Through the dirt rose a man. A man whose history is unknown, even to him. He rises next to a cliff leading into a bottomless pit. His body feels weak and used, but his heart and mentality is strong. Upon opening his eyes, he notices the mountains surrounding him.
They're glazed with snow and seemingly endless. The sky is filled with puffy white clouds.
He groans before looking at a small puddle in front of him. He rushed to the puddle and splashed the water in his face multiple times before glaring at the reflection.
"Is that me?" He said to the puddle. After shaking his head he turned round to where he has rose from. There was a chest with a note attached to it. The paper was worn out and on the verge of ripping into tiny pieces. It was a stained coffee color that reeked of weathering.
"Inside of this chest are a bunch of goodies I've collected for you. I'm sure you'll use them well. - Your friend"
The name was smudged out but barely recognizable. Still, he wasn't able to read what it said. He put the note aside and looked at the chest. It was a long black box, but it didn't have the same weathering as the note. It was like it was just recently placed there.
The man flipped the lock and slowly opened the box. Inside was a long sword, decorated with a fine carbon steel blade and a sturdy cross guard. The blade had a strange writing inscribed on the side. It says, "The Aikedekun Ọkan". The grip was wrapped with bloodied bandages and was loosened around the pommel. Underneath the sword bore the scabbard. It was much less fine than the blade itself, sporting tears along the sides. There was faint bloodstains across the scabbard giving history to the blade.
The man wrapped the scabbard around his waist and checked inside of the box once more. There was a medium-sized wooden flask filled with a very pungent smelling liquid. He attached it to the belt he was wearing and then finally looked beyond the box. There was nothingness. Only snow-covered mountains that was endlessly expanding across the horizon.
The man turned from the cliff-side and found a young girl sitting down the stairs from his awakening. He walked up to her slowly, but she already knew he was behind her.
"Finally awake?" She said in a soft voice. "I've been waiting for a while now."
The man looked off in front of her noticing a broken shrine of sorts. It was centered in a lake that was almost pitch black and brimming with terror. The shrine itself was perfect, no scratches, no dents, perfect design and physique. There was a mystical light that shone from a small breach in the clouds. The man stepped closer to the lake but was suddenly stopped.
"The closer you get to that shrine, the closer the Serpent gets." The girl said. "According to a woman who passed by not long ago, a giant Serpent is wrapped around this mountain to protect the one shrine that rests upon the top. Anyone who dares to get close to it shall perish."
"I see." The man said. "Who are you?"
The girl smirked, "My name is Coty. From the note passed to me, much like yours, I was given instructions."
"Does it say my name?" The man asked Coty.
She nodded, "Your name is Tanek."
The man looked at his hands, "Tanek. . .what does the note say?"
Coty handed Tanek her note which says:
"You should have awoken before your Resurrected One. You are his aide, his shield, sword, healer and comfort. Your life is sworn to protect him in his journey to bring order to this land. You cannot die so long as he is alive, as the same for he. - Your friend"
Similar to Tanek's note, the name was smudged and barely lucid, "So you, Coty, are my aide?"
"It shall seem that way, Sir." Coty bowed her head and then pulled a small dagger from underneath her thigh. She pulled the blade from its leather protection and placed the blade firmly inside of her palm.
"What're you-?"
Coty slashed at her palm releasing a strong and powerful aura surrounding both of them. It was the color of her blood that shielded them in a thick bubble. The blood that dropped from her hand and onto the stone tiles quickly slid across and into Tanek's body. Every muscle tensed up in the both of them as the bonding of their souls were finalized.
They dropped to the tile and were left gasping for breath. Tanek managed to muster the strength to stand up, he reached out to Coty who grabbed his hand. They both stood for a moment to restore their senses.
As they took a deep breath to relax, The Large Serpent was glaring at them from the peak of the mountain. It was sitting, waiting and observing. Tanek kept his eye on the Serpent until he recognized that the Shrine was cracked. The slight damage must have spawned the Serpent to protect the Shrine.
"Coty look. The bonding shook the mountain it seems and cracked the Shrine." Tanek mentioned. "I think we should speak to the Serpent."
Coty rejected, "You cannot simply speak to a God. It is far too dangerous and far too risky."
Tanek shook his head, "I must try." He stepped onto the Shrine's Holy Ground which made the Serpent hiss softly. Though it was a very far distance away, the sheer size of the thing made any sound that came from the God almost deafening.
The Serpent instantly lunged closer to the Shrine as Tanek stepped into a more fitting view of the God, "Koj xav tau dab tsi ntawm lub thaj neeb no?"
Tanek somehow understood what it was saying but didn't speak the language that it did, "I wish to ask you questions."
The Serpent quickly hissed, "Thiab koj yuav tsum nug dab tsi?"
"Who are you? Who am I? Why am I here?" Tanek asked aggressively.
The Serpent pulled back slightly, "Kuv lub npe yog Yakshit lossis The permanent Ib. Kuv tsis paub koj lossis koj yog leej twg, tab sis kuv paub tias koj tau muab tso ntawm no los ntawm lwm tus."
Coty stood tall next to Tanek, "What is He saying?"
Tanek nodded his head at The Serpent, "His name is Yakshit, or The Permanent One. He doesn't know me or why I'm here but he knows that someone put me here."
Yakshit pulled back and rested himself on the peak of the mountain again, this time less paranoid. Tanek and Coty maneuvered around the Shrine without stepping on its Holy Ground.
Coty walked alongside Tanek and reached a flight of stairs that seemed to wrap around this peak. It was in near-perfect condition and crafted by the hands of a Supreme Being. She stopped Tanek from stepping forth, "Tanek, Immortal One. This path is dangerous and your life is precious. If you wish to not step foot further, we may do that."
Tanek gave a half-smile, "Coty, I need to understand. I was not given this blade for nothing. Nor this flask. You were not bound by soul to mine for nothing. We must find where we belong in this world for there are more questions in my mind than cells in my body."
Coty nodded her head, "If you ever wish to stay grounded in one spot, that is the wish you choose and I will gladly follow you."
Tanek opened his arms, "This journey may see many nights and many battles. We may long for death and to be cast into the depths of the Bottomless, but I will fight to the bitter end. Are you with me, Coty?"
YOU ARE READING
The Holy Knight
AdventureA man wakes up in a mountain hundreds of feet above the ground. He doesn't know his name, his purpose or what realm he's in. He finds himself next to a young woman whom is bound to him by her soul and must help him to achieve his destiny.
