Chapter one - Meeting the Knight

It was another perfect day in the small village Hillcross. Large puffy clouds waltzed across the sky, driven by breezes that carried the scent of the forest and raced across the tall, grassy fields. One lone figure wound his way down the hill faster than the wind that pulled at his ears and tail. As the village disappeared into the hillside the figure scrambled up a tree, hanging himself off of the branches above the countryside path that crossed the valley. He clutched a large fish to his chest and swung from side to side as he watched and waited.

Winding its way down the road a horse-like creature and rider approached the figure in the tree. The rider’s armor shone in the sun and his long, golden cape flew out behind him. The helmet turned curiously to the swinging lynx in front of him and the knight raised a gentle hand.

Korrin lifted his other hand eagerly and fell from the tree. Getting up and dusting off his pants, the lynx held out the fish to the rider. The horse-creature came to a stop and Korrin said, “You’re the knight! Here, this is for you! Hillcross is so very much pleased to have someone as esteemed you visiting us. Here, I’ll walk your vinsaur to our inn!” Korrin tossed the fish to the knight and grabbed the reigns of the horse-creature. “I’m Korrin by the way! Local lynx and fastest in my village- Uh, not to brag or anything. What about you? What’s your name? I heard you come from far away, is that true? Did you have to fight a lot of beasts on your way here? Ooh! Do you have any orc skin or something?”

Stunned by the bombardment of questions, the knight tossed the fish between his hands, muttering through his helmet, “I am Sir Zyren of Wyrmforth. I will be grateful for a nights rest after my long trip as I still have quite a ways to go.”

 “So, why are you out here in the first place? Let me guess- a quest? Are you on your way out or back? What’s the quest? Did you get a lot of treasure?” Korrin continued to asked with no regard for the weary knight.

“I am returning from my journey for high honor,” Sir Zyren said, drawing himself up on the back of his steed. “I cannot tell you what I have gained from this quest or its nature.”

 Korrin, who had been hanging onto Zyren’s every word, deflated a little. His ears fell back and he bit his lip, wanting to question further but respecting the knight too much to continue to pester. “When we get to the tavern, I’ll get you a drink and a bed, on the house. I know the lady who owns the in!” He said, thinking of other questions he could bombard Zyren with once he sat down with a drink.

“You don’t have to do that, I have plenty of gold to pay,” Zyren insisted. “It would be unjust of me to rob a small town inn of prophet.”

“But-“ Korrin started, but he stopped himself. “I suppose you’re right,” he said, thinking of how often he heard the adults talking about running low on money. All the same, Korrin looked up at the knight, wondering how someone could refuse such a good offer. Zyren must be very rich, right? “Then I’ll take it upon myself to tie up your beast and make sure she gets fed well. And if I cannot buy you a drink, I will polish your armor,” Korrin insisted, needing Zyren to approve of something he said. 

 “Very well,” The knight Sir Zyren agreed, his armor clinking as he nodded.

The sun nestled itself into a bed of forest behind the hills that glowed golden around the village. Korrin sat out back of the inn, a cloth and the knight’s helmet in hand. Red firelight glinted off of the helmet as he turned it between his hands, Korrin’s face rippling back up at him. What wouldn’t Korrin give for something like this. To own something so representative of honor and grace, power and strength.

 Korrin glanced around, but he could not see anyone and Zyren was still changing out of his chainmail. He flattened his ears and slipped the large helmet over his head. It bobbled and slipped around his muzzle, but Korrin held it in place. Sitting in the firelight, for the first time in his life, he felt powerful. He could move mountains and slay dragons.

 “What do you think?” Korrin asked Sir Zyren’s steed, whom huffed and stamped the ground, shaking hay out of her mane. “Yeah, it is pretty silly,” Korrin said, bittersweetness biting into his voice.

“I hope that’s not what I look like in that,” A voice chuckled from behind the lynx. Sir Zyren sat down next to Korrin on the log, crossing his legs and tossing another log onto the campfire.

 Korrin jumped, scrambling to take off the helmet and shove it back into Zyren’s arms. “N- no! You don’t at all,” the little lynx stuttered, hugging himself and trying not to look embarrassed.

 “I’m glad,” Sir Zyren said, admiring the polish job on his helmet. “This isn’t half bad for a country folk. You could give my own servant a run for his money. I can’t remember the last time my helmet shone like this.”

 “Really?” Korrin asked, letting out a sigh of relief as the subject was changed. At least Sir. Zyren wasn’t mad about him wearing the helmet.

 Zyren leaned back, flicking his tail as he nodded. “Thank you again, you have been a great comfort to me. It really was too kind of you to make me dinner and polish my armor.”

 “Anything to help a knight. You know, when I get older, I’m going to be a knight,” Korrin said, voicing his dream. Suddenly, it all seemed so clear. Korrin wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life cooped up in Hillcross. He was going to fight monsters and save maidens, just like in the stories he’d heard Big Mama rattle on about. “I’m going to be the best knight there ever was,” he promised Sir Zyren.

“Oh yeah? How do you plan on that?” Zyren asked skeptically, though he was grinnng. “Are you a noble? Super strong? What’s your knightly qualities?”

  “I might not be a lion or a wolf or anything, but I’m very fast. I can outrun anyone! It doesn’t matter my family is poor, I’ll be richer than all of you nobles one day,” Korrin proclaimed, eyes wide with excitement at the very thought.

Zyren considered this for a moment. “You know, Korrin, I may not be able to promise you knighthood, but if you come to Wyrmforth to me you can be my servant and I can train you in the ways of knighthood in turn,” he offered. “You are still young and will fit in with the other servant boys, I’m sure.”

 Korrin felt the earth shift below his feet. Had he heard Zyren correctly? “You really mean it? Really really mean it?” He asked, leaning forward to stare Zyren directly into his yellow eyes, as if trying to fish out any hint of a lie.

“With your parent’s blessing, of course,” Zyren nodded. “Give me your answer at morn, for that is when I must be on the road once more.”

Yes, sir. Thank you, my lord,” Korrin said, getting up and bowing to the lion. “I will do my very best to be worthy of this opportunity.” With that, Korrin turned around and bounded off home.

 The door to the deers’ household flung open, announcing the arrival of their adopted son. He bounded across the one-room house and landed on the dinner table, grabbing the jug of water as it threatened to tip over from the impact.

The doe, her muzzle now showing hints of grey fur, set down roast vegetables and jerky for her son. Her red dress flowed around her heels as she sat down between her husband and the lynx. “Did you meet the knight?” She asked, recalling how excited Korrin seemed to be at any mention of travelers.

 “Yup!” Korrin mumbled through a mouthful of jerky. “He let me polish his armor and take care of his vinsaur… Mom, Dad, I was wondering,” Korrin paused to swallow. “Would you let me leave Hillcross?”

The stag shook his head, his large antlers tangling up in the hanging laundry. “You know that you can’t. It’s not safe out there. You will stay here until you are sixteen,” he said firmly.

 “But that’s almost a year from now!” Korrin protested, setting his food back down on the plate. “I want to get out into the world! I want to be a knight! The knight I met- he said he’d train me if I went to Wyrmforth. Please I’ll-“ Korrin was cut off by his father.

“No. You will do no such thing. I forbid you from talking to adventures from here on. They are planting bad ideas in your mind. Keep you head low and do some honest work, that is what’ll get you far in life. Not “knight’s glory” or your name on a map. Now finish your dinner and get to bed. I’ll get you a job as a farmhand tomorrow,” the stag commanded.

 Ears flattened and lips pulled back in a snarl, Korrin jumped off of the table. Brimming with hate for his father, he crawled into a chest by the door and wrapped himself up in his vinsaur hide.