The 1000 Knights

[Crystal Lizzy]

Horrah! NO STEALING MY STORIES! THOSE WHO STEAL WILL BE KILLED! (maybe...) And now for my introduction and first chapter.

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The 1000 Knights: The Awakening
The Introduction

In the land of Terra Firma, there are many Kingdoms. One paticular kingdom, The Quinstara Empire, had two races living together in what we assume was peace and harmony. The humans, the most common race of Quinstara, and the Knights, those "not quite so human". Their neighbor, The Colona Empire, also had some population of Knights. The Great King, Otara Quinstara, ruled over the Kingdom of Quinstara. Humans and Knights were brought together by this malevolent King to live and co-exist together. Until one day...

For thirteen days, the King of the Quinstara Empire, had not shown himself in public. The son of the King, Tera Quinstara, found his father's body in the forest where a village of Knights, near the Empire, had been claimed to be the murderers of the King. Anger grew between the humans and the Knights, even to the far meanings of death. The Colona and the Quinstara Empires had no choice but to birth an act they called, "The Exodus of Death". A process in which all Knights, had to be "evacuated". However, the secret in the act was far more than evacuating the Knights out of the Kingdoms... just in the means of killing them.

The story I am about to tell you is, of course, fantasy but teaches a lesson about the humanity of all people, even if they are different. This moral may have been used many times in stories but I would like to teach it in a fantasy-based way. The story takes place in the Kingdom of Quinstara, where a young girl named Ioanthe, discovers her true identity: She is a Knight. Ioanthe eventually gets pulled into events of an upcoming war between the Knights and humans. Countless friends and enemies will be the victims of the hate between these two races. And also, why are there only 1000 Knights? Only in the story, The 1000 Knights...

[Author's Note: Yeah, this is probably my most serious story I've ever imagined. And well, uh... I may have a lot of grammar problems and over repetitive words used but then again, I'm not the best writer in the world. And it explains why I'm having B's in Reading. >_> The characters are of course fictional and if they resemble anyone, it was a total coincedence. I also may not update this as much as possible so yeah. Anyway, enjoy thy story...]

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Chapter One: The Exodus of Death

Quiet. Cold. Dark. A man, running through a forest near the Quinstara Empire. He could hear the screams and shouts of military officers far off into the distance. The man kept on running, toward the heart of the forest. Suddenly, he tripped over something. Falling flat on his face, he realized it wasn't a rock. Another body, hiding from his fears.

"This way, Odin." said the man hiding. Odin quickly crawled over to the hiding place under a tree's roots. Breathing heavely, Odin whispered to the man.

"Hati, what's going on?" asked Odin. Hati looked away. "The Exodus?"

"No! It couldn't be, Odin!" said Hati. He pounded his fist right into the dirt. "The Empire said it would be an evacuation!" Silence. Hati looked up into the sky. "Only if Lost Heaven was-"

Interrupted by a gunshot, Odin pulled Hati down to the forest floor. Hati said, even more louder, "Listen, Odin! Go to the heart of the forest and there will be Valcorus the Mighty. All of the other surviving Knights are there too-"

Hati fell down flat onto the floor. Odin shook up to wake him up but only to see that a gun shot had gotten right through his chest.

"Hati! Hati! You've got to survi-" Odin said, in his last breath. Two heavely guarded men, in military uniform, stood behind the two Knights, with bullets in their chests.

"Take them to the fires." said one of the guards. The other guard nodded and took the two corpses to a nearby truck full of other deceased Knights.

Everywhere, gunshots and screams could be heard. Many trucks in the forest areas were loaded with corpses.

"Hey! Why are we killing and burning them?!" said one young officer to a Lieutanent. "Didn't the Exodus say that-"

"Ignore what the Exodus says!" screamed the older man. He closened to the youngling. "The Knights are to be killed because of what they did to the past King! They did not believed the peace between us and them. So, it would make sense to kill them!" Apparently, the young officer was not convinced. The Lieutanent left him in puzzlement.

Meanwhile in another part, a girl with bandages covering her face and that looked no older than fourteen, was running for her life. Gunshots and arrows were following in her track, trying to catch up to her.

"Damn those Empire Scums!" said the young girl. Suddenly she stopped and in no time, was surrounded by the Empire guards, pointing guns at her. When the guards were loading up their rifles, the young girl put her hands up in the air, seeming to be surrending to them.

"You asked for it." the girls hands had quickly held two blades, appearing out of nowhere! She swiftly twirled them around and hit the heads of the Guards, slitting some on the throats. In just in a few moments, the guards were knocked out. The girl spat on one of them and acted like it was just no sweat for her.

"Told ya." she said.

In that instant, a gunshot hit the tree behind her. She then began to run out of there. But due to the crowded space of the trees, she tripped on one of the dead guard's body and fell. Her hopes had gone down.

"Move!" said a voice. Feeling too light headed to move, she could nothing but lay there on the ground. A second later, she was in the arms of a young man with an enormous sword on his back.

The young man put the girl down and quickly took out his sword from his back and using a created shockwave from the sword, took out the Empire guard in the hiding.

"You know, you don't have to show off! I would've tooken them out myself," said the bad-tempered girl as she was picking herself up from the ground.

"Duck!" exclaimed the young man.

He pushed her down behind a thick tree. Two gunshots were shot at the side of the trees. The girl and the young man both took their weapons simeoutaneously. The girl threw her blade like a boomarang at one of the guards and the young man created another shockwave at the other one. Quickly, the two young Knights pulled themselves away from the area.

Running deep into the forest, the two came at a stop where a big erosion took place between two sides of a river. A deep cliff was before their feet.

"Hold on to me!" said the young man. The girl held on to his hand tightly.

On his back, the young man seemed to have grown a giant wing on his left side of the back. Pure white and it seemed to span to over 15 feet long. He suddenly threw himself and the girl across the cliff onto the other side of the river. After the landing, they continued to run.

Chapter One to be continued...

[Author's Note: Sorry if it seemed to long... @_@ I felt like having every detail in the story was of importance. >_>]

[Tai]

Dude, one word: Squee. Okay, two words: Freakin' Squee.

I hope to read more soon, 's very interesting! (Translator: Update bee-otch! ...rofl.)

[Crystal Lizzy]

Well, finally someone commented! Yay! More!

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In the center of the forest of the Quinstara Empire, there was nothing but open space. Rumoured to be an desserted place to the ancient people of the Empire, there was nothing but ruins to mark their proof of their existence. But on this certain day, there was fog among it. It seemed empty, almost lifeless. But however, there was more life than anyone ever imagined. Inside the misty air, were not humans but Knights, hiding away from their fears and the Empire.

"C'mon! Hurry!" said a young woman, approaching the foggy area. "And see, there it is!"

"Yes! Let's!" said the other young woman, about the same age. The two young ladies, assumingly Knights, ran into the mysterious fog, without anyone noticing. What they ran into were hundreds of Knights, piled up and crowded together in the space of the fog. The two young women ran to the middle tent, where the most powerful Knights are being held captive.

"Valcorus, the Mighty!" said another woman's voice outside of the tent. "They have come!" An old yet very strong looking man turned and faced outside of the tent into the fog of Knights. The two young women bowed gracefully but panting very hardly due to the distance they ran.

"Your Mighty!" exclaimed the both of them. The Old Man was indeed Valcorus, one of the most powerful of them all. The woman outside the tent was seemingly his apprentice. She pushed aside the two young women and told them to wait in the crowded fog of Knights to stay away from danger. The young woman looked at Valcorus straight in the eye.

"Your Mighty! There is no sight of them yet!" she said straight-out foward. Valcorus seemed to be puzzled and sat down on the floor of the tent. Suddenly, a voice from the air screamed out in pain.

"Hold down!" exclaimed Valcorus to the air above him. "Your power will be needed to protect us in the hiding!"

"I know but damn, I'm getting tired!" shouted the voice. Possibly a Knight is making the huge mist around the Knights. Valcorus sighed and looked at the Knight in the middle of the room. He was huge in size yet wielded no strength in his body. Indeed, this Knight did not possess superhuman strength... but an even more greater power.

"Nechal, how many are here?" Valcorus demanded. Nechal, the huge Knight, laughed like a joyous day.

"This is no time to laugh Nechal!" exclaimed the woman behind Valcorus. Suddenly Valcorus backed her off and calmed her down.

"It may be the last laugh I'll ever get to do, my child." responded Nechal, who had a stunning accent. "There are around 980 of us here in the center... and about 100 more in the forest around us. And..."
The two Knights waited for an answer from him.

"What about them?" Valcorus asked. Nechal chuckled a bit and took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"They... are still alive. But I doubt that their lives won't be long any longer." Nechal responded, honestly. Valcorus looked down at the floor, the woman behind him comforting him.

"Kari, Edikee. Please be alive." Valcorus muttered to himself.

~

"Get him!" a guard shouted. His comrade next to him suddenly ducked. "What the-" a burst of light through the head. That light had created a huge smoke. Once the smoke cleared, a man was the only one standing in the middle of many corpses of Empire Guards. He fixed his clothing and ran hastley through many trees. He then came across a woman with a baby, collapsed onto the forest ground, surrounded by Empire Guards about to shoot.

"Kari!" the man exclaimed. The woman looked up and the Guards also pointed to his attention. Before any of them could point their rifle up and shoot him, the man, supposedly already a Knight, had his hands in the floor and in just a matter of a couple of seconds, the earth beneath the guards piled up upon them and sunk them to the ground like quick sand.

"Edikee! Behind you!" Kari cried out. Edikee didn't forget the man behind him and soon that man was sucked into the ground as quickly. As soon as the moment settled, Edikee rushed to Kari and embraced her tightly.

"Kari, the Exodus of Death. Their secret is to kill us! Eliminate us!" Edikee warned Kari.

"I know that! I already sensed a great evil in the King's desire to-" Kari began to say but was interrupted by the miracle of life. The baby in Kari's arms was their daughter. The both of them smiled at the baby and hugged it gently. The warmth was then interrupted by a gunshot afar.

"Kari, we must leave at once to the center of the forest." Edikee told Kari. She nodded and the both of them, at a great speed, ran through the trees in a flash.

During this time, the young man with the pure white wing and the bandaged girl reached to the edge of the center forest. The both of them stopped and panted. The girl looked up at him.

"C'mon, let's go." she exclaimed. The young man pushed her to the foggy center. She looked at him weirdly. "What the hell is wrong with ya?" The young man stayed quiet, cleansing up his sword with his clothes. "Well?" she yelped one more time.

"I'm going to save the others." he responded. "You go and be safe."
"And what, let you die?" she turned back to him. The young man stayed silent. Soon, he walked away, leaving the girl puzzled. She followed him but he turned back and said.

"Look, I don't want you to die either. You don't owe me your life, okay?" he turned back onto his walking. The girl was about to say something but nothing came out. She tried to walk but her legs won't move. Speechlessly, she followed his commands yet was icky about it. She ran into the fog.

"Kari!" exclaimed Edikee. He shot a bolt of light at a bomb and in the air exploded it. He then shot the two Empire Guards that were controlling the canon in an instant. Kari was bending down, protecting the baby. After the dust settled, Edikee grabbed up Kari and started to help her walk across the forest.

"We'll get to the center, I know we will." Edikee said to Kari. She smiled, hoping it would be the most heartfelt thing to do now to her love.

Suddenly, several Empire Guards appeared in their path, pointing guns at the two couple.

"Uh-oh." Edikee gave out. He put Kari on the ground and held out his two hands as if to conjure more light energy. But knowing that he didn't have time, the Empire Guards shot the Knight at his legs. Edikee dropped down in defeat.

"Edikee!" screamed Kari. The Guards were moving in closer to kill the Knight but suddenly, a roar came from somewhere. In a tree? Behind them? To the sides of them? In the hiding? The roar, in fact, came from a lion that jumped from the sky and trampled over the Empire Guards quickly knocking them out.

Edikee straightened himself up, knowing that a Knight can resist more physically than humans. "See that you are in top form." Edikee said to the lion. And in that instant, knowing that it was a Knight, the lion spoke their tongue as well.

"The troops are gathering even more in numbers and are out numbering us." remarked the lion. Edikee nodded.

"Yeah, I can already sense the number of Knights left." Edikee also remarked. Kari breathed heavely and Edikee and the lion came to help her. Edikee layed Kari on top of the lion's back.

"Let's go to where Valcorus is, immediately." Edikee ordered and the both of them escaped the area at a great speed as well.

More of Chapter One to come...

[Author's Note: Well, do to the 1500 character rule, I can only divide up the chapter into numerous parts. x-x So yeah. Chapter One is very long so please bear with me. Hope you enjoyed this part!]

[Tai]

Very much so.

'Twas very easy to read. The transitions were smooth and the text seemed very naturaly. You, my friend, have talent ^^

[Crystal Lizzy]

Why thank you Tai! Well, here is the other part of the chapter (still a long ways to go -___-)

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"And how many exactly are there?" said a child's voice in a chamber room.

"We are not sure. But we do know that only a few hundred still live and are gathered at the center of the forest Quinstara." reported the military official. Beside the child were two people. One woman who looked no older than 30 years of age and a grown man who seemed to be great at military tactics.

"Sir!" exclaimed a voice outside of the doors of the chamber room. The two guards let in the blacksmith for the King. "The slave Knights have crafted for you the sword you were-"

"Just bring it in!" yelled the child in anger. The men in the room looked uncomfortable everytime the child of Quinstara yelled or got angry. The two guards helped carry a sword up to the child, who was looking out the window. He turned around and by the crown and the official Quinstara Necklace Seal he was wearing, this child was the new King of Quinstara.

"Here it is, sir." spoke the blacksmith nervously. The two guards handed the giant sword to the King. He took it very easily as if it were light as a feather. The blacksmith was very nervous.

"Excellent, blacksmith." The King spoke out. The man beside the child seemed to be a little uncomfortable while the woman was having the same expression as the child: grimly happy. "The sword said to kill any Knight has come back alive."

Everyone was silent in the room, watching as the child swayed it maturely like an adult. Suddenly he stopped and pointed the sword at the blacksmith. "I want you to tell those Knight slaves that they lived a life worthy for me." The blacksmith bowed loyaly and walked fast out the door. As soon as he was outta the door, the child looked at two of the guards to his right.

"After he sends my thanks to the slaves, I want you to kill them all." the child demanded. Without a word, the two guards left the room to do what His Majesty ordered. Suddenly, a General came into the room and bowed to the King.

"What is it, Yanaka?" the child demanded.

"There are a couple of Knights that are killing off our own men one by one, Tera Quinstara." Yanaka told the King. The child tightened up his hand into a fist and walked down, the man and the woman following behind him. Yanaka also followed.

"Winsarela?" the child exclaimed. The man to the side of him bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" Winsarela said.

"Give me a carriage and the best men to protect it." the child surprisingly said. Is a mere child going to face the Knights?! But of course, Winsarela bowed and did his command, yet his expression was of worry and sadness. The woman seemed to always be smiling.

"I'll show them my true power. I'll show those Knights!" Tera Quinstara said to himself.

Meanwhile in the forest, the lion and man were hasting their way through the forest until the lion could keep up no more. Edikee also stopped.

"We must continue," Edikee said, heavely breathing. The lion weezed and weezed, not speaking a word. A shot outta nowhere shot at their feet and in no time, the three were surrounded by the Empire Guards.

"I want you to take Kari and my child to the center while I'll distract them off." whispered Edikee to the lion. Before the lion could say anything, Edikee slammed his hand down to the ground and from the floor made a barricade to surround them. Then there was an underground tunnel made for an escape route that leads to a safe place somewhere in the forest. The lion looked at Edikee, using most of his power to protect himself.

"But you are a powerful Knight! You can't die here!" the lion exclaimed. Edikee shook his head and chuckled a bit. Suddenly, the lion felt something move on his back. It was Kari, still with enough strength left. She tied her baby around the lion.

"Go... and save... her..." Kari spoke softly and carried herself over to Edikee. The lion nodded and without a word left to the tunnel.

Kari embraced Edikee from behind. Edikee stroked Kari's arm in return. In those moments, gunshots were being heard outside of the cavern that Edikee built.

"Why, did you stay behind?" Edikee asked.

"Because it was for her, my love." Kari responded.

"How long has it been now since you've called me that?" Edikee said. Kari chuckled yet embraced him even deeper. Suddenly, a gunshot shot through the barricade and even more did so.

"One last stand," Edikee spoke, standing up and reached out a hand for Kari.

"And the first for our child." Kari grabbed his hand and Edikee pulled her up from the ground. Both of them raised their hands up in the air, having a blue light energy ray from their hands, as bright as ever, wielded and soon, the barricade collapse around them...

As soon as the barricade met the ground, the two lovers began to shoot rays of energy at the Empire Guards one by one. Soon they realized that there were even more Guards then when they last saw them when Edikee built the barricade. No matter though, they still were gaining win on them.

"What's that light in the distance?" the child said from their carriage. The woman whispered something in the child's ear and the child looked surprised. Also in the carriage were Winsarela, looking more nervous than ever.

"Hmph, thought so. Edikee and Kari can only conjure that much amount of light." remarked Tera. "Men! Stop here!"

"Are you still alive?" Edikee asked Kari who was barely moving. Kari didn't answer. No... she's using her last bit of strength! Edikee thought. This was a power which has been always forbidden in the Powerful Knights' lineage. Using their last energy, they conjure their soul and in the end have the greatest strength in their possession. Dammit!

"Are you certain you want to walk over their, sir?" Winsarela questioned to Tera.

"Who said I was going to walk over there, Winsarela?" Tera remarked. He took out his sword from his sheath and pointed it at the light. "This, is for father."

"Aahh!" Kari screamed in pain and fell to the ground. From the smoke that the two Knights produced, it took a while before they realized that they already had killed all the guards around the area. Edikee was afraid to look down at the horror and pain of his love. Alas, he had to...

"Kari!"

[Author's Note: More about the Powerful Knights/the Knights race are divided into four groups: The Creatures, The Powerful Lineage, The Knights, and the Secret Syndicate. The Creatures are Knights that can turn into animals but also still possess the human language. They are also more enduranced when in animal form and hide their true form. The Powerful Lineage are a small group but possess a trait from the legendary Hero of the Knights many ages ago. Believed to be ancestors of the Hero. The Knights are the most common and possess one single special ability. And the Secret Syndicate is well... secret. No one really has seen one but some say they had disappeared a long while. Now, just because they are in groups doesn't mean that they are seperate. They all live together and such so yeah. It just divides up on who they are and what they classify as. And that is my author's note. Long long long. But glad you guys are enjoying it!]

Phew.

[crazed410]

Awesome story! This is very well writen and thought out! I can't wait for the next part!

[Tai]

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee *this continues for a little while*

Ah! Forebodding and the ever ominous cliffhanger! *creepy yet dramatic music plays in the backgroung*

Can't wait to find out what happens next!

[Crystal Lizzy]

Yes, a cliffhanger. I love doing cliffhangers! Here is more. (and no, it ain't the last of it.)

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The lion, moving swiftly and rushing in the dark, quiet, cold forest knocking out any Empire Guard in his way. Beside him were eroded cliffs of the forest that dropped many feet below. Suddenly, the baby cried and the lion stopped to rest.

"Quiet! Or you'll get us caug-" Just as the lion was about to finish, his leg got shot and he fell to the ground. Suddenly, the baby was rolling away toward the cliff. "NO!"

"Watch Out!" said a young man's voice. He swooped the baby into his arms. He landed beside the lion. It was the man with the one wing on his back. "Here," he said, handing the baby to the lion. The lion, with his paws took the baby. The young man wielded his sword and created another shockwave, sending countless Guards into the air and knocked out. He turned to the lion and helped carried the baby.

"Edikee and Kari's child?" the young man asked. The lion nodded very tiredly as if he were going to die.

"We have no time," the young man said and hurried the lion to the center of the forest. "We're almost there. We just ha-" a surprise gunshot wounded the young man in the shoulder, dropping both the tired lion... and the baby dropped off the cliff.

"NOOO!"

The lion suddenly stood up, roaring in anger and killed the Guard that had shot the young man, tearing him up. The young man positioned himself up yet still hanging on the line of death.

"No, it can't be!" the young man hate to admit that he had failed in bringing the Powerful Knight's last hope to the center. He pounded his fist to the ground. He looked up slowly as he saw the lion tearing up the Guard to pieces with his fangs.

"That's enough!" he screamed at the top of his lungs to the lion. The lion immediately stopped and dropped to the ground. The young man pulled himself together and looked down the cliff. "I'm... sorry."

The lion heard his statement and somehow regained somewhat of his strength. He walked to the young man.

"Let's go." the lion remarked. The two of them, in shame, walked back to the center. Why? There was nothing they could do. Or could they...?

"No!" exclaimed Nechal. It woke the woman and Valcorus. Nechal was breathing deeply and was panicking in fear. He seemed to be speaking but no words were coming out of Nechal's mouth. Valcorus hurried over to Nechal and looked at him straight in the eye.

"What is it, my friend?" Valcorus noted. Nechal snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

"Edikee... Kari... Ioan..." Nechal fell almost asleep.

"Can you tell me how many Knights are left?" Valcorus asked. There was silence. The woman stayed quiet, yet tempting to say something.

"One... one..." Nechal began.

"Yes my friend?" Valcorus began to worry.

"1001. I'm sorry... Valcor..." Nechal collapsed from exhaustion. The woman gasped. Valcorus tried to shake him awake but it was no use. Valcorus sighed and looked at the woman.

"Take care of him." Valcorus commanded the woman. She nodded and tended to Nechal. Valcorus stepped outside, seeing hundreds of Knights crowding together in groups, keeping themselves warm, and seemingly to be having conversations. But no sound came from their mouths. Suddenly, a girl came up to Valcorus and told him a message.

"There are no more Knights left, Valcorus! Not even-" she began but was silented by Valcorus.

"Yes, I know." Valcorus scurried her away to a safe spot. Edikee, Kari... I sense that none of you are alive. Valcorus thought and turned back into the tent. The girl was right. Nechal erruptly said.

"There are less than ten of us left... Edikee, Kari are the most powerful Knights I sense but two others are coming as well..." Nechal coughed while the woman cared to his fall.

"What do we do now, Valcorus the Mighty?" the woman asked. Valcorus shook his head and sat down on the floor. He stared up at the ceiling of the tent and looked at the patterns.

The tent was handcrafted by Knights, living in the outskirts of the Empire. He thought of how much work and soul each Knight had put into to make this tent... and yet be killed. They must've thought that they were not worthy of the work they did and it did not please both humans and other Knights alike. Valcorus wanted to show to them how great their work was. The unusual yet unique and beautiful patterns of dragons, lions, and other creatures of myth.

"VALCORUS! Oh my god!" exclaimed the voice from outside and suddenly everyone outside also started to panick. Valcorus stood up immediately and walked out the tent.

"Valcorus, I..." the woman said but was too late. She had to take care of Nechal who was weak indeed.

"Calm!" Valcorus exclaimed. "I'll make a barrier for now and be wise while hiding." Valcorus lifted his hands up in a perpendicular line and suddenly the ground created a wall on all sides of the Knights in hiding. The top of the walls were also covered and soon the tent was too. Valcorus looked up at the fog.

"You can relax now, young Knight." Valcorus commented. The fog suddenly disappeared and all there was left was a boy. He bowed greatly and hid in the tent where another young girl his age was hiding. Perhaps his sister too. Valcorus sealed the last of the walls and soon there was no one but him that was gone out of nowhere.

Silent. It almost seemed to be dusk. But there were dark clouds so no one can tell the difference. Then, a crackle was heard in the distance. The Knights behind the wall gasped but the others kept them quiet. Another crackle. Soon more and more came closer with each step and right in between the two walls that guarded the Knights was the King of Quinstara. Tera. Beside him were Winsarela, his right-hand man, and his caretender, a woman in her thirties. Suddenly they stopped.

"It's been a while, right Valcorus?" Tera laughed at his name. Valcorus kept his guard up. He knew something bad was going to happen. Winsarela checked the walls.

"It looked like these were crafted by a... Knight." Winsarela inspected. "Just a couple of seconds ago." Valcorus looked down. That man knew somehow that indeed-

"Fire!" Tera commanded and a man from behind him shot a rifle. The shot wounded Valcorus in the stomach and he yelped in pain. Suddenly the walls came down and all the Knights started to scream and panick until the Guards stopped them. Tera smiled of an evil to come. He stood back and two men, carrying two dead bodies and throwing them to the ground. Valcorus, was the most surprised he's ever been in his entire life.

"Edikee?" Valcorus struggled to stand up on one knee. Tera stepped up in between the Knights.

[Author's Note: More background story! Yay! Winsarela was an old friend of the previous King, Tera's father. So Winsarela still had his post up. The woman always beside the child actually really came outta nowhere. No one knew what happened but it seems that she is like a vizier to the King (not even I'm not sure about it!). Valcours had previously allied up with the original King in battles against up in the Northern continents and such. But that's different. Tera has also met up with Valcorus while staying at the castle of Quinstara. Omg, this is the most updated I've ever done in my life! =O Keep on commenting, and you get more of Chapter 1! (can't believe I'm still on chapter one!)]

[Tai]

<3

Not much else to say, eh?

[Crystal Lizzy]

xD Just keep saying what you think... even if it is nothing at all. o-o Anyway, the next part!

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"I just thought I'd like to have an audience," Tera remarked. "To see, the most powerful Knight be killed by the King of Quinstara." He pointed the sword at Edikee. Valcorus noticed that Kari didn't move an inch.

"I'm sorry, Valcorus." Edikee said. Just as Tera was about to raise his sword toward Edikee, two voices called out.

"WAIT!" Valcorus and Winsarela both stepped forward. Tera looked up at Winsarela with an ugly look at him but suddenly Valcorus spoke out.

"I'll... make a deal... with the King of Quinstara." Valcorus spoke out. The Knights gasped and some even started a conversation. The Guards raised their rifle to silence them. They obediently became quiet. Tera put back his sword in his sheath and turned to Valcorus.

"Deal? DEAL?!" Tera repeated. "I do not make deals with pathetic Knights!"

"The man in the tent behind me." Valcorus said. "Was born from an ancient tree." The King started to be interested in what Valcorus was saying. A dead and uncomfortable silence crept upon all of them.

"Go on." Tera said to break the silence. The huge Knight started to glow but very dimly so no one would've noticed.

Valcorus continued. "That ancient tree and a human created that Knight. The Knight they call 'Oath of the Knights.'" Suddenly Nechal screached in pain and grew an even brighter light. The woman knew what was happening so she rushed over to the young boy and girl and protected them from the Knight's mysterious power. Tera looked very interested.

"But don't get confused with me, Your Majesty." Valcorus began again. Tera looked behind Valcorus once to see the glowing Knight. He looked back at Valcorus to continue the story. The caretender of the King looked nervous a little.

"This Knight can control the fate of all of us if made an oath upon him." Valcorus insisted. Tera looked at the even more brighter Knight that stood out in front of the rest. The Guards watched in amusement and Winsarela looked deeply tired and worried.

"I swear upon Nechal, the Oath of the Knights, that no more than 1000 Knights will live on and forever until the day we break that oath... or the oath perishes." The Guards and the Knights gasped. Tera was furious. He stepped up to Valcorus to hit him but suddenly, a huge flash of light came between them. On each and every Knight there was a light on their chest. The Guards suddenly fell to the ground and Tera also gasped for air. The caretender was mysteriously the only one not hurt. Winsarela hid away from the others by his coat.

"You... dirty... YOU tricked me!" Tera exclaimed to Valcorus. Nechal behind them was glowing radiantly and the Knights all looked at him.

"1000 Knights, Tera." Valcorus said. The caretender came up to the child and whispered to the child ear's of what was going on. He smiled and regained back his strength. He stood up and looked at Nechal in the tent.

"If there are more than 1000 Knights, we all perish, correct?" Tera looked at Valcorus. He nodded slowly, struggling for support on his one knee. "There are 1001 left in the world so..." Tera turned around to Edikee who had a light glowing on his chest. "And the lights appearing on the hearts of these Knights represent their soul, right?" Valcorus turned away.

"Yes." he said quietly. Tera took out his sword and pointed it at Edikee. Valcorus stood up and started to run to save Edikee's life.

"Restrain the Knight!" Tera barked at the Guards. A couple of Guards, seemingly to regain their strength, blocked Valcorus' way and knocked him down. Valcorus, not having enough energy, could only watch the death scene. The rest of the Knights gasped and know what they must do. Stand and watch, a powerful Knight being sentenced to death in a tragic oath. Some Knights were furious on the inside and couldn't bear the scene but Knights behind them restrained them, preventing them from doing anything stupidly courageous.

"Kari is dead because of me..." Edikee remarked to the Knights. Some gasped but still kept quiet. Valcorus could not believe it. Kari is dead!

"Get ready to aim for his chest!" Tera commanded and lowered his sword. Half of the Guards around them regained their strength and came into a semi circle behind Edikee.

"To the Knights, I'm sorry. Forgive me." Edikee also remarked and the women of the Knights started to cry on the shoulder of many men but not noticingly.

"Once you fire, don't stop until he's down." Tera commanded. The Guards reloaded their guns.

"Valcorus, I'm sorry. My love," Edikee looked down at his dead lover. "I shall soon return with you to the gates of Lost Heaven."
"Aim!" Tera barked.

"And live for us... my child, Ioanthe." In an instant, the only sound heard was gunshots brutally beating up the most powerful Knight. Valcorus could not bare to look but he still did. A tear gently swept across his cheek. Dead. I guess... that was their final wish to us. Valcorus thought.

~

"Do you feel strange?" the young man with the white wing remarked. The lion was carrying the young man on his back, walking slowly toward the center. They were simply to tired to be exaggerating about the man's chest glowing. The lion, however, wasn't glowing.

"I am in a creature form so my light cannot show." the lion told the young man. The young man chuckled a bit but still layed on the soft fur of the lion.

"Only when you are in human form?" the young man stated to the lion. The lion nodded tiredly.

"Do you know about this?" the young man asked. The lion was silent and kept on moving foward. The young man groaned in pain. "I feel like... a weight was just put on us. Like a heavy burden, y'know?"

"Maybe... is it because we failed their wish?" the lion remarked. The young man shook his head and smiled.

"No... we didn't even fail their wish in the first place." The two Knights walked on into the forest, little knowing about what has happened in the center.

"The Exodus of Death," Tera remarked back at the center to all of the Knights and Guards. "has completed it's purpose." Slowly the King signaled the Guards to their posts back at the carriage. Winsarela nervously stepped into the carriage, looking weak and tired. The caretender still stood behind the child. She smiled the mysterious grin again. Valcorus stood up and rushed over to Edikee and Kari. His chest, no longer glowing. Suddenly, all of the chests of the Knights started to dim. Nechal was very tired, it almost seemed like he was dead for that matter. But he wasn't and was breathing deeply into a sleep. The woman Knight came over to Nechal to care for him.

"Ioanthe... is al-" Valcorus was interrupted by the same girl child previously. She cared for Valcorus' stomach wound. Valcorus didn't want to tell her not unless everyone has heard about it at the same time. The carriage and Guards drove off into the forest, leaving a marked trail that soon disappeared. When the coast was clear, the Knights gathered around the two dead bodies and some started to sulk in sorrow. Valcorus looked around. The girl tending to his wound helped carry him up to the tent.

In the crowd of Knights, the young girl in bandages pushed her way through the crowd until she was at the front. She gasped and almost collapsed of the tears she made. But she kept her strength through her anger.

"Just like the cities and towns..." she muttered to herself. She made a fist and ran to a clear spot to hid her sorrow for the powerful Knights.
"Stay away from the Knights!" Valcorus exclaimed from behind the crowd. All of them looked at the wounded leader.

"We'll need to send them to the gates of Lost Heaven. Who will-" Valcorus began but a voice came from the middle of the crowd.

"We will. Because we deserve it." the young man on the back of the lion's back was sitting up. The Knights cleared the way for the two brave Knights. The young man piled the two bodies gently and formaly onto the lion's back. Soon, they departed for the lake nearby. The Lake of Hope, as the people called it. The crowd stayed silent and watched as the two carried the departures to the lake.

"Stay calm and quiet. Find a place to rest but only here in the center. All will be explained in the morning." Valcorus ordered the Knights. All of them started moving to an open space to find some rest. Valcorus went back into the tent.

"You've done well young boy," he said to the Knight who made the fog. "But now you and your sister will have to leave. Guard the rivers like your ancestors before you." The young boy and his sister left without a word, disappointment written all over their faces. Valcorus led them out and turned to Nechal. The woman was tending to him but she noticed that Valcorus was staring and knew what to do.

Valcorus walked over to Nechal and told the woman, "Go and see if there are any other children that need comforting." The woman bowed greatly and went outside the tent. Valcorus bent down to Nechal's level.

"I'm sorry, my friend. I wasn't thinking straight. This was my fault." Valcorus told to Nechal.

"No no. You knew that it had to be done." Nechal remarked and laughed but only just slightly. "If I didn't soon, I would've died anyway." The two stayed silent.

"I won't let my people down." Valcorus promised to Nechal. Nechal could only laugh, to hide his sorrow.

~

[Author's Note: The next part will be the last (99% likely) so yeah. Remember that it's still chapter one. >_> Anyway, I'm probably thinking of making character sketches for the Knights and Quinstara Empire to give you guys a better visual and stuff. So probably see them around Chapter 2+ because the characters are limited here in Chapter 1. And the explanation about the "light conjuring from the Knight's chest". Since Knights have that special gift given to them (explained all in the later chapters) their souls are much more visible than humans who resemble an "invisible" soul so that is why. Yeah. Hope you enjoyed it!]