HEADLESS KNIGHT POV

As I stirred back to consciousness, confusion enveloped my senses. Why was I lying on the ground? Had I been asleep? The memory of the black horse charging forward despite its injuries flooded back, along with the deafening sound of its mighty neigh.

Blinking away the haze, I turned to my right and beheld the black horse, now even more battered than before. Its once majestic black coat was smudged with brown soot and smoke. As it slowly opened its eyes, I couldn't help but question its actions. "Why?" I murmured, unable to comprehend its reckless bravery.

Expecting a response akin to the talking black bird, I was met with silence. The horse simply stared at me, its gaze inscrutable. Tentatively, I reached out my hand, recalling its previous reluctance. Yet this time, the horse leaned into my touch, a silent gesture of trust that left me speechless.

"Do you... trust me?" I stuttered, tears of gratitude welling in my eyes. The horse responded by drawing closer, nudging me affectionately with its head, a playful glint in its eyes.

Lost in this moment of unexpected connection, I realized how little I knew about myself or my purpose here. But amidst the uncertainty, the warmth of the horse's presence felt like the first glimmer of understanding. Perhaps this was the first stirrings of love, a feeling both foreign and comforting.

As I embraced the horse, whispering words of gratitude and forgiveness, a sense of peace settled over me. Its steady breathing and the soft rhythm of its heartbeat lulled me into a tranquil state. With heavy eyelids, I watched as the horse drifted into slumber, finding solace in its trust and companionship.

And as sleep beckoned me into its embrace, I surrendered to its gentle embrace, content in the knowledge that, for now, I was not alone.

...

...

...

"Dat stupid horse been guardin' dat headless creature fer de past couple hours now!"

"Anyway, ya owe me now, Modi!"

"Huh?! Ya daft git! I don' owe ya nuthin'!"

"What?! Ya tryna rob me?! We made a bet on how long dat stupid horse'll keep standin' guard fer dat headless creature, an' ya said fer three hours, an' I said more dan three hours."

"It ain't even been three hours yet, ya fat numpty!"

"Yes, it did, ya blockhead!"

"Can you lads stop bickerin'! How can ya even tell how much time's passed? Were any o' ya keepin' count?"

"Huh?"

"We gotta keep count o' time?"

"But I thought somethin' else does dat fer us?"

I woke up to the loud voices of the two big guys arguing.

I looked around and panicked for a moment when I didn't see the black horse next to me. But then I saw it standing nearby, like a silent protector.

Relieved, I sat up and felt surprisingly energetic. My tiredness was gone, replaced by a burst of energy. But then I looked down at myself and noticed I was wearing strange black armor. It felt weird, like it didn't belong to me. Did I always like dressing like this? And I couldn't stop wondering about my face. What did I look like? The question buzzed around my head, unanswered.

"Ya finally awake," croaked the black bird, fluttering closer to me. But the horse, its gaze fierce with animosity, kept a wary eye on the bird.

"Don't be glarin' at me like that! I ain't the one who left ya," squawked the black bird, casting a reproachful glance at the horse, which only served to rile it up further.

"Wait a minute, the black horse was abandoned? And how did it even manage to come to my aid? I thought this place was a prison. Unless... was it always here from the beginning but hiding?" I asked, my confusion deepening.

"Why d'ya keep callin' dis place a prison?" grunted the blonde-haired brute.

"Because you lot said it first?" I retorted.

"Did we? How can dis marvelous place be called a prison?" chimed in the red-haired brute.

"Am I just forgetful?! 'Cause I could've sworn that you lot called it a prison?" I exclaimed, frustration creeping into my voice.

"There's no point arguin' wit' dem 'bout it. It ain't their fault," the black bird uttered, its tone tinged with resignation.

"It ain't their fault? What's happening? Who am I? Why am I here? I remember you saying at the beginning that you need me to escape this place. But why? What am I to you?" I asked, my voice filled with desperation as I pleaded for answers to unravel the mystery of my identity.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Many questions indeed, but where to begin with the answers? For your intriguing performance, a reward is due, and so I shall answer your inquiries," the black bird spoke.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself—I am Odin, a deity of this realm, seeker of wisdom, keeper of knowledge, and... your longtime friend."

"Friend?!" I blurted out in disbelief. Even the black horse seemed taken aback, grumbling under its breath in skepticism. "You're lyin'! If you were really a friend, why would you order your muscle guys to kill me? A friend wouldn't do that!" I accused, pointing my finger at Odin with a mix of anger and betrayal.

"How dare ya! Are ya tryin' to claim that our grandfather's lyin'?" the blonde-haired brute bellowed, his voice echoing through the space and causing me to flinch.

"You're only sayin' that to defend him," I retorted, my voice trembling with frustration and disbelief.

Suddenly, the blonde-haired brute dropped his weapon and placed his hand on his chest, his expression sincere and earnest.

"I, Magni, Son of Thor, Grandson of Odin, swear upon my life that my grandfather wouldn't lie," declared Magni, revealing his name and casting aside his scoffing expression for one of solemnity.

"Aye, grandfather wouldn't lie, and I swear on my name, Modi, Son of Thor and Grandson of Odin," affirmed Modi. "Even afore you woke up, grandfather would tell us how great of a friend you are and spin tales of your valor and bravery."

"I was a person with amazing stories? Me? I can't believe it," I muttered, disbelief coloring my voice. Even though I've been awake for some time now, I can't help but feel incredulous. After all, I know how wimpy I am.

"Although yer attitude and personality don't really match with how much grandfather has boasted about you, one thing I'll know is grandfather wouldn't lie. So if he says it's true, then it must be true. But it'll just show how far you've fallen from yer mighty days," Magni remarked.

"The only thing I'll say is how surprised I was when grandfather told us to kill you. The way he spoke of you, I wouldn't even dare him to say such a thing," Modi added.

"I had no choice but to. Since I revived you, I had to make sure if it was truly you! I had to see if your skills were really you, and wanted to show off to my grandsons how powerful you truly were. My bad if I took it too far, friend," Odin explained apologetically.

As soon as Odin mentioned "friend," the black horse displayed an expression of irritation.

"I was powerful back in the days? Me? He wanted to show me off to his grandchildren? Damn it, if I knew, I would've acted differently. But can you blame me? I've lost my memories, so of course any normal person would've reacted the same way I did.

But still...

It's embarrassing to know that someone had such great expectations of you and you totally blew it. I don't even want to ask what your grandchildren even think of me."

"Th-then if you know who I truly am, what is my name? What did I go by?" I asked anxiously.

"As long as I've known ye, you've never told me ye name. Bizarre, right?" Odin replied.

"Huh? Why wouldn't I tell you my name?" I said, bewildered.

"Ye were just that sort o' person. If ye don't believe me, then ask horsey," Odin said, his tone tinged with certainty.

"You're tellin' me to ask the black horsey?" I echoed, a note of incredulity creeping into my voice.

"Of course, it may not look it, but it's extremely intelligent and understands everythin' we're sayin' without fail. Ye also never gave it a name, and if ye wanted to, ye could ask it to write yer name on the sand, only if it knows it in the first place," Odin explained, his words carrying a sense of assurance.

"Is it true? Do you really not know my name, horsey?" I asked, turning to it. It wore nothing but a frustrated expression as it glanced between me and Odin, then back to me once more. With a resigned shrug of its head, it conveyed that it didn't know my name.

"But there's one thing ye did say we should refer ye by," Odin interjected.

"What? What was it that I said you should call me?" I inquired eagerly.

"Ye said we should call ye by the name 'Headless Knight'," Odin confirmed.

"What the heck? What kind of name is that? Why on earth would I call myself such a weird name?! 'Headless'? Doesn't that mean a person with no head?" I said, thoroughly annoyed with such a name.

"He can't be serious," Magni remarked.

"Is he jestin'?" Modi questioned.

"Wait, haven't ye realized by now?" Odin countered, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Even the black horsey looked at me with astonishment. “What’s going on with everyone? What’s with the looks.”

"Mayhaps it's best for ye to go over to the rivers over yonder," Odin suggested, his voice carrying a tone of gentle encouragement.

"Why would I need to do that?" I questioned, perplexed.

"It'll answer one of yer questions," Odin replied cryptically, his gaze steady.

I didn't quite understand where he was coming from, but he's supposed to be a friend, right? Despite his earlier attempt to get me killed, I do remember times when he advised me and looked out for me by helping me fight his grandsons.

I walked towards the river as he told me to, and by the time I got there, I looked down, expecting to find something.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed in terror.

"There's a headless creature in the river! Odin! Help! You're meant to be my friend, right? Help me kill it!" I panicked.

Odin didn't bother running to my aid, nor did he even look concerned, which made me question if he really was a friend. How could he be so calm when there's a headless creature nearby and not do anything?

"Ye fool. That headless creature is ye. Ye saw yer reflection," Odin stated bluntly, his voice carrying a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"My reflection? Me?" I responded incredulously.

I returned to the river, this time approaching with caution. As I peered into the water, my reflection slowly emerged alongside me. Experimentally, I waved, and to my surprise, the headless creature mirrored my actions. Then it dawned on me.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I turned around, only to find everyone staring at me, each of them with a head—except for me. Suddenly, a wave of embarrassment washed over me, and I instinctively dropped to the ground, hiding my headless state from their gazes.

"What are ye doing?" Odin questioned, his voice tinged with curiosity and concern.

"I LOOK UGLY! DON'T LOOK AT ME!" I cried out, my words laced with embarrassment and self-consciousness.

"But there's nothin' to look at?" Magni remarked.

"Aye, we can't even see yer face," Modi added, their voices carrying a mixture of confusion.

"DON'T SAY NOTHING!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the murmuring ground.

I felt utterly out of place, the reality of my headless existence sinking in. How was I able to see without eyes? How could I smell or even eat anything? I was a complete freak. I should've let them kill me from the start if I knew I would end up like this.

"Headless Knight!" Odin's voice rang out, calling my name. "Now that I've told ye a bit about yerself, I must now reveal the paradise in which we find ourselves."