A Knight's Quest

 

            Chase was excited. He finally had a chance to become a real knight. For years, he had practiced and trained with the sword in the Junior School of Knights. Now he was graduating, and he ranked number five in his class. The top five graduates then had the chance to complete a quest for the king. If they each completed their quest successfully, they would become true knights and work to protect the kingdom.

            As the graduating ceremonies commenced, Chase tried to slow his pounding heart. His whole life had been building up to this moment. The school’s headmaster seemed to give a much longer speech than usual, but finally he said the words that Chase was waiting to hear: “And now our top five graduates will come up to accept their new quest.”

            Chase felt a thrill as the headmaster said his name. He walked as quickly as he could to the podium, but when he got there, his mouth opened in surprise. Jason, the class bully, had reached the headmaster before Chase and taken Chase’s place. Jason smirked as he accepted the quest scroll from the headmaster.

            “Nooo!” Chase shouted angrily. “That’s mine!” He ran to where Jason had been standing, but he was gone. Chase tried to explain to the headmaster what had happened and to let him have another scroll.

            “Sorry, lad,” he said sadly. “Jason may not deserve it, but he has the scroll now. There’s nothing I can do. If he fulfills the quest, he’ll be made a knight.” He looked at Chase kindly. “You have performed remarkably well at this school, and I know that you will make a remarkable soldier for our kingdom.”

            The unfairness of it made Chase want to scream. “Can’t you at least tell me what the quest is, so I can get a fighting chance?”

            The headmaster looked at him thoughtfully and said, “Yes, I don’t think that would be against the rules. But I must warn you, that whichever one of you completes the quest first, and brings back the scroll, will get the knighthood.”

            Chase took a deep breath, like he was preparing for a race and said, “Okay, I’m ready.”

            “The quest is this: defeat Remalkion, the giant spider, and bring back his head.”

            Chase nodded, resolute, as he said, “Thank you, sir.”

            Chase headed to the stables as quickly as he could and saddled his horse, Grayson. He grabbed his pack that he had prepared earlier and set out. Not really knowing where Remalkion, the giant spider was, he started out on the path that would lead him toward the Old Forest.

            Chase rode all day, and by nightfall, he had reached his destination. Forest Inn was still a few miles outside of the Old Forest, but it would be a safe place to rest and get information.

            Making sure that Grayson was being properly cared for, Chase went inside. He rented a room and chatted with the innkeeper for a few minutes, trying to find out anything about Ramlkion. “Have you heard of any giant spiders around here?” he asked the old innkeeper seriously.

            The innkeeper’s face turned dark and said, “Aye, there’s been more reports of people going missing lately. Usually, the giant spider webs have been deep in the forest, but they have grown bolder lately. You’ll find some of their webs scarcely two miles inside the woods.”

            Chase thought about this and said, “Have you ever heard of Ramalkion?”

            The innkeeper’s face turned white and panicked, as he said, “Don’t say it out loud! You’ll curse us all!”

            It was a few minutes before the man could calm down again. When he did, Chase asked, “Where can I find him?”

            “If you go looking for him, you will only find death, but if you follow the spider webs, they’ll lead you right to him.”

            After that, Chase couldn’t get anything else out of the old man. Saying good night, he turned to go to his room. To his surprise, his way was blocked by the young lad who had taken care of Grayson. His face was earnest as he pled, “Don’t go after him mister!”

            “I’m on an errand for the king,” Chase replied calmly.

            “Well, at least bring plenty of light with you. The spiders hate light and fire.”

            Chase thanked the youth and went to bed.

            The next morning, Chase saddled Grayson and they headed to the forest proper. Along the way, Chase stopped to gather several stout branches that he would use for torches. He wanted every advantage he could get against the spider.

            Twenty minutes later, Chase saw the first evidence of the giant spider. Thick spider webs were strewn all over the area. Chase paused a moment to light one of his makeshift torches with flint and tinder. He followed a path that was littered with broken spider webs.

            Not long after, he came across a man lying face down in the path. Chase held up his torch high in the air and peered at the woods all around him. Seeing nothing, he dismounted to get a closer look at the body. Gingerly, he turned the body over and saw Jason’s face staring blankly at him.

            Jason had been the Knight School bully, and Chase had never liked him, but a death was still sorrowful. Chase carefully moved the body off the side of the path. As he did, he noticed the scroll poking out of Jason’s pocket. Seeing it, Chase took it and said, “You see Jason, that’s what happens when you don’t follow the rules.”

            Mounted once again, Chase continued to follow the spider webs, which were getting thicker. Chase had to raise his torch higher, because darkness seemed to be closing around him, even though it wasn’t even mid-day yet.

            Suddenly, Chase heard a rustling noise that sounded like it was made by something big. With the torch held in his left hand, Chase unsheathed his sword with his right. Looking behind him, Chase saw something that made his whole being fill with fear. At least 15 enormous spiders blocked the path. Chase waved the torch around wildly and uttered a savage cry. The spiders backed away a few paces, but didn’t leave.

            Behind Chase, a voice spoke, filled with malice. “How dare you bring fire here!” it said, scathingly.

            Chase whipped around and saw an absolutely gigantic spider that was at least twice the size of the others. This one had to be Remalkion.

            Surrounded now by spiders, Chase gave out a few more battle cries as he waved the torch around to keep the spiders at bay.

            Suddenly, there was a spark as Chase’s torch got too close to one of the webs. It immediately grew into flame that began to devour the spider webs and spread quickly. All around him, there were angry clicks from the spiders and Chase found himself using his sword now as the spiders attacked.

            Chase hadn’t been one of the top five in his class for nothing. As Chase started fighting, his training took over. From his position on Grayson, he had a significant height advantage and took down eleven of the smaller spiders before he was knocked out of the saddle.

            Chase rolled until he came to a stop and immediately jumped up to fight more of the spiders. Finally, he slashed the final spider through its hairy body as it collapsed in front of him. Then Chase turned toward Remalkion.

            The menacing voice was now filled with fury as it shouted, “You will pay for this!” The huge spider thundered toward Chase, who met it head on with a slash from his sword. It barely made a mark however, and Chase had to retreat a few steps. He almost tripped over the torch, which was still burning where he’d dropped it in the earlier fights with the spiders. He picked it up as he met Remalkion’s next attack with a spinning sword move. The sword again barely nicked the spider, but the flame from the torch had caught fire in the hair that covered the spider’s body.

            Remalkion now stumbled around in a screaming inferno as it tried to escape the flames. Chase stood back and watched, stunned. After a few minutes, the giant spider collapsed and went still. Before the body was entirely consumed by flames, Chase hacked off the creature’s head as proof that he had fulfilled the king’s quest.

            Rain started to fall and smothered the dozens of small fires that had started to spread. Chase found Grayson, who was miraculously uninjured. He started the journey that would eventually take him back to the castle where he would show that he had fulfilled his quest.

            Finally, Chase had proven that he was worthy to be one of the king’s knights. Nothing was going to stop him now.