This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it ended up getting longer than I expected.
I preferred to separate into chapters, which I will publish gradually this week.
Silent Valley was a peaceful kingdom, ruled by the lineage of the royal family for long eight hundred years. In their vast territory, the subjects felt free under the government of the good King Albert and safe under the protection of the brave Silent Knights, appointed by the king himself. The kingdom was located to the extreme west of the continent, protected by the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. They never had any problems with invaders coming from the sea. No, their only problem was between the kingdom and the sea.
Three-fifths of the area that touched the sea was only accessible by a huge valley and a dense forest, known as Dragon Domain. In this place, the most feared creatures of the entire continent lived.
For centuries, there was a route that passed directly through Dragon Domain to the villages in the coastal area. But now it was necessary to make a several day journey through the South of the kingdom to get around this area.
Fifteen years ago, the bravest of the Silent Knights, Sir Daniel, slew the king of the dragons, causing chaos in the whole kingdom. Many dragons sought revenge, attacking the kingdom, and spreading across the continent. Everyone called this day "The Fury"
However, no one else, even the Silent Knights, ever got into Dragon Domain. The king's daughter made a decree so that no other human would ever enter the territory they smeared with her father's blood. Even so, there was always a fool who tried to enter the territory, only to return badly wounded, and that if returned.
Today, however, a Silent Knight is about to receive permission from the king to enter the fearsome territory. Summoned to attend the castle in Lincoln, the capital of the kingdom, late afternoon, in a private audience with the king.
The king, already in old age, had lived depressed since before the "Fury". The motive, however, was only known by the older knights, who were forbidden to tell the motive. He was taken out of his meditative state when a knight entered the throne room and knelt before the king.
The Knight was a young twenty-one-year-old girl, dark skin with freckles and black hair stuck in a long ponytail. Her armor was light compared to the other knights, and she had a golden sword.
"Your Majesty, I have come as fast as I can. What mission should I fulfill for my kingdom?"
"Lady Ronnie Anne, you have been one of the best knights in this kingdom, and your bravery is undeniable. Your mission, if you decide to accept it, can decide the future of the kingdom."
The young woman was holding back her excitement. She had not become a Silent Knight to serve the people, but rather enjoyed the reputation of being the toughest knight in the kingdom. Knowing that her king also saw her in this way filled her with excitement.
"As you know, our kingdom suffers for years with the consequences of the acts of Sir Daniel, whose name fell out of disgrace after killing the Dragon King. What no one knows, though, is that I ordered Sir Daniel to go to Dragon Domain."
The king watched her. She was still kneeling, waiting for him to finish. He knew she had serious problems with the dragons, and knowing that her king had began this could affect her judgment.
"As you know, the most impressive ability dragons have is to take on a human form to mingle with us. One day, twenty-nine years ago, my daughter was deluded by the Dragon King, who approached her to steal the most sacred possession of the royal family, the alchemist's staff."
"Sorry my king, but I thought it was just a legend." Lady Ronnie was confused by the direction of the conversation.
"No, my dear, its very real. I know the legend speaks of the magical properties, but it can also only be used by a legitimate heir of my lineage, and so that demon took not only the inheritance of my family, but also my only daughter."
The knight felt sorry. She felt a deep hatred of the dragons for what they had done to her, but now she was divided. On the one hand, her king admitted to being guilty of what had happened in the kingdom, but on the other hand, the dragons had begun everything by taking the princess and the staff. She could only imagine the horrors that went through the king's mind when he discovered that his daughter was being held prisoner by such terrible monsters.
"So, if I understand correctly, should I look for your daughter?" She was expecting an optimistic response, but the king's face already gave her answer.
"I do not believe my daughter is still alive after all these years. However, there are still some distant relatives I have, and some of them may claim the throne, but only if the staff shows that it is indeed of our lineage. Your mission is to enter the ruins of the old castle that was besieged by Sir Daniel, and try to find the staff. Without it, all the houses of the nobility can start a war for the kingdom as soon as I'm gone."
Lady Ronnie was puzzled. She received permission from her king to go where no Silent Knight could go, the only place she wanted to go. Finally, she would have the chance to avenge her family.
"I will not disappoint you, my king."
"Perfect. Choose the best Silent Knights and then..."
"With all due respect my king, but I do not think it will be necessary."
The king watched her in disbelief. He knew she had a personal quarrel with the dragons, but did not think she would put it as a priority over the future of the kingdom.
"What I meant is that a large group can draw a lot of attention. I will go with two squires, and we will act in a stealthy way, lest we be perceived."
This reassured the king. He had to agree that this was a wise move. The king dismissed her, giving her permission to leave as soon as she was ready.
As she left the castle, Lady Ronnie wondered who her squires might be. The Silent Knights had a hard training program for the squires, she herself had been through it, even coming from a long line of knights. Squires could be requested at any time by any knight to accompany him on a mission. However, she had a reputation that made all the squires afraid of her, which made it very difficult to create a relationship between knight and squire. She decided to leave it for the next day, and returned home.
Not far from town, there was a house of considerable size, with a large estate all around. The Santiago house was home of one of the oldest lineages of Silent Knights, having served the kingdom since its foundation. However, the house was empty, only some servants who kept it clean and the last Santiago still alive.
Lady Ronnie removed her armor and ordered to be cleaned and prepared for her departure, as well as two more horses and her spear.
She knew that even though it was a mission that did not require combat, she would hardly come back alive.
Not because it was dangerous, but because she wanted to face the dragons. She no longer cared about her own life, for she felt a void within herself. At the first sign of a dragon, she would send her squires back as she followed the tracks, and then she would break into her suicidal crusade.
Seventeen years ago, she would not have these thoughts. She was just a small girl wanting to be a knight like her father while practicing with her brother, who was already a squire. When her mother died of an illness, her world collapsed, and she felt that nothing could worsen her sadness. Then, almost two years later, came the "Fury", and her father tried to protect the city with the other knights, giving his life to save the people.
In the following years she tried to be strong, and became a squire, with the purpose of giving pride to her father and spending as much time as possible with her brother, who had become a Silent Knight. She found happiness again, engaging in adventures with her brother, until six years ago when he was sent to Dragon Domain with a group of eight knights, a secret mission that was too dangerous for squires. Only two returned, and her brother was not one of them.
Suddenly she understood what had happened at the time. Probably, the king tried to retrieve the staff, and sent a large group of knights marching to the entrance of the lair of the beasts.
She had a chance to succeed where her brother failed, to emerge victorious where others perished. But none of that mattered, all that mattered was her chance to get revenge.
She accepted death.
She was not afraid to die, and will take as many dragons as she can with her.
