Short Stories and poems

A Strange Knight

A Strange Knight tries to rescue a Princess from a Dragon

Brother Egbert looked around, as his mule pulled his cart through the valley. The mule seemed nervous. Egbert had learned to trust the mule’s instincts by now. Danger was near. The monk checked the wooden club he had by him – rules of the church might of forbid him from shedding blood, but only fools lack a weapon to protect themselves with, and Brother Egbert was no fool.

He was almost out of the valley, about to cross a ford, when a tree in front of him fell across the road. He prepared to back the cart up when the tree behind him also fell. Clearly, this was a trap – a simple, yet good one. He watched as a group of men emerged from the sides of the valley. Looking forward, there was more of the same.

“Cedric, I thought that you said that the road was clear for us to fell these trees,” the one said, with a smirk.

“It was, Jervis,” another said. “He must have come after I checked.”

Egbert kept calm. “Could you please move the tree in front of my mule and cart off the road,” he said. “I’m expected in town, to help out those in need of the Lord’s good words.”

“Oh, I’m sure we could move the tree alright,” said Jervis. “In exchange for all your gold.”

“I don’t carry gold, I’m afraid,” said Egbert. “I do have a few holy books though.”

“What need do we have of holy books?” Jervis asked. “About the only use I can think of them for is to light fires.”

“Yes, the fires of the soul,” said Egbert. “Other than that, I have some food for my travel, and for my mule.”

“How about the mule and cart then?” Cedric asked.

“Yes, but first, you must move the trees, let me get to town, and then I can let you have the mule and cart," said Egbert.

“Do you take us for fools?” Jervis asked.

“No, one of you may be my passenger, and take it once I’m safely in town,” said Egbert.

“Hmm, kill him,” said Jervis.

Egbert noticed a few with crossbows, like the one next to him. “May the Good Lord have mercy on your souls!” He shouted, as he grabbed his club, bashed the crossbow user over the head, and jumped, so that the wagon could give his back some protection, while other bandits prevented the crossbow users from getting him in a good position to take a safe shot at. Booting one, and clubbing another, Egbert was more than willing to send a few to pave the road for the afterlife, as the bandits pressed their attack, trying to use numbers against him.

That was when an armored man on a horse jumped into the middle of the group, knocking a few down. Egbert got a good look at them – armor for both the man and horse was black, with the horse being of a pale coloration. His face was covered by an enclosed helmet.

“Move the trees, now!” the rider demanded.

“What makes you think that you can just make us do what you want?” Cedric yelled.

The armored man rode up to him, and thumped him on the head with his metal gauntlet. “I won’t ask again,” he said, drawing a sword. “I’ll just chop off a head, and turn it in for the bounty!”

“Who are you?” Jervis asked, cautiously.

“I am called Mortus,” the armored man said, as he pointed the sword at the bandit leader.

The bandit’s face paled. “Move the trees! Now!”

Nervously, the bandits hurriedly moved the trees from the road.

“Try this again, and I won’t be so merciful,” said Mortus. They then whistled, and a group of horses followed, led by another pale horse, which had black saddle bags and such – the others had bodies draped over them.

The bandits fled, taking their injured friends with them.

Egbert looked at his rescuer, who had managed to scare his attackers so. “Are you a Bounty Hunter?” he asked.

“Bounty Hunter, Monster Slayer, Bodyguard, Mercenary – anything that can allow one to make money with a sword,” said Mortus. “Do you need to hire a sword?”

“Sadly, I lack the funds needed for that,” Egbert said, as he climbed back up onto his cart. He muttered a minor healing spell, fixing up the worst of his injuries. “I got some food, water, wine, and holy books.”

“Hmm, if nothing else, the books can be used to start fires,” said Mortus, as he started trotting.

“That’s what everyone seems to say, or to wipe after they use the bathroom,” Egbert said, as he got the mule to move the cart once more. “Is the Good Lord’s Word worth so little?”

“Fires can keep you warm, cook food, boil water, and other useful things, not to mention, it is a very good idea to clean yourself off after you defecate,” said Mortus. “Still, I wouldn’t mind having a copy for my own reading.”

Egbert pulled out a copy and passed it to them. “Don’t use it for fires or for the toilet, or anything of the sort of nature wherein you intentionally deface it, unless you have to.”

“So, if there was no choice, you’d burn the book?” Mortus asked.

“I’d read the page first, commit it to memory, and then do what needed to be done,” said Egbert.

Mortus chuckled. “You’re a strange one, for a priest.”

“I’m a monk,” said Egbert. “Never could get around to the idea of forgiving sinners and such. You might have noticed that I was willing to give a good accounting of myself.”

“It takes all sorts in this world,” said Mortus. “Still, traveling can be rather lonely, when all you have is horses and the dead to talk to.”

“If you’ll forgive me, but your name means something like Death in some languages,” said Egbert.

“A fitting name,” said Mortus. “There’s a passage, ‘For he beheld a pale horse, and Death was upon them.’ I kind of like it.”

“And trouble seems to follow them,” said Egbert.

“Well, that part fits too,” said Mortus. “If nothing else, you could heal the horses if they get lame or something.”



Later, that night, Egbert was enjoying some stew he’d made. He looked at his companion, who was still wearing their armor. “Are you sure you won’t have any? There’s enough for two.”

“Yes, but I’m not one of them,” said Mortus. “The one with the crossbow watching us though, might.” They pointed over at a tree.

“How did you spot me?” called out a female voice.

“Not the first time I’ve been ambushed or followed,” said Mortus. “Come on over.”

Egbert watched in amazement as a female of the catfolk sort came over.

“Most of you humans don’t see too well in the dark,” said the catwoman.

“I’m not like most humans,” said Mortus. “I’m called Mortus.”

“I’ve heard of you,” said the catwoman. “Tabitha is my name.”

“And I’m Brother Egbert,” said Egbert. “May I interest you in a book of the Good Lord’s word?”

“Sure, I ran out of toilet paper the other day,” said Tabitha.

Egbert shook his head. “Never mind.” He looked at Mortus. “Just how well-known are you?”

“Well-known enough that you don’t want to be whomever he’s after,” said Tabitha. “If he’s after you, best to just surrender right then and there. You might live in that case. Otherwise, you end up as one of them.” She pointed at the bodies that were in a pile nearby. “You’ll get draped over the back of your own horse as a corpse, with said horse being sold later on.”

“I have no use for extra horses, beyond those I have use for,” said Mortus.

Tabitha pulled out a bowl and began putting stew into it.

Egbert looked at Mortus. “Are you sure that you won’t have any of the stew?”

“It’s against my religion to eat with those not of my faith,” said Mortus. “The rules I’m afraid are rather strict with this.”

“I’ve heard of religions that forbid the consumption of certain foods, or during certain times, but I’ve never heard of a religion like that,” said Egbert. “Still, since you saved my life, I won’t question things too much.”

“Yes, I can’t even show any trace of skin when I’m around those not of my faith,” said Mortus. “Thankfully, I have some special clothes that I can use during times that it would be inappropriate for me to just wear armor.”

“Sort of like the desert dwellers that cover their faces to protect them from the sun?” Tabitha asked.

Mortus nodded. “There’s even a thin strip that goes over my eyes,” he said. He looked at Egbert. “I’ll eat when I’m on Watch, if that will keep you from worrying about me getting hungry.”

“Alright,” said Egbert.

The monk soon set up a place to rest, and settled down for his sleep. Sometime later, Tabitha shook him.

“Your turn to keep watch,” the catwoman said.

Egbert got up, looked, and saw Mortus sitting behind a tree, facing away from the fire.

“Has he been like that?” Egbert asked.

“Shook me, and went to sit there,” said Tabitha. “Not a sound from him.”

“How well do you know him?” Egbert asked.

“I know his reputation,” said Tabitha. “I’ve even seen him in the crowd on occasion. Never had a job where we worked together though. He tends to work alone, never with others. I doubt anyone has ever seen his face.”

“And his saying that it’s all because of his religion?” Egbert asked.

“There’s some I know of that are like what he says, but not quite like that,” said Tabitha. “Still, he has a very good reputation, tends to bring in the most evil of folk for judgement, sparing those that could reform, and will even do the jobs that pay nothing.”

“What do you mean by those?” Egbert asked.

“Many folks don’t have the money to hire those like us in this line of work that are really good,” said Tabitha. “The low pay makes certain ones arrogant enough to refuse the job, while others believe that the job is very easy. It pays to learn what the job is – that and sometimes, there are non-monetary rewards.”

“Protecting the innocent is oftentimes a reward in and of itself,” said Egbert, as he looked at one of his books. “Why do folks treat the Good Lord’s Word so poorly?”

“When enough priests try to shove their beliefs down your throat, the paper leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” said Tabitha.

“You have a point,” said Egbert. “I tend to have better luck in areas where priests don’t try to convert everyone. Sometimes folks are looking for reading material, and there are plenty of stories in this book. One is about a brave warrior that crawled into the mouth of a large serpent to save a child. Of course, I suspect that the serpent was dead first, and the child was lucky.”

“Probably,” said Tabitha. “Giant serpents aren’t easy to deal with. Only a few have been able to take them on alone.”

“So I’ve been informed,” said Egbert. “I guess I’ll get about my watch while you rest.”

“Don’t look at the fire, or else you’ll lose your night vision,” said Tabitha.

Egbert chuckled. “Not my first time watching over fellow travelers.”

“A step up from most priests then, who don’t know how to do that,” said Tabitha. “Most priests keep trying to shove religion into one’s ears as they try to sleep.”

“I know when to not talk about religion,” said Egbert. “If one isn’t interested in joining, no point in trying to convert them.”

“Smart,” said Tabitha, as she got to her sleeping spot. “Have a good watch.”



Soon enough, a low purring sound came from Tabitha, as the catwoman drifted into sleep. Egbert looked over at Mortus. The armored warrior was silent, not even a snore. Usually there’d be some sort of noise, one way, or another.

Egbert walked over to the armored man, only for the enclosed helmet to turn to face him.

“Is something the matter?” Mortus asked, quietly.

“Have you been awake this whole time?” Egbert asked, just as quietly, to not bother Tabitha.

“I’m a very light sleeper,” said Mortus. “Is something the matter?”

“You were just very quiet, is all,” said Egbert.

“Some are like that,” said Mortus. “Now, get back to your Watch, and let me rest.”

Egbert walked away. Mortus had a point. Some were quiet, and slept like the dead.



By noon the next day, the trio were in an inn, having lunch – well, Egbert and Tabitha were having lunch. Mortus was looking at the bag of coins he got for his bounties, as well as the sale of the extra horses.

Egbert watched as Mortus placed it with a group of bags, all seeming to be money pouches. “What do you do with your money?”

“Supplies, fixing equipment, charity,” said Mortus.

“Charity?” Tabitha asked.

Mortus nodded. “Orphanages and such. You see plenty of orphans in this line of work. Some are ones you’ve made so yourself.”

“What do you mean by that?” Egbert asked.

“Even the most heartless of monsters will produce an innocent child,” said Mortus.

“Possibly depends on the monster,” said Egbert. “Some things are just natural-born killers.”

“You’re not wrong,” said Mortus. “Humans are among the worst sort.”

Reflecting upon his encounter with the bandits the prior day, Egbert nodded. “You have a point,” he said. “Still, it is good to know that you think about the lives that you might have caused harm to. Hopefully, they are better people than their fathers.”

“Or mothers,” said Mortus. “The worst criminal I ever had to deal with was a woman. She liked to use poison, followed by suffocation, to kill their targets.”

“What happened?” Tabitha asked.

“While my religion places many rules upon me, there are some rather useful benefits,” said Mortus. “Being resistant to poison is one of them. As for the attempt to suffocate me, that too also failed, due to my faith’s protections. I took her head, and claimed the bounty.”

“Hard to believe that such a faith could protect you so,” said Egbert. “What else does it protect you from?”

“I’d strongly advise that you don’t ask,” said Mortus. “Also, I wouldn’t recommend joining my religion, unless you had no choice in the matter.”

“Why is that?” Tabitha asked.

“To join you must be near death,” said Mortus. “To leave it means death.”

“Sounds like an evil religion, if you ask me,” said Egbert.

“No, just dark,” said Mortus. “Like I said, it isn’t one most want to join.”

“Do you mean that?” a voice asked loudly.

“Yes,” said a second. “The Princess was abducted by a dragon yesterday. The King is offering ten thousand gold to whomever rescues her!”

“Who’d be crazy enough to go up against a dragon?” the first asked.

Mortus got up. “Another impossible job,” he said. “Hopefully I can get it done before some innocent gets hurt.” He walked over to the speakers. “I might be crazy enough to go up against a dragon. Do you know any more details?”

“You’ll have to talk to the King,” said the second speaker, who was a well-dressed high servant. “He knows more about the job. I was asked to locate someone who can do the job.”

“I’m interested,” said Mortus.

“As am I,” said Tabitha.

“You’re probably going to need a healer,” said Egbert.

“Alright,” the servant said. “Follow me.”



They were soon at the castle.

The King looked at them. “What makes you think that you can rescue my daughter?”

“My achievements speak for themselves,” said Mortus. “The Cortez Brothers for one are now dead because of me. The Commander of the Guards can vouch for this feat.”

“He did turn in the bodies,” said the indicated official. “He has quite the reputation.”

“Are you sure that you’re up for facing a dragon?” the king asked.

“I can survive the encounter, unlike others that just rush in,” said Mortus. “Has the dragon made any demands?”

“They want cattle, twenty now, and five every week for three months,” the King said. “At that point, the Princess will be released.”

“Ah, I understand,” said Mortus. “Where are the cattle to be taken?”

“There’s a clearing in the forest,” said the King. “We are to meet them in two days.”

Mortus nodded. “I see.”

“Do you know why they did this?” the King asked.

Mortus nodded. “They are too prideful to pay for what they need, so they demand it.”

“Why do they want so many cattle?” the King asked.

Mortus chuckled. “She’s pregnant. She needs food to create the eggs, and will need more while she looks after them.”

“And my daughter?” the King asked.

“Dragons need to sleep, and someone must rotate the eggs so that the little dragons can properly grow,” said Mortus. “Well, with any luck, I’ll be able to convince the dragon that it’s better to pay for the cattle, as well as hire the services of an egg-minder. No bloodshed needed.”

“Are you sure about this?” the King asked.

“I’ve made similar negotiations in the past,” said Mortus. “Werewolves of Morgorn enjoy a nice trade with the locals – valuable herbs and such for meat during poorer hunting times.”

“I’ve heard something about that,” said the King. “I wish you luck.”

Mortus nodded. “Now, where is this clearing?”



A while later, Mortus was walking around the clearing. Good line of sight to the woods, with room enough for most dragons to flee if needed.

“Can you negotiate with a dragon?” Egbert asked.

“Anyone can be negotiated with,” said Tabitha. “I once found out that the reason a group of orcs was becoming restless had to deal with the desecration of a site that was sacred to them. Figure out who the desecrator was, and even why. It was a bunch of children who didn’t realize that they’d stolen an artifact that had belonged to a human who was not only a Hero to their village, but had proved to be such a worthy opponent to the orcs, they saw him like kin, and thus saw the theft of his grave as something foul. Thankfully, the orcs became rather understanding, once they found out why the tomb had been violated, and were rather amused when they realized that the children were of that Hero’s bloodline.”

“I got enough information to plan things out,” said Mortus, as he walked back to the pair. “We’ll deal with the dragon, or, rather, I will.”

“Don’t you want our help?” Egbert asked.

“I would prefer that you stayed back,” said Mortus. “Now let’s –get behind me.”

Egbert and Tabitha looked at him, before turning around. There were several figures.

“Well, well,” one said, as they came forward on a horse, holding a lance, stopping thirty paces away. “If it isn’t the one called Mortus. You killed my cousins.”

“You are the one that wasn’t there,” said Mortus. “I tried to bring them in alive. They just weren’t having it.”

“I’m going to kill you, for them,” the man said.

“You’re welcome to try,” said Mortus.

“Kill them!” The man spurred his horse, causing them to gallop forward.

“This way!” Tabitha dragged Egbert away.

“What about-”

Egbert gasped at what he saw.

The rider had sent their lance into Mortus’s armor, delivering a killing blow. At the same time, Mortus had thrusted their longsword through the rider, killing them.

Egbert made a quick motion with his hands, and muttered a quick prayer for his companion’s soul.

“Pray later,” said Tabitha as the others charged after them. “If there is a later.” She drew her sword, as Egbert got out his club.

“Agreed,” said Egbert, as they got back-to-back. “Say one for me, and I’ll say one for you.”

“I don’t know your Prayers, and I doubt you know mine,” said Tabitha, as she swung her sword at one of the brigands.

“I can understand if you say something generic,” Egbert said, as he smashed his club upon another brigand.

That was when a lance pierced two of the brigands.

“How about you two focus on staying alive!” shouted a familiar voice.

Egbert looked, as did the rest of the brigands.

“Not possible!” one said.

Standing, with a gaping hole in them, was Mortus. He threw a dagger at the speaker, killing them. “Not probable is more like it.” They then charged the rest, most of who went after him. Marcus held his sword.

A growl brought Egbert back to his surroundings, as he saw a brigand manage to land a blow on Tabitha, forcing her to the ground. He swung his club, getting his companion’s attacker, taking him out.

“Thank you,” said Tabitha.

“Thank me later,” said Egbert.

Tabitha thrusted with her sword, stabbing the one trying to sneak up behind Egbert. “Likewise.”

The brigands were quickly killed. They lay in pieces, or with their heads smashed.

Egbert looked at Mortus. “Do you need healing?” he asked.

“No,” said Mortus. “Heal Tabitha’s wound. It looks bad.”

Egbert placed his hand over the catwoman’s injury, and muttered the healing spell to stop the bleeding, and heal the wound. As he did he looked at Mortus, noticed them place their hand over the hole, and watched as dark energy flowed from gauntlet to breastplate, repairing the armor.

“He’s an undead,” said Tabitha, as she stood up, her sword ready.

Mortus walked up to them. “Yes, I am.”

Egbert looked at him. “Then why did you save me yesterday, and save us now?”

“Just because I’m undead doesn’t make me evil,” said Mortus.

“What are you?” Egbert asked. “My magic is really good against the undead.”

“Promise upon your Good Lord’s Word that you won’t attack me, just because I’m an undead,” said Mortus.

“Why shouldn’t he just blast you with Holy Magic?” Tabitha asked.

“Because if I wanted you dead, neither of you would have woken up,” said Mortus.

“That’s a very good point,” said Egbert. “I promise not to attack you, unless you attack us.”

“Good enough.” Mortus removed his helmet, revealing a head with a cloth wrapping. Carefully, he removed the cloth wrapping, revealing a skull.

“So, you’re a skeleton?” Tabitha asked.

Mortus nodded.

“Explains how you spotted me,” said Tabitha. “You could sense my aura, that of a living being.”

Mortus nodded.

“How did you become like this?” Egbert asked.

“My first job sent me after an evil wizard,” said Mortus. “They were a necromancer. They killed me. They stripped me of my flesh. Then, they brought me back to be their servant. However, something went awry with their spell, and I was my own being. Realizing that I had a chance to avenge myself, I took their head before they knew that something was wrong. I expected to fall apart after that, but, I didn’t. Instead, their energy entered me – I know every spell they knew – I even know what went wrong – they forgot to remove my soul from my body.”

“Is there a way to undo this?” Egbert asked.

“I do not know,” said Mortus. “But now you understand why I don’t eat, and why I was such a light sleeper.”

“And why you can move around after getting an injury that should have killed you,” said Tabitha.

“I know that Holy Magic can harm me,” said Mortus. “You are correct with that, Brother Egbert. If ever Evil manages to control me, please, save my soul, and end my suffering.”

Egbert nodded. “I will.”

“Good,” said Mortus. He started wrapping the cloth back around his head, and replaced the helmet.

“How come I didn’t sense that you were undead?” Egbert asked. “I can sense them, normally.”

“I think it’s because my soul still inhabits my bones,” said Mortus. “Paladins, Clerics, and other such people, they’ve yet to find me out. This goes for others. But, that’s why I work alone – just in case.”

“So, what now?” Tabitha asked. “We know your secret.”

“I’ve sworn an oath to not harm the innocent,” said Mortus. “If you feel it’s your duty to tell folks about what I am, I’ll simply leave the country, and head to another, where I’m not known, and do Good there. However, if you decide to keep quiet about it, I’d appreciate it.”

“Very well,” said Tabitha. “After all, if you wanted us dead, you’d of not saved us.”

“I have to agree with that,” said Egbert. “You would have let the bandits kill me yesterday, or these men today.”

“Thank you,” said Mortus. “Your trust will not be misplaced.” They looked around. “As it is, I have a plan.”

“And that is?” Tabitha asked.

Mortus chuckled. “Let’s just say that the story about the Serpent is about to be one-upped.”



A couple of days later, Egbert and Tabitha hid in the woods, as Mortus sat on a stump, visible to anyone in the clearing.

The dragon came, and landed. “Where are my cattle?” they demanded.

“They aren’t here, and won’t be here, unless you pay gold,” said Mortus.

The dragon looked at them. “I Need that cattle!”

Mortus stood up and drew his sword. “You’ll have to eat me first.”

“That can be arranged!”

The dragon moved quick, and from his hiding place, Egbert gasped in shock as the creature snatched Mortus up, flung them into the air, causing them to lose their grip on their sword, the armored fighter then plummeting down the throat of the beast.

“I hope he makes it,” the monk said.

“His idea,” said Tabitha.

The dragon sniffed the air, and looked towards them. “You two watchers better bring me the cattle or I’ll -” They began to groan in pain. “What’s going on? What are you doing? You should be screaming in agony, not – Oh no!”

“Well, that dragon’s about to have an experience I can relate to,” said Tabitha. “I once caught a pixie that was murdering people. Since we were a ways away from town, and I didn’t want to chance them escaping, I decided to restrain them with a large Ring of Acid Resistance, trapping their arms and wings to their back and sides, and swallowed them. Little bugger decided to crawl through my intestines!”

“What happened?” Egbert asked.

“I managed to make it to town where I dropped off my load,” said Tabitha. “They were still squirming.”

“Was it painful?” Egbert asked.

“Oh, it was worse,” said Tabitha. “It was pleasurable. I didn’t know my sexual preferences went in the direction of enjoying the feeling of live prey trying to squirm through me.” She shuddered. “Thankfully, I know of a powerful wizard that made magical artifacts, and I got plenty of money from that bounty. Got a ring that made it possible to survive trips through stomachs, and that it was adjustable to fit the wearer.”

“Why would you want a ring like that?” Egbert asked.

“One, there’s monsters that will try to devour you,” said Tabitha. “Two, I’d heard about places that did allow folks our size to swallow their tiny employees, to enjoy that sort of stuff, providing that the client paid the cost of the materials for the spell used to protect the pixie or sprite. Such an item like what I got reduced the price considerably.”

“Hard to believe such a place would even exist,” said Egbert. “I mean, I know of places that sell sexual services, but never a place like that!”

“You’d be surprised,” said Tabitha.

That was when there was the sound of a large amount of metal hitting the ground.

Egbert looked, and there was Mortus starting to get up, all covered in one manner of filth or another.

“I am going to need to get cleaned up, along with my armor,” they said. “I’m glad that I don’t have a nose.”

The dragon looked at them, panting in exhaustion. “How did you survive that, without a magic item?”

“Agree to purchase the cattle, along with the services of an egg-sitter, and I’ll show you,” said Mortus.

“Okay,” the dragon said. “I’ll pay for the cattle, and the egg-sitter.”

At this, Mortus took off his helmet, and removed the cloth from his head.

The dragon blinked. “Is one of those two a necromancer?”

“No, but I killed one,” said Mortus. “As you can see, killing me would take some doing.”

“I have to agree with you there,” said the dragon. “Holy magic is one thing I’m short on.”

“Now, you bring the gold, allow the princess to visit her family, and I’m certain that a suitable egg-sitter can be found,” said Mortus. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to clean myself off.”

Egbert and Tabitha watched as Mortus walked up to them. They covered their noses as he came close.

“Tell me, monk, got any spare books?” the skeleton asked.

“Take as many as you need,” the monk said. “Just read them first!”

“No problem there,” said Mortus, as he walked over to the wagon, and grabbed one of the books. “No problem there.”