Knight Rising

by Jason Hamilton

  For a moment, she thought about dipping into that well of magic again. She could still feel it, flowing underneath her skin. She had no idea what it was capable of.

  But Lion was dead, that much was plain, and no magic that could reanimate the dead was a magic she wanted to be a part of. Not to mention she already wasn’t sure she liked what it had made her do and think. She would have to be careful going forward.

  She set off the way she had come, though letting loose a stream of expletives as the sun began to set, taking what little light that filtered through the trees with it. She could try to make her way in the dark, though on this little trail, she was just as likely to lose the trail as not. For a moment, she considered stopping.

  No, she couldn’t risk staying in one place with those two men out there. All they had to do was return when she was sleeping, and they could get the jump on her. She had to continue until she was relatively out of danger, or at least back on the main road. At least then, she could sleep off the side of the road and no one would know she was there.

  Her thoughts turned to George. If Archimago had been impersonating him the whole time, that meant the real George was still out there somewhere, doing who knew what.

  But wherever he was, he was in trouble. She could feel it in the way her magic seemed to pulse whenever she thought of him. The trees had whispered of his danger. If those whispers hadn’t been a hallucination, that meant George was somehow caught up with this Duessa woman.

  In fact, she was almost sure that the woman whose prints she’d spied alongside his, had to be Duessa’s. Nothing else made sense. He must have come, killed her protector, then run off with the woman.

  But something wasn’t right about that either. If George had killed Pyrochles’s brother, then why had he left with Duessa? Perhaps the woman had laid some kind of spell on the knight. That fit with what the trees had told her.

  What bothered her was that there was no way to know where the Red Cross knight had gone, and therefore no way to find him and help, not that she would help him anyway. Whoever this Duessa woman was, she was the last person Una wanted to find. And if she was mixed up with George, then that meant staying as far away from the knight as possible.

  Feeling better about her choices, she continued on her way back to the main road. She would stick to her original task: find Castle Silene and anyone that still lay under the dragon’s siege. If she and George crossed paths again, then fine. But in the meantime, she would make her own way.

  18

  George rode next to his mistress, Duessa. Such a beautiful name. They rode together through a dark and magnificent forest, with trees that towered over both of them, shading them from the harsh sun above.

  His lady had taken a horse from a nearby village, a handsome black gelding that matched Duessa’s flowing hair. The village had been gracious enough to give it to her for free, for surely nothing could be denied his mistress. He…

  The screams returned to his mind, yelling at him, shouting at him to wake up, awake from the spell. He shook his head vigorously to fight them off.

  “The voices again?” came Duessa’s voice. There was something dangerous in her voice, hard and sharp like a knife in the dark.

  He nodded, putting his fingers to his temples but saying nothing.

  “Let me help with that,” Duessa pulled her horse closer and reached a hand forward. The screams increased, telling him to run, get away, move as fast as he…

  His entire body relaxed as her fingers brushed against his temples. Her touch was so gentle, so gracious. Why had he ever thought she was dangerous? No one of her beauty could present such danger, unless it was in the manner of Helen of Troy.

  He stared at her loving gaze. Yes, he would ride to war for such a woman, even if it meant his own certain death. But none of that would be necessary, for she had already chosen him. There would be no others, no wars to fight. It would be just the two of them, living in this enchanted forest forever and ever.

  “We are nearly there,” said Duessa, her sultry voice flowing over him.

  A wave of excitement filled him. “And...and where are we going, my lady?” he asked. “Not that I wish to question you. I simply cannot wait until we can enjoy our time together.”

  She smiled. A sweet, enchanting...cruel smile. He shook such negative thoughts away. “We are meeting with some allies in a castle that used to be mine. It has long lain dormant, but Gloriana could not destroy it entirely. I made sure of that.”

  His mind darkened at hearing the name, Gloriana, and the screams returned faintly. “She who took all your glory from you?”

  “The very same,” she said, nodding. “At this castle, I will discuss with the others my plans to take back what is mine, and how they can help me. And we will discuss your role in all of this.” She looked him up and down.

  “I wish only to serve,” he said, his eagerness showing. “I will do all I can to vanquish the Faerie Queen.” The screams increased in his head.

  She smiled and leaned in just a little closer. He shuddered as her fingers brushed his cheek and moved down to his neck. “All in good time, my pet. I’m sure, whatever it is, I will find a suitable use for you.”

  They traveled for some time after that, down the forest road, the air growing increasingly dark, though there actually seemed to be fewer trees here. Occasionally the screams would return, and he would be forced to stop while Duessa blessed him with her touch.

  “What is happening to me,” he would say.

  “You are cursed by Gloriana,” Duessa replied. “When she gave you the vision, she tied herself to you. We must get you to the castle, or she will take over your mind.”

  The news only added to his urgency. They had to get to this castle as soon as they could.

  Duessa took the lead, and eventually they began to pass others. George looked at them with some astonishment. They had come across few people on this road, yet here there were several moving in the same direction as they. Some had horrifying faces, yet many were humans in peasant garb, watching in awe and transfixion as Duessa rode ahead of them.

  George gave his horse a sharp kick so he could keep up with his mistress. Who knew what any of these crazy peasants might do to reach her. She might need him for protection.

  Suddenly, the light changed. They had entered a clearing devoid of trees, though the air was still gray and thick. Still, he could see what lay ahead.

  A massive castle with seven great towers lay before him. Two of the towers straddled the gate, and at the back, the largest of the towers rose high above the rest. Rows of battlements, walls, and secondary defenses covered and surrounded the towers, and from what George could tell, people inhabited every platform.

  Indeed, there were even more people here, crowding around from the road they came in on, but also lining up on other roads that came from all sides of the clearing, meeting in the middle just in front of the main gate. Many entered the enormous castle, but none could be seen coming out.

  “Welcome,” said Duessa. “To the City of Pride.”

  George stared in wonder as they continued to ride forward, all the others making way for Duessa on her horse, with George following in her wake.

  “It is...beautiful,” he said, though he wasn’t sure why he chose that word. It was a cruel kind of beauty, full of black, metal spires, and cold stone. At this range, he could hear the people standing on the platforms in and around each of the seven towers. They were laughing and shouting in revelry. As Duessa came close, he could even make out cheers as those close enough to see them began cheering at their lady’s arrival.

  “Is it not?” Duessa confirmed. “It has been so long since I’ve been in this place.”

  They passed a man with the face of a pig, and another with the horns of a ram. Something about the sight made the screams return to George’s mind. He’d seen many people of the sort since they had drawn close to the place, though he wasn’t sure why it unsettled him so. There were humans too, so why should
he worry? As long as Duessa showed no distress, there was no reason for him to do so, though that didn’t stop the pit of his stomach from hardening.

  They proceeded forward until they passed under the gate. Even as they rode, the screams were increasing, telling him to pull back, to get away from that place, to run and never come back.

  For once, he didn’t tell his mistress about the screams. In truth, he wanted to run. There was something unsettling about this entire fortress, and he knew in his bones that he needed to get out of there. The screams were right.

  Yet as much as he willed himself to turn, to steer his horse to the side and go back on the path they had followed to get here, he could not do it. Rapture held him to his lady, his eyes continuing to follow her as she passed under the stone that bridged the two towers on either side of the gate. George could do nothing but follow.

  Pegasus protested, and in an unanticipated rush, he rose on his hind legs, causing George to topple backward. He tried to cling to something to keep him on his horse, but Pegasus’ sudden uprising had been too unexpected. The horse turned and retreated, carrying George’s shield with him.

  “Do not concern yourself with him,” said Duessa. “We will find a horse more worthy of you.”

  The indirect praise was enough to forget about the horse. If Pegasus did not want to enter the City of Pride, then he wasn’t worthy of George or Duessa. Waving the matter out of his head, George stepped through the gate.

  The inside was everything he secretly expected. Almost as if passing instantly from an open field to a humid bog, the air suddenly grew heavy. George resisted the urge to cough as something like foul-smelling smoke filled his lungs, and bile rose in his throat. This was no ordinary castle, that much was plain. And yet, he found himself drawn ever closer to his mistress.

  The others were clamoring around Duessa, lauding her, calling her name, putting forth their hands as she rode past. All she did was smile and nod slightly at their adoration. How had all these people come to be here, in this place in the middle of a thick forest? In fact, how had this place even come to be here at all? He was sure he would have heard about a castle this large in the Forest of Arden. After all, everyone had at least heard of Castle Silene even though it disappeared for most of the year, but in all his travels, George had never heard of a ‘City of Pride’ as Duessa had called it.

  Also, was it just him or had the screams stopped? The realization was almost enough to make him stop. It was true, the screams had ceased, though they had been replaced with a sort of mental clarity that he had not experienced in days.

  He stared forward, watching Duessa continue her ride through the main courtyard of the castle, approaching the keep that lay on the far side, the largest of the seven towers. Soon, the people opened up ahead of them, revealing six nobles approaching. Each was highly unusual, and many sat astride large beasts, unconventional for riding.

  There was a man riding a swine and covered in nothing but vines, another dripping blood and wearing the skin of a lion. Even stranger was a man standing next to a camel and showered in gold and riches, yet the man himself seemed to have nothing but rags as his own apparel.

  One of the six, a woman leaning against a massive wolf, and possessing a scowl that could curdle one’s blood, stepped forward to greet them.

  “Welcome Duessa Lucifera, mistress of Pride. We have been...so hopeful for your return.”

  The way this woman said it made George believe that she did not mean the welcome words. The speaker’s tone and body language shouted jealousy. George ambled closer to his mistress. If anyone attacked her…

  But why was he so enamored with this woman? It was only beginning to dawn on him that she had done nothing for him.

  Duessa spared him a glance before directing her attention to the new woman. “Hello Envy,” she said. “It is good to be back. I see the place is full to bursting.”

  “It is indeed, my lady,” said the fat man covered in vines. “We hardly have the food for ourselves, much less all these others.”

  “Let that not be a concern to you,” said Duessa with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I will be dismissing most of them shortly. And if all else fails, you may pit them against each other, and let the victors claim their meat.”

  A wave of nausea passed through George. She wasn’t saying what he thought she was saying, was she? How could a woman so beautiful suggest something so cruel? But as she looked back and smiled at him, he nearly forgot his horror. She was simply too beautiful to…

  No, this was wrong. Something about this whole place was wrong. Was he even supposed to be here? No, he was supposed to be at Castle Silene, traveling with—. His mind went blank. Some other person. A girl? Yes, a girl. Una! That had been her name.

  “I’ll need you to take this one to the lower holds until I can take time to deal with him,” said Duessa. It took a moment for George to realize they were all looking at him. “His enchantment is wearing off, and I’ve little patience to renew it again just yet.”

  “Me?” he said. What had he done? He was supposed to remain at Duessa’s side, to be her companion for as long as she lived. What was this about a lower hold? He shook his head as if to clear it. No, he didn’t want to stay by her side. There was something not right about her, so why had he thought so just moments before?

  “I will see it done,” said Envy, waving a hand towards someone behind George. He turned to see two figures clad in black approaching him with large spears in hand. What was happening?

  “Let me take him!” said a voice from behind. George whirled to see an enormous man standing there, his body towering over the rest of them, easily twenty feet tall. How did such a person even come into being? “Me take to big keep and torture.” “Not yet, Orgoglio,” said Duessa, though she spared the giant an affectionate smile. “We shall see if you are needed.”

  The giant hung his head in disappointment but watched as two men lay hold of George. When he resisted, a quick yet brutal jab to the gut caused him to double over, making it easy for the two of them to lead him away. “My lady,” he exclaimed as they led him past Duessa.

  “I will come for you soon,” she said, smiling slyly and waving her fingers at George.

  “Duessa,” he shouted, a mixture of pleading and anger in his voice. She had betrayed him. She was not what she seemed.

  Envy continued her conversation with Duessa as if nothing had happened. “Naturally I’m sure you will want some rest?”

  “Of course, though I will meet with all of you in the grand…” it became harder to hear her words as the two black guards led George away.

  A fog was lifting from his brain. There was far more wrong with this place than he anticipated. As they dragged him away, he saw score after score of people who did not belong, people with animal body parts, or animals with human body parts, mythical creatures of all sizes, some with grotesque mutations like growing multiple heads or developing unnaturally long fangs.

  Even worse were those who looked completely human, but who stared at George with indifference.

  “Help,” he cried. “Help, I don’t know where they’re taking me.”

  But he received no answer in return, no acknowledgment of his predicament. The most he received were cold, sometimes even amused stares.

  He tried to struggle, to call on his skill for aid, but he was weak, and the guards were in excellent physical condition. He tried to reach for his sword, only to find that it no longer hung around his belt. Someone had taken it from him long before he was in a position to notice.

  “Faerie Queen,” he muttered as they began dragging him down some damp, stone steps. “My lady Faerie Queen, give me a sign, give me aid.”

  But there was no answer from the Faerie Queen. Something told him that the screams had somehow been her attempt at communication, perhaps through the very trees that were her stewardship, but all of that was gone here. The screams were gone, all chance of escaping was gone.

  The two guards threw him i
nto a cell, not unlike the one Una had inhabited when they had first met.

  Una. Where was she now? Had Duessa gotten to her too, or was she still moving forward to reach Castle Silene? What would she do against the dragon without the aid of a warrior, replace him with someone else more likely, or die by trying to take on the dragon herself? He didn’t deserve to be her protector. He was an utter failure. All his training had been for naught, and just as he’d failed his first master, now he was failing his quest, and would likely never see Una again. Oh how he longed to.

  “I’m sorry, Una,” he said as the black guards shut iron doors behind him with a ringing clang.

  19

  If anything, the forest seemed to be growing even darker.

  Una stopped what she was doing. She’d wandered for hours in the dark and she was now reasonably convinced that she had unwittingly left the path. It hadn’t been a clear path to begin with. Oh, why hadn’t she seen that Archimago had led her away from the road? Just as he’d disguised himself as the Red Cross knight, he must have interfered with her perception of the road as well. You simply did not leave the road in the Forest of Arden, even if there was a clear path marked.

  And now she was left with nothing but her wits and determination. That would have to see her through.

  “If I simply go straight, I will eventually end up at the road or the edge of the forest,” she said to herself. Of course, there was the likely scenario that she could just wander in circles, though she was fairly certain that she could avoid that. At the very least, even if her path did curve slightly, she could make it such a big curve that she would eventually find what she was looking for.

  It was the only plan she had, but it would only work if she had some minor form of visibility at least. Her self-closing eyes were confirmation enough. It was time to get some sleep. At this rate, she would never find Castle Silene before the midsummer solstice.