Dark rusting iron armour clattered as heavy boots thudded on creaky wooden floors, the shadow of a knight cast on the wall as a figure in battle worn gear released a breath into the cool air of night. The lantern they carried on their hip illuminated a short distance around them just enough to be useful but not enough to overpower what they could see in the dark.
Thoughtless in action the slouched shoulders of the knight suggested weary tiredness pulling on their being as they trudged through the shattered ruins of what had once been the village they lived. Stepping off the wooden floor to mud with a soft splat their eyes beneath a dented helm turned to a nearby light, one that beamed in the dark along the road where the centre of the village was.
Feeling a tug, like a moth drawn to flame, they walked toward it listlessly.
Tink tink tink
Without warning the dark skies began to cry, the sound of rain pitter pattering on the armour they wore filled their mind with a calm. Getting closer to the light their eyes grew wide, the blur of the rainfall failing to obscure their vision.
In the centre of the village was a stone fountain decorated with a statue of a white horse with a man atop it, the mount of the village founder, its basin was beginning to overflow as the rain filled it up. In the left hand of the man was a metal lantern with a gentle flickering blue flame, an unnatural light that enraptured the knight.
Without thinking about it they raised a rusty gauntleted hand out to touch the lantern-
A bright flash of azure blinded the knight causing them to stumble back as the entire ruins of the village was illuminated in the dark by its colour revealing the crumbling stone and wooden houses, rotted flooring and furniture, as well as skeletons of those who failed to flee in time. The dead still wore scraps of cloth that barely hung to their forms, many with broken or missing bones strewn about likely from animals or the elements shifting them.
Catching their footing the rusted iron knights left hand shot to their opposite hip and drew forth a worn blade of chips and nicks that lacked all the lustre one often saw with a knights blade. A tremble shook the sword as quick glances shifted from side to side as the world warped and changed, moulding and shifting into something else entirely.
“!” A gasp left the mouth of the armour clad figure as they laid eyes on the new surroundings.
Gone were the ruins of a village replaced by the nascent dark of an enormous cave, the only light that of the lantern still on their hip as they glanced around, heart rate increasing as the shadows seemed to move and the gravely-stone path beneath them sank into knee deep water.
Tension strangled the knights' attention waiting for an attack that never came, the only sound in the cave a dull dripping of water far off echoing throughout along with the splash as they moved a foot forward. Wading into the dark a breathless sigh released the tension as light bounced off the surface of the water and the rusted figure attempted to scour the shadows for some clear indication of a way out.
Sheathing the wrought blade they blinked, feeling their posture slacken and mind wane to its wistful state, content to march without reason once again.
Thoughts of what had happened and why it had happened were few and far between.
Sploosh splash sploosh
The echo of water being disrupted by their movements drowned out the clatter of loose metal.
That was when they felt it, a natural breeze that blew through the cavern drawing them toward it, getting closer the rush of air pierced the cracks in the armour pressing against the cloth of their undergarments.
Getting within range a glimmer of light peaked around what looked to be a corner against a wall of black stone, the sound of rushing wind whistled loudly in the silence of the cave as a gauntleted hand placed itself on the edge of the corner before they peered around it seeing a bright tunnel lit by some gentle hued moss that grew on the ceiling. The water gave way to a bank of dirt allowing them to climb to dry ground and continue marching the hall, the breeze periodically dying down as they travelled it.
It was some time before the tunnel opened up into a large crevice beneath the shadow of a tree's roots, overgrown and thick enough to support an Ox as they wove and clung to the sides of the slit in the stone which allowed the knight a glimpse of beautiful warm light.
Walking along a path that seemed well tread they found it odd that it would lead into such a dark place.
Finally the crevice parted to the incandescent light of the late day sun, something more caught their attention, it was the distant crashing of waves, the crackle and flutter of a well tended hearth and that breeze as it passed through a treeline that bordered along their left marking out the edge of a cliffside town.
Though perhaps hamlet was a better word, four buildings stood in this place, three in a semi-circle looking onto an old statue of a robed figure holding a child in their arms, along off to the side was the fourth. They were all of the same tan stone with wooden roofs, doors and shutters, all showing an aged wear to them likely caused by the sea air.
To the knights right however was a long rickety fence that was all but falling apart but still keeping them from the edge of the cliff they arrived on, the sheer drop to jagged rock and gentle lapping waves far from inviting. Near the edge of their left where the treeline parted to the rocky hillside they had emerged was the source of the fire they heard.
A small fire surrounded by thick white stones and a boulder large enough to sit on.
“Have you come to seek light? Maybe even hope, however faint it might be?” An accented voice asked, coming from the form of a robed figure who the knight now noticed sitting on the boulder by the fire.
They wore old tattered tan yellow robes with frilled white cuffs and a hood that was pulled back so that it sat around their neck, hanging over their front a thin leather necklace holding a silver pendant. They were a seemingly young woman with auburn brown hair, dull empty green eyes and immaculately pale skin with a handful of freckles dotting their cheeks.
Offering a smile to the armoured figure as the wind turned the flames several directions along with whipping their clothes as the woman stood.
Not answering the woman the rusted iron figure moved a hand to the lantern, opening the catch they snuffed the wick within. Tilting their head to the side the knight stepped forward to the comforting warmth of the flames as their sopping wet boots and pants squelched with the movement taking a seat next to the orange light and removing the footwear after some effort of undoing the greaves which were placed over them.
“Perhaps even a wanderer seeking short asylum from travel.” The woman said, lowering herself gently onto the large rock holding a pleasant expression as their eyes focused on the ocean out on the horizon.
Silence permeated the cliff side as the knight indulged the sense of serenity that found them, finally their thoughts wandered and allowed them to concentrate on what happened.
The flickering blue flame of the Lantern came to mind immediately, the memory of it seemed hazy as though it was attempting to scrub itself from the walls of their mind. It was clear to them what it had been, amongst the many tales of their youth prime among them was that of the Will o'Wisps, Faerie lights that led people astray through portals to other lands. This made clear to them with the change of the dreary night of their home to this bright cliffside.
Furthermore they wondered if the woman who tended the fire was one of the Automata from the age of gods, dolls created to observe and help humanity, very few of them were left in the world as the knight understood it, giving the dolls a mythical quality.
What the dolls did in the world now that humanity was near extinction was beyond the knight.
Slowly their thoughts turned back to the hamlet, wondering what its purpose once was, why it still lasted, whether there were any people left living in it, as well as what kept the Doll, assuming she was one, here.
“It will be dark soon, you are welcome to stay here.” The auburn haired woman’s voice broke their thoughts, putting them on hold for now.
Nodding their head without a word the woman stood and motioned for them to follow behind her. Along a dirt path into the hamlet proper through the remnants of a stone gateway they reached the building that was aside from the others where the woman walked up to the door and opened it.
Inside was a straw bed, a table and little else, shelves fallen, empty sacks and dust blanketed everything. It was better than laying in some roofless ruin while it rained, however and the knight nodded their head again to the woman when she asked whether it was alright accommodation.
It had been a long time since the knight had been able to rest properly so they took the opportunity to lay down, not bothering to remove their armour so as to be ready at a moment's notice, no matter how uncomfortable it was they would rather that then being caught unprepared in an attack. Though they did set their belongings aside to avoid crushing them.
After many years of sleeping in the worst of conditions they fell into slumber almost as soon as they laid down.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
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The gentle distant crashing of waves dictated the final moments of a dream as the rusted knight awoke feeling the energy they’d been robbed of, after a week of nonstop travel, return to them. Throwing their legs over the side of the bed with a clatter of metal they stood up and retrieved their belt that held the sheathed sword, their lantern, a pouch of their belongings and a small travel pack of supplies.
With the belt around their waist again they removed a small piece of bundled cloth from the pack and unwound it revealing dried meat, old cheese and a biscuit. Raising the visor of their helmet just enough to put food in their mouth they started eating as they opened the door to the hamlet seeing the dried out grass that covered most of the unwalked parts of the area between the homes.
Making short work of their food the partially lifted visor was locked back down as the eyes of the knight scoured the hillside looking for signs of life before they decided what to do next. The early morning light of dull orange darkened by looming clouds in the distance made the knight wonder whether it was to rain soon, making them move a little faster so as not to waste time.
Closing in on the statue of the robed figure holding a child they noticed its face was painted but not the rest of it, with the tan skin of the statue causing the blue eyes to stick out.
Walking around the stone figure they noticed the door to the middle house, which was the largest of the three with two stories and a balcony overhanging the front door, was open and approached it tentatively and peered in.
The home was lit by sun peeking through the shudders revealing a front room was a living space with several couches around its corners looking to a fireplace on the wall opposite the window right of the front door. Not wishing to walk into someone’s home without invitation the knight wrapped metal covered knuckles against the frame of the door.
There was a sound from inside indicating life before a man appeared moments later from the main hall of the home, where the door looked straight down. He was tall, older looking with greying stubble, had dark hair and brown eyes. Dressed in a dark green tunic and brown trousers with brown boots he appraised the rusted figure with a raised brow before speaking in a worn hoarse voice.
“Aye the girl told me there was another of you folk hanging ‘round, if you’re wonderin’ how to find yer way home, there isn’t one, that cave up in the hill is some kind of net that catches those caught in old magic.” The man explained before breathing a sigh of melancholy.
The armoured figure got the impression the man had been in the hamlet for a long time.
“If yer’ the restless type like the others then you’re welcome to join me in mapping the forest, it passes the time an’ there’s always dark eaters to fight.” The man motioned with his head to follow him into the building which the knight did.
Where there were Dark Eaters, Malignants and Beasts of Darkness to slay, they would be there to keep them at bay from encroaching on the light. As was the duty of Abyssal Guard, knights who roamed the remaining lands of men warding off the shadows of Evil from consuming what little humanity held still as its own.
It was the rusted iron knight's only duty.
Inside the home past the living room was a kitchen and dining area with a wood fire stove top, a bench and table under the window of the room on the right wall and some cupboards. On the stove was a pan with butter waiting to be cooked, though they passed through to the back of the house where a large charting room was.
It was enormous with a large diorama of the hamlet and parts of the nearby forest on a table, it even had little wooden carved figures representing the residents of which there were eight. The man picked up a new wooden figure from the side of the table and placed it outside the home the knight had stayed in.
“You’ll likely meet the others later, but I wouldn’t bother them until tomorrow at the earliest, they’re always testy when they come back from stormin’ around the woods.”
The knight noticed one of the figures carved to look like a cat and another a hooded woman, reaching out to pick them up and inspect them the old cartographer continued talking.
“Aye the Mad Cat and the Doll, they’re hardly the weirdest of us if I’m honest.” The tilt of the knight's helmet was all the man needed to explain. “Supposedly the cat was once a woman from the age of gods, some kind of attendant to fate, but she was turned into an animal when the curse was unleashed on the world. As fer’ the Doll, she’s been here the longests- says she’s waiting for someone to come home, that she keeps that fire on the hill going so whoever it is has a warm place to rest after ‘dere journey.”
Nodding slowly the knight placed the pieces back, the Doll next to the ring of stones where the fire was and the Cat back at the base of a shrine that was nearby the town, it wasn’t something they had seen upon arriving so was interested in finding it.
“Might as well go see what the girl has to say while yer’ waitn’ I’ll need to eat an’ get ready before we can go to the forest.” The greying man said before ushering the knight out of his home.
With a new destination in mind the knight began walking around past the home to the right of the cartographer’s and along the cliff side that was was a hundred odd metres from the back of the homes with a path up behind an outcropping of the hill that seemed to be enclosing the two sides of the hamlet.
Getting closer to the edge of the cliff caused the sounds of the waves to become much louder as they echoed off the walls of the drop, much like on the side of they had entered this place from there was a rickety fence barely stopping someone from falling over the side. After a few minutes of walking the trail up the side of the hill they found the shrine, a large marble altar and base plate with two columns supporting a triangular roof with red tiles on it and engravings in the dead space between posts.
Sitting listlessly on the altar was a large long haired, slightly fluffy looking cat, its eyes were a blazing bright blue as they opened at the sound of clattering iron. Its ears twitched playfully as the animal smiled a wide grin at the approaching knight.
A suave deep voice of a woman emanated from the cat “Oh~ho~oh! What a delightfully rotten smell!” the voice chortled.
Stopping short of the shrine the knight stared and the cat continued speaking.
“How long it's been since one of your kind has found me~” Her voice became playful and warm, noticing that the knight didn’t speak, her grin grew a size larger. “Hmm…? Cat got your tongue!” she laughed, raising a paw to her face as she did.
“I apologise, just humour an old cat would you? I’ve been here so long I’ve started to become part of the furniture, would you mind moving me to the buildings- if you’d be so kind?” Not seeing the problem with it the knight stepped closer putting and arm around the large cat and carrying it down the path.
Purring reached the knight’s ears as the talking feline rubbed against their armour.
“~oh I do enjoy that smell, old blood, rust, sweat and determination ahaha!” The cat laughed with a madness reflected in her tone before becoming quiet as they reached the buildings.
“If you set me down here I’ll be off to see how that old fool is getting on.” Wordlessly complying, the knight watched as the cat trotted past the statue in the middle of town and through the doorway of the cartographer’s home.
Next the rusted iron knight headed up the hill on the backside of the village through the archway/gateway to where the Doll was, finding the woman in the same spot she had been in when they arrived. The Auburn haired woman looked up from the fire, green eyes sparkling a little brighter as they approached a warm smile and gesture to sit next to them.
“Rest breathes hope into us, would you agree?” The woman said as metal clinked and clatter when the knight sat down.
Giving a nod agreeing with the sentiment the knight put a hand on their knee as they sat down feeling the metal of the poleyn through their gloves, the thought of how long it had been since they had a chance to clean their armour came to mind, blooming orange flakes peeled off the old iron. It was likely time for them to acquire new gear, but there were few smiths who worked armour- weapons, tools and battlements yes, but not armour.
They had owned the current set they wore for a little over a decade.
“Have you met those living in the village now?” The green eyed woman asked, receiving a nod.
An embracing silence lulled over the pair as the knight looked out on the ocean enjoying the sound of the waves, they’d only ever visited the coast one other time, long ago before they’d even picked up a sword let alone wielded one.
“Might I inquire as to your answer to my question upon our meeting?” The Doll eventually asked.
The expression beneath the helmet of the knight turned to a frown, they wondered how they might answer the question in their current state.
“...!” An unsure gasp of air escaped the slits in the helmet before the knight mimed a mouth talking with their right hand then made a cross with their hands.
“You cannot speak?” She asked, receiving a nod. “How sorrowful, for a person to be stripped of their right of speech, tis’ a foul thing.”