The Patchwork Knight (Chapter 64)
The steady flow of Raiders had finally stopped. The trails were quiet and lonely again. I had aged quite a bit during this long trek towards the Kingdom. Not just physically but mentally as well. Although I couldn’t remember every fight I had, or the faces that I passed along the way. I never forgot how this all started. I never forgot that day in the forest when my father died, and how I ran to the village on his instructions and watched it burn to the ground. That fire remained in my heart and would not be quenched until I killed every last one of them and rid the Realm of the Mudwood.
I only ran the horses at a trot anymore, there was no hurry to get to the Kingdom. They had sent their best at me, and then their second best and so on and so on, until they sent what they could at me, and I didn’t flinch. I stayed my ground and took them all on, One and all. Every last one of them is lying on the ground somewhere behind me now. I didn’t bother to burry them, I left them for the scavengers of the forest. The carrion birds had feasted for some time in the Realm as long as they were near me.
I used my sight practically at all times now. I could see a large mass on the trail in front of me as I rode. It was 5 miles ahead. My sight had improved quite a bit with all the usage. I could see nearly ten miles in front of me when I pushed the limits of my ability. Even though there wasn’t a Raider that could stand against me, I still rode forward with caution. The mass could be a trap set just for me. I searched the surrounding forest with my sight to see if I could see the golden hue of the Raiders, but there was nothing there. When I was a few hundred yards from the mass. I dismounted and tied my horse off the trail. I could make out details on the mass, and saw a brindle coat of fur. It was a tree lion, but it wasn’t moving.
I advanced slowly. Even though Tree Lions were known to be very gentle creatures, they were intimidating with their size, and I didn’t want to scare a sleeping lion. As I approached I began to see why it was lying in the middle of the trail instead of high in a tree. It was lying in sand that was red from it’s blood. It had long since dried, and flies had begun their feast on the carcass. The lion hadn’t just wandered onto the trail and died, it had been killed. I could see lacerations from swords and arrow sticking from it’s hide. Raider arrows. They had killed this majestic friendly beast. A creature that signified good luck when you saw it. I had twice seen them before and good luck followed. The Raiders that had killed this being of the trees hadn’t received good luck, they had received my blades, long ago. There were no tracks leading away towards the Kingdom, they all lead to where I had come from.
I took the time to dig a deep pit and drug the Tree Lions body into it, and covered it. A beast with such a pure heart shouldn’t be left to rot in the sun. It should be honored. I stayed there over night and my anger at the death of the lion fueled that fire that burned inside of me. I would finish this, and I would finish it soon. The Kingdom was only a days ride away now, and I would see it by the nightfall tomorrow. I would finally release this fire on the Mudwood, and end their reign in this land.
For Chapter 65 follow link below.
