The Black Knight Box Set

by Christian J Gilliland

  The conductor silently punched the tickets and handed them back to Elia, “Have a nice trip," he said with a tip of his hat, “Next!”

  As the two of them boarded the train, the wave of nostalgia again came over Alec. He looked at the arrangement of the aged wooden seats and remembered in great detail time spent with his grandfather. Elia noticed his odd behavior and tugged at his arm.

  “What?" she asked as she tried to find what he was looking at.

  “Nothing," Alec replied with a quick shake of his head, “Just... memories," Elia smiled and nudged him onward.

  “Over there," she pointed at one of the seats. “Across from Flox and Matalo,"

  Somehow the two other Knights had boarded ahead of them and already found their seats. Alec wondered to himself how he had not noticed them. He worried for a moment about how unaware he was of everything going on around him; he knew he needed to get his mind right. The death of Crinnan really was getting to him.

  “Well if it ain’t the happy couple!" Matalo softly declared as the two of them approached, “Here, have a seat!”

  Alec sighed and reluctantly took a seat next to the window. He was not very eager to hear Matalo’s passive aggressive quips the whole way to Canrom City but unfortunately, he had no choice.

  “So tell me again how you two met," Matalo was grinning from ear to ear as he slouched in his seat and puffed on a cigarette, “Hearing the story once does not do it justice, listen close Flox, it will melt your little heart."

  “Fuck off," Elia sighed, “I will not be made to put up with your shit this whole damn trip." Flox rolled his eyes and leaned closer to the window he sat next to.

  Matalo held his palms up in defense and laughed crudely as he leaned further back in his chair, “Better get a chain on that bitch," he told Alec, “Otherwise she’ll pussy whip the shit out of you!”

  “This will be in my report to Bran," Alec replied, “If you do not stop."

  Matalo snickered and looked away. Alec had silenced him, for the moment.

  “So what is it with this husband business?" Alec asked, looking at Elia, “I do not remember that being in my back story," Elia shrugged her shoulders.

  “I was improvising," she explained, “Having a bit of fun."

  Alec shook his head. “We are not here to have fun. If a Govian official or inquisitor overhears you improvising and then questions us or demands to see our papers then what will we do?”

  “You seriously think that I could not talk my way out of it?" Elia glared at Alec. She almost looked offended but ended up dismissing it, “Whatever,"

  “For the sake of the security of this operation then," Alec chided her, “Do not improvise."

  “Sure thing." Elia sarcastically mumbled.

  “Someone is getting their red wings tonight.” Matalo chuckled, winking at Alec. To the right of him, Flox shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked out the window.

  “No more talking," Alec held up his hand to silence them, “Everyone be quiet until we get to Canrom City." at that he switched off his visor and leaned his head back to sleep.

  ***

  “Let me see your identification," the Inquisitor demanded as the two boarded the train.

  “My identification?" Alec’s grandfather repeated, “I’ve never had to show them before."

  “We are under high alert due to the recent terrorist attacks," the Inquisitor informed him with an authoritative tone, “Now, your identification." The man pulled a small Card from his pocket and handed it to the inquisitor.

  “Dauid Landkeeper?" the Inquisitor read aloud as he inspected the card. He looked back up at the man to make sure he was the person in the photo, “What business do you have in Eblan today?”

  “Well I’m taking my grandson to see the ships," Dauid beamed proudly, “He’s never seen one before and has been begging me for months."

  The inquisitor hummed and nodded his head, “Very well," the imposing figure said from behind his dark face mask, “Stay out of trouble. Move along."

  Dauid nodded and walked past the Inquisitor with Alec in tow, “Do you know how to stay out of trouble?" Dauid asked as he looked down at his grandson. Alec nodded his head which made Dauid stop dead in his tracks. He knelt down so that he and the boy stood visor to visor, “Well I don’t.”

  The two smiled at each other and Dauid laughed one of his obnoxious laughs, “Stick with me and you’ll be fine." the two stood back up and made their way to their seats. The car they were in was empty and after Dauid looked around and made sure it was safe, he looked down at his grandson.

  “Well son, tell me about life at the academy," Dauid said quietly, leaning in close to Alec, “What’s it like?”

  “I don’t know," Alec replied in a similar tone, shrugging his shoulders, “It’s fun,"

  “Fun?" Dauid repeated. He chuckled and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, “You know what I did for fun when I was your age?”

  “No," Alec shook his head and stared at his grandfather.

  “Well when I was your age my friends and me would go up to the top of the hill in town and drink beer," Dauid lit another of his cigarettes, “Inquisitors would come by and all they would tell us was to make sure we didn’t throw our cans on the ground, man those were the days. Where I come from the Empire isn’t necessarily the enemy, you see. The Inquisitors are people from the same town who grew up the same way I did. Everybody pretty much keeps to themselves but we all watch out for each other."

  “But the inquisitors are bad," Alec argued, looking at his grandfather with a confused look. “They are who I am training to fight."

  “What makes a man bad Allie?" Dauid asked, taking a drag of his cigarette, “Hells I’ve known plenty of Govian soldiers and Inquisitors in my life, not a single one of ‘em were bad just because they wanted to do their jobs and take care of their families. They drank a pint as quickly as the next man, fought with their wives just like I did, and they all loved their kids and wanted the best for them. Bad… well, people aren’t bad just because they are your enemy. Always remember to respect everyone. Some people don’t get to choose what they want to do like you do.”

  “But my father sent me to the academy," Alec replied, “I did not choose to go there,"

  “You didn’t hear me, son," Dauid scolded, “Listen this time. You do have a choice. You always have a choice. You can always choose to do the right thing even if you don’t get to choose who you fight for or who your enemies are," Dauid took another drag of his cigarette and smiled at his grandson, “Your life is yours, son."

  ***

  “Hey, wake up," Elia whispered as she gave Alec a firm nudge. “We are almost there.”

  “What?" Alec asked as he switched his visor on, “We are there?”

  “Almost," Elia repeated. Alec saw Flox sitting across from him with his hair in his face and his head resting on his hand, “What time is it?”

  “About 7:30," Elia replied. “The suns just came up a little bit ago,"

  “I slept that long?" Alec brushed his hair from in front of his visor. He couldn’t believe it; he hadn’t slept that well for a long time, "I missed dinner?”

  “You have not had a full night’s rest for weeks," Elia replied, “You needed the sleep,"

  Alec hummed and sat silently. His friend was right. He had been having trouble sleeping since Crinnan’s death a month prior. He was surprised that he was able to stay asleep for so long on the train, perhaps it had something to do with the comforting memories of his Grandfather that the train induced.

  “Have you talked to the others?" Alec asked Elia, “Where did they end up?”

  “I spotted them when I went to use the toilet," Elia replied, “They are a few seats behind ours. Do you need to speak with them?" Alec shook his head and slouched in his seat. His foot accidentally bumped against Matalo’s and he cringed. Fortunately, it was not enough to wake him.

  “I will talk to them if I need to when we get to Canrom City," Alec slid his foot back aw
ay from Matalo’s, “I am sharing a room with them." Elia nodded and rested her head against the seat behind her.

  “So how long do you think we will be on standby?" Elia whispered as she turned her head to look at her friend. She had noticed that the passengers around her were asleep, but she kept her voice low enough for only Alec to hear anyway. She didn't want a rogue set of ears hearing anything suspicious.

  “No telling," Alec matched her tone, "As soon as Dariz arrives in Kamlot I suppose."

  “He left yesterday morning," Elia said, “Do you think it will take him much longer?”

  “I do not know," Alec replied, “Traditionally he has always been on time," Alec sighed and stretched his arms out again.

  “I would imagine…" the train suddenly went dark. Alec went silent as he looked around and relaxed in his seat, “The Hells Gate," he reassured himself.

  The Hells Gate was the common name of one of the four entrances into Canrom City and the only way to enter if you were going by train. The other three entrances were the naval port on the northeast side of the city for ships, the main gate on the south side of the city if you were traveling by foot or ground vehicle and the Skyport if you were traveling by air. These entrances routed all traffic through security checkpoints which verified your citizenship. The heavy traffic going in and out of the city allowed for Black Knights to slip through the checkpoints with counterfeit identities quite easily as guards generally wanted to keep the line moving.

  “Attention citizens," a calm almost robotic female voice announced through the train’s intercom, “We will be arriving at Security Checkpoint Behemoth momentarily. Please have your identification Cards ready for processing. Praise Dura’Ana, Praise Cidro."

  “Here we go," Elia pulled her identification Card from her pocket. She looked at Alec in the dim light and Alec, who despite the low visibility could see her perfectly through his visor, nodded and gave her a thin smile.

  Within seconds the train car became flooded with pulsing red and blue light. They had made their way through The Hells Gate and arrived at the security checkpoint. As the train slowed, Elia looked out her window and stared at the lines of people funneling through the maze of chain link fences.

  “I really do hate these checkpoints," she groaned, shaking her head, “Watching all these people is so depressing."

  “Oh, come on," Matalo said as he had quietly woken up from his sleep, “Look at all that life, every single special person." he chuckled and shook his head.

  “Keep your voice down," Alec snapped, “We are here; let's just get through the checkpoint and get to the hotel."

  The train came to a stop and Matalo raised his eyebrows. He didn't say anything else, only stared at Alec with a mischievous grin plastered to his face.

  “Enough," Elia glared at the two of them, “Just shut up until we get through this checkpoint.”

  Matalo chuckled and held his hands out, “Yes ma’am." he was still slouching in his seat. He looked over at Flox and nudged him in his side, laughing as he did so. Flox silently scooted away from Matalo and sighed.

  “Stop," he softly commanded.

  Matalo snorted and looked away.

  “Attention citizens," the female voice said again over the intercom, “We have arrived at Security Checkpoint Three. The train will be emptying momentarily, please collect all your belongings and make your way to the nearest exit. We thank you for your continued devotion and undying support to our almighty and everlasting Emperor Cidro Govia. His eye is ever present. Remember to glorify him in all that you do so that you may receive his abundant blessings. Praise Dura’Ana, Praise Cidro." the intercom switched off and Alec rolled his eyes.

  “Praise Dura’Ana," Matalo said with his hands clasped together. Alec stood up and walked to the aisle.

  “Everybody get to the hotel," he ordered, “I will see you all there."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Crinnan XIV

  The Third Hell

  Crinnan, Milinka, and Ander stepped through the portal and into the third level of the Hells. Ander had taken it upon himself to equip one of the mage demon’s robes but Milinka still wore the tattered rags she had been found in. She had not said anything since she and Crinnan first spoke, she seemed lost in her own world.

  The third level of hell looked much like the second, except there was a large shadowy castle ahead of them. It looked very much like something from the Age of Blood with high stone walls, four watchtowers, a keep and various towers in the middle.

  “The third level,” Ander declared as he looked around at his surroundings, “Only four levels remain, our power output has greatly increased. I daresay dear Crinnan that I believe we may actually make it out of here.”

  “Make it… out?” Milinka snapped back to the here and now and swung her head toward Crinnan. She wore a look of surprise and disbelief in her eyes, “Is that what you are doing?”

  “It would seem so,” Crinnan nodded. Milinka suddenly burst out laughing so extremely that it came to a point where she had to take a seat on the ground. Crinnan and Ander looked at her and then to each other with confused expressions on their faces.

  “Has she gone mad?” Ander whispered.

  “She thinks that what we are doing is stupid,” Crinnan answered. In truth, so did he.

  “You got it!” Milinka pointed at Crinnan as tears rolled down her face, “Escape the Hells, by going deeper into them. That’s great; I am glad I got stuck with you guys.”

  “Well you do not fucking have to be,” Crinnan growled as he looked down at her, “The world will continue spinning whether you remain dead or not… my Lady.” Had he been in the real world he would never have spoken to a commander like that… depending on his level of sobriety.

  Milinka looked up at him and laughed again. She placed her head between her palms and took a deep breath. Finally, she stood and faced him.

  “Listen, boy,” She poked him in the chest, “I have seen a lot down here, been through a lot more than you. Watching you, as you described it, kill the fuck out of those demons was the first time I had ever seen or even imagined anything like that, so maybe I believe you have some kind of plan. Honestly, though, it is hard to believe and funny to hear.”

  “And you, my dear, are funny to look at!” Ander retorted with a wide smile. He nudged Crinnan and waited for laughter or approval… something. Crinnan and Milinka looked at each other for a moment and then to Ander.

  “Was that a joke?” Crinnan asked.

  “It was,” Ander replied as his laughter died down, “Was it… not humorous?”

  “No,” Crinnan replied, “It was stupid.” Milinka laughed and Crinnan showed a sign of a smile. Ander hummed and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

  “I will spare you my witticisms in the future. Perhaps the humor of my day does not translate well to the newest generation.”

  “Perhaps not.” Milinka reiterated. She sighed and shook her head, rubbing her face with her hands.

  “Wow I hate this place,” She observed as she looked around, “This stupid fucking place… these stupid fucking people.” Tears gently streamed down her face and she closed her eyes as she began to weep. Crinnan spun on his heel to face Ander.

  “The fuck?” He whispered.

  “The girl has gone through a very traumatic experience,” Ander whispered sharply, “Things have happened to her that will never leave her.”

  “Yeah but,” Crinnan groaned, “What the fuck do I do?”

  “You do nothing,” Ander quietly, yet sharply advised, “You let her cry.”

  Crinnan turned and looked at Milinka who was wiping her tears and shaking her head violently as if to knock the thoughts out.

  “So, it will be okay.” Crinnan reached his hand out to comfort Milinka.

  She shot him a look that could have shattered a window and huffed.

  “It will be okay?” She repeated, “Tell me, Crinnan, what will be okay after all this. The memories? The scars? Name one th
ing that has happened to me in this fucking place that will end up being okay?”

  “Uh,” Crinnan looked to Ander. Ander shook his head and turned away, “Well, I mean hopefully meeting us will make things okay.”

  “Yeah,” Milinka said and nodded her head sarcastically. “Thank you. You guys get to save the poor damsel in distress so that she can continue living and breathing and thinking about getting fucked by monsters every night for the rest of her fucking life!”

  “I think I will be quiet now.” Crinnan quickly turned away, regretful that he ever opened his mouth. He walked up next to Ander, who simply shook his head.

  “You are a fool. A damned fool.”

  “Got it.” Crinnan nodded. The trio walked forward toward the shadowy castle ahead.

  “The portal to the fourth level is in the basement of that castle,” Crinnan heard Lucaas’ voice suddenly say in his head, “We have already locked onto your other companion and are converting her to a player now.”

  “Can you give her a weapon or something?” Crinnan asked, “Or will she be a magic user like Ander?”

  “She will have to find one,” Lucaas replied, “Though I suppose I can enable magic abilities for the time being.”

  “That works,” Crinnan sighed, “Listen, the Govians are onto me. An… assassin or something came for me back in level two… he was actually formidable, though nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense,” Lucaas answered, “You are killing their people. The Inquisitors have undoubtedly begun putting it together that people are dying in the Hells. Apparently, they have figured out the pattern… fortunately, you will not encounter any other players in the Third Hell as it is a designated instance level. Only you and whoever walks through your portal is allowed in.”

  “Well great, I guess,” Crinnan shrugged.

  “Listen,” Lucaas cautioned, “That castle ahead of you, it is tricky. It will test you.”

  “Test me?” Crinnan repeated, “What do you mean.”