Legends: The Knight of Helm (#1)

Chapter 8

Nerus looked back at the burning city in the horizon. The smoke rose into the air as the smell of the mountain air came over his noise. The enemy wasn't in pursuit, they had taken their goal, and this was as good as it was bad. The General looked forward, turning his back to the crowd of people. The General looked towards the stars, waiting for sunrise, the symbol of hope to all Helmish men, women, and children.

They traveled in the mountains, making a hasty and quick retreat, they needed to regroup before they could take Helm back. Nerus would have to wait for that day, however for now he would lead these people to safety. The cool night air child the people's bones, but they couldn't stop for fire, sleep, or anything that could risk their position. Movement is survival, if they stayed in one place too long they would die. The legends of old kept Nerus strong; the Sun God was to rise in their time of need. He remembered the old lines from his school boy days.

"In Helm's darkest hour, when the void will come over the people of the sun, the son will rise, wielding life giving light. When the darkness and light clash will the people meet their fate. Bringing his people from the corner of the earth the Lord of the Sun will give them peace and rule them in his day." Nerus whispered to himself.

"Where did you hear that?" A soldier asked glancing at his leader.

"My master told me those words, saying his master before him said the same to him, and so on so forth. What is your name son?" Nerus asked.

"Calivar, sir," The young man said firmly.

"Pass the message on to your wife, your family, your cousin who ever you see fit, for I failed to pass it to my own student. I still stand by my choice as it was not for him; Cladius creates his own light, no need for him to depend on another." Nerus smiled.

The middle aged man thought of Cladius as his son. Having no children of his own, his pride came through his students, but Cladius was his prized pupil, the apple of his eye. He had taught two men in his life time, Cladius and Volohs. He knew that both knew not, while both were equally able and skilled warriors, Cladius created his own strength where Volohs drained others. Nerus was always proud of both men, but Cladius was as his own, and Volohs had fallen into darkness and despair over the words he had given him.

"Why did you fail to give it to your only student?" Caliviar questioned.

"I had two students, the first fell for fame of my words, seeking to save Helm. I no longer pass those words on, yet they give me the strength of my master."

"You have trained two knights? That's unheard of; a man can only train a knight in his life time."

Nerus smiled, that's what he was most know for, being the most skilled swordsmen, and knight of Helm, the first and possible last man in Helm's history to train two pupils before the age of forty five. He looked at the stars in the sky, once more as the man had grown quiet.

He wondered about the "Moon" that was spoken of. The queen of the Sun God was the Goddess of the Moon and Beauty. Until then, Nerus could only dream of what it would look like. The second sun, as it was often called. Few peopled knew of these scholar reads and legends, as Nerus did. The General and knight found great interest and value in the words of old, while most would simply consider him a religious fanatic for it, He believed it to be history and prophecy.

Fort Crown was a week's travel. Yet the group made it there in six days, traveling through the first night of their journey. They refortified the fort, building bigger walls and better defenses. Traps were laid along the road for the armies of Volohs. It took all abled bodied men two weeks; luckily they had been prepared for war for months in advanced. The week after Nerus took the queen and king to Fort Dawn, nearing the border of Inger. They traveled by horse, making their appearance at Fort Crown by five nights.

All forts had been told to evacuate and to regarrison the remaining two forts of the general's experienced decision. If Inger would agree to help them, then these would be the forts to gain their strength. They had to protect them and hold out.