The Shadow Knight (A Shadow Knight Novel Book 1) Read online

  Bearit took a moment as he inspected the axe. “Well, the shaft looks like it be made to do just that. And I would think the flat of the blade would work in a bind.”

  “Good,” Jonas said. “And don’t forget that you can use the edge of the blades where they join the shaft and the spike at the front. If you look at the angle of the blade, you can catch a sword strike there, spinning it and pinning the blade against the spike,” he said, pointing to the thick steel where it joined the shaft. “Then you can use the edge of the blades to redirect the attack, or even spin it away from you where you can then deliver a deadly blow. Let’s try it.”

  Bearit looked at the axe in his hand in a new light, inspecting the front of the weapon and the points of the blades jutting forward from the shaft. Jonas lifted his blades. “I will start slowly, attacking you at various locations and levels. Use the weapon to block, and as you do so, always be thinking of attacking maneuvers.” Bearit nodded his head as he held the heavy axe before him in both hands. Jonas started off slow, his swords coming in level and at a moderate pace. Bearit blocked the first few strokes with the middle of the shaft, the steel covering the wood making a ringing sound. The axe was of good design, the steel covering the middle of the shaft, in between the handles near the axe head and the base, flared up at the ends, allowing a sword stroke to slide across the steel and miss the axe wielder’s fingers. Jonas reversed direction and came at Bearit with a downward stroke. Bearit hesitated for a moment before lifting the axe head up and blocking his attack on the edge of the front of the blades. “Good,” Jonas said. “Remember, the other end of the axe is made to inflict damage as well. You can block with the front, then pivot your body and swing the end of the axe up and attack with the two blades there.”

  “Attack me again from above,” Bearit said. Jonas did so, his sword coming down, this time a little faster. Bearit shot the head of his axe forward, and as the blade struck the edge of the steel, he pivoted to the side, using the points of the axe blades to knock Jonas’s sword out of the way, while adjusting forward and swinging the rear of his axe up and towards Jonas’s torso. Jonas pivoted away easily but smiled at his effort.

  “That’s the idea,” Jonas said.

  “Let’s keep practicing,” Bearit said, enjoying the work.

  And practice they did. For most of the day they continued their work, stopping only for a late lunch of dried ham, cheese, and bread that Jonas had procured in the morning, drinking large amounts of water to wash it down and quench their thirst. They practiced a few more hours and as the sun began its daily descent they decided to head back into the city. Jonas walked with a purpose and that piqued Bearit’s interest.

  “Where we be going?” Bearit asked as he kept pace next to him. Tulari had run off during the day to hunt, returning midday and now trotting next to Jonas, and although she was in dog form, her shoulders were still at his waist.

  “We need to see the Earl,” Jonas said. “I need to find out if he is familiar with the sigil I cut from that man. Something tells me the mark is important. I also need to tell him what I have found so far.”

  “And how will you gain audience with the Earl?”

  Jonas glanced up at Bearit, smiling. “I can be quite persuasive.”

  They made their way through the streets of Gyeen. Many people were out and the shops were still a bustle of activity, selling local goods as well as commodities from Ronith and Onett. Most of the homes, shops, and buildings were constructed of wood from the Lasur’een Forest, floated across the lake to the busy docks. Iron ore, silver, gold, and precious stones were mined from the Sarhast Mountains that lined the southern edges of the forest and shipped down river to the lake front town. Accordingly, there was quite a growing trade in jewelry as well as silver and gold ware. The craftsmen from Lanard were some of the best, their goods procuring a hefty price.

  “Where be the Earl’s keep?” Bearit asked.

  “East side of town, overlooking the lake,” Jonas answered. “When I came into town last week I saw it near the docks. If we time it right we should catch him before his evening meal.”

  It didn’t take them long to make their way to the docks. Once there, it was easy enough to see the Earl’s keep, its stone walls rising from the edge of the lake, four towers gracing each corner, the blue flags of Lanard fluttering in the wind. Gyeen was part of the Kingdom of Lanard and the Earl was appointed by the King to rule in his name. They made their way through the wharf, the street running along the edge of the docks filled with traders, sailors, and dock workers moving crates on and off various boats lashed to the docks that spanned out into the calm waters of the massive lake. They were working hard, eager to finish for the day to go home to a warm meal and a soft bed. The strong smell of fish and sweat assaulted them as they made their way through the docks. Jonas had to admit that it was beautiful there, the tall peaks of the Sarhast Mountains far off in the distance, an evening fog drifting off the calm waters of the lake.

  The gate into the keep was open but the portcullis was down, two guards standing before it. Jonas looked up and saw armored men walking the wall, long bows held easily in hand. As they neared, the two guards stepped towards them, their spears held before them.

  “Good evening,” Jonas said casually, his hand touching the soft fur of Tulari. “I request to see the Earl.”

  “The Earl is not holding audience today.” The guard frowned. “You must not be from around here. Earl Magnar’s audience day is Saturday. Besides, it is late and he will be at supper soon.”

  Saturday was two days away and Jonas couldn’t wait that long. “I regret to say I cannot wait that long. The Earl is the servant of the people and I have information that pertains to the safety of those people.”

  The guard looked at his comrade, looking for guidance. All he got was a shrug of his shoulders. Looking back at Jonas, he said, “Who are you?”

  “I am Jonas Kanrene. This is my apprentice, Bearit.” Bearit wasn’t really his apprentice of course, but he did not know how else to explain the young man’s presence. He figured it would do.

  “Apprentice of what?”

  “I am a knight.”

  The guard laughed, looking Jonas up and down. “Knight for whom?” he asked mockingly.

  “Shyann, Goddess of the Hunt.” His look was dead calm, and the guards shifted uncomfortably under his steady gaze. Jonas didn’t blame the guards. After all, he looked like no knight they had ever seen. He wore a gray cloak over black armor of a unique design. The center, protecting his chest, was an unadorned charcoal-gray steel plate. The seams of the armor were made from black chainmail allowing for protection similar to plate but movement like he was wearing chainmail. His pauldrons were black leather covered in gray steel. His clothes looked average and even his sword hilts were black and unadorned. The bow on his back looked like the simple bow of a huntsman. His knives too were plain and simple, as unassuming in appearance as everything else. To the guards before him he probably looked like the average armed trader. But that estimation couldn’t be further from the truth. Nearly everything he wore or carried was enchanted, given to him by Shyann herself, designed to allow him to blend in but giving him the power similar to a cavalier. His boots gave him extra speed, his clothes allowed him to blend into his surrounding, and his gloves gave him the dexterity of an elf.

  The guards smile disappeared. “Do not jest of such things. Shyann is not common in these parts, but I know of her, and I’m sure she would not wish you to mock her name.”

  “I do not jest,” Jonas answered calmly. “Perhaps if you give this to the Earl he will see me,” Jonas continued as he reached into a pouch at his belt. He removed a ring and handed it to the guard, who inspected it carefully.

  The ring was of unique design, expertly made by a master silversmith. On the top, etched into the silver, was the Finarthian crest, and underneath, also etched in silver, was the Tarsinian crest. The ring was the signet ring of both kingdoms. After Malbeck’s War, King Krom
m of Tarsis returned to his lands with his son, Prince Riker, and together, along with the queen, they began the slow process of rebuilding. Tarsis had been destroyed by Malbeck and his army before they moved south to Finarth for the final stand. The Finarthian royal family was all killed during the conflict, King Baylin Gavinsteal’s death at the hands of the blood dragon ending the royal lineage. At least that’s what they all thought. It was discovered that Prince Riker’s mother could trace her ancestry back to a long dead Finarthian King, and that meant that the young prince had the blood of both royal families. The two kingdoms were now united in a way that no one could have predicted. Finarth was now ruled by a temporary council of lords, Kiln, the famous general and swordsman, leading that council. With Finarth’s help, they were rebuilding Tarsis, and once complete, the two kingdoms would eventually be ruled by Prince Riker’s descendants.

  “What is this?” the guard asked.

  “That is the signet ring of both Tarsis and Finarth. I am a Knight of Shyann, and an emissary of both kingdoms. I speak in her name, as well as theirs. I suggest you move quickly. I’d like to see him before supper.”

  This time the guard looked at his comrade, his early bravado replaced by uncertainty. He looked back at Jonas. “Wait here.”

  The guard was gone for a quarter hour before he returned with three more soldiers. All except one wore blue tunics with the Rothar family sigil of a winged dragon holding a sword in its talons over their chainmail.

  One man, the only one wearing a silver cuirass embossed with the same sigil, stepped forward. He looked Jonas up and down before flicking his gaze to Bearit and Tulari. “I am Captain Taddick,” he said, his voice stern. “This is your ring?” He held up the signet ring.

  “It is. I am Jonas Kanrene.” Jonas saw the man’s eyes flash in recognition, his stern gaze replaced with something else, perhaps uncertainty, or admiration, Jonas could not tell.

  Captain Taddick was tall, his black hair streaked with gray. His mustache grew into a sharp, neatly trimmed beard, both of which also had strokes of silver. “I know who you are. Your exploits during Malbeck’s War are known this far west, at least to some,” he said, ending his last words with a stern look at the two guards. The guards looked away from the warrior, but Jonas saw them glance back in his direction. Neither of them knew who he was, but based on the Captain’s reverence, he was clearly someone important. “I’m sorry for the delay,” Captain Taddick continued. “The Earl has just finished up some business. He is ready to see you.”

  “Very good,” Jonas said as he took the ring back from the Captain.

  The Captain nodded. “Please, follow me.”

  They made their way into a courtyard before moving through a massive set of oak doors. As they walked through a long hallway, the Captain addressed Jonas. “Your dog seems quite tame.”

  “She is a good dog,” Jonas said, smiling and patting Tulari on the side of her head. “Her name is Tulari.” Tulari growled in acknowledgement.

  Captain Taddick took note of the large dog and the deep powerful growl. “Is she safe? I mean no disrespect but the Earl’s safety is my utmost concern.”

  “There is nothing to fear from Tulari. You have my word.”

  The Captain seemed content with that answer. He led them into a spacious room with a raised dais on one side. On the dais was a throne and seated upon the stout wood chair was Earl Magnar. He was talking with a tall man in a blue robe when they entered. Four other guards were there, two on each side of the dais. The room was simple, with large windows on either side close to where the tall walls met with the roof, shedding the last remaining light across the stone floor. Four huge metal braziers were at each corner of the room, large fires burning brightly casting their light throughout. Behind the raised dais was a single door and above it, spanning the length of the wall, was a massive blue tapestry, the Rothar sigil expertly woven into the thick cloth. Jonas noticed a door on either wall flanking them. Once they moved before the Earl, the man in the blue robe stepped aside and stood behind and to the side of the throne. Jonas guessed he was an advisor, or perhaps a wizard. He had that look.

  “Good evening Earl Magnar, I appreciate the audience on such short notice,” Jonas said, standing before him.

  The Earl was a big man, heavy in the shoulders and neck and thick across the chest, most of it soft, flabby flesh, a clear reflection that food was never too far out of reach. He wore a richly adorned maroon robe not succeeding at hiding his thick arms and belly, the expensive material edged with gold lacing and lined with white fur. His long hair was brown and gray, pulled back and held in place by a silver crown, the center baring the Rothar family crest. He waved away Jonas’s words casually. “It is not a problem,” he said with a smile. “My Captain said you are Jonas Kanrene. Is that true?”

  “It is.”

  “I had heard you were a cavalier.”

  “I was,” Jonas said, not skipping a beat.

  Once it was obvious that Jonas was not going to elaborate, the Earl continued. “What can I do for you? Captain Taddick mentioned something about the safety of my people.”

  Jonas nodded and reached into a pouch at his side withdrawing the cloth that held the patch of skin. “I have been led here by Shyann and have found something strange, witnessing a handful of abductions by black cloaked men. Have you had reports of missing people?”

  The Earl looked at the blue robed man next to him, his face showing his worry. “We have. Jonas, this is Galright, my advisor and court wizard,” the Earl said, looking towards the man.

  Jonas nodded at the wizard. “Well met.”

  Galright nodded his head deeper in respect. “Likewise, Jonas Kanrene. The Earl and I were just talking about such matters before you entered. It seems we have had four missing person reports in the last four days.” Jonas suspected more, but many of the people the pale bald men preyed upon probably had no family or anyone who had cared enough to report them missing.

  “I think that will end, at least for now,” Jonas said. Galright raised his eyebrows questionably and Jonas continued. “I found a hidden safe house last night beneath the city. There were men there, wearing all black, and pale as snow, and they had many others with them. They looked to be vagrants and homeless. It seemed as if the black cloaked men were somehow recruiting them.”

  The Earl leaned forward in his chair, clearly interested. “For what?”

  Jonas frowned. “I do not know. But I’d like you to look at something,” he said, lifting the black cloth and approaching the throne. As he neared he unbound the cloth from the skin and held it before the Earl, who looked at the piece of skin with uncertainty.

  “That is skin?”

  “It is, but look…” Jonas didn’t finish his sentence before the Earl cut him off.

  “That mark is the mark of the Red Guard,” he said, looking closer, his eyes wide with recognition.

  Even Galright seemed shocked as he stepped closer. Jonas handed it to him to inspect. “What is this Red Guard?” Jonas asked.

  “They are the personal guard of the king taken from our best warriors,” the Earl answered. “Where did you get this?”

  “I cut it off one of the men I was telling you about. They were pale, with no hair, and they did not bleed.”

  Galright looked up from the skin in his hand. “What happened to these men?”

  “I killed them,” Jonas said matter-of-factly.

  “You killed members of the Red Guard,” the Earl said incredulously.

  “They were the Red Guard no longer,” Jonas quickly added. “I told you. They were capturing and luring men for reasons unknown. But they were evil, there was no doubt.”

  The Earl sat back in his chair, thinking. Then he looked at Galright. “Do you think these men that Jonas killed could be the missing guards?”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Galright agreed.

  “What missing guards?”

  The Earl sighed. “Jonas, we have much to discuss. We received
an urgent message from the King two days ago. Something has happened.” The Earl stopped, thinking if this was the time and place to discuss the message. He decided it wasn’t. “Have you eaten yet? This message would best be discussed over wine and warm food.”

  “We have not.”

  “Good. I suggest we dine together. I have some rather troubling news to share with you.”

  Jonas was just about to respond when Tulari growled deeply, her body suddenly going rigid. Danger… windows….evil. Her words drifted in Jonas’s mind as her body grew to its full size. Earl Magnar’s eyes widened in fright as Tulari grew into a ferocious wolf as big a young bull. Jolting backwards he nearly fell from the throne just as Captain Taddick drew his blade and jumped before his Earl, thinking that Tulari was a threat, and rightfully so as he could not hear her warning.

  Jonas drew both his blades in a flash. “Danger is upon us! At the windows!” he yelled. “Tulari is no danger to you!”

  Captain Taddick and the other guards seemed to know that Jonas was referring to the huge beast at his side, but they had little time to ponder what had just happened as the windows around them shattered inward, raining glass down upon them. The roaring fires were bright, but their orange glow barely reached the upper portion of the ceiling where the windows were located. But it was enough.

  Pale naked forms crawled through the openings like spiders, their clawed hands and feet gripping the stone like a cat running up a tree. They were human in form, with longer arms and legs, their heads bald with slightly protruding jaws, their mouths wide and filled with teeth. Their ears were pointy and their white eyes were centered with glowing red orbs. But there was little time to register what they were seeing before the beasts leapt down to the floor, landing on all fours like cats. More came from the windows, scurrying forth like ants crawling from their holes.

  Jonas glanced around him quickly trying to take in the threat. He immediately noticed something. “They are blocking the doors!” he yelled. “We cannot run! Prepare to fight!”