Last Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 2)

Last Knight

The CHAMPION CHRONICLES

BOOK II

Brad Clark

This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

***

Last Knight

***

Copyright © 2015 by Brad Clark.

All rights reserved.
  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other – except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the author.

The Champion Chronicles

Knight Fall

Last Knight

Forever Knight (Coming Soon)

Knight Fire (Coming 2016)

Other Books By Brad

Rewards of Vengeance

You can follow Brad on twitter @BooksByBrad

It’s impossible to give enough praise and thanks to all my family who support me.  Each of my kids provide me uncountable blessings and I cannot express in words the wonderful feelings of being their father.  To BJ, I thank you for your help in crafting a story worth reading.  To Jake, who is me, I thank you for being the man that you are and hope that one day your dreams will come true.  To Josh, you have the honor of being third in line of boys and I am thankful that you are growing into a man in your right.  To Mazie Grace, the precious darling of the bunch, you are the joy that never ceases.  To my wonderful wife, who continues to inspire me to write and write and write some more.  To my mother, Carolyn Spangler, who helped in editing, finding those silly errors that I could never find on my own. 

Chapter One

Conner looked back at the ghostly outline of the White Mountains.  The expansive mountain range that marked the easternmost point of the Taran Empire was now nearly hidden in the haze of the horizon.  For many days their towering presence had been a constant reminder of where he came from.  But now that they were on the verge of disappearing, so too were the thoughts of his homeland.  Behind him lay a land that he knew very well, but a land that was no longer for him.  The sadness of it all stayed deep inside.

He could never go back.  After murdering the king, there was no chance that he would be welcomed back with open arms.  He could only imagine what the castle’s Royal Guard would have in store for him if he ever did show his face back in the halls of the castle.  He was a commoner, an outsider.  Maybe not an outcast, but he had certainly felt like one while he was there.  And after two kings had died, one honorably in battle, and the other at the end of his sword, they would be looking for vengeance.  He knew he didn’t deserve it.  Neffenmark had beaten Queen Elissa, and there was no way that he was going to stand for that.  The fat lord from the north had deserved punishment for sure, but whether or not he deserved a death sentence should not have been for him to decide.  He knew that.  But the anger that he had felt had been so raw and so powerful that he could not stop himself.  And when that blade plunged in, the release and joy was actually thrilling.

Sir Marik had scared him that first night after he had escaped.  The ranger had tracked him and he had thought that surely there would be others right behind.  So that next morning before the sun had risen, he mounted Lilly, the queen’s favored horse, and rode hard for the mountains.  He did not care about leaving a trail, only riding as far away from Karmon as he could.  He had no real idea where he was heading, other than towards the Taran Empire and away from his old life.

The mountain passes were clear as it was still summer.  The hunting was good in the mountains and he quickly found himself with an abundance of food.  But he knew he needed to keep moving.  He did not see anyone following him, nor did he have any real reason to think he was being tracked, but he kept watching his back, nonetheless.

By the time he came out of the mountains and was officially in the eastern provinces of the empire, he relaxed.  He was sure that no one would continue after him this far, as the packed game trails made it easy for him to quickly move without leaving much of a trail.  So instead of rushing forward as fast as he could, he slowed down and started to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the wilderness.

Intentionally staying away from the well-traveled caravan routes, he had yet to see any travelers or traders.  It surprised him at first, as he hadn’t realized how remote this part of Taran was.  But as the days wore on without sight of farm or village, he began to understand how vast the world truly was.

His fantasies of Taran had always been of extravagant cities and marching centurions, not of empty steppes and never ending forests.  So as the days in the forest wore on, the excitement of traveling through a foreign land quickly became somewhat tedious.  It was really not any different than before he had met Ellisa.  Then, living off the land and just surviving had been enough for him.  But after his time in the castle, he knew that there was more to life.  Now, more than ever, he was reminded of it.  He still enjoyed the forest, but there had been a certain adventure to the castle that he had never imagined.

With those thoughts in mind, he stumbled across a worn path that clearly was man-made.  Civilization would be at the end of the road, so he turned upon it and headed west.

***

Prince Tarcious, brother to Emperor Hargon of the Taran Empire stood directly in front of the cell.  Unlike many of the dungeon’s cells that were carved as deep holes into the bedrock underneath the emperor’s palace, this one was open on three sides.  Vertical iron bars separated the prisoner from freedom and allowed him to see activity around him.  Straw was strewn about the floor, mostly to soak up bodily fluids.  The lone prisoner was huddled in the far corner with only a raggedy wool tunic to keep him warm.

The prince watched for a moment, waiting for the prisoner to move or react to his presence.  When none came, he nodded for the jailor to open the cell’s door.  At the sound of the key releasing the door’s lock, the prisoner twitched.

“Hurai!” the prince shouted.

The prisoner still did not move.

The jailor rushed over to the prisoner and gave him a firm kick in the side.  The prisoner flinched and let out a groan, but did not move.  After a second and then a third kick, the jailor grabbed the prisoner and pulled him to his feet.

“You will stand for your master, Prince Tarcious,” the jailor growled.

“He is not my master,” the prisoner said softly and coolly.  “I serve but one.”

Prince Tarcious smiled and stepped into the cell, watching his footing carefully.  “Where is your god, now?  This ‘Creator’ of yours?  He has forsaken you.”

Master Goshin, an ageless man from the land of the Hurai far to the west, lifted his head and matched the prince’s gaze.  He was not going to stoop down to defending himself and his faith.  It was just what the prince wanted.

“Yes, he has left you alone to your thoughts.  Thoughts of despair, I would imagine.  Tell me, Hurai, how will your god protect you down here, with me?”

Tarcious stepped forward and looked over the frail body of Goshin.  There were marks on his face and upper body where his handiwork had not been quite careful enough.  To the jailor, he said, “Tend to the wounds.  I do not wish him to die prematurely.”

The jailor lifted Goshin’s hands to inspect the bandages that covered two knuckles on each hand that no longer had fingers attached.  He lifted the hands to his face to smell for signs of infection.  He could only detect the strong scent of the salve that they had put on to promote healing.  Then he dropped the hands and scanned the rest of Goshin’s body for signs of infection or rot.

The jailor turned to the prince and said, “Leaches for the bruising.  And he could eat more.”

“You are not eating your porridge?” Tarcious asked Goshin.  “You need to maintain your strength for our sessions.”

Goshin remained still, eyes still locked onto the prince.

“We could end our sessions now, you know.  I might even let you live.”

Goshin blinked.

A smile flashed across Tarcious’ face.  “Oh? Does that surprise you?  That I would offer you life?  I know you want to go to your god.  But I will not give you that option.  You will spend many more years on this earth.  But they will not be comfortable years.  They will be years of pain and torture, and there will be no death to end your pain.  You can be assured of that.  But if you give me what you want, I promise you that your pain will be minimal.  I might even let you out into the sun once in a while.”

Goshin did not move a muscle.  His eyes remained firmly on the prince.

“You still do not speak.  I think it is time that you talk to me.”  Tarcious waited for a moment and then continued, “What if I did promise you death.  Tell me what I want, and then I will release you to your god.  Will that make you happy?”

Master Goshin closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.  With a crackling voice, he said, “My journey is complete.  I have served God the Creator as he has asked.  Life.  Death.  It matters not.”

“You wish death?  Then I will send you to your god.  But first you must answer my questions.”

Goshin shook his head.  “I will not.”

“Then we are at an impasse.  If you do not talk, you will be tortured.  Every day for the rest of your life.  At some point, yes, you will die.  But that will not be for many years.  I can guarantee you that.  But if you do talk, there is at least the chance of it coming to an end.  I tell you it will, and you can believe that or not.  That is your choice.  But if you do nothing, the pain and suffering will continue.  That, I can assure you.”

“I can handle it,” Goshin said as firmly as he could.  “There is nothing that you can do to me that my God has not prepared me for.”

The prince let out a low chuckle.  “That is so quaint.  But is that how you want to live?  In constant pain?  Being tortured to the brink of death each and every day?”

“If need be.”

“Oh, you are a stubborn man, Hurai.  A testament to your people.  But as noble a sacrifice as it might be, it is nonetheless an unnecessary one.  You will live an existence of unimaginable pain, but I will still get from you the location of the Ark of Life.”

Goshin set his jaw and returned a steely gaze.  “I know of no such thing.”

The prince’s wicked smile spread slowly across his face.  “You are a scholar, is that not right?  A man who has studied history and the prophesies of our ancestors?  For many years you have lived as a servant of the king of Karmon.  An advisor, no?”

Tarcious stepped away, turning his back on the prisoner.  Goshin let his eyes follow the Taran prince as he walked slowly through the cell.

“Let me tell you a story,” Tarcious said.  He glanced back into the darkness and a soldier quickly rushed into the cell and placed a short three-legged stool just behind him.  After taking a seat and adjusting his robes, the prince continued.  “It is an old tale, one that has been passed down generation to generation from my ancestors.  It began way back in the time of Emperor Shardan.  The greatest emperor our mighty empire has ever known.”

Goshin let out a low grunt.

“Oh, you don’t agree?” Prince Tarcious asked.

“Hardly,” Goshin said softly.  “Emperor Shardan was a ruthless murderer.  Even his own people didn’t like him.  They despised him so much, they strung him up on a cross and let the crows peck his eyes out until he died.”

“A gruesome fate indeed.  And I grant you the fact that Emperor Shardan was ruthless.  But, that does not mean he was not great and powerful.  He was unfortunately overcome by zealots who could not understand his greatness.”

“He slaughtered thousands of his own people and allowed his city to be overthrown by the northern tribes,” Goshin said.

The prince let a smile crawl onto his face.  “I so much love it when we share the conversation.  Talking to myself can get a bit tedious.  You see, there is no harm in talking to me.  It will allow our time to pass … more smoothly.  Now, no more interruptions!  I must finish my tale.”

Tarcious continued, “My story is not about Emperor Shardan.  It is about a small chest.  A chest that contains fragments of the power of life.  Emperor Shardan heard about the Ark of Life while his father was still in power and he was but a young man trying to make a name for himself.  The armies that he commanded wiped out anyone they came across.  He expanded westward, pushing the boundaries of the kingdom deep into the land of the Parrians.  And to an island nation at the edge of the world.  It was there that he learned two things.  One, he learned what defeat was all about.  And two, he learned about the Ark of Life.  For the armies of the Hurai brought out the Ark in order to release its power upon Shardan’s army.”

“You spin myths and lies from your lips,” Goshin said.  “Not to mention a Hurai army could easily repel and defeat an army of centurions.  We would have no need of such magic.”

“Magic, indeed,” the prince said with a wry smile.  “Emperor Shardan was obsessed with this Ark and spent the rest of his life hunting it down.  Many times, he came close.  Some stories claim he actually touched it before it was whisked away to the far corners of the earth.  Tell me something, Master Goshin, who is guarding the Ark, now?”

“Your words are but legend.  Myths passed down from father to son,” Goshin said.

“It is no coincidence that a descendant of the ancient favored race of Him is its guardian.  But I find it intriguing that you are here and not there.  Leaving it exposed for any thief to steal.  So with no guardian, with no one to release its power, it is there for the taking.  I can just order the eastern army to invade Karmon and take it.”  He waited for Goshin to reveal some emotion, but the Hurai fell silent.  “But of course, you would have placed guardianship to someone that would be able to wield it.  Just in case.  So who would that be?”

Goshin broke his gaze from the prince and looked into the darkness.  As if he were searching his memory for something.

The prince burst out in laughter and stood up.  With a swift kick, he sent the stool flying across the cell.  “Of course!  I was wrong.  You are not the guardian.  And you had no idea that the Ark of Life was hidden underneath the castle at South Karmon!”  He continued to laugh as he exited the cell. 

After one of the soldiers secured the cell’s door, Prince Tarcious turned back to Goshin and said, “So if you are not the guardian, then who is?”

Goshin glared back at the prince.  “Maybe you should march your armies on South Karmon and see for yourself.”

A flash of brightness flashed over the prince’s eyes and he held Goshin’s stare for several long moments.  Then, without breaking his gaze, he said to the jailor.  “Master Goshin will need new accommodations.  Transfer him to the lower level.”

***

Emperor Hargon shuffled his feet as he made his way through his bedchamber.  The sweet taste of his brother’s nightly sleep aid was still on his tongue.  He wished he could have more, but his brother only gave him enough for one mouthful.  The fog came back soon after the liquid touched his lips, but it was better than the raging headache that came if he didn’t have it.