by Brian Davis
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Heavenly Father and his Son, my personal savior.
I would also like to thank my parents.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Knights.
Oracles Knights
King Edward
Sir Vladimir-silver and white armor
Sir Braden.
Lady Christiana-(Sir Vladimir’s sister)
Keffer-(Lady Christiana’s first cousin)
Calvin the Terrible
Sheena-queen of the ocean
Sir Valkera
Paladins Knights
King Wallace
Sir Franklin (older brother of Vladimir) Black and red armor
Adam-King Wallace’s son.
Sir Walter
Dorrella (female sorceress)
Castilians Knights
Boarstall Castle-Bathum Village
King Percy
Sir Alexander blue armor
Sir Godfrey
Merlin
Lady Jetta
Fay-female Elf
Mongrade-Leader of the Elves.
Sir William
Sir Chamberlin
Chapter 1
814 A.D… Vanderguard…
Dawn swept across the lands of Vanderguard. The mist of fog slowly rose from the grassy lands. From a distance, mountains towered, threatening to touch the morning clouds. On the far left of the land, a young knight named, Vladimir stood with his five thousand of knights dressed in silver armor that shined. On the breastplate of the armor was a painted drawling of a shield with a red eagle in the middle of the shield. Sir Vladimir stood on the short hill behind the knights that stood ready for his commands.
The young knight’s hair was dark brown, long and slicked back with well-trimmed beard that stretched across his cheeks and chin. His blue eyes stretched across the land like a hawk, viewing what was on the opposite side of the land… He was the commander of the Oracles Knights.
On the opposite side of the land was a set of knights… six thousand dressed in black armor. On the short hill behind the knights was the commander named, Franklin; who was the commander of The Order of Paladins. Sir Franklin gazed out into the opened field. His hair black as the night and slicked back with a thick braided ponytail that fell between his shoulders. His jaws clenched while he remained silent. Eyes studying the land marks of the opened field.
Vladimir remained motionless… his eyes never left the field. One of his stagiest approached his left side.
“My lord,” he said while kneeling down to one knee, “I have urgent news… we are outnumbered by the numbers. They are six thousand strong! We cannot take this land from the Order of Paladins.”
“My brother… he’s out there… waiting to see me on this battlefield! I will not yield like a coward! The king wants this land! We will prevail.” Sir Vladimir stretched out his hand towards the knights. “Today, we claim this land to King Edward! We will rid the treacherous Paladins once and for all! Knights forward… march!”
The Oracles Knights marched forward with their spears pointed.
Franklin propped his hands on his hips.
“My lord, the Oracles are marching forward!” His servant informed.
“I am aware of that you dolt!” His eyes now looked upon the knights. “Today, we stain the greenish color with blood to protect this land in the name of the Order of Paladins! Knights… march!”
The knights begun to march forward, carrying their spears, crossbows and broadswords. Their eyes sought death as they looked upon the opened field, only seeing the enemy that shined in silver… The Oracles. The Oracles locked their eyes upon death that rained in their hearts, focusing their attentions to the black armored knights that continued to march in the same rhythm as them.
Vladimir’s eyes never blinked. His gaze was heavy… the beads of sweat was paste over his brows. His heart raced, as he tried to tear through the black armored walls of mercenaries, trying to find his hatred brother who was his target… the mission… simple… return to his father with his brother’s head on a spear like an apple on a knife.
Franklin’s jaws tightened, as him and his knights continued to march closer to the center of the field. Behind the silver ocean of trained killers, he knew his younger brother was in the mist. His mission… simple… wear his brother’s head around his belt and return to his king, for this day, victory of death will be claimed.
The knights continued to march closer and soon, Sir Franklin’s voice rose.
“Charge!” And as if as a god commanding the minds of mortal men, the knights followed his commands and charged forward with roars that lured out from their lungs to their mouths.
Sir Vladimir raised his sword up in the air and gave command.
“Charge forward charge!”
The knights charged forward in mad rage with their spears pointed forward at their targets. The two sides of knights collided with each other. Armor and steel singing in the area as it clashed against each other. The cries of men fallen to their deaths echoed in the air. The cries of war of introducing death followed with their actions of causing death. The spears thrust forward, penetrating through the black armors. Blood splattered in the air and fell on the grass like rain. The bodies fell like a dead tree. Arrows from crossbows cut through the air, finding its targets behind the silver colored armor. Some of the knights’ bodies tense with electrifying pain as the tip of the arrows penetrated through the side of their necks.
A knight squint his eyes in pain and gritted his teeth as he instantly grabbed the body of an arrow that penetrated through the side of his neck. The knight fell on the ground motionless. Swords were pulled out of their sheaths. The knights that wield their swords clashed with stainless steels from the other swords that the other knights carried.
Vladimir held is broadsword with both hands. One of the black knights approached and swung an axe horizontally at him. Sir Vladimir quickly ducked and the blade of the axe cut sharply in the air. Sir Vladimir swung his sword horizontally, slicing through the knight’s armor and cutting across his stomach. Blood squirted out along with his intestines. Vladimir quickly stood and stepped to the side while raising his broadsword above his head and swinging it down like an axe, chopping the knight’s head off.
Sir Vladimir quickly shifted his body sideways while thrusting the tip of his sword across his body, stabbing another knight in his midsection. Sir Vladimir snatched the blade out from the knight’s torso and spun around, while swinging the broadsword and slicing off the knight’s legs from his knees. Sir Vladimir stood to his feet, only facing death as it swiftly approached with two wielding axes in his hands. The assailant twirled the axes in a circular motion in front of him. Sir Vladimir swung his blade to the left, deflecting the assailant’s axe. The assailant quickly swung the right axe at him, and Sir Vladimir swung his blade, deflecting the axe from its motion.
The assailant quickly swung both axes multiple of times from side to side, forcing Sir Vladimir to desperately swing the broadsword from side to side, blocking each strike. The assailant swung the left axe downward at Sir Vladimir’s leg, Sir Vladimir swiftly swung the broadsword counter-clockwise in a half-circle to his right while spinning his body around, and deflecting the left axe from chopping his leg.
Sir Vladimir raised the broadsword up and swung the sword down on the knight’s head. The knight dropped to one knee while raising both axes up to block Sir Vladimir’s blade. The powerful thick blade easily sliced
through the handles of the axes, splitting the knight’s head from the crown to the lower chin.
Sir Vladimir paused to take note, as his eyes danced around, only viewing a rain of arrows firing blindly through the air. The arrows, he noticed found its mark on the knights. He noticed an arrow struck in the knight’s throat. Two more arrows struck directly into another knight’s eyes. More arrows struck into seven more of his knights in their upper torsos. A knight quickly charged to Sir Vladimir’s left side with an axe in his hand. An arrow swiftly struck through the knight’s wrist, forcing the axe to drop from his hand. The knight screamed in pain and another arrow silenced his screams by penetrating through the side of his throat.
Franklin wielded two swords in his hands. He twirled the swords around, slicing Sir Vladimir’s knights that were in front of him. Sir Franklin turned around and an Oracles knight approached and swung his sword at him. Sir Franklin raised his left sword up horizontally, where both blades met. Sir Franklin swung his right sword downward, slicing the knight’s arm off. Sir Franklin sliced his left sword across the knight’s stomach while following with is right sword across the knight’s neck, chopping his head off.
Another Oracles knight rushed with an axe swing downward at Sir Franklin. Sir Franklin held both of his swords up, blocking the axe from splitting his head down the center to his chin. Sir Franklin now swung the right sword across the knight’s stomach, and soon, thrust the right sword down on the back of the knight’s knee. The blade penetrated through his flesh and armor where the tip of the sword stuck out from the center of his knee. Sir Franklin quickly raised his sword up and swung it downward, chopping the knight’s head off.
Vladimir quickly turned around to his stagiest and lifted his broadsword up.
“Now!”
The stagiest that stood on the small hill looked at the six men that stood around and gave a nod. The men held up their horns and blew a long sound from their horns.
Franklin and the rest of his knights paused in shock. Sir Franklin’s eyes stretched in sheer horror when he saw hundreds of Oracles knights charging down the hill on horseback. Sir Franklin’s knights screamed in fear as the horses collided with the knights. Bodies were flung in the air. Sir Franklin remained motionless… stunned with his mouth dropped in shock. He watched helplessly as his knights fell motionless to the ground, feeding the grass with their own blood.
“My lord!” One of Sir Franklin’s knights approached. “We must retreat! We are outnumbered! We are falling by the numbers!”
Vladimir pointed his sword forward.
“I want my brother’s head on a pike! Give me my brother’s head on a pike so I can show my father our victory!” Sir Vladimir shouted.
“My lord, we must retreat now while we still can!” The knight pleaded to Sir Franklin.
“Curse you brother! Curse you to the blackest pits of hell!” Sir Franklin snarled. “Fall back to the barracks, but stand your grounds!” Sir Franklin shouted to his knights.
“The Paladins are falling backwards. They are preparing the retreat!” Sir Braden informed while standing next to Sir Vladimir.
“Let’s push forward! Do not let them escape!” Sir Vladimir demanded. “Now my brother’s head will be mine.” He mumbled with gritted teeth while his eyes were focused forward, as he charged towards the Paladins’ knights
Suddenly, Sir Vladimir and the Oracles knights paused when a large blanket of a shadow hoovered over them. The knights looked up in awe and sheer horror when they saw a large beast with wings that stretched out like a bat flew in the skies. A dragon… The large beast hoovered in a circle, paralyzing the Oracles and Paladins in shock. The dragon finally swooped down and landed on its large claws. The dark grayish wings folded on its scaly sides. The dragon’s eyes were a darkish red with dark pupils that were thin and stood vertically up from the bottom of the eye to the top. The dragon’s hand-claws clenched as it directed its eyes to the Oracles knights.
The Paladins knights remained shocked behind the large beast. At that moment, the dragon lifted its head up towards the sky. Its large jaws opened, and a loud deaf threatening roar echoed out from the beast’s belly. The knights covered their ears and squint their eyes in pain over the roar from the dragon. The dragon dropped its head and opened its large mouth towards the Oracles. Hellish and brimstone of fire blew from the dragon’s mouth. A sheet of flames covered the Oracles knights. The knights screamed as they tried to flee from the river of fire that covered them.
Sir Vladimir’s eyes stretched. His mouth dropped along with his broadsword. He watched the Oracles knights’ burnt bodies dropped to the grass.
“Dear God!” He mumbled.
“My lord! My lord!” Sir Braden tugged on Sir Vladimir’s arm. “We must retreat! The knights are being burnt to a crisp! We can’t defeat that thing!
The dragon turned its attention to the armored knights on horseback. The knights aimed their bows and crossbows at the dragon as they rode in a circle formation around the dragon. The knights fired arrows at the dragon’s side and belly. The dragon’s wings stretched out. The dragon’s tail swung from side to side, striking the horses’ legs and breaking them, forcing the horses to fall on the ground along with the knights. The dragon quickly moved its head from side to side blowing a sheet of fire, covering the knights and their horses. The knights screamed along with the horses.
“Vladimir come on!” Sir Braden grabbed his arm. “We lost this battle! We must escape before our fate becomes theirs!”
“Retreat! Retreat!” Few of the Oracles knights shouted.
Sir Vladimir and Sir Braden fled the Vanderguard Field.
The dragon raised its large mighty wings that shaped like a bat’s wings and with its powerful thick legs, the dragon sprung up with a deaf threatening screech, as it now flew high into the skies, and flew away as if being commanded.
Franklin’s mouth dropped. His eyes scanned the grassy field that was burnt and covered in burnt blood from the charred bodies that were burnt to a crisp along with the horses.
“God…” Sir Franklin mumbled as his eyes combed across the corpses. His face, paste in sweat with streaks of blood from his fallen assailants that he slaughtered.
Sir Walter approached.
“Sir Franklin… where did that thing come from? Why it didn’t attack us?”
“I… I don’t know? God must be on our side.”
Suddenly, a feminine voice grabbed their attention.
“God is not on your side!”
Sir Franklin narrowed his eyes as he saw a figure of a woman wearing a red hooded drape, slowly approaching from the right. The knights pointed their weapons at her as she approached closer. Sorcery crossed their minds as their eyes never left her. She slowly removed the hood from her head. Her long black straight hair was pulled back and braided in a thick long ponytail that hung over her right breast. Her green eyes stared directly into Franklin’s eyes. Her flesh was pale-like ivory. She wore a black tunic top that covered her breasts, but revealed her stomach and bellybutton. She wore a black bloomer, revealing her hips and legs with a long red cloth that draped down in the front and back.
“Who are you?” Sir Franklin asked while eight of his knights surrounded her.
“I am called Dorrella.”
“Hmph… you’re a sorceress… a devil’s child!”
The knights approached from behind her.
“The knights cannot harm me. If they try, their fate will be the same as theirs.” She pointed at the ground.
Sir Franklin’s eyes left hers and found its way to the ground, staring at the burnt corpse. The knights stepped back in fear.
“Including yours; Sir Franklin.” She smiled.
Sir Franklin instantly shifted his eyes over at her.
“How do you know my name?”
“I know all things… including your younger brother who wants your head to give to your own father. You would have lost this battle if it wasn’t for the serpent.”
“T
hat beast… you control it?”
“I sent it to your aid… I control its destiny.” She smiled.
“Why did you come to my aid?”
Dorrella cut her eyes away from him and stared at the direction where the rest of the Oracles knights had fled.
“You are wasting time with questioning, Sir Franklin… the enemy has fled… escaping your presence.”
“They won’t get far.” Sir Franklin smirked.
He turned his back and faced the rest of the knights.
“The enemy has fled! However, they haven’t gone far! We hunt them down! Search for them… and bring Vladimir’s head to me! Go!” He ordered.
The knights climbed on their horses and charged forward in the direction of the fleeing knights. Sir Franklin turned to face Dorrella.
“Now sorceress… you and I have…” He paused when he noticed that she was nowhere in sight.
“Sir Franklin… she’s gone… as if she was never there!” Sir Walter advised.
“Hmm…? She’s none of my concerns for now… my concern is for my dreadful brother. I want his head… in the palms of my hands… bloody or not, I want it in my hands.”
Chapter 2
Vladimir continued to flee with the rest of the knights into the forest. He pants… muscles were locking, due to the armor that weighted his body down. Face… drenched in his own sweat from terror… His heart raced… running for his life… Behind him was Sir Braden, encouraging him to press forward. He cautiously raced down a slope where there was nothing but dirt and mud… vines and bushes from both sides. Trees that resembled giant men from the past that seemed to be caught in a web of a wicked spell that perhaps turned them into trees. There were unknown creatures inside the vast forest, Sir Vladimir knew and was alarmed with the rest of the knights. Sir Braden grabbed Sir Vladimir’s shoulder.
“Hold!”
The seven knights that were behind them, paused over his sudden command. Sir Vladimir looked around puzzled.
“You hear?” Sir Braden asked. “The hooves from the horses… The Paladins knights are not too far behind. They will gain on us if we do not lose them quickly.”