Knight of the Couple

by Andrei-Ion Ghircoiaș

in Issue 149, June 2024

His armor plates clanged as he walked the cobbled streets of Valaney. Night had settled in, with few onlookers gawking from their homes. Gade couldn’t blame their curiosity. Valaney was where cultures and races mixed as they dealt in both trade and politics. A city stranger to sleep. But even so, it was a rare sight to find the Knights of The Couple performing their duty. Duty, which in a better world, would never be needed.

Gade stopped in front of the fenced mansion. A gust of wind brought the briny scent of the sea to his nostrils. It seemed the city itself tried to soothe him, but he couldn’t allow it. Not when his eyes rested upon the place he was most needed in. The mansion, sumptuous, with two levels and a balcony. There could be no doubt the mayor and his family lived there. 

Hearing another set of sabatons, Gade turned to find a woman approaching. Golden hair draped over an armor similar to his. Her ebony cheeks had the symbol of The Couple tattooed on them, twin scorpions holding one another by the pincer like two lovers. She stopped next to him and watched as the rest of the knights finished forming a perimeter around the mansion.

“Anyone made it out?” Gade asked.

She shook her head as she lit her pipe. “None. People say they heard a commotion from inside. Screams, broken glass and furniture… the usual.”

“Sounds like the guardian got to them first,” he said, disappointed.

She exhaled a long plume of smoke before speaking. “Aye, bastards got what they deserved. Makes your task easier.”

Gade took her pipe and drew a long drag, savoring the taste of chocolate, before placing it gently back between her lips.

“And how many children are we talking about?” he asked.

“Just the one, Sareen’s her name. Blacksmith’s son said she’s a friend. Claims her parents rarely let her outside.”

Gade crossed his arms. He knew it wasn’t that simple. Guardians didn’t appear for something so small. The Couple sent them if a child’s life was in danger. It was this protection and love they bestowed upon all children, for they could never have their own. But sometimes the protectors were so consumed by rage they became a threat. Not to the child, but to everyone else.

“I am going inside,” Gade said before pulling Assay into a deep kiss. He’d face the guardian alone, like he always did. As Knight Champion he could ask for as many men as he needed for an escort, but he refused. Behind his breastplate he carried the medallions of the men and women who had fallen protecting him. Gade remembered their names and faces, and the cries of their families as he gave them the news of their passing.

He would add no more. 

No, his skills and wits would have to be enough. And they have never failed him before so why would they now? He unstrapped the zweihander from his back. But as he went to take the first step toward the gate, Assay grabbed his hand.

“Come back in one piece.” Her lips curled into a playful grin. “That is an order, soldier!”

Gade returned her smile. “Aye, Grandmistress!”

He approached the door whilst keeping watch on the mansion windows, but there was no movement. To any onlooker, it felt abandoned, but Gade knew better. Most guardians were territorial, staying in the area unless a threat too great appeared. 

Gade stepped inside a wide hall lit by a crystal chandelier. A regal looking carpet lay upon the marbled floor, with a wide staircase in front. Several pieces of heraldry adorned the surrounding walls as if the mansion was the palace of a prestigious dynasty. It seemed even petty mayors had their delusions of importance.

To his left and right were open rooms with their insides shrouded in darkness. It appeared he was alone. No soul in sight, but his instinct told him otherwise. It wasn’t the silence of an abandoned building.

It was the quiet before an ambush.

Gade advanced toward the staircase, tightening his grip on the handle of the zweihander. But something out of the corner of his eye made him freeze. It came from the room on the right. He turned to face it.

Two turquoise lights shone from the darkness. Two eyes watching him with an emotion he couldn’t figure out. Curiosity? But it wasn’t the only thing he saw. Underneath them was a set of sharp white teeth. It was as if the blackness itself watched him with an open maw. 

The guardian. 

It kept to its place as if the light was anathema to it. But Gade knew better, his sword already in front as he pushed a leg back into a defensive stance. He didn’t flinch when the creature lowered itself as if preparing to pounce. He wanted it to make the first move. To give him an opening he could counter.

And it did. But not how he had expected. 

The guardian moved further into the room, out of his sight. It was baiting him to rush after, but Gade was familiar with such tactics. He approached steadily, ears searching for any clue of what the creature was doing. 

The sound of a broken window startled him.

“There!” cried one of his sisters from outside. “Loose!” Crossbows snapped, bolts pinging off the walls as he rushed inside the room.

Given its size and furniture, it had to be the mansion salon. But with chairs scattered around and a table broken against a wall, it looked as if a gang of brigands had rifled for valuables. But that wasn’t most noteworthy. Next to the broken window, a woman lay sprawled in a pool of blood. And a foul stench pervaded the air.

“Do you see it?” asked the same sister.

“No,” answered another knight after a short while. “Must’ve taken the balcony back inside.”

That’s on the second level, Gade thought. The guardian had likely tried to escape with the girl, but found more than ten knights waiting outside. It had to be back in. And looking around, he saw two options it could take to ambush him, from the hall or the door at the end of the salon.

He kept a close eye and ear on both as he searched for reasons why it had been brought here. Curiosity drew him toward the corpse of the woman, and he used the tip of his sword to turn her face up so to not soil his gauntlets. 

He grimaced at the sight.

With her belly torn open it looked like a lion had mauled her. And there was a curious gash on her left cheek. Curious because from the chest up there were no other wounds. Gade leaned in to examine her further. Her arms showed no cuts. She hadn’t defended herself. He wondered if the guardian made the gash after her death, but he couldn’t be sure. At least her age and tasteful clothing told him she was likely Sareen’s mother.

“Left the world in a gruesome fashion,” he said with contempt as if she could hear him. “Good.”

Past her body, he found books scattered on the floor and a man crammed into the fireplace. With clothes as expensive as the woman’s, Gade thought him to be the father. But something stopped him from going further. A sound so faint he would miss if he was still a novice. 

Something was creeping up on him.

Gade turned to see the guardian staring back next to the dead woman. This time, having grown accustomed to the dark, he could see it better. With black fur and claws longer than his fingers, it looked like the giant version of a jaguar plucked from the nightmares of the mad. And the way it stood on its hind legs, towering over him by a head, it could make a man lose any hope of victory. 

But Gade had faced bigger.

He approached, ignoring its hisses and growls. The guardian lifted the woman and hurled her at him. Gade dodged easily, corpse bouncing off the wall with a sickening crunch. He went to charge at the creature, but he proved too slow. By the time he took his first few steps, the creature had already bolted into the hall. Moments went by without a sound save for the grasshoppers outside. 

“Cowardly prick,” he muttered to himself and took the door at the end of the salon.

Past a long hallway, he entered the kitchen where another foul smell assaulted his nostrils. Looking around, Gade found its source with ease. He’d have to be blind not to. The servants, or what remained of them, rotted away around the room. He sighed, not at the state they were in, but at having been robbed of the chance to watch them dangle at the gallows. If only he could capture all who stood by as a child suffered. If only he could put the noose on each one’s neck and watch their life squeeze out as it tightened. If only the gods would make it happen…

Further on, he came across a study with everything still in place. And there was a cool scent of mint which helped him forget the stench from before. But no matter where he looked or what parchment he read, there was nothing to glean for why the child had suffered. 

A sound made him freeze as he went to leave. Something heavy bounded toward him. Gade wheeled around to find the guardian narrowing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

His battle instinct took hold, pushing his sword into a thrust toward the monster’s heart. But the beast stopped before the tip could touch its fur. Undeterred, he advanced and swung hoping to lop its head off in one move. The guardian ducked in time, sword cutting through air, and swiped in retaliation. Sparks flew as its talons grazed his breastplate. Gade twisted his arms and thrust downward, blade cutting through fur, but missing flesh. He stabbed forward, but the guardian dodged effortlessly. It then shouldered him into the wall and fled.

Gade cursed as he staggered back up. There was a dull pain at the back of his head, but he had no time to nurse the wound. He ran after the monster, watching it punch through doors like a fist through parchment. It ran on all fours, rapidly leaving him behind until it disappeared from sight. Further on, Gade heard a chain rattle followed by the sound of tens of pieces of glass shattering in unison.

As he reached the source of the noise, he found himself back into the hall but without the light from before. The chandelier lay broken on the floor with the beast standing on top like a triumphant conqueror. The last sight he got before it pounced.

Gade side-stepped and slashed downward, sword spraying blood on both carpet and his armor. The guardian staggered back, yowling in pain. Seizing the moment, Gade advanced and struck, blade biting through his opponent’s shoulder. The beast growled and retaliated with its talons. Gade ducked, claws narrowly missing his helmet. He wanted to press the assault, but found himself on the defensive.

He deflected with ease an attack aimed for his heart. But he wasn’t fast enough for the second. A loud clang echoed through the hall as his helmet bounced off the wall and rolled away. There was a sharp pain close to his brow with blood coursing over his cheek. 

The beast roared in triumph and pressed its assault, unleashing a flurry of swipes from all directions. Its claws fell like hail, blade catching most of them. The others grazed or dented his armor, but not enough to puncture through… yet. 

The ease with which the guardian pushed him around shocked Gade. It couldn’t be that strong, could it? Something was wrong. He had fought toe to toe with bigger ones and prevailed with ease, so why was this one beating him back? Why was it so close to pushing him into a corner?

Gade moved aside and threw a desperate swing as the creature lunged for him. A cry of pain echoed through the room as the blade found the guardian’s thigh. But his joy turned sour when he realized he couldn’t pull it out. The sword was in too deep. He tried one more time before he rolled away to avoid a claw coming for his head.

The monster’s eyes burned with both rage and pain. How it was still standing was beyond him. With a grunt and a hiss, it pulled out the blade and threw it away. Gade took out his dagger, a pitiful weapon in such a fight, but better than his fists.

“I am here to protect her,” he said with as calm a tone as he could muster.

The beast growled in response and charged. Gade dodged and grabbed a handful of shards from the chandelier, thankful his gauntlets kept them from piercing his skin. He waited for the guardian to face him before throwing them into its eyes. 

Howls echoed through the room as the monster pawed at its face. It stumbled around, clawing the air in hopes of getting him. Gade ducked and dodged as he went to retrieve his sword. Along the way, he picked up a large piece of crystal which he threw into a wall. 

Hearing the sound, the monster roared and charged blindly in its direction, crashing into the wall with a force that shuddered the room. It staggered back, howling and shaking its head. But its cries stopped when Gade’s sword burst through its chest. It jolted with one last sliver of life before falling to the floor. And like with the other guardians he had faced, its body turned to sand.

With heavy breaths, Gade placed a hand on the wall for support. He reached around the back of his head and sighed in relief when his palm came back without blood.

“Gade?” he heard Assay’s concerned voice from outside.

“Aye!” he shouted back after a short pause, “Still alive.” His voice lowered into a whisper as he looked at the pile of sand. “Barely…”

It had been close. Far too close, and he understood why. He shook his head and took out a small bottle of rum tucked away at his side. Couple knew how it was still intact, but he didn’t complain as he felt it warm his inside.

He knew why the guardian had almost won, and the simplicity of the answer made him slump against the wall. But he couldn’t deny it no matter how much he wanted to. He was no longer a youth. The wound on his brow was proof enough. If it was slightly lower, he’d have one eye left. Even more and Assay’s cries would have gone unanswered.

Was this the end, he wondered. His journey as a knight coming to a close? Would the next guardian be his last? Should he even try to face it to see? Questions swirled in his head whilst his body ached from all the punishment he had received. His armor was a mess, broken like he had been kicked around by an army of brigands.

Gade looked up to catch someone watching him from behind the railing of the second level. A small figure which fled out of sight soon after. He shook his head. His body protested, but he willed it back to his feet. This couldn’t be the end. Not yet, not when children needed a protector. Not when there was still suffering in this world. So what if the next guardian would be his last? He would face it. Damn it, he would face it! He would fight even if his muscles begged for respite. He would fight even if his face got more scars than the ones on his forearms. He would, until there were no more breaths to take.

He took the stairs and went from room to room until coming across one where its door had been ripped off its hinges. Stepping inside, Gade noticed how little furniture there was. A small bed with a table and chair next to a bookcase stacked from top to bottom. It looked like a small study, not a child’s room. There were no toys anywhere he looked. 

Moving around, Gade heard something shifting underneath the bed followed by a squeak. He smiled and sat cross-legged at a reasonable distance next to it.

“Having a light read in there?” he japed, but when no reply came, he went on. “I am here to help.”

“Go away!” the girl demanded. Gade chuckled at how fierce she sounded.

“I am a Knight of The Couple,” he said. “We help children. Can I at least talk with you face to face?” There was a pause so long Gade thought he would have to persuade her more, but she crawled out from underneath the bed. 

Sareen was a skinny girl, with a pair of trousers and a silk shirt. Her skin was pale and her hair cropped, and black as an onyx. She didn’t seem older than ten. And her left cheek had a small cut on it. 

Gade smiled, happy to finally see her, but his joy vanished when he saw the knife in her hand. It wasn’t the threat of it that gave him pause, but the thought of a child forced to defend herself. The very idea flared up his anger, but he kept it under control. He didn’t want to scare her. It was bad enough the state of his armor and the blood on him made him look anything but friendly. 

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it when a black kitten with white paws appeared from underneath the bed and sat next to her. Its big eyes watched him with curiosity.

“If you lie,” she said, brandishing the knife at him, “I will hurt you.” She tried hard to hide her shaking.

“I don’t doubt it,” he said. “But I can prove I am on your side. Here…”

Sareen watched with apprehension as he took off his gauntlet and unstrapped the vambrace around his forearm. When he pulled up the sleeves of both mail and tunic, her eyes widened at the marks on his flesh.

“These,” he said, pointing to the tens of small burn scars on his skin, “I got at the orphanage for bad behavior. They’d use a hot steel stick whenever you broke the rules.” 

Sareen grimaced but said nothing.

“As you can see, I was the most behaved child there,” he japed as memories flooded. He heard them again, his cries, the lies of his “caretakers” saying it hurt them just as much, and the sobbing of his friends as they were forced to watch. But they didn’t hurt anymore… so much.

“Thankfully,” he went on, maintaining the cheery facade, “the Knights of The Couple came and rescued the caretakers from me. I heard they had to endure prison for the rest of their lives due to what I did to them.” They should have hanged, but the city state he came from had banned the practice a few years before.

“Why didn’t a furry monster come to save you?”

Clever girl. “Because The Couple, my gods, do not have power everywhere. I later learned the orphanage was run by bad people of a different god. Let’s just say they sought to mold us into something no child would want to be.”

Sareen turned her eyes to the floor. Gade watched as she pondered whether to trust him. In his years he had met children so hurt they had lost hope there was still kindness out there. With them, it took time, and he worked to gain their trust until he could prove the world wasn’t as vile as it seemed. Many grew to live peaceful, purposeful lives. The others joined the Order out of their own volition. 

Sareen was close, but not quite there. Gade was prepared to offer her all the space and time she needed. If he had to stay with her for hours, even days, he would. As long as she needed to feel safe.

But something drew their attention. An unexpected and powerful sound coming from something so small. The kitten purred and kneaded the floor. Gade leaned in and brushed its forehead with a finger which made it purr even louder. Sareen watched enraptured as the kitten came and rubbed its small head against Gade’s hand. It was as if the kitten told her it was alright and she listened.

“My mommy gave me this,” she said, pointing to the cut on her left cheek.

“Why?” 

Her green eyes filled up with a sadness no child should ever experience. “She said I will grow up to be a noble lady like herself. She showed me how to be all proper like, but I didn’t like it! I don’t want to wear frilly dresses and go to balls and dance. I wanted toys. I wanted metal soldiers like Jamen, the blacksmith’s boy has. But daddy only gave me books… And every time I said I didn’t want to be a noble lady, mommy would call me stupid and tell the ladies from the kitchen not to bring me food.”

Gade clenched his fists, but managed to contain his rage as she went on.

“I would sneak outside and play with the children. No one saw me. Not even old fart Mechken.” She paused, fidgeting. “Daddy says it’s rude to call someone old fart, but he really is! He is old, and smells like a fart!”

He chuckled, but said nothing.

“One day, when I came back, I heard a strange sound,” she said and began imitating the cries of a cat. “That’s when I found Sir Whitesocks. He looked hungry, so I snuck him home and gave him all the treats he wanted.”

“Must’ve been hard keeping him a secret from your parents,” he noted.

“Yes. Jamen gave me a box with some sand in it. Said Sir Whitesocks would use it for potty. He has five cats at home, you know. And he was right!” Her joy turned to sadness. “But mommy found out anyway. I tried to convince her to let me keep him, but she was so, so angry. She hit me and then said she would throw Sir in the fireplace.” She tightened her hands into fists as tears fell down her cheeks. “I tried to stop her, but she hit me again. And then…” Her words trailed off as she stared at the floor. “The big furry monster appeared and took mommy away.”

Something clanged below them, followed by the sound of crunched glass. He recognized the voices of his brothers and sisters. 

“Will… will I see mommy and daddy again?” She seemed torn between hoping for a no or a yes. Gade thought of giving her a comforting lie, only to reveal the harsh truth later, but decided against it. The Couple frowned upon lying to children.

“No.” He didn’t need to say more. In Sareen’s eyes was an understanding no child should ever experience. There was a long pause before she said anything.

“I didn’t want them to go,” she sniffled. “They were mean sometimes, but I was also naughty. I didn’t have to be so naughty. Maybe if I listened to mommy more…” Her words broke off as tears welled up.

Gade reached out and gently pulled her into a hug and said the only comforting thing he could think of. “It’s not your fault.”

He held her as she cried into his shoulder. Held her as the grief emptied out of her small body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he squeezed her gently to let her know she was not alone. To let her know she was safe.

“The Order of The Couple will take care of you.” He said when her small frame no longer shook from sobbing. “They won’t keep you locked in a room and they will let you keep Sir Whitesocks. We’ll make sure you grow up into whatever you want to be.”

She broke off the hug and nodded absentmindedly as she picked up the kitten. Gade leaned in and used part of his sleeve to wipe the remaining tears.

“Can I say goodbye to my friends before I go?” she asked with a low, tired voice.

Gade nodded, smiling. “Of course. Wouldn’t want you to miss saying goodbye to Jamen.”

Sareen smiled faintly and extended her hand like a lady. Gade took it and led her downstairs where the rest of the knights waited. He lifted Sareen into his arms so her small feet wouldn’t have to dodge between the broken glass. 

Assay approached them and introduced herself to the girl. “You are safe now,” she said with the loving smile of a mother. But he could feel poor Sareen tensing under so much attention. He placed a reassuring hand on her knee to remind her she was safe.

As they all stepped outside, a gust of warm wind blew through his brown beard and hair. A sign The Couple approved of his deed, of that he was certain. Gade noticed how Sareen tried to make herself small under the stares of the onlookers, so he turned his back to them. And the rest of his brothers and sisters formed a protective circle around them.

“It’s alright,” Assay assured the girl before explaining what would come next. “We will take you and the little fur ball to our Order. We will get you a beautiful room, great food and find someone to take care of you. I know it’s a lot to take in so soon, but I hope it’s okay.”

Sareen gave a few weak nods. “Can I choose who?”

“Of course!” Assay said as if it was obvious.

“Then,” Sareen said, tugging at Gade’s braided beard, “I want him.”

Such simple words, but with a power that rippled through every knight present. His brothers and sisters glanced at one another in astonishment, but smiling. Even Assay couldn’t contain her joy. But Gade could hardly believe it. He was still taking in her words when a heavy pat on his shoulder startled him.

“Well done, brother!” said one of the knights, smiling at him. And then the others came, patting and cheering him. It was true. It was real.

“Is something wrong?” Sareen asked apprehensively. 

Gade shook his head. “No. When a child chooses her savior as her protector, it’s considered the greatest blessing the gods can give.”

***

In the city of Alsharey, the house didn’t stand out in any way. Its architecture was the same as every other building on the street. But what was within made it unique.

Gade went over and checked the straps on Sareen’s armor.

“It’s fine!” she protested. “You’ve checked them twice already.”

“Just making sure,” he said, ensuring they were tight enough to hold her plate armor. Satisfied, he stepped back, taking her in. She looked like a proper Knight of The Couple. And today was a special day for her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Sareen grinned. “Ready! Can’t wait to go inside.”

“Good. Remember-“

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Dad, I know! You’ve told me more times than a scholar can count. I will be fine! I’ve fought guardians before. And yes, I know this is my first time facing one alone, but…” she reached out and playfully tugged at his braided grey beard. “You taught me well.”

They turned around to find Assay smiling as she approached.

“We are done with the preparations,” she said, glancing at both before settling on Sareen. “Are you ready, young lady? There is a little boy inside who needs you.”

The girl nodded, gave each a tight hug and disappeared into the house, closing the door behind her. Assay moved next to Gade and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“You alright, handsome?”

He pressed the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath as he tried to keep his tears in. He exhaled, letting go, but his eyes were still watery, and his voice showed a few cracks as he spoke. “I just watched my little girl undertake her first task… alone.”

Assay gently wiped his tears and cupped his cheeks. “She’ll come back. We both know it.”

Gade nodded. He knew that. Deep inside he knew she would return and in one piece. He knew, but there was still a small amount of fear that made him worry. And it kept him in the same spot until night came, when Sareen stepped outside holding a little boy by the hand.

©June 2024, Andrei-Ion Ghircoiaș

Andrei-Ion Ghircoiaș has a love for the fantasy genre, but also tries his hand at sci-fi and horror. For him, the characters are akin to rulers, and the story is the country they lead. His short fiction has appeared in anthologies from Cloaked Press & Dragon Soul Press. The is his first appearance in Swords & Sorcery Magazine.