Felkin woke up, startled from a dream. The fire he had lit up earlier was fading now. He had spent some time trying to light one using his old method of using flint rocks. He was leaning against a tree in a forest, although different from the one they went in earlier and had an abundance of normal animals compared to Jura’s forest. He thought about what had happened to the strange animals that had been left behind when he heard a rustling noise.
It was dawn now, and he prepared for what was about to happen. He swung his sword behind him and a beast was struck down with a single strike. He stood up as another one lunged at him from the shadows and he took it down with a downward slash. One approached behind him from the shadows and he looked at it before he could swing his sword. He could feel his eye glowing as the creature stared back at him unmoving. Suddenly the creature was brought down by an unknown attacker and Felkin raised his sword towards them. The creature was brought down in a cloud of smoke. It lay dead, smoldering from a flash of flame.
Felkin was quickly reminded of Metas but as he looked, he saw multiple people clad in metal armor with their leader being the one who defeated the beast with a stream of flame. Felkin readied his guard remembering an experience with another knight who used flames. “Halt.” The young man said to his compatriots. Felkin had his sword at the ready and faced them.
“Identify yourself!” A knight pointed a spear in Felkin's direction. “Just a traveler.” Felkin replied. He looked over behind Felkin and saw the beasts dissolving in the sun. “You must be a very capable traveler. For you take down multiple of such creatures.” Before Felkin could respond, he lowered his spear and made an inviting gesture. “Would you mind assisting us? You look like a capable warrior and us knights can provide some help to one such as you.” Felkin narrowed his eyes and looked at him. “You are knights from where?” he asked. “We’re from the capital, Lodeleth.”
His company was only of a half a dozen soldiers, each differing in age from those who looked slightly older than him and those who looked weathered and middle aged. “Captain, if we don’t hurry, we’re not going to make it to the capital in time!” chimed in one of the knights. “Well, its your choice sir.” The leader said as he walked backalong with the other knights. As they set off, Felkin weighed his options and then followed forward. He briskly walked towards the front and passed the other knights in the small company. They wore steel armor, the older knights had more worn armor, with visible scratches and damage while the younger knights’ armor shone brighter. Some of them wore helmets, although others did not possess one on their person. “The name’s Sethan, yours?” Felkin was silent for a second and then responded: “Felkin.”
“What’s he thinking, bringing in some stranger?” “You know the captain does what he wants, besides he took down two of those beasts himself.” Even though the conversation was by mere whisper, Sethan heard it clearly and frowned. With this expression Felkin suddenly encountered a realization, and why he felt somewhat familiar. He had the same thin features, pale face and now the same disgruntled expression, masked earlier by his positive disposition. Though he had faded blonde hair, unlike Metas’ strangely gray hair. “Do I look like someone you know?” asked Sethan. “No.” said Felkin. “Well, thank you for being saved earlier.” Sethan remarked. “I didn’t need it.” Said Felkin.
Sethan remembered how the beast stopped and muttered something under his breath. “So you didn’t huh…” Felkin walked slower as to lag behind while Sethan was in thought. He lagged until he maintained pace at the back of all the others. Sethan looked back at Felkin, and then turned to his men. “Men! We make way to our destination. To where?!” “Where we are summoned!” “Why?” “For the kingdom!” Sethan chuckled after each man responded to his command in unison. They walked, loud armor clanked loudly and they were tired but walking and talking amongst themselves in a jolly fashion. They carried heavy gear and packs laden with numerous supplies for a lengthy expedition. Felkin walked by himself at the rear of the pack and was wondering if he should just leave quietly.
Amongst the mutterings he could hear a conversation being discussed in whispers. “You know the rumors?” A younger knight asked an older one. “Hmm?” “They say old Siegmund has gone and croaked. That’s why we’re all being summoned en masse.” “Be quiet! He could not be easily bested by any such foe. Even if these rumors are true, we should not be gossiping freely.” “Apologies sir.” The knight turned his gaze towards Felkin who looked away before he caught his gaze. Felkin thought to himself how these people would become his enemies as he was one of those who killed their own. Sethan held out his hand to gesture “stop”. The other knights stopped in their tracks and drew their weapons. Felkin drew his sword and had his guard up as well. “More beasts?” “No, I would have sensed them by now.” Replied Sethan. “Cease! You are intruding upon the knightly order of Lodeleth! By permission of the high seat, we have the authority to arrest or punish any wrongdoers in our path.” Silence.
An arrow flew out from the forest and Sethan blocked it with his shield. Bandits rushed from the forest cover and ran through to attack the group. Most of the knights had swords and shields but a few like Sethan had their own weapons. In a quick skirmish they clashed but Sethan and Felkin quickly made off with their attackers. The bandits were armed with daggers and other improvised and hobbled together weapons which were poorly made but easily crafted. The older knights struck with precision as the bandits who lacked experience and skill howled loudly before they were laid low by the weathered but experienced hands of a knight.
Felkin marveled at their skill and cooperation as two knights struck one bandit as one drew their attention and the other finished them off. One bandit managed to catch one of the younger knights off guard, making them trip backwards. Before the bandit could finish the knight off, Sethan snapped his fingers and a stream of flame struck them down. Felkin retracted his sword gaining the attention of Sethan. He felt pity towards the bandits, thinking that they lead a life of crime and degeneracy only to be laid low one day, foolishly and mindlessly running towards danger and to their deaths, their identity being only defined with the filth of their minds and their actions.
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Sethan pulled his spear out of a bandit he dispatched earlier. The knights were tired and sheathed their swords again, aside from one knight who had their helmet on who seemed to be unfazed. “What a strange pack of bandits. They attack in midday and they don’t even outnumber their targets…” “Perhaps they mistook us for a hapless merchant?” one of the older knights presumed. “What matters is, that they attacked us and now we took them down.” Said the knight who was knocked down. Suddenly the bandit in front of Sethan leapt up and glowed a bright blue. Felkin noticed a red handprint on their shoulder as he extended his sword to dispatch of them. One of the older knights pushed Sethan away as the bandit who moved while appearing lifeless erupted in a burst of energy.
The knight’s body was blown back and he flew a small distance away. Sethan picked back up his spear as some of the other bandits began glowing as well. Felkin, Sethan and the helmeted knight quickly sliced through the heads of the remaining bandits in a panick. Once the situation was clear, the other knights ran up and checked on the old knight as Sethan sat down in exhaustion. Felkin checked the bodies of the bandits and saw that they all had red marks somewhere on their bodies resembling a handprint. “How is he?” asked Sethan, fearing the worst. “He’s gone.”
Sethan let out an drained sigh, clenched his fists and squinted his eyes hard. As he clenched his fists, bursts of flame momentarily sputtered out as he walked a short distance into the trees and held onto one. “We must be vigilant. We do not know if there are others out there.” Said Sethan walking back to the group. “What was that?” asked one of the knights. “I don’t know.” Sethan then spots Felkin studying the corpses of the bandits as well as what remained of the one that exploded. “I have a feeling you know something about this?” said Sethan. Before Felkin could stand back up from a half-kneel position, a sword was pointed at his neck. The helmeted knight had held the sword to his throat and Felkin raised his hands up as he stood up to comply. “I don’t want any trouble.” “Then talk.” Said Sethan.
“I encountered a bandit who used the same blue glow. But he had red scars across one hand and these bandits had red handprints on them.” “Blue energy. Its just as I feared. This is the work of the crimson handed blue demon.” “Is he capable of something like this?” asked one knight. “I don’t know.” Answered Sethan. The knight who was helmeted remained silent as they lowered their sword and sheathed it. Felkin picked up his sword and went on. “We have to bury him. It’s the least we can do for his family.” Said Sethan. They took some time burying the knight. “He was supposed to see his wife, his children.” Said one of the knights teary eyed.
“He died fighting for the kingdom and for our safety. He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” Said Sethan holding onto a shovel. Felkin stared and gripped his sword tightly. He thought that this wouldn’t have happened if he was a little faster. He realized that he had felt weaker since his return from death. Sethan was crouched and had the shovel stuck onto the ground above the mound. “We must keep moving.” Says one of the knights. “I agree.” Sethan then looked at Felkin then slowly stood up. “I would like to have a discussion with you later. But before that, you.” He walked up to the helmet knight and they stepped back before Sethan pulled off their helmet. The knight reached for the helmet at first, but soon accepted it.
“Hrmph.” She had one hand on her sheathed sword and had a face of disgruntled annoyance. “I knew it.” Sethan walked over and picked up the shovel to put back into his pack. “What if that had been you?!” Sethan furiously arranged and tucked the shovel in with his things. “I didn’t want to leave you by yourself.” The unmasked knight remarked. “Its dangerous out here, things like this can happen all the time. We knights have accepted and made peace with that. You didn’t have to drag yourself in this.” Sethan angrily remarked. “You’re right, it is dangerous. When I heard the rumors about Siegmund, I couldn’t exactly stay cooped up at home.” Sethan picked up the helmet again and threw it at her, then she caught it with one hand. “Here. You’ll need it.” Sethan angrily walked off as the other knights were speechless, and slowly began to follow him. She angrily put her helmet back on. She stared at Felkin as she left her faceplate raised.
As Felkin walked, he noted the similarities between them and Metas were a matter of expression. Metas was quite annoyed and silent and Sethan was happier and louder. The knightess had a look of general anger and annoyance but Felkin supposed it was more of the current situation then her natural face. He walked past all the knights who had solemn looks of regret and longing and reached Sethan who was leading the group and sharpening his spear.
Once Felkin reached Sethan he pocketed the sharpening stone he was holding and attached his spear to a strap on his armor. “Talk. What was that back there?” “Bandits, of the blue demon. I recognized the blue energy that they produced. That and the red handprints on them coincides with his scarred red arm.” “Scarred red arm. That information coincides with our reports.” “Reports?” “No man has ever encountered him who didn’t serve under or fall by his hand. Tell me, how do you know all this? How are you connected to someone like him?” A fiery glint had emerged in his eyes.
“I fought him and his bandits once, call it a close shave.” “I see.” Sethan had subconsciously gripped onto his spear and then he promptly let it go. “Nice sword.” In response Felkin held out his weapon and extended and retracted it in a swift fashion. There was silence as the knights moved through the forest, remaining vigilant and quiet. “So, your sister huh?” Felkin attempted to make small talk amid silence. “Yeah. She’s all I have, her and my older brother. But rumor is he went missing as well. Two high ranking knights of the order, go missing, presumed dead.” He threw his head back and sighed. “I probably shouldn’t be telling a stranger this.”
Felkin responded: “What made you trust me?” “Ah, the way you handled your sword and the look in your eye.” Felkin studied his sword and observed the inscription once more. Sethan’s sister walked to the front of the pack and looked at them with a guilty expression. “Asralyn.” She held out for a handshake and Felkin reciprocated. They looked on wistful and with a long way to go to the capital, they walked until they reached the next settlement.