The Black Knight Box Set

by Christian J Gilliland

  “I am a Centurion!" Crinnan snarled as his rage boiled to the surface, “I could do that to you a hundred times. Show me your sword!”

  The demon trembled and reluctantly readied his massive weapon. Crinnan could sense his fear, it was like candy to him. He savored the fact that he was about to slaughter the disgusting being, relished in the idea that he would never again be able to harm another. Crinnan licked his lips just as the demon suddenly burst into flames.

  “What the fuck?" Crinnan groaned as he angrily threw his hands up in the air. As he turned around, he watched as Ander approached, floating in the air like the demon mages had before and hurling another blast at the demon.

  “Die you insolent swine!" he bellowed, his mustache twitching as he soared forward. He shot his open hand out toward the demon and balled it into a fist. Crinnan watched in amazement as the demon screamed and rose into the air, his flaming body flailing about as it did so.

  “Your weak body will sear in the armor you hoped would protect you! The armor… the very image that has been the horror of so many," Gone was the timid Ander, who now laughed maniacally and grit his teeth together. He was drunk with power and playing at the demon’s expense. “I am the new horror; my power has been restored. I am your doom, your condemnation. I am…" he paused and looked over at Crinnan, ‘I am Ander!”

  At that, the armored demon’s body burst in an explosion of red and flew all directions. His entrails rained down on Crinnan and the prisoner, and pieces of his armor flew in everywhere causing small explosions of dirt and dust as they landed. One piece of shrapnel caught Crinnan in the leg and he gasped and quickly ripped it out. Ander’s laughing did not cease until a good moment had passed and it turned into an almost orgasmic moan. Crinnan watched him lick the tips of his teeth and eventually he calmed down.

  “That was obnoxious," Crinnan was disgusted, not by the blood and guts of the gruesome execution, but by the nasty almost sexual sounding noise that Ander made after the demon had burst. He looked at Ander and pointed his sword at him, “Stay here, and do not steal my kill again." Crinnan hurried over to the chained female prisoner who had sat up and watched everything.

  “You…” He announced when he finally got a good look at her. He couldn’t believe his eyes… he knew her.

  Her body was thin, yet muscularly toned. She had a lightly tanned skin color, brown eyes, and shoulder length dirty blonde hair. As Crinnan approached, she pushed herself up off the ground and stood on her feet, revealing that she was only slightly shorter than he was. Her rags were ripped and frayed, and her body was bruised and scratched but she held her head up and met Crinnan’s eye.

  Crinnan had only met her once in the real world and it was many years prior but it had been a very memorable occasion. They were only teenagers when they fought side by side in the Kamlotian civil wars and even though it had been brief, it was a summer that Crinnan had never forgotten.

  Back in the real world, she had been a fierce fighter in combat and a very strong-willed commander. As the eldest child of noble parents, Commander Dorax Emmal and the late Lady Mariska, she had within the past couple of years been elevated to the Vice-Commander position. Many people thought it a foolish move to put someone so young in such a place of power, but she quickly proved herself worthy of the honor.

  They had only spent a few days together, but the raw attraction and undeniable feelings of teenage love that they had harbored and experienced had become a permanently imprinted memory in Crinnan’s mind. When he thought about it, he did so warmly and remembered her as she had been during that summer; beautiful, fierce, and kind of annoying. Crinnan, on the other hand, had been awkward and angry. He recalled the wispy mustache that grew in during his deployment there and shuddered with embarrassment.

  The knights each of them served were slain in an ambush that they as squires had only barely escaped. They ran into the woods together, pursued by their enemies, and found themselves lost in enemy territory. They had no communicators or ways to reach their friends, only the swords at their sides and each other.

  For the next five days, the two teens survived only by depending on each other. At first, Crinnan had kept silent and ignored the beautiful girl. It was not because he disliked her, but because he found himself attracted to her and the only way he really knew how to behave was to be a whiny asshole. Eventually, though, she broke him. When she had finally found a way to make him laugh, he crumbled in her hands and it all eventually culminated into their first kiss.

  Crinnan fondly remembered the feeling of young love, infatuation… he never wanted to let her go but as they fought their way through the wildlands of Kamlot, they eventually found their way home. Crinnan remembered their final embrace and the promise he made her before they were whisked away to their respective home bases.

  “I will find you.” He remembered promising with one last kiss. As he was ushered into his transport, their eyes remained locked on each other until he disappeared in the sky. He never saw her again, not until he died and went to the Hells.

  “You found me," she looked closely at the Black Knight and spoke with a relieved, yet serious tone. It broke him out of his reminiscence and as his eyes went into focus, he shook his head and couldn’t help but smile. His body tingled with warmth and he imagined he looked like an idiot, but he was too absent to care. Quickly, however, his smile faded and he was thrust back into reality.

  “G… get down!” he screamed as he threw her to the ground. A demon suddenly appeared out of thin air from behind her. His head was covered in a red hood and in his hand, he had a long curved dagger. Quickly, he lunged forward and swung his blade. Crinnan deflected it with his sword, and the demon threw his fist into Crinnan’s mouth

  “We have caught word of what you are doing, Centurion,” The demon seethed as Crinnan jumped backward, “You have killed multiple Govian citizens now… you are supposed to be dead.”

  “Well surprise, mother fucker!” Crinnan growled as he darted forward again. He swung his sword and the Govian demon spun out of the way and planted a second blade into Crinnan’s shoulder. Crinnan wished he had equipped the fancy stupid pauldrons as he howled and stumbled away, though not losing his balance.

  “You have been causing serious problems in the mainland,” The assassin said as he prepared his blades for another attack, “You have caught the eye of the Empire. We do not know what you are doing or how you are doing it, but I am here to stop it.”

  “The only thing you’re stopping by being here is your ability to go home,” Crinnan retorted as he watched the Govian’s every move, “Come on, let’s end this.”

  The Govian launched himself forward, blades at the ready and Crinnan threw his sword at him. The Govian, surprised by the attack, stopped just in time for Crinnan to tackle him to the ground.

  “I am sick of you fuckers!” Crinnan shouted as he grabbed each of the Govian’s wrists. He shook the daggers free and headbutted the assassin square in the nose. With a yelp, the demon’s head slammed into the ground and Crinnan picked up one of his daggers. It vaporized in his hand and with a growl, he instead slammed his fist into the side of the Govian’s head.

  “Stop!” The Govian pleaded, “You can’t…” Crinnan punched him in the head again and he gasped.

  “Go to sleep!” Crinnan roared as he pounded relentlessly, “Close your fucking eyes!” Finally, the Assassin went unconscious and Crinnan hurried to fetch his sword. With it in hand, he approached the Govian and stood over him.

  “Anyone listening?” He asked as he looked around, “If so, fuck you and your Empire. I’m Crinnan Fucking Jamiso and I’ll kill every last one of you if I have to!” At that, he swiped his blade and cut the Govian’s throat… briefly, he looked back at the girl he had saved and clenched his teeth.

  “Nobody will ever touch her again!” He yelled as he wildly thrust the blade in and out of the Govian’s body, “Nobody!”

  Blood splashed up onto him as he leveled up and the portal to the Third
Hell opened. He ignored it and kept attacking the dead Govian. Finally, the girl ran up behind and grabbed Crinnan by the shoulders. He jerked in surprise and fell backward, knocking her to the ground. He spun around and braced himself from crushing her with his body. He found that she was looking right at him.

  Crinnan returned her gaze and the remained motionless for a moment. He blinked and so did she, neither smiled, neither breathed. He reached up and gently touched her cheek, not believing what he was seeing. Suddenly, however, she shook her head and rattled them both back into reality. As he hurried off of her, Crinnan knelt down on one knee and lowered his head, as a soldier should have done in the presence of a Black Knight Commander. She stood and looked down at him, and he spoke, “I told you… that I would find you again…"

  She reached down and placed her hand on the Centurion’s shoulder, beckoning him to stand. As he stood, he looked at her with a perplexed and almost awestruck expression and she sighed heavily, “Thank you Crinnan..."

  “It was my duty, Vice-Commander Milinka. It is… great to see you again."

  Chapter Ten

  Sarasin VI

  22nd of Ramlia – 346AG

  22:00 – Canrom City, Dauid's Tower

  Sarasin rolled over and exhaled heavily; a mild moan accompanied her breath. She wiped the sweat from her brow and a handful of makeup came with it. Her red hair was tangled and she was out of breath, but she felt satisfied. His Imperial Prince Lazarus somehow managed to never leave her asking for more.

  “Well done Bishop General Sarasin," the voice of her lover purred from the other side of her. He leaned up against her naked body, softly grinding against her and gently kissed her neck. His own body was also covered with sweat but it felt nice against hers.

  For a moment she stopped and enjoyed the feeling of his heart beating against her back. For the first time that day she felt at peace, she heard nothing but her own thoughts, saw no ghost children... it was a perfect moment for her anxiety to creep up on her for she knew that after the sex, her peace would eventually fade. Unfortunately for her, the sex was over.

  “Again!" she declared as she spun over to face him. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed her lips into his. Prince Lazarus laughed and kissed his lover but pulled back and as he ran his hand across her breasts shook his head.

  “My Lady," his voice was powerful and demanded attention, yet kind and loving. He stared at her with eyes that made her feel comfortable and safe and touched her in a way that made her feel admired. It was all something that she was simply unable to truly feel about herself in her own company.

  As she laid there, she quickly and nervously scanned the room to make sure the ghost children were not present. She saw no sign of them and sighed, her chest raising and lowering. The thought of them made her feel like she had gone insane.

  She rolled over and looked at her lover. His long brown hair hung over his shoulders and down onto his delicious looking pectoral muscles. The eyeliner he wore had smeared from the sweat that had dripped down his forehead, and he reached up and wiped another bead away before it fell onto his face. As he brushed his hair back behind one of his pointed Elf ears, he smiled at her again.

  He lustfully stared at her body with his dark eyes and moved his mouth to her breasts. She groaned and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, holding his head in place. He reached his hand down to her thighs and she laughed and pulled away.

  “I thought you said we were done," she giggled, pushing him off of her, “Now that I have thought about it, I do not think I can handle much more."

  “I tend to have that effect on people," he said with his regal accentuation. He sat up and pulled her back over to him. She nestled herself into his side and sighed. He grabbed her right arm and pulled it into view.

  “Some of these scars look fresh," he commented with a tone of worry, “I thought you said you had stopped."

  She pulled her arm away and sat up straight, “Well you thought wrong," she spat, angry that he had seen them, “But I think I might be done for good now."

  “Really now?" he asked with a doubtful tone. He looked at the scars again and gently turned her head toward his, “What has changed, my love?”

  Sarasin looked away and considered whether it was a good time to tell him about Korros or not. She doubted a “good time” even existed.

  He leaned over and turned her chin toward him. His eyes were serious, “What has changed, Sarasin?”

  “I..." she found it difficult to get her thoughts out. She was about to admit to treason to a fellow Bishop General and Prince of the Govian Empire. She was fearful of his response, “I killed somebody today." she lowered her head in a defeated tone and began to cry.

  “Well, we have all killed somebody, my love," Lazarus smiled, “Why, I too killed somebody just this morning. Whom did you kill?”

  “High Priest Korros," she admitted, closing her eyes tight. Lazarus went silent. He let go of her chin and sighed softly to himself.

  “I suppose you have good reason to have committed such a heinous crime?" He threw his legs over the side of the bed, “That is a significant charge. Korros is an important man. Do you realize how much money his program brings the Empire?”

  “Yes," Sarasin nodded her head as tears continued to fall, “And I did have a good reason. He raped me many times when I was young and he murdered my baby. I had… I had to get revenge."

  “Did he now?" Lazarus asked as he cleaned himself up and pulled his black leather pants on, “Do you sincerely believe that the courts would even hear your case? You were his relief vessel. I remember that very clearly from when he sent you to us so many years ago. It was his right as a member of the clergy to have a relief vessel to keep him free from temptation. He committed no crime, Sarasin."

  “I know," Sarasin sobbed. She wiped her eyes with her hands as she wept, “The Empire undoubtedly loves him more than I. I know I would be found guilty in an instant. I… I do not regret what I did but I..."

  “It would not hold up in court," Lazarus reflected as he walked over to the window and peered out into the city below, “There is no chance for you there. A relief vessel cannot be “raped”. You would quickly be sentenced and either put to death or thrown into prison. Unless of course, you had a pardon from my father, and even if I asked him, he would tell me he set up the court system for a reason. He would say that he was not going to lower himself to the position of the courts to settle such trivial matters and that if he did so it would negate the powers he put into place. At least that is how he sees it in his eyes."

  “What should I do then?" Sarasin asked fearfully. She crawled to the edge of the bed and stared at Lazarus, hoping against hope that he would have an answer for her. It made her nervous that Lazarus had not immediately jumped to help her. He stood silently for a moment and after lighting a cigarette, he turned and looked at her with a mischievous smile.

  “I will dispatch a special team to retrieve all the security data recorded from the temple," he explained, pausing only to exhale a plume of smoke, “They will say it is for the investigation of Korros' murder. Who can account for you being there on that day?”

  “Um..." Sarasin thought, “Two Brothers of the Severed Tongue. I revealed my identity to them."

  “Provide me with a time and I will see to it that they are put to death," Lazarus commanded, “Or would you prefer they be sent to the West?” He pondered the situation as he took another drag of his cigarette.

  “Do what you must," Sarasin sighed as she pulled her shirt over her head. She knew the monks did not deserve to die but she valued her own life over theirs. She hated that she was forced to decide whose lives were more important seemingly on a daily basis. “Thank you, my Prince."

  “Anything for you my love," he grinned, “Remember, we are to wed soon enough, I cannot let anything get in our way. You will bear the Emperor’s grandson; you will be the next Imperial Princess, nothing will divide us. For now, though, leave all this in my han
ds. You must hurry and get to your own room, for we have an important day tomorrow. During my speech, I will address the situation and your witnesses will be executed. This will all blow over… for you at least."

  Sarasin walked over to Lazarus and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around her betrothed and rested her head on his shoulder, “I really love you." She smiled at her Prince.

  He pulled her into him and held her gently, “I love you too Sarasin. Now hurry on home and I shall see you at tomorrow’s festivities… remember, forget it all. It will be handled."

  After she dressed and the door closed behind her, Lazarus sighed and took a seat in a chair next to the windows. As he put his spent cigarette out in an old glass of wine that sat on a table to his right, he placed another one between his lips and lit it with his NaNe powers. He breathed in the smoke and closed his eyes, contemplating the situation he found himself in. Finally, he smiled with delight at how perfectly everything was about to unfold for him.

  “See you tomorrow, my love," he laughed softly to himself.

  ***

  The city, or more precisely the Governor Elkmaan Treyodees, had chosen to house Sarasin on a mid-floor suite of Dauid's tower. Apparently, the penthouse was actually owned by Prince Lazarus. Another of the VIPs, Supreme Father Eckhart, chose to stay on the ground floor. He apparently disliked elevators for some reason.

  Many dignitaries had gathered in the city for an annual rally called The Ramliaan Advent. It was more-or-less a festival designed around building hype, patriotism, and allegiance. The dignitaries took turns speaking, telling of their great works and upcoming plans and goals. The citizens all celebrated the speakers and of course, they had their favorites. Sarasin was quickly growing in favor and had her own devoted following.

  She did not mind her accommodations. In fact, she rather liked her suite. She had stayed there many times throughout the years and Prince Lazarus had seen to it that it was exclusively hers so she made it as much like home as she could.