The Cedric Series
Book One
Cedric
The Demonic Knight
Valerie Willis
Copyright © 2013-2016 Valerie Willis. All rights reserved.
Edited by K. Webster
Cover Designed by Valerie Willis
Typesetting by Valerie Willis
Published by Battle Goddess Productions
www.willisauthor.com
ISBN: 1495222918
ISBN-13: 978-1495222917
ISBN: 9781310729089
Title: Cedric the Demonic Knight (The Cedric Series 1)
Author: Valerie Willis
Publisher: Smashwords, Inc
Version 3.0
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chapter One: Present Day
Chapter Two: Cedric’s story, the 12th Century
Chapter Three: The Tournament
Chapter Four: Bait
Chapter Five: Cursed Woods, Cursed Village
Chapter Six: Hellhounds
Chapter Seven: Shade for a Horse
Chapter Eight: Shaman in the Woods
Chapter Nine: Venoms, Poisons, & Toxins
Chapter Ten: A Cure
Chapter Eleven: Desire
Chapter Twelve: Haunting Dreams
Chapter Thirteen: Lillith’s Rage
Chapter Fourteen: Morrighan’s Chimeras
Chapter Fifteen: Badbh the Battle Goddess
Chapter Sixteen: Legend of the Moroi
Chapter Seventeen: The Hunt
Chapter Eighteen: Romasanta, Father of Werewolves
Chapter Nineteen: Army versus the Pack
Chapter Twenty: King Incubus Boto
Chapter Twenty-One: The Curse
Chapter Twenty-Two: Rusty’s Bar, Present Day
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Sultan’s Request
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Sisters Arrive
Chapter Twenty-Five: Merlin’s Demise
Chapter Twenty-Six: A Curse Broken
About The Author
Other Books By This Author
Connect with Valerie Willis
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my amazing Husband. Without his patience and encouragements, none of this would have existed.
I Love You, Mr. Willis
PREFACE
It was brought to my attention that I should take a moment to talk to the readers and fans of The Cedric Series.
I wish to share my inspirations for writing this story. This will explain a lot on how I came about creating these amazing ideas, characters, creatures, and events as a fictional work with heavy fantasy and romance elements in the mix. If one really wanted to drag out all its genres, I could label this a historical fiction, mythology, or even occult and paranormal. So far, Fantasy Romance has done this work the most justice for my readers’ expectations.
Historical fiction can be applied to several parts throughout the series, whether it’s a scene, event, or even a reflection of a character and their on-goings. What do I mean by this? Well a lot of you might get the Vladimir Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler references, but it dove deeper than that. King Frederic was the First King of Germans, the lepers in those times did indeed have to ring bells and seek refuge in colonies, Cerdanya was a real trade town, and so on. There are a ton of subtle hints here and there because I wanted to bring the unseen, untold side of the history during Medieval Times to a tangible state.
As far as the Mythology side of this series, I wanted to teach you all my version of forgotten lores, legends, and mythology. I did my best to not use anything that was newer than the 12th Century as I dug deep. Some of the concepts weaved in with my own perception was hard to obtain and justify. There was a lot of book buying, digging through a Medieval-age bestiary, and though I scoured the internet, it failed me often in my journey for research. As I created and developed each character, I did my best to tie them into one or more myths so that I may weave a wondrous story without limits. At the same time, I wanted some of you to get caught in a conversation or sitting in class and have that moment of, “Oh! I know how this myth goes!”
Let me enlighten you all on some of the tales, history, legends and myths stitched into some of these amazing characters you have experienced so far:
Cedric takes after a very forgotten and neglected epic legend from Medieval Times of the Russian Knight Hero, Ilya Muromets. Search him, check it out and feel free to compare what you unknowingly learned about this amazing legend. You’ll be excited to see a red haired knight on a black horse as one of the images in the mix. Included in this was some really obscure Romanian beliefs involving early vampire-like stories. The off-shoots involving the strigoi showed less of fear towards these vampire creatures, but held a tone of sorrow and remorse. People who became these creatures had not finished living their lives (Including not ever getting married) and met the insane stipulations to come back as one of the undying. Truly interesting, and I can only hope to capture that same empathetic tone I had discovered in my digging.
Barushka combines a few tales as well, starting with his name drawn from the Russian Knight Hero tales. Other than that, I focused heavily on the Shag Foal lores. I was intrigued by the first few variants I stumbled on and found that the internet proved void of information. Amazingly, the hairy phantom horse tales started so long ago, there was no exact date as to when they began. The folklore was mysteriously always there. Adding to my wonder about this lore was the fact I stumbled on a 1927 Naturalist journal that devoted a section to them. Even this far forward, it was believed it may be an undiscovered species of horse! Despite that, the one thing I saw reflected in all the writing was that a shag foal approaches lone travelers and scares them so much that they run off to their deaths. Never once did the research say the horse actively killed someone.
Morrighan, Badbh, and Nemaine were derived from the tales involving the evil sorcerer Calatin. This was the older tale involving them that did not mix the three as one entity. There are no words to describe my frustration and disappointment at how many times that Badbh and Nemaine were labeled as alternative names for Morrighan. Especially when the story of the Legendary Cuchulainn made it clear that they were three sisters each with unique powers. Seeing that Badbh and Morrighan had earned the title of Goddess at some point through the passing of time, I felt the need to give Nemaine her own placement as a Goddess as well.
Romasanta is the most complex of all my characters. His name is taken from a man in history that is not as common as it once was, Manuel Blanco Romasanta. He was the first serial killer to be trailed and as you read book two of the Cedric Series you will see a lot of that history drawn upon. Feeding off the tragic aura, I pulled in both werewolf and wolf-related myths and lores, wanting to show a more accurate flow through a single entity. It was my intentions to bring in familiar aspects and add in the historically forgotten complications that modern book culture has failed to take into account. Those well-versed in mythology will be able to pick out elements on their own, but the amount of lore here is wide. Tales of Apollo and Daphne, Pan and Pitip, Fenrir, versipellis, Romanian beliefs of vampires were caused by a werewolf,
Wolf of the Cemetery from Haiti, Romulus and Remus, and so on. There are deep seeds that I only give you teasers to the mythology that is mentioned here.
As for the monsters, you can say thank you to the Medieval Bestiaries. There are so many wild and crazy creatures in these that are no longer touched that I wanted to bring them to life again. Orms, Jidra, and Aitvaras were a few of the frightening things that travelers spoke of and warned each other about in their explorations. I can only imagine what they may have been based on, but there is a great sense of pride I take in including such monsters into my story. Granted, I have not followed their descriptions exactly and have embellished them with my own imagination, but I hope they make my stories more memorable.
In the end, I encourage my thirsty readers to explore what you’ve read in my Cedric Series. Search the names, look deeper in the scenes, places, events and discover these in more detail. My goal is to introduce you to the forgotten lores and history while adding my own perspective and imagination into the mix. May this tale make its mark in your heart and open your world to the legacy our ancestors once talked about over the dinner table so long ago!
Happy reading and discovery!
Valerie Willis
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to take a moment to say Thank You to a large number of friends and family who have encouraged, assisted, and cheered me on in my endeavors of writing this piece and the many that will follow it. I love you guys and this was only possible through you all!
Justin, My amazing Mr. Fix-it-all!
Levi, my Awesome little man who put up with my distraction!
Shannon, My writing and art Buddy and more importantly consultant!
Jennifer and Jessie for their edits and enthusiasm!
To the Kristins’ for idea support and hardcore edits!
Kris for making the intro stronger and pulling it together!
Erin and her reading buddy willing to choose my rough as their reading project!
Alejandro and Hector for nagging me during the writing process!
Jack and Josh for their stern insight for the beginning of the story!
Kesa for getting me over some huge writing mountains!
Stephanie for being the first to read the story in the rough!
The Alliance of Worldbuilders Gang for teaching me so much!
To the “Shadow Legion” for sparking my want to write again a few years ago!
And Thank You to everyone else for letting me hound you all about helping me read and edit this monster epic story!
Chapter One: Present Day
It was another dead Thursday night at the smoke-filled hole-in-the-wall bar, Rusty’s. The bartender set out to look busy, vigorously scrubbing the bar top, waiting for the regulars to drag in. There was a wet musk scent in the air. Besides the homeless man in the back booth, there was not a soul in the joint. Most of the people rolled in closer to midnight after their late shifts and were gone within an hour. Startled by the bell on the door, the bartender failed to see someone settle into the chair nearest him.
Perhaps he was daydreaming again, but it was rather early for this particular customer to be here tonight. The regular appeared across from him as if he had been there all evening. He never saw the man come or go, ever. The customer did not give out his name and it was rare for the man to talk. He was just the ‘silent patron’ over the past three months since he started coming in on Thursdays. At least he tipped well, paid in cash, and always ordered vodka on the rocks, top shelf stuff. The bartender started making the drink, without having to ask.
“Evening,” A deep stern voice flowed from the lips of the regular. He was a broad shouldered man and wore a hooded sweatshirt and baseball cap, the brim low, hiding the expression on his face. “Slow night?”
“It’s Thursday.” Tony the bartender replied, relieved that the man at the bar was willing to talk for a change. “Here you go, one Goose on the rocks. Besides, you’ve been here every Thursday, it’s always slow.”
The bartender slid the glass toward his customer who met him halfway. There was a slight pause, as Tony could not help but stare at the man’s left hand as it glided the drink away. He was missing his ring finger and curiosity was itching at the back of Tony’s mind once more. Tonight he decided to investigate the story behind the man’s missing digit.
“I just have to ask, how did you lose your finger?” He gave the mysterious customer a conversational grin. “Was it work related? I get some good stories from a lot of the guys about how their wedding bands saved their lives and cost them their fingers.”
“No.” The man took a sip from his drink and gently placed it back down. “I refuse to let it grow back… That’s the only reason why it’s still missing.”
“What?” A sickening weight of dread came over Tony as he realized something was not natural in the man’s tone of voice. The other servers were right; something was very creepy about the Thursday night regular with the missing finger. This had to be a sick joke. He wasn't serious, right? “You what?”
“I refuse to let it grow back.” Holding up his left hand, he raised his head, covering his expression except for one gleaming green eye that stared menacingly at Tony where the finger had once been. “When I find her again, I’ll allow it to come back. I know she is still out there. She is alive, but just out of my reach. I feel her even after all these centuries.”
“What are you?” Paling, Tony’s life drained from him. His instincts screaming, he reasoned against them. This was not your typical drunk off the streets, or was he? He finally stuttered his decision. “Y-You must be d-drunk.”
“I am nothing for you to be afraid of.” Tony could now see the strong jaw line and grave expression the stranger had on his face as he spoke. Finishing his vodka, the green-eyed man slid the glass back to him, beckoning for another. “The others make you work tonight because they can’t stand being in the same room as me. Shocked you’re still alive, in fact. You are the only human in the entire lot of bartenders that works here. Normally they would have taken advantage, but then again, there is a good reason as to why they haven’t yet.”
“What are you talking about?” Tony’s body moved automatically, bartending on its own. Shaking, he refilled the glass and reluctantly slid it back to his now frightening customer. “Cut it out, you’re go-going to spook me away too, you know?”
“Forgive me.” His grin revealed wolf-like fangs as he scoffed to himself. “Call me Cedric. I am no enemy to you, just looking for someone to talk to, that’s all. I have spent a lot of time alone with only my thoughts for company. Sometimes it’s nice to talk with another person, instead of being trapped in one’s own thoughts…”
“Ced-Cedric,” stammering, Tony was ready to melt where he stood, but something about Cedric made his curiosity override the fear clawing at him. A cold sweat sent chills across his back, his hands gripping the edge of the cooler of beer, afraid of his own questions, “How do you know about the other bartenders? What on earth did you say to spook them?”
“They are all female, yes?” He paused mid-sip while staring into the bartender’s eyes, realizing he’d failed to explain the significance in this fact. “Female vampires have an easier time than the males in regards to hiding that they are not human. They can control their bloodlust much better and tend to inherit and master illusion-based traits more often. Anyhow, they could smell my blood and knew something was not right. It’s like mice serving drinks to a hungry cat, or worse, a starving lion.”
“Vampires?” Feeling silly for letting himself get so worked up over a fairytale, Tony began to rationalize the story. Nodding, he gave Cedric a dismissive smile, “That’s cute, yes; women are like vampires.”
“You don’t believe me? Well, I suppose not in today’s world.” Cedric took a sip of his drink again. “Let me tell you a story, then, perhaps we can be friends? I do miss having someone to talk to...”
“I don’t know, Cedric. You’re a little out of my league at this ra
te.” Praying he had not offended him, Tony topped off Cedric’s glass, eyeing the missing finger once more. “You can call me Tony.”
“Well, Tony, I’ll make it a Thursday ritual to tell you my story. I have nothing else to do while I wait. It’s been far too long since I last indulged in another’s company.” Cedric let out a heavy sigh. His eyes grew dull as if looking far into the past as he spoke on, “My best friend, he passed away not too long ago. The old dog lived far too long for his kind, but I was glad to have someone like that to help me during those hard times. Good friends are hard to come by, especially in my case. He was all I had after I lost my girl…”
“So sorry to hear that,” Tony watched as Cedric’s green eyes became vacant for several minutes; the weight of pain and sorrow was unmistakable in his gaze. “It’s never good to lose a close friend, or your girl.”
“Where to start?” The shine returned to Cedric’s eyes as he finished another glass of vodka and nodded for his refill. “How about the first night I saw her? It’s only appropriate. Like the poet said so many years ago; ‘whoever loved that loved not at first sight’...”
“Yes, tell me about this girl of yours.” Tony eagerly refilled the glass, waiting to hear what kind of story this was going to be
Chapter Two: Cedric’s story, the 12th Century
A scream broke the cold air, shattering the calm. A villager scrambled to keep his footing over the wet cobblestones, fleeing the castle’s stables. He failed to cry for help as he struggled to control his tongue. Finally, swallowing, he shrieked the reason behind his fear.
“Werewolf! Werewolf!”
Not far from the battered man stood a massive hulk of fur. Baring its teeth, the werewolf displayed jaws large enough to chomp any man in half, drool dripping across the ground. The damp night made the inner castle courtyard seem empty in the full moon as it peeked over the towers. The villager slipped, taking a hard fall onto the road, gripping his bloody side where the beast had torn into him earlier.
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