the Bleeding Crown

The Black Knight; Part One

January 13th, 2014

Avalon

When dawn broke we packed up the camp and left. Morgause had offered Merlin a ride on her horse but the old man decided to walk instead. I don't know how he does it, but he's managed to keep up with us on foot.

After a few hours we came to a busy crossroad. A small trading hub that boasted a few market stalls, a smithy, and even a decently sized inn. To say that the locals weren't doing well for themselves would have been an insult. The guards were all in a rush, trying to get supplies and weapons in order.

Morgause got off her horse and started to lead it over to the stables. "Should be a good place to stop for a while, maybe even for the night. We could spend most of the day asking around about Seraph activity."

"And what makes you think any of these people would know anything about that?" Merlin asked the girl.

"A lot of people on the Island were affected by Gabriels invasion, not only us immortals. Whatever we have had to endure, these people have endured one hundred times over. I might have just been a kid during the last war but I still remember what it was like."

I remembered the day I found her. During the last war, after the heir had escaped all we had left to do was cleanse the land of Gabriel's forces. Two failed invasions, the second one however, had cost us nearly everything. The victory was pyrrhic, we had nearly been wiped from the face of the earth.

I was leading a garrison of troops at Witchaven, where many young women trained to be sorceresses at the academy. Founded by Morgan Le Fay and nearly destroyed by Gabriel. We were using the school as a stronghold for the northern front of the war.

During a war council a scraggly little girl burst through the door and pledged her sword to me. She had been orphaned by Gabriels Seraphim, she was twelve. Her kind, the Bloodlings, were created by Morgan Le Fey, the first Witch Queen. In a ritual of blood and death she created her soldiers, and without them, we would have been destroyed long ago.

Since then, since she came to my side, she has been more than a squire to me, she's like my daughter. She has become a fine warrior, and she'll be an even finer knight. When Gabriel returns, she will be ready.

"What's all the worse is for them, it's ancient history. They have already started to forget what it is like to wage war with the high heavens. We must be ready to stand against Gabriel and whoever else may come if we are to survive."

"We are not immortal." I said getting off of my horse.

"Eden, you are five hundred years old." she said.

"We are timeless, we do not age past a certain point, but we can die all the same."

"We can discuss the nomenclature of our long lives later, we have visitors." Merlin said.

An older man, probably in his sixties approached us, he was almost completely bald except for the wisps of silver hair. He looked nervous.

"You have come to our little village outpost at a difficult time m'lord." he said in a scratchy weathered voice.

"Your Grace." Morgause corrected him.

The man's eyes widened, "I meant no offense my lo- your Grace." he corrected himself.

"No offense has been taken. What troubles are you facing?" I asked.

He folded his hands and his eyes reeked of fear. "We have been having some trouble with bandits, used to be it was only ten of them, now they number nearly one hundred. We tried to call for a Bloodling sentry from the Citadel but we fear the worst for our messenger."

"Bandits? This close to Nimue?" Morgause asked.

"They are being led by a Black Knight." the man said.

Morgause's head perked up. "Are you certain?"

"Most certain young miss, he appeared in the village a few moons ago. Armor blacker than Gabriel's wings."

"Your Grace, time is short, we must find the Seraphs the lady spoke about." Merlin said.

"The Seraphs aren't going anywhere, a Black Knight could cause devastation now." Morgause said

The man's eyes widened, his fear fed. "Gabriel hasn't returned has she? A Seraph hasn't been seen in these parts in fifty years."

"The fact that there's been a seraph sighting in the last half century is worrying." Morgause said.

"You wouldn't happen to know where?" Merlin asked.

"I could tell you, but your Grace, we need your help." the man pleaded.

My mind was made up the second he asked for help the first time. It is our duty as protectors of this land to help our subjects whenever they need it. Something that none of my predecessors even tried to do, something that I wouldn't have tried to do. Morgause was the one to open my eyes to the troubles of the common folk. My aim is to create a better world, and to do that I cannot leave people to die.

"Do not worry good man, we will help you." I said.

"Oh your grace, you have a heart of gold. I will have my best men ready for you in the morning." he said.

"No need, they will just slow us down, us three alone are worth a hundred men. Just point us in the direction of these bandits."

The man bowed. "Yes, of course your Grace."

***

The camp is a day's ride from the village. Halfway there we stopped to rest. Morgause and I set up the tents while Merlin fed and watered the horses. After we were done, me and her walked into the woods to collect firewood.

She had her hair in a tight braid, her maroon eyes were deep in thought. "What has your head?" I asked. She shifted and then bent over to pick up a piece of wood, she took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Let me challenge the Black Knight, I need to prove myself worthy of being a Knight."

"You think this will prove your worth?"

"I do."

"Are you ready?"

"Were you ready when you fought your first Black Knight? Or when you faced down Azriel?"

"No."

"Then will you let me challenge the Knight?"

She had nothing to prove, but she would have her fight. "Yes."

"I won't let you down, I'll take him down quickly."

"Win or lose, I'm proud of you." she dropped her stack of wood from her arms and then hugged me. Her arms like pythons squeezing the air out of my lungs. I tensed up, but then relaxed. I put my arms on her shoulders and looked into her Maroon eyes. "You have proven yourself more times that I can count, I am proud of you."