The Dark Knight's Heart

Chapter 1 In the middle of an almost scorched forest, several bodies could be seen littered around the area. Blood and screams filled the air as more bodies fell to the ground. Limbs, severed from their bodies as blood bathe the once green fields. In the midst of the turmoil and gore, a knight could be seen standing alone. His sword unsheathed as the moonlight reflected off it. He stood looking straight into the eyes of his opponent. A jet black dragon, baring its fangs at him. The knight looked around, seeing his comrades now lifeless bodies. Gritting his teeth, a rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins. “Malakar!!!...today, you meet your end!” He yelled, charging blade first at the dragon. The dragon shrieked as it lunged at him as well. “f**k!!”. Samuel yelled, jumping out of the pile of haystack he slept on. “Sigh…just a dream”. He sighed, checking his body frantically for any missing limbs. “Calm down, you're not dead…not yet anyways”. A deep voice came from behind him. “Get ready, we'll be leaving soon”. Arthur said, walking towards the barnyard doors. “We're leaving already?...we didn't even get the chance to greet the lovely farm girls”. Samuel said as he picked up his lute and sword. “I mean…we certainly have time for a jug of morning milk…right?” He asked, wiggling his brows. “Thelline is still two nights away from here Sam”. Arthur said as he mounted his horse with ease. “ Well surely Balor disagrees with you…don't you Balor..”. Samuel teased as he pet the black stallion. It neighed, as if agreeing with its master. “Hmph..suit yourselves”. He said as he walked towards the cottage in the middle of the farm. “For your information, it's called being polite”. He yelled. Approaching the cottage, an old man could be seen sitting on the porch, a pipe in his mouth and a walking stick casually leaning against the wall beside him. “Good morning kind sir…I've come to offer our gratitude for letting us pass the night”. Samuel greeted with a smile on his face. “Yeah yeah…get on now…”. The man said, flicking his wrinkled wrist. “Farewell good man”. Lifting his hat a bit, Samuel nodded before turning around. “Too bad…I wish I could see those ladies again”. He said kicking a rock as he walked past a shed. “Hey you…”. He heard someone call. Looking up, he couldn't believe his eyes. “Were you really planning on leaving without saying goodbye?”. A lady with brown hair said, winking at him, while the other giggled. Samuel gulped hard as he felt his pants get tighter at the sight of these beauties. He looked up at Arthur, who in return gave him a slight nod before trotting slowly on Balor. He turned around to peep back at the cottage to find the old man dozing away on his chair. “I'd be a fool to miss this opportunity”. He thought to himself. Looking back at the ladies, he gulped again as the blonde one pulled down her blouse, revealing her cleavage.”yep…not missing this”. He said as he walked towards them. _ _ _ “Oi…cheer up Sam…that right there, is one of life's best lessons my friend”. Arthur said, his cold blue eyes fixed on the path ahead. “Can't believe I fell for that…do you know it'd have been my first?”. Samuel pouted, his palm still covering his left eye. “Does it look that bad?” He asked lowering his palm to reveal terrible a black eye. “No Sam…can't notice a thing”. Arthur scoffed, shaking his head. “What else did those two lovelies take from you?”. “Well, I did manage to get my lute back by kicking one in the crotch…but my sword and border pass are gone”. “So…you got overpowered by two girls?”. Arthur teased the already pissed Samuel. “You know I have a thing for farm girls”. Samuel rolled his eyes. “How are we gonna get past the border with just one pass?”. Samuel asked, looking worried. “we'll just have to convince the lot to let us jolly lads through…won't we now?”. Arthur said, still teasing poor Samuel. “You won't let me off this one would you?”. Samuel rolled his eyes. “Hey…cheer up, do you still have the map?”. Arthur asked, his eyes still on the path. “Yeah yeah…luckily they didn't get it off Karen here”. He said patting his brown horse. “We should be reaching the border by nightfall”. _ _ _ Thelline border “Halt…show your passes”. A knight clad in Brown cloak approached them with a lantern in hand. “Bounty hunter business”. Samuel said boldly looking at the group of knights at the other side of the wall. “Bounty hunter eh…you sure don't look like one”. The knight laughed, holding his belly. “Oi lads…this one here says he's a bounty hunter”. He called out to his fellow knights. They all laughed, bumping into each other over the campfire, obviously drunk. “Not me you oafs…him”. Samuel said as he pointed back to Arthur.. The knights looked towards the figure on the black horse, they could feel their hearts race as they kept staring. “Bounty hunter eh…why didn't you say so…let them through”. He said as the iron gates were lifted. “The town to the east is abandoned already…monster's been busy”. The knight said grimly. “Don't fret fine sirs…we're the best at what we do”. Samuel boasted, grabbing his lute as he cleared his voice. “Soon, you all would chant the name…of Arthur the Slayer”. He said, his eyes filled with admiration as he started his song. “Ohh…there will come a soldier, who carries a mighty sword… he will tear your city down oh lay oh lei…”. “Arthur the Slayer?... That's him?” The knights stood up, staring at Arthur as he galloped away on Balor. While Samuel kept singing. “Lads…we were in the presence of a legend…and we didn't even know it”. One of them said, still looking at the fading silhouette of Arthur and Samuel. “Indeed we were…indeed we were”. They said as they shook their heads.