by Brian Davis
She quickly propped her arms around his shoulders and buried his lips with hers. Tongue dancing on his like never before. She pulled away… eyes locked onto his.
“I will never forget you.” She mumbled as tears slowly streamed down from her eyes, streaking her young face with a long stream of dried tears.
“I must go.”
“Please reconsider.” She softly begged.
“I cannot. My travels are dangerous and complicated for such as you to witness.” He gave her a short smile and walked out of the room.
He walked through the narrowed streets whistling softly with the black bag of loot over his left shoulder. He walked past a corner of a building and suddenly, he instantly fell to his knee when he felt a sharp pain from the back of his head. His head throbbed as his vision quickly blurred and then, became darkened.
“Take him aboard the ship.” He heard the orders from a feminine familiar voice.
Jaws clenched… head continued to pulsate in pain. The movements underneath seemed to rock from side to side as if the earth was unsteady. Hands seemed immobile, tied together and wrists burning in sharp pain. Sir Vladimir’s eyes slowly opened and his vision that seemed blurry became focus and clear. Sheena sat at the wooden square table with the bag of loot spilled out on the table. She folded her leg over on top of the other.
“Once again I questioned my own judgment about you… its becoming a bad habit of me.” She held a golden coin that was between her thumb and index finger to her face.”
“So we’re at this stage again?” Sir Vladimir asked with his hands tied together and his waist tied to the mast.
“What were you planning to do with the loot?” She asked.
“I thought we had an understanding…? We raid the castle and bring the loot to the ship. That’s where I attended to do until I was struck from behind and let me guess…” He paused and cut his eyes over to his right at Calvin the Terrible who stood silently. “It was the dog to your right that you commanded to so.”
“Why you swine…” Calvin growled while stepping forward.
Sheena waved out her hand, a signal for Calvin to stop. He paused and shifted his eyes over at her.
“He is only doing what he is command to do.” She added.
“This will be the last time that dog strike me from behind like the coward he is! Let’s see if you can strike me down face to face like a man!”
“We are at no quarrels with you… however, when it comes to loot, your actions are questionable… especially when disobeying the orders from Calvin that I made him commander of this operation. You set off on your own… ran off with a prostitute that laid into your arms, you fifth! And you want me to trust you?”
“I have my ways of completing a task and as you can see, the task was completed.”
“How much did you give that prostitute?”
“Enough to keep her silent.”
“Do you always give your trust in a prostitute?”
“Are you being followed?”
“We should see…” She stood with the bag in her hand. “I’ll keep the loot in my cabin. Untie him for now.” She ordered while walking into her cabin and closing the door behind her.
“You’re lucky that your body isn’t found floating in the ocean, outlander.” The sailor said while untying Sir Vladimir’s wrists and waist.
“I get that warning a lot.” He stood while rubbing the back of his head.
“Then you should give heed to those warnings… it may spare your life.”
Chapter 14
Dawn slowly swept across the sky like a hand… The morning sun rose, shining its brightness throughout the lands. Sir Franklin and the Paladins Knights charged forward, hunting down the peasants that flee the city. The knights dragged the women by their hair… dragged the children by their arms, and slaughtered any of the men who resisted them. They set up a small campsite near a lake and waited for more cavalry to arrive. Sir Franklin stood next to Sir Walter where Sir Franklin’s attention was drawn to his right. He noticed the cavalry on horseback approaching with some of the horses pulling the wooden prisoner cages that were connected to them. He blinked when he saw King Wallace’s son, Adam on horseback, wearing a golden crown. Sir Franklin’s jaws clenched.
“Here comes to toad that we’re supposed to be serving for now.” Sir Franklin mumbled.
Sir Walter smirked but remained silent over Sir Franklin’s commit. The cavalry stopped, and King Adam slowly climbed down from the horse. He wore his long black robe with gold trims. The long cloth draped down the middle between his legs. He approached Sir Franklin and Sir Walter. Both men lowered their heads.
“Your Majesty.” Both men said.
“These are the peasants that tried to flee from the city… the city in which I am king of?”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
King Adam set his gaze upon the female peasants that stood with their hands tied with a rope and a rope around their necks.
“I see some of them have newborns.” King Adam smirked.
“Aye. We have them sitting next to the tent to nurse their newborns.” Sir Walter said.
“How fitting.” Adam cut his eyes over at the lake, and then, shifted his eyes over at a pond.
He walked away where Sir Franklin’s and Sir Walter’s eyes followed him. King Adam paused and stood in front of the pond. He turned and faced them.
“Bring the newborns over to me.”
“Each one?” Sir Walter asked.
“Each one… one by one.”
Sir Walter shifted his eyes over at Sir Franklin. Sir Franklin remained silent as Sir Walter walked away with more knights. The knights grabbed seven newborns from the mothers. The women cried out as the knights walked away and approached King Adam. The knight handed the newborn to him.
“So this is the newborn of a peasant… how pity for such a young creature to be born from a peasant woman.” He said while holding the newborn up in front of his face. “I see that it is a boy. Who’s the mother of this child?”
A young woman stood that sat next to the tent.
“He is my son!” She announced.
“And where is his father?”
“Your knights murdered him!” She snarled.
“How unfortunate. It is said that a child is closer to his father, and that the child will grow into a man to seek revenge of his father’s name. That I cannot allow to happen.” King Adam said while turning to the pond.
He held the newborn over the pond. The woman scream frantically as the knights held her. King Adam lowered the newborn into the pond and held the child underneath the pond. The newborn’s legs and arms wiggled. Sir Franklin’s eyes widen in shock.
“He’s drowning the newborns.” He mumbled.
The newborn continued to scrum until water rushed into his small lungs, and the child finally came to a motionless state.
The woman collapsed in shock over the death of her newborn that was drowned by the hands of a king. He pulled the lifeless newborn out from the pond and laid the body on the surface of the pond.
“Bring forth another child!” He demanded.
“Your-your Majesty?” Sir Walter stuttered in shock.
“Do as I say!
Sir Walter dropped his eyes to the grown. He moved his lips as if speaking, but no words were heard. Finally, he lifted his head towards the knights and ordered.
“Bring forth another child!”
The knight snatched another newborn from another mother’s hands. The mother cried out as the knight ignored and approached King Adam with the child in hands.
“No!! My lord please! I beg of you!” The woman cried out.
“You beg, but your actions showed differently! You tried to flee from my rule and for the consequences, your newborn shell be punished.” He lowered the newborn into the pond and held the newborn against his will.
The arms splashed up as the mother continued to scream in anger. She tried to break free from the two knights grasp, but failed
. She watched in horror until the splash from the pond became still, and only the ripples from the pond were displayed. He raised the dead child up out of the pond and placed the newborn’s body next to the dead newborn’s body.
“Bring forth another!” King Adam demanded.
“This is barbaric.” Sir Franklin mumbled with gritted teeth. He grabbed the handle of his arming sword, preparing to pull the sword out. Suddenly, he paused when he felt a presence behind him and heard a voice whispered in his ear from the wind that blew.
“Stay your hand.” He heard Dorrella’s voice. “For it is not the time yet to strike. Watch closely… remember what you see so it will be easy to strike the king’s son with your blade.” Her voice carried into his ear.
Sir Franklin’s hand withdrew from the handle of his arming sword. He looked around as the knights seemed oblivious of what he heard. No one else heard her voice, he knew. Truly this was sorcery. He watched, as a knight brought forth another child, and placed the child into the hands of a murderous king. He stood idly and watched King Adam repeat his actions to every newborn that was brought to him. A grim expression showed on Sir Franklin’s face as he finally watched the last newborn be put to death by drowning from the king’s son’s hands. King Adam looked around while blinking his eyes. The knights remained silent. If expressions needed to be exposed, none dared to expose them.
“Take the dead… behead the dead and place their heads on a pole the same way as the heads were taken from the fallen knights of our enemies. Take the women and the children and secure them into the cages. We travel back to Bathum.”
The Castilians Knights burnt the fallen knights that fell a victim to the large bear. Sir Alexander stood in front of his tent outside, and silently watched. He blinked his eyes as he was now suited in his armor. He turned and stepped back inside his tent where Fay was now dressed in her warmth fur.
“Soon, we will be ready to march forward.” He said while approaching his sword that was in its sheath. “I need to know…” He paused while fastening his sword belt around his waist. “How did you know that we were being invaded by a bear?”
She slowly blinked while staring at him.
“While we slept, I heard its uncanny movements… caught its sent.”
“Did we invade in its territory without knowing?”
“No. It was simply searching for food.”
He turned with wide eyes of shock while staring at her.
“It was in crazed of hunger.” She added.
“How… how could you know?”
“Because of its pattern in movements. It moved aggressively through the forest.” She waited for his response as she watched him, turn his head and lowered it to the ground. “Sir Alexander… shall we go?” She asked.
“Aye.” He slowly gave a nod.
“The weather is changing… the frost will sting our flesh if we’re not prepared. We will be reaching the alps in no time.” She warned. “We are in the right direction of travel to the Fire Mountain.” She said while blinking and finally, turning around and exiting the tent.
Paladins Knights continued to march forward. Sir Franklin rode on his horseback beside Sir Walter, who rode on his horseback. Sir Walter shifted his eyes over at him.
“I know you disagree with the king’s son’s barbaric tactics.”
“Aye, he is truly consumed in madness. I cannot serve a monster as he.”
“We are at serves to him for the moment… our true king is King Wallace… not his son.”
“His son is going to be in our presence.”
“Not long… we are traveling away from Bathum… soon, we will be reaching the Alps. I can tell by the change of this dreadful weather. My flesh stings underneath this armor due to the coolness of the air!”
“I am aware that the Castilians have a fortress somewhere in the Alps. However, it is unknown of where this fortress is positioned.”
“Then we will be on guard!”
“If we capture this fortress, I do not want the king’s son to know about this.”
“Alas, it will be unwise my lord to not inform him of our achievements. He will know if that fortress is captured… someone has to man that fortress. I am sure that the knights will inform him.”
“Blast his cursed heart and soul!”
“I agree with your feelings my lord, but we cannot show any defiance towards him. Remember, we are loyal to King Wallace and unfortunately, Adam is his son, and not to mention, his only son.”
King Percy of the Castilians Knights sat on his throne inside his Great Chambers. Distress covered his face, as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand with his elbow propped on his knee. Merlin stood in the Great Chambers along with King Percy’s two strategists and four of his royal knights.
“Bathum is lost to the Paladins!? The Boarstall Castle has fallen into the hands of the Paladins! No word of Lady Jetta nor Sir Chamberlin or the other knights have been heard!” King Percy stressed.
“They may be held captured in the dungeons, my king.” One of his strategists suggested.
“I am afraid your strategist is wrong.” Merlin said. “The knights are no longer alive.”
“Do not believe such bogus tales!” The strategist said. “How does one wizard know the outcome of one’s life? Unless he was there and watched them be demised!”
“You forget foolish one that I am not just a wizard but the greatest across the lands! I have foreseen their deaths!”
“And what of the Queen of Bathum?” King Percy asked.
“Do not be in concern of her… for her life is lost like the rest of the knights. Mourn her… for it is too late for you to do anything, my king.”
“Then tell me Merlin… what should I do? What should I do instead of sitting around and mourn like a puppy!?”
“Vengeance, your Majesty!” The strategist suggested. “You seek vengeance. I can develop a strategy to overtake the castle back into your name!”
“I warn thee not to try!” Merlin pointed at the king. “For the castle itself will be protected by the sorceress, Dorrella.”
“Sorceress? A woman, you fear a woman; Merlin, the greatest wizard across the lands?” The strategist taunted.
“Do not mock me cow! Do not think that Dorrella is in no threat to us all because of her gender! Haven’t you not know what she has done to the Oracles Knights?”
“Those savages! They are no match for my king’s army and my superior strategy!”
“Silence!” King Percy stood and raised his hand out with his fingers spread.
The strategist lowered his head.
“Forgive me… my king.”
“I will heed to Merlin’s words. He is the greatest wizard across the lands! And I am thou bound to have him at my aid! This sorceress…” King Percy paused as he slowly sat down into his throne. “What do you know of her?”
“Dorrella is a sorceress, who controls the great beast hell spawn that engulfs the living in a hellish flame. It is called a dragon. A dragon she controls. With this beasts aiding the Paladins, it would be unwise my king for you to send an army to reclaim the castle and seek revenge. Those brave knights fought in your name… if you seek revenge, your army will be destroyed, and those brave knights would have died in vain.”
“Than what should I do? What purpose should it serves if I do nothing?”
“Thou hast heart cry in vain? In such, react hastily and futile? Aid your attention to the Oracles instead. Take their lands and castles. I will surmise a plan that will be rid of this spawn beast of a dragon that aids the Paladins! Sir Alexander is set on his journey… he will be the answer in which will aid you in destroying the dragon.”
“Sir Alexander… he is a young but proficient knight. How can he alone defeat such a beast?”
“During his journey, he will soon come across the Lake of Death. When crossing the lake if survive, he will come across the Syricus.”
“The Syricus? What is this Syricus that you speak of?”
; “She is a woman of anew.”
“I do not understand?”
“She is of the primeval age… a legendary woman with white feathers of hair… legs shaped as of a horse… eyes sparkle of blue that with one glimpse, the living will be embedded in crystals.”
“Nonsense!” The strategist said. “I never heard such a tale before!”
“It is true. She comes across the lands of Greece… The Watchers that were fallen from the heavens have mated with the women of men… and thus have she been created… the Syricus.”
King Percy slowly gave a nod of interests while rubbing underneath his chin that was covered in his beard.
Sheena’s ship continued to sail across the sea. Sir Vladimir stepped out onto the upper deck to catch the sunlight and the wisp breeze from the sea. He approached the front of the ship and set his eyes heavy across the blue sea. The tides spoke in a language that no man could understand, as it rose and crush down on the sea. The birds flew in the air singing. There was no threat of a storm approaching. Sir Vladimir’s jaws clenched as he continued to feel the crisp breeze that the ocean has to offer.
“Enjoying the beauty that God has created?” He heard Sheena’s voice behind him. He turned and faced her as she stood with her hands propped on her curved hips.
“Aye. God has a sense of humor that we do not understand.”
“So you say?” She slowly approached and stood next to him.
“How long have you been traveling on sea?” He asked.
“Long time… ever since my family was murdered.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I was captured and sold as a sex slave. When I gained the opportunity, I slew the one who bought me and of course, fled. I aboard this ship where a pirate was once in command. In battle, I slew him and took over the commander of his sailors aboard this ship.”
“Calvin the Terrible… how did he became your dog servant?”
He caught her smirk while her eyes were focused ahead. He watched her curly bangs blew within the wind as her lips continued to stretch into a smile.
“In time,” she said, “you will grow to like him. He is of what he is… He is the best of any sailor aboard this ship.”
“That says a lot about the men on this ship.”