Ancient Cardos: The Knight Life

Chapter 7: No Going Back

I shook the rider a few times but he wouldn't wake up. I didn't want to remove the helmet. If it was my father, I wouldn't want to see his face and accept his death. I gave up on waking up the rider and sat next to him.

"If you would wake up. I'd love that." I pulled out my small blade and started carving the ground. The rider rolled over onto their side. "I'd prefer to die in peace." He said.

"But why not get up and leave, continue your life?" I said putting my blade away. I stared at the helmet and tried to look through the cracks to see the person's face. I just didn't want to see my father. "Because young one. This horse was all I had left. My family burned in Waltendale. I tried to find Cyrus and kill that dragon, but the dark mages caught me."

We sat in silence for a long time. "Well, kid. Leave me here. I won't make it to any kingdom or village. Not with the mess I got under this armor."

"I don't just leave a warrior behind. You wanted to kill a dragon, and now you are dying because of it. To avenge your kingdom, your family, that is pretty heroic. If you tell me your name, I could start a story about you. The Horse Rider of Waltendale."

"That is why I love you Claire, such a kind heart for a dragon slayer."

"What did you say?" I was talking to my father this whole time? I had a feeling, but for it to be true? I felt so bad for not recognizing his voice sooner. It has been days and he is dying in front of me.

"Kill that dragon for me, your mother, and everyone else that dragon killed." I grabbed his hand and held it tightly as he laid there.

"I will father, I will slay every dragon until I die or all of them are extinct." He didn't move and didn't speak. After a few long seconds, I accepted the death. "Rest in peace." I started to cry. My family really was dead. I laid my head down against his chest that was covered in armor.

I calmed myself. I had to keep moving and I was starving. "Good night, dad.." I left him there and continued on my way.

I came across a building with a bunch of people running around from inside to outside or outside to inside. Boys and girls. I also saw one of them stop and lifted a bowl without touching it. She then threw the bowl over the fence and it landed and shattered. Another one of them stopped at the broke bowl and put it back together without touching it.

"What the hell?" I whispered. They all rushed to a center place. All in sync, all at once. They all crowded around and stood there like zombies in their black coats. One of them walked up in the middle of all of them.

"Welcome to whatever annual of the great dark mages meeting." I hid behind a tree and listened. "We have killed that great knight of Faldin. The one that took us off the map. Killed our dragons. We dark mages are wizards, dragon tamers, beings capable of dark power. We will not accept another knight to defeat us. Especially not that knights daughter, Claire."

I wanted to leave before I knew I was on their kill list. "We will ride to the Roden mountains tomorrow night and tame Cyrus. We will melt this world to ash!" The crowd roared as there was maybe a hundred of them or more.

I started to walk away and left them behind me. I was heading to Roden, the place I just left. I started to run which is what made it worse. I ran past my dad and his horse, it's a sight I have to get use to if i'm going to be taking these paths.

All the dead bodies at Roden, I have to work my way through them. I spent the rest of the day running, and most of the night. When I found the tunnel I got out of Roden with. I stopped to breathe. I fell over onto the ground and I even threw up.

I tried to climb down the tunnel and return into the kingdom but it was destroyed. It all collapsed. I could see the new kingdom of Roden. Burnt out, still smoking a little of what I could see.

I walked towards the kingdom. I was dizzy and tired but I had to find Cyrus, before the dark mages do. What was I even doing? I had no armor, no weapons besides a rusty blade and it was the middle of the night. I had not eaten in a full day.

I was stopped by a knight behind me that was still alive, he spun me around and looked at me. "Claire, how the hell are you alive." I knew this guy, it was Jason.

"Jason?" I whispered. The spin move was a bit noxious for me. I was trying to look into his eyes, but I was dizzy. "Why did you come back to Roden?" He asked me. I sat down on the ground and laid down facing the night sky.

"The dark mages. They want Cyrus."

"The dark mages are dead." It was clear he didn't believe me. I wouldn't believe myself either.

"No, Jason, they are still alive. I need to kill Cyrus before the dragon tamers get him."

"Then go get yourself killed. You are in no shape to fight a dragon."

I got up and kept walking to the mountain, I would get my breath back by the time I got up there.

I left Jason behind, if he tried to get my attention I ignored him. I walked into Roden. I had to reach the back of Roden to start climbing the mountain.

I picked up armor pieces laying around that wasn't burnt. I put them on piece by piece, until I was fully armored. I grabbed a shield next and all I needed know was a sword. The armor had yellow markings on it to symbol it was Roden's.

While walking through Roden, all buildings had collapsed and crumbled into walkways. Every person was buried in debris or blasted by dragon fire.

I could see the sun rising behind the King and Queen's castle. I got to the back of the city. The sight I had to witness was awful. Burnt corpses and destroyed buildings. Severed limbs from accidents. My mind was disturbed and I had to shrug it off.

Some buildings were still on fire. I picked up several swords that would be well balanced with me. I had to keep changing the swords as I went. I finally found the right sword. It gave me a perfect swing that I really liked.

I got to the base of the mountain in the crack of light. I was going to climb it somehow. I looked up and saw a hole in the mountain side. That had to be where the dragon was. Cyrus was going to have to die to make things right.

I started climbing the mountain and it wasn't to steep. I was going to kill this dragon. I stopped to rest one last time on a cliffside. I could view most of Roden from here. What was left anyways. I climbed higher and higher and then it hit me. It literally hit me.

A giant dark green dragon flew off the top of the mountain towards me and clawed my right side. I swear everything I fight hates my sides. It flew back to the top and I held my sides in pain. I wanted to cry out in pain, but I learned to forget about it. I was bleeding a little, the armor took most of the hit. I put my hands to my side and the blood stained my armor and hands.