"What do you mean he left?" The Duke shouted, and Trae found himself hating being yelled at. Loud noises, specifically someone shouting, often frightened him. But, as usual, he did not let that show. "I went to him, and while we were talking I asked him if he had seen your wife." Trae said, and the Duke interrupted by murmuring, "That's the Duchess, to you!" Trae corrected himself, and when the Duke seemed satisfied, he continued. "Well, I forget to tell you that I sent word to the town of Maplemoor, and they are certain she has not arrived after two days. The journey there only takes roughly half a day, so unless she decided to stay somewhere else, she is missing." The Duke paled and sat down in the velvet armchair behind him, his face a mask of fear. "However, when Zack came to this realization, he hurried off to go and find her."
The Duke now looked like a fool, having just shouted at Trae without thinking that the Blacksmith had actually gone to rescue his wife, wherever the hell she was. "What do we do to help?" he asked quietly, and Trae stepped closer to the armchair, trying to look as neutral as possible, "I suggest we do nothing." The Duke almost choked on air, for he was incredibly shocked by Trae's suggestion. "Nothing?" he asked, eyes wide, and Trae nodded. "I know Zack. He has worked tirelessly for months on end to make the very best weapons as your Blacksmith, along with saddles and reins. Trust me, he will bring her back." The Duke nodded, still looking shocked at the mere thought of just standing by while someone who he barely knew was off trying to find his wife. "And what of the Black Riders?" he asked suddenly, the question taking Trae off guard.
"That did not occur to me," Trae whispered, fear now creeping into his own voice. The Duke sighed, "Tell Lauren and Charlotte that, whilst I have enjoyed their company immensely, that they should prepare to leave." Trae looked confused, and the Duke sighed yet again, now looking tired. "The Black Riders are, apart from being a group of rogue knights, incredibly dangerous and, if they are paid right, they will work for anyone. As of now, I fear they are working for the Zodiacs. And if they are, God help us all."
***
Zack gently rode the horse onwards, traveling through the dense bushland as quietly as he could. The people who he had stopped to talk with were mostly cheerful and happy, but none of them seemed to know a thing about the Duchess. Aside, of course, from an elderly man who owned a neat little bar on the dirt road near the entrance to the forest. Zack had entered and, after asking several of the guests, the man came forward from behind the counter and told him he had seen the Duchess riding into the forest just that very morning, not in a carriage but on a small, grey horse! So now, Zack knew what horse he was looking for. He was currently following the tracks of small hooves, which he knew belonged to a small animal, most likely a small horse. He had been following the trail for quite some time now, the sun already beginning to set on the fine day, but then he noticed something.
The horse's tracks suddenly veered off the track from the rest of the footprints, the distance between the hooves seeming to grow greater with each step. It began running! Zack thought, turning his own white horse toward the tracks and making it trot along. Surely, he would find the Duchess before long, and that was when it all happened. Several people leaped out at him, four from either side and two even dropped from the trees above! "Traveller! You will hand us your valuables or we will take your life instead!" Shouted the man closest to the horse, and Zack realized, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, that they were robbers. Zack sighed and slid off his saddle and then letting the horse stride slowly away. "Bring your horseback!" one shouted, but Zack made no move to do so.
The horse had already been a good companion, and he knew that he would hate to let this horse fall into the hands of robbers. "Fine men; please be on your way. I am on a mission to find the Duchess and bring her safely home. If you do not let me pass, then I will have to link you to her disappearance!" The robbers exchanged surprised glances and then began laughing. "Who are you to request that?" said the closest to the horse. It was clear he was the leader. "I am the Blacksmith for the Duke," Zack replied, and yet again, the robbers laughed. "A Blacksmith, challenging us?" roared one of them, and then another chimed in, "Nothing but a filthy Spectre!" Zack sighed. He would have to teach them a few decent manners. "Do you want me to call the horse over?" Zack asked, noticing how none of them dared approach the creature, and the robbers nodded.
He whistled, and the horse trotted back over toward him. Zack let it pass right in front of him, swept somethings from the saddle, and then hit its side. The horse leaned back on two legs, snorted, and then raced in the darkening bushland. "That was foolish," said the leader quietly, not noticing that Zack was hiding something behind his back. "Let me pass," Zack pleaded yet again, and the leader drew his sword, pointing the tip carefully at Zack. "No!" The leader charged forward, and Zack stepped clear of the bow, raising his right arm and elbowing the man in the back of the head, sending him sprawling away. Zack revealed the axe in his hand, confusing the robbers, and then he threw it forward. It whistled through the air and impaled the furthest robber in the chest, sending the man crumbling onto the ground. The others now did not know what to do.
Zack grinned at the chaos he just caused in this organized group, and then he threw the other two axes through the air, both of them hitting their marks and reducing the robbers down to five men. They all drew their large, jabbed swords, looking both afraid and bloodthirsty. "Ah, I thought it might come to this," Zack said smoothly, quickly reaching his right hand to his left sheath and the left hand to his right sheath, quickly drawing out both swords and glaring at the robbers who slowly began to approach. This time Zack was the one to dart forward, flashing both swords through the air and sending a robber to the ground in a flash of blood. He ducked a slash, kicked a robber away and then caught two different swords against his own before shoving them away too.
He battled fiercely, slashing and weaving both swords through the air magnificently, catching every blow and swipe from the poorly trained robbers. Zack kept up the defense for several minutes before growing tiresome and then slashing his right sword through the air thrice, sending another robber whizzing to the ground. He dove forward, kneeing a robber in the chest and then impaling him through the back, quickly removing his sword and then slashing at another robber's throat. The robber collapsed, clutching his neck and making a choking sound as the final man standing, the leader, suddenly lashed out at Zack from behind. Zack heard the running footsteps as a warning, and he ducked aside, quickly bringing both his blades upward and sending the robber's weapon flying away. "P – Please have mercy," the leader begged, falling to his knees. "Mercy? After all that?" Zack asked, and the leader nodded, tears of fear streaming down his face.
Zack knew what he had to do, so, with a heavy heart, he thrust his left sword forward, stabbing the man through the chest, and seconds later, the man thudded to the ground. Zack sheathed both swords and did not bother trying to collect his axes. He whistled loudly, expecting the sounds of hooves to come immediately, but all was silent. "Great," he murmured, stepping over the ten corpses as he made his way through the dense bush. He was still hoping his own horse would show, but he was now more focused on following the tracks to the Duchess. Each step seemed to sink further into the deep muddy floor, the leaves crunching under each footfall. Suddenly, much louder crunching filled the air, sounding more like sticks and branches cracking under a large weight. Zack looked around, feeling uneasy as he drew his left sword, holding it high and turning slowly on the spot.
"How are you, fair traveler?" a voice cut through the tense air, and Zack turned around again, seeing a figure in black armor with a black cape emerge from the bushland. "I am alright, but I must be on my way," Zack said, unblinking as he sheathed his weapon and started following the trail once more. "Why, when you are so clearly lost?" asked the man, not moving from his position, and then others came from the bushland, creating a ring around Zack. "Listen, fellas, I do not really have time to be robbed a second time today," Zack protested, placing a hand on either hilt of his swords, but to his surprise, the group of men were silent. No laughing or jeering, just pure silence. The silence stretched onward, and then the closest spoke. "We are the Black Knights, and we require you to come with us peacefully or die in a struggle."
Zack sighed and then heard something none of the other Black Knights heard. A familiar clip-clopping sound in the distance. Zack had a brilliant hearing for his age, but he knew the horse would not reach him in time. "Where is the Duchess?" Zack asked, the question apparently surprising the Black Knight who had requested he came peacefully, and then he shrugged. "It is no use trying to deny what glory we did." Zack's breath caught, but he nodded his head, indicating for the Knight to continue. "We were waiting for you, Spectre. Our mission was to capture you, or, if you resisted, to kill you. Therefore, we waited, for days, and then we saw the Duchess coming down the road. We were bored, and so we decided to have a bit of fun with her, scare her a bit." The Black Knight turned his head to the side, revealing a fresh, ugly scar on his cheek.
"She was armed and took me by surprise. I couldn't let her get away with that, could I?" The Black Knight sighed and looked around the quiet forest again, smirking before saying, "Her body is in a ditch some kilometers away." Zack felt anger flash through him but, for some miraculous reason, he believed the Knight who was trying to capture him. "I will have to tell the Dutch of your crimes," Zack snarled, and then, as he had been expecting, the Black Knights all laughed from underneath their visors. "You won't get so far," hissed the Black Knight with, Zack noticed a green shield. "Won't I?" Zack said, and a look of conflict passed over the Black Knight with a Green Shield's face. That was all the time Zack needed as the horse came charging out the bushland. Zack jumped forward, swinging himself up onto the saddle as the horse now raced away.
Zack leaned forward, gripping the reins tightly as he kicked at the horse's side, feeling it sprint even faster. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder, and to his surprise, the Black Knights were not following him. He had to get back to that castle! So, that is what he did. He rode for hours on end, always looking over his shoulder to make sure he was not being pursued before finally riding into the beautiful village surrounding the castle. The passers-by all gave him curious looks as he rode the horse into the stable, slid off the saddle, and then left it there, quickly running toward the castle. "Careful, Blacksmith," said the knight by the door, but Zack ignored him, entering the main castle gates and rushing toward the main doors. Just as he reached them, they swung open to reveal the Blue Knight with a Gold Shield.
"Don't even think about going inside," he growled, but again Zack ignored a knight, reaching forward and pushing on the doors. The Blue Knight, however, grasped Zack by his shirt and shoved him away, "I said no!" Zack scrambled to his feet and withdrew his sword. He knew he was possibly overreacting, but he did not have time to be arguing. He needed to get inside immediately! "Do you think this wise, boy?" asked the Blue Knight, withdrawing his own sword, "Crossing blades with a Knight?" Zack stood his ground, quietly muttering, "I need to get inside." The Blue Knight laughed and tapped blades with Zack, "Not happening." Suddenly, the Blue Knight struck thrice, but Zack blocked as he moved backward, sword jabbing through the air. The Blue Knight waited for a second and then continued, stepping forward every time his sword thrust forward.
Now Zack parried a blow, breaking through the Blue Knight's pattern of thrusts and now taking the charge, swiping and slashing his sword through the air with tremendous speed. The Blue Knight with a Gold Shield ducked and blocked, moving backward quickly as Zack advanced fiercely, both of their swords clashing and scraping against one another. The Blue Knight suddenly raised his leg, striking Zack in the chest and sending him tumbling backward, now pointing his sword at Zack. "I think it is time we stopped this, once and for all," whispered the Blue Knight, but before he could do anything more, the doors to the great castle swung open. Trae immediately came charging out, withdrawing his sword and slashing it upward between Zack and the Blue Knight. The weapons of the two were separated from one another, and they both stared into each other's eyes, furious. "The Duke wishes to see both of you immediately!"
Zack glared at the Blue Knight for several more seconds, and then sheathed his weapon and strode into the castle, not looking back as he found his way into the Duke's office. "Well, well, well," the Duke said, looking away from the window, and Zack realized it was overlooking the place where Zack had just dueled the Blue Knight. "I appreciate you coming here, I really do, but as to why you just almost beat my best Knight in a duel, I do not know." Zack looked down and quickly explained what had happened outside, leaving out the information such as the Black Knights in the forest or the fact that the Duchess was dead. "I see," said the Duke slowly, taking glasses from his face, cleaning them and then placing them back before his eyes. "So I take it that the Blue Knight refused to let you enter?" he said finally, and Zack nodded.
The Duke sighed as the doors to the office opened, and the Blue Knight strode inside, bowing quickly and then turning to his attention stance. "Do not try to earn my blessing by showing off your respect, when you have clearly shown none to our guest, who we are protecting!" The Blue Knight did not see anything, but looked down at the floor, his ears turning a bright shade of red. "Now, what was so important that you had to tell me?" the Duke asked, and then Zack, with a bitter tone, said, "The Duchess is dead." The Duke paled instantly, tears already flooding his eyes. "W – What?" he stuttered, hoping that if Zack repeated the words they would change and it could not be the Duchess, his wife, who was dead? "Who?" was the first question the Duke asked, and Zack also mentions the Black Riders in his answer.
"The Black Riders cannot be near here!" The Duke exclaimed, and it was now that Zack realized how painful it must be for the man. "Return to your posts. I...have much to think about," the Duke said, turning his face away from them in an attempt to hide his grief, and the two left as quickly as they came. That night, Zack was in his Weapons Room, hammering down on a glowing sword that had just been heated in the forge. He still felt dread at the thought of the Black Riders, but he was quick to shake them from his mind. He would not let that torment him. "Sir," a voice said, and Zack spun on the spot, finding no one else in the room. The voice said something more, and Zack slowly approached the door to the Weapons Room, which was shut.
He stood beside it, listening carefully to the conversation outside, and then he thought he heard the words Black Riders. Zack took a step back from the door, feeling the same dread and panic filled him. They cannot be here, right? He thought, and then a choking sound briefly filled his ears, cutting away after several seconds. Zack knew his mind was playing tricks on him, so he returned to his work; first making sure the door was locked to ease his mind. He hammered for several more minutes, finding the smashing sound almost soothing, and then a second crashing sound alerted him to the fact that the door was being shaken roughly. Zack looked around for a place to hide, and then dashed out of sight just as the door split and fell off its hinges. Someone entered the room, alone, looking around quickly before approaching the mending table.
The man, as Zack could tell, grabbed one of the hammers and started smashing it against some kind of object. The man worked for minutes on end, each fall of the hammer ringing in the room, and then Zack emerged from behind the furthest wall. The man looked around again, and then stopped when he saw Zack. "You?" Zack asked, amazed, as he saw none other than the Zodiac who had treated him to a fair sword fight. "Me," said the Zodiac, stepping away from the hammer and what appeared to be a damaged sword and then facing Zack, drawing his own sword. "Isn't it odd that our paths cross so soon?" he asked, the candlelit room casting a yellow glow onto his face, and for the first time, Zack noticed two red scars, crisscrossing to form a cross.
Zack wanted to ask how he had gotten that scar, but then he shook the thought from his head. "Why is it you are here?" The Zodiac seemed surprised to be asked that, but then he drew a shiny steel sword from its sheath at its side. "I never finished the job," the Zodiac replied, holding the sword out before him and pointing the tip at Zack. "Must we do this today, of all days?" Zack asked, and when the Zodiac lowered the sword slightly, Zack withdrew his own. "I thought you would have known better after our last encounter," the Zodiac mocked, and Zack ran his sword quickly against the other sword, the sound of screeching metal briefly filling the room. "Not really," Zack said, and he dashed forward, sword swiping through the air. The Zodiac stepped back, his own sword making short thrusts in hopes of blocking the several slashes from the enemy.
The fight barely lasted ten more seconds before the Zodiac disarmed Zack and landed a kick to his chest, sending him backward and onto the sandy floor. Zack rolled aside as the Zodiac struck where he had been moments ago, and then kicked at the Zodiac's leg, sending the killer onto one knee. Zack scrambled to his feet against the sand and rushed over to one of the wooden turners, diving over one of the lower columns to pick one of the gold-handled swords from the back. He turned just as the Zodiac arrived, and jumped up onto the turner, gripping it with his left hand to support himself as he swung the sword with his right. The Zodiac blocked and parried, careful to avoid any large attacks until finally striking his sword against the wood. Zack jumped off the back, and the Zodiac replaced him, standing tall on the wood and slashing his sword through the air.
Zack stood his ground, both their swords quickly flashing through the air as they fought. Zack was beginning to grow tired, his arms hurting as he lifted the sword repeatedly, blocking almost uselessly. The Zodiac seemed to sense this, because he doubled his attacking strength, now taking large thrusts in the hopes of stabbing Zack through the heart. There was a sound of smashing glass, and the Zodiac suddenly fell to the side, Trae standing over the unconscious form. "We don't have time to end this. We need to get you, Charlotte, and Daisy out of here," Trae said, wiping sweat from his forehead, and Zack sheathed his weapon, taking a shield from the wall also and then placing it upon his back. "What's going on?" Zack asked as he followed Trae out of the Weapons Room, but Trae did not answer, instead of continuing to lead Zack into the castle and to Lauren and Charlotte.
"I'm afraid you do not have much time," the Duke said, rushing into the room with panic on his face. "There is a white horse out front and a brown one. I do not care who takes either one. I just need Trae and Charlotte to go on one and Zack and Lauren on the other." They nodded and hurried after the Duke to the front, where he showed the white horse Zack had borrowed earlier and a brown horse. "Zack, take the white one. I will take Charlotte back safely," Trae said hurriedly, and Zack nodded, climbing onto the stallion and then helping Lauren up behind him. "Zack, I urge you to head west, directly through the forest. You can escape easily in there. And Trae, you need to take the dirt road back." The two nodded, and Zack waited for Trae and Charlotte to be safely upon the brown horse before starting to trot down the path that led out the gates.
"If you see anyone start following you, get yourself and my daughter out of here," Zack said, and Trae nodded loyally. Zack saw movement out the corner of his eyes, and turned his head to the left, seeing twelve black figures on black horses standing atop a steep hill, all of them without helmets, but their swords were drawn and ready. "Go. Go now!" Zack shouted, and Trae kicked the side of his horse, racing away down the dirt road as Zack did the same, his horse slowly speeding up as it ran across the grass. The black figures began moving too, their horses sprinting with unbelievable speed as they charged toward Zack. All the way behind them, just leaving the castle, the Blue Knight and nineteen other knights stepped out on horses, watching the horse desperately flee as the black figures gained.
"The Black Riders," the Blue Knight murmured with disbelief in his voice. "They are here!" he turned to the others, who had their visors down and then pointed to the riders. "The Spectre was telling the truth! We have to help him!" He kicked at his horse as he strapped his shield to his left forearm, and glided it down the grass, leaning forward to speed his horse even further. The knights followed, also leaning forwards as they rode and forming a perfect V shape, the Blue Knight the leader. Zack felt Lauren clutch at his waist tightly as he struggled to speed the horse even faster, sweat dripping down his forehead. Behind them, the knights drew closer, and Zack even heard a somewhat familiar voice yell "DRAW SWORDS!" He glanced over his shoulder and saw the knights, led by the Blue Knight with a Gold Shield, collide with the Black Riders, swords clashing fiercely.
Zack stopped the horse immediately, and he and Lauren watched as the Blue Knight parried a blow from a Black Rider, clubbed him in the side of the head with his golden shield, and then drove his sword through the Rider's gut. The Black Riders were outnumbered, but they were superior fighters, and half the knights were already dead. The Black Knight, whose armor and horse were darkest compared to the others, suddenly charged out of the onslaught and toward Zack. Zack started forward, and his horse, sensing the fear, bolted toward the forest, but the Black Knight was closing in. He drew his sword, raising it high through the air as he reached them. Zack fumbled as he drew his sword from its sheath, and then he gripped the reins tightly with his left hand while using his right to hold the sword.
The Black Knight's horse snorted loudly as it rammed against Zack's, and Zack was knocked off balance, his sword slicing downward. It collided with the black horse's leg, and chopped it clean in two, sending the horse and the knight crashing onto the ground. Zack's horse suddenly leaned back onto two legs, flailing its front widely, and the sudden shift in balance sent Lauren and Zack rolling off its back. The horse took off again, disappearing into the thick growth of trees as the Black Knight struggled out from underneath the horse and picked his sword from the ground. "You should have given up when you had the chance," he growled, and then he advanced dangerously. "Get back!" Zack yelled, holding his sword out as he also stood before Lauren. He would not let this monster touch his wife.
The Black Knight swung, and the two ducked, the movement separating them slightly, and that was all the Black Knight needed to push the Spectre aside, raise his leg, and strike Lauren in the stomach with his foot. Lauren gasped as she fell backward, holding her stomach painfully, and Zack roared with rage. He raised his sword and slashed through the air, but the Black Knight blocked it! He struck again, and again, and again, but nothing would break through the Black Knight's defense. Zack tried desperately to slash, strike, jab, and even punch, but the Black Knight parried everything Zack threw at him. The two held their swords together, glaring into each other's eyes as the battle raged on in the grassy field behind them. "You are doomed," the Black Knight said, his voice a death-like whisper. Zack struggled some more, and then he saw something charging at the Black Knight from behind.
The Blue Knight suddenly leaped off his horse and punched the Black Knight square in the back, making the Black Knight arch in pain before rolling to the side, gasping for air. "I'm sorry for everything that happened, Spectre, but I believe you now!" The Blue Knight said loudly, regret in his voice. "Run with your wife. Run deep into the forest. There are no dangers in it, and you will reach your home before night. We will hold them off for as long as can!" Zack bowed his head, not bothering to sheath his sword as he turned, grasped Lauren's hand, and then pulled her sharply to her feet. They began their way closer to the forest, and a grunt made Zack turn, seeing the Black Knight pick up his weapon and begin to furiously duel with the Blue Knight, who used his shield to block a majority of the quick hits.
"Come on, we don't have a lot of time!" Zack yelled as he held Lauren's hand tightly, and the two of them rushed through the leaves and branches of the bushland, disappearing within seconds. The battle to protect the Spectre was being won by the Black Riders, although a few Black Riders had already fallen, and the knights were not going to give in easily. They fought until the very end, when only the Blue Knight remained, dueling against the Black Knight. The Blue Knight ducked, spun, dodged and parried, the Black Knight doing the same against the skilled swordfighter, but only one of them came off victorious. That was only when the Black Knight knocked the Blue Knight's sword aside, spun on the spot, and then quickly stabbed him through the chest. The Blue Knight grunted in pain but did not say anything more. He merely fell to the side and let the final breath rattle through his body. Then he was still.