Hand Of Magic

Chapter 6: Sharpening the Blades

 

The Black Knights fortress was huge, it had an outer perimeter that was enclosed by huge concrete walls, obviously a remnant from the old days before the great war.  The walls still had barbed wire on the top, but it was enhanced and radiated from the war, the nuclear radiation serving to keep prying eyes away without good reason. I noticed that we seemed to all be unaffected by the radiation as I moved freely around, I was told that without the mutations I’d start suffering from minor radiation poisoning. The grounds were bare and dusty, with a few modern transports, obviously stolen, and crates with supplies and weapons and whatever else the Black Knights needed. The fortress itself was impressive, but appeared to be in need of a repair, it was grey and tall, with slits for windows just wide enough to allow a rifle barrel through. It had been built to last with thick walls that bore the occasional defensive spike ready to penetrate the foolish. The fortress on the inside was a marvel, what had once been an End War ruin had been transformed into a fully functional base of operations for the Black Knights. I was taken aback as I saw large computers and people running about, to one side I saw a group of Black Knights training, to another I saw a room marked ‘Armoury’, there were rooms everywhere, the fort having built for over a thousand troops allowed each Black Knight to stay each in their own rooms, they all stayed in what were once officers’ quarters and the old barracks rooms were turned into training rooms, storage rooms, prisons, whatever suited their needs. I stayed in a room in the east wing of the building. My room was furnished with a simple bed, desk and cupboard, as well as a footlocker at my bed. I opened the foot locker and found a Black Broadsword, a Black Halberd and a quiver filled with arrows. I stood up and looked at the bed; there on the bed was a Black Bow, intricately designed with carvings resembling a chain that broke at different links. Next to the Bow was a set of armour, Black Armour which was obviously medium set, it resembled my armour as a Golden Knight, but wasn’t as bulky, it lacked the decorative loin cloth and embedded gems, the Gauntlet had spiked finger tips, my Shield was smaller, but just as strong, with all the same defences, just black in colour.

“Do you like your new toys?” came a voice from the door way as I admired my new equipment.

“It’s amazing” I replied, barely able to hold back my awe.

“Thought you might like it, you’re going to need it in what is still to come. Rest up tonight and we can start planning tomorrow.” Said the Mysterious Black Knight that had saved my life, I tried to work out her madness, but surrendered to fatigue and retired to my bed. My eyes felt heavy and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The following few days I spent in the hidden fortress of the Black Knights. I learned about the mark that they all had and that was placed on my neck. Shortly after deciphering the riddle the chain around my neck had morphed and it became a tattoo of a shattered chain. Thousands of tiny broken links with the shards scattered around my neck. I questioned my host as to the reasoning.

“You broke the chain and escaped, you now have the power of the black mark at your own disposal. I no longer control you.” She replied as we walked along the mountain top. The view was breath taking. I figured we were somewhere in old Greece. Now Bloc 94. The ruined city lay out before us and in the distance I could vaguely make out the new city, surrounded by protective walls. We were deep in the mountain, the cave was obviously man made, I counted nearly one hundred Black Knights, some looked to be nearly half my  age, but one quick look in their eyes told me they were centuries older than me.

“Mistress Rachel!” Came a cry from behind us as one of the sentries came running up to us.

“Mistress Rachel there is a large convoy of possible bandits or scavengers coming this way, they must be looking for refuge from the incoming electrical storm.