Ancient Cardos: The Knight Life

Chapter 20: Shattered

I left the throne room after showing off my shield to Jason and went back to my own room to see a shocking figure sitting on my bed, reading a book. They wore a hooded robe.

"Excuse me?" I said out loud. The figure heard me and pulled off their hood. It was kelly? I put my shield down near the door.

"Claire! I'm back!" She jumped off the bed and dropped the book to hug me and I hugged back, but I stared into the distance asking myself. "How?"

She pulled away from the hug and sat back on the bed. I stood there with my arms crossed. I was so confused and lost and she was so energetic for a dead person.

"I woke up in Opal Village where I died. I was laying there, with everyone else already skeletons. It was scary, but i'm back. I heard news of a war at Cardos and I was gone to get here." She spoke so fast for someone who was dead for two years.

"Yea that is great, Kelly, that you are here, but, how?" I looked more confused than ever.

"Some boy, wearing the same robes as me, brought me back. He didn't explain why. He woke me up and left."

"Well why come here? Why not find family?"

"They all died back at Opal Village. Also I have to show you something."

"Go ahead."

Kelly stood up again and pulled up her sleeves. Her skin was still burned from the day she died. She undid the robes and did her best to cover her upper body, but she showed me her stomach that had a giant slash scar across the middle of it.

"It will heal right?" She asked me. I stared at her scars and burn marks.

"Yea, give me time to figure out the magic needed to heal it."

"That is great, I can finally be the knight we dreamed of being. At least now, I have an awesome mentor."

She covered her body back up and hugged me again. "It is great to be back." She was so full of happiness. I was just as lost as ever.

We spent the next day talking about how things are now. She ended up getting distracted by the blacksmith Peter who actually 17 as well. All the gloves and metal helmet in the forgery distracted me from who he actually was. She being 17 still, since she has not aged for two years, that made me the older friend. I'm 19. We use to be the same age.

While she was distracted by the boy near her age, I thought of one thing my father told me. That was to only trust a handful of people. My handful kinda died along the way.

I lost my parents, Oliver, Darwin, and my village of Faldin. That is a big drop. I just have to keep reminding myself of what i've lost.

The strange boy and Kelly snapped me out of my thoughts.

"We are going to spend the night talking, is that alright, Claire?" Kelly asked me.

"Yea, fine." I looked at the boy. "Keep her safe, or I will find you. I know the king personally." He just laughed and said thanks. The love birds were off. Now I was off too.

I walked over to the bridge, the one that crossed the river. I stood in the middle. Directly above the water. It was almost dark. and Jason was showing up a little late as normal. The sun was barely still shining.

"Why would the king of Cardos, need to meet me at the bridge over the river at sunset." I asked him. I folded my arms and stared at him.

He was wearing no crown, no armor, just his normal attire of light clothing and a sword at his side.

"Well because we needed somewhere to talk where the knights wouldn't have the need to defend their king a little to well."

He stood next to me and we stared down the river. "Claire, you have proven yourself to me, more than once. You have saved me from a crazy dark mage. Taught me to be a little less judgmental. Made me a better knight. Things like what i'm about to do, have never happened before. That I am aware of."

Jason backed away from the bridge. I turned around to face him. My back was against the stone bridge wall.

"So surprise me." I said. He reached into his pockets and pulled out this small ring. I finally got the idea of what was going on.

I was a little too speechless. I had liked Jason more than I let on. I couldn't leave his side easily unless it was battle. He showed me that even the greatest knights had to struggle at one point. I stared at the ring and smiled. He didn't say anything else, but I knew what to say when my mind wasn't busy being shocked in amazement.

"I will gladly marry you, Jason." I barely said. I was in shock that he actually proposed. He slid the ring on my finger. It was a gold and silver ring with cross designs going around it. He hugged me tightly and I hugged back. I was about to tear up.

From all the sadness and stress I had been through. Through it all I was barely seeing the point of why I should keep fighting. Darwin usually kept me up, but this time, it was Jason I was finally finding happiness and peace. No one saw us on the bridge. The king and a female knight becoming husband and wife.

We hugged in silence for a while. It was silent enough to hear the river flowing and the sounds of the leaves of the tree rustling in the wind. It was so peaceful.

"Ms. Claire, I need to speak to you." Someone called out. Me and Jason pulled away from our hug. It was Shard. He look concerned standing on the bridge entrance.

"Why me? I just got engaged." I said. "Well then, Mrs. Claire, come with me."

I looked at Jason. "I think I have another adventure awaiting me." I told him. He looked me in the eyes. "Just be yourself." He kissed me and I put my arms around him.

"Today!" Shard yelled out and I left Jason on the bridge. "What do you want!" I yelled at him.

Shard pulled out a purple stone from his robes. "I found this in one of the dark mage's temples. The one near Faldin and Roden."

"So what is it?" I asked him.

"It is black magic. This purple stone radiates evil. There are three of them, which means, three temples to find."

"I'm done adventuring Shard, I just found happiness. Find another knight to do it."

"We need to destroy these or the world will forever have evil in IT!" He yelled and exaggerated the last word.

I grabbed the purple stone from his hand and smashed it into the ground. It broke into a million pieces. Then reformed back into one purple stone.

"Looks like my happiness will have to wait..."