Knight Spirits

by David Kuminski

  "He's not hurt bad. The cuts aren't deep at all," another proctor said.

  Yalon glared at the proctors. "If my proctor had given me the instructions sooner, I wouldn't have hit that tree. I'll retake the flying test, but I want another proctor. That one-armed dolt doesn't know what he's doing. He almost killed me."

  One proctor stepped in front of Yalon. "Your proctor is a retired Knight of the Star who lost an arm in battle. If anyone knows the importance of giving spell words at the right time, Proctor Stravinsky does."

  "You owe him an apology," another proctor said.

  "That doesn't excuse him from almost killing me. He doesn't know much about teaching," Yalon spat.

  One proctor shook his head. Another took Yalon by the arm.

  "Leave now. You're not worthy of wearing the armor of a Knight of the Star."

  "What? You can't make me…Ow!"

  The proctor who grabbed hold of Yalon escorted the man to the gate. Reaching it, the guard stepped aside long enough for the proctor to shove Yalon out. By the time Yalon recovered his balance and attempted to re-enter the castle, the guard stood in his way with his hand upon the hilt of his sword.

  "Don't even try. I used to be in the Red and Black. My skills aren't rusty, either. Just leave like you was told," the guard said.

  Yalon sized up the guard who was clearly larger. The armor the guard wore made it likely that Yalon could do anything with his fists. More likely, the guard would toss him out even harder than the proctor. After a moment of useless glaring, Yalon turned to walk alone down the path.

  ***

  "Proctor Casob, I can't go on. I realized this morning that god has other plans for me. Please let me travel with you for now," the woman said.

  "God spoke to you?" Basoc asked.

  "He speaks to most women sooner or later." She glanced around even as her cheeks blushed. "I'm expecting."

  "I see. Then you do god's work, after all."

  "Thank you, Proctor. I knew you'd understand."

  Basoc did understand. He knew without any explanation on her part that she wanted to return home. It was safer to travel with a group, particularly if one was a woman. Lawless bands in some regions would take advantage of someone traveling alone and even rob some small groups if anyone among them appeared to have money. After all, sometimes a merchant traveled to try out for knighthood.

  "Do your best to keep up. We have our own duty to fulfill."

  Chapter 38

  "Override. Activate Private Porter suit." Gonzales studied his directional for several seconds before issuing more spell commands. "Deactivate Private Porter suit. Override. Activate Corporal Nigel suit." He viewed the directional once more for signs of a newly activated suit.

  Slowly, he went through the spells for the missing suits while he and his patrol watched for any telltale signs. Each of the men and women assigned to him flew in a circular formation with him at the center. That maximized their coverage of the directional. Experience had taught that they could extend their search in that manner. When he finished, Gonzales flew on in the direction of the next sector. The knights to his side and behind him flew on as well. Only those ahead remained in place to mark the beginning limit of the next sector to search.

  By flip-flopping in that manner, they would be less likely to miss any territory. However, it meant that they would stop and search many more times than was first planned when Moto etched sectors on the wall of the chapel. In fact, they'd already exceeded the number Moto thought necessary.

  ***

  Basoc turned to Loson. "Try again with more inflection in your voice. The Nigel I knew had a strange accent."

  "Activate Corporal Nigel suit."

  Lights flashed across the suit chest. A moment later, it popped open.

  "Hurry. Get it on and fly home to Kron. Everyone else, disperse!" Basoc ordered.

  The rest of the group took off in different directions despite the darkness. One soon fell in the brush. Moments later, another ran into a tree. Regardless, no one turned back to check on them. It was up to each of them to escape and meet at the next location. Loson slipped into the armor. As he pressed the suit closed, Basoc slipped a sword-bearing sash over him. Basoc turned Loson to face in one direction. Immediately, Loson gave his first excited spell words to zoom up into the night air in real flight.

  Basoc walked out to the trail at a more careful pace once everyone was gone. As he approached the trail, his feet crunched through some twigs.

  "Proctors, is that you?" a woman's nervous voice asked.

  "Just me," Basoc answered.

  "Worried about me?"

  "Not really. We just spoke with a knight. He's overhead now," Basoc said.

  "Then it's bound to be safe here," she said. "How soon will the others be back from their prayers?"

  "I won't see them for a day or two. They've been given instructions to visit some villages near here. For now, I'll travel with you."

  "You're a brave man, Proctor Casob."

  "Of course, you'll have to stand watch part of the night. I can't remain awake the whole time and still be of use tomorrow."

  "Do you wish to rest first?"

  ***

  "Get your suit on!" Smith shouted.

  Two knights rose into the darkness with nets in their hands. They spread out moments later to open one net between them while readying smaller nets.

  "He must be past us," Wong said.

  "Not yet. Gwinn said she wouldn't lose him."

  "I'm still behind him," Gwinn said over the god voice.

  "Someone's on our directional now," Smith said.

  "That's him!" Wong exclaimed, as a second dot appeared.

  "Left! No, not left!" an unfamiliar voice commanded.

  "He's in a spin!" Wong exclaimed.

  A scream of pain came over the god voice.

  "We're chasing a one-legged Kron now," Gwinn said.

  "My leg! You cut off my leg!"

  "Well done!" Wong said. "We're moving in with the nets."

  "If he doesn't land soon, I'll take off his other leg," Gwinn remarked. "I know you can hear me, you Kron garbage. Give the spell word for landing or I'll take off your other leg."

  "Hover," the Kron managed to order. Retching sounds carried over the god voice a moment later.

  "Land or die!" Gwinn's voice demanded.

  "There he is," Wong said. "Stay out of the way. We'll net him."

  "He's all yours," Gwinn replied.

  "Land!" Loson commanded.

  "Filthy Kron!" Smith exclaimed, as he and Wong missed netting the wounded Kron who disappeared below their net's reach.

  "I'll follow him down. Land!" Gwinn said.

  Gwinn landed near enough the Kron that she could see he would give little resistance. He was busy trying to stem the bleeding from his leg where she'd severed it at the knee. The added momentum of her suit gave her enough strength where she normally couldn't manage such a telling blow.

  "Toss your sword away and I'll let you live," she ordered.

  Loson awkwardly drew his sword with one hand while holding his wounded leg with the other. Seeing two more knights land to surround him, he tossed his weapon aside. "I want to live."

  "Not my favorite choice for you, but one I'll uphold," Wong said.

  Smith bent down to tie a short cord around the wound to stem the bleeding. He didn't need to be told that the man would likely die anyway.

  "You wouldn't have seen me if it hadn't been for the bright moonlight," Loson said.

  "That's right," Gwinn lied. "Take the suit off."

  Wong threw one of the smaller nets over the Kron.

  "I can't take it off with that in the way!"

  "You'll do it anyway," Wong ordered.

  "Where are the other suits?" Smith demanded.

  "I don't know. When I opened mine, Basoc ordered everyone to leave. They've moved by now," Loson replied.

  "Think he's telling the truth?" Smith asked.

  "Maybe. He's not go
ing anywhere now," Wong said.

  "I think I know where Gonzales should search," Gwinn said. "He was flying in a straight line until he spotted Castle Nictou and I gave chase."

  "I'm glad you forced him to turn toward Castle Bright Sand," Wong said.

  Chapter 39

  Gonzales considered the suggestion that Gwinn offered. The valuable pressed leaf map he carried provided his force a way of visualizing what she meant.

  "It does make sense," Eusis said.

  Other knights nodded in agreement. Gonzales looked from face to face.

  "If we're wrong, we'll have to start over."

  Deliah grinned. "After hearing about how that dumb Kron turned toward Castle Bright Sand to escape, I doubt that the others will be any smarter. I'm willing to take the chance."

  Again, the other knights nodded. Some smiled at how Deliah accurately characterized the Kron who was captured. Had he turned in some other direction, there wouldn't have been any knights between him and the ocean. He might even have escaped. Instead, he'd died. It was shock, not blood loss, that dealt the fatal result. Otherwise, Wong, Smith, and Gwinn might have gained some additional useful information from him.

  "You'll have to start over anyway if you stop your search to secure the suit we recovered," Gwinn said.

  "She's right. We've just enough time to do a search along the line of his flight," Gonzales said. "We'll try it."

  ***

  Basoc observed the knights fly overhead. Like the woman beside him, he waved at the knights as if he was an ordinary traveler. He knew that they couldn't recognize him anymore than he could identify any of them. They were simply too high for that. However, he didn't need any hints to know that one of them was Gonzales or Moto. One or both of them would be in the search party.

  "Do you believe they travel to Castle Bright Sand?" she asked.

  "It's possible, though I thought Castle Nictou stood off in that direction," Basoc offered.

  ***

  "It's working! There's a new suit on the directioner!"

  "Deactivate Private Porter suit," Gonzales ordered with excitement in his voice.

  He held his position as more of the team flew past to reach the suit location. Coming in from several directions, there was little chance that they'd miss it. However, it was important that he remain where he was in case they needed it activated once more to provide better directions.

  "I see someone with a bag," Deliah said.

  "I see him, too. He's running!" Eusis said.

  "He must have it!"

  Sounds of fighting carried over the god voice. Finally, Deliah exclaimed, "We've got one more back!"

  "Leave the Kron to rot," Eusis said.

  "Carry the suit to Gonzales."

  "Let me know when you're ready and I'll try another," Gonzales said.

  ***

  Basoc could tell by the way knights criss-crossed the sky that they were on the trail of the suits. He wondered if Loson had somehow managed to describe where he'd been. After all, he hadn't mentioned to any of his men where they were destined. He'd only given vague directions for the area he was in that might fit many other distant locales as well.

  ***

  Hagat spotted the knights flying over. As soon as they passed out of sight, he ran for a cave not far ahead. He reasoned that they could approach him from only one direction. There'd be no landing elsewhere to where he couldn't defend himself. Upon reaching the cave, he went in until the darkness threatened to overwhelm him. Even then, he didn't stop. Using the wall to guide him, he groped his way inside even deeper.

  ***

  Gonzales smiled as his force returned to their positions. One dropped off a fourth suit in passing.

  "Just two more," Deliah said, from her position.

  "Override. Activate Private Van Dyke suit," Gonzales ordered.

  "Nothing on my directioner," Deliah said.

  "Nothing here, either," Eusis said.

  The other knights reported similar results.

  Gonzales's voice was dejected when he gave the deactivation order. "Override. Activate Corporal Coffin suit."

  Moments later, he gave the deactivation spell words for that suit when the others reported no signs.

  "What now?" Deliah asked.

  "We circle this area in case they're just out of our range," Gonzales said.

  "At least, we can send Proctor Stravinsky to Castle Staten Island now," Eusis said.

  "If he'll go," Deliah said.

  Chapter 40

  Hagat opened the bag containing the suit he carried, the suit he knew now might mean his death. He stared at the god lights in the dark as he summoned up the courage to try once more with the spell words that Basoc taught him.

  ***

  Moto arrived at Castle Nictou to view the results. Gonzales and his force weren't entirely happy over what they'd accomplished. He could understand their reluctance to show any satisfaction over what they'd recovered because three suits remained missing. Even so, he remembered what the proctors had recommended he say upon reaching them.

  "Good work."

  "We didn't recover all the suits," Gonzales said.

  "You still did good work in getting these back. Now we have to try something else," Moto said.

  "What else is there to try?" Eusis asked.

  Moto smiled. "They want the suits. They don't have enough to face us down. We'll make them come after the suits once more. For now, fly those back to Castle Staten Island and secure them there."

  "You don't want us to search anymore?" Gonzales asked.

  "No. We have to prepare for an invasion. When it appears, they'll be with it if they haven't shown up before then to steal back the suits. Either way, we'll be ready. We'll also outnumber them," Moto said.

  ***

  Sabbo and Royal waved at their friends as they arrived. Both knights had been apprehensive about the appearance of dots on their directioners, until they heard the voices of their friends. After that, they were somewhat relaxed. Gonzales landed first. He approached the defensive shield at the front of the others to disable it. They followed him inside when the shield deactivated.

  "Only five?" Royal asked.

  "We'll recover the other three. Moto has some plans for that," Eusis said.

  "I should hope so," Sabbo said.

  "Moto wants everyone back, once these are secured," Gonzales said.

  "It's about time. We can't do anything standing around out here on the sand. My ability to write is of little use if I can't go inside," Sabbo said.

  "Moto reached that conclusion, too," Deliah said.

  ***

  Smith grimaced at the taste of the wine. As he tried to drink more, he realized too late that it was poisoned. By then, he couldn't speak. Basoc entered the tower using one of the oldest methods known, a rope. He shook his head at how poorly the knights had observed their own quarters when returning after their patrol. They hadn't noticed the rope at all. Had they done so, they might have been suspicious of the leftover wine. Instead, Basoc entered to find Smith dead and Wong sleeping.

  For a moment, Basoc considered killing Wong. Then it occurred to him that it might be better to make it look like god had abandoned him by merely taking the suit. Quietly, Basoc picked up Wong's suit before walking over to stand by Smith's body.

  "Activate Corporal Smith suit."

  The suit opened. Basoc grabbed hold of the corpse and pulled it free to fall upon the floor. He barely had time to slip into the suit when Wong, still groggy with sleep, stumbled over to draw his sword. Basoc snapped the suit closed, whirled about, and slashed out at Wong before he could defend himself.

  Wong grasped the stub of his arm where his hand was severed. "I hope Gonzales finds you. When he does, I hope he kills you slowly."

  "When I die, it won't be as slow as I intend to kill you. Tell your friends that I'll gladly kill them just as slowly."

  Wong stood waiting for the final blow. Instead, Basoc hurried out of the tower quarters to launch h
imself into the sky.

  Basoc noticed almost immediately the dot indicating that another knight was in the vicinity. Wary of a trap, he carefully gave commands and readied himself to attack rather than escape.

  Realizing that he was being left alone to bleed to death, Wong found a cord to tie around his wrist. Upon stemming the loss of blood, he staggered to the battlement of his tower quarters to summon help.

  ***

  Hagat hovered as he studied the presence of a new dot inside the helmet. He wasn't certain what it meant as it traveled toward a center point. There were far too many pinpoint lights inside the helmet's brim for him to understand while he hovered in the darkness and waited for the dawn so he could see his way. Otherwise, he was too afraid of flying into something. He had been warned by Basoc that the commands should never be given inside any buildings or beneath trees. Fortunately for him, he'd remembered that as soon as he'd succeeded in opening the suit inside the cave. He'd walked out and given the spell words only when he could see the stars. Only then had he recognized the danger of flying at night after realizing that he had no idea how high he might be.

  Basoc slowed as he approached the hovering figure. He held his sword at the ready with the intention of swooping in fast and low enough to strike at the other knight's legs once he was into position. He knew from experience that such wounds were crippling, if not fatal. For a moment, he wondered who he might be attacking. It made a difference because he knew that every knight had individual quirks in style. As he scanned the names, he gazed in shock at the sight of a lit name that shouldn't have been present.

  "Hagat?"

  "Basoc? I mean, Cosab?"

  "That no longer matters. You can call me Basoc, again. You succeeded in activating your suit."

  "Yes, but I don't know where I am."

  "All right. Can you see a dot moving inside your helmet?"

  "Yes?"