Cursed Knight

by Elmon Dean Todd

  ‘S-s-should we call for Sir Flain?’ Jomur’s assistant asked.

  ‘No!’ Jomur yelled too quickly. Watching Shah scream in pain, though, he suddenly seemed unsure. ‘I-I don’t know! Yes! Go fetch him! Squires, break for one hour.’

  The squires cheered – much to Jomur’s further dismay – and scattered throughout the grounds of Valour Keep. For the past several months, every waking moment of their day had been dedicated to serving the whims of an instructor, or reporting to a specified location at a specified time. Kairos never had time to see Althea one-on-one. He and the others rarely had time alone.

  Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Kairos and Althea took off in a separate direction to the other squires. He planned on having a talk with Althea today, and was gathering his thoughts on their walk. They came to an abandoned temple on the outskirts of Valour Keep, hidden from view of the main roads. She pointed to the crumbling building and watched for Kairos’s reaction.

  It was a Temple of Zemus, she explained. While the city of Vadost had many such temples dedicated to the god, this one was different, as it was older than the Celestial War itself.

  Kairos was impressed. The walls were made of stone, perfectly cut rectangle blocks, and the entire structure sat on a podium with a raised portico. Two pilasters flanked each side of the entrance, containing scenes of Zemus’s deeds throughout the history of mortals. There was a pillared walkway and several smaller rooms inside. The main room had a large mosaic on the floor, and Kairos gaped at the image of Zemus – as Althea told him – descending from the heavens, whilst lightning flickered around him and above a large gathering of humans. Dragons populated the skies, looping through the series of clouds, and there was a miracle or some sort of magic being performed in the centre of the picture, but it had faded or been discoloured by the elements over the centuries.

  ‘This was a time when the gods existed in Alban,’ Althea marvelled, studying the mosaic with fervour.

  ‘How long ago?’ Kairos asked.

  ‘About a thousand years ago in the very least,’ she answered. ‘It’s the year 964 now. I don’t think they built this after the Celestial War.’

  They wandered through the temple and Kairos wondered that humans could no longer build like this. The Einar worshipped Rudras, but they only knew how to build houses consisting of wooden beams and rafters with thatched roofs, which had rotted and decayed within decades. Without any maintenance, this temple stood the test of time throughout a millennium. ‘Was Zemus a powerful god compared to the others?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Althea answered. ‘One of the most powerful.’

  ‘But he is dead?’

  ‘Yes. All gods have either fallen or fled our world.’

  ‘Do you suppose that some might still be alive? Jomur spoke of a lost god or such.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Althea said. ‘Some in Ordonia believe Zemus still lives – that he was greatly injured during the Celestial War and has been resting since then… But the godshards are proof of their death.’ She paused, looking thoughtful. ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘Just wondering,’ Kairos said, but he had been thinking that powerful gods rewarded their followers with more luxurious lives. It appeared that Zemus had looked after the Ordonians rather well. He thought of the Einar and Rudras and wondered if his race really was ‘god-cursed’. He flushed with guilt, knowing that such a thought was blasphemous, but he couldn’t help thinking of how much better the Ordonians, and even the elves and dwarves, thrived over the Blight-stricken Einar. He also wondered if a godshard of Rudras existed somewhere.

  Althea no longer paid him heed. They had found a staircase near the entrance leading upwards to another room filled with many murals of Zemus, detailing the creation of humans and the god’s interactions with them. Althea walked over and began examining each one in detail.

  ‘Don’t take too long,’ Kairos said. ‘We have to return soon.’

  She looked disappointed, as if wanting him to join in. He was disappointed in himself. He wanted to talk to her about her struggles in the Academy, but his courage had failed him. She seemed happy today, especially on this walk, and Kairos did not want to ruin the moment. He walked down the stairs back to the main room, looking at the images of Zemus, wondering if the god was still alive watching from somewhere, or broken off as pieces of godshards. Everyone said that Zemus’s main godshard was housed in Valour Keep – the Sapphire Shard. Maybe all the gods were dead–

  Kairos jumped; he whirled around. Expecting Althea – where was she? – he came face to face with an unexpected visitor.

  Togram the dwarf stepped through the entrance of the temple. He stopped just inside and stroked his beard, head nodding, then half smiled. ‘Missing a weapon, Kairos?’

  ‘No,’ Kairos said.

  ‘Mr. Dubose sent me,’ he said. ‘He has a gift for you.’

  Kairos nodded, but said nothing, knowing Mr. Dubose would have delivered the gift himself.

  ‘Here.’ Togram put his hand in a leather pouch that hung on his belt. ‘A silver crown for you. Now come along.’

  Kairos nodded again, but did not move.

  Togram’s brown eyes glanced at the temple walls, then at the large mosaic on the floor. ‘Do you worship Zemus?’ he asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘In Dvergar,’ he said, ‘we dwarves worship Thelos.’ He walked towards Kairos, who moved back in tandem, keeping the pillars of the walkway between them. The dwarf looked better dressed than the rags he had worn when he first came to Dwarfside. He wore leather padded armour and proper boots, and a sword hung on his belt. ‘Which god do you worship, Kairos?’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about the gods,’ Kairos said sullenly.

  ‘I do,’ the dwarf said, grinning. He tossed the coin aside and drew the sword, its blade grating on the scabbard’s wood, and he stepped forward, the sound of his boots echoing on the walls. Togram was no longer looking at the mosaic, but at Kairos, who did not move. For some reason, he could not move. He was dumbfounded, and yet not surprised. He had never liked Togram from the very beginning; the dwarf had the untrusting eyes of serpent ready to strike.

  Since his initial meeting with the dwarf, Kairos realised he had always been in the company of others. Now he and Althea had strayed from Valour Keep, Togram had his opportunity. The dwarf flashed his teeth and moved down the walkway, sword raised, and finally Kairos found his feet. He ran back into the interior of the temple and behind a broken pillar. He hoped Althea had the good sense to run.

  ‘What’s the matter, Kairos,’ Togram called. ‘Afraid of the gods?’

  ‘What do you want?’ Kairos asked.

  Only the broken pillar separated them. It was low enough for Kairos to see the dwarf on the other side, but high enough to prevent the dwarf from jumping over it. Kairos feinted right, darted left, but the dwarf was much quicker than he looked, his sword flashing from side to side, lethal, blocking any chance of escape.

  Kairos was trapped.

  The dwarf knew it, too, and he smiled showing all of his teeth. ‘Captain Hargonnas sends his regards, boy,’ Togram said, stalking the pillar.

  ‘H-Hargonnas…’ Kairos repeated in disbelief. It should have been obvious. That elf still wanted him dead, and Kairos was a fool to think he was safe in Vadost, or in Valour Keep.

  ‘Lord Malus wants you dead, as well,’ Togram said. ‘And the reward should help me buy a new home in Dvergarberg. You’ve been a tough bastard to kill. I almost tracked you that night near the Grand Forge in Dwarfside, but you reached Mr. Dubose before I could catch you. Then there was the Hammerfall Festival where I almost hit you with an axe, but you ducked. This time I have you. Hargonnas wants you to suffer, but as Thelos as my witness, I’ll make it quick.’ He sliced an arc over the broken pillar and the blade whipped in front of Kairos. ‘There’s no honour in killing an unarmed boy,’ he said. ‘But you humans spread like a plague, so I suppose honour doesn’t matter here.’

  Kairos
tried to circle the dwarf around the pillar, but the sword hissed, almost cutting him and causing him to stumble backwards. The dwarf smiled and moved in, cornering him. ‘Don’t move boy,’ he said. ‘I’ll make it quick–’

  Suddenly, a small ball of fire struck his head from behind, cutting him off mid-threat. It was a weak spell, but the unexpected flame found a fuel source in the dwarf’s oily hair, and it ignited instantly. The stench of burnt hair filled the room. Before Togram could react, a second fireball struck him in the head again, and he was horribly transformed into a dwarven torch with flailing arms.

  From the stairs near the entrance, Kairos heard Althea’s voice. ‘Run,’ she shouted. ‘Run!’

  Kairos ran from the dwarf, who was now beating his own head with an open hand, in an attempt to douse the flames, and headed for the temple’s entrance. Althea rushed down the stairs, and together, they raced along the path that took them back to Valour Keep.

  Togram – head still smoking – burst forth from the temple in pursuit, pumping along with all of his might, but his short dwarven legs could not keep up with the taller humans, and soon he gave up chase and disappeared.

  Kairos and Althea continued running until they saw Valour Keep in sight. Then, Kairos slowed his pace so Althea could keep up, but, surprisingly, she ran faster and harder today than any other day on the obstacle course. As they ran into the courtyard, the squires, Instructor Jomur, and Stephon all turned to watch them. Even Sir Flain was there.

  ‘You’re late!’ Jomur shrieked in a high-pitched voice. ‘Explain yourselves.’

  ‘Someone tried to kill us, you idiot!’ Kairos yelled. He balled his fists and approached the gangly instructor. He was furious and was not in the mood for Jomur’s belligerence. He drew his fist back, intent on shutting the instructor up.

  ‘Stand down, squire!’ came a voice, and a strong arm grabbed Kairos’s wrist. It was Sir Flain. ‘Tell me what happened.’

  Kairos knew only one thing – Hargonnas was nearby, waiting to kill him. He glanced over at Althea, who was on her knees in tears, and the grip of terror seized his chest.

  Life would never be the same at Valour Keep.

  * * *

  ‘This is madness!’ Sir Flain could hardly contain his anger. ‘You heard the boy. One of Malus’s men tried to kill him and you fools want to sit there with your thumbs up your arses!’

  A series of murmurs swept across the men and women in the meeting hall. Flain and Professor Argent sat at one end of the table, while Lady Naiya and Professor Bumbershoot sat at the other, leaving Instructor Jomur and the other knights and faculty members along the sides. Some of them looked wistfully out of the window, wishing to be anywhere but there.

  Flain was exhausted and outraged. He was also genuinely concerned about the safety of Valour Keep.

  Lady Naiya slapped the table with her palm and stood up. ‘Silence! You forget your place, Sir Flain.’

  Even the instructors and knights who had been feigning disinterest in the conversation turned their heads and stared.

  Flain knew he had overstepped his boundaries. No one yelled at Lady Naiya. She was a First Class Griffon Knight, next in line to become promoted to Dragon Knight. ‘My apologies, my lady. You are correct. But I only speak this way because I fear that Malus’s men are close by, watching our every move. I have reason to believe that the boy is speaking the truth. We found a silver coin that was minted in D’Kari, and wide boot prints in the snow going in the opposite direction of Valour Keep. There was someone else there.’ Flain felt helpless as he watched Lady Naiya clench her jaw and look away, he knew she wasn’t listening. ‘I am doing my duty by speaking out in this regard.’

  The meeting hall was silent. The professors cast nervous looks at each other, except for Argent who seemed aloof from the entire argument. One of the knights nodded along to Flain’s words, but dared not voice his opinion, for fear of Lady Naiya’s displeasure. She outranked Flain, and there was more to lose by incurring her wrath than in agreeing with Flain.

  Flain had believed something was wrong the moment Kairos and Althea came running back to Valour Keep, trembling and out of breath. The fear upon their faces was real. To his dismay, Instructor Jomur dismissed their stories as ‘contrived alibies’ in order to avoid punishment for tardiness. Flain summoned a few knights, much to Jomur’s protests, and scoured the area where the squires had been. Finding a D’Kari coin in the ruined temple of Zemus was no mere coincidence and he would not back down from this.

  ‘Sir Flain,’ Lady Naiya began. She was angry, furious at being dishonoured in front of the other knights and professors, especially by a lower-ranking knight, but she spoke in a calm voice. ‘Malus was defeated years ago. His armies were decimated beyond recovery. His elves can wave a few glyphs and his dwarves can shake their axes, but it’s all mere threats. We do not need to resort to paranoia because one dwarven brigand trespasses upon our lands and threatens a squire who’s wandering beyond his given boundaries.’

  ‘It’s true the boy was in the wrong,’ Flain conceded, ‘but I think Malus is up to something. He’s been quiet for far too long, and he has recently attacked Milbrooke.’

  Lady Naiya shook her head. ‘A measly raid on the outskirts of Ordonia. Even if he were to launch a full-scale war, he cannot stand up to the combined might of the Knighthood. We have nothing to fear from him or his armies. He has not declared war and he refuses to face us. The dark elf is a coward, nothing more.’

  Flain remained unconvinced. He had fought against Malus alongside Lord Avenal. He knew first-hand that Malus was no coward. ‘If Lord Avenal were here, he would agree with me. His daughter’s word confirms the boy’s story–’

  ‘Lord Avenal is not here, and what do squires know?’ Lady Naiya’s words were like ice, and Jomur smiled and nodded along in agreement. ‘They lack the training to differentiate between the common bandit and a member of Malus’s army. And speaking of bandits, we’ve had increasing reports of our farmlands being raided this past season. This is due to the Knighthood allocating its valuable resources towards Milbrooke and Gersholm.

  ‘Do you see where I’m coming from, Sir Flain?’ she continued. ‘I’m thinking that we should focus on our more immediate problems close to home. If we focus abroad on what Malus is doing, we’ll allow the bandits and hobs to raid us dry.’ She slammed her hand down on the table again and glared at Flain, who knew it was pointless to argue further. ‘Enough of Malus. Let’s talk about the squires – Professor Bumbershoot, tell me how the recruits are doing?’

  Professor Bumbershoot, who was staring at the ceiling, jumped upon hearing his name. ‘Wh-what? Oh yes, right – the recruits. Yes. Most know the basics. Your son, Vaughn, is a prodigy, my lady,’ said Professor Bumbershoot with a bow, causing the lady to smile. ‘Claudius is gifted, as well. I would say Cassie is very well rounded. Nacole is a hard worker. A good bunch, if I do say so myself.’

  ‘Good to know.’ Lady Naiya turned to Professor Argent, who looked as if he would rather be anywhere else. ‘And your class? How fares the badger–’ the Griffon Knight caught the derogatory comment. ’How fare your squires?’

  Professor Argent eyes narrowed. ‘The ‘badger tails’ as you like to call them are doing well enough, I suppose. There is nothing much to report.’ He stifled a yawn.

  ‘Take this seriously,’ the Griffon Knight ordered, her tone taking on an edge at the mockery.

  ‘I am serious,’ Argent replied in an even voice. ‘I have nothing remarkable to report, unless you count the fact that Barnaby Shah has a bit more mana than everyone thinks. He just cannot control it well.’

  Flain studied Argent’s face. It was impassive, like the granite walls of the meeting hall. To his surprise, the professor turned towards the paladin and their eyes met. They stared at each other for several tense moments.

  They were interrupted by Lady Naiya asking Instructor Jomur for his report.

  Jomur bowed, and shuffling a stack of papers, stood and began readin
g from the first page. ‘These squires are not studious. Several, such as Kairos Azel, continue to show disrespect towards my knowledge and towards the literary material presented–’

  ‘Yes, yes, thank you for the report, Jomur,’ Lady Naiya said, much to the instructor’s irritation. He sat down and stared at his lap with a reddened face. ‘Sir Flain, I believe it is your turn.’

  Flain knew she wanted a report, but he continued to argue his point in a forced low tone. ‘Again, my lady, my apologies for overstepping my boundaries, but I think this attack on my squires was calculated!’

  He expected Lady Naiya to become angry, but to his astonishment, she suddenly relaxed and nodded. ‘If that is so, then you must train them harder.’

  Something in her voice gave Flain reason to pause. This was unexpected. ‘What do you mean?’

  The Griffon Knight smiled. ‘I have orders for their first campaign.’

  ‘When is that, my lady?’ Professor Bumbershoot asked eagerly. ‘And where?’

  ‘After Yule, by the beginning of spring,’ Lady Naiya replied. ‘As I mentioned before, we have been receiving disturbing reports about an infestation of hobs attacking the farms on the outskirts of Vadost. Currently we have despatched a few knights to deal with this problem, but we are understaffed, and most of the hobs have hidden away in hibernation for the winter. We were hoping to have your recruits ready by spring to assist them.’ She raised her hand upon seeing the looks of concerns. ‘They will have supervision, of course. We will divide them into units and place a seasoned knight in charge. We believe the hobs have settled in the area and won’t be leaving any time soon. Their inactivity for the remainder of winter should give you a little time to prepare. Will your squires be ready by then?’