The Golden Knight #2: The Battle for Rone

 “What is this place?” Rainna asked.

  “It was once the meeting place of the knights of the holy order,” Demetrius began. “A place to tell of heroic deeds, to reflect on the future. Since time began, it was this place that held the line between good and evil.”

  Justin approached the head table.

  “Is this sword mine?” he asked.

  “It is the weapon of the Golden Knight,” the old priest said.

  “Then it’s mine,” Justin said. “I was chosen. It’s why I’m here.”

  “Would you not like to prepare?” Demetrius questioned.

  “Prepare?” Justin answered. “Prepare for what? Marsonee brought me here. I saved the princess. I’m going to be a hero.”

  “Then draw the sword,” the old priest said, stepping away. “If you can.”

  Justin grabbed the handle of the sword with excitement. Without hesitation, he pulled. The sword did not move. He pulled harder. It didn’t move. With teeth clenched, Justin pulled one last time. The sword would not move. Justin stepped back.

  “I can’t,” he gasped in disbelief stumbling backwards. “I can’t remove it. I can’t draw the sword.”

  The Golden Knight #2

  The Battle for Rone

  By

  Steve Clark and Justin Clark

  Based on Characters Created

  By Justin Clark

  Illustrations

  By Taylor Gibson

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher

  Text copyright 2013 by Steven Clark and Justin Clark.

  Illustrations copyright 2013 by Taylor Gibson

  All rights reserved

  To my wife, Leslie

  -S.C.

  To my friends, who always encouraged me to draw my pictures.

  -J.C.

  THE GOLDEN KNIGHT #2

  From Those Days When The Prince Walked Among Us…

  The Prince rose from the table and said to those villagers who had gathered, both peasant and priest, “And woe to the one who hates this world. For this world has been created by the King. How can one say that he serves his King when he ignores the suffering of his brother or sister? If you have been blessed with a fertile field which can grow three rows of corn, but you need only one, I say grow the three rows of corn and offer the other two with those who have nothing. If you are riding your finest horse and you come upon a fellow traveler who is walking, offer your horse to them and you walk along side. And if you see a stranger with no roof over his head in the driving rain, offer him a room in your own house so that he may be dry. For these are the ways of your King and these are the ways of the older testament of your fathers and mothers.”

  The assembly grumbled at the Prince’s words for His words made them uncomfortable. However, he continued unheeded for the Prince knew their failings. “But, even if you have done all these things, I say you still have not done enough.”

  With those words, the crowd erupted in violent protest for there were many wealthy people among them.

  “How can you say such foolish things?” an older man named Jararus shouted out. Jararus was a merchant who owned many ships. He was known about the town as a good man who gave to many charities. “Even after I have fed those who are hungry, given my horse to the bare footed traveler who is weary, and offer the stranger a room in my home so that he may be dry, you still say that I have not done enough?”

  “Jararus, your heart is good,” the Prince replied. “And you have done many good things. But, you are also full of the pride that fills this generation. How many of you only treat the symptoms of the disease without truly curing the wound?”

  He walked out into the crowd unafraid despite their anger with him. Many reached out to touch his cloak or lay their hands on his feet.

  “To your brother or sister who was hungry, it was right to give them food. To the one who was weary, it was right to give them your finest horse so that they might finish their journey. And to the one who was homeless, it was right to give a roof over their head for the night.”

  “So what more would you have us do?” Jararus asked. “For I wish to do all that I can for my King.”

  “Then take the one who is hungry and purchase for him his own field. Teach him how to plant and care for his own crops so that he might have an abundance of food. Take the one who is weary and give him a place to rest; and with your finest horse, breed him with a mare and give their first born colt to the one who has nothing to ride. And finally, take the one who is homeless and wet, give to him a portion of your land and build with him a home on it so that he might never be homeless or wet again.”

  “Is that not the purpose of the House of Devon?” someone asked.

  “All things of this world will ultimately fade away,” the Prince said. “And lo, I say to you, the time is coming soon when you no longer shall be able to ease the needs of your neighbors.”

  The Prince departed the room in silence with his followers, the ones who would become the first knights.

  And so it has been read for countless generations….

  Chapter One

  “What was that?” Justin exclaimed as he scrabbled out of the tent.

  “It came from the main road,” Marsonee, the mighty archangel, replied. “Wait here until I can investigate.”

  “Wait here?” Justin shockingly asked. “I cannot wait here. I am the Golden Knight. Do I not have to help if someone is in trouble?”

  “You are not the Golden Knight yet” Marsonee reminded him. Marsonee rose and adjusted his sword. “If my hunch is correct, it is probably a band of robbers preying on an innocent traveler. You have no weapon and I am charged by my King to see you safely to Rone. Now, do as I say boy and wait here.”

  Marsonee’s wings slowly lifted him off the ground.

  “But what if there are maybe ten of them?” Justin asked. “You might need my help.”

  “For their sake,” Marsonee replied with a slight grin. “Let us hope there are ten of them.”

  In moments, Marsonee was flying off toward the main road and disappeared from sight. Justin stood alone and glanced around the camp.

  “Wait here,” he mumbled to himself. “Wait here and do what?”

  He walked over to the pile of firewood which Marsonee had neatly stacked up. Justin picked up a few pieces of the wood and tossed them onto the fire. He looked back in the direction of the main road.

  “Wait here,” Justin said, taking off in a run. “I do not think so.”

  _______________________________________

  “Unhand me!” Princess Rainna cried out, struggling to free her horse from the clutches of the bandits who were holding her.

  The horse reared backwards on its hind legs. Princess Rainna tried desperately to hold onto the reins and maintain her balance, but she could not. She toppled to the ground, still clutching the Book in her right arm.

  “Well, well,” one of the robbers said. “What do we have here?”

  “Stay away from me,” Rainna commanded. She rose from the wet ground. Her hood fell ba
ck, revealing her face.

  “I wonder what a pretty, young girl like you is doing out on a terrible night like this?” another robber joked. “Do you not know the roads are unsafe? I guess it is a nice thing that the storms passed us over.”

  Rainna stepped back and quickly realized that the band of six robbers had surrounded her. Two of the bandits were already holding her horse.

  “Look at what she is holding,” one said. “All that gold and silver. What is that? Some kind of box?”

  “It is a book,” Rainna said. “It has no value to you. Let me be.”

  “A book? There have been no books in this land for years. Nobody can read. That makes your book a valuable collectible.”

  “We hit the jackpot tonight, boys,” the lead robber said. He was an older man. “That horse should bring a top price at the market. And that fancy book of yours can be melted down into gold and silver bars. Grab her.”

  Rainna turned to run just as two of the robbers seized her arms.

  “Unhand me,” she cried out, struggling in vain. “You do not know who…”

  “Bring her here,” the old robber said. He stroked her dark hair. “And you, young lady, I know some slave traders down on the coast that will pay a large coin for a piece of property like you. But maybe me and my boys can have some fun with you first.”

  “Do not touch me!” Rainna defiantly said.

  “You can scream if you like,” he whispered into her ear. “There is nobody out here who is going to hear you.”

  There was a sudden gush of wind and one of the robbers was catapulted into the air with a scream. He crashed to the ground several yards away.

  “You will unhand her now, vermin,” Marsonee commanded.

  He hovered over them, his mighty wings flapping in the night.

  “What in Flar’s name?” the robbers gasped.

  “I am an archangel of the most high King,” Marsonee answered, drawing his sword. “Release her. I shall not ask again.”

  “There are no angels left,” one of the younger robbers remarked. “Not in this world. They are all stuck behind that Great Divide thing.”

  The band of robbers drew their short swords.

  “Even when your eyes reveal to you the truth,” Marsonee said as he landed on the ground. “You still refuse to believe. It is no wonder that you are a lost people.”

  “You two stay with her,” the old robber instructed. “We will take care of mister angel here.”

  Marsonee glanced over at Rainna. He immediately noticed the object in her hands.

  “The ancient Book,” Marsonee whispered to himself. “Here?”

  “Charge!”

  The four robbers raced forward. Marsonee stretched out his hand and a blast of wind rushed from it. Three of the bandits flew backwards. Marsonee locked swords with the fourth one.

  “Your weapon is from an older time,” Marsonee said as they crossed blades again. “Pray my friend, you know how to use it.”

  With her captors distracted by the battle, Rainna saw her best chance to escape. She thrust her boot down hard into the one bandit’s naked foot. He screamed in pain. Rainna darted past the three robbers who were slowly starting to recover from Marsonee’s initial wind blast.

  “Get her!” the robber screamed, still clutching his foot. Two of the bandits raced off after her.

  Off the main road, the ground was wet and covered with thick grass, rocks, and tangled weeds. Rainna ran quickly, but she could hear the two men chasing her. In all the confusion, her horse had drifted off and was now grazing beside a tree several yards away. Rainna ran in the direction of her horse. Unfortunately, as she turned, Rainna’s left foot caught on an exposed tree root and she fell to the ground striking her knee on a rock. She cried out in pain, dropping the Book beside her. For a moment, as she lay on the ground, Rainna thought her leg might be broken.

  “That was a really good run, pretty girl,” the robber said. The two stood over her. “But, I am ready for my fun time now.”

  “I am hurt,” Rainna remarked, fighting back tears. A blood stain was forming on her knee. “I need help. The angel can help me.”

  “There will be plenty of time to patch you up,” he laughed, crouching down beside her. “But first things first.”

  The Book slowly rose off the ground engulfing itself in a blinding, white light. Rainna and the two robbers gazed at it in amazement.

  You cannot harm the Keeper, a voice spoke from nowhere.

  “Do not touch her!” Justin shouted out as he lunged forward, tackling the bandit. They rolled across the ground, throwing fists as they went.

  Marsonee fought skillfully, blocking sword thrusts and landing blows against all four of his attackers with relative ease. With a wave of his hand, he could summon great blasts of wind or use his powerful wings to avoid potential threats. He could tell the robbers were tired of fighting and now was the best time to finish the battle.

  “You shall yield,” Marsonee said. “You bandits are no match for a warrior such as I.”

  “You are arrogant…,” the robber began. He never finished. Marsonee moved forward quickly and landed a strong kick into the robber’s chest. The man stumbled back and fell to the ground.

  Marsonee heard the yell of the bandit behind him. Marsonee turned and blocked the sword thrust with his own blade. They traded several blows, the sound of metal echoing through the night. Suddenly, Marsonee swung his gloved fist. It connected with the robber’s jaw. There was the crunch of breaking teeth. The robber slumped to the ground.

  Two down and two to go, Marsonee thought.

  “We will attack him together,” the robber said.

  One robber was behind Marsonee and the other robber was in front of him.

  “I would not recommend such a strategy,” Marsonee announced.

  They raced forward with their swords above their heads. Marsonee’s wings launched the archangel skyward in a matter of seconds. Unable to stop their charge, the two robbers collided into one another and sank to the ground.

  “I tried to warn you,” Marsonee remarked as he landed back on the road.

  He watched the four robbers struggle to their feet and run off into the night.

  “Let us hope the boy heeded my order and remained safe,” Marsonee whispered to himself.

  “And now, I must find the Book.”

  The Book opened and its pages, surround by the white light, began flipping rapidly. Rainna gasped in wonder.

  “It is impossible,” she muttered. “The Book cannot be opened unless the Keeper is present.”

  Justin landed a quick blow across the young robber’s face. The robber cradled his jaw in his hand and smiled.

  “Not bad,” he mocked. “What are you?”

  “Just a farm boy,” Justin answered. “Who does not like bandits attacking people in the middle of the night.”

  “You are going to wish that you had stayed on that farm,” the robber said. He reached down and pulled a knife from his boot. “I am going to cut you up.”

  A beam of energy shot from the Book and struck the robber standing beside Rainna. He flew through the air and crashed twenty yards away. He struggled to his feet dumbfounded and hobbled away in fear. The Book slowly closed and lowered itself to the ground. The field of white light faded into nothingness. Rainna crawled over in pain to the Book and placed her body across it. Then, she blacked out.

  “You do not believe in fighting fair?” Justin asked as they circled one another.

  “Not when I am losing,” the young robber said. Suddenly, he felt the sharp point of cold steel in his back.

  “Drop it,” Marsonee forcefully commanded.

  The bandit placed his knife on the ground. He put his hands in the air.

  “Who am I to argue with a big, bad angel like you,” he said.

  “The girl,” Justin muttered. He raced over to Rainna’s motionless body. He carefully rolled her over and brushed her hair from her face. She was hurt.

&nbs
p; “Marsonee, look at this.”

  Marsonee pushed the robber over toward Justin.

  “It is the ancient Book of the Law,” Marsonee said.

  “This is Princess Rainna Devon,” Justin remarked. “I would recognize her face anywhere. But why would she be out here in the middle of the night?”

  “And carrying the Book of the King?” Marsonee wondered.

  Rainna slowly began to stir. She sat up and ran her hand through her hair. “The Book…,” she stuttered.

  Marsonee reached down and picked the Book off the ground.

  “It is safe, Princess Rainna,” Justin answered.

  “How do you know my name?” she asked. Rainna tried to stand but quickly lost her footing.

  Justin caught her and steadied her feet.

  “Everyone knows your name,” Justin remarked. “Let me help you.”

  “Are you really an angel?” Rainna said slowly as she gazed at Marsonee and then back at Justin. “You are traveling with an angel?”

  “He is an archangel actually,” Justin said. “His name is Marsonee.”

  “Marsonee the Mighty,” Rainna whispered under her breath. “Who will lead us back to….”

  “What did you say?” Justin asked.

  “Your name,” Rainna said, regaining her composure. “I was asking what is your name?”

  “Justin,” he replied. “My name is Justin. Should we not be bowing or something?”

  Rainna glanced down at her clothes. They were covered with dirt and mud. “No,” she said with a slight smile. “I do not believe that will be necessary.”

  “I thought you said she was hurting, farm boy,” the young robber said.

  Justin looked down at Rainna’s left knee. There was no blood stain. He massaged her knee and could immediately tell that it was not broken.