King’s Castle
Aforetime Benighted
Chapter II
First Day
I awoke hours later, to a loud knocking at my chamber door. I wondered who would be knocking on my door. As the knocking continued I walked over to the door.
“Leo, are you awake?” It was Sydney’s voice, I opened the door without hesitation. She smiled as I opened the door, I asked her what was up. She explained “I’m just visiting you, you slept for a while.” I thank you, and invite her in. As usual she smiles, and agrees. She walks in and sits down on my bed, then looks me in the eye.
“I have news for you, It seems towns around us have been destroyed. They aren’t the closest, but it’s still makes the town uneasy.”
I ask how far the towns where from us, she explains “They where a few towns over. The King wants you to be ready, just in case something were to happen.”
She then turns to me and says, that our King requested I begin my Knight trials. I ask her, what would the trials involve. Sydney tells me that, it is a unique set of tasks. They shall build and test my abilities as a knight, and push me to new limits through the experience. It normally, mandatory before becoming a Knight.
“When do I start? I’m ready for anything they can throw at me.” Sydney giggles, she tells me I can leave asap. All I have to do, is get my trial plans. I will acquire them from the King’s Appointed Committee of Advisory (KACA). I promptly agree, and head toward the KACA conference room. “I’m sure you’ll do a great job. I believe in you Leo of the Light.” Sydney smiles as I leave to meet with the KACA.
I enter the KACA room, they invite me to sit down. They explain the trails I will take, are an uncertain duration of time. It will depend strictly on my own abilities, and skills. They tell me it should be completed no later, than the next day at this time. “If it’s indeed based on me and my abilities, why the limit? Is the limit my fail point?” The leader then smiles, he explains it’s a safety measure “You may become a Knight even if you return later, but you must pass if you do. Come back here, before the time limit, or not til your task is complete.”
I nod my head, “Comeback before the time limit, or comeback after it’s complete. They tell me about my task. They tell me if I fail I can be a Knight, but not a honorable one. But I must pass to be allowed to marry anyone of honorable standards. They tell me if I pass, I also will receive more tasks to up my Knight Rank. I agree to my task, and leave their room.
Just before I head out of the castle, I’m stopped by Sydney. “I know how you feel about me, that’s why you must pass. I’m not only a honorable level, I’m a high Ranked Woman.” “Understood!” I tell her, then I leave for my personal task.
The leader of the KACA walks up behind Sydney, and she begins thanking him. “Thanks for giving him the hardest task you have to give, I know he will pass it in no time.” Leader agrees, “He is a special one, that’s for sure. I completely trust your judgment.”
I wonder why a cape could be so important, but since it’s my honorable task I’ll find it. This cape of Hope just has to be important, but how and why. The Cave of no Hope shouldn’t be to hard to find, at least I hope it isn’t.
I continue on my way to the Cave of no Hope, when I see a man walking around. He’s wearing strange clothing, I’ve never seen anything like it. “Hello!?” I shout at him.
The man spun around to look at me. “Oh, hello good sir, the name’s Jack, how do you do?” I answer back after a few moments “I’m fine, just on a task at the moment…” He smiles, “After the Cave of no Hope for the Cape of Hope are you? You must be Leo of the light, am I right?”
I back away a little, “yeah… that’s right... Jack was it?” Jack nods his head. “Please forgive the clothes, I haven’t changed just yet. I was… somewhere far away, you yourself have never been there. Anyway, I’d say good luck, but you shouldn’t need it. You won’t have any issues finding the Cape, oh earning miss Sydney’s hand in… you know maybe I shouldn’t finish that line. See you again in the future, ta ta for now.”
Jack walks away swiftly and vanish, into the deep forest. How could he know all that, who was this guy. I shrug it off and continue on my way.
I see a Cave, it seems to be the only one near by. I see a small posted sign, Cave of no Hope. That let’s me know I’m in the right place. The paint seems fresh, but It does seem like the place.
I walk deeper into the cave. I can feel a something around me, some powerful energy. I’ve never felt a power like this.
I see an Altar, it has some weird opening. It looks like a special way to open a door. It looks like it’s hasn’t be opened in many years, maybe even hundreds of years.
I step on the Altar, and place my arms into the mechanism. I slowly lift the stone with my arms, It seems to be hundreds of pounds. I continue to lift with all my might.
I feel the strange energy around me, I slowly feel the same energy coming from deep inside myself. What is going on, it seems to be building This can’t be normal. This can’t be just an honorable task.
I hear a voice in my head “You can do this, I felt the power you hide. Your someone truly special.” I begin lifting with all my might. I notice the higher I lift it, the more of the energy shifts to me. Most of the outer energy is in me now. “What’s happening to me?” I shout. Once again the voice encourages me.
The stone is almost out, the inner energy seems to be overflowing now. “What? I… I can see it… my energy is shining!” In shock I shout and lift on final time. The stone lifts and comes out. A huge door slides open. I see a small door, it too has an odd opening. It looks like a human hand in gold.
I grab the hand and I see my energy once again, the door opens to reveals the hidden room of the Cape of Hope. It too glows with the energy. I grab it, and something tells me to put it on.
My energy increases by two, my glow is now very clearly visible. I feel a strong sinse of hope, that must be the power of this item. I hear someone close by, was it Jack? I run to the entrance, but see nothing. At the moment I step out of the cave, I can feel the others energy. Using this new since I find my way back.
The door man looks somewhat afraid of me, but he greets me, and lets me back in. I walk to the KACA Leader who is outside Sydney’s chamber, he seems to be waiting for me.
He sees me and he looks shocked, why are they so wary of me now? Wait, my energy is still shining. He then opens Sydney’s door. She comes out quickly, she has the biggest smile on her face I’ve ever seen.
She walks up to me, I take off the cape and hand it over to her. She gives it to the Knight Leader, he then tells me mission complete. He takes the Cape to a special holding area.
“So how did I do?” I asked. “I knew you could do it, Leo my Knight in shining armor.” She then filled me in, and told me that that mission had never been pasted before. I would have several more just like it, she told me the other missions are to get my remaining armor. The shining armor of the King of Knights.
“Sydney how did you find the place so fast? I knew you could pass the task, but that was maybe two hours.” I looks at her saddened, “Someone by the name of Jack helped me. He was in the woods halfway to the Cave.” Sydney quickly gave me a look of confusion. “Nobody was allowed in that forest but you. It’s been a very long time since anyone else has been in there. Honestly the last time someone didn’t comeback, was over 100 years ago. It was something of a legend, we thought they could have token the Cape.”
We finally choose to forget about the man named Jack, and we went into her chamber to eat the meal she prepared for me. After I finish the meal we talk the rest of the day, and even eat dinner later.
At nightfall I return to my own chamber, and lay down, still pondering Jack. I blow out the torch and quickly fall asleep.
