A Knight's Path (The Path of Cinder Book 1)

by Nathan Grafton

  Elise moved toward where Enzo had originally been as the blonde man through the spike in front of the Orc and over it’s arms. The grey giant turned to face Enzo as Elise grabbed the chain and tossed it between the Orc’s legs and to her brother again. Enzo dodged a swing from the giant club as Elise’s scimitar sliced into the Orc’s back. The giant turned and Elise ran back away from it as her brother grabbed the spike again. He ran and pulled the chain tight before shoving the spike down into the ground by standing on the arms of the ‘t’. His hammer arced down again and slammed the top of the t into the ground.

  The Orc turned and the chain snapped taut and Alden’s eyes went wide at the wicked device Enzo had made. The chains had blades in the links and with both ends now anchored, every motion the Orc made forced the blades to cut into the beast. It was by no means restrained. the chain was long enough that the Orc had some movement. But it couldn’t peel the chains away without shredding itself.

  Enzo pulled his axe out and Orc bellowed, sweeping his club against the ground and tearing at one of the anchors. It popped free but the movement ripped the Orc’s shoulders, arms and one leg open in a long series of bloody lines. The blonde man scowled as Elise’s scimitar bit into the back of the Orc’s leg. The grey giant turned and Enzo ran up behind it, his axe biting deep into the side of the grey giant. It howled in pain as Elise carved another piece of it’s leg out and the beast fell to one knee. Enzo’s axe arced down and tore into the back of the Orc’s neck, killing it. The crowd erupted into cheers and Alden shook his head. He was happy, Elise and Enzo had made it through unscathed. But why would the King force them to fight Orcs in the first place?

  Alden leaned back in his chair and glanced over at the King who was clapping quietly from his chair. The crowd was cheering though and the twins made their way across the field and to the room where the others waited. Elise stepped though the door and wrapped her arms around Alden, “I thought I’d lost you.”

  The young man pulled her close to him, “It’ll take a lot more then an Orc to kill me.”

  Elise released Alden and hugged Warren, “Thank you, for saving him.”

  Warren looked down at the blonde, then at Alden and then at Enzo, his face caught in a surprised expression. Alden shook his head as Warren tentatively gave her a one armed hug and replied, “Well, I needed to keep him around. I look much better whenever his ugly mug is nearby.”

  Alden scowled at his friend as Elise released him and moved back to stand by her brother. The green eyed teen indicated the field with a nod of his head, “Those chains were an interesting idea.”

  Enzo grunted, “I expected them to work better. If I had made both ends the spring loaded spikes it would’ve been harder to get out of the ground.”

  The door to the waiting room opened and the Captain strode inside, followed by Sergeant Hunter. The Captain grunted, “Quit patting yourselves on the back and listen up. I am pleased to inform all of you that you have passed the Third Trial and will be promoted to the rank of Knight Corporal. This includes John, may he rest in peace, who will be placed beside those Knights who have given their lives in service to the Crown.”

  Silence filled the room and the Captain continued a moment later, “We shall always remember, we shall always honor, and we shall always forgive.”

  The room echoed back, “Always remembered, always honored, always forgiven.”

  There was quiet and the Captain sighed, “I am sorry this had to happen. We must move on though. The funeral will be arranged in a few days and we will have a Knight ceremony for all of you.”

  The Captain turned and left as Sergeant Hunter glanced around the room, “Congratulations and welcome. You are all now full members of the Royal Guard. The next few weeks are going to be yours to do as you wish with. If you have any questions, just ask.”

  Alden stood with his arm around Elise as the Sergeant left. It didn’t feel like he accomplished anything at all.

  Chapter 66 A Declaration

  Captain Fox stared at the carpet as he sunk to one knee before his King. Edward leaned back in his throne and sighed, “The show yesterday was marvelous was it not?”

  The Captain licked his lips, “The Knights performed well, I only wish that John hadn’t died during the Trial, your majesty.”

  There was a hesitation before the King’s voice responded, “You sound resentful Captain.”

  Fox swallowed, “I am not, sire. Only saddened by the loss of life and a good warrior.”

  Edward let out a breath as he leaned back again, “It is a rather sad affair but the world keeps turning. There is no time to linger in the past because the future awaits.”

  The Knight Captain felt his leg start to bother him from the kneeling position as he replied, “You are right, of course, sire.”

  The King made a few sounds of agreement and Fox heard the man stand up, “I suppose you want to know why I called you here.”

  It was a statement, not a question and Fox replied easily, “If you wish, sire.”

  Edward sat again but another set of footsteps could be heard, “Get up, Fox. It’ll make things much easier.”

  Fox rose to his full height and inclined his head to the High Wizard who had entered the room and stood beside him. She was an older woman but still fit with at least 20 years of life left to her. She smiled easily, “Your majesty, Captain Fox. I suppose I am the reason we’re all together here.”

  The Captain remained silent and the King let out a breath, “Astrea, explain to Fox here what you told me earlier.”

  Astrea nodded, “Of course, sire. During the Third Trial I sensed a significant surge of power.”

  Fox grunted, “Warren did perform a powerful healing.”

  The High Wizard shook her head, “No, not that. I sensed a surge of Fire within the arena coming from Alden Flint. And the bizarre thing is that he was performing a complex weaving on himself despite the fact that he has never cast a single spell. I’ve felt it before in different places around the city but I could never pinpoint the source until now and I can say with complete certainty that it is Alden Flint.”

  The Captain frowned, “Okay, so what does that mean?”

  Astrea glanced at the King and back at Fox, “Well, it means that your Knight is the single most powerful Fire Wizard I have seen in ages.”

  Fox shook his head, “I don’t know where you pulled all of this from but I didn’t see Alden throwing any fireballs around out there.”

  The High Wizard laughed, “That’s because what he was doing was a bit more complicated. We refer to it as ‘Fire’ energy but the reality is a bit more complicated. Alden is adept at channeling ‘red’ energies as I prefer to call them. They have a technical term but let’s not get into that right now. These ‘red’ energies are generated by different things such as fire, anger, hate, the sun and a myriad of other things. I understand that Alden has a rather bad temper. My theory is that he reflexively takes the red energy generated by that anger and channels it through his own body, making himself faster, stronger, and more powerful then he would be naturally.”

  The Captain shrugged, “Okay, so he channels power without any formal training. I don’t get what the big deal is? A couple of naturals come along every couple of years after they accidentally set the barn on fire or called the wind and broke some kid’s arm.”

  Astrea sighed, “You still don’t get it. Setting something on fire or summoning the wind are simple things that the energy wants to do. Every wizard has an ambient store of power that takes no effort to maintain. You just have to find the right thing to trigger it. What Alden is doing. He’s actively converting one thing into another and fueling a complex spell at the same time. What he’s doing is nothing short of incredible.”

  Fox let out a breath, “So what do you want?”

  The High Wizard glanced back at the King as she spoke, �
��I request that Alden Flint and Warren Faulkner be transferred to the Tower of Wizards.”

  The Captain drew back a step, “What!? You can’t be serious!? Your majesty, these men have both been trained in martial combat and we will provide them with training for their latent powers as well. Those gifts were part of the reason they were selected.”

  Edward scowled, “Astrea, you know as well as I do that once a man is inducted into the Royal Guard they will not be removed under any circumstance save permission for retirement from service of my Crown.”

  Astrea bowed, “Very well, your majesty. Thank you for your time.”

  The King cleared his throat as the High Wizard turned to leave, “Astrea, you forget your place. I was not finished yet and I have not dismissed you.”

  The High Wizard bowed again, “I apologize, your majesty. May I ask forgiveness for my rashness.”

  Edward waved his hand, “All is forgotten. As I was saying, I will not break the law but I will bend it. Captain, the Knights exclusively use Light as their means of casting. Flint’s talent lies in Fire. Therefore he will break protocol and use Fire. Astrea, you will send a Light and Fire Wizard of Master rank or higher to teach Faulkner and Flint respectively while they continue to train as Royal Guards. I will leave it up to you to work out the details. Astrea, you are dismissed. There are some other things I would like to speak to the Captain about.”

  Astrea bowed a third time and removed herself from the room before Edward continued, “Fox, I am going to appoint Wayne Faulkner as Duke of Athens within Sycamore. I’ll need Warren for the oaths.”

  The Captain bowed, “Of course, your majesty.”

  The King leaned back in his chair and smiled, “You know he’s been seeing my daughter.”

  Fox froze, “I did not, your majesty. I apologize for the failure on my part. It will be corrected immediately.”

  Edward waved his hand, “Not to worry, Fox. I have more then you watching out for my family. Let her have her fun and should they try anything they shouldn’t I will know and it will be stopped. However, I thought I should let you know in case something should happen and I have to pull Warren. Understood?”

  The Captain relaxed mid-bow and let out a breath, “Understood, your majesty.”

  The King nodded, “One last thing, Fox. The Dwarves. We’re going to war with them. Swell your ranks adn get them prepared. You’ll have one year. Dismissed.”

  Fox stiffened as he stood up-right and considered asking the question on the tip of his tongue but thought better of it and left the throne room. The King stared up at the ceiling and muttered to himself, “I will reclaim what my father lost.”

  Chapter 67 Remembered, Honored, Forgiven

  Warren stood in his dress uniform, a dark gray with black rings surrounding his wrists and a black line down the edge of his pants. On his left shoulder was the copper crest of a Knight Cadet. On his right was the mark of the Royal Guard, both in silver. Onyx buttons ran down the front of the uniform’s jacket and underneath the collared, grey jacket was a black shirt with the shirt collar over the jacket’s collar. The silver crest of his rank was tagged on the black collar as well. Warren’s hair had been cut again, leaving behind a dark crew cut.

  Alden stood beside the large Knight in the same uniform. HIs sandy mess of hair had been tamed and combed, swept back against its will but leaving the green eyed young man with a professional look. Enzo stood beside Alden and his twin stood next to him. To Warren’s other side was Skorri and then a gap. Hawkes stood beside the gap and Reginald stood on the far end. Every one of them stood at attention in the middle of the throne room. Captain Fox was in his dress uniform, similar to their own but with the colors reversed and his badges were gold instead of silver. The rest of the Royal Guard currently off duty, around 40 men and women, were arrayed behind the new Knights. The King lounged in his throne on it’s raised dais behind the Captain, looking down at them. A casket, made of dark oak sat between the throne and the Captain on a table covered in a white cloth. Another Knight that Warren recognized as the man Skorri and John had trained with stood at the end of the casket.

  The Captain cleared his throat and and let his deep voice echo through the hall, “Knights of the Royal Guard. We are gathered here both in joy and in sadness. Arrayed before us are eight Cadets who have met the challenges we offered them and won. We are here to welcome them into our fold. At the same time, one of their number has fallen in battle to an Orc and we are here to honor him.”

  Fox took a deep breath and Warren could see sweat shining on his forehead. The older Knight continued, “Knight Cadets. It has been our pleasure to train you and it is my honor to offer you a place at our side. If there are any here who see a reason for these warriors to not enter our ranks speak now.”

  Silence filled the hall and the Captain boomed again, “Warren Faulkner, Alden Flint, Enzo Colbert, Elise Colbert, Skorri Hafsson, John Shaw, Alexander Hawkes and Reginald Blackfeather. You have passed your Trials and have proven that you have the stamina, the patience and prowess to count yourselves amongst our number. As Knights of the Royal Guard you will have a clear purpose, protect the Royal Family and ensure the safety of the Kingdom from threats foreign and within her borders. Once the oath is taken very few have the power to command you. Abuse of that power will result in a sentence of death. Breaking the oath will result in a sentence to death. Your life is to the Guard. You may be recalled at any time after you are relieved of duty, even retirement. Those who wish to take the oath, kneel.”

  Warren slid to one knee effortlessly and felt panic as Alden didn’t move. The young man jerked into motion and dropped to one knee in a rush when he noticed the others kneeling. The bigger man let out a breath. Alden hadn’t been listening to a word the Captain had said.

  Fox studied them and continued, “Do you swear to serve the Kingdom as long as you live?”

  There was a chorus of “I shall,” from the group and Fox continued, “Will you protect the Crown and the family of the Crown?”

  Another chorus of affirmative responses rang out and the Captain asked, “Will you stand against any foe no matter the odds?”

  One last round of “I shall,” rang out and the Captain turned, “Your Majesty, do you accept their oaths and accept them as Guards for you, your family and your Kingdom?”

  Edward nodded, “I do, Captain.”

  Fox turned back around and boomed out, “Rise as Knights of the Royal Guard and may you never fall to your knees again.”

  Each of the Cadets, now Corporals, rose to their feet and snapped to attention, heels togethers, chins held high, their left fist behind their back and their fist centered over their chests. Warren felt himself swell with pride as the Captain and Sergeant who stood beside the casket moved toward them, removing the Cadet pin and replacing it with a silver Corporal. His father would be proud of him for this. He had become a Knight and could carry himself with pride.

  Fox finished his trip through the new Corporals and took his place again, this time behind the casket. The Captain cleared his throat, “We have gained new warriors for our ranks. But we have lost a sword as well. John Shaw was a newly appointed Knight Corporal and in this life he was our friend and comrade and so he shall be remembered. he served the Crown loyally until he died and so we will honor him. And he gave his life in service to the Crown, so we shall forgive him his sins. it is time for him to join his brothers in the final rest. Those of you chosen to bear this burden step forward.”

  Warren and the other new Corporals approached the Casket and divided. Warren took his place across from Alden and in front of Enzo. Hawkes stood in front of Warren and Skorri in front of Hawkes. The other side had the trainer opposite Skorri, Blackfeather behind him, Alden behind Blackfeather and Elise behind Alden. The casket led the way out of the hall and across the bride to the Tomb of Knights where a gathering had formed. Three priests
stood in front of the tomb, one for each of the Masters. Warren had never known that John followed the Triad.

  The priests turned and led the way into the tomb the priest in black robes led the way. The priest in white stood on his right and and the priest in red stayed on his left. A priest of the dead, of the sky and of battle. Each of the Masters were represented but their courts were not. They wouldn’t be for this. Right behind the casket a couple slipped in followed by the rest of the procession. The woman was crying and sniffling while her husband had a hollow, vacant expression like he didn’t know what was going on.

  Deep in the tomb a stone slab lay resting on a stand. Warren and the others set the casket down on it and stepped back. John’s parents stepped between the Knights and stood at the center of the tomb. Skorri took a step out from the others but stayed behind John’s parents. No one else moved.

  The Priests surrounded the casket, their faces hidden in the hoods of their robes. The dark robed Priest began, “Upon death, we shall each be judged by the merit of our honor and the stain of our sins. Let us pray for this young man, that the Master of Death may see fit to tip the scales in his favor should it be needed and see that he joins his brother Knights within the Highest Courts. May the Master find no guilt on his mind and no dark secret in his soul.”

  The white robed priest continued, “Let us pray that the Master of the Skies may grant young John the strongest wings so that he might climb to the loftiest peaks amongst the Courts in the stars. May the Master find no fault in his dreams or a lie in his tale”