by Chuck Black
“Good Prince!” I exclaimed. “I am sorry to disturb You, but we have news You must hear at once.”
“Yes, Cedric,” the Prince said. “Please tell Me your urgent news.”
I caught my breath from the climb up the hill. “A young servant boy who serves in Kifus’s house overheard talk of a plot to kill You! We were not able to validate the source but thought it wise to at least warn You.”
The Prince did not seem uninterested, but He was not alarmed by our message.
“Do not worry, My friends. I am not through preparing you or My army. The King’s work must be completed. I will not allow Kifus or any of the Noble Knights to interfere.”
“But my Lord,” William said, “shouldn’t we prepare somehow in the event that there is truth in this warning?”
“Cedric. William. There is coming a day when I must return to My Father’s distant kingdom.”
“My Lord, may we come with You to serve You there?” I asked.
“No, Cedric. You and the Knights of the Prince must continue what I have started here. Upon you I place My trust. There is one coming who is far more destructive than Kifus or his knights. Leinad warned the people, but their apathy has left them weak.”
William and I locked eyes in astonishment. Leinad? I thought. My crazy old companion wasn’t really crazy? That means that all of those bizarre stories were—
“Yes, Leinad was highly favored by the King,” the Prince said in response to our obvious amazement. “He was a mighty and faithful knight, but the kingdom slowly began to ignore him and My Father’s warning until Leinad was all but forgotten. Now the Dark Knight is strong and anxious to conquer Arrethtrae. The kingdom is in peril. That is why you must continue to recruit and train men to fight the Dark Knight. He is evil and powerful. When you have established our army of truth, justice, and honor, the Dark Knight will come to destroy you.”
He paused for us to digest what He’d just said. It was hard to hear this plan. What strategy was this? Why would He leave us when we needed Him most?
“But do not fear,” the Prince continued. “I will come back for you and bring you into My Father’s kingdom to complete your training. Then we will return to Arrethtrae to utterly destroy the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors once and for all. I will lead you to certain victory! I will be King here, and you will help Me rule.”
He seemed so sure of Himself and of the future. It was clear He knew His enemies well, but I had yet to see even the best-laid plan executed without a few major flaws. Yet there was something about this man.
“You must remain true to the Code. It will carry and preserve you when you think you cannot go on. Do not just memorize the Code … live the Code. Will you trust Me, gentlemen?”
I glanced toward William. His face was solemn, but his eyes were set on the Prince. We had seen the strength of the Prince when all odds were against Him. Why should we doubt Him now?
“We trust You though it cost our very lives, my Lord,” William said.
We knelt before the Prince to confirm our vow.
“Rise and eat with Me, good knights,” the prince said, and He offered bread and fruit.
While we ate, the Prince spoke. “Listen closely. Besides the Knights of the Prince, I have established a secret force in the land composed of true and valiant knights from My Father’s distant kingdom. These men are skilled in the art of the sword and in the art of stealth and disguise. My Silent Warriors will help you in your most desperate times when I am not with you. When you call, ‘The King reigns—and His Son,’ should any be near, they will come to your aid.”
“Are there many of the Silent Warriors in the kingdom, my Prince?” I asked.
“More than your eyes will see, Cedric. They are mighty men. I once led them in battle against the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors many years ago in My Father’s kingdom. The battle was fierce. We defeated them but did not conquer. The Dark Knight and most of his Shadow Warriors escaped. That is why they are preparing to attack this kingdom. They want revenge!”
A DESPERATE FIGHT
Our training continued each day. Once we mastered a particular technique, the Prince would challenge us with a new, more difficult one.
On that day I was in just such a training session with a fellow knight and parried his oncoming thrust to the left. “Rob, your skill with the sword is impressive. You’ve improved dramatically since we last fenced.”
Rob caught my vertical cut and countered with a quick side slice. “Aye, and yours as well, Cedric. Remember though, it was only the third day of training when we first took up our clumsy swords and flung them at each other.”
Rob had also been one of the first men chosen by the Prince on that spectacular day in the square seven months ago. Rob was offensive to me at first. He was rude and brash, but I quickly saw a genuinely kind heart within him. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. His curly red hair and fair complexion seemed always accompanied by a boyish grin.
“Yes, I remember well. The Prince is more than a teacher, for it took a miracle to make swordsmen out of us,” I said as I caught his slice and countered with my own.
“He is indeed a miracle worker, in more ways than one,” Rob said.
“What do you mean?”
Rob parried my thrust this time, and the flats of our swords met midway.
“Well, haven’t you seen the joy on the faces of the people?” Rob said. “He has promised to heal this country and restore the people’s dignity, and they believe Him! I know this much—if any man alive can do it, He’ll be the one.”
We finished the session, and our swords found rest in our scabbards.
“I believe you’re right, Rob,” I said. “The Prince seems to have all the ingredients to make just such a thing happen.”
THAT EVENING, WILLIAM AND I passed by a small shop on our way home. We heard a ruckus from within and decided to investigate. As we opened the door, a part of me wished we had chosen to walk on and ignore this place.
Two other occupants were inside the room. One, who I presumed to be the owner of the shop, was white and pale. I do not know if the lack of blood to his face was the result of fear or because of the large hand that nearly encircled his neck. The other occupant owned the threatening hand, and a large hulking body to go with it. His back was to us, but it was enough to know he commanded enormous strength. He heard us enter and turned his head.
“If you want to live, leave this place!” His voice was deep and gruff, the mere sound of it as threatening as his form.
It was then that I noticed that the shop owner’s feet were not touching the ground. Pain joined with the fear I first saw on his face.
“Release this man or face our swords,” I said as boldly as my own fear allowed.
I saw the grip on the shop owner tighten slightly before the beast of a man threw him into a corner as though he were a rag doll.
“Don’t move!” the man said to the shop owner.
He slowly turned to face us, revealing all of his horrific grandeur. He stood nearly seven feet tall. His stringy hair hung to his shoulders, partly hiding a deep scar that swept from his left cheekbone down to his chin. His eyes were dark and filled with poisonous hate. His neck joined his shoulders and chest in a mass of muscle. His arms were as thick as a young cedar tree. The hand that had encircled a neck just seconds ago now held a gleaming sword.
But even this did not chill me as much as what I saw next. His tunic bore the mark of the Dark Knight … he was a Shadow Warrior!
So this is a glimpse of the evil force spoken of by the Prince. I prayed it would not be my last glimpse of life itself.
His voice was thick with indignation. “You will regret that you chose to interfere. Now you die!”
He attacked us so violently and forcefully that I feared he would spill our blood with hardly a fight. His blows were incredibly powerful. We retreated slightly to regain ourselves and spread apart to divert his attack. William caught a slice across his arm
that bled but was not deep. I pressed an attack to bring the brute off William.
How could we escape with our lives let alone bring justice to this criminal?
William brought some hope to our cause as I saw him advance with a combination the Prince had taught us. In the throes of the Shadow Warrior’s fierce attack, I was so preoccupied with defending myself that I had neglected to rely on the training the Prince had so diligently given us for just such an encounter.
We tightened our positions and ever so slowly began a methodical advance that soon had the Shadow Warrior on the defensive. His eyes spewed hate, but I saw surprise momentarily cross his face. He renewed his fighting and we gave, but only temporarily. Advance—retreat. Advance—retreat. Were it not for two of us versus one of him, the fight would have ended abruptly. Instead, it wore on.
The shop owner was still a puddle in the corner. I did not know if he was dead or if he feared that the Shadow Warrior was toying with us and thus dared not move.
For all we were worth, William and I could not bring this brute down. We were tiring, but the Shadow Warrior’s energy seemed inexhaustible. I knew we were slipping. I’m sure the Shadow Warrior knew it too.
“You fight like my enemy of old,” he growled at us. “Tell me who your trainer is before I end your miserable lives.”
A floorboard creaked at the entrance of the shop, and my heart sank. Had another Shadow Warrior entered from behind? Was this to be our end?
“I am!” came the familiar voice of the Prince in response to the Shadow Warrior’s question.
At last, I thought. With three of us, we will have a chance of defeating the massive warrior. What a foolish thought it was.
For the first time, I saw fear on the face of the Shadow Warrior. Not just a glimmer of fear, but fear that comes from deep within and stays. His fight immediately left him. The once flashing, powerful sword now hung limply in his hands.
“I know who You are, Son of the King,” the Shadow Warrior said with a quaver in his voice.
William and I slowly backed off in amazement. This Shadow Warrior could defeat any one of the Noble Knights within seconds, including Kifus, yet the mere sight of the Prince turned him into a cowering fool. At that moment I began to realize how truly awesome the Son of the King was.
The Prince placed His hand on His majestic sword. The Shadow Warrior withdrew two steps, his sword still lowered.
“Let me live,” came a weak, gruff plea.
“Lay down your sword and go!” the Prince said.
The Shadow Warrior did not hesitate. He dropped his sword and moved quickly toward the door. His eyes never left the Prince until he was safely in the street. He turned and ran into the darkness.
The shop owner threw himself at the feet of the Prince. “Thank You, my Lord. You have saved my life this night!”
“What is your name?” the Prince asked.
“My name is Barrett, my Lord.”
“Rise up, Barrett.” The Prince lifted Barrett by his arm. “Tell Me, how did you fall victim to the likes of this gruesome man?”
Only now was the color coming back to Barrett’s face. He started to talk but coughed and choked on his words. I offered him water as he tried to regain some composure.
Barrett was slightly shorter than I with an average build. His coffee-colored hair had receded to the top of his head, and his face was clean shaven. His eyes darted nervously left and right. I wondered if this was a lifelong mannerism or a consequence of his recent near-death experience. Barrett was ready to try once again.
“A few months ago, this same man entered my shop and offered to buy my geese and fish at a price higher than I could get from anyone in the city. His only demand was that I tell no one about him or our exchange. He seemed fair enough, so I took his offer. A few days later, he returned with nearly the same offer, so I agreed. This continued for some time, but each time his price got lower and his demeanor became more fierce. Before long, he demanded the food at a fraction of the market price and threatened me and my family if I didn’t agree.”
Barrett paused and took another sip of water. He took a deep breath and continued.
“Eventually, I was giving him the food, and he was also demanding money. I told the Noble Knights, but they seemed too afraid to even confront him. I do believe he would have killed me tonight had these gentlemen not intervened. Thank you for your bravery, kind sirs. Please take this money in payment for your services.”
The shop owner offered a bag that jingled with the sound of coins—coins the Shadow Warrior had apparently hoped to steal.
“We accept your thanks but not your payment, Barrett,” I said. “We cannot receive money for doing what is honorable and just.”
Barrett turned toward the Prince, and fear surfaced once again on his face. “My Lord, how can I be sure this brute will not return?”
“If he returns, Barrett, you can be sure he will not return alone. He will bring other warriors more fierce and wretched than himself with him,” the Prince said.
Barrett looked desperate.
“There is only one way you can protect yourself and your family. Follow Me, and I will train you, equip you, and protect you.”
“I will follow You this very night, my Lord,” said Barrett with renewed hope in his eyes that only moments ago were full of fear and desperation.
It was clear that I still had much to learn from the Prince!
MASTER OF THE SWORD
We were not experts with the sword by any stretch of the imagination. However, the Prince felt we had learned enough of the sword to add armor to our training. On one particularly warm afternoon, He chose to teach a few of us how to use the shield.
“It is your shield that will protect you when your enemies fire their flaming arrows at you,” the Prince said. “It will stop the deadly blows of their axes and swords. I gave each of you a shield. Take good care of it, for the enemy may strike when you least expect it.”
Two hours passed. At first, the shield seemed awkward and clumsy in my hand. But soon, it was natural to hold and use. I enjoyed the feeling of security it provided.
I was so engrossed with my training that I did not even see them coming. Three of the Noble Knights descended from a hill toward the south of us. Their swords were drawn, and they attacked quickly. Although I was surprised, the Prince was not. He was always ready. He had already positioned Himself for the onslaught with His shining sword in hand.
These Noble Knights were three of the best. I recognized them from the training they conducted frequently in the square. My initial reaction was to flee. There were four trainees, and we were no match for the Noble Knights. Not yet anyway. Despite my instinct to run, I raised my sword for the fight, as did my companions.
“Stand down, gentlemen,” the Prince said. “This is my fight.”
It was clear He was right, for the Noble Knights focused exclusively on Him. We did not seem to pose a threat to them at all. We watched, but did not sheathe our swords. We had pledged our lives to the King’s Son, and this could be the day to make good our vows.
“Cedric, your sword,” the Prince called.
I tossed my sword fifteen feet to the Prince. As my sword was midflight, the Prince turned to His right to engage the first approaching knight. A split second later, the Prince snatched the flying sword blindly with his left hand and brought it to bear on the second knight. His timing and reaction were perfect.
The knights fought with cautious tenacity, for the Prince’s skill as a swordsman was legendary. They tried to encircle Him, but the Prince moved quickly toward a hill that rose up out of the flat ground we were training on. The rise was steep enough that a man could not easily climb it or fight from its slope. With the steep terrain at His back, the Prince forced the Noble Knights to engage Him head-on.
The swords flashed through the air with deadly cuts. I studied the face of the Master as He fought, but I found no panic or fear at all. His jaw was set, and His eyes were focused, as tho
ugh they were weapons themselves.
“You have committed crimes of treason against the King,” one of the knights said. “We are here to end Your traitorous deeds!”
“If you truly knew the King, you would also know Me and why I am here,” the Prince said. “You have become ignorant and foolish in your ways. I am here to reestablish My Father’s kingdom of honor, truth, and justice … to restore the true meaning of the Code in Arrethtrae.”
The three knights formed a semicircle around the Prince. His predicament seemed hopeless, but I knew not to underestimate His skill. He had surprised me many times before. He parried with His left sword and attacked with His right.
I thought that surely with His concentration split on three Noble Knights, He would make a mistake and it would soon be over. But the knights found no flaw. To this day I have never seen a sword fly so swiftly. He met each thrust with absolute precision. The harder the Noble Knights tried, the quicker His sword flew to meet each stroke.
The knight to the Prince’s right made the first mistake. I suppose he thought he saw an opening and thrust forth with all his might, fully expecting to feel his sword meet flesh and bone. The Prince finished glancing a vertical cut from the center knight and met the knight’s thrust from the front, causing the sword to pass behind His back. The knight was now overextended and slightly off balance. The Prince struck a blow to his head with the gold handle of His sword, which knocked him to the ground unconscious.
The two remaining knights pressed harder, appearing eager to finish the fight. One knight sent a high vertical cut toward the Prince at the same time his partner launched a knee level slice. The Prince pulled His left sword off the knight delivering the slice to the knee and met the vertical cut from the front in the crux of a cross formed by His two swords as He jumped to escape the knee cut. The low sword passed beneath Him, and the Prince planted a forceful heel into the chest of the knight on His left. The knight stumbled back and fell.
The Prince landed and turned on the remaining knight with both swords. Stark fear clouded the Noble Knight’s face. He put forth his sword to defend himself from the impact of two swords, each one commanded by arms more powerful and skilled than his own. In one powerful blow, the Prince crosscut both swords with such force that they sheared the knight’s sword in two!