《No Reprise For A Wrathful Knight》


 Chapter 1

    The Body of Envy has long been raging through Elveria. Those were the words that were now beginning to be jotted down into the Envidian history books. The terrorist organization of rogue mages terrorizes the towns of the Elvish motherland. Yet, its capital, Rindale, has been fighting the battles of the land by itself as Queen Aurelia and her guard has been hard at work for Elveria.


    A knight from the neighboring island of Rimu has been sent over to help their cause, first assigned to handling their goblin problem.


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    A boat crossed the waters. A young man, no older than twenty, wore black armor adorned with golden accents. He stood atop the vessel, which moved forward without needing paddles. His expression was unreadable. His skin was pale, perhaps a shade mellow than the sand he was nearing on the beach.


    His hair was black and messy yet not greasy. His eyes were a gradient of purple. Bags under his eyes showed his potential tiredness. A black sword sat on the belt of his armor.


    At first glance, it was nothing more than your typical sword of a knight of Rimu. Yet, if you glanced briefly, you would notice the many peculiarities of the blade, such as its refusal to reflect the sun¡¯s light, which it took so unfavorably from the world.


    The knight stepped off the boat, the steel plates of his boots hitting the gravel and sand below. The ship sat, looking like it was watching to see if he would safely make it into the dangerous forest.


    The forest looked wicked. Branches twisted in jagged shapes. Green birds stirred at the top of the trees. As if camouflaged, they launched into the shadows when they flew off. The knight paused under a low branch, its bark scarred with thin grooves.


    His eyes followed the path of one of the birds, which disappeared like it was guiding him. The knight thought the birds never seemed to fall. Slowly, he moved through the forest. The ground was soft yet damp, with leaves and moss sprawling from every corner.


    As he walked, the knight rested his hand on the hilt, his fingers brushing the grip; a sudden cry ripped through the quiet. It was neither human nor entirely animal. The knight stopped, turning the way the cry had originated.


    His blade slid from its sheath without resistance. Its edge was sharp and perfect, as if a blacksmith had recently forged it. The knight held it, its weight balanced in his grip. The sword was lively, like a pit of lava you dare not touch. Something moved in the distance, soft and calculated. The knight, his eyes not hinting towards his emotions, turned toward the noise. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hide my bloodlust enough.¡± The quiet sound of rustling barely registered before the knight moved on instinct. A tiny gremlin lunged from the shadows, its claws aimed at the armor on his back as if it could go through it.


    The knight jumped into the air with an ease that went against the weight of his armor. His body twisted mid-flip, his sword arcing through the air. The blade struck nothing but air-at least at first. The force of the swing rippled outward.


    A tree was in his strike¡¯s path, fractured at its base, leveling with a crash, spreading and revealing many more gremlins creeping toward him in the shadow from the undergrowth. Kaiser landed without a sound; the gremlin that had tried to ambush him now split cleanly in two along with the tree.


    Its remains hit the ground with a wet thud, and a chorus of screeches erupted around him. The forest moved. Creatures poured from the shadows, their eyes glowing in anger after seeing their friend defaced in a way that seemed effortless. They rushed him unorganized, their claws scraping against the bark of the trees and teeth gnashing as they closed in on the knight.


    He stood motionless, calm despite the swarming gremlins. One creature darted toward him, its claws slashing upward. The knight¡¯s blade moved in a blur. The gremlin fell apart before it could complete its swing. Another came from his left. Without turning, the knight spun on his heel, the blade slicing through the air and severing the creature¡¯s head in a single stroke.


    Gremlins leaped at him from all angles, and each was met with the same result: an arc of dark steel followed by silence. An enormous gremlin, its body weaved with muscles and claws more penetrating than the others, barreled toward him, letting out a throaty roar.


    ¡°You¡¯re a gremlin? Hm. It looks more like a goblin. Shame you won¡¯t live long enough to evolve.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother to step back. The knight slanted forward. The beast came running; the armored male stepped forward.


    He invaded the arm swing of the beast as he ducked. Driving his sword into the beast, stabbing through its lungs. The gremlin coughed blood from its collapsing lungs; the creature¡¯s acceleration carried it forward even as it fell in two and stopped in its tracks. Its lifeless body collapses at his feet.


    More screeches came from the trees but didn¡¯t sound like battle cries, perhaps more like screeches of terror. The remaining gremlins paused, circling him just beyond the reach of his sword. Kaiser tilted his head slightly, glancing at the varmint. He flicked the blood from his blade with a quick snap of his wrist; the motion was clean and practiced.


    More of a samurai than a knight, the sound was sharp enough to slice through the silence. His stance adjusted subtly, and the sword rested comfortably in his grip. The blade seemed to reflect the sunlight. A gremlin stepped forward, their eyes now glowing, locking onto the knights. The creature hesitated momentarily, its claws twitching.


    The remaining gremlins decided they were the chosen ones who could rake the knight into the wind. He noticed this change and felt a faint smile tug at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°...Finisirae,¡± he said; as the word left his mouth, the blade pulsed violently, energy from it expanding outward in a sudden spiral. The blast was rending through the air with a deafening roar. It tore the forest like a storm, leveling trees and disintegrating every gremlin within its radius.


    The creatures didn¡¯t even have time to screech before the violet inferno consumed them, reducing their bodies to ash scattered on the breeze. When the light finally faded, the forest was quiet again, save for the creaking of splintered wood and the faint rustle of leaves falling to the scorched ground.


    The knight lowered his blade. He glanced at the devastation around him, his eyes reflecting indifference. He had not come here to care about a small part of a forest. Sheathing his sword, he turned and walked deeper into the forest, stepping over the charred remains without a second thought. Whatever was waiting, he was ready. The forest, however, was not.

 Chapter 2

    My moniker is Kaiser. No, I don''t have a royal name¡ªI¡¯m not a king, prince, or baron.


    The meat sizzled. The juices hissed against the fire as I slowly turned the skewer. The girl before me seemed to believe I was just an ordinary traveler, unaware of the truth. I don''t need this food, to be honest. Across from me sat a caged girl I had found at the goblin camp.


    I described her position as sitting, but her knees were up to her face. Her arms were tightly wrapped around her, her hands strategically placed. Her long, wavy brown hair hung in tangled curtains over her face, but her wide eyes were locked on me, unblinking. I could feel her trembling from here.


    ¡°Relax,¡± I said, not even looking up from the fire. ¡°If I wanted you dead, you¡¯d already be part of this stew.¡±


    She flinched but said nothing. Typical. I¡¯m a knight from Rimu, often called the slums of Elveria. They never have much to say once they realize who or what they¡¯re dealing with. I understand her fear. If I were in her position, I¡¯d probably be terrified too.


    The crackle of the flames filled the silence between us. I let it stretch, waiting for her to speak. Say something. Anything. I have a mission, and this is a distraction. Most of the time, people give away more that way. I guess she has something to hide.


    Perhaps she¡¯s a hungry siren¡ªand she¡¯s looking at me like that instead of the cooked creature in my hand because she wants something more significant to eat.


    Who knows.


    Let¡¯s rewind for a moment to the forest: the ash, the screams, the scorched wood just before I met her in that goblin camp.


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    The forest was darker now, and the air was heavy with the stench of rot and something else¡ªnot much different from where I came from. I didn¡¯t mind it, though. I was much more focused on the scent of the fleeting gremlins I was following.


    My boots pressed into the ground with cautious steps. This sword''s aura seemed to grow darker and thicker. I rested a hand on the hilt, the familiar chill biting my palm.


    ¡°Finisirae. Which way? ¡±


    There was no response for a moment¡ªonly the forest''s silence. The blade emitted energy toward the direction of a scent. I turned, adjusting my path. I wouldn¡¯t call it talking. Finisirae didn¡¯t speak in any way a person would understand. But it answered in its own cold, violent way. A way¡­only I could understand, I suppose.


    As I walked, I couldn''t help but focus on the area; my nose twitched as I approached the space where Finisirae''s aura led me. Looking up, I saw smoke, which almost smelled better than the blood earlier. I stopped at the edge of the clearing.


    "Found you," I whispered, my voice not heard under the flames in the distance. I began to step forward. My steps grew faster as I went from a slow-paced run to a fast sprint. Confused, the goblins threw their heads up as they heard quiet steps approaching them before one goblin screamed in agony.


    Finisirae sang in my hand, its dark aura rippling as it bit into the first goblin''s neck, silencing its scream with a wet gurgle. The others turned too late; their confusion turned into terror as I tore through them like a storm.


    It began to rain, and my eyes widened with excitement. The next goblin crumpled as its chest was split open. The third tried to flee but was caught mid-step, its legs severed as blood spurted in crimson flashes over my armor. Yet? That didn''t stop me. I moved with ruthless precision, my movements a dance of carnage.


    A goblin ran at me with a jagged spear. It lunged at me, snarling. The goblin threw the spear, but I sidestepped. Effortlessly.


    The spear whistled past my head, my blade plunging into the goblin¡¯s gut, twisting it to cause the creature more agony.


    A huge axe swung down over my head, yet I put my hand up. Catching the impact with my bare hand, my hand bled from the catch. I turned, looking up at the massive goblin who threw the axe at me.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I yanked my sword free from my last victim, then, with a quick pivot, drove the sword upward, splitting the goblin¡¯s weapon¡ªand its skull¡ªin two. Both goblins collapsed with a shriek drowned out by the crackling fire beside me.


    The clearing was silent now, save for the occasional crackle of the flames. I stood near the bodies, blood dripping from my blade and my hand. I raised my hand, letting the rain hit it and barely hissing from the pain.


    But my hiss turned into laughter, dark and rasping. I reveled in the pain, in the rush. It was like I was one with it; its effect was minimal. And I felt like I was second to none as long as I had this¡ªsword.


    The blade that brought me into this world. The blade that made me into a demon when it came to the things I hated.


    Goblins. Gremlins. They disgust me. The sword pulsed in my hand, and for a moment, my vision pulsed, a flash of something wild in me.


    But I cursed, throwing the blade into the dirt with a violent grunt. It stabbed down into the ground as I panted slightly. Its power waned slowly as if it was excited from the rush. Then, the pain from my still bleeding hand came.


    The rain hit hard and cold, but it did nothing to clear the buzz in my head. My breathing became heavy as I stood, wiping my bloodied hand on my pants.


    ¡°Damn sword¡­¡± My voice was rough; I hadn''t spoken since I rushed to this small camp. I looked up, letting the rain hit me. I listened for any other goblins or gremlins around for me to hunt. That''s what I was sent here for¡ªmy mission? Yet I know I can''t do this forever. Soon, one of the orc clans will begin looking for me.


    Gremlins, Goblins, Orcs, and maybe even Hobgoblins. I don''t think I can take Hobgoblins without a guild, if any, still stand inside this land.


    Rindale.


    I have to make it to Rindale.


    I need to make it to Rindale.


    I shook my head, clearing my throat as I spat on the ground before I heard it¡ªthe water in the distance. No, the flowing river is not far from the camp. I could use it now.


    I began to walk toward the water, sliding down the small cliff and stopping before the mud-and-dirt at the water. I looked down at the water, briefly glancing at my reflection before I threw my hand into it, letting the current take the blood.


    I don¡¯t have any bandages on me to prevent any infections. Maybe they could¡¯ve dispatched a cleric with me or anybody if I was in a guild.


    I glanced back at the clearing, climbing up with my non-injured hand. The fire still crackled in the distance, the smell of scorched flesh lingering in the air. It didn¡¯t matter. The goblins were nothing but pests.


    I turned, wiping my hand off the muddy ground, the cold water still clinging to my fingers. Then I heard it.


    The sound of creaking wheels, muffled voices. Goblins, their language carrying over the air. I looked over where I heard it coming from. A carriage was coming to this ¡®camp,¡¯ cargo at the back. Hidden beneath a blanket.


    The rain slowed. I needed whatever was in that carriage. Whatever it was, it would keep me moving. I didn''t bring money from Rimu. I approached quietly, slipping out of the camp and behind the trees near the path I used to enter the village.


    The two goblins in the carriage hadn''t noticed me yet, but they would. They always did. And when they did? It would be no different for the others of their kind.


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    I guess that brings you up to date¡­ I apologize for my storytelling. Then again, I suppose my voice could be interesting to some.


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    ¡°... So. Girl. What''s your name? Are you going to speak now? Why did the goblins have you as cargo? Who are you?¡±


    I stabbed Finisirae into the log beside me, the cursed blade vibrating faintly as though displeased. Not that I cared; it had gotten what it wanted today.


    The sound of the metal smashing into the wood made the girl flinch violently¡ªher eyes wide and trembling.


    I stood up and then walked to her. She grew increasingly anxious. I crouched in front of her, my face inches from hers.


    ¡°You¡¯re trembling,¡± I started, trying not to scare her anymore. She looks like she''s on the edge of breaking even now. Her eyes tell it.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to be afraid of now. Not from me. Not anymore.¡± The girl''s whole body had curled itself to shield. My brows furrowed; I had a mission.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked again, tilting my head. ¡°Why were the goblins dragging you around like cargo? Who are you to them?¡±


    For a moment, the only sounds were the fire and the rain. She swallowed. Her voice caught somewhere in her throat.


    ¡°My name is... My name is Elara,¡± she whispered, finally speaking. Took her long enough. I smiled, leaning back and studying her face. I think I get her. Almost. The huge mystery she''s been holding back. I stood up. Walking back to where I began.


    ¡°Well, Elara,¡± I said, picking up Finisirae. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of explaining to do. And I feel you will make this journey far more interesting than I intended.¡±


    The blade pulsed faintly in my hand as though mocking my words, but I ignored it, turning back toward the fire.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re worth the trouble... And get you some clothes while we''re at it.¡±


    I sat down, back at the log. The fleshly hole from Finisirae noticed, and Elara''s eyes didn''t leave it before looking back at me


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± She begins; I could assume she wasn''t one for conversation starters. It must have been hard with her environment with the goblins, especially with most of the Orc Race not understanding the human tongue and using their barbarian language. I waited for her to speak so we could get moving. I don''t talk while we move.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat''s your name?¡±


    I looked back up. Confused by her asking me the question, I maintained eye contact. My face moved by itself, lips curving into the best smile I could give her.


    ¡°Kaiser... It''s Kaiser.¡±