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

by Nathan Grafton

  The young man stiffened, “If it’s that bad, I’d rather have him right here next to me.”

  The Captain nodded, “Are you certain? Things may get….. emotional.”

  Alden frowned and rose to his feet, leaning on the desk, “What’s goin’ on, Cap’n?”

  Fox indicated the chair, “Sit down, Alden. There’s no sense in beating around the bush anymore.”

  There was a tense silence before Alden eased back down into his chair, pulse thumping in his ears. Fear ran through him and it set his stomach turning. Something wasn’t right. There was a sense in his gut that something had been wrong all day but Alden didn’t know what it was.

  The Captain looked over at the Blood Fist and then took a deep breath, “Alden, I just received a report from an outpost near your hometown. There’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to be blunt. Your parents and sister were killed in a raid from across the border.”

  Alden stared blankly at the older Knight, not understanding what he just heard. The words slowly sunk in and Alden shook his head, “NO. They’re not. They can’t be.”

  Fox swallowed, “Alden, I know this is difficult. But the truth is that-”

  The young man surged to his feet, “SHUT UP!”

  The Captain drew back and Alden stood there, hands balled into fists, his face red and tears welling in his eyes. Warren’s hand landed on Alden’s shoulder and the young man let himself fall backwards, all of the anger leaving him in a rush. The whole reason he was here, to support his family, was gone. Warren said something but the words drifted by unheard.

  Alden looked up, “What exactly happened?”

  The Blood Fist snapped to as the Captain glanced at him and the soldier launched into a report, “Four days ago, a series of raids launched by the dwarves took place. Most of the attacks were beaten back but a handful were successful. The raid on Pleasant fai- was repelled but not without the outskirts suffering casualties. There were a total of nine dead. 4 civilians and 4 soldiers patrolling in the region. Amongst the deceased civilians were Tristan, Isolde and Jessica Flint.”

  The young man stared at the ceiling, “Who was the fourth?”

  The Blood Fist swallowed, “A wandering traveler who currently remains unidentified.”

  Alden nodded, “Leave.”

  The soldier glanced at the Captain who nodded and the man scurried from the room. Alden slowly rose to his feet and moved toward the door before pausing, “Captain, I’d like to return home.”

  Fox nodded, “Granted. How long and when?”

  The young man dead panned, “I’ll be leaving tomorrow. 3 weeks.”

  The Captain hesitated but a cold glare from a future Duke stopped him and the old Knight sighed, “Done. I’ll send the papers up later.”

  Alden opened the door and stepped outside, Warren following a step behind him. The young man left his friend behind, telling the big man that he’d be in the training rooms and made his way to the basement. It didn’t seem real. His mom, dad, and Jess. They were all gone.

  Anger pulsed through the young man as he tossed his duster aside and grabbed a mace from the rack of training weapons. The heavy weapon smashed into the dummy, tearing strips of wood out and sending piles of straw through the air. The young man’s eyes flared red and the straw caught fire as it floated through the air. The flames spread through out the dummy and before long it had been reduced to a charred frame. Alden roared and smashed the frame before flinging the mace across the room. The weapon cracked and the heated steel shattered as it struck the wall.

  The young man pulled a sword from the wall and worked through a whirling display of sword forms, the blade trailing fire as his anger burned higher and higher. His parents were dead because the Army couldn’t do it’s job! Because the Blood Fists were too busy terrorizing elves! Because the King spent his time bleeding taxes from people who couldn’t afford it! Jess was dead. His father was dead. His mother was dead.

  Alden spun to a halt and slipped, falling on the formerly sand floor. There was a whirlpool of glass around him and the wooden blade in his hands was nothing but a charred stick. The young man tossed the sword to the side and moved toward the rack again.

  A voice broke his movement, “Alden?”

  The young man turned to the voice as Elise walked over to him, “Warren told me what happened and that I could find you here.”

  Alden grunted as Elise wrapped her arms him and then drew back with a hiss. Regret flooded through him as he realized his skin could burn her. She smiled up at him though, “It’s okay. You’re just really hot.”

  Red eyes faded to green and he deflated, “I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

  She nodded and held up her hands, “I’m fine now that those emeralds are back.”

  He managed a smile and then it came crashing in on him and he sat on the ground, “Jess. My parents. They’re dead.”

  Saying those words made it seem more real and tears welled in his eyes. Elise knelt down beside him and gently reached out, her fingers brushing his face before she reached out and cupped his face in her hands, “I’m sorry, Alden.”

  She kissed his forehead and shifted closer, wrapping her arms around him. Alden reached out and pulled her close to him, letting himself cry for the first time since he was a child. He wasn’t sure how long they sat there but she stayed with him the entire time until his tears stopped and then she sat with him even longer. It was dark when they finally left the room.

  Chapter 71 Healing Wounds

  The next Sunday word of Reginald reached the young pair. He was in the dungeons awaiting sentencing for practicing Dark magic without permission from the Crown or the Tower of Reformation. The rest of the family had disappeared and Warren had informed Alden of the news, hoping it might snap the young man out of his funk. It had no effect besides a grunt.

  The young man had accepted his parent’s death but was still lost in grief. He woke up yelling three times and once after he set his bed on fire while he slept. The young man skipped breakfast and had barely said anything in two hours. There was no anger in him though, it was like he no longer cared. The little things that would normally set the young man to grumbling just made him sigh and turn away. The only positive thing that Warren could say is that the young man was active, even if it wasn’t with his normal energy.

  Alden moved throughout the city with Warren as his shadow, collecting the things he would need for the ride home that would start later that day. It wasn’t a long ride but Warren worried over the young man making the journey alone. The solitude and grief might crack him. But the solitude might be exactly what he needed to move past things.

  The green eyed young man seemed to read his mind, “Don’t worry about me.”

  Warren offered a half-smile, “What else am I supposed to do?”

  Alden shrugged and Warren sighed, “How about I find Elise and get her to meet you somewhere?”

  The young man looked up at his best friend, his shoulders slumped and his eyes tired, “Warren. Let me have a little space.”

  The big Knight looked around and then nodded, “Alright. Come find me before you leave today. And if you need anything, just, come find me.”

  Alden nodded, “Right. Thanks.”

  Warren shrugged, “No problem.”

  The big Knight turned and strode away, hands in his pockets. Alden’s grief seemed to cast a shadow over the Wall and most other things in life. The big man made his way to the familiar bench by the bridge and sat down, wondering if Victoria would be around today. The Princess did appear a short time later and she smiled down at him.

  Warren managed a weak smile in response but it fell from his face and she sat down beside him, “What’s wrong?”

  The big man shook his head, “Just worried about Alden. He found out he lost most of his family yesterday.”<
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  Victoria covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at the big Knight in shock, “What? That’s terrible.”

  Warren nodded and silence filled the air. Eventually the big man grunted, “Let’s go for a walk.”

  The Princess stood up and looped her arm through Warren’s, “Is he going to be alright?”

  “I think he will be given time.”

  Silence filled the air again and the pair found themselves sitting down at a diner. They claimed a table and ordered as Warren stared up at the sky and he finally said, “Your father knows about us.”

  -“Of course he does. The man has spies almost everywhere. That and I told him about you.”

  Warren’s gaze locked onto her, “What?”

  Victoria shrugged, “Well, he asked. Once he asked I knew there was no point in hiding it. Besides, your father is a Duke now which means I am allowed to be seen in your company.”

  The big Knight cocked an eyebrow, “You mean you were worried about being seen before by all the people in public?”

  She shook her head, “No. Not like this. I mean in the castle and at official things. The festival I could get away with it since you are a Knight. But outside of that I couldn’t. It would be inappropriate for someone of my station to be seen with anyone not of noble ranking.”

  Warren smiled as she rolled her eyes and he leaned against the table, “Well, everything worked out for us then since we can be friends everywhere now and not just some places.”

  She smiled back at him, “I suppose so.”

  The two sat and talked for a while longer as they ate and Warren escorted her back to the bridge where they always met. They stopped and Warren looked around, “How do you always know when I’m here?”

  The Princess pointed at one of the castle’s towers, “There’s not much to do except read and wait for my father to find someone for me to marry so I spend most of my time in my rooms and I can see you from there.”

  Warren smiled, “I was expecting something else. Sergeant Hunter, my instructor, could leave after us and reach the end before us when we were training somehow.”

  Victoria laughed, “He’s using the tunnels.”

  The big Knight turned to face her, “Tunnels?”

  She nodded, “There are tunnels running throughout the castle and Wall that run in straight lines and you can sprint down them if you’re alone. They run up and down all through the stone work.”

  Warren shook his head, “Alden will get a kick out of that.”

  The Princess smiled and separated her arm from his, “I should go.”

  The big Knight nodded, “I guess you should. I’ll see you.”

  Victoria leaned forward and kissed Warren lightly before pulling away and rushing off, “I’ll see you.”

  Warren stood dumbstruck, staring after the retreating form of the Princess. He shook himself out of his shock and walked back toward the entrance to the Wall. He bumped into the twins along the way and greeted them with a smile.

  Elise looked over at him, “Did Alden find you again?’

  The big Knight shook his head, “No, how is he?”

  The blonde girl shrugged, “Quiet. But he ate lunch with me so there’s that. He told me that he would drop by The Oak to see if you were there. Since you didn’t run into him he’s probably gone by now but he asked me to let you know he’d be alright and not to worry.

  Warren nodded and looked toward the east, wondering what the future held.

  Chapter 72 The Final Piece

  One of the men finally reported a solid location of Lorelei late on the 13th to Inquisitor Solace. She was staying at a shady inn within Low Town but had settled into a room and seemed to have no intention of leaving. Solace stationed a Knight to watch for her leaving and to find him if she did. There was nothing though and the next morning Solace went out to relieve the Knight and settled in to watch the supposed spy.

  The dark haired woman left early in the morning clad in leather armor with four daggers attached to her hips and lower back. A leather bag was slung over one shoulder. Solace weaved through the ruins of the old structures, jumping the long gaps with magic when necessary as he followed her deeper into Low Town. The Knight wasn’t in his armor but he was still dressed finer then he should have been for this part of town. But then again so was she although no one spared her a second glance. They knew she was dangerous.

  Lorelei eventually made a few turns, weaving through the cramped alleys of Low Town and making her way back toward the Market district. She was worried about being followed then. The Knight continued his jaunt through the rooftops and stopped as she drifted inside of a bar called The Weeping Oak. A familiar black stallion was tied outside, laden with gear.

  Fifteen minutes later Solace moved across the roofs, looking at the backside of the building. There wasn’t a back door so she had to still be inside. The Knight dropped to the ground and found a window. She was sitting at a table with a man but Solace couldn’t tell who it was. The window was covered in grime and the man was clutching a piece of paper in his fist, covering the lower edge of his face. The Knight dipped below the window and crept towards the front as the pair made for the door.

  Solace looked around the corner as Lorelei came into view, followed a moment later by a furious Alden Flint. The young man stomped towards Renegade but Lorelei stopped him, shaking her head. Her mouth moved but Solace couldn’t hear what was said until he mouthed the words of a spell.

  Sound snapped to deafening volumes and he caught the end of her sentence, “-solve anything.”

  Alden snarled, “I don’t care! They lied to me! I’m going to go teach them what happens when you mess ith my family!”

  She stood in front of him unmoving and seemed to notice the attention they were attracting, “Let’s slip down that alley and talk for a minute. You know I’m right, tough guy.”

  The young man clenched and unclenched his fists before spinning on his heel and stalking toward the alley Solace was hiding in. The Knight slipped backwards and around the corner jumping up with a boost from magic and laying flat on the edge of the roof. What was Alden doing here? Who lied to him? How did he know Lorelei? All of these questions ran through the Inquisitor’s mind as Alden stared at the wall of the alley. Lorelei leaned against the corner.

  Ten minutes passed by in silence before Alden spoke, “I can’t keep serving here.”

  -“I can understand that. So what are you going to do?”

  There was a long silence before he replied, “I don’t know. I can’t just leave Elise and Warren. But I will not spend my life serving that farce of a King.”

  Solace frowned as Lorelei continued, “That leaves one option.”

  Alden turned to face her, “What would that be?”

  The woman shrugged, “Replace the King.”

  The Knight on the roof tensed, waiting for Alden’s reply. The young man snorted, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  Solace was considering those words as Lorelei stepped towards Alden, “What would you do if an orchard gave you nothing but sour apples?”

  Alden hesitated, “I’d start over. Are, are you askin’ what I think you are?”

  The young man was hard to read due to his already angry state but he seemed agitated at the implication. She pressed on, “Help me start the orchard over, Alden. You’ve seen first hand how things like justice, taxes, and the needs of the people are handled. Your parents were killed because of this Alden. And I’m not alone but we need someone on the inside.”

  The Knight Inquisitor prepared a spell to soften his fall as Alden opened his mouth. Then he shut it. He turned and ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at the sky. A tense silence followed before Alden let out a breath, “I’ll help you burn the orchard and start anew.”

  Solace rolled from
the roof top and landed in the mouth of the dead end alley. Lorelei darted away from the Inquisitor as the Knight crashed to the ground and then rose to his full height. The older man stared at Alden as the young man’s eyes flared red with anger. Solace let out a breath, “Alden Flint, though it brings me no joy I am hereby placing you under arrest for high treason.”

  Chapter 73 Burning Walls

  Alden stared at the Inquisitor and gnashed his teeth together, “Why did you all lie to me?”

  Solace’s brow furrowed, “Lie about what?”

  The young man held up the letter Lorelei had given him earlier, “This! My family wasn’t killed by the dwarves! They were murdered by the King’s tax collectors who accused them of not paying for years!”

  The Inquisitor shook his head, “What are you talking about? I didn’t even know your parents had been killed, Alden.”

  Alden stuffed the letter back into the pocket of his duster, “I knew I couldn’t trust the King. But I thought I could trust the Knights. But I know, that I can trust my priest from back home and he wouldn’t lie about anything! So tell me, are you going to try to kill me, or let me go?”

  Solace sighed, “Alden, come with me. You’re grieving and angry. This woman had been working with Hawkes to murder members of the Royal Guard. If you give up now I may be able to let them welcome you back into the fold. But if you push this you will be branded a traitor. Elise and Warren will receive orders to kill you on sight. Is that what you want?”

  The young man’s eyes flared red, “DON’T YOU DARE USE THEM AGAINST ME!”

  The Inquisitor held up his hands as Lorelei edged her way behind Alden. The older Knight swallowed, “I’m sorry. But Alden, look through all that anger. You know betraying your kingdom is not the answer.”

  Alden thought about it. The justice system was broken and favored a small handful who were able to become wealthy at the King’s discretion. The middle and lower classes did not have a chance. Elves were treated as lesser creatures although they had the same ability to think that humans did. Orcs could form intelligent speech, even if they were an immensely violet group. Dwarves, Alden had never met, but the Kingdom marked them all as enemies of the state. Where was the logic in that?