Chapter 6: "The Knight of the Plague"

At the base of the mountain, a humble stone path timidly climbed upward. The only traces of life were a few distant trees. Otherwise, the view was ordinary.

After a bend, we saw the stones give way to a dirt trail that led deep into a forest. As we climbed, the path became increasingly winding.

Soon we’ll be at the summit. The path is narrower.

“We’re almost there, but it’s strange. Shouldn’t it be colder? Or shouldn’t there be fewer plants?” I told Zera, worried. Those details didn’t add up to me.

“It’s because this mountain shines with life, welcoming whatever wishes to grow on it,”

After several hours, the trail disappeared. The terrain became so steep that we had to walk along the mountainside. To our left, a wall of trees and roots rose firmly. On the other side, a cliff loomed, threatening us.

“Look, Darek. From here you can see Villa Solaria. Even in the distance, you can make out Lusthal, the city where we met.”

Damn it! Don’t make me look there as if it were something good. I’m afraid of heights—they terrify me. Calm down. Don’t be irrational.

The hillside we were crossing was so narrow that we had to walk in a single file.

The clouds are so close to us, yet the temperature doesn’t drop. Why?

“Doesn’t this place give you a bad feeling, Zera?”

“Not at all. Climbing a mountain is exciting. Besides, I wonder what kind of treasures we’ll find at the top. The name ‘Garden of Thorns’ is intriguing, don’t you think?”

Names are useless; what matters is what lies within those places.

After that, the surface widened, though it remained steep. The trees were far apart, and large stones stood like soldiers, some wrapped in red ribbons.

Suddenly, everything turned icy, as if the forest had been the last safe stronghold. The grasslands turned into bushes bushes, and the wind lashed at us, as if trying to throw us into the whitish fog. Are we close to the…?

“My legs hurt… How much longer?” Zera groaned, unable to tolerate the monotony of the scenery—the walk was tedious.

We pressed forward with difficulty until we saw the ground stained with a deep black. The plants and trees bore it too, they looked withered. An eerie silence ruled the atmosphere, heavy and unsettling.

A dense fog appeared. We stood petrified for a few moments, unable to grasp what was happening around us.

"Is this the summit? And the Garden of Thorns?" Zera asked anxiously.

"If it is, I didn’t imagine it like this."

The vegetation isn’t dead—it clings to life with difficulty. Why do the plants look like this? Are they rotten?

Suddenly, a distant rock exploded. Through the haze of dust, a figure advanced with imposing steps. A two-meter-tall Knight, wearing black armor and a bird-beaked mask. He held a long, ornate spear.

"Look at the symbol on his chest—it belongs to the Order of the Infected," Zera pointed out.

A Knight… Then this part of the forest isn’t rotten, but ravaged by the Plague.

"What’s he doing in such an isolated place? You know his Order controls Plague magic, right?"

"Yes, everybody knows that! In fact, they’re at war with the Order of the Unbeaten Sun. Or do you live under a rock?"

Why can’t she shut up? She makes me feel stupid—and I hate her for it.

"Could he be the guardian of the Garden of Thorns?" I asked, trying to return to the important matter.

In the distance, the Knight let out a muffled growl, as if his vocal cords were broken.

Many Knights of that Order surrender their bodies to the Plague as a show of faith, even knowing they will lose their senses or their habilities.

I saw him ready himself for battle, releasing a dark aura: it was magic leaking out of his corrupted body.

"Don’t worry, Darek. Even if it doesn’t look like it, I’m very strong." She put on her leather gloves, prepared to face the enemy barehanded.

We’re in serious trouble. The terrain is too steep; we can’t steady our footing—we’ll fall off the cliff. And on top of that, I don’t have my sword, only a dagger!

"If we go back to the forest, maybe we can lose him," I suggested, already preparing for retreat.

The Knight leapt forward and lunged at Zera. In an instant, he closed the distance between us.
She held the impact by grabbing the spear. He tried to pull it back, without success.

Zera is tougher and braver than I imagined. Now that the enemy is this close, I can see his armor is cracked and broken in several places.

After a few moments of struggle, the Knight channeled the magic inside his body toward Zera. If it touched her, the Plague would destroy her. Desperate to defend her, Imbedded my dagger into one of the weak points in his armor and pierced his abdomen.

Immediately, he released a burst of Plague near my face. After the attack, he retrieved his spear and stepped back several meters.

If I had kept stabbing him, I would have gotten myself infected. His armor contains the Plague within, keeping it from spreading. The more damage we inflict on him, the more magic he’ll release—and soon it will be impossible for us to fight him.

"Something about him is wrong, he doesn’t even seem human. Besides, if we keep hurting him, the Plague will cover him completely, to the point we won’t be able to get any closer."

"Then we need to get past him, reach the Garden of Thorns, and with that sword, kill him in a single blow, right?" Zera suggested.

Though it’s not my style, I admit it’s an excellent idea. If I were alone, I’d have already run away terrified. Under normal circumstances, I could face a Knight, but without my sword and on uneven ground, it’s unthinkable.

His beaked mask appeared before my eyes and he attacked again. I thought I could block his thrust with my dagger, but his devastating strength hurled me off the cliff.

I’m flying again, yay!