Ancient Cardos: The Knight Life

Chapter 16: King of Cardos

It was near sunset and I sat at the bottom of the steps waiting for the king to show up. I have no idea who this king was. In fact I don't know much at all.

A man with a long black hair shows up wearing a golden crown and a long red coat. "Looking like a king from the story books." I said to him and stood up to shake his hand.

"Well, don't we live in one. Magical beings and dragons. It's unreal to witness greatness. What brings a knight from another kingdom to my castle steps?"

"Well. How do I put this request?" I stood there thinking about how I would ask this favor. "I want to lead the last of the dark mages here to be executed in a battle."

The king nodded his head. He rubbed the back of his head and had a worried expression. "Well as king of Cardos, I can't just bring war to my doorstep. We do have the greatest defense. The dark mages are what keep other species of humanoids to not enter our kingdoms. What do you have to offer?"

"Me on the front lines." I said. "I have someone in the dark mages that I specifically want to kill."

The king paced around the bottom of the steps as the sun set. "Bring the war. I will hide all the citizens underneath the city tomorrow. Tell the dark mages to come. They killed many of my family members. I'd like a little revenge as well."

"Thank you, King."

"King Mason. I'll see you on the front lines."

We shook hands and parted ways. I spent the rest of the night just inside of Cardos. I was at the southern gate. A huge forest protected it. I was waiting for Chris to get inside my head again. He didn't bother with me this night. This time I had a message for him. I was tempted by the forest and wandered just inside of it.

I spent the rest of the night practicing my magic. This way if me and Chris got into a fight, I would be somewhat prepared to defend against his magic.

I practiced making things float. Making things burn and freeze. It was a boring night. I tried to get creative with my magic. Making a single object burn and freeze at the same time.

It gave me a headache. I was startled when I heard movement near me. I stopped messing with the rocks and drew my sword.

"Hello?" I called out. I looked around and stopped to listen. I heard it again. I turned to the noise. My sword still at the ready, clinched in both hands.

"I am not here to fight." They sounded familiar. Whoever it was.

"Well don't sneak up on me." I put my sword away. The person happened to be Jason. I hugged him. A friendly face that I haven't seen in a while.

"So Chris was lying about controlling you?" I asked him. He sat down on the ground and pulled out a small knife and started carving the dirt.

After a long silence and having me stare at him. "No he wasn't." Jason said and through the knife at me and it got me in the right shoulder. I dropped to my knees and pulled it out. Jason had run up towards me and punched me to the ground. I fell onto my back and felt my nose bleeding.

The knife barely made it through my armor, put it still got me. I returned the favor to Jason by freezing his clothing and not him.

"The dark mages will find me and free me."

"Well Jason, I suppose they shouldn't find you. Maybe I should lock you up for attacking a knight of a militarized kingdom. I'll be in their front lines."

Jason kept his mouth shut and I left into the kingdom to gather some guards. I ran ahead of them and melted the ice off of Jason. This way they wouldn't know that I was a dark mage. He tried to run but I stomped on the back of his leg. He fell over in pain.

The guards caught up and forced him to follow them. I walked beside them. All the way into the castle. Beneath a long hall way that led underground.

They opened a few doors and threw Jason into one of them. He made no attempt to leave.

We left back outside and chaos began. Dragons started to flood the sky. All of them had a dark mage on the back.

I saw my target. The certain red and orange beast that my brother Chris was on. The night was still on. The kingdom hasn't prepared to leave yet.

"Tell the king the dragons are here." I said to the guards. They left and I drew my sword. It hurt to move my arm from the knife that Jason threw into me.

A bell in the distance started going off and all the citizens slowly got the concept of what was going on. They all started flooding to the underground portion of the castle. Dragons began to fall out of the sky.

I drew my sword and ran to the gates of the castle where all the other guards were. I pushed my way to the front to keep my promise to King Mason. Which he so happened to have been up front also.

"I would not miss this battle for anything." King Mason shouted over the sounds of knights talking about the said. He drew his sword finally and waited. Trees in the distance began to collapse from falling dragons. I looked up at the guards shooting the arrows.

They were not shooting arrows. They were shooting mini swords into the dragons. Which explains why the dragons are dying so easily. Those small swords had no hilts and the blade looked cut in half straight down to the handle. These must have been specially crafted just for dragons.

The archers were so close together, not a single breeze could flow by. Some of the falling dragons now, in their last breath of life, gave out a small fire on the trees. The skies began to burn from the smoke coming from the trees.

Battle was finally catching up to us. All of us guards at the front gates were ready to strike any ground patrol that wanted their way in.

"And Claire?" The king asked me. "I know you are a dark mage. Feel free to use it on them."

"How did you know?" I asked him.

"Your father Andrew, that is how."

I held onto my sword tightly and made it catch fire. "If anything. Their wooden shields will burn if they have any." I said. The king laughed.

After everything going on right now. The king laughed. How could anyone be so calm?