A Demon in the Knight
Robert Taylor
Copyright 2011 Robert Taylor
Original Cover Image: https://projects.ericshalov.com/freeimages/742/Coucy; originally from 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 5, Page 478
CHAPTER ONE
He sat looking out of the stone-framed arch window of the palace throne room. TecDemon. Duke of Teclessa, the western country on the island of Norttl. He had been raised on the tales of how these lands were forged from bitter waste to prosperous country by his ancestors from his father. The young TecDemon modeled his life out of these fables until the day he became ruler. His aspiration to travel the world and conquer its adventures crumbled into his reality of the lifelong responsibility he would face. Over time, he took all that he had for granted: his lands, peoples, riches, even much of his own person. His sense of royal duty challenged every day by his inherited love of adventure. It was always pulling him in a way he did not understand, a way that he almost feared.
It was a cold day. It was a dreary day. Foggy. Bitter. Humid. Rainy. It was his kind of day. Since his first memories he could recall the overcast grey skies, the chill breezes, the mist and fog, and his love for them. Not one single person in his realm was as physically able to endure in this weather as TecDemon. He thrived in it. It seemed to balance the burn in his blood. The frigid air all too readily impregnated the hollow corridors of his immense palace. The many fireplaces could not produce enough heat to tame these winters. TecDemon liked it that way, for rarely did his thick skin shiver.
Wide shoulders, big bones, sharp green eyes beneath stern brown brows. Shoulder length, stringy brown hair which he had been meaning to cut for a while. He kept it brushed back and his face clean shaven. His royal clothing was soft and solid; neatly accented with a heavy wool cape. On occasion the wooden hilt of his dagger would tickle his ankle.
Always alert, TecDemon was not surprised when his splendid bride-to-be spoke from the doorway.
"How many hours do you sit here in a day, and how many starry nights as well?" Karla spoke softly.
Her voice was the soft breeze and the solid gust of a coming storm. The lady allowed her thick black hair to drape about her shoulders and back at its leisure. The coal hair framed her angelic complexion, embodying the surrealism of an artist's most delicate painting. A lingering mystery always hung about her dark eyes.
"It makes it easier to think. Unfortunately all I can think of is dreams, foolish dreams."
Karla floated across the room wrapped in a blanket. TecDemon turned as she came near, grabbing her eyes with his own. The lovely lady settled comfortably in her lover's lap, curled up, retreating from the chill. "Longer and longer you stay here hoping for something more than this place, something more than," she hesitated, "me."
"More than this place. Not more than you."
He pulled her hair gently to reveal her pale face. Karla looked up to meet his gaze but his focus was already set deep into the distance. "There are feelings dormant within me. Slowly though, I feel them stirring to wake. I feel it wanting to be revived, wanting to be the driving force of this body."
"What does drive this body?" She squeezed him.
"Ask someone else, they'd say pride."
"But, what do you say?" She tugged his hand eagerly.
"I don't know," as he spoke his hand reached slowly into his tunic and pulled up the pendant, strung on a light gold chain around his neck. The medallion had been his father's most important gift. The duke's eyes looked upon it again as they had so many times before:
Perfectly round and made of gold. It was large, not quite as big as his palm. Engraved lines divided it equally into five sections, a star design. In the center of each wedge shaped section set a precious stone. Five crystalline glimmering orbs, each a different gem: green emerald, black onyx, red ruby, blue turquoise, and white diamond.
TecDemon let the medallion fall against his shirt as he again stroked Karla's hair.
"I don't know."
CHAPTER TWO
"One year we have been married. One year." The Duchess opened her eyes to another dreary dawn. The great arms of her husband responded by pulling her a little closer. The two were filled with a silent contentment that seemed it had always been there.
"It promises to be a grand celebration." He responded just before a great yawn. "Food, flowers, music and people from all four corners of the country. Quite a celebration."
The two rested for a short while together in the warm bond. It was late morning when a knock came on the door.
"Morning, Sir. Madam. Can I interest you in anything to start this fine day?" Siruce was the headmaster of the day's ceremony. Siruce was also the scruffy voiced assistant of the duke, as he had been for the past twelve years, since TecDemon's father's death. He was well trusted in his position, as he had shown much competence.
"No thank you Siruce. Just a bit more time," TecDemon replied.
"It is almost midday, sir, in case you had worries about the time."
"No worries," the duke finished calmly. "No worries at all."
It was just after mid-day when it happened. Too subtle to cause immediate alarm, but still not unnoticed by the sharp-eyed watchman. The guard called to his captain for reassurance of what he saw, but by the time the captain arrived there was no doubt: armed beasts. By their count, there were at least a hundred. The monsters lined across the skyline flying directly toward Teclessa.
Without a second thought Captain Nage ordered all the ready guards to the towers and ordered all the remaining guards into gear. The sudden uproar was impossible to control; every civilian ran to shelter not knowing what to expect, the majority of them found their way to the palace.
Only minutes passed, almost half the guard was armed, many people were already huddled inside the quickly filling rooms of the stone castle, when the duke himself was finally informed of the situation.
"Where the hell did they come from?"
"It's unknown, sir. They will be here within the next few minutes."
"They knew which day to hit, all right. Damn! Take Karla to our chambers with a unit of guards, block off the window and for God's sake keep her safe."
"I'll protect her myself!" Siruce grabbed several guards and led them to look after the Duchess. The troubled TecDemon found his way down to the armory. Easily a hundred men suiting up in their armor; assisted by a legion of young pages.
"Nage! Nage!" the duke’s yell barely overcame the sound of clanging metal.
"Here, Duke!" said the Captain as he emerged from the mass of troops.
"Get to the walls, man! I'll take care of things here," TecDemon ordered. Nage went by with a silent salute to his leader.
He was deeply troubled. What bothered him so much? What was it that pulled at his chest, making him feel uneasy? Two stout boys appeared shouldering the duke's royal armor. As they strained to offload and prep the armor he knew it would take too long to put on. "Forget my mail. Bring me my battle cape and my weapons!"
The orders to load and aim the arrows came from the distant heights of the castle walls. TecDemon shuddered again at the thought of this catastrophe. The two boys returned and began putting the duke's cloak around his neck when a loud screech resounded throughout the hall. TecDemon grabbed his sword, bow and quiver and ran outside just in time to see the arrival of the winged horrors.
The creatures were massive; twice a man’s size. Their arms and legs joined to the torso like a human, but contained an extra bend. Four hooked claw talons on each hand, and clawed feet as well. Head to toe the creatures were scaled in colors that ranged from green to deep silver. One beast in particular hovered just beyond the arrows reach close to the castle tower. It tilted its wicked gaze at
the insignificant Duke.
The creature’s voice was shrill and slow "We have returned to you, Demon. We will not accept your death, only your total decimation, as well as the decimation of your blood. All of your soldiers will die. All of your people will condemn you and your lovely bride." These words released TecDemon from the hypnotic state that the creature's voice had placed over him. His chest burned.
The creature descended all at once toward him. The guards held their arrows fearing a stray would catch the duke. The hot rage within TecDemon boiled as the monster landed just beyond him. He rushed to attack.
His speed gained him an edge, but the creature's own quickness made it easy to parry the man’s blade strikes. The beast seized the blade in its scaled hand, catching TecDemon off guard. The beast spun the weapon with too great a force for TecDemon’s hand to keep hold. The beast discarded the sword and struck the duke with a swipe of its claw. The force of the blow lifted TecDemon from the ground and carried him straight back to the stone wall.
He went limp and toppled over. The guardsman erupted with yells as the battle commenced. The duke's body lay at the feet of the wicked creature. He saw the rush of several men coming to his aide, but he could do nothing to hold on to consciousness.
CHAPTER THREE
"How are you today, my Duke?" asked an unfamiliar voice. TecDemon let out a slight moan.
"Don't try to speak. I'm glad you are alive." The duke's eyes opened a slight crack, revealing the inside of a small wooden hut and a frail old man. It was much too hazy to pick out details. "It was a nasty wound."
TecDemon's eyes fixed on the oval shape above him. He tried for the life of him to lean his head up to it, but his head spun away. He was still too weak to hold it up.
"Karla. Karla." His attempt to whisper fell short and he simply mouthed the words.
"Your bride is gone, God protect her, no trace of much left in that ruin. They destroyed everything."
It was clearing up. The fire in the corner flickered and tossed shadows around the room. The thatched roof was not far from his head; he assumed it to be a farmer's hut. The man leaned over and looked deep within his eyes and finally TecDemon could make out his face.
"Father?"
It all faded away.
******
"Let's try and keep you awake this time, okay?"
The duke already felt much better than he had on his prior awakening. His eyes climbed open and instantly revealed to him the same dark space that he had been in before. He tilted his head to see the old man standing near the fire stirring a pot. "How long?"
"Three days, you've been here, three days. Quite an inhuman recovery if you ask me. You've been blessed with strong bones to survive something no one else did. A shame, too. I had always hoped to move into the sight of your fine palace there, sir. I doubt that will happen."
"Teclessa? What of it?" TecDemon strained and propped himself up on his left elbow to better scan the room.
“You were pretty out of it when I mentioned that it was left in ruins. Lucky you, I came along when I did. I hardly ever travel outside my own door anymore."
"Karla?"
"She's gone too, doubtful they'd spared her, but it's possible for the beauty she was. Bastards had no care for human life. Or any life at all, for that," he paused and sighed. "Made a nice pot of soup here. Any way I can tempt you for a bowl?"
The tattered TecDemon adjusted himself again, coming to rest in a sitting position with his feet dangling off the bed. He wiped his eyes. "I'm not hungry."
"Three days without a bite, you should eat," the old man turned with a bowl and a spoon.
"Not now, first I want to know about them, dad. I want to know if this is why you left."
"I don't know what you mean, sir Duke. I could only dream to be the father of a boy like you." The voice was old for certain, but familiar to TecDemon. "Now here, have some soup."
The old man approached slowly and held the bowl out waiting for the young duke to accept his hospitality. TecDemon looked deep into the old man's eyes; the man turned his head away. He jumped out and slung the bowl aside, gripping the man by the throat and hoisting him above the ground. "Don't you think I can see you beneath the age? You never died. Don't you think I asked to see the body? I had this land scoured for the assassin! I never believed Siruce when it came to your death! Never! Everything you left to me, I lost to them. I couldn't stop them. And neither could you, could you? All I want to know is...is that why you left?" he slowly lowered the wide-eyed man to the ground.
There was a long silence between them, but their eyes stayed locked. The duke's eyes full of anger, the old man's full of sorrow.
"I left to keep you from going. More and more I saw the desire in your eyes to leave those chambers of that palace. Teclessa was not enough for you, son. I knew that my death would make you responsible." He paused; the old man walked over to the bed and sat down. "At least I thought it would make you responsible."
"What are you talking about? Responsible?"
"You sit in your chambers and dream still. I know you do. It was what I did when my father was out conquering for my future. He died out there building me something larger to rule. I was forced to rule these lands and settle in the castle. I did it out of my love for him. I never thought my boy would be the same. But I'm sure it was worse with what your mother..."
"What about my mother? Tell me. You always said I was too young. Now I'm not, I want to know everything," TecDemon was calmer but still upset. He settled in a small wooden chair near the fire and waited again for his father to speak.
"I took a concubine when I was first inaugurated. I had never met her before. You were lucky enough to have someone to marry out of love," he began to cry. "We were together a long while before she became pregnant, almost two years, I was very fond of her, by this time. She came to me one day and said `I am going to have a child. You must promise that when he is older you will give him this.' I didn't understand why she had given it to me until the day you came into the world and she left it.
"I loved her more than I would have ever admitted to her. But I had to be there for my son. Her last words were to name you `TecDemon.' I could not deny her that. I raised you with my family values, with the memories of my life. It hurt me too much to think of your mother," he wiped his eyes.
"When I saw you all those days sitting at the window I knew that you were cursed, as I had been to be an adventurer, not a ruler. I was compelled to follow in my father's footsteps and give you the gift he gave me: his death.
"When you turned sixteen, I brought Siruce in to train you to take my place. At seventeen I gave you the gift your mother had left for you. The medallion you wear still. When you were almost nineteen, I carried out my plan and faked my own death while visiting in the north. I went far away, never to return. But I guess I just happened to get closer and closer as years went on until finally I came to settle in your kingdom once more. This is a very secluded place, but with enough proximity to keep an eye on you occasionally."
"Why am I here now, what do you know of the beasts that attacked?"
"Nothing more than you. I can only remember seeing them once. Just one of them. Back when your mother was still with me. I can't really remember where though. I had come to the ruins for you, or to bury you. I was blessed when I found you alive."
"But where did they come from and what did they want from me?" TecDemon’s face showed his confusion.
"How do you know they wanted you?"
"One of them told me, he said, he called me, Demon. And he said that they would destroy my army and that my people would condemn me. But why? Why? Why? Why?" He was furious that he could find no reasons.
The old man went over to the fireplace and grabbed a rag; he began to mop up the mess on his floor. "I am sorry, son. I only thought for the best."
"It doesn't matter now, it’s all gone, even Karla."
"I cleaned up your clothes, they're hanging by the fi
re," said TecDemon's father still cleaning up the spilled soup. The duke just realized that he was wearing different clothes. Not his battle cape and blue tunic, but a white tunic and leather pants. His medallion was gone too. He looked toward the fire and saw the glistening gold charm draped with his clothes. Slowly TecDemon walked over to the pile and took off the borrowed clothing. On first went his necklace and his dagger. Then his pants, last his shirt. It was then something odd struck his eye.
"Was this how you found it?" He asked his father, pointing to a burnt design on his shirt.
"Yes, I believe so.”
TecDemon studied the familiar design: It was perfectly round. It was large, not quite as big as his palm but most of it. Thick black lines divided it equally into five sections, a star design. In the center of each wedge shaped section was a round burn. Five burns. Five burns. His medallion had burned into the fabric of this shirt.
"Tell me about my mother." TecDemon asked curiously.
"I don't like..."
TecDemon interrupted. "Please, this is important."
"There is so much to tell you about her, she was a magnificent woman, I loved her very much. She loved people I can tell you that, she loved helping them. She had a special bond with them; she could make friends with anyone. She was very smart and had very acute senses. It seemed like she knew things."
"She knew the future?"
"Well, sort of, she knew things that people were thinking, what they felt, as well as being able to predict certain things. Sometimes, I questioned just how human she was."
"What do you mean by that?" His father was holding back.
"Well," he hesitated," she was like an angel. A vivid and beautiful creature that was hard to understand."
"Tell me more.”
"She liked to go for walks in the woods, long walks. Once she was gone for about three weeks, so I had a search party sent out for her. I was on a few of those search parties. Come to think of it that is where I think I remember seeing that creature. It was in those woods."
"One of the creatures that attacked Teclessa?"
"Yes, it was late in the evening one day. I may have been looking for your mother. I was the only one that saw it, though. I guessed it was just a trick of my eyes."