Knight Quest (The Champion Chronicles Book 5)

by Brad Clark

  Glaerion did not move and asked, “Why? What’s going on?”

  “The outlying villages, especially those on the mainland, have a distaste for my father and Hurai royalty in general. They will be even more suspicious of us coming into town with swords strapped to our backs.”

  “I do not fear these villagers,” Ryshak grumbled.

  “I do not fear them attacking us,” Nikki replied. “But we will need to acquire horses, and they will not do business with us if they think we are royalty. For that reason, call me Nikki. Do not call me Princess or Princess Nikki.”

  “But your father is their king,” Conner replied. He could not understand her response. When King Thorndale had ruled Karmon, he had always been looked upon as a highly-respected ruler and not only because he was a good man, but because he was their king. There were times when his rulings weren’t popular with the people of the village that he grew up in, but they would never have treated him or his children with anything less than respect and honor. To do so would not only bring the wrath of the Karmon Knights but friends and neighbors, too.

  “Yes, but that does not make him popular, especially with villages that are on the mainland. They have more interaction with the peoples of the outside world, which influences their thoughts.”

  “Which is why you patrol your island so closely,” Ryshak said with disdain. “You want to keep your island safe from those who might think differently than you.”

  “It is more than that!” Nikki replied. “There are those that are actively trying to subvert my father and our rule. My father’s family has ruled the Hurai people for countless generations and have done so justly and wisely.”

  “Then why are your people against him?”

  Nikki took a deep breath and glanced away. “My father is adamant about preserving the traditions of our people. Those traditions are not always looked upon favorably these days. Many see him and his beliefs as outdated.”

  “What about you?” Conner asked. “Do you feel that way?”

  Nikki continued to look away. “My father does what he believes is best for his people. I do not always agree with him, but our traditions have made us the great nation we are and to ignore them is to disrespect all who have come before us. I am duty-bound to follow his commands and his wishes.”

  “Even if you believe he is wrong?” Glaerion asked.

  “King Loshin is a wise king and a wonderful father,” Nikki said softly. “He would not ask anything of me or any Hurai if it were not the right thing to do. I may disagree with him, but he is never wrong.”

  “He is still Human.”

  “He is king,” Nikki retorted.

  Glaerion knew it would be fruitless to continue the discussion, so he quickly changed the subject. “What about this village. Will it be safe for us? If you are found out to be who you are, will they try and do something to you?”

  A slight smirk crossed Ryshak’s face, which Glaerion noticed. A sharp look from Glaerion rebuked Ryshak without words.

  “This is the closest village that will have horses that we could buy,” Nikki said. “It’s either here, or we walk all the way to the Valley of Ghosts.”

  “Time is important. We must not waste days traveling on foot when we could be riding. Although Ryshak and I could travel nearly as quickly on foot, you two would not be able to keep up with us.”

  “I’m sure I could,” Nikki quickly snapped back.

  Ryshak laughed.

  Glaerion tried to be diplomatic in his response. “Although you are indeed a well-trained warrior and capable of traveling great distances on foot, the Elven body is different than the Human body. We can run faster and farther. It is not a matter of training or desire. It is a matter of how the One God created us.”

  “Superior in all ways?” Nikki’s voice continued to show irritation.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “It’s what your words said, though.”

  Conner stepped in and said, “I thought we were done arguing. It will not get us anywhere. We all have our good qualities, and that’s what is going to make our fight against the Deceiver victorious. If we aren’t working together, then we are working against one another.”

  Nikki dropped her eyes to the ground, regretting her words and tone.

  “I cannot change who I am any more than you can,” Glaerion said. “Conner is right in that we must work together and stop this bickering. I meant nothing by my words. It is the simple truth that Elves can run for hours at full speed without stopping or getting weary. I did not intend to insult you. For that, I apologize.”

  “Well, good,” Conner said. “Can we get moving?” He took a step towards the village, hoping the others would follow.

  Instead of following Conner, Nikki turned to Glaerion and said, “I am beginning to wonder why the One God allowed Humans to thrive. If Elves are so much better at everything, how did we survive through the years?”

  “You want the truth?” Glaerion asked.

  “Of course.”

  Glaerion glanced around at his companions, his words trying to form inside his head. After a moment of collecting his thoughts, he said, “It has only come to my attention because of my friendship with Conner. He has shown me the weakness of Elvenkind and the strength of Humans. When hard times come, Elves run. It was shown five thousand years ago when we left our homelands to go into exile. We ran from a hard fight that might have devastated both our races, but we also ran from an opportunity to come together as two different races that could try and live together. We never thought about trying to work together, but always tried to live our own separate lives. It is possible that if we had stayed and the war continued, that there would be no Elves or Humans left. Unlikely, but certainly possible. The war was hard and devastating, and there was no end in sight. Leaving seemed like the right thing to do. And we still didn’t learn. When Conner and Queen Elissa came to ask for help, many, well, most Elves decided to stay and run farther away. Fortunately, King Illichian has seen the good in Humans and trying to save the world, and many good Elven warriors did leave to help fight against the Deceiver. If all of us came, then I would be more confident in our victory. It is shameful that even one Elf decided to stay in exile. At some point, we have to know what is right and fight for it regardless of the consequences.”

  Conner smiled at his friend and said, “If everyone thought like you, then our world would be a better place.”

  Glaerion let out a soft laugh. “I was as hardened as any Elf. It took a stupid Human to change me.”

  Nikki looked down at the wrapped up swords that were in her hands.

  “You shouldn’t have to hide from who you are,” Conner said to her. “You are Princess Nikki. Sak’Hurai. I know how great that is because of what Master Goshin taught me. I cannot believe that your people would look down on you because of that.”

  “They do,” she replied. “Much has changed in the time since Master Goshin left for your kingdom. Many years passed, and times changed quickly. What you know of the Sak’Hurai is how it was when Master Goshin left, not how it is now. We still train hard and are great warriors, but we are not revered as we once were. We are not looked up to as great warriors, but war mongers and killers.”

  Glaerion nodded his head in understanding as he said, “To put one on a pedestal only allows one to fall that much farther.”

  “Wow,” Conner said with a chuckle. “That is profound.”

  “It is much more elegant in Elvish, though,” Glaerion said with a smile. “It is an old proverb that our culture tries to live by. It is why even the highest of us go out into the fields each spring to plant, and each fall to harvest. However, not all of us follow it as we should.”

  Nikki unrolled the swords and handed Conner’s back to him. She strapped hers onto her shoulders.

  “Are you sure?” Conner asked.

  “Glaerion is right,” she replied. “We should not be ashamed of who we are. I should not be ashamed to be my father’s daug
hter or a Sak’Hurai.”

  “What will happen when we go into the village?”

  “I do not know.”

  “Let us find out, then,” Glaerion said. He turned to Ryshak and asked, “Are you ready?”

  Ryshak gave a sharp nod but did not say anything. As they started walking towards the village, he maneuvered himself so that he was walking next to Nikki.

  “I owe you an apology,” he said softly to her. “I have let my past control my behavior and cloud my judgment.”

  “Apology accepted,” Nikki said, trying to not to show her surprise. The last thing she expected was for Ryshak to be pleasant to her, much less apologize. “So, tell me, what happened between you and our people?”

  He did not let any more emotion show and kept his face as hard as granite. “It does not matter, anymore,” he replied. “That past is the past, and I need to let it go.”

  Conner watched them from behind, feeling good for the first time about them all working together.

  “Glaerion,” Conner asked in a voice just above a whisper. “What happened to him with the Hurai? I know he was hurt badly when fighting them, but there must be more than that.”

  “You are right, there must be, but I do not know what it is. What the Elven Guard do is not secret, but private. They tend to be loners and do not share their actions with everyone. Whatever it was, it was personal, and it hurt him both physically and emotionally. As you can see, he held onto his bitterness and anger as much as anyone.”

  “He seems to have finally gotten over it.”

  “I sure hope so. We will need him to be with us mentally and physically. He is a true warrior with skills beyond what I have. He does not have the same power of magic that I do, but he has some. I do not have the same skill with the blade and fighting as he has, but I have some. Together, though we will be formidable. All of us working together will be formidable.”

  They walked in silence towards the village. Conner found it interesting that Ryshak continued to walk next to Nikki, even though they did not speak anymore.

  ***

  By the time they reached the village, darkness had fully descended upon them. Clouds had settled in, keeping the stars and the moon from giving any ambient light to the outskirts of the village. Cautiously, they approached from the south, where a street opened towards the large building at the village’s center. With eyes looking carefully into the shadowed corners of the buildings they passed, they walked down the center of the street. They were not alone, but no one bothered them or seemed to care that they were there.

  “Where are we headed?” Conner asked.

  “The inn,” Nikki replied. “It has a stable that will have horses that we can purchase. There should be rooms for us as well. We’ll have one more night that we won’t have to sleep on the ground.”

  “Maybe we should stay outside,” Glaerion said. “Our appearance could cause some problems.”

  “No more so than mine,” Nikki said. “They will be surprised by your appearance, and they might even fear you. Me, though, they will do more than fear.”

  “Will they attack us?” Conner asked. “Maybe we should do this differently? Stay out in the woods tonight and come back in the morning?”

  “We have nothing to fear from them,” Ryshak said.

  “It is not them I am afraid of,” Glaerion said. “It is us that I fear. We will have no problems defending ourselves if they attack us, which means dead villagers will be left in our wake.”

  “If they attack us, then it is what they deserve.”

  “These are my people,” Nikki snapped.

  “Yet, knowing who you are, you say they would attack you. And you would defend them?”

  “I am still their princess, and my father is their king. I still respect that, even if they do not.”

  “No one needs to die tonight,” Glaerion said. “We are not here to start a fight, only to purchase horses. Maybe Conner has a point in that we should come back in the morning. Nighttime can bring the devil out of Humans.”

  “Do you not wish to sleep in a bed one more night?”

  “It matters little to me. We have provisions to fill our bellies and blankets to keep us warm. What else do we need?”

  “I wouldn’t mind a soft bed,” Conner said with a smile.

  Their walk had slowed as they neared the inn. Much noise and laughter came from the building.

  “Sounds like everyone is having a good time,” Conner observed.

  “The Hurai of the mainland are not the same as those that live on the island. There is drink from the east that flows freely, making them stupid and dangerous. The laughter you hear will soon turn into shouting and fighting.”

  “You disapprove?” Glaerion asked.

  “Of course. It is hardly becoming of a Hurai to act in such a barbaric way. Drinking until you cannot stand anymore? It does not even make any sense to me.”

  “You are Sak’Hurai,” Glaerion said. “Trained and disciplined in so many ways. Do not let your arrogance and pride blind you from what you see in others. Trust me, it is something I know about very well.”

  They stopped right outside the doors that led into the interior of the inn. A small group pushed passed them. One of the group turned to give them a dirty look, but when his eyes saw the ears of Glaerion and Ryshak, he quickly turned and ran inside.

  “I think Ryshak and I should stay outside,” Glaerion said. “There is no reason for us to all go in. Get our horses, and then we’ll head out of this village. I am getting a bad feeling about this place.”

  “No last night of a comfortable bed?” Conner asked.

  “Are you getting soft?” Glaerion asked with a smile. “Did you not tell me recently you’ve slept more nights outside under the stars than in bed?”

  “Just because I have doesn’t mean that I always want to sleep outside. I will never turn away a nice comfortable bed!”

  “One day this war will be over, and there will be plenty of soft beds to sleep in.”

  Conner’s joyful demeanor suddenly soured. “It is so normal here, right now. I sometimes forget that there is a war raging in our homeland. Maybe it won’t reach this far west.”

  “It is the Deceiver, Conner. If we don’t stop him, he will conquer the whole world. Do not be deceived by what you see around you. It is an illusion that will soon be dispelled, once the Deceiver begins his march westward. Time is of the essence. We must get moving to find this Spear.”

  Nikki gave a sharp nod of agreement. “Come, Conner. Let’s get some horses. We shouldn’t be long.”

  Glaerion glanced around, looking for a good place to wait. He didn’t want to be too conspicuous by hiding in dark shadows, but he also didn’t want to remain out in the open and be part of a big scene. Two nearby buildings had an alleyway between them that would give the Elves a place to avoid being clearly seen. The alley continued alongside both buildings and opened up to a field of long grass. If they were challenged, they would just escape out the other side.

  Conner followed Nikki through the inn’s main doors. Boisterous laughter and general loudness greeted them.

  Conner hesitated as he quickly looked around to study the layout of the interior. The last time he had been in a such a place was in the Taran city of Iseron where Hargon had started a fight, and they got themselves locked up in jail. Oddly enough, that was when they had met up with Glaerion. If not for that disastrous trip into a strange eating establishment, they likely would have never met. Without an organized defense to stand against them, Emperor Tarcious and the Deceiver would be ravaging the world.

  The entrance to the Inn was at ground level, but the dining and drinking area was half of a flight of stairs below them. Benches and tables were haphazardly scattered about the open room. About half the patrons were standing, drinks in hand, laughing and chatting the night away. At the far end of the room was a wide stairwell that led up to the upper floors where the inn’s rooms were located. A few of the patrons glanced their way as t
hey entered, but generally, they were ignored. Everyone was speaking in the native Hurai tongue, so the talking and chattering were just noise to Conner.

  “What now?” Conner asked, his eyes still scanning the open room. A set of twin doors was located near the stairwell and appeared to be the only other way out of the room. A barmaid burst through the doorway with an armful of food which confirmed his suspicion that the tavern’s kitchen was located through the doorway.

  “Well, standing here makes us a bit conspicuous, don't you think.”

  They descended the steps and entered the large, open room. As he looked closer, Conner realized that there were not only Hurai in the room. There were a handful of others that looked like Conner with white skin and round eyes. It made him feel better that he wasn’t the only one that didn’t look like the rest. Even though he knew he had Hurai blood in him, he also knew that he looked nothing like them.

  “How do we get our horses?” Conner asked.

  “We find the owner of the inn. He will help us buy the horses. He will be around the kitchens or the ale barrels at the back of the room.”

  They were now among the tables and standing patrons, which forced them to weave around and take a circuitous route towards the back stairwell. Although no one seemed to overtly give them much attention, Conner did notice most of the Hurai gave him sideways looks as he passed by. The eyes didn’t stay on their faces but ended up looking at the swords strapped to their backs. He could not be certain, but it appeared to him that the volume of the room seemed to have lowered somewhat as they passed through the room.

  A large man in a dirty apron was standing next to the stairs dipping a large mug into an open cask. He poured the contents of the large mug into smaller mugs, which a barmaid took to deliver to her thirsty customers. As Conner and Nikki approached, he stood up straight and wiped his hands on his apron. His hair was stringy and gray and hung down past his shoulders. On his face were the makings of a gray beard, but it was just crusty stubble. Thick, wild eyebrows pinched together as he looked from Conner to Nikki, and then back.

  He muttered words in what Conner took for being in the Hurai language.