickly, “We do not need you putting your foot in your mouth again.”

  Sarasin thought back to the stuttering, blushing mess she had become during a botched interview she had in North Barus with an overzealous reporter. Lazarus was right; she did not want that again.

  “I am going to get something to drink,” Lazarus patted Sarasin on the back, “You stay here and listen to Klaus. It will do you well.” Sarasin didn’t know how to take that but she nodded anyway. Lazarus walked away and she hummed.

  “I think I would like a drink as well,” Quint said. He had been standing there silently the whole time, "Do you mind, Eryc?”

  “We have water,” Eryc reprimanded, “We do not need you running off and leaving our lady unprotected.”

  “He is fine Eryc,” Sarasin waved her hand at them, “Let the boy drink. I have you and Gerard, that is more than enough to protect me from whatever bugs may fly our way."

  Quint smiled and Sarasin nodded, “Go on,” She ushered him, “Off with you.”

  Eryc frowned and Quint eagerly trotted off in the same direction as Lazarus, “My lady,” Eryc gently chided as Quint disappeared, “I do not want to overstep my bounds, but it is my job to ensure your security. I need my soldiers to understand that my word is law."

  “And you do a wonderful job of it,” Sarasin smiled and gently placed a hand on Eryc’s arm, “You are hard on him. He is green but he needs to be able to live a little. He has a lot of spirit; he will go far.”

  “Or he won’t,” Gerard interjected. Sarasin glared at him and he snickered, his massive Gaian chest raising and lowering as he did so.

  “I will keep that in mind,” Eryc said to her, “I just do not want him turning into another useless soldier. A mind of your own will get you nowhere on the battlefield.”

  “I know that,” Sarasin agreed, “But I also know that with a mentor like yourself, it will be impossible for Quint to be anything but great.”

  Eryc smiled and lowered his head in humility, “You flatter me. I am just doing my job the best I can.”

  A massive wave of applause and cheering invaded their ears and Sarasin looked toward the stage. The crowd was going wild; she heard some people chanting 'Kill the Demon!' and thought of her brother and how she had helped him escape the Hells. She sighed at the thought and hoped that the members of Hope's Point were doing okay.

  “Sounds like Klaus is making a killing out there,” She shook her head clear of her treachery, “I will probably be on soon.”

  “Do not be nervous,” Eryc tried to ease her mind, “I know you have not done many of these, but there is nothing to worry about. The people love you. Use that to your advantage.”

  “And do not stutter like last time,” Gerard offered. Eryc shot him a glance and Gerard shrugged his shoulders, "It's good advice."

  “You will be fine,” Eryc reassured her with a smile, “Here comes Treyodees now.”

  The fat governor toddled up to the three of them wearing a stupid smile, “Are you ready my lady?” He asked with childlike enthusiasm, “You go on in just a few minutes!”

  “Of course,” Sarasin nodded, “Is Lord Klaus already finished?”

  “He is wrapping up now,” Treyodees was delighted to say, “Once he announces you, head out and remember to keep your head high!”

  “Thanks for the advice.” Sarasin walked to the entrance to the stage and waited.

  “Stay calm,” she suddenly heard Korros’ voice advise, “The easiest thing to do is to lock up, to give up. Do not fear the people.” Sarasin flinched at the sound of the voice and closed her eyes in frustration.

  “Must you invade my thoughts?” She whispered, “‘Tis torment enough that I am haunted by my memory of you. Why now must I be plagued by your cursed ghost?”

  “I would say our sins against each other make us even,” Korros replied.

  “I would not,” Sarasin snarled, “Just shut the fuck up and leave me alone.”

  “…and that is my promise to you dear people,” Klaus announced boldly, “The Demon will be apprehended and executed for his crimes against our Empire and order will once again be
restored. I thank the goddess that you were all able to come to hear us speak today. Now it is my great honor to introduce to you the youngest of the Bishop Generals, Lady Sarasin Fyr!”

  “Here I go,” Sarasin told herself, ignoring both the cheers of the crowd and the encouragement of the spirit of the man she hated the most, "I can do this."

  As she stepped out onto the stage, she remembered to keep her head held high even though her spirit felt lost in depths she did not realize existed. When she appeared, people went wild; they jumped about crazily to try and get her attention. She waved to the massive crowd that stood before her, and as she stepped up to the podium, Klaus saluted her. She saluted back, and as Klaus exited the stage, the crowd was left in her hands.

  ***

  “He is up to something,” Quint mumbled to himself as he trailed behind the prince. He originally did not think anything of Lazarus’ excusing himself for a drink until he watched him completely bypass the bar and head off in another direction with a person he had never seen before.

  Though Quint was young and only a year into his duties as a member of Sarasin's personal guard he was skilled. He had been hand selected for the role out of a pool of nearly a dozen candidates by Captain Eryc himself. He knew how to do his job; he knew how to assess threats and identify potential risks to his Bishop General.

  The character who Lazarus had met with tugged on his instincts and Quint took it upon himself to investigate. He felt there was no harm in it as long as he kept his distance. Lazarus would most likely recognize him if he were to be discovered, and Quint didn’t foresee any major repercussions as long as he didn’t stumble into anything that he was not supposed to.

  “Where are you going, Lazarus?” He whispered to himself as he tailed the prince and his strange friend. He stopped next to a tree and watched them walk towards the tent that he and the others had been in earlier.