Knight's Bane

The rumbling in the bushes seemed all too familiar. Lucus’s head turned slowly for he was ready for anything. The fury in his eyes told his story. The million’s of images he saw in his memory tainted his heart.

There he stood months ago on the balcony. Gazing over the horizon, as the sun peeped out beyond the jagged, silhouette, of the mountain range. The young Lucus stood on the balcony in his ceremonial gold armor. The red streak complemented its natural color. His cape fluttered as the balmy breeze covered the summer land. Everything became clear to Lucus, he remember the day quite clearly.

He stood, ready for the ceremony. He turned around and approached the door. As he took his first step something horrifying happened. The world became black, the floors became blood. Young Lucus stared in despair at the world slowly closing in. But in the midst of the shadows came a slim, tall, damsel, who strutted out of the comparative darkness and was all too known by Lucus. The damsel removed her silver hair which hung over her closed eyes and continue moving towards the young Lucus. Her sinister smirk was fixed; it sent an icy chill over his body. He was now stunned, questioning himself. How could she have found me? He thought.
How, how, how?

The young damsel breathed down his neck. His eyes widened to their farthest extent as she
began to speak.

“Lucus, you left and tried to kill father. Why?”

Lucus now realized that the younger him had dissolved in an eerie breeze like sand and he was now in front of the young lady, being judged.

“I did what I had to do. I won’t answer to the likes of you.” He answered, rebelliously.

Her eyes opened and she evilly grinned, it stretched from ear to ear, literally. Her eyes were like a copy of a snake’s. Lucus watched her as she grew taller. Or so he thought. He took a closer look at his feet and saw the truth. He was being consumed by the shadows themselves.

“Remember these words Lucus,” she hissed. “Your past is coming back to haunt you!”

The bushes began to shimmer. Lucus became suspicious. He drew his sword and stepped back. Just then, a clump behind him began to rustle vigorously. He turned around and curiously approached the storming bush in a sluggish manner, pacing his feet gently as he made each step. He carried on, like what seemed forever. The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted with each quiet breath he took and each thump of his heart. Soon, the silence of the air was interrupted by the loud crunch of a dry leaf under his right foot. He stopped immediately. The bush shook more vigorously; then, Lucus decided and took one more step.

A squeak of fear rattled Lucus’s eardrums as a small forest rat pounced from the bush and scurried under his feet. Stunned he managed to jump and turn and… gasping, his eyes caught a zombie-like man limping towards him.

“I-I thought I said you must go home! Are you that desperate to die?”
Lucus saw the determination in this character’s eyes. Though, sympathetic, Lucus knew very well that he would have to kill this man if he was any threat. The still blood drenched man had removed his armor and limped around in his chain mail. He said no words at first. He simply dragged his sword in the crumbled dirt.

“I’ll never go back without bringing your dead body behind the hoofs of my horse.”
“Your right about the dead body,” said Lucus. “I won’t go alive. But, how do you plan to take me in your impairable state?”

Surprisingly, he dashed at Lucus with a mighty shout and hacked at him. Slashing berserkly, he fought with the might of a lion and showed no fear of dying. Lucus was under pressure. Dodging and fighting back was hard enough but trying not to focus on the rustling bushes behind him was harder.

“Now Klee!” shouted the knight to his lenient partner who hid behind the storming grasses. Lucus immediately tripped on the camp fire’s twig which was protruding from the campfire. A blazing cursory arrow, lethal if it’d hit, tore through his hair and devastated a mark. Lucky, Lucus was safe, for only a few seconds, but as for the knight, he was finally put to rest. The arrow made a bloody mark in the knights forehead, his eyes showed his finally glimpse of life as he collapsed to his knees and then on his side. Blood oozed from the dying man’s head. His eyes slowly closed.

“Damn, Slodis!”A voice cried from the bushes. “No! No, no, no, no!”

Lucus hastily turned around and sprang to his knees. He peered in the bushes. Nothing, this mystery man was very well camouflaged. Where was that cry from? Lucus pondered, scanning each layer of bush slowly. Another arrow raised the bushes. A yelp of pain echoed throughout the forest. Lucus grabbed the arrow which plunged into his shoulder. He screamed, like a small boy in trouble, each time his hand even budged the settled arrow. His eyes squeezed tight against each other and his teeth grinded mercilessly, he was suffering so severely.

From the bushes, pounced a sobbing man. He staggered towards Lucus. He wiped tears from his water filled eyes. Then, he pulled a dagger from his coat and stepped gradually towards the weakened Lucus. Lucus turned around and crawled towards his sword, it had being released when the arrow plowed into his shoulder. He crawled even more desperately and the man stepped closer.

“Your going to die, you caused me to- to kill, my own partner.” The man sobbed.
“Heh,” Lucus managed to make a small chuckle. “I told him to leave me be. He didn’t… and he got a misfortunate death.”

The man moved closer, he was so focused on taking his time to kill Lucus he didn’t notice that Lucus was about to kill him. He stepped one more time and raised his hand before stomping on Lucus’s legs. Lucus cried out in pain while grasping the handle of his sword.
“Time to die boy,” said the man.

“Heh-heh… Fool.” Lucus chuckled once more.
He jumped at Lucus, Lucus turned and in a flash the attack was done. The sword found its way in the attacker’s mouth, guided by Lucus’s hand. He plunged it deeper, and made sure the man was going to be dead. Blood began to ooze from is mouth and Lucus continued to thrust the sword deeper and deeper. He shoved and pushed consistently, his face red with anger. Until…. The sword broke through. Blood gushed out on him and covered the ground. The dead body dropped and so did the sword. Lucus struggled as he made his way on his feet. He looked at his kill as crimson blood painted the ground. He then looked on the knight. He felt sorrowful.

“I told him, he should have gone home…” he whispered to himself. “You could have lived to see another day.”

He limped through the bushes at a steady pace. He was dazed as the bushes became nothing but fog. He stopped to rest, breathing like a tired dog, he leaned against a tree and broke into a small chuckle. Not far from him was a horse, his horse, he whistled and it ran towards him. The graceful brown horse trampled the grasses as it dashed towards his master. Lucus tumbled, but some of the bushes caught back his feet. Weakened and exhausted; he fell to his knees. He held the arrow as the pain grew worst. He closed his eyes and tears trickled from his tear ducts.

He tightened his grip. “Damn. I have to do something. I’m losing blood.”

Lucus held the arrow and broke it in half. “I have to go and get Cage’s help!”

The horse approached him and neighed. He rubbed the stallion’s nose and clumsily hopped onto its back. He then dug in his pocket for some hay. He reached out and offered the horse. It diligently picked them from his hand using its lips and devoured it quickly.

“Okay boy…” said Lucus weakly. “Take me to Cage’s shop.”

The horse dashed out of the field with great speed and tore through the bushes. Lucus, however, wasn’t so energetic. His left hand became numb. The wound had stopped bleeding but, Lucus had no medicine to medicate himself, worst, he had lost a bit too much blood. He lay on the stallion’s back for the whole journey. Was it getting too late for him?

The horse knowningly approached a small shop on the west side of the village, being trained by his blacksmith teacher who passed him on to Lucus as a gift. It was glowing orange because of the setting sun. On the inside, a hammer struck a piece of metal violently. Cage was working hard as always, making weapons and armors, he was a damn good blacksmith. He and Lucus had been friend ever since they both met, after Lucus’s rebellion towards the king.

Lucus fell off the horse with a loud, harsh impact. He hardly had any energy to utter any words. But when he saw the door he rolled on his belly, keeping his chest up, and began to crawl using his right hand. He coughed, the dust on the ground was bothering him, his clothes became heavy and his head became light. He was dying, he admitted it to himself. But he had a bright future ahead of him so he was desperate. He finally reached the door and raised his hand and pounded on the door with his last strength.

“Cage!” he shouted, only once before he turned and leaned against it.

A hammer fell on the ground and footsteps scattered toward the door. Lucus’s eyes rolled over in his head and his head turned. His right hand flattered to the ground.

The door opened and Lucus fell at Cage’s feet.

“Jesus Christ!” shouted Cage in surprises, at the same time in fear. “What happened? Lucus, Lucus, Lucus!”

All his shouts were not heard, Lucus was on the brink of death