Knight of the Moon

Chapter 2

Jared wrapped the black cloak over his brown leather vest. He checked his steel bracer on his arm, rubbing the edges. Tonight, I will leave in search for godhood. He wore his quiver with the steel arrows. He hung his bow across his back, placing the string in front of him for easy removal. “I guess it’s time.”

He opened his wooden window and peered down at the bottom. He drew the hood over his head and descended the wall, clutching at the dry protruding bricks. As he dropped at the bottom, he heard a grunt from behind. Turning around, he saw a guard.

“Who are you?” the guard said while gripping his sheathed sword.

“It’s me, Jared.” He lifted his head higher so the bright moonlight would shine on his face.

“Oh forgive me for not recognizing you but what are you doing?”

Jared came closer and bashed the guard’s face with the bracer in a backhand motion. He fell to the ground, a cut across his right cheek and a mouth full of blood. Jared took out an arrow and pierced it into the guard’s eye while covering his mouth to quiet the screams. He pulled out the arrow and stabbed at the guard’s throat. He squirmed a bit but soon he was motionless. Jared returned the arrow and pulled the guard away from plain view and hid him in a dark corner. The trail I leave behind will be a message. A message I will send loud and clear…

Jared moved swiftly around the keep, searching for his parents’ window. He had avoided two guards before succeeding. Jared ran at the wall, using the momentum to hoist himself up. Then, he reached out with one hand at a brick. Jared remembered one time, he tried the same stunt and ended up with broken legs. Never again.

He kept climbing the tall wall, soon arriving at the window. He took out his arrow, and slid it along the space between the two wooden doors. He felt the latch in the middle, and simply flipped it. The window was unlocked, and he had gained entrance.

He hopped inside and was surprised to see his parents naked on the bed. God, that’s nasty. He avoided looking at them and focused on searching for his father’s family sword. On the table there lay a sheathed blade. He slowly tiptoed towards it, careful not to wake his parents. Jared unsheathed the sword. It was light, and it reflected the light of the moon. Enchantments decorate the blade in unknown characters. Its hilt was silver, the handle was black leather and the pommel was a shape of acrescent moon facing down.

This is it, Jared thought. I will wield this blade, and this will be mine. I’m stealing my brother’s birthright, but it’s better off with me, I guess.

Jared returned the blade into the black scabbard and tied it around his waist. Quietly, he hopped out of the window, and climbed down. As he landed with a thud, a voice and a sound of a drawn blade made him spin.

“Yield, thief.” It was another guard, and he held his sword in front of him.

Jared drew Mooncleave, appreciating the lightness and the balance. It felt like it was made for him.

Before the guard could yell for backup, Jared lunged aiming for the chest. The guard barely parried, caught in surprise. Jared spun to his left and cut the guard’s right thigh. The blade ran through smoothly, surprising Jared with its sharpness. The guard limped away, clutching his bleeding thigh. Jared closed in quickly with the agility from years of formal training. He did a quick thrust which was weakly parried by the guard. Jared swung his shield arm in a wide arc, bashing the guard with his bracer. The guard fell, and Jared stabbed him on the ground.

Wiping the blade on the dead man’s jerkin, Jared marveled at the sword. “This is amazing,” he whispered. He sheathed it and left.

Jared hid in the shadows, narrowly evading guards on patrol. Reaching the stables, he kept in the shadows, eyeing three guards. Two were sitting with a table between them. One was leaning on a post, carving a piece of wood.