“Death's Errant” Episode 3.

Episode 3. The order of the lion

I waved the torch in front of me wildly. The flames made a whooshing sound as I tried to keep up with the shade. It darted here and there with eyes as red as fire.

“Joseph, behind me!”

Joseph, pillow in hand, leaped from the bed and ran behind me. He shivered in great fear in his loin cloth.

“You think that you can stop me with fire?” The shade screamed out loudly. Its bright red eyes were the only thing I could see as it moved into the dark crevices of the room.

“No, But it will keep you at bay!” I retorted.

Behind me Joseph spotted the knapsack on the floor. The shade had flown around to the farthest wall. I turned the fluttering torch towards the shade as Joseph ran towards the sack.

“Soon your torch will go out and I will have you.” The shade hissed. “You should have never come to Hell's Den Village!”

“By Jayvon you shall not have us!” I reached into my breastplate and once again produced the symbol of Jayvon.

The shade laughed. “Jayvon maybe the father God, but even he has no power here in Hell's Den.”

“Blasphemy!” I returned.

Suddenly a bright light flickered to my right and the room became even brighter.

Joseph leaped at the shade with another torch and the shade shrieked in terror and anguish.

“Joseph, that was our last torch!”

“I know, but it's working. Look!”

The shade shrieked in terror and began to shrink away from the light of the two torches. I ran closer to the shade as well with my torch ahead of me. The closer we got, the smaller and less threatening the shade became.

“Damn you! Damn you to the Infernos!” The shade shrieked before shrinking to nothingness.

I looked at Joseph who was breathing hard in nothing but a loin cloth.

“We must have ruffled some feathers.” I stated as I too was relieved that the shade had retreated.

He simply nodded.

“That was very brave of you.”

His eyes darted down to the symbol of the golden lion on my breastplate.

“I wish to be an adult lion... like yourself.” He stated.

“You still must learn the laws and rituals. Then you must be trained in combat and knighted. You have only been a squire for..”

“...A year.” He finished. “I know that this is a process and all. Just thought that I'd prove that I was ready by coming along with you.”

“You've already done that to me times over... since the day fate made sure that we crossed paths.” I smiled as I patted him on the back. “I wouldn't be surprised if you became Elder Lion one day.”

Young Joseph's face lit up like the torches that we had in our hands. “You really think so sir?”

“Yes, you’d make a fine leader one day. Now put out your torch...” At that point I saw sunlight begin to creep its way in through the shutters. I went to open them and small rays of sunlight began to burst through the dark and terrible clouds.

“...Because it is day light.” I continued.

“Does this surprise you my lord?”

“Not at all Tiffany. He reminds me of myself. Young…eager to please.”

“But he is just a peasant orphan.” My beloved retorted.

I looked at her through the brightness of the sun as it shined behind her golden strands of hair. I turned my attention back to Joseph as he was throwing the hay into piles for the horses.

“When I see him Tiffany, I do not see a boy of poor circumstances, as I do not see color.” I turned to look at my beautiful fair skinned Elvin wife, who in turn shamefully looked away from me, her brown skinned human husband.

“I see a boy much like myself when I was his age… Eager to strike out into the world and make something of himself, A Name. I still hold onto that. I want the world to know of the great deeds of Ishmael Whitesun of the kingdom of Ebon Rocka.”

“They do already. You are an adult, in the order of the lion… You, who have traveled from afar land, braved the wiles of the warring lands and conquered the heart of an elf warrior maiden, which is an already hard task for the average male elf.”

I turned back towards her and smiled. “You always know the right thing to say my dear.”

“Aye, and you too.” She turned her attention back to Joseph. “I see the folly in such poor judgment of the boy. I bow to your wisdom my lord.” She then performed a curtsy.

I smiled. “Come, let us go to the bed chamber and I will give you more than wisdom to bow to.”

Tiffany smiled a devilish smile. “You are such a naughty boy.”

That day we made glorious love. I was always taken by my wife and her ample breasts, Her beauty, and her wit. I loved her golden hair that draped my body when she straddled me. The way she sucked me and twirled her tongue around my shaft and head as if it was the most decadent of desserts. I loved her dearly and she loved me. As she laid spent in my arms with the sunlight shining upon us as if Jayvon or Orgasma were showing their approval, she looked up at me and smiled.

“As I think about the boy, he is truly an asset. I was wrong. He is worth more than ten grown men.”

“We just made love and the boy is on your mind?”I asked in jest

Tiffany shrugged playfully.

“He saved my life.”

Tiffany smiled. “..and for that, I am grateful.” she then kissed me

“Jacks! Where's Jacks!” Joseph screamed as we walked out of the tavern into the shadows of the cloud filled gloomy day. He had gotten dressed and we ventured back into this evil place.

A large puddle of blood lay in the muddy earth next to Charlemagne in the spot where we had tied our horses. Charlemagne, neighed as if she was happy to see us, but Joseph's horse was no where to be seen. The only evidence that a horse was once there was the large amount of blood that remained in the horse's absence. Joseph had been quite fond of Jacks. He was a present that I gave him once the council decided to allow him to be my squire. Joseph took great care of Jacks.

“No... Not Jacks!” Joseph yelled out in dismay.

“Joseph, get a hold of yourself.”

“... Not Jacks.” he sputtered as he collapsed to his knees. He covered his face as the tears began to flow and I went to comfort him as it began to drizzle.

“Shh... shhh, Be quiet now. You'll attract unwanted attention Joseph.”

“Yes, He must be quiet.”

Joseph and I looked up and across the way was a cellar door that was swung wide open. Before us stood a few people, all ragged wearing torn and worn out clothing. A young woman was the one who stood in the middle of the road facing us. She was dirty, with scratches along her pretty face. She was from Ebon Rocka, like me, as was evident by her brown skin and long black curly hair. She wore the revealing, but torn robes of Orgasma, the goddess of love and sex, the robes of a monk, more than a priestess. She was the one who spoke for the group.

“Who are you? More fools to venture into Hell's Den as we have? Because I am here to tell you once you have entered, you may never leave.” The woman stated with sympathetic eyes.

To be continued.