The Return of Constantine (The Blackest Knight Series, Book 2)

by Michael S. Melendez

  “I will see that you hang for this.” She threatened.

  Vincent spat on her.

  “I will remember this! I will see that your mouth is wired shut and you tongue pulled out with hot tongs!”

  Vincent spat on her once more. He repeated this for the next hour. Each time, Fey threatened him until finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “STOP!” she cried out as tears streak down her face. “Just stop…just please stop.”

  Vincent pulled her up by her breastplate. “Tell me what I want to hear.”

  “It’s my fault…it’s all my fault. Don’t you think I know that?! I just wanted to prove myself. What is the point of me admitting this?!”

  Vincent reached back into his jacket. Fey shut her eyes expecting the worst only to feel something soft on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that Vincent was cleaning the spit off her face. “I wanted you to face reality.” He said. “In battle and in war your status does not matter. You wanted to prove yourself but refuse to get your own hands dirty. That’s not a leader. If you aren’t willing to dive headfirst into a pit of mud, blood, bodies, and steel, then how do you expect the people willing to lay down their lives for you to do the same?”

  His words cut deep. Deeper than any blade ever could. For the first time, Fey felt shame.

  Vincent threw her back over his shoulder and the continued on their way. This time in complete silence.

  Dusk soon came. Vincent undid Fey’s restraints. An action in which took her by surprise. “What? Not afraid I’ll run off?”

  “Not at all.” He replied. “That behemoth comes out at night, right? So, I’m willing to bet you’ll stay put for the night.”

  Fey hadn’t considered that. She would either stay with her captor or risk being killed by a monster only heard about in myths. Decisions, decisions. She would, of course, choose the lesser of two evils.

  They sat in complete silence. Vincent was staring at the dancing embers coming from the fire he made. “So who are you?” Fey finally asked. “What can be so important that you would be willing to make a deal with my mother?”

  “You talk about your mother as if she is the devil given flesh.”

  “Some would argue that she is. All my life I heard that you should never anger her.” Fey let out a chuckle. “Hard to believe her getting angry. She’s only ever had two emotions. Calm and horny. I’ll let you decide which one she prefers. The fact that she only has one child astonishes me. Not that she ever told me who my father is. All she would ever say is, ‘It’s not important and get back to studying.’ Can’t even get a ‘Fey you did a good job.’ Hell, I would take just a smile.”

  Vincent smirked. “Seems like I had it wrong. You weren’t doing this to seize power. You were trying to prove something to her and to yourself.”

  Fey let out a deep sigh. “My mother was always…distant. My childhood consisted of books, books, and more books. Occasionally, we would be invited to a ball at the winter palace in Reign but it wasn’t as if I saw my mother a lot there. I was always stuck speaking with diplomats and forced to make friends with their children. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’m just a political tool in my mother’s arsenal. She doesn’t care about me.”

  Vincent glanced over and could see tears swelling in Fey’s eyes. “Yes, she does,” Vincent said. “Do you think she would’ve sent someone to come and get you if she didn’t care?”

  “Sure took her long enough.”

  “Perhaps. However, do you remember your guards I killed? They were ill trained. A small child holding a dagger could’ve taken those men. My guess is that she personally assigned those guards to protect you, and when they died you would come home on your own. When that didn’t happen she sent someone after you. Keep this in mind, Fey. She has an entire army at her disposal. So why send me? I’ll tell you why---because she is preparing for an attack.”

  “What are you talking about?” Fey asked with a confused expression.

  “While I was journeying here, I noticed that there were more and more patrols coming every hour. You only do that as an early warning signal in case of an impending attack. Also, before I left, I noticed more and more troops walking along the wall. For a steady rotation, you always want at least ten guards walking along the battlements at all times to cover the north, south, east, and west. Maybe fifteen deepening on the length which would increase foot travel. I counted fifty before I left and that was on the east side alone. All armed and some stationed inside bell towers. You say your mother doesn’t care. I say she cares the most about you and her people. That’s why I’m here. Our goals aligned. She wanted something from and I need something from here. I was all she could spare because I have no doubt that your mother would’ve sent and entire battalion to come and get you.”

  Fey could hardly believe what Vincent was saying. Yet she could see could tell that he wasn’t lying. She found herself weeping uncontrollably like a small child. She was happy and felt foolish all at once. Perhaps her mother did care. In her own unique way.

  Fey went to sleep soon after. Vincent couldn’t for the entire time he was talking to Fey his arm has been pulsing uncontrollably. “Something is coming.” He muttered to himself. The dense fog soon rolled in. All sound stopped. Vincent turned his head and could see the yellow eyes of behemoth. He smiled.

  Chapter 15

  Fey jerked awake as she felt the ground beneath her tremble far more than usual. The behemoth, although it appeared to be rather close, was actual a mile away from them, but even so, its steps can be felt for hundreds of miles——not to mention it’s deafening roar.

  She glanced over and saw Vincent staring at the beast. She assumed him to be paralyzed, but upon further examination she saw that he was smiling. There was a blood lust in his eyes. The air around him crackled with electricity. “Fey.” He said without turning his head. “Hide.”

  With blinding speed, Vincent charged towards the behemoth. He didn’t know why. It was as if some unseen force was controlling him. Black lightning struck all around him, until finally, with a thunderous BOOM he was struck and the Black Knight was born again.

  He arrived at the massive foot of the beast, took out his sword, and cut into the behemoth’s ankle. Black blood gushed from the gaping wound as the beast let out a roar of pain. It probably didn’t expect anything to be able to cut through its thick leather skin.

  It’s eyes turned from yellow to red. It raised its massive claw ready to strike. Vincent could’ve easily dodge it. In fact, he did move to evade it, but he found himself getting crush underneath it. How? It moved at a slow paced and with Vincent’s speed he could’ve easily avoided it. Was it not for the armor he wore he would’ve been killed instantly.

  Vincent got to his feet. He was hurt. Although no one could tell. Blood pooled in his lungs but he did not cough. Instead, he screamed. Black lightning struck all around him. He bent his knees and propelled himself into the air. He raised his sword to strike at the behemoth’s chest, but he missed. Or rather, I should say, he passed through it.

  He turned his head around only to be struck again by the behemoth’s claw. He hit the floor with force of a cannonball exploding against the floor. The behemoth then raised its massive foot and began to repeatedly stomp on Vincent. Each time he would try and get to his feet he would only be pushed further into the ground. In a desperate attempt, Vincent raised his sword in the air. It became lodged in the behemoth’s foot. He held onto the hilt of his sword for dear life, but once he was in the air his strength failed him.

  Vincent crashed to the ground. Bones broke, or at least that what it felt like, his vision was red and blurry, but it was impossible not see the colossal foot of the behemoth coming towards him. It kicked him hard towards the forest. Vincent lost track around fourteen the number of tree and rocks he went through.

  “Having a hard time, Vincent?” the Black Knight said in his ear.

  When Vincent next opened his eyes he found himself standing in the center of Avia’s t
hrone room. The Black Knight was sitting on the throne. “What’s happening?” he asked.

  “You're getting your ass pounded more than a copper whore.” The Black Knight responded.

  “Not that! Why am I even fighting this thing? I have no reason to. It was like…some possessed me.”

  “Oh. I know what happened.” He rose from the throne and walked towards Vincent. “See, you didn’t just inherit the right arm of Samrio. You also inherited my thirst for battle. The opportunity to test your steel on an enemy stronger than yourself. You threw caution to the wind and are now fighting an enemy to can’t beat simply by cutting it.”

  The room shifted and Vincent found himself standing on the ceiling. He looked up and saw that the throne room was now filled with people. Random soldiers, Emilia, Fey, Cygnus, and Lidia. “You think yourself to be better than them.” The Black Knight said. “Just because you have the power of a god, you, Vincent Valentine, think yourself to be better than them. And although it is true that you are in fact more power than any normal human, but what happens when you face an enemy you can’t beat?”

  The room shifted again. Now, Vincent was the only one on the ground and looking down on him was the behemoth. His heart raced, his legs were frozen, he was scared. Vincent was scared.

  “Scary, isn’t it. There are very few things in this world that will ever rival you, Vincent. That thing is one of them. Go kill it.”

  “How?” he asked. “I can’t touch the thing and it’s surprisingly quick.”

  “Excuses, excuses. Don’t think for one second you or that beast is impervious. Sure, the only thing keeping you alive right now is the armor, and that beast is the same way, or haven’t you notice yet.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Did you know that Constantine was originally established in Illya long before it became a country? No, you probably wouldn’t. Anyway, the reason for it is because this entire continent crisscrosses over leylines. Invisible sources of energy that only witches can tap into. Funny thing about leylines, strange things occur during the full moon cycle. People disappear, livestock goes missing, or perhaps a dense fog rolled in. Think, Vincent, think. Now wake the fuck up!”

  Vincent’s eyes sprang open. Lightning struck all around him as he slowly got to his feet. Rage burned in his chest and he could hear his own blood pumping. It was then that something strange happened. His chest became really hot. It was as if someone was burning a hole in his chest. He fell to his knees clenching his chest and groaning in pain. He looked at his hand. It was red. “Blood?” he though. No, it wasn’t blood. It was holding shape in his hand and wasn’t smearing. Also, it was glowing. He let the red liquid fall to the ground only to find that it scorched the very land it touched.

  He gripped the floor hard. He felt as though his body was being pulled apart and he wasn’t that far off. For it was not his body that being pulled, but rather the armor itself. The black plated armor was shifting. Or rather I should say it was opening. Vincent's chest erupted into a ball of fire. More of this black liquid oozed out from between the plates of the armor and certain areas. Vincent got to his feet, but he wasn’t himself. He was lost in a swirly vortex of anger, despair, and blood lust. You might dare say that he wasn’t the one in control.

  Vincent emerged from the forest. The land beneath him became scorched as more of this lava-like liquid fell to the ground. The black helmet that Vincent wore began to unhinge at the bottom and expand like heated metal. It opened, revealing two rows of black metallic razor sharp teeth. He let out a deafening roar so loud that it could be heard from the White Spire.

  The behemoth, having though Vincent was dealt with was about to get a rude awakening.

  Heat radiated from Vincent’s body. The heat was so intense that the fog in the area was being to evaporate. The fog itself is nothing more then a cloud suspended on the surface of the earth. Which meant it was made of water. The vision of the behemoth became clearer the closer it got to Vincent. Perhaps it sensed the overwhelming bloodlust coming from Vincent, but it stopped in its place.

  Like a bolt of lightning, Vincent leaped into the air. With a thunderous punch, he drove his fist into the heart of the behemoth. It was then he understood what the Black Knight told him about the fog. It was an illusion. Vincent was able to see the beast, but when it came time to actually cut into it, he missed due to the fog. It made the beast seem closer than it actually was. The brain can be fooled by what the eye foresees. Now with the fog mostly gone, he can now touch it.

  The behemoth rear back a few feet. Black blood gushed from its mouth. Vincent reared back his fist again and landed another thunderous blow to the chest. The behemoth once again reared back and let out a scream of pain, but this time, it lost its balance and fell onto it’s back with the crashing force of a tsunami. Vincent landed on its head and made his way to the eye. He opened his mouth and took a massive bite out of it as if he was biting into a wedge of cheese. His jaw unhinged like some sort of snake. Vincent chewed and clawed his way inside the beast skull via the eye passage. He tore out through muscle, flesh, blood, and various other fluids. The behemoth, now rearing in pain, began slamming his head on the floor.

  Vincent emerged out of the other eye. Having now successfully blinding the beast, Vincent delivered another thunderous blow to the behemoth. This time, to its skull. He didn’t let got. Vincent lodged his fingers deep into the beast skull. He was nearly elbow deep. He turned around and began to run.

  It took all his strength and stamina to pull the beast, but he somehow managed to. Once he achieved the most speed and could he stopped and shifted the momentum to the behemoth by swinging his arm.

  The behemoth became airborne. Vincent remained him behind, however. For you see, he didn’t let go. He dug himself into the ground. He watched as the behemoth flew far past the coastline leaving behind its head and spine.

  The sun began to rise, the armor disappeared, and Vincent Valentine couldn’t help but smile and laugh at what he accomplished.

  Chapter 16

  A minor detour had to be made. When Vincent tossed the behemoth like a rag doll he completely forgot that his sword was lodged under the beast foot. Fey followed close behind. She watched the entire fight go down. How many men did she sacrifice? She wondered. She had spent and entire moon cycle trying to so much as scratch the thing and in one night she saw Vincent rip the beast head off with his bare hands. “He can’t be human.” She said, but not allowing the words to leave her mouth. “That was impossible. And what was with that black armor.” She flowed close behind not say a word. If she wasn’t scared of him before she was now.

  They found the remains of the body on the shoreline. It’s been less than an hour, but already various types of wildlife are beginning to eat the remains. Vincent quickly grabbed his sword and they quickly left. There was nothing more to see.

  They arrive back at Illya around midday and Vincent wasted no time in returning Fey back to her mother at the White Spire. The same guard from before escorted them through the tower.

  “My Empress, Vincent Valentine has returned with Princess Fey.” He said. She waved him off. He bowed and left the room.

  Cygnus rose from her seat. She now wore a red silk gown. She approached her daughter. She looked her up and down until they finally locked eyes for a moment. That was when Cygnus slapped Fey across the face. Rather unexpected, Vincent thought. Cygnus once again gave her daughter another slap to the face and then embraced her with a hug. She slapped her again and the embraced her. Cygnus repeated this process over and over for five minutes. Fey’s face was now swollen and was in tears.

  “Go to your room,” Cygnus said in a commanding voice. “I will deal with you later and rest ashore, dear daughter, you will be punished. So I would be prepared for that.”

  Fey quickly left the room. Cygnus let out a long sigh. “I apologize for doing that in front of you.” She said. “My daughter she can be stubborn just like her father. Great man, powerful man, prob
ably the only man I ever truly loved but he was a stubborn bastard.”

  She walked back to the balcony, sat her seat, and poured Vincent and herself a cup of tea. “Have a seat.” She said. “I prefer to discuss things over a cup of tea.”

  Vincent was hesitant but he eventually did sit down. He grabbed the tea cup and took a sniff of it first. It smelled of cherries and lavender with the slight aroma of almonds. He took a sip. He almost hated to admit it but it was very delicious.

  “I hope Fey didn’t give you to much trouble.” She said.

  “None more than that monster did.”

  “Ah yes, the behemoth. It would seem I now owe you twice. One for returning my daughter and now for saving my kingdom. How can I ever repay such a debt?”

  “I’ll think of something, but for now I want to know where my sisters are.”

  “Ah, yes.” Cygnus put the tea cup back in the saucer. “A word once given must never be broken. I remember when your sisters came to work for me. It was during that time when I had servant actually working for me in the tower. Oh yes, believe it or not, this spire was once full of life, but all that soon changed. I had assassination attempts on me happening almost every day now. Hothcar and Illya have never been on good term. Not since I killed King Drago nearly eight years ago and freed all the elves from enslavement. War seemed inevitable.”

  “One day a series of explosives were detonated at the base of the White Spire foundation. I was able to keep it from falling using my magic and gave time for everyone to evacuate. How little I knew what awaited outside the spire. I’ll never know how a small army of Hothcar saboteurs managed to get inside these walls but set fire to every build. Luckily, I had a contiguously plan ready for just such an occasion. Only it didn’t go as planned.”