Knight: Tracks of Darkness

by Dave Devine

dispose of her carefully. There’s no telling how her death will affect history.”

  “We were too hasty and careless. Now none of us have the book. Now we will never be free of the master.”

  “I am unfamiliar with that word,” a man replied. “Venease, what does never mean?”

  “It means not ever,” the woman Venease answered. “It means: at no time in the past or in the future.”

  “I have an idea, then,” and the faceless man stepped forward. He lifted me up to my knees with a snap of his fingers. He drew his black sword and attempted to plunge it into my chest. In that instant, I clapped my hands together and held onto the blade; it felt warm and fuzzy. I found myself smiling. The Numerii leader stepped back slowly. “Impossible,” he whispered, as I rose to my feet. A member of the Numerii asked him what the word impossible meant, but he failed to give her an answer. The Numerii were surrounded by an ancient army of skeleton paladins, armor hanging loosely from their hips, rusty swords and spears in their hands. “What are you?” the faceless man asked me.

  “I have you now!” I cried.

  I awoke with a start in my chambers at Weal University. The last fifteen years felt like a horrible dream. I dressed and strolled aimlessly throughout the campus grounds. I idly greeted colleagues and students as I made my way to the Evorous gate. There was a great commotion there; I saw Lord General Gregory Haggard and young Charlemagne standing at the head of twenty thousand soldiers. Students, merchants, nobles and many others began to gather at the Evorous gate.

  Then, King Josef Saroufim arrived in a stiff military uniform, his royal diadem on his bald head, and a green cape flapping over his shoulders. He raised his hands and charged Lord General Haggard to go forth and finish what they began during the Great Eos War. According to the Wine King, it was time for them to avenge those who died to make sure the land was free of the “nigromant king and the nigromancer menace.” His hateful speech was met with great praise and boisterous clamor. King Josef Saroufim was going to destroy the one man who was going to close the fringe.

  I turned and raced back to my chambers. I hastily packed some essentials and ran for Hope’s Point. All of my failures of the past sixteen years would be undone if I could just beat Saroufim’s army to the tower and rescue the man who was destined to burn the world.