by Brad Clark
Brad Clark
Knight Quest
The Champion Chronicles Book V
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.
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Knight Quest
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Copyright © 2018 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
Knight Fire
Knight Quest
Sword of the Kingdom: A Prequel to The Champion Chronicles
Other Books By Brad
Rewards of Vengeance
www.booksbybradclark.com
You can follow Brad on Twitter @BooksByBrad
This one is for kids: BJ, Jake, Josh, and Mazie. May your dreams become your reality, as they have for me.
Prologue
Marik Brownbow pulled his thick wool cloak tight around his body to keep out the bitterness of the cold winter air. As the initial shock of the stinging wind cut into him, doubts about leaving the protective comfort of Neffenmark Castle and its nearly impenetrable wall filled his thoughts. For days, heavy snow fell, covering the broken and battered bodies of the goblin army that fell to the might of the Karmon Knights and Hargon’s magic. The quiet peace of the morning made him forget for a moment that many good Karmons had died in the battle. Two weeks had passed since the last of the long-limbed creatures charged out of the forest in a final and vain attempt to crush the Karmons. Even though the battle was won, there was no joyous victory celebration. The war was far from over and the ease in which the cities of South Karmon and Tyre fell kept the survivors in a gloomy pall of despair.
He turned his back to the sharp wind and looked through the open doors of the outer gate to the closed inner gate. Neffenmark Castle had two gates that were connected by a narrow yard. On either side, the walls were lined with murder slots from which bowmen could shoot their weapons, protected from invaders that might make it past the first set of doors. Fortunately for the weary survivors of the destroyed cities of South Karmon, the defenses of the castle were never tested. No goblin had made it as far as the wall. Hargon and his spells had seen to that. With a power that continued to amaze Marik, the former Taran Emperor had stood alone atop the walls and cast spells that killed the attacking goblins by the hundreds. When the goblin horde had first attacked, he had feared for their survival. They did not have the manpower to cover the entire wall, and those that stood in defense of the castle were exhausted. Hargon used his powers to smash the goblin army to bits. Wave after wave came, and Hargon did his job. There was no doubt that there were still goblins in Karmon, but they had given up on attacking the castle. At least for now.
They were fortunate to have Hargon and his ability to cast spells, as they surely would have lost many more good men and women. Ever since the Tarans first attacked, and the Deceiver had destroyed the city of South Karmon, so many thousands of his people had fallen. For all he knew, the only Karmon survivors were those that were safely behind the walls of Neffenmark Castle. Once spring came, they would go to the far reaches of the kingdom looking for other survivors to build up their own army to take back their kingdom. Until then, they needed to keep everyone safe. For Marik, that meant he needed to be scouting the forests and mountains for any large forces that might be moving against them. Their defenses were strong, but they also needed to know when, and if, they would be needed.
Movement atop the wall caught Marik’s attention. One of the castle’s weary defenders looked down at him. He was not Karmon. He was from the kingdom of Thell, located just over the White Mountains. Until recently, Thell had been their most hated enemy. The late King Thorndale started diplomatic efforts to change that, and his daughter, Queen Elissa, finished the job. Over the past summer, their two kingdoms started trade relations, and even though there were still remnants of their old feelings of hatred, the leadership of the Queen was turning people’s minds.
Despite their new friendship, a small contingent of Thellians had taken the castle once the war started. It was only through the courageous assault of Sir Gossmire, a handful of Karmon Knights, and a slew of untrained men and boys that they had been able to breach the wall. The Thellian leader, King Toknon, had run away during the attack, leaving the Thellian soldiers leaderless and unmotivated to fight back. Given the choice between survival in the castle or sure death outside in the wild, all the Thellian soldiers chose to stay and help defend the castle through the winter.
Someone had clearly not taken King Toknon’s cowardice lightly, as his horribly massacred body was found in his chambers. The sight of their dead king had seemed to lift a weight off the Thellian’s shoulders, and their assimilation into the castle’s defenses was smooth. Having the extra soldiers was helpful, but it also added to their number. Food stores were low, but not dangerously low. Now that the goblins were no longer attacking, hunting parties went out to replenish their supplies. He was sure that they would survive the winter without starving. He wasn’t so sure they could survive a more serious assault by the Deceiver’s forces.
If the huge Stone Ogre creatures that had ravaged South Karmon attacked them, he was not sure even Hargon could protect them. Goblins were easily killed. However, since they attacked by the thousands, they were formidable. Stone Ogres, on the other hand, were nearly impossible to kill, even though Conner had been able to help take one down when the fighting first started. At least they shouldn’t have to worry about the dragon. The flying beast had done so much damage to South Karmon and the city of Tyre, and it could have done great damage to the castle, as it would not be constrained by the thick walls. Whether it was truly an ally, he was not sure. It seemed to have a hatred of the Deceiver, but it also had a hatred of Humans. Now that they had the necklace piece of the Ark of Life well protected, the dragon seemed content to let them be.
He was still not sure what power the necklace would bring them. Having been immersed in a pool of spring water, it had given the water healing properties that had saved his life. Whether it could be used as a weapon against the Deceiver was not for him to decide. He just knew it could not fall into the hands of the Deceiver and that was why he needed to scout the kingdom for the Deceiver's army. If they were to take the necklace far away, he needed to be sure that the Deceiver wasn’t waiting to ambush them. Right now, it was as safe as it could be, hidden deep in the castle’s tunnels underneath the mountain. Once he had a feel for where the Deceiver’s army was, he would be able to take it far away.
For this dangerous job, he trusted only himself. There might have been someone else in the castle that knew the forest as well as he did, but none would know it better. With so many of his people having lost their lives, he was not going to order one more into harm’s way. At least not until winter was over. Once the spring thaw started, they would need to be ready to fight to take back their kingdom. He was not so naïve to think there wouldn’t be more deaths. He knew there would be many good men and women who would lose their lives, but now was not the time to risk lives. If anyone were going to take a risk, it would be him.
The creak of the inner gate opening startled him. It had just been shut tight and locked behind him, so the l
ast thing he expected was for it to be opened. A slight figure slipped through the crack in the door as soon as it was wide enough.
A smile came across his face as he saw who it was.
His new love Ilasha came running towards him, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
“It is cold, my dear,” he said as she approached.
The scowl on her face prepared him for her anger.
“How dare you!” she said with a low, but harsh tone. “You were just going to leave without saying goodbye?”
“You were sleeping soundly,” he said, the joy of seeing her muffled by her outburst. “The fire was burning hot, and I knew you were tired.”
She stepped closer, and her eyes narrowed. “You are going to be gone for a long time, and you couldn’t say goodbye?”
Marik smiled, trying to calm her anger. He put a hand up to her cheek. She tried to turn away, but he held it on her face. “We said our goodbyes last night.”
She shook her head and pulled away from him.
“Clearly that was not enough,” Marik said. “I honestly did not think you would want to be disturbed. It was late when we finally fell asleep.”
“You thought wrong,” she said. Tears started to form around her eyes. Before they could fall down her cheek, she sniffled and wiped them away.
“It will be no more than a week,” he said. “We have to know if there are more goblins out there and if there are, where they are.”
“But why you?”
“I am a Karmon Knight,” he replied.
“But you are not the only one. There are others.”
“And they need to be here in case the goblins attack.”
“But what about Hargon? He is here to protect us.”
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I am a Knight Ranger. It is my job. It is what I do.”
“You are their leader!” she said, letting a tear fall from her eyes. It drifted down her cheek, freezing in the cold mountain wind.
He laughed. “I am no leader! Sir Gossmire is a much better leader than I will ever be. Also, everyone listens to Hargon. He always knows exactly what to say. He was an emperor, remember?”
“But everyone respects you. They look up to you. They will follow you, but you must let them.”
Marik just shook his head, as they had already spent many hours discussing, then arguing. “You did not sleep at all last night,” he said. “I can see it in your eyes. You must get some rest.”
She bit her lip, shaking her head sharply. “I cannot,” she said, barely holding in a sob. “Not until you return.”
“I promise I will return.”
Then she let out a sob, and said, “I have heard that promise before, and it was broken. Do not promise me what you cannot keep.”
Marik dropped his chin to his chest and knew the pain she felt. Although the necklace of the Ark of Life had kept her from aging, it also allowed her memories to linger. Many years ago she had fallen in love with another knight, and he had decided to choose knighthood over love. In another time and place, he would have made the same decision. His life was devoted to his kingdom and his duty as a Karmon Knight, but the events of the world changed all that. Life was too fragile to not take advantage of it to the most possible extent. There was room in his heart for both Ilasha and Karmon.
After letting out a quick sigh, he said, “Very well. I will not make that promise, but I tell you, I will return.”
“I have been alone for a long time,” Ilasha said softly. “For many years, I lived by myself. I had forgotten what it was like to…to not be alone.”
Marik stepped forward and touched his lips to her cheek. “I do not know why, but you are the love of my life. Although we have only known each other for a short time, I know I cannot live without you. This I must do. My heart will always be yours, but I must serve the kingdom when she calls. That is my oath as a Karmon Knight.”
She took a step back away from him. With bitterness, she said, “Go then. Be a Karmon Knight.”
Marik started to leave but then turned to look at her. “When this war is over, when the fighting is done, then you will have more than just my heart. You will have all of me. But first, we must destroy this evil that has come to the world.”
With tears flowing freely, she nodded her head. Her lips curled into a smile. This time, her voice was strong and proud. “Go then, my Knight Ranger. Go and save us all.”
He smiled back at her. He knew that if he didn’t leave in that instant, he would bring her into his arms and never let her go and never leave. With a strength he learned only through his discipline as a Karmon Knight, he turned and began walking through the snow with long, purposeful strides.
Chapter One
“Not a day too soon,” Conner said. “I am so tired of fish.”
Glaerion stood next to Conner at the bow of the Flying Narwhal as it cut through the choppy waves of the ocean. The sun was high in the clear skies, beating its heat down upon them. Directly ahead was land, the first they had seen since leaving the jungles of the Elven exile.
“It staves off hunger well enough,” Glaerion replied with an even tone.
“Well, I’d prefer a good fresh rabbit. Once we land, the first thing I’ll do is catch one and cook it. Once you’ve tasted my rabbit, you’ll see what I'm talking about.”
“Do not be in such a hurry,” a weak voice said from behind them.
They both turned to see Captain Gorge being helped along the deck by two of his sailors.
“You should be resting!” Conner said. “You almost died!”
Captain Gorge shook his head. “It’ll take more than a mast falling on my chest to kill me.”
The sailors helped their captain to the front of the ship and then were dismissed. Captain Gorge leaned against the railing. His breathing was shallow and wheezy. Soon after they had left the land of the Elven exile, the weather had turned bad. A hurricane-strength storm was seen on the horizon, and he had turned his ship away from it. Although the Elves had continued onward, he would not risk his ship and crew. As they were fighting the storm, the mast of their ship was struck by lightning. With the base of the mast weakened, the storm’s strong winds toppled it right on top of him. The moment he was struck, he was sure that he was dead, but the Elves onboard were able to help lift the mast off him. He knew there was much damage in his body, but if he had survived this far, he would eventually heal. In the meantime, though, he would have to suffer through a painful, broken body.
Ignoring the pain, Captain Gorge turned and motioned with a nod of his head. “The land there is an island. I have seen it before from afar, but I have never ventured near. They are not keen to outsiders.”
Conner took a long look at the island. It stretched across the horizon for as far as he could see.
Captain Gorge continued. “That is the island of the Hurai. As you are Hurai, maybe they will welcome you.”
Conner continued to stare at the land as the words of the captain sunk in. He had been trained by Master Goshin, a Hurai who had lived in the castle at South Karmon. In the short time that they had known one another, they had become friends. Master Goshin had taught him more than how to hold a sword or swing a sword. He also taught him how to be a man. The lessons that were learned while training would last him a lifetime and every day when he thought about Master Goshin, he wished he had one more moment to thank him. Prince Tarcious, before he had become Emperor of Taran, killed Master Goshin while Conner looked on. His hands went to his chest where crossbow bolts struck him while he was a prisoner in Tara City, forced to fight in gladiatorial games. There were no marks or remnants of the wounds, only a memory of the crossbow bolts striking him.
It was that moment when his life really began. The crossbow bolts had taken the life from him, but Hargon had given it back. While he was dead, or unconscious, or whatever it was, a figure who called himself Micheal had spoken to him and told him about the Ark of Life. The artifact was to be taken far away from T
arcious, but in the end, it ended up right in the Deceiver’s hands.
In all of this, the biggest revelation came from Glaerion, who had told him he was a Hurai. The only Hurai that he knew was Master Goshin, and he looked nothing like him. Master Goshin was short, with olive skin and eyes that were not round, but thin and slanted. He had denied it at first, believing it impossible that a man such as himself, living so far away from the land of the Hurai, could be one.
“I do not feel like a Hurai,” Conner suddenly said. He had no idea what being a Hurai felt like, but it must be different than what being a Karmon was like.
Glaerion snorted, and Captain Gorge laughed.
“What does a Hurai feel like?” Captain Gorge asked. “My skin is a dark ebony. Do you think I feel any differently than you do in your white skin? And Glaerion? Do you feel like an Elf? Do you think being an Elf feels differently than Conner feels being a Hurai?”
Glaerion looked over at the captain with his stern and stoic gaze. “The Web of Magic flows through my body. I can feel it all around me, sense its presence, sense when it is being used. It is like a soft breeze that is constantly flowing about me. I do not think that is what Humans feel, so yes, I think being an Elf is different.”
“Really?” Conner asked. “You can feel magic all around you?”
“It is something that we are born with, something that is a part of our being. We become used to its presence and do not think anything of it, except for when there is powerful magic around us. It is like air. You do not feel it, or notice it, until a strong breeze blows against your skin. It is the same thing.”
“What do you know of the Hurai?” Conner asked.
“I know Elves have come across them over the years. Our land is not so far away, even though we try and stay away from them. If you remember, Ryshak dealt with them directly many years ago with disastrous results, but that was generations ago. I don't think we have had contact with them since. They are a proud race of warriors who are also devoted to the One God. Their religion tells them they are the chosen people of the One God. What that means, I do not know. I am sure you will have the chance to ask them. Captain Gorge, have you had dealings with them?”
