Rubaan reached up and closed Kavin's eyelids as he offered up a quick prayer to the Brothers. He pulled the machine pistol from the sergeant's holster and after taking one final look, he stood up and walked to the moth.
His blood pumped, and his mind raced as he mounted the vehicle. He was done being a weakling; he was ready to contribute. He started the moth up and put his goggles back over his eyes. As he accelerated in the same direction that Pancho had gone, he could not help but smile at his hopeful future. He looked forward to learning and growing, to becoming a person that he was proud to be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Crinnan XXIV
23rd of Ramlia - 346AG
09:00 - Racon Tower
Bran slammed the sliding door of the HAPT shut and quickly got to his seat. He could hear another wave of Marauders or undead or whatever remained of Eon's army coming and they knew they had to get out of there, even if it meant leaving their dead behind.
"Come on Flinn!" Bran shouted furiously, "Get this bird in the sky, now!"
Alec switched the engines on, and the HAPT roared to life. Everyone in the personnel hold knew it was going to be a bumpy takeoff and so they braced themselves.
Alec hit the throttle, and the engines jerked the HAPT up into the air about twelve feet. Everyone toppled over, and Alec eased the throttle forward, gently increasing their altitude.
Crinnan sat silently next to Elia as she healed him. When the turbulence had ended, he glanced out the window next to him to see that the Belhaasi Weald was burning for what looked like miles. The sight of it all was, in a way, distressing to him.
The Belhaasi Weald had changed Crinnan. He did not feel like he was the same person that had flown in with Century a month prior. To him, it felt like it had only been a day yet it also felt like it had been a lifetime.
Crinnan thought of Sage: he thought of waking up in the Elf's home and of witnessing his power. He thought of the weird cake that the Elf had made him and of how he enjoyed explaining everything so damn annoyingly. He remembered the Govian soldiers who attacked and thought of Eshan and the vision of Eshan's child.
He thought of Garb, and Freyja and of the place he had found them. He thought of Pado, and Jethro. Of Xydos, Nora, and Guntz. He thought of his brother Kiersen and his strange and sudden appearance. He remembered how Sage had blasted him out a window. That thought made him smile.
Crinnan thought of his new powers, of Eon, the Vampre and the Maas'Eon. He thought of the undead, and of reuniting with his friends at Racon tower. He re-lived it all as he watched the Belhaasi Weald burn beneath him. Finally, he rested his head against the seat behind him and sighed.
It was true. What the Black Knight, the Demon, the Centurion had gone through had changed him. He full well knew that he was never going to look at anything the same again. A voice inside of him, his own voice this time told him that even though he was leaving the Belhaasi Weald behind him, it had merely been his birthplace. More was on the horizon, he could feel it, and it made him uneasy.
"It is okay, Crinnan," Elia placed her hand over his and turned to face him, "You are safe now. You can rest; we are going home."
She was wrong. The promise of impending doom in his mind spoke much louder than his dear friend's words of comfort. He sat trembling, and as Elia wrapped her arms around him, he began to cry.
"Elia..." he softly whimpered. Being in her arms was comfortable, it felt like home, but it did not shake his dread.
"What is it Crinnan?" she pulled away and gave him a concerned look.
"It's..." his hand trembled on the armrest and he grit his teeth together. His nostrils flared, and his pupils grew wide.
"Crinnan!" She shouted as she slapped him on the shoulder, "Crinnan come on, snap out of it."
Foam formed at his mouth as he convulsed. He knew what was happening; he remembered it from the first time he met Eshan. He had no control, his eyes rolled back into his head, and the darkness once again overcame him.
***
"Hello, Son," Sage smiled widely as he sat at a table in the darkness that was Crinnan's mind. A colorful cake lay on top of the table and Crinnan couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He pulled a chair out and sat down across from the Elf.
"So, I guess it makes sense to me now," Crinnan sighed as he stared at Sage. "I get it; I understand why you brought me back. You are, somehow in some strange fucked way, my father?"
Sage smiled proudly at the boy and smirked. He poked a candle into the top of the cake and with his powers, he lit it. Crinnan snorted out a laugh and Sage joined him.
"For all the birthdays I missed," Sage informed him, "I should say that before I ruled the Ancient world, my family ruled the corner of Breedlove and Twelfth. My father, you see, he was a baker. He taught Xydos and me to make cakes, pies, bread... The Lynx family had been bakers since the Age of Blood. Before Xydos and me, we were unremarkable, just another face you would see on the street. Little did mom and dad know, we would change the world."
"Why couldn't you have just told me everything from the beginning?" Crinnan asked, "Why did you have to lie the whole time?"
"I had nobody to validate my claims," Sage shrugged his shoulders, "And honestly I never intended on telling you. I did not want to hurt you, you see." Sage's lower lip suddenly began to tremble as he spoke but he cleared his throat and composed himself, "I understand that the truth of it all may be painful, it may be confusing… but son I knew that staying away, staying hidden was the best way to ensure that you were happy… I only showed up because, well because you needed me."
Sage choked and turned his head away. He was getting emotional, and as he closed his eyes tight, he continued speaking, "I saw you grow, my boy, not in person or up close as would have been ideal, but as data. I read every page of data that your NaNe produced. I watched over you; I protected you… you had your father, Crinnan. He is a good man, and you are fortunate that he loves you, but I should say that I wish I could have… seen your first steps, taught you how to speak, taught you my ways you know?"
Crinnan stared at Sage and nodded silently. He heard the Elf, and he too was becoming emotional at what he was saying.
"Son I saved you for one simple reason," Sage's hands were trembling, and his nostrils kept flaring. His face was getting red, but he continued, "I saved you because… well, I should say that I love you dearly." A tear streamed down Sage's face, but he wiped it away, "I want to see you live, son. I want you to grow, to keep moving forward every day stronger than the day before… You have a life ahead of you, a future, you understand?"
Crinnan nodded as his own eyes began to water up. He lowered his head and sniffled as he wiped the unwanted tears away. Sage smiled.
"You know what you need to do next son?"
"I have no idea, Sage."
"Close your eyes; it is time for you to remember why you are called Demon," At that, Crinnan shut his eyelids, and Sage snapped his fingers. Crinnan gasped for suddenly his time in the Hells all came back to him.
"Son?" Sage called out, "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah…" Crinnan replied with a horrified sounding voice.
"Now you understand what needs to be done next, don't you?" Crinnan opened his eyes and looked at Sage. He took a deep breath and his eyes filled with tears; he could fight it no longer.
"I think so," He nodded and spoke with a broken voice.
"You need to go find happiness," Sage smiled and reached out to cut the cake with a knife. He removed a slice and placed it on a plate that he handed over to Crinnan, "She lives, you know. She has been waiting for you."
Crinnan picked up a fork and cut a piece of the cake away. He slipped it into his mouth, and Sage smiled.
"You know what you need to do?"
"I need to go find her," Crinnan replied as he pitifully cried and ate cake.
"Yes you do," Sage smiled. He stood up from the table and looked down at Crinnan, "I have to leave, Son. I have some things I need to tie up here on Duraa
n and then I have to pass into the Hells to save your brother as I saved you. But I will leave you something."
Crinnan looked up from his cake, and Sage grinned proudly. "What is it?" he asked.
"I will leave you with potential. Something you have squandered for so many years, I should say. I have uploaded all my programs into your mind, all my powers. I cannot make you proficient in them; you will have to find the discipline to learn them on your own. One day I will return and can train you myself but… for now, all you need to do is quiet your mind and return to this place, and you can explore." At that, a shelf of books phased into view and Crinnan looked at them and then back up to Sage.
"If you need help, you can contact Lucaas. He is… my other son, your half-brother. All you need to do is beckon him, and he will help you train."
"Lucaas…" Crinnan repeated, "From the Hells? He is the other one who helped me?"
"Yes," Sage smiled. At that, Sage walked around the table and placed his hand on Crinnan's shoulder. He lingered for a moment and then started to walk away.
"Sage?" Crinnan stood and turned toward the Elf. Sage glanced back at his son and raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you."
"I told you, son," Sage said as he started walking again, "Do not bother thanking me. I hate such things."
***
Crinnan lurched forward in his seat, and Elia quickly grabbed hold of him. She held him tight and petted his hair gently to try and comfort him.
"There, there!" She hushed him, "You are okay Crinnan, you are safe."
"Yeah..." Crinnan panted as he looked around nervously, "Yeah, I think… I think I am." He looked over at his friend and laughed. He laughed harder than he had in a long time as he rested his head against her chest.
"What a fucking day," He said with a shake of his head. She released him and smiled down at him.
"We are going home now," She smiled. Crinnan nodded and looked at the bloody Centurions all around him. Some frowned at him, some smiled. Everyone, of course, had their own opinions on Crinnan. Some were angry with him and blamed him for the deaths of their comrades, while others were happy to see him alive. Bran sat at the back and puffed on his cigar.
"You okay kid?" He asked with an indifferent tone, "You better fuckin' be."
"I am, Captain," Crinnan nodded, "I will be."
"Good." Bran sighed and leaned his blood-caked head back and looked at the ceiling, "Really fucking good."
Crinnan rested in his seat next to Elia and closed his eyes. He thought of his next mission, of finding Milinka as he promised her. He smiled at Sage's words, at how he had said that she was waiting for him.
As Crinnan raked his thoughts and ran his fingers through his hair, he sighed with relief. It was all over, at least for the night. Tomorrow may bring other challenges for him, but he didn't care. He had survived, he had grown, and he was ready for whatever was coming his way...
At least, that was what he thought…
Epilogue
Commander Crinnan watched as the Govian soldiers stormed the bottom level of the Hanger. His wife and daughter had made it out, that much he knew and that much gave him comfort. He had managed to seal off the doors and prevent the rest of their force from entering, at least for the time.
The aging Humaan did not want to have a fight like the one he knew was about to happen. He thought it over and knew he could climb up to the upper levels and maybe find a way out. That was definitely a possibility, but he also considered the fact that if the Govian soldiers made it to the door terminal and opened the hangar doors, the entire base would have to fight. He cocked his head and groaned, for he knew what he had to do.
He reached down and untucked his shirt. He lifted the fabric from his right side and pressed a small button on a device that barely stuck out of the side of his pants. It was a device he had stolen from his home, from the Silis, so long ago before he escaped. He smiled as he felt the nanomachines pour out of it and into his body, and sighed as he felt the feeling of becoming like the Ancient Humaan people.
The nanomachines strengthened him, enhanced his natural abilities. With them, his speed and strength were augmented, and his cognitive abilities doubled. He watched as a thin blue light surrounded him and smiled for his armor had arrived.
"Well, here we fucking go I guess."
His sword rang free from its sheath, and Crinnan walked toward the steps that would take him down to the lower level. He disregarded them and leaped over the railing. The blue light that was his armor slowed his falling speed and allowed him to land without damage. He looked around and saw that there had to have been at least thirty enemies. As they saw him, they raised their rifles, and all began shouting.
"Oh stop it," Crinnan rolled his eyes as the Govian soldiers closed in with their weapons trained on him, "Alrighty, I guess it's time."
Crinnan darted forward with his sword, cutting through the first Govian that he encountered. The Govian was bisected from hip to shoulder, and before he could fall, the next one took a sword to the back of the head. The other Govians panicked and began firing on Crinnan, but none of them seemed to be able to bring him down. Their bullets bounced off his armor and in all directions. Many soldiers fell from ricocheting projectiles.
Crinnan didn't have time to play; he didn't want to. He knew he had about five minutes of power and that his body would ache when it was all over, and so he worked fast. Govian after Govian fell before him; the floor was painted red with the blood and entrails of his foes. Eventually, the blue light faded from him, and he was down to three enemies left.
Crinnan stopped and took a breath. He knelt over, and they stared in fear at him.
"Give me a second," He reached a finger out as he panted, "This ol' body, you know?" He shrugged and laughed, and the Govians looked at each other, confused. He dropped his sword and pulled his revolver from his hip and quickly blasted the last three soldiers. They fell to the ground, and Crinnan turned around and walked toward the main entrance of the hangar.
"Gonna fucking take me a whole day to recharge this damn thing," he said as he looked down at the device that was tucked into his pants, "Fucking stupid ass old battery." He grumbled as he unlocked the door, stepped out and left the carnage behind.
Afterword
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Author’s Note
Hello to you my dear reader!
I thank you for beginning this adventure with me. Black Knight has been a significant part of my life since 2002 when I first began to conceive the characters and the world they lived in. I drew inspiration from the people and the events that surrounded me, and immortalized my perception of them on paper. You see, it all started as the fantasy of a young teen. I grew up playing video games, and reading stories about swordsmen and mages… much like many of you I do not doubt. Of course, as I read and button-mashed my way through countless worlds I always felt like something was missing. When I first began to draw the images of Crinnan, Sage, and the others on paper; I had no idea that it would become something that would stay with me my entire life.
Here I am. It is 2019, I am in my thirties and have three kids. I have survived, and so have you. We have found our paths crossing, not physically of course, but… in a much different way. You see, the novel you just completed is just the beginning. You, dear reader, have just experienced the first story in a line of many. Black Knight has been my dream for so long. When life dragged me down to the deepest hells; I had Black Knigh
t. When I was happy and living in bliss; I had Black Knight. Dearest, I thank you for reading what has sustained me for so long, for getting through the story that I have clung to. I, of course, invite you to continue this journey with me. Dive into my mind, learn more of the characters you have met.
The world I have given you in this novel I liken to the size of a sesame seed. Continue reading and watch my world grow larger with every novel. I promise you, Awakening is only the beginning and there is much more to come…
Of course, dear reader, I wish nothing but peace and happiness upon you. Never abandon the dreams within you, cling to them even if you feel that they are fantasies of a child. Your dreams, your ideas… the characters or thoughts that sustain you… they are as important as the blood in your veins and the oxygen in your lungs. Never stop dreaming, never stop creating and always… (please) ALWAYS love yourself.
Thank you for reading,
-Christian
About Christian J. Gilliland
Christian J. Gilliland was born in Jefferson City, Missouri in 1988 and is the father of three beautiful daughters. He spent many years working in many different fields, most recently being the automotive industry. Christian's main work is the Black Knight saga which he has worked on for 16 years.
Connect with Christian:
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About Mountaindale Press
Dakota and Danielle Krout, a husband and wife team, strive to create as well as publish excellent fantasy and science fiction novels. Self-publishing The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born in 2016 transformed their careers from Dakota’s military and programming background and Danielle’s Ph.D. in pharmacology to President and CEO, respectively, of a small press. Their goal is to share their success with other authors and provide captivating fiction to readers with the purpose of solidifying Mountaindale Press as the place ‘Where Fantasy Transforms Reality.’
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