Space Knight

by Samuel E. Green

  Emeric laughed as we descended upon him. He spun at the hips to dodge the thrust I aimed at his chest and then ducked to evade Nathan’s swipe. The lich knight slammed his armored fist into Neville’s stomach, and the squire was thrown into a stone shelf.

  Now that our circle was broken, Emeric slipped outside of my range and grabbed a glaive from a nearby weapon rack. I stopped short as our opponent thrust the end of the long-handled weapon at me. Nathan and Richard came at him from either side, and the knight easily blocked their attacks with a flash of his glaive.

  “Don’t give him time to activate the weapon’s rune effect!” I yelled to my companions, and the squires came at our opponent with renewed fervor. Sweat trailed from Emeric’s brow as he exerted himself to keep us at bay.

  Neville was still down, and I worried the knight’s blow had crushed something vital. I tried not to let concern for my fellow squire cloud my judgment and attacked Emeric. We were unable to tag him with our weapons, but before long, the enemy knight was favoring his left leg. The medkit mustn’t have had time to heal the wound on his right hamstring completely.

  Emeric faced me, and I caught the faintest glow emitting from his right hand. He grabbed my arm before I could twist away and his hand burned with a sickly green color.

  He was going to use his lich powers on me.

  I released the rapier from my palm rune on my right hand and caught it in my left. Light burst from the knight’s hand causing an almost unbearable pain to lance along my wrist, up to my elbow, and ending at my right shoulder. I screamed with agony and twisted the rapier in my left hand, so the blade pointed toward the knight’s injury. Then I slammed the tip of the blade into his wounded hamstring with the last of my strength.

  Poison threaded through the knight’s veins, and he dropped the glaive with a surprised gasp. Released from his power, I flicked the rapier out from the man’s leg, and drove the blade into his windpipe with a straight thrust. Blood fountained from between the knight’s fingers as he gargled the last of his life away, and he teetered before collapsing sideways. Bulging eyes stared up at me as I exhaled in relief.

  We’d done it. We’d slain a knight far stronger than all of us squires combined.

  I stepped over his dead body and grabbed my lightning mace. I couldn’t summon any more sprites until I’d repaired the rune, but it was back in my hands now. I felt an extra surge of relief flood my body.

  When I turned back to the other squires, they were already looting the dead knights’ corpses. Nathan took the boots from the Rutheni while Richard attached the knight’s bear shield to his magnetons. I was about to tear Emeric’s gauntlets from his lifeless hands, but Neville had already removed them. He looked at me, then at the gloves, and back into my eyes.

  “You want them?” he asked. “You’re the one who made the kill.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without the sword you gave me. You keep the gauntlets,” I said.

  Neville gave me an appreciative nod before I walked over to the Rutheni knight. I picked up his poleaxe and then attached it to my magnetons. I also uncinched his prot-belt and clipped it around my waist, a few centimeters above my own belt. I noticed the knight was also wearing a ring, so I pulled it from his middle finger and slipped it into my belt pouch.

  I was about to turn away from the corpse when I observed a pendant hanging from Emeric’s throat. I knelt beside him, unclipped the necklace, and inspected the tear-shaped obsidian jewel. The blackness of the gemstone seemed to swallow all the light in the room, and I shuddered a little before pocketing the item.

  I didn’t have time to scan my acquired gear now, but I’d do so as soon as we cleared this palace.

  After the others had finished with the corpses, I radioed Moses. “How’s the situation, sir?”

  “Still fighting. Tachionese troops have arrived, but it’ll take them some time to sweep through the labyrinth. We’ll get outta here as soon as the palace is secure. You four take care of those knights?”

  “Yes, sir,” I said as I glanced back at Emeric’s corpse. Three times he’d attacked me today, and I’d finally killed him. It could have easily gone the other way if not for the help of my friends.

  “Good,” Moses said. “Can you make your way back to the nobles? We’re almost done here. The artillerymen need backup should any of the Rutheni find their way out of the maze.”

  “Yes, sir,” we squires chimed together.

  It sounded like Moses had ended the conversation, but his voice returned to my ears. “You squires wouldn’t have any idea why the Aquitanians came to the palace tonight? Something about an attack on their surveillance building?”

  “Perhaps we can share what we know once we’ve dealt with the enemies, sir,” I said. I’d have a lot to report once the day was over.

  “That would be good,” Moses said, and this time his voice didn’t come back once the radio call closed.

  “I kept track of our movements,” Neville said as he summoned a holo projection of the maze’s map from his prot-belt. “We should be able to get back to the nobles if we follow the highlighted route.”

  “Nice work,” Richard said with a grin. “Who knew you could be so useful.”

  “Neville managed to kill the Bane Bear,” I said. “I’d say he’s more than useful.”

  The nobleman gave me an appreciative nod, and Richard seemed taken aback by my defense of the other squire.

  “You did alright, I guess,” Nathan admitted.

  “Just don’t hug me,” Neville said, and the rest of us broke into laughter.

  Our cheerfulness faded into sobriety, and I didn’t need to see their faces to know they were exhausted and ready to leave this place.

  “We gotta get back to the nobles,” I said. “Lead the way, Neville.”

  As we moved out from the destroyed door and back into the labyrinth, I wondered how many KPs I could get from turning in the equipment I’d looted. If any of the items were powerful, I could keep them until I was capable of using them to their full potential. But they’d have to be amazing because they’d probably fetch a high price from Elle, and I was eager to accumulate enough KPs to take the knighthood examination.

  I frowned as I realized none of that would happen. The day would be over soon, and my life was going to change at the end of it. One way or another.

  If Polgar decided to kick me out of the RTF, or Captain Cross released me from the airlock, there’d be no knighthood for me.

  I forced myself to concentrate on getting out of this maze as Neville indicated a doorway for us to enter.

  A deep pool took up most of the room, except for a narrow path around the edges of the water and a giant platinum statue of the winged goddess on an island in the middle. Moonlight made the surface shine like silver, and I estimated it was at least five meters deep. The stillness in the air made my stomach squirm, but the silence was shattered with the faint sounds of battle from elsewhere in the maze.

  “What’s a natatorium doing in the middle of a labyrinth?” Richard asked.

  I shrugged. “Knowing the king’s penchant for storing all his goodies, I’d say there’s probably treasure-filled chests at the bottom of the pool.”

  “Treasure?” Nathan peered into the depths.

  “Fancy a swim?” Richard said as he nudged Neville in the direction of the pool’s edge.

  Neville shoved the other squire back, and his visor flashed with images of the map. “Uhh . . . I think I must have made a wrong turn at some point.”

  I tried not to let my annoyance show. “We’ll double-back until we--”

  A giant figure jumped from the middle of the pool and landed in the lap of the goddess statue. It was a Bane Bear, and it almost dwarfed the monument. I heard the metal squeak beneath the creature’s weight before the thing shook its fur free of water and stared into the pool.

  “Another bloody bear,” Nathan whispered. “I say we get outta here now.”

  I was about to tell the squire we couldn�
�t leave such a dangerous creature alive when the water bubbled. The bear jerked its head toward the activity, and then a second figure shot out from beneath the bubbling pool. This one was half the size of the bear and covered in plate armor. The man roared as he tore the bear from its perch and dragged it back into the water.

  “Was that Moses?” Richard asked.

  It was too dark to know for sure, but the man had looked a lot like the shield knight.

  The water exploded as Moses and the bear breached the surface before landing on the island in the middle of the pool. The knight’s massive arms were wrapped around the bear’s midsection while he struggled to keep its paws from tearing his head off.

  Molten saliva dripped from its mouth, and most of it landed in the pool with a hiss. But some of the lava hit Moses’ helmet, and the knight released his hold on his opponent. He tore the melting metal from his head and tossed it aside before it seared his skull. The bear roared and slammed into Moses, taking him into the pool again.

  After a few seconds, bubbles rose to the surface, followed by a massive floating mass.

  It was dark and covered in fur.

  Moses had killed a Bane Bear with his bare hands while being submerged in at least three meters of water.

  But where was he now?

  He hadn’t been wearing his helmet when the bear dragged him under the water. Without artificial gills, he would be incapable of breathing beneath the surface.

  I turned to the squires. “I’m going in.”

  I didn’t have time to tear my armor off, but I could probably get to the bottom of the pool and back up by using my speed sequence. If I didn’t, then Moses might drown. I couldn’t let that happen.

  Without another thought, I dove into the water. I activated my speed sequence, and kicked as the weight of my armor carried downward. I saw Moses lying motionless on the bottom, so I wrapped my arms around him, pushed my feet against the pool floor, and launched us upward.

  When my head broke the surface, Nathan and Richard were there to lift Moses out. They pulled him over the stone and rolled him onto his back.

  I got out of the pool with a hand from Neville and stood over Moses while the twins removed his chest piece and drove the water from his lungs. After a series of chest compressions, the knight vomited a bucketload of water.

  My breathing relaxed as Moses stumbled to his feet and wiped his mouth. “You see the size of that thing?” he said. “It’s even larger than me!”

  “What happened to your weapon?” Richard asked. His eyes were wide open, and I guessed he was amazed that the shield knight had been able to fight the creature without his spear.

  “I think the bear ate it. Mind if I borrow your blade?” Moses pointed at Richard’s sword, and the squire gave it to him.

  The knight used the weapon to slice open the dead bear’s stomach. Lava oozed out from the wound and cooled on the tiles beneath. Portions of the lava were a dark gray, and they turned to metal when they touched the area outside the corpse.

  “I loved that spear,” Moses stated sadly before handing the sword back to Richard. “The others have dealt with the rest of the enemies, and the Tachionese troops have now handled the Rutheni soldiers outside the palace.”

  “So we did it?” I asked. “We defended the palace successfully?”

  “Yeah,” Moses said, and he looked back at the melted remains of his weapon. “But it’s a damn shame I had to lose my spear to do it.”

  “Maybe you can grab a few weapons from the king’s armory?” Nathan said to the knight. “It’s filled with some amazing-looking Runetech from all the Triumvirate Kingdoms.”

  Moses gave the squire a disgusted look. “You suggesting I should steal from the king, Squire?”

  Richard whacked his brother over the back of the head. “My brother sometimes suffers from a lack of judgment, sir. Mom said she dropped him a few too many times as an infant.”

  Moses snorted. “Right. Make sure you keep him in order. We’re in enough of a mess on this planet without adding thievery to the list of grievances.”

  When the shield knight turned and marched out of the natatorium, Nathan glared at Richard. “Why are you always hitting me?”

  “Why are you always saying such idiotic shit?” Richard asked with a wry smile.

  “Oh, come on,” Nathan groaned. “I was only trying to help Moses out.”

  Richard grinned. “I know. That’s why everyone loves you.”

  We followed Moses through the maze until we reached the exit we’d come through almost an hour ago. When we arrived, a squad of Tachionese troops with belt-fed machine guns waited beneath the archway, and they escorted us to a grand hall in the center of the palace.

  Three Rutheni knights were lined up, kneeling with their hands manacled behind their backs. Two Aquitanian knights knelt beside them, also cuffed, and the Stalwart’s crew stood around the captured enemies.

  Moses gave Zac a friendly clap on the shoulders. “Wouldn’t have been so easy without your intel. You ever gonna tell me how you know Tachionese?”

  “A long story, sir,” Zac said with a smile. “Perhaps over a beer in the galley.”

  “I’ll be taking you up on that offer, Artilleryman.”

  “What’ll we do with the men we’ve captured?” Zac asked.

  “They shall be executed in the city square!” Salenum’s king made himself known with a squeal.

  Moses turned to the man. “I’m afraid that can’t be done, your highness. No one can know the Kingdom of Aquitaine and the Kingdom of Rutheni attacked your palace today.”

  “Nonsense,” the king said as he sneered at the captives. “Justice must be brought to those who would defile my home.”

  “Oh, you’ll have your justice,” Moses said. “These men will not live to see tomorrow. But it should be a private matter.”

  “You have yet to give me a reason for this secrecy,” the king said.

  “Don’t be so daft,” Flanagan said as he rolled his eyes. “You benefit from the Amnesty. If it crumbles, then the Tachionese will be wiped out completely. These men who came to your palace are from a rogue faction, one we almost completely wiped out tonight. They were going to kill you, and we stopped them. I’d say you owe us a few nights in your finest pleasure houses.”

  “And beer,” Olav added. “Lots of beer.”

  Moses looked at the two knights with an expression of disapproval before focusing his attention on the king again. “I hear that labyrinth of yours is home to a vast Runetech collection. Possession of Triumvirate magical technology is a serious breach of our agreements, your highness.”

  “I was only keeping it off my streets,” the king responded, his mouth slack with fear.

  Moses raised a hand. “Whatever your reasons, know we won’t mention anything. You have a pretty tight hold on the information highways in your city. So it’d be in your best interests to guarantee the truth of today doesn’t leave this palace. Can you ensure the other nobles stay quiet?”

  “Yes, but that’s quite a task. I would need some means of rewarding them for their silence.”

  “Alright,” Moses said, and he chewed his cheek in thought. “Most of the containers we brought earlier today will have been destroyed, but I imagine some of it can be salvaged. I will speak with the captain of our ship and see whether we can provide some additional containers filled with goods.”

  The king sighed. “I accept your offer, and I shall do as you say. No one outside Tachion will know what transpired here. I will inform my media that rogue groups of Rutheni and Aquitanian attacked the palace and that they share no connection with the actual kingdoms. Now, I’ve had about enough of foreign knights in my city.”

  Moses nodded. “We’ll be leaving now. Thank you, your highness.”

  “If I can make one suggestion,” Leith said to the king. “It might be a good idea to upgrade your defense systems to something which can defend against Runetech. This whole goddess business is rather stup--”

&
nbsp; Moses glared at Leith before he could finish.

  “We’ll be on our way now,” the shield knight said to the king.

  The King of Salenum turned to his troops on the edges of the hall. “Strip the captives. Have their equipment taken and documented. Then put a bullet in their heads. I want their bodies burned and their ashes scattered into the crater.”

  Moses smiled at me. “Thanks for saving my life.”

  “You’re welcome, sir.”

  He lifted his head and addressed all the squires and artillerymen. “Time for you all to head back to the Stalwart.”

  “What about the transport ships, sir?” Zac asked.

  Moses shook his head. “Those Rutheni bastards destroyed all except one. The yeomen have already returned the surviving craft to the Stalwart. This humanitarian mission turned out to be bloody expensive.”

  Nathan tilted his head at Moses. “Are the knights not returning to the Stalwart, sir?”

  “We have to handle a few things planetside, but we’ll be drinking beer with you in the galley soon enough.”

  We all marched as one to the rear courtyard, the victors of a gruelling battle. Patrick prepared a portal for the crew while the knights traipsed the corpse-littered field to their hoverbikes. From the sound of the engines firing up, none of them had been damaged in the battle. They were probably too small to get hit by enemy fire.

  In a half hour, everyone was ready to leave.

  Except I couldn’t go back to the Stalwart. I had five hours until 06:00 CUT, and I needed to follow Olav.

  I felt like shit, and I could barely raise my arms. I was beyond tired, but sleeping would mean I’d fail the mission for the duke, and my Queen.

  Nathan, Richard, and Neville approached me, and I prepared to wiggle my way out of going back to our starship.

  “You want your rapier back?” I asked Neville with a smile.

  “Nah, you can return it to me on the Stalwart.”

  I frowned at him. It sounded like he wasn’t planning on going through the portal and back to the ship anytime soon.