Curse of the Black Knight
Part I - A Mysterious Arson
The Kingdom of Camelot. The lush and fantastical land that lies under the great protection of it's King. But a single being He is, He reaches out to all through His Knights of the Roundtable. The bravest, to the kindest, and even the Knights represented the best of Camelot... But all things have their flaws. Nothing is perfect, for darkness and temptation lives in the hearts of all...
Chapter One: A Dark Omen
On the dirt road within a forest, two knights travel their way to a village in distress. One knight sighed as he rolled his neck and ran a hand through his plumage Mohawk.
"Why did WE have to be ones to come out here?"
The other knight simply stayed silent.
"Some small sized village out in the boonies needs US so badly? What for?!"
Still silence. The calm breeze of the wind in a spring season. The boisterous knight scoffed.
"You can be like that if you want, Galahad. I'm not gonna be some errand boy though! A knight has his pride as well as his honor!"
"A knight's duty reminds him that he is no higher nor lower than those he serves and protects. You should take heed to that, Sir Lamorak."
Galahad stated flatly. Lamorak let out a grunt as he held his head back, his arms rested on his shoulders with a lazy sigh.
"What parable did you rip that one from?"
"I read no scripture to come under that revelation."
"Keh! Of course not!~ Then, you got that from Mr. Moody Brood himself then!"
Galahad shook his head, unintentionally confirming Lamorak's suspicions. With a crooked smile the hawk snickered.
"Hey, at least someone's listening to him! Though it's fitting, it's also a darn shame you're the only one who does."
"That is not at all the truth."
"Oh?~"
Galahad turned his head to merely glance at Lamorak as he rolled a wrist.
"Sir Percival and His Highness, even Sir Gawain at times, and other listen to Sir Lancelot's council."
"How can you be so sure?"
"How are you so sure that they don't?"
Lamorak opened his mouth for a moment before he gave an honest shrug.
"Just a feeling. Besides, I know I don't listen to him lecture on about chivalry. I know all about it anyways!"
"And yet you continue to talk..."
Lamorak lowered his head with a small scowl.
"What was that?"
Galahad pointed ahead to distant smoke cloud.
"That comes from the direction of the village. It is far larger than any festival fire."
"Don't change the subject! What'd you just s-"
"We must hurry! Post haste, Sir Lamorak!"
Galahad lifted himself from the ground and jettisoned ahead.
"Gyah! D-Don't think you can leave me behind!"
With a gesture, Lamorak summoned a sudden gust and jumped into the air as he rode the wind itself. With this, he easily caught up to Galahad. A sneer made it to his beak as he stylishly maneuvered around the trees and Galahad himself.
"So!~ Trying to make things interesting, huh? Trying to race against me, huh?"
"Not against you, but against that."
Galahad came to a sudden stop. Lamorak raised a brow and turned to see what stopped his fellow knight.
"Oh... Oh..."
A horrible sight. An entire village burned, flames engulfed the very base of each building no matter the size or structure. The people ran amok in panic and confusion. A child saw the knights and shouted.
"They're here! The Knights are here!"
The people ran up to Galahad and Lamorak. Lamorak basked slightly in the praise while Galahad took a step forward.
"Everyone, please step aside. Lamorak, work on putting out the fires before anything else. Nothing else matters besides a home for them to stay in."
Without another word, Galahad threw a hand up used his mysterious powers to snuff out the flame on a large building. Even the embers had been put out inside. Many marveled and watched him put out the flames. Lamorak unsheathed his blades and swung them at the smaller buildings. A great wind blew the fire away.
"Tch! This is a mess! How'd a disaster like this happen?!"
The village elder gave a saddened sigh as he witnessed the destruction of his home. Galahad noticed something else, a great fear in his eyes.
"There was a monster... A monster in knight's armor rampaged here. He turned the water into the oil without us noticing, so when he started the fire... It was us who had turned it into an inferno..."
Another villager shouted out.
"He was some kind of freak! He destroyed whatever didn't burn with this monstrous axe!"
The elder stroked his beard in thought.
"However something doesn't sit right. Despite his savagery... He saved my life."
Everyone gave the elder strange looks. He could only nod with them.
"And as I see it now, everyone here is accounted for. If his intentions were our lives, he'd have used the axe as well as the fire..."
Lamorak groaned as he kicked a block of charred wood.
"What're you getting at? That this was all just some sick prank?!"
"No, not quite... I believe he wanted the Knights of the Roundtable to come here."
"And why would some beast want us!?"
A child ran up to Galahad with a small bear in hand.
"I-Isn't he with you...? The knight looked like, Sir Lancelot."
Galahad and Lamorak looked at each other in surprise. A number of villagers spoke at once.
"H-He's right! It was like a mirror image!"
"We didn't want to assume, but that shape was all too familiar..."
"It couldn't have been! R-Right? You'll assure us, Sir Knights? You'd never..."
"It had to have been magic! You can't trust the foul stuff!"
Galahad turned and began to march off. Lamorak reached out to grab him by the shoulder, but stopped as Galahad turned his head to him.
"Sir Lamorak, escort and protect these citizens to the Castle. I'll go ahead and report all to King Arthur and the others."
"Huh?! Why do I have to stay behind!? I'm faster than you!"
"True, but you're also a better sword than I."
"Watch your mouth yo-... Pardon?"
"You could disarm any opponent without them knowing. You'd end any danger before it became a threat. It's this speed and awareness that makes you much more suitable than I."
Lamorak blinked behind his helmet a few times before he brushed a finger under his nose.
"K-Kyehehe! I guess you're right! Alright, fine! Go on ahead, I'll keep these good people safe and sound!"
Galahad nodded and sped off into the distance. Both Knights wondered a similar thought. What creature would mimic their comrade? Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes had watched them from afar. A putrid panting from under the burnt debris. In the darkness of the smoke and hidden in the shadows, it vanished without a trace... In the room of the Roundtable, Galahad was before the other Knights and King Arthur, a knee on the ground and his head held low as he spoke.
"My Lord, I come with urgent news."
King Arthur rolled his eyes and rose a hand.
"Yeesh, do you have to be so formal about this? Whatever it is, I'm sure you can just tell us."
Lancelot grunted unapprovingly.
"A King and His Knights must show the utmost courtesy and respect."
King Arthur shrugged with a smirk.
"Always the traditionalist. But enough banter. This stuff must be serious."
Galahad stood and stated his report.
"The distressing report, as well as the request from the village itself, were all justified and true. Milk Milk Village has burned to ashes. Only the people have survived. I had Lamorak stay with them to secure safety on their journey here."
A red echidna spoke out.
"Hold on! Why didn't Lamorak come here instead? No Offense, Galahad, but he is faster than you!"
"His speed is undeniably superior to mine, however I knew he would forget the most important details, specifically the mysteries around the fire."
Many of the Knights began to mumble among each other. A lilac cat shook her head with a small groan. Lancelot himself simply stared at Galahad. King Arthur let out a sigh of relief for a moment, before he donned a serious glare.
"It's good that the most important thing was saved. However, there's a matter of this mystery you speak of."
"The villagers all saw the one responsible for it, and the answer may surprise you as much as it has me."
"And why is that?"
Galahad pointed directly at Lancelot.
"The witnesses claim to have seen Sir Lancelot, rather to be specifically a shape of Sir Lancelot start the fire. I do not believe it was him for a number of reasons."
Many gasped and looked in Lancelot's direction. He kept silent and stared ahead with his arms folded. King Arthur couldn't help but glance at Lancelot.
"Of course, I'm sure we all know he wouldn't do anything like that, but tell us these reasons. They'll help us identify this copycat."
"Sir Lancelot and I share similar abilities. While different enough for our own identity, I know he has not the power to change the properties of other things. The village elder stated that the water used for putting out fires had turned to oil, fueling the flames. The well was destroyed by the knight using an axe. They were without drinking water. Strangest of all, this knight had plenty a chance to take the villagers lives, yet he had not."
"... This is an odd case. Some nutjob trying to put us in a bad light? No, unlikely..."
Lancelot stood up from his chair and left the room with his sword in hand. King Arthur then dismissed all but Galahad from the Roundtable. Once the room was empty, Arthur stood up from his chair and removed his crown from his head. Galahad always felt uncomfortable when the King did this. It meant that he wouldn't speak to him as a King, but as an equal. Yet, that made him feel the King bigger than he really was.
"Hey, come with me for a moment, will you?"
"Yes Your Hig-"
"Galahad."
"... Yes, sir."
They simply wandered the halls of the castle in mostly awkward silence. Once they hit the balcony of the highest floor, Arthur stopped and took in the view. He then tossed his crown to Galahad.
"Hold this for me would you?"
"Y-Your Highness,, you can't just!"
Galahad had caught the crow with his psychokinesis and saw Arthur vanish, a blue blur remained in his place. Only in a second, a blink for Galahad, and Arthur was right before him with a photo.
"Ah... I'll not forget this anytime soon."
"Sir? What is it?"
"The day of my coronation, it's funny to think you were there."
"I-I was just a babe!"
"Yes, and you were right there. See?"
He moved the photo closer to Galahad. Nearly all the Knights were there, in Lancelot's arm was the baby Galahad. Galahad relaxed for a moment.
"You all seem so, happy."
"That's because we are! It was the start of something new... But, look at his shadow. Lancy's shadow."
Galahad looked closer. His father's shadow was against a wall, and had a second child hug his leg, a child not there in the photo. Arthur saw Galahad's expression change and nodded.
"No one but I and Lancy have seen that. I keep it with me, locked away, just in case something like this happened."
"..."
"You're wondering what this has to do with anything, aren't you? You know me, Galahad. I give the facts up front... But this one time I can't. I can only do this."
Galahad looked to Arthur with concern. He had never seen him so serious in his life.
"And what would that be?"
"I give you a word of advi- No. An order. Do not look into this. Do not, face, the knight. Leave him to me and your father. Do you understand?"
"... I..."
Arthur took Galahad's hand and squeezed it softly.
"This has nothing to do with you. Don't get caught up in someone else's mess, when it's not your responsibility. To aid any in need is the way of our people, but this one time, leave it to us. Please."
"I understand."
Arthur let go of Galahad and rolled his eyes with his usual casual smirk. He pocketed the photo and took back his crown.
"Good! Now, let's get something to eat! I could kill for a chilidog!"
"Sir, that's all you eat... It isn't healthy."
"Oh shut up, you're sounding like you're father."