Crow laughed. “Ragrim’s fine, he’s a master blacksmith like most dwarves so if I lose any . . . he can you know . . . make me some more! Besides dwarves make armour easily, no different to how bees make honey! Stop fucking telling me off brother, I should be sleeping not talking to you!”
The two friends both laughed and had sat down on two mini golden thrones, no doubt Crow had stolen these from a lord in battle or taken them as loot from a previous endeavour. The thrones were gold and had multiple gemstones imbued throughout, including the arm rests.
Crow spoke reminiscently. “I’ll be staying with Yoshihiro, I admire Bellethiel and Astaroth’s bravery at venturing east, but Yoshihiro is a brother to me. I’ll stay by his side, it’s the least I can do for a man that saved me.”
“How did you meet Yoshihiro? You never told me.”
Crow smiled. “Now that’s a story that’ll make me sound pitiful!”
“I’d love to hear it then!” Joked Hiroki.
“You may be a skilled swordsman trained by Yoshihiro, but don’t think I won’t fuck you up!” joked Crow.
The two comrades laughed, and Crow decided to tell Hiroki the story he longed to hear, the story of a feared swordsman and the king of battle pits crossing paths and becoming brothers, unified and by combat and conquests.
Crow had a name for himself many years ago fighting in battle pits for the right coin and offering his services as a bodyguard, he had always been a womaniser too and his lust for women would see him cursed!
Crow made the mistake of sleeping with the bride of a wealthy nobleman, he had fallen madly in love with her and they were set to run away together. When the bride confronted the nobleman, who was set to marry her and announced she was leaving, in a rage of jealousy and anger, the nobleman paid a witch to bestow a curse upon Crow, the witch obliged and punished Crow with a sinister curse.
The witch took Crow’s heart, he can no longer fall in love or father children as the witch took the emotion of love from his very being, furthermore, any woman impregnated by Crow falls ill and dies. The bride of the nobleman fell pregnant after their night together, she too died shortly after and Crow descended into madness.
Hiroki was shocked. “I’ve never heard of such a curse.”
“Nor had I! At first, I didn’t give a shit, but I can tell you this, not being able to love and father children . . . over time it breaks you.”
“Can the curse be lifted.”
“All curses can, not sure how though. The feeling of meeting somebody special, somebody who makes you feel alive, watching them fall in love with you without being able to love them back . . . Its torture.”
Hiroki couldn’t help but ask, “You still . . . have sex though . . . don’t you?”
“I’m a man, I’ve got needs!”
“But if the women fall pregnant won't they die?”
“Yes . . . another curse I have to live with.” Crow could tell Hiroki did not approve of his decision to lay with women despite knowing the consequences.
Hiroki, still wanting to know how he met Yoshihiro urged his friend to continue. “Let me guess, your madness led you to Yoshihiro?”
“Correct. I grew mad with anger; I couldn’t love no matter how hard I tried. I began throwing myself into unwinnable battles in the pits against the vilest of foes, even fought in battles for armies I knew would lose, just so I could die, I always survived. It seemed I was too good a warrior to be beaten.”
“Did you fight Yoshihiro?”
Crow laughed and began to smile again. “No, not that crazy bastard. He saw me fighting in the pits and offered me a position in the War Hogs. The hogs were small then and he wanted the very best fighters to join him. He promised me all the usual bullshit, glory, fortune, riches.”
“You just wanted to die, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I just wanted to die, and thought serving in a small aspiring army that was to take on the world seemed a sure way to do it. We became friends over time, and I’ve been with him ever since.”
“Are you still hurting?”
“Not as much, Yoshihiro is a monster, yet, he has a strange way of healing those around him. When we pulled away from the warlords we once served and embarked on our own conquests, we started to do some good and help those who needed it . . . I began to heal.”
Hiroki turned to his friend. “If I can, If I ever get the chance, I’ll lift this rotten curse, I give you my word.”
“You’re a good kid Hiroki. Until that time comes, here I am, cursed to walk the lands without love. A cursed bastard indeed.”
Crow’s silver sword was gallantly on display in his tent, it was the only thing aside from his good looks that Crow was proud about. The giant sword sparkled, and the blade was flawless and razor-sharp. The handle was blackened leather and the hilt had been forged into the shape of a skull; the long hand guard was smartly forged into the shape of dragon wings.
Crow placed his hand around Hiroki. “So . . . Astaroth and Bellethiel want to know the extent of evil in the East, do they? The two warring families are barbaric, and if Marius has allegedly unified with vampires . . . well, let’s not think about that.”
“Then why should we let them fucking go! It's madness, a fool’s errand! It would be better to spend time unifying the centre so we can meet the East head on!”
Hiroki felt his eyes filling with water, waters of rage and Crow sensed the innocence of Hiroki’s youth still had much to grow.
Crow gazed into Hiroki’s eyes. “Listen to me little brother. The Centre Plate is inhabited by many different races, all of which hate each other. Unifying all the different cultures is impossible without proof of a major threat. So, you see, what Astaroth and Bellethiel are doing is brave and noble . . . they may have to lay down their lives to help unify the centre and prove once and for all that our biggest threat is from the East, not from each other!”
A silence devoured the tent, Hiroki perhaps realised he had been selfish and it was not his place to dictate other people’s paths in life, Hiroki’s thoughts caught up with him maybe I’m the one being selfish, Bellethiel and Astaroth are fearsome warriors . . . they’ll be fine and will return as heroes in time for this impending war!
Hiroki regained his composure and wiped his eyes, he stood up and smiled and the two embraced again. Hiroki understood that the news of the Eastern threat had even gotten to Crow and perhaps he should leave his friend for one last sleep of peace.
Crow dived into the mess of silk sheets and pillows that was his bedding area, he asked. “Who are you off to pester now, little brother.”
Hiroki replied merrily. “Archie Shieldstone.”
Chapter 8:
Archie Shieldstone
Hiroki made his way to see the noble knight, Archie Shieldstone. Archie was the oldest commander that held rank in the War Hogs, he was fifty years old however he did not look it, in fact he people would often joke and ask what the secret was to maintaining youth, Archie would humour these questions however little did people know that now, the old knight was dying due to illness.
Archie was born in a small town named ‘Griffins Lair’ This small town resided next to a mountain range that many griffin’s come to lay their eggs and raise their young, the town also specialised in raising brave knights, who at the age of eighteen would leave the town to serve worthy causes.
From very early ages, young boys and girls are taught to fight and serve as knights, they undertake extensive training with swords and shields and it was quite common for knights to have mastered these weapons and this type of combat way before the age of eighteen, with people who have witnessed knights in combat claiming that these warriors had become one with swords and shields and fought seemingly as one entity, one on one, very few stand a chance against a knight in combat and their armour is also revered throughout the lands. Dwarves are the master blacksmiths throughout Dragons Continent however the black smiths in Griffin's Lair have mastered meteorite forging. Meteorite is a rare debris tha
t falls from way beyond the sky, if successfully melted down and forged expertly it can be used to make weapons and armour, its stronger than steel and iron and when sharpened becomes a fearsome weapon in the hands of a gifted warrior. A Knight's armour which usually consists of breast plates, shoulder guards, gauntlets, leg guards and helmets, are usually forged from meteorite which has served them well in battle, even the dwarves appreciate fine meteorite armour forged by the smiths of Griffins Lair.
Knights aren’t just warriors; they are also educated on the different cultures and races throughout the lands and are schooled by historians that reside in this town. The Historians are elderly former knights that have spent their lives travelling the world and serving noble causes. A knight must keep a diary all his life which is then returned to Griffins Lair to be examined by historians upon that knight’s retirement, this is how the knights educate and teach. This method is a tried and tested approach of years of first-hand battle experience, note taking, drawing, and keeping memoirs to then be shared with the upcoming younger generation of knights.
Knights have served throughout the entire Centre Plate and have a library detailing the history and information of all events and races that live throughout the centre. A grand library which is also called ‘The Hall of Silent Tongues’ resides in the centre of Griffins Lair and is guarded all day with only senior knights permitted entry.
Knights are known for their close bonds with their horses and are usually seen traveling with two horses consisting commonly of a Palfrey and Destrier. Palfreys are used to carry the essential travel items and food supplies whilst Destriers are used for jousting and battles, both horses are also fitted with meteorite armour in times of need which consists of expertly crafted chanfrons, crinets, cruppers and peytrals. The knights have always expertly cared for their horses almost as if they were their own children, any good knight will state ‘A knight’s success is equal to the health of his horse’ which is why knights are taught thoroughly by master stablemen in the arts of horse care.
Archie had been like a grandfather to Hiroki, in fact he was a grandfather to them all, he was experienced in life, battle hardened, cultured and calm, he even had the ability to calm the heated debates that Yoshihiro and his commanders would have. Archie was the only person that Hiroki had personally seen calm the fierce nature of Yoshihiro, perhaps Yoshihiro had an unspoken love for Archie who may have been a father figure to him, the love of a father was something Yoshihiro never had but perhaps he gained some of that through Archie over time. Hiroki approached Archie’s tent which was situated on the outskirts of the War Hogs’ encampment under a small oak tree next to an adjoining stream, perfect for Archie’s two horses who could freely drink when needed. Archie’s tent was small and modest as knights only travelled with essentials and as Hiroki approached, he heard the grunts of the two horses. Hiroki approached the two beautiful horses, first up was the Palfrey named Snow. Snow had light grey fur and was covered in multiple spots of white creating an illusion of snowfall throughout this horse’s body, Snow's mane was also white, long, and expertly groomed.
Hiroki kissed Snow on the head before looking into the glowing black eyes. “Good boy Snow.”
Hiroki turned to Archie’s huge battle horse, the Destrier named Caliban. This mighty Destrier was gigantic and displayed incredible muscle tone, he was of a dark tanned colour, his mane was jet black and had been expertly braided by Archie with the mane displaying short tuffs of black hair all the way down to the end of the neck, Caliban also had a streak of white fur along his nose. Hiroki stroked Caliban whilst the horse enjoyed his oats, Hiroki had known these two horses since he was a child and Archie taught Hiroki the basics of how to care for these animals.
“Hiroki my boy, have you come to keep an old man company?” spoke Archie merrily. As he emerged from his tent, he placed his sword and shield on the ground and began wiping blood from his nose, regular nose bleeds were a common side effect of the illness that was killing him.
“Are you okay?” asked Hiroki as he made his way to the old knight. It pained Hiroki to see the old man dying slowly.
“Just a nosebleed, I’m fine.”
Hiroki knew Archie was in pain, but he was old and stubborn, he didn’t want to burden anyone.
Hiroki glanced at Archie’s sword, it was made from meteorite, the handle was covered in black leather and the handguard was long and ran horizontally longer than normal for extra protection, which was ideal for blocking and parrying attacks. The blade was razor sharp and well kept, no doubt Archie had maintained its glory for many years. The hilt of the sword was a perfectly curricular and donned an imbued smooth piece of jade which seemed to glow, the green reminded Hiroki of a lush forest. Archie’s giant kite shield was also made from meteorite, in the centre of the shield was a painted picture of a griffin, the paint had faded but the colours were of red and gold, and the griffin was barely visible, there was a signature of the artist who had painted the griffin, it too was faded, and the name could not be analysed, Hiroki had always wondered why Archie never had the painting had re-worked, he probably had his reasons. The shield was of a fair size and it was clear to see why enemies would have trouble breaching the defence of a knight, they must have looked like walking giant walls of meteorite when in combat.
Archie stood at six three, grey haired with a long grey moustache and beard, though despite his grey hair he did not look old physically. His hair was short, and he had one battle scar visible under his right eye. Archie was of a respectable muscular build and wore well-polished and maintained knights armour made from meteorite. Archie donned two curved and spiked shoulder guards, a thick breast plate with the knight’s crest engraved into it which was a griffin with a sword and shield either side, gauntlets, black gloves, leg protectors made from meteorite and black boots, despite his age, he looked quite dashing, knights always did!
In battle Hiroki has seen Archie crush enemies with his kite shield and sword, he was deceivingly quick despite his age.
Archie joined Hiroki outside the tent and the two sat by the stream under the oak tree next to Snow and Caliban on two makeshift stalls, a scene that looked like a proud grandfather and grandchild, this would be the last peaceful night the two would enjoy together.
Hiroki gazed up at the stars, the stars illuminated the night sky and looked like diamonds in the sky. He turned to Archie. “Astaroth and Bellethiel are to leave tomorrow and venture east, they told me about the Eastern warring families, tell me Archie, should I be scared?”
Archie replied in his usual soothing tone of wisdom. “Ever since you were a child, I always taught you the most important philosophy that us knights live by, you remember, don’t you?” Archie smiled and paused for a few seconds, seemingly reminiscing about Hiroki’s childhood before he continued. “True power comes from the heart, not from the fist, it comes from protecting the innocent, not from evil and greed.”
“I remember well,” replied Hiroki as he smiled reflectively.
“I’ve always believed that and have lived my life by that code, protecting the innocent and preserving life where I can. I have made poor decisions and wasted my life serving those who were greedy, wicked, and selfish. Now I fight for Yoshihiro’s cause, my last chance at fighting for a noble cause. It’s a shame I’m old and dying and may not live long enough to see it to completion.”
“Please don’t talk like that,” pleaded Hiroki.
The thought of losing Archie terrified him, and it terrified all the commanders. Hiroki knew Archie was in a reflective period of his old life, he mourned the poor life choices he had made and felt he had failed as a knight.
Archie looked upon Hiroki and smiled. “Now is the time, you’re ready.”
“The time for what?” asked Hiroki curiously.
“A knight's request. Upon my death, I want you to deliver my sword and shield, to my daughter, she lives with her friends in the town of Merry Meade.”
“I didn’t know you had a daughter?”
/>
Archie laughed. “Yes, nobody does. I was a poor father, I failed at that too as well as being a knight.”
“What’s her name?”
“Taja. When you arrive at Merry Meade, you’ll find her! She’s quite the capable warrior and is famous round those parts.”
“Okay, but please, no more talk like this! You got plenty of life left in you yet old man!”
“Thank you, Hiroki, you’re a fine boy.”
Hiroki could feel a sombre mood within Archie. The old knight felt as though he had wasted his life and now that he was dying, he was desperate for one last shot at a noble crusade.
Archie joined Yoshihiro and the War Hogs knowing the swordsman perhaps presented one last opportunity at fighting for a noble cause as he began to build his War Hogs to rule the Centre Plate and wipe out the evil warlords, protecting the innocent and making the map a safer place. The knights leave their lands to seek out noble kings and leaders to serve, whilst dedicating their lives to maintaining peace and order, however Archie wasted his life, he has served nobody of nobility and has made very bad choices which has seen him serve the greedy and wicked. Now he is grievously ill and dying slowly, it was obvious he viewed Yoshihiro as his last chance to bring peace to the lands and make his service justified so he can pass on peacefully with no regrets. Due to his age and illness, Archie is in a reflective state of mind, pondering on his historic decisions and actions and wondering whether there is enough time for him to make a difference in the world.
Hiroki wanted to know more about the evil kings of the East. “Can you tell me everything you know regarding the East, I want to know everything!”
“Well my boy, you're going to have to face them at some point. Yes, I’ll tell you everything.”
Archie’s began explaining the war in the East to Hiroki. He explained that King Marius and King Zolom had been at war for many years. Marius’s evil took a more sinister turn when his mother and father were killed by Zolom shortly after his nineteenth birthday, they were taken prisoners by Zolom then fed to his grand dragon, the mighty Yama!
Killing Monsters Page 7