Knight Witch - 01

Created and written by: Luis A. Rodriguez

Knight Witch

Chapter 1

Night of the Demon's Moon

Lost in the infinite darkness of her mind, a young Sorceress' Apprentice name "Gwendolyn," surfaces slowly from the abysses of a deep sleep.

The odd sensation of floating in a realm of absolute darkness being an inconspicuous reality in her mind, she is oblivious to the truth behind its existence.

"Why is it's so... dark?" The first thought that comes to her as the awareness of traveling across a night sky void of stars becomes a little less ambiguous.

"And, the silence. Why is it so quiet? Where are the sounds of birds hiding in the trees, the ruffling of tree leaves, and the crowded voices of people talking?"

Confusion and panic grip the girl's thoughts as she strives to remember things far beyond the reach of her troubled mind.

Then, like a burst of bright light, images of events transpired during the night jolts her memory free, and a hush falls over her mind as she continues to emerge from a world of endless darkness.

"It's all coming back. Yes, I remember now. The night began like any other night in the Kingdom of Mada."

Down in the great village that surrounds the fortress castle of the beloved Sorceress Queen, "Amadora," people seeking relief from the burdens of their daily lives gathered at the local tavern for a night of hard drinking and laughter. At the heart of the village, along the market square, Merchants--their shops closed for the evening--were busy preparing their wares for the next morning's sales.

And in the countryside, having lost the light of day, Farmers--using torches to help guide them through the darken fields and dense forest--were making their way home to their wives, children, and a pleasant meal. While in the more mainstream homes, families, friends, and perhaps even a wandering stranger who sought refuge for the night, stood by an open fire discussing the day's affairs and sharing tall tales.

Everything had been, the ways it has always been in the Kingdom of Mada. No one had the slightest cause to believe or even suspect that the night would end as it did. Not even the people at the castle who were enjoying the festivity arranged by the Sorceress Queen in honor of Gwendolyn's sixteenth birthday.

Held in the main chamber, more than hundred and twenty people attended the lavish event. The chamber could hold twice that number of people, so everyone had plenty of breathing room, and its rectangular shape made it convenient for the Queen to keep an eye on the visitants.

Its gray walls, made of chiseled stone smoothed to blocks that required no less than two men to carry, and a winch to lift them into place, had been adorned with fancy ribbons and red and gold decorative fabric, some as big as sails.

Along the sides of the walls, set end-to-end and dress in exquisite linens, were tables twelve feet long and eight feet wide. On top of the table were stylish bowls, glasses, and vases of all sorts and sizes. Made from the finest crystal and silver, they adorned the chamber with the beauty of their glittering sparks of blue and red burst of light that twinkling like tiny stars trapped within them.

The food was something to marvel at as well. The seductive aroma of wild boar, roasting over a large fire, crowded the chambers and passages of the castle with their succulent presence.

Not a soul could enter the main corridor without the delicious scent of fresh baked bread wrapping its pleasurable smell around their tongues. Or without the sharp, savory fragrance of the many spices, used to cook the finest meal in the world, making one's mouth water like a rabid dog.

One's belly could be filled merely by breathing in the intense bouquet of all the rich food introduced at the ceremony.

And the music, the sheer charm of its enchanting melodies could pry free a smile from the tightest of lips or cause one to lose sight of their troubles as they danced the night away.

But most remarkable, and spectacular item of the event that led people to stop and stare in awe were those things brought forth through the acts of pure magic.

Hundreds of small, multicolor creatures of light, no bigger than the nail on Gwendolyn's little finger, decorated the chamber with their presences.

Landing on occasion on someone's glass or shoulder, these shimmering creatures left behind a stream of rainbow two feet long as they flew about the room, and they were very creative.

Every so often, they would come together, and rolling and diving in a well-performed maneuvers, station themselves in such a way as to create spectacular images.

Dragons with breath of fire, mountains with waterfall, images of several of the guests, including one of Gwendolyn, there was nothing these adorable, tiny, firefly-like creatures could not construct with their dazzling light and trails of rainbow.

Even more astonishing, at one end of the chamber, perched on a tall stool, stood a bird as big as an eagle.

Green by nature with purple wings, and eyes as dark as night the sizes of a chicken's egg, the bird resembled an odd-looking parrot with a large, yellow feather crowd overlapping its pale-white, hooked beak. But what fascinated people the most about this peculiar bird was its ability to mirror anyone's voice to a perfection, which some considered quite annoying.

Many more such mysterious and remarkable creatures, as well as objects of boundless curiosity, appeared at the event. One article, in particular, stood out greater than all the others.

Hovering above the thirty foot dome ceiling of the chamber, a mystical sphere--no larger than a grapefruit and spinning ever so slow, illuminated the entire room as bright as the Sun, yet it gave out no heat.

No one at the festivity could refrain from speaking of this fantastic sphere. They would often stop, and with their mouths' open, point up and marvel at this incredible ball of light.

Yet to Gwendolyn, the most outstanding aspect of the festival was her spectacular entrance.

Standing high atop the wide crescent stairs that led down to the main chamber, Gwendolyn peered at all the people in the room with their eyes fix on her and became overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions.

A part of her wanted to fill the chamber with the tears of her joy, while another part of her wanted to break out laughing with great amusement in disbelief she merited being the center point of so many people's attention.

It was an incredible experience for her to hear the loud sounds of hundreds of voices murmuring as she made her way down the steps. Even more so, the overwhelming ovations and high praises she received as she walked onto the floor of the chamber.

It turned her head to hear people talk about her in such satisfying terms, but in truth, she wished they had more to express about her than the annoying repetitive remarks she heard.

The words, "How beautiful she looks," leaped off their faces and across the chamber like an echo with no end. It was as if they all spoke as one mind in regards to their esteem for her.

Even now, she can hear their voices commenting on her appearance as she made her way toward the Queen.

"I can't believe she is the same frail little girl that ran wild up and down the corridors of the castle," and, "She seems to have grown into a fine, striking young woman almost overnight," was all she heard throughout the festivity.

After a time, Gwendolyn wondered if the people there were impressed with her or just presenting themselves as such to avoid angering the Queen with their critical remarks.

This thought grew stronger as the evening went on, so much so, at times, Gwendolyn wanted to clap her hands and shout, "Well performed! Well performed, everyone! Thank you, one, and all!"

But that would have upset the Queen, who would have most certainly reminded her, "It is not proper to offend one's guest."

Looking back, Gwendolyn ponders on the idea that perhaps the blame was all hers.

The long, beautiful blue gown she had on, with the full white lace sleeves and golden stripes extending down along the sides of the dress, made quite the impression on everyone and may have played on their narrow view of her. It may have expressed too well, what an outstanding young woman she had become.

Gwendolyn recalls overhearing two old women, in particular, talking about her.

Their faces covered in a light dusting of flower with black lines of coal outlining their eyebrows, and lips painted with ink obtain from the nectar of pummeled cherries, one could not help but notice them.

Their hands' clasps over each another's hand in a charming embrace, they stood side-by-side along Gwendolyn's path to the Queen.

One of the women turned to the other and said, with a girlish giggle, "Look at how marvelous the light from above make her soft brown eyes sparkle like sunlight flashing off a body of water?"

With heavy lines across her forehead, each as deep as a trench, the other woman breathed ponderously, "Oh! If only I were that young again."

The woman's companion at once, drew back and gazed at her friend with a show of astonishment on her face. "You still would not look half as good as she does," she remarked with a stiff harshness.

On her way to the Queen, another woman, giving off an air of vanity, pressed her hand against Gwendolyn's shoulder, stopping her.

"My Dear," she declared with a smile, "I just adore how well you manage that beautiful, golden-brown hair of yours. You carry it over your shoulders and down your back like a cloak of gold. I must know. What is your secret?"

Gwendolyn smiled at the woman, who had an exasperating shrill in her voice as she spoke. Then, dropping her head slightly forward and title to the right, her knees bent midway as she bought out the sides of her dress.

"A wise Sorceress never reveals her most prized secret," replied Gwendolyn, humorously.

As she rose, still carrying her delicate smile, Gwendolyn added with a gleam in her eyes and a slender smile, "Particularly, when it comes to her beauty."

Her modest smile turning into a broad grin, Gwendolyn proceeded on her way toward the Queen.

On her way there, Gwendolyn met many people she regarded as less than suitable for company; like "The Highborns."

Rulers of neighboring villages who inherited their title of, "Sovereign," Gwendolyn saw the Highborns as too arrogant and obnoxious for her liking.

They cared more for maintaining their status and wealth than the lives of the people living under their tyrannical rule. And they will do anything to hold on to what is theirs, even if it means squeezing the life out of people who have no choice but to live under the harsh conditions set forth by the Highborns.

Highborns have the right to govern and levy taxes as they see fit on those living on their land. The trouble was, they set the levies so high, few could afford to pay it. Those that do not paid the high levies are either forced out of their homes or thrown into a dark cell, sometimes even both.

At the far right-hand side of the room, Gwendolyn spotted three or more of the Highborns arguing with each other, which gave her even more of a reason for disliking Highborns; their incisive bickering.

The Highborns are always at odds for one reason or another, and their aversion toward each other that night made it quite obvious.

They spent the night bring up old grudges, discussing failed dealings, and getting fat and drunk through it all. While their wives, their sharp edge tongues wagging like a dog's tail, buzzed about the room spreading idle rumors and foul gossips derived from half-truths and total lies.

Gwendolyn often wondered why the Queen puts up with the Highborns' insufferable behavior and their mistreatment of her people. If the Queen so wished it, with a simple snap of her fingers she could have turned the troublesome lot into toads and have them spend the rest of their miserable lives living in a putrid swamp catching flies all day.

The presence of Highborns was not the only annoyance Gwendolyn found at the event; there was also the high-ranking officials from the large village that grew around the castle since its construction some one hundred and fifty years ago.

Gwendolyn had heard rumors of the Sorceress Queen being a young girl at the time her father, a great Wizard and King, had the castle constructed. Yet, when asked if the rumor was true, the Queen would only smile and walk away, leaving one to ponder on the hidden meaning of her evasive smile.

Gwendolyn, however, the found the rumor hard to believe, as the Queen's beauty gave her the youthful appearance of being in her mid-thirties to early forties.

As for the high-ranking offices, except for their constant complaints to the Queen about what they considered her, "less than amusing antics," Gwendolyn had nothing against them. She did, however, find it surprising they could enjoy themselves at the festival, as their unceasing complaints about her suggested they lack any sense of humor.

Then there were her fellow Apprentices, all eleven of them. Their brows set low and eyes burning with envy each time they looked at her, it was easy for Gwendolyn to see what was on their minds.

Since joining them in the studies of the Mystic Arts five years ago, her follow Apprentices have displayed great resented toward Gwendolyn, and showed their contempt for her in ways that were cruel and often not apparent to others.

Their resentment grow out of Gwendolyn not having to compete against girls from different parts of the Kingdom for the privilege of becoming an Apprentice as they did, and thus, in their eyes, she was not worthy to be among them.

Although Gwendolyn hated the way they treated her, she would be the first to agree with them on that matter, as she never wanted to become a Sorceress' Apprentice.

Gwendolyn mother died giving birth to her, and her father--being the Lord Commander of the Queen's army, had no choice than to raise Gwendolyn inside the castle where he could keep a watchful eye on her.

As time pass, the Sorceress Queen grew to adored Gwendolyn as her own child, and so on her eleventh birthday, the Queen elevated Gwendolyn to the position of Sorceress' Apprentice. Something which Gwendolyn neither asked for nor wanted but could not refuse. To have done so would have hurt the Queen feelings, and Gwendolyn would do nothing to hurt the only mother she had ever known.

Despite all the unpleasantries, everyone at the castle was having a splendid time, even Gwendolyn. Between the broad smile on her face and her gala laughter, heard half way across the room, everyone knew what a grand time she was having.

Yet beneath that large smile and sweet laughter was a terrified and sad girl. Terrified because of all the consideration she received, Gwendolyn was not accustomed to so much attention, and sad because her friends from the village did not attend the celebration.

But half way through the festivity, Gwendolyn's smile dissipated as she looked across the room and noticed the Queen was missing from the festivity.

She had no idea where the Queen could have gone, and her concern over the Queen's inexplicable disappearance, had Gwendolyn wandered the room searching for her, but it was not an easy task.

Well-wishers hindered her efforts to locate the Queen, and each time someone stopped her, Gwendolyn had to find some way of dismissing herself from their presence without appearing rude. But despite her best effort, she often failed, as her erratic eye movement and lack of focus on the conversation at hand, had many questioning her strange behavior.

The situation grew more disturbing as Gwendolyn, a look on her face that had many asking if she was feeling well, realized the other Sorceresses were also missing.

Unknown to Gwendolyn, the Sorceress Queen and the members of her mystic Order, "The Seven Sisters of Sorcery," had slipped away from the event earlier on that evening.

"Where could they have all gone," she wondered, as her eyes continued to roam the chamber for the Queen and the other Sorceress. "Surely, they would not have left me alone with all these people without good cause. Something must have happened that cause them to leave. I must find out what."

Not wishing to alarm her guests, Gwendolyn left the festivity unnoticed to search the castle for the Queen and the missing Sorceresses.

The castle covered area of one square mile and stood as high as four to eight stories, and including the sub-terrain passageways and chambers, there were over two hundred rooms and corridors to go through.

Gwendolyn searched the throne room first; the Queen was not there. Next, she marched on over to the Queen's chamber, searching every room in between as she did, but did not find the Queen.

Frustrated, Gwendolyn thought to look for the Queen in her Mystic Tower at the southern end of the castle. Amadora kept much of her personal books on magic, rare mystical items, and various potions there. She may have gone to the tower to look for something.

Along the way, Gwendolyn passed a window that overlooks the courtyard; and there, across the way, she caught sight of the Queen and the others standing atop the outer defensive wall.

The castle had seven towers in all, one at each corner of the outer defense walls and three around the castle itself, each stood no less than eight stories high or greater.

The four towers along the outer walls were lookout point and used for defending the castle. The Sisters of Sorcery used two of the internal towers for lessons, storage, and other such things. The remaining inner tower belonged to the Queen, her "Mystic Tower."

The Queen and her followers stood on the wall between the Northeast and Northwest Towers. They stood like statues staring out at the darkened forest that surrounds the entire village below.

Why the Queen and the members of her Order found the need to leave the celebration just to look out at nothing was beyond Gwendolyn.

Seeking answers, Gwendolyn rushed down the hall toward a section of the castle leading to the Southeast tower.

She then climbed a series of spiral stairwell two stories high to reach a heavy wood door that took her outside and to a pathway that lead to a small tower a hundred yards away.

Inside the tower, Gwendolyn hastened up another set of stairs that placed her on the wide walkway that ran along the length of the outer wall, passing several guards as she did.

As she made her way to the northeast tower, the clattering of her slippers, striking hard against the stone walkway, echoed loud enough to alert the night watch of her coming, and they would snap to attention as she rushed passed them.

Gwendolyn came upon the northeast tower, open another solid wood door, cross over a long pathway, and force open another door that would take her to where the Queen stood.

She burst open the door and rushed out. The first thing that caught her attention was the look on the faces of the Queen and the other Sorceresses; it was cold and distant. They were not even surprised to see Gwendolyn there, nor did they seem to notice her. It was as if they had fallen into a trance or were expecting something unpleasant to leap out of the woods at any moment.

Gwendolyn had no idea how close she was to the truth. Since the coming of night, the Queen, and her followers have had the unshakable sensation that a great catastrophe was about to befall Mada.

It had crossed each of their minds that the feeling they were having could be nothing more than a passing sensation brought on by the night's festivities. But the heighten impression of a great evil standing on the verge of launching a deadly attack on Mada was so strong, they dare not think of it as anything less than a dire warning.

A look of distress on her face, Gwendolyn, took hold of the Queen's arms and pleaded with Amadora to tell her why they were standing on top of the wall staring into the night.

Amadora looked down at Gwendolyn with eyes filled with a profound sense of dread, and it frightened Gwendolyn. It made the Queen seem as if she had lost her lust for life, and the Queen was never one to feel that way.

Without saying a word, Amadora turned away and continued to look out toward the forest.

Gwendolyn asked the other Sorceresses why the look of dread in their eyes, but no one would answer her. They just stared at her for a second with a glare that made Gwendolyn's skin crawl, and then turned their attention back to the dark forest.

They would not even discuss it amongst themselves the reason for gazing into the dark forest, but then, there was no need.

The look of uneasiness found from time to time in the Sorceresses' eyes spoke as much to them as words of the grave concerns they shared for a night filled with the uncertainties of a pending doom.

To speak of it, thus, was pointless. All the Sorceresses could do was wait, and trust that--despite their ill feelings--the night would go well.

But their anticipation of a peaceful night came to a dreadful end as they heard the Sorceress Queen, gazing up at a starless sky, proclaim in a somber, almost silent tone, "So... it begins!"

At that moment, from somewhere deep in the village, the scream of a woman in terror reached the tower walls where stood the Sisters of Sorcery. Within seconds of it, they heard the screams of several more women taken with fear.

The loud murmuring sounds of hundreds of people in distress soon covered the surrounding village as terrified people looking up at the night sky watched the brightly lit moon vanish slowly before their eyes.

But what came in the aftermath of the Moon's disappearance gave cause for even greater fear in the hearts of the people. For where the Moon once hung, now stood a vast, dark, circular figure known as, "The Demon's Moon."

In all the Kingdoms of every land, no night is dreaded more than one rule by this accursed black moon. Legend has it that no demon can ever walk in the light of day or the brightest of moons else it would be rendered powerless against mortal weapons.

Hence, the alarming reason for the people to fear the strange darkness. For in the great darkness the minions of evil, unrestrained by the need of night's shadows to move about, are free to commit countless acts of unspeakable terror and murder.

Even those who once argued the tales of the Demon's Moon as being nothing more than silly nonsense, have developed an immense fear for this symbol of death. These people have looked on the faces of many such moons in the past, and despite all its prophecy of doom, had yet to see anything to give them cause to fear it.

But this was nothing like any Demon's Moon they have ever seen. Not one among them could recall one ever being as ominous and as frightening as this one. Unlike the others, which lasted only several minutes before the Moon returned, this one was unwilling to go away.

Nor had they ever faced such intense darkness as this. Even with several torches placed together, no one could see a thing beyond five feet in any direction. And the darkness did not fall naturally on the land, it rolled over with ease like a thick black fog.

Yet, it would not touch the walls of the Queen's castle, for when the darkness approaching the castle; it splits into two, with each half traveling along the sides of the castle walls.

Once they reach the other side, the strange darkness came together and moving fast, covered the village in a blanket of blackness that not even light could escape.

Something else made this Demon's Moon more ominous than any other before it, an unusual silence that had everyone's nerves on edge.

Something in the darkest of dark nights, something monstrously evil, had frightened away all the small creatures of the evening. Not a single cricket or bird's wings fluttering was heard, and the fear of being murdered in their sleep by whatever this thing was, Kept many from going to bed.

Fearing this unknown evil might show itself at any time, men, women, and children spent the night, with weak nerves and eyes wide open, staring into the strange blackness cast over the Kingdom.

Yet, as the hours passed without a sign of trouble anywhere, many of Mada's inhabitants grew convinced the horror they thought to come was nothing more than a childish fear of the dark, and the night would pass quietly into morning's light.

Then, on the very hour of midnight, from within the depth of the darkness, the unnerving loud squawk of a Raven brought an end to the eerie silence of the night.

Frighten by the unsettling cry of what sounded like a large bird, people everywhere gazed toward the forest in fear of what might come next, but the blackness before them was so dense, they could not even see the trees.

Even so, they continued to look on with the uncomfortable feeling that something in the forest, something incredibly evil, was about to strike.

Then, as all stood about gazing into the darkness, a strange tremor beneath their feet caused all eyes to turn toward the ground with bewilderment.

All at once, the ground shook with such violence, even the walls of the strongest castle in all the kingdoms trembled under its might.

Fear, panic, and confusion ensued throughout the Kingdom. People, in and outside the castle, ran about in all directions trying to avoid being crush by large segments of stones and timber crashing down around them.

In the farmlands, families fled their homes as the walls and roof of their houses came hurtling down on them.

Those that failed to make it out in time died as the rubble showered down on them. Others were killed as the ground beneath them opened without warning and swallowed their houses and those running in the fields. While in the neighboring villages, panic-stricken people trample over each other to get away.

The devastating quake went on for several minutes, then--amidst all the chaos and fear, it came to an abrupt stop, but in its place was now an alarming calmness that many considered more unnerving than the quake itself.

No one moved or said a word. Everyone just stood there with a look of shock and horror on their faces as they stared at one another and the incredible devastation around them, wondering as they did; "Is it over?"

The answer came quickly as the ground started to shake vigorously once more, but it was nothing like the one they felt moments ago. This time, the tremor had all the force of an intense eruption and a thunderous explosion that had many covering their ears.

Houses crumbled, walls collapsed, and people died as a result of the terrible quake, and then, as before, after several minutes, it stopped. But as the sound of the near deafening blast slowly elapsed into a faint echo, an enormous cloud, glowing in the eerie spectrum of orange and red, was seen making its way toward Mada.

Rolling across the countryside like a monstrous tidal wave of thick smoke and fire, the strange cloud stopped as it passed over the castle.

Like a dark cloud on a rough stormy night, it hovered over the castle, rumbling and moving about in an angry circular motion, with thick waves of flames overlapping one another as they rode along the edges of the ominous cloud.

Suddenly, huge bolts of lightning, streaking between the layers of the fiery cloud, appeared with such a burst of energy, many of the walls of houses still standing crumbled to the ground.

Hurtling out from beneath the bank of clouds with all the fury of an angry god, the blazing lightning split tall trees in half and set fire to broad sections of the nearby forest as they struck the ground.

Then, as all were standing about staring up at the bursts of lightning with their mouths open, there came an explosion so powerful, it shook the very foundation of the castle.

Many thought the world was coming to an end and began praying to whatever god they saw fit to call on in their moment of crisis. Others--those whose need to know the cause of the explosion outweighed their need to pray--raced up the long steps leading toward the walkway at the top of the castle walls.

Once there, all eager to look at the source of the tremendous explosion, with no regard for their safety or that of others, they pulled and shoved one another aside.

And as they stare out beyond the castle wall facing the northern section of the nearby forest, many were left numbed by the sight of the most incredulous and frightening scene ever witness by mere mortals.

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