The Slave Knight Part 1: The Dagon

Chapter Nine: The Wall and the Ford

The silence had lasted much of the remainder of the morning walk. It was a travesty to behold, that men would want to be slaves, slave knights at that, and many of the slave knights in tow thought of such things. They thought of the rules and laws that were established since the beginning of their histories and how the Squirrels had broken more than they could imagine. The slave knights had unspoken and seldom delivered rules, mostly that pertained to themselves and the inner workings of their warbands. One perfect example is the idea of a debt. In non-slave knight life, debts were payable and recoupable through courts of equity and courts of justice, however, slave knights were not privy to such tools of the justice system. Instead slave knights, oftentimes, had to regulate and moderate themselves, outside of the judicious bindings of the meisters, that is. Nonetheless, quite infrequently, mind you, do these rules of slave knights fall over into the civilian realm, to true men, and women of course.

One perfect example is emulation of slave knights, which the Squirrels are a perfect example of. A cardinal sin in their unbound book of laws, pardon the pun, and which is something that everyone knows about, or should at least, but none talk of it for that matter. It is just something you just do not do. First and foremost, there is a difference between acting and pretending. Yes, children pretend to be "honorable" and "noble" slave knights, fighting the elven scourge to the brink of desolation for York and the Kingdoms United, but that was only acting. That harmed no one. That actually perpetuated positive ideas about slave knights that became quite wholesome and favorable to the circles of slave knights and their meisters. That is something slave knights did not mind, but endeared and the meisters in turn propagated so most would not hate the so called slave knight scourge.

Pretending was a totally different thing. While slave knights were the lowest of the low, and on the bottom rung of most slave society, they still had some benefits and acclaim that they could garner, which most other slaves were not privy to. The small sacrifice was that they were usually at the front lines of any massive offensive or war, they were the first to be brutalized, to be killed, to be raped, to be strung up on ramparts still alive and coughing on the blood that had seeped into their lungs. With that, they were able to make money, at least easier than most other slaves. Slaves would make a pittance for their work, if anything at all. Most were paid in lodging and food and other types of sustenance, while slave knights could make massive sums from contracts that were farmed out to them by various meisters, lords, title holders, barones, baronesses, and all those who claimed some modicum of wealth, power, and land.

Of course, their initial meister could take a significant portion if they so chose, but by the laws of Overlord Baal, slave knights were allowed to keep at least one in ten of every coin gained per contract, and all monies that were achieved or gained or garnered in amidst the completion of a contract. The idea was to allow warbands to be self-sufficient when out on duty and contract, and not require the constant assistance and support from contract holders, meisters, and the like.

Warbands would and could make a lot of money through their scavenging, through short bid contracts, through other work that they were allowed to do, and that allowed them free access to people, places, and things. It allowed them more freedom than most would like to admit, and it empowered them to save up to pay a bond, that is, pay for their freedom and binding. This was technically the only thing legally that they could enforce if a meister was to try and take more than their share of the contract monies earned. Other than that the slave knights had nothing. They owned nothing more, they were given nothing more, and they could earn nothing more. All that they made per contracts, and around said contracts, was their livelihood. This was all that they could muster. This was all that they were allowed in their feeble lives.

When pretenders come about, they come about with such disdain for the slave knights and their craft, disdain for their work, and it would create a massive smear upon all slave knights. Pretenders have no honor in their work. They have no style, no finesse, nor expertise. They are common charlatans that would take the bread from the mouths of slave knights, without a care or concern. These pretenders are privy to more money than the regular slave knight, as they charge the whole sum, instead of just the one coin in ten share that they are entitled. These pretenders are also piss poor in their work, and besmirch the already bastardized name of slave knights. They know not the art of war, or killing, or protection. They know not how to strategize nor do battle. They know not anything of the trade of the slave knight and with their blundering they further negate the little acclaim and esteem the slave knights have developed over a thousand thousand years of refinement.