Maverick still sat scared on the floor, too afraid to move. Sir Percivale wiped the blood off his sword, sheathed it, and walked over to him.

“Get up lad. Have you never seen a man’s life taken before?”

Maverick just shook his head ‘no’.

“A strange land, your America. How can you live ten years and not see a man die?”

“Death has always been something that happens only in stories for me. My dad always keeps that badness away from me.”

Sir Percivale stroked his beard and said, “I see. A noble man, your father. Though little good that does you in life. Evil is everywhere here, and I can guarantee you it is everywhere in America too. How does your father plan to protect you from the ‘badness’ when he no longer lives?”

Maverick had never thought about that before. His dad couldn’t die. His dad could beat anything or anyone. A life without him? “Impossible!” he blurted out.

“I see they don’t raise you for life’s real problems in America. A sad land from what you’ve told me. I’ll see you get proper lessons whilst in my care.”

“My dad gives me proper lessons for the place I live. We don’t just go around killing people. And why did you kill the king? He was nice to me and to you. So what if he lied about the dragon. It’s not worth killing him over.”

“Aye, he was nice to me. But that was all a façade—a ploy to best my emotions should I find out his lie. The king knew me long enough though. He should have known I would never betray my morals.”

“So, you killed him?”

“Aye, I killed him. And a quick death was more than he deserved for his deception. You see, Maverick, in my land there is nothing more important than honor. Honor is the code that holds all together. And truth is the highest form of honor. Volaris knew this, yet gained his position as king of Glorindal through a terrible lie. And what’s worse, he used dark magic to secure his lie.”

Maverick laughed, surprising the men in the room. “There’s no such thing as—” then he remembered the magic trick with the knives and stopped talking.

“No such thing as what, boy?” said Sir Rurik sternly.

“I was…going to say magic. No such thing as magic. Then I remembered what Sir Percivale did with the knives. I’m sorry. Your world is a lot different than mine.”

“It’s fine, lad.” Sir Percivale had a patience that only a father could have with a child. “You have much to learn and we will teach you. But first, how did you come to be a visitor in my lands?”

Maverick just threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know. One minute I was throwing stuff around my room because I was mad at my mom, the next, my wall turns into a portal that I fall through, and I end up here.”

“And you didn’t believe in magic right then?” Sir Casimir laughed at Maverick this time.

“Well…I guess not. I didn’t really have time to think about it because then all of you showed up.”

Sir Percivale stroked his beard, something Maverick noticed he did when he was thinking. “You are not the first to enter our lands this way, should the ancient tales be believed. But you are the first in a very, very long time. The others who did so built our civilization and we call them the Great Fathers.” At the mention of the Great Fathers, the other three knights raised their right hands over their hearts, with their thumb and forefinger joining in a circle.

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“How did those others get home, and why did they just do that with their hands?”

“They never did go back to their lands. The parchments and stones are vague, but by all accounts they lived out their days in ____, performing great deeds and driving evil back to Kindrathir. My knights did that with their hands at the mention of the Great Fathers because without them, we were and are nothing. The circled fingers over the heart with our sword-hand signifies allowing the Great Fathers to see inside our hearts so they know we are honorable. You may come to believe we worship them—and I speculate that there are many who do—but it is more about filial piety than anything else.”

“What is filial piety?”

“You are full of questions. Your father never taught you filial piety? What kind of society do you grow up in to not respect your elders? For that is what filial piety simply means—to respect those who came before you; the ones who bled for you, went to work for you, dug deep into the ground to retrieve minerals and every other menial task imaginable just so you could be where you are now. To not respect the journey your elders took is to live in selfishness.”

Maverick considered this. He had never thought about the sacrifices his mom and dad made for him. He always just thought about what he wanted…and he had always wanted more. More of the newest games, the newest toys, the newest things his friends had. Now, in the presence of these knights—and the lecture he was getting from the leader of the knights—he felt ashamed…a feeling he seldom felt.

Sir Percivale could see Maverick thinking deeply about his words. Finally, he said, “And this ends your first lesson, Maverick. Remember: honor and filial piety. Now it is off to bed, and you will tell me more about these two things in the morning—about what they mean to you. Sir Baderic will help you get a sleeping rug and blankets. We’ll all sleep in the Great Hall tonight with myself as first watch. There’s no knowing who the king’s supporters are or what they’ll try to do.”

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Maverick could barely sleep that night. Although he was dog-tired, his mind wouldn’t turn off. He couldn’t believe where he was, what he’d seen that day…or if he’d ever be able to see his mom and dad again. He wanted to tell his mom he was sorry for pushing his sister and then hug both of them like he would never let go.

When he woke up, it was to Sir Casimir’s boot kicking his leg.

“Up, lad. Time for our watch.”

Maverick rubbed his eyes and yawned. “You mean I have to do watch too?” He couldn’t remember the last time he got up so early, if ever.

Sir Casimir quietly laughed. “Of course you must do it to! What do you think this is? Others do all the work whilst you sleep away your life? Now up with you. You have taken too long already.”

Maverick forced himself up and sat next to Sir Casimir who was sitting in the king’s throne. Maverick found himself sitting in the same seat he was in when the king was killed.

Neither talked for some time. Both were too tired from the early morning hour. Then Maverick asked something that had bothered him since he heard Sir Percivale say it. “Sir, what did the Black Knight mean when he said to all the people that he has the boy of prophesy in his possession? He doesn’t mean me, does he?”

Sir Casimir just looked at him for a minute. The fire in the center of the room sent shadows flickering across his face as Maverick waited for his answer.

Finally, Sir Casimir said, “Long ago, in the lands of Edelvane, three mysterious beings appeared from the dark forest. They happened upon the nearest village and told the story I tell you now.”

He took a large gulp of whatever was in his cup and continued. “Beware the wandering lad from lands unknown. He will arrive before the Dark Djinn awakens the Fallen Creatures at the Drak’uin. The world will burn, the sea will dry, the magic will fade.”

Sir Casimir took another long drink, then sat there staring into the colorful embers of the fire.

Maverick couldn’t help himself from asking more questions. “What is Drak’uin? What’s a Dark Djinn? And…what are the Fallen Creatures?”

Sir Casimir sighed. “Boy, I have not the energy for you right now. Let me pass my watch as I always do, deep in thought, and if you still care by then, you can ask Sir Percivale when he awakens. Now let me be.”

Maverick sat back in his chair and copied Sir Casimir by looking into the fire. The changing colors of the embers played tricks on his eyes until he drifted off into a deep sleep.