Knight of the Moon

Chapter 1

He was a nobody who wanted power and glory.

Jared slashed and stabbed, pretending to kill numerous enemies. His swordplay felt awkward, and the steel was getting heavier. His swings were getting sloppier, but he didn’t stop. The sweat beaded down his fair, handsome face, and his eyes stung from the sourness. His wrist was sore, but he kept on swinging. I need to practice if I want to be knighted…

His huffing was interrupted by the sound of a woman’s voice. “Jared, you ought to rest. You’ve been going at it for hours now.” He turned to face her. She stood majestically in a crimson linen dress, and her auburn hair fell on the shoulders.

“Mom, I need to practice to survive the outside world when I leave.” He continued to slash in the air in the outdoor training pavilion. His mother sat on a wooden chair from a safe distance and began sobbing.

“You really are going to leave?”

“Oh, mother. I’ve been saying this for a long time. Jason is heir to Moonshire, and he will be lord. Next in line will be Patrek, that is if Jason doesn’t marry which I doubt. There’s nothing left for the youngest.” Jared remembered how the inheritance is given to the first born son, and how unlucky he was to be last. “I need to find my own glory.”

“Can’t you be steward to King Raymar? Your father has been loyal to him, and he can take you in.”

“No. There are no songs written for stewards. Only knights and lords get glory.” He hacked on the wooden dummy and his sword went have through the wood. He tried to pull it out, but it wouldn’t budge. He decided to leave it. It’s only a normal sword anyway. If only I can have Mooncleave, that sword was worth pulling out.

Jared joined his mother, all wet and sweaty. He took a seat and a servant girl came with a jar.

“Red wine, my lord?”

“Thank you.” She poured the wine into a mug, filling it. He sipped the burning sourness, and felt relief.

The servant girl turned to his mother. “How about you, my lady?”

She waved the servant off and focused on Jared. “What if we marry you into a noble family? Surely you could live leisurely there.”

“Lilith, there’s nothing you can say to change my mind. I want to adventure, explore. I want to go to the flying city of dragons, Arbor-”

“That’s just stupid!” Lilith said. “Arbor is exclusive to its people only, and how can you get up high there?”

“I’ll find a way. No matter, I will go to other kingdoms, join melees and be knighted. Then I can fight for someone’s war, or gather an army and invade a small hold. Then, I could build myself my own kingdom and be king-”

“You’re being too ambitious! That’s the problem with you. You don’t see your brother Jason going to Arbor or plotting to be king.” Lilith changed from a weeping mother to a vicious nagger.

“That’s his weakness! He will only be Lord of Moonshire, nothing more. And House Belkion is considered a lesser house, a lesser house!”

“So? We are wealthy, we have soldiers, and we are powerful. They underestimate us, that’s all but nevertheless we are happy.”

“Not me, mother. I will never be happy here. I’ve always wanted to wield our family sword, Mooncleave, and I was devastated when I learned that only the lord can wield it. You see, nothing here makes me happy!” Jared finished half of his wine in one drink and tossed it on the ground, spilling the red liquid. He stormed out of the court and returned inside to the keep.