The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) (2 page)

“
I am a Knight of Haile. I am strong. I am a force for justice. When evil enters my lands I stand up to it and lay down my life for my people. I serve the light of Sora and seek to spread it throughout the lands. Where evil breeds I seek to vanquish darkness with my longsword that acts as a torch to dispel the shadows. I am Honor. I am Courage. I am Loyalty. I am a Knight of Haile
.”

- Hailian Knight’s Oath

Lawrence stepped outside, softly closing a worn, splintered door behind him. He didn’t want to wake his mother this early. The sunlight peaked over the horizon, casting morning shadows about. His dark brown, rough-cut, shoulder-length hair danced in the brisk spring breeze. He slowly descended the creaky wooden steps to a dew speckled front lawn below. He turned around and looked back at his house, wondering if he was making the correct choice. He had wanted to be a Knight with every fiber of his being since he was old enough to remember thinking. He had resolved, as soon as he was sixteen years old, that he would sign up to become a Knight Guard Recruit. He would train, day in and day out, with all of his efforts; so that when he turned eighteen he could be sworn in as a Knight of Haile. He would follow in the footsteps of his father, the fabled Jerreth Sanctus.

Jerreth Sanctus had been the captain of the Hailian Knight Guard and struck a killing blow against Necromancer Ghast in the Great War. Ghast’s death had all but ended the war, as his army quickly fell apart without their commander. Jerreth was viewed as a savior of not only Haile, but of all Veronicia as well. His allure became mythic, his greatness as a Knight the stuff of legends. For seventeen more years, Jerreth would serve as Knight Guard Captain, taking the Knights to new levels of accolades. The Knight Guard, under his leadership, prospered and advanced its stature throughout the lands.

There was no greater honor in all of Haile than to be a member of the Knight Guard, a sworn protector of the citizens and lands of Forme and all of Veronicia. The pay was the best of any job in the city, the citizens welcomed Knights with open arms, and the stories of their adventures were passed down for generations. Mayor Flint Pyre of Haile had even commissioned the Hall of Heroes to be built in the barracks. The portraits and statues of the greatest Knights in history lived on forever inside those revered walls.

But things had changed so much in the last three years. When Lawrence was only thirteen, his father had vanished. No word, no trace, no explanation. Lawrence never understood why or for what reason his father had not returned home from his duties that evening. At first it hadn’t even bothered him because Jerreth often had to travel to accomplish missions. But weeks turned to months, which stretched to a year. Lawrence’s life took a drastic turn. He rarely saw Benni and Razzius, his best friends, needing instead to stay home and care for his mother, Elizabeth, who had fallen ill from heartbreak and stress. They heard the rumors everywhere they went, that Jerreth had deserted the Knight Guard, had turned his back on the city he had sworn to protect.
For three long, monotonous years Lawrence had been a caretaker, devoting himself to helping Elizabeth survive.

Lawrence and his mother had become desperately poor. Jerreth had made good money as a member of the Hailian Knights, but with no income to support them now, and Elizabeth’s failing health, she and Lawrence survived on necessities only. A makeshift garden of fruits and vegetables provided them essential nutrients in their meals; many nights they had nothing else. The house badly needed repairs. Lawrence attempted to do the upkeep himself, but he had to learn as he went. Experience was a cruel teacher. Harsh winters battered the thatched roof, and spring thaws flooded the cellar. The floorboards in the kitchen were warped and bowed. Mold flourished inside the wood frame of the house, its spores constantly tormenting Elizabeth in her susceptible condition.

Lawrence often thought about relinquishing his dream, trying to bury it in a deep recess of his mind. He could get any job, anywhere, and make some money, enough to get by. But his mother prodded him, urged him to never give up on becoming a Knight. It bothered Lawrence that she insisted that he follow in the footsteps of the man who had deserted them. It was only just a few years ago that Jerreth Sanctus had been revered throughout the city as a hero. But now…

Lawrence thought about his father’s legacy as he walked down the cobblestone streets that meandered through Haile. This thought plagued his mind more than any other. He wanted to be a Knight so badly, but why? Should he even want to be a Knight? He knew that he could make good money, no doubt, and provide a better life for his mother, but would he even make it through the training? Would he let his mother down?

Suddenly, Lawrence stumbled over a dip in the road. He gathered himself and noticed how uncommonly busy the streets were this early in the morning. It was the first day of spring, and he could sense the promise of the rebirth of life that the cold winter had taken. This was the day when all who wished it, and were old enough, could sign up for the Knight Guard. Lawrence had heard the stories, the legends of how difficult the Knight Guard training could be. Only the strongest, most loyal, and most dedicated recruits survived and were knighted two years later, when they were eighteen, at the Advent of Knighthood ceremony. Each Knight Guard Recruit would be assigned as a squire to train one on one with an established Knight of Haile. The squire’s accomplishments would be recorded in a log and their master would have to display that log at the ceremony to confirm that the recruit had indeed done the required instruction. Some trainees would stick it out for a few weeks, others for a few months, but rarely did more than fifteen or twenty squires become anointed as Knights at the ceremony.

Lawrence entered the marketplace, a sprawling circular expanse in the center of the city where numerous vendors, farmers and other merchants had set up shop for the day. It was a bustling area of commerce. Almost all roads in Haile fed into the marketplace, like veins feeding into a beating heart. Stands loaded with every good imaginable circled around a garden and common well. The main attraction was the Silver Shield Pub. The largest building in town, outside of Knights Runn Castle, it doubled as both a pub and an inn. The Hailian Knights, visitors and dignitaries from other villages, and citizens all viewed the Silver Shield as a common meeting place. Its emblem served as a beacon to all comers, helping them find their way to a hot meal and hearty beverage.

“Hello, Lawrence! How are you?!” A strong, boisterous shout rang out over the cacophony of marketplace business and broke Lawrence from his daydream.

He shook his head and looked around, trying to place the familiar voice. He saw Benni Wakewood eagerly rushing toward him. His shoulder length, sandy brown hair swayed in the wind as he hurried toward Lawrence. Lawrence smiled, nodded in his direction, and waved at his childhood friend.

“Well Lawrence, today is the day. Aren’t you excited? I can’t believe we can finally sign up to be Knight Guard Recruits. Is Razzius here yet? I hope there isn’t a long line!” Benni’s orange eyes gleamed with excitement. He could hardly get the words out coherently; he was talking so fast in his excitement. He took some deep breaths, trying to regain his composure.

“No, not yet Benni. Hopefully he’ll get here soon,” Lawrence said tranquilly, trying to calm Benni down a bit.

Lawrence chuckled a bit inside, knowing his friend would be like this today. It was all Benni ever talked about, his dream, his desire, his one and only goal was to someday be Knight Guard Captain. And that started today, with him becoming a Knight Guard Recruit. Benni was almost seventeen now, he had just missed being able to sign up for the Knight Guard last year. Lawrence could swear that the anticipation of this day over the last few weeks had almost prematurely killed his friend. Lawrence feared that if Razzius didn’t show up soon there was no telling the craze that would overtake Benni.

Benni paced back and forth, scuffing the street with his boot as he went. His eyes darted about the courtyard, looking for any sign of Razzius’ arrival. He was starting to become a bit upset that he had promised Razzius that they would wait for him and all go sign up for the Knight Guard together.

After what seemed like an eternity of pacing, Benni’s orange eyes finally lit up. There, way at the opposite end of the courtyard, he had finally spotted Razzius. Though the young man’s head was down, he could tell it was his friend by his trademark shuffling. Razzius always walked that way in public, weight shifting from side to side, hanging just a step behind the group, head down, and hands in his pockets. It was as if Razzius was unsure of his place, and didn’t want to upset the footsteps of those he was with.

Benni and Lawrence jogged over to greet Razzius. He glanced up at the sound of their boots and smiled timidly.

“Hello, Razzius, why are you late, everything alright?!” Benni questioned in the same overbearing manner as he wrapped his arm around his friend’s broad shoulders.

Razzius rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Oh, everything’s fine,” he responded meekly. “I just lost track of time, I guess.” He lowered his eyes and looked down at the ground.

“Well, let’s hurry; we need to get to the castle! It’s time to sign up!” Benni urged, not really caring that his friend offered such a weak answer to his interrogations.

Lawrence used to worry about Razzius, but had gradually grown used to his peculiar behavior. He knew that Razzius’ mother, Elena, had died giving birth to him, and that that burden was something that weighed constantly on his friend’s mind. He didn’t know much about his father, only that Wurn Grimm used to be in the Knight Guard. Actually, he had never even been to Razzius’ home. It wasn’t uncommon for Razzius to show up late to an event, and then rush home at an inopportune, seemingly random time. At first, Lawrence, and even Benni, thought it terribly rude. They tried talking to Razzius about his bad habits, but he would dodge the questions or offer excuses about his father being sick or a chore he had forgotten to do. Benni and Lawrence eventually just accepted it as a way of life, choosing their friend over his lack of etiquette.

The three friends made their way through the crowds of people that were beginning to form in the marketplace. Benni led the pack, taking giant, long strides. He slipped past those who dallied in his way, trying to avoid any physical contact that could slow him down. Lawrence trailed him, moving intently with his eyes glued to the back of Benni’s head so as not to lose him in the growing crowd. Razzius struggled to keep up, but managed to squirm his way through the masses. They headed north, past the Silver Shield, down a long, wider, straight, cobblestone street. Everyone knew this road, wide enough for horse drawn carriages heading in either direction; it was the best maintained road in the entire city. It led directly to the castle’s gates.

Knights Runn Castle loomed in the distance, rising over the horizon to greet guests as they approached. Its towering bell watchtowers stretched high into the clear blue sky. The mammoth structure was made of stone, its overlooks encircling a guarded gate. Window archways gave an indication of the number of rooms in the castle; a hundred would have been an understatement. Seizing the castle by force would be a true undertaking. Awe-inspiring stone statues and perfectly trimmed grass hedges greeted guests. The trio could see the crowds of people and line of Knight Guard hopefuls from down the lane. It stretched past numerous Knights and castle guards, out through the open gate and at least one hundred deep down the road.

The three young men stood in line, watching the spectacle before them. Mayor Flint had made signing up for the Knight Guard very easy because he wanted as many squires as possible. He knew that so few would make it through the entirety of their training that the more people who signed up, the better chance there was of finding the next generation of great Knights. The line moved along quickly: each recruit signing his name on the ledger of intent, introducing himself to Captain Bryce Maxwell, and shaking Mayor Flint’s hand.

Benni swayed with impatience as he neared the front of the line, stomping the dirt to try to take his mind off the adrenaline rush he was on. Finally, it was his turn. He held his head high and strutted up to the table, grabbed the quill, dabbed it in ink, and scribbled his name almost illegibly on the sheet of parchment spread on the stone slab before him. He replaced the quill and made eye contact with Captain Maxwell. He extended his hand as he made his way to the Knight Guard Captain who stood with his hands placed over the hilt of his longsword as he rested against it.

Bryce Maxwell had served as a Knight during the Great War. He was regarded as one of the most talented, skilled Knights in all of Haile, and was the right hand to Jerreth Sanctus. Bryce was commissioned as acting captain after Jerreth left, under the assumption that he would relinquish the position when Jerreth returned. Jerreth’s absence was so long, however, that a ceremony had been held to christen Bryce as official Captain of the Knight Guard.

Benni felt very self-conscious in the shadow of the hulking Captain who was adorned in his polished full plate armor and plumed captain’s helm. He wore a ceremonial golden captain’s cape decorated with a red Hailian Crest, which was clasped to his armor at the shoulder and fell down behind him. Benni stared at his shield, the signature of a true Hailian Knight. The kite shield was forged from the highest quality steel and had the unmistakable Hailian Crest inlaid in red against a gold background. Bryce’s shield was scarred and scuffed; it had no doubt seen many battles.