The Adventures of Camus and Miklotov
A Prologue to The Aventures of the Purple Knights
The imminent meeting of Camus and Miklotov happened the day they both decided to take the exams to become a member of the Matilda Knights. Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was destiny. Although they had been placed in different testing groups, they both performed their first ten tasks (one of which involved killing a harpy in Mount Rakutei alone) so quickly and so excellently that within a week they were allowed to do their final test. While their fellow groupmates were still struggling with rigorous training or battles, Camus and Miklotov waited in their quarters to be called for their last task.
Camus was getting bored with all this waiting; he cast occassional glaces at his roommate, who was just lying around, playing with his sword. Camus wondered if he should start a conversation with his roommate but since he wasn't really the friendly type he decided against it. To his utter relief, he saw Miklotov get up and walk over to his side of the room. Finally, Camus thought. Time will pass more quickly now that I have someone to talk to.
But there was another reason why Miklotov decided to get up and talk to Camus. It wasn't because he was friendly. See, Miklotov has this really bad habit of saying whatever is on his mind, a reason why he doesn't fare too well with women and with his own comrades sometimes.
"Excuse me, but could you please stop stealing glances at me? It makes me feel uncomfortable; I'm already nervous as it is," Miklotov said.
Camus, outraged by this assumption (and partially embarassed at being caught) sat up quickly and retorted, "Why would I be staring at you? It's not like you have any redeeming qualities or anything!"
Miklotov got red in the face but before he could respond, Gorudo himself went in their room and announced that it was time to commence their final test. "Meet me at the training room. And bring your swords," he added before he left.
The two hurriedly gathered their weapons and left withought saying a word to each other. They found Gorudo waiting in the training room with the captains of the Red and Blue Knights.
"You two have shown exemplary progress in your examinations. I'm quite impressed with the results," Gorudo said. "Your last task is to fight in a duel with each other."
"Oh is that all? That won't be so hard to do, seeing that my enemy is such a pussy," Camus muttered.
"I heard that!" Miklotov exploded. Drawing his sword, he shouted, "En garde!"
And so began the longest duel ever to be recorded in the Matilda Knightdom. The two seventeen-year olds fought until they were so tired they could hardly lift their swords. Yet the duel ended in a draw, for both were extremely talented swordsmen. Neither of them could defeat the other. Gorudo and the two captains were very impressed and entertained by this performance. Camus and Miklotov were both sworn into the knightdom that very same afternoon.
Later that evening, Camus was in such good spirits that he apologized to Miklotov for being such an ass. Miklotov accepted, and their friendship was sealed. Or was it really a friendship?
The two rose steadily in ranks and became the best of friends. Wherever Miklotov went, Camus was always nearby (and vice versa) except during assigments when one had to go without the other. The local girls would sigh and stare whenever the two went into town. Their parents coveted either of the two gallant knights for son-in-laws. But neither of them noticed their admirers and their admirers' ambitious parents. For as time passed by, they only had eyes for each other.
It took awhile for them to recognize the feelings they had for each other, for they always imagined themselves settling down one day with a pretty wife. But they could not ignore Cupid's arrows. They became lovers during their sixth year of friendship, and the bond between them grew even stronger. Lovers were a fairly common occurance in the knighthood, because most knights were too engrossed with their work to find a wife and settle down. Since men will always be men, they had to find a way to release their sexual urges, even if it meant doing it with the same sex. So nobody made it a very big deal when they noticed that Camus and Miklotov would retire earlier than usual to their quarters. Only the local Rockaxe girls were very much against this relationship, for they all had dreams of marrying either one of the handsome knights.
Although Camus didn't feel like renouncing his knighthood at all (especially after he worked so hard to become the captain of the Red Knights!), he decided that life without Miklotov would be totally unbearable. So he went with Miklotov when the latter renounced his knighthood, and joined the battle against the Highland army (we all know what happened then). After he helped Miklotov rebuild the Matilda Knights, they both travelled to the Grasslands with Nash and stopped at the village of Milit. There, they stayed at the house of Camus' childhood friend Maki, a simple but pretty merchant in her early 20s.
It was here when their relationship took a very serious turn. During the raid on the village by the Keepers of the Flame, Maki is almost killed by the flames of the bandit leader's fire magic. However, Camus defends her and gets burned in her stead. The pain was so great that he lost consciousness for a few days. Miklotov, unable to tend to his lover because of the fighting, entrusted Maki with the task of taking care of him. She was more than willing to accept since he did save her life after all.
When Camus regained consciousness a few days later, he found himself looking up at Maki's worried face. Still somewhat delirious from the pain, he mumbled, "So this is what heaven is like...filled with beautiful angels."
Maki blushed. "Oh you silly knight, it's just me, Maki." She smiled. "I'm so glad to see that you're finally okay. You've been asleep for three days!"
Camus was shocked. "Three days!" With a groan, he managed to sit up but his side hurt too much so he lay back down with a groan. "Where's Miklotov? Is he all right?"
"He's still fighting but he's okay. He came in here to check on you early this morning." Maki stood up and turned around to look out the window so Camus couldn't see her tearing eyes. See, Maki was secretly in love with her childhood friend and her love for him became more intense after he defended her from the bandits. She tended his wounds with great care and watched over him faithfully while he slept. Maki had fears that he and Miklotov were lovers, for they spent far too much time together than normal. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard Camus cry out in his sleep the night after he got burned, "Miklotov....I love you so....where are you....ohh, help me!" She didn't get any sleep at all that night, for her heart was broken and she cried until dawn.
But after awhile, Maki got over that shock and decided to just love Camus unconditionally without expecting anything to happen. Wiping away her tears, she turned from the window to face him again. "You must be hungry. I'll go to the kitchen and get something for you to eat."
That night, Camus found that sleep was impossible. Looking at his right, he spotted Maki sleeping on her chair. She must be very uncomfortable sleeping in that position, he thought. Being the chivalrous knight that he was, he called out her name.
"What's wrong, Camus?" Maki asked worriedly, getting up from her seat and walking to his bed.
Before he knew it, he blurted out, "No, nothing at all...it's just that, well...do you want to share this bed with me? I don't know how you can fall asleep on that chair without getting a stiff neck!" Camus was thankful for the darkness because he was blushing furiously.
Maki was surprised at his offer. "Oh, I can't do that...there isn't enough space for the two of us!"
"It's fine, it's fine." Although it took him much effort, he moved over to give Maki some room. "Please, it's okay."
Reluctantly, Maki lay down facing away from him, her heart beating furiously. To be this close to her love! It was more than she had ever dreamed of.
Camus was beginning to have second thoughts about letting Maki lie down beside him, for he was feeling rather awkward. He forced himself to think of Miklotov because this usually made him forget everything else. But for some reason, he still felt distracted. His eyes travelled down to the delicate curves of body that Maki's simple white nightgown hinted. He felt a strong urge to reach out and touch her waist, and with a trembling hand he did so. Maki, surprised by this action, turned around with a questioning look on her face.
"Everything all right?" she asked, trembling slightly. Her face was only three inches away from Camus and the intense look on his eyes made her turn around again....so near, yet so far....
Camus didn't reply, but instead wrapped his entire arm around her waist so that her body moved closer to his. He felt an erection growing steadily upon making contact with her body. He realized that it's been a long time since he had ben with a woman...
Maki decided that this was her chance. In a few days, the bandits would be gone and Miklotov would never let Camus out of his sight. She would never have another opportunity like this and besides, he'd soon be on his way once he was fully healed. The possibility of pregnancy occured to her but instead of making her pull away from his embrace she moved even closer to him. To carry the child of the man she loved! It was enough to make her decide what to do.
But before she could make her move, Camus started kissing her hair, her ears and finally, her lips. Maki responded with an intensity and urgency she didn't know she had, and it frightened her a little. With one hand, he slowly caressed her cheek and with the other, struggled to remove his pants. Maki wasn't really wearing much after all...
Love has its own healing powers; the following afternoon, Camus was able to walk again. Maki and Camus made a silent vow to never talk about what happened to them that night, and when he faced Miklotov for the first time since his accident, he felt a little bit guilty. But he forced the events of that night to the back of his mind and life returned to normal. He sealed the Fire Hero's powers with a magical dagger that belonged to Maki's father and a couple of days later Nash leaves for Kaleria.
But before Camus and Miklotov could resume their journey, Maki discovers that she is pregnant with Camus' child. She hurried off to tell this to Camus who felt distressed by this news.
"Oh shit, I knew this was gonna happen!" Camus groaned, slapping himself on the forehead. "I'm so sorry..."
"Don't apologize..I wanted it to happen as much as you did too," Maki told him gently. "But what are we going to do?"
Camus looked at her as though she was crazy. "Well, what else is there to do? Get married of course! You can't raise that baby by yourself. Besides, he or she is my child too."
Maki was surprised by Camus' proposal. This was the last thing she expected from him. She felt happy and almost shouted "Yes!", but then her conscience got the better of her and she declined. Now it was Camus' turn to be surprised.
She hesitated before she could say why. "Look...I know about you and Miklotov and how much you need him. You kept calling for him in your sleep," she managed to blurt out finally. "I love you Camus. That's why I can't marry you. It would be wrong to take you away from Miklotov just because we risked one night of pleasure. I don't mind taking care of the baby alone, but we'll have to tell Miklotov and my father about what we did."
They discussed the matter a little longer before making their final desicion. Maki would take care of the baby during its first years of life. If the baby is a boy, Camus would come back in eight years to train him to become a knight. But if it turns out to be a girl, she could stay in Milit with her mother until she decides to live somewhere else. Camus would visit her for a few months every year; he felt that the battlegrounds would be no place for a girl.
Maki's father, who is the village elder, felt disappointed but acted calm and accepting when they broke the news to him. Although Maki wouldn't tell her father why she didn't want to marry Camus, he accepted their desicions on how they would raise the child and questioned them no more.
Miklotov, however, took the news very badly. Camus had barely begun explaining when Miklotov went into a rage. He felt betrayed by Camus' infidelity and stormed out of Maki's house. He disappeared for several weeks and although several villagers searched for him in the lands surrounding Milit, they could find no trace of him. Camus fell into depression and refused to eat unless Maki forced him to. She wasn't exactly in the best of moods those days either because it hurt her that she could never make Camus love her. And their child was a painful reminder of that.
On a stormy night, Miklotov came back to Milit unexpectedly. After apologizing to Maki for his actions, he searched for his lover. He found Camus in his room, staring blankly out the window. It suddenly pained Miklotov to see him looking so thin and unhappy.
"I have decided to forgive you, Camus," Miklotov announced. If Camus was surprised about Miklotov's return, his gaunt face didn't show it. He continued staring out the window.
Seeing that Camus showed no reaction, he continued with great effort. "You had your reasons for doing what you did and I respect those reasons. I'm sorry for the way I took the news when I should've been happy for you. Maki and you have a bright future ahead. I can tell that she too has loved you for a long time."
Camus remained silent for several minutes. "Maki and I aren't going to get married," he finally said.
Miklotov looked at him with surprise and walked closer to where Camus was standing. "What? Why not? It would be the best thing to do!"
Taking a deep breath, Camus turned around and looked at Miklotov in the eye. "You didn't let me explain before. I proposed marriage to her but she refused because she knew about us. Maki didn't want to take me away from you because she knew it would make me unhappy. And although that would be the best way to make amends, she is right because I'd rather be with you...if you'll still have me. I'm so sorry Miklotov for what I did, but if you'll let me I will devote my entire life making it up to you."
With tears in his eyes, Miklotov slowly reached out and hugged him. Camus was crying too; he missed Miklotov terribly and felt very lonely and lost without him. Their hearts were at ease with each other's presence and they both knew that everything would be all right again.
The two of them stayed in Milit long enough for the child to be born. It turned out to be a boy, who looked like his father but had his mother's beautiful large brown eyes. Camus gave Miklotov the honors of naming his son as part of his apology. And after much deliberation, Miklotov decided to call him Kael, which meant "Mighty Warrior" for he too wanted Camus' son to be a knight. Kael proved true to his name, for few years later he would become a mighy warrior who would do many great things. But I jump ahead on our tale.
Although Camus didn't want to leave, he said goodbye to Maki and his son a few days later and went off with Miklotov. From the window in her bedroom, Maki sadly watched Camus' retreating back. Deep in her heart, she knew she would never see him again. With a heavy heart, she hugged Kael closer to her chest and closed the window.
A Prologue to The Aventures of the Purple Knights
The imminent meeting of Camus and Miklotov happened the day they both decided to take the exams to become a member of the Matilda Knights. Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was destiny. Although they had been placed in different testing groups, they both performed their first ten tasks (one of which involved killing a harpy in Mount Rakutei alone) so quickly and so excellently that within a week they were allowed to do their final test. While their fellow groupmates were still struggling with rigorous training or battles, Camus and Miklotov waited in their quarters to be called for their last task.
Camus was getting bored with all this waiting; he cast occassional glaces at his roommate, who was just lying around, playing with his sword. Camus wondered if he should start a conversation with his roommate but since he wasn't really the friendly type he decided against it. To his utter relief, he saw Miklotov get up and walk over to his side of the room. Finally, Camus thought. Time will pass more quickly now that I have someone to talk to.
But there was another reason why Miklotov decided to get up and talk to Camus. It wasn't because he was friendly. See, Miklotov has this really bad habit of saying whatever is on his mind, a reason why he doesn't fare too well with women and with his own comrades sometimes.
"Excuse me, but could you please stop stealing glances at me? It makes me feel uncomfortable; I'm already nervous as it is," Miklotov said.
Camus, outraged by this assumption (and partially embarassed at being caught) sat up quickly and retorted, "Why would I be staring at you? It's not like you have any redeeming qualities or anything!"
Miklotov got red in the face but before he could respond, Gorudo himself went in their room and announced that it was time to commence their final test. "Meet me at the training room. And bring your swords," he added before he left.
The two hurriedly gathered their weapons and left withought saying a word to each other. They found Gorudo waiting in the training room with the captains of the Red and Blue Knights.
"You two have shown exemplary progress in your examinations. I'm quite impressed with the results," Gorudo said. "Your last task is to fight in a duel with each other."
"Oh is that all? That won't be so hard to do, seeing that my enemy is such a pussy," Camus muttered.
"I heard that!" Miklotov exploded. Drawing his sword, he shouted, "En garde!"
And so began the longest duel ever to be recorded in the Matilda Knightdom. The two seventeen-year olds fought until they were so tired they could hardly lift their swords. Yet the duel ended in a draw, for both were extremely talented swordsmen. Neither of them could defeat the other. Gorudo and the two captains were very impressed and entertained by this performance. Camus and Miklotov were both sworn into the knightdom that very same afternoon.
Later that evening, Camus was in such good spirits that he apologized to Miklotov for being such an ass. Miklotov accepted, and their friendship was sealed. Or was it really a friendship?
The two rose steadily in ranks and became the best of friends. Wherever Miklotov went, Camus was always nearby (and vice versa) except during assigments when one had to go without the other. The local girls would sigh and stare whenever the two went into town. Their parents coveted either of the two gallant knights for son-in-laws. But neither of them noticed their admirers and their admirers' ambitious parents. For as time passed by, they only had eyes for each other.
It took awhile for them to recognize the feelings they had for each other, for they always imagined themselves settling down one day with a pretty wife. But they could not ignore Cupid's arrows. They became lovers during their sixth year of friendship, and the bond between them grew even stronger. Lovers were a fairly common occurance in the knighthood, because most knights were too engrossed with their work to find a wife and settle down. Since men will always be men, they had to find a way to release their sexual urges, even if it meant doing it with the same sex. So nobody made it a very big deal when they noticed that Camus and Miklotov would retire earlier than usual to their quarters. Only the local Rockaxe girls were very much against this relationship, for they all had dreams of marrying either one of the handsome knights.
Although Camus didn't feel like renouncing his knighthood at all (especially after he worked so hard to become the captain of the Red Knights!), he decided that life without Miklotov would be totally unbearable. So he went with Miklotov when the latter renounced his knighthood, and joined the battle against the Highland army (we all know what happened then). After he helped Miklotov rebuild the Matilda Knights, they both travelled to the Grasslands with Nash and stopped at the village of Milit. There, they stayed at the house of Camus' childhood friend Maki, a simple but pretty merchant in her early 20s.
It was here when their relationship took a very serious turn. During the raid on the village by the Keepers of the Flame, Maki is almost killed by the flames of the bandit leader's fire magic. However, Camus defends her and gets burned in her stead. The pain was so great that he lost consciousness for a few days. Miklotov, unable to tend to his lover because of the fighting, entrusted Maki with the task of taking care of him. She was more than willing to accept since he did save her life after all.
When Camus regained consciousness a few days later, he found himself looking up at Maki's worried face. Still somewhat delirious from the pain, he mumbled, "So this is what heaven is like...filled with beautiful angels."
Maki blushed. "Oh you silly knight, it's just me, Maki." She smiled. "I'm so glad to see that you're finally okay. You've been asleep for three days!"
Camus was shocked. "Three days!" With a groan, he managed to sit up but his side hurt too much so he lay back down with a groan. "Where's Miklotov? Is he all right?"
"He's still fighting but he's okay. He came in here to check on you early this morning." Maki stood up and turned around to look out the window so Camus couldn't see her tearing eyes. See, Maki was secretly in love with her childhood friend and her love for him became more intense after he defended her from the bandits. She tended his wounds with great care and watched over him faithfully while he slept. Maki had fears that he and Miklotov were lovers, for they spent far too much time together than normal. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard Camus cry out in his sleep the night after he got burned, "Miklotov....I love you so....where are you....ohh, help me!" She didn't get any sleep at all that night, for her heart was broken and she cried until dawn.
But after awhile, Maki got over that shock and decided to just love Camus unconditionally without expecting anything to happen. Wiping away her tears, she turned from the window to face him again. "You must be hungry. I'll go to the kitchen and get something for you to eat."
That night, Camus found that sleep was impossible. Looking at his right, he spotted Maki sleeping on her chair. She must be very uncomfortable sleeping in that position, he thought. Being the chivalrous knight that he was, he called out her name.
"What's wrong, Camus?" Maki asked worriedly, getting up from her seat and walking to his bed.
Before he knew it, he blurted out, "No, nothing at all...it's just that, well...do you want to share this bed with me? I don't know how you can fall asleep on that chair without getting a stiff neck!" Camus was thankful for the darkness because he was blushing furiously.
Maki was surprised at his offer. "Oh, I can't do that...there isn't enough space for the two of us!"
"It's fine, it's fine." Although it took him much effort, he moved over to give Maki some room. "Please, it's okay."
Reluctantly, Maki lay down facing away from him, her heart beating furiously. To be this close to her love! It was more than she had ever dreamed of.
Camus was beginning to have second thoughts about letting Maki lie down beside him, for he was feeling rather awkward. He forced himself to think of Miklotov because this usually made him forget everything else. But for some reason, he still felt distracted. His eyes travelled down to the delicate curves of body that Maki's simple white nightgown hinted. He felt a strong urge to reach out and touch her waist, and with a trembling hand he did so. Maki, surprised by this action, turned around with a questioning look on her face.
"Everything all right?" she asked, trembling slightly. Her face was only three inches away from Camus and the intense look on his eyes made her turn around again....so near, yet so far....
Camus didn't reply, but instead wrapped his entire arm around her waist so that her body moved closer to his. He felt an erection growing steadily upon making contact with her body. He realized that it's been a long time since he had ben with a woman...
Maki decided that this was her chance. In a few days, the bandits would be gone and Miklotov would never let Camus out of his sight. She would never have another opportunity like this and besides, he'd soon be on his way once he was fully healed. The possibility of pregnancy occured to her but instead of making her pull away from his embrace she moved even closer to him. To carry the child of the man she loved! It was enough to make her decide what to do.
But before she could make her move, Camus started kissing her hair, her ears and finally, her lips. Maki responded with an intensity and urgency she didn't know she had, and it frightened her a little. With one hand, he slowly caressed her cheek and with the other, struggled to remove his pants. Maki wasn't really wearing much after all...
Love has its own healing powers; the following afternoon, Camus was able to walk again. Maki and Camus made a silent vow to never talk about what happened to them that night, and when he faced Miklotov for the first time since his accident, he felt a little bit guilty. But he forced the events of that night to the back of his mind and life returned to normal. He sealed the Fire Hero's powers with a magical dagger that belonged to Maki's father and a couple of days later Nash leaves for Kaleria.
But before Camus and Miklotov could resume their journey, Maki discovers that she is pregnant with Camus' child. She hurried off to tell this to Camus who felt distressed by this news.
"Oh shit, I knew this was gonna happen!" Camus groaned, slapping himself on the forehead. "I'm so sorry..."
"Don't apologize..I wanted it to happen as much as you did too," Maki told him gently. "But what are we going to do?"
Camus looked at her as though she was crazy. "Well, what else is there to do? Get married of course! You can't raise that baby by yourself. Besides, he or she is my child too."
Maki was surprised by Camus' proposal. This was the last thing she expected from him. She felt happy and almost shouted "Yes!", but then her conscience got the better of her and she declined. Now it was Camus' turn to be surprised.
She hesitated before she could say why. "Look...I know about you and Miklotov and how much you need him. You kept calling for him in your sleep," she managed to blurt out finally. "I love you Camus. That's why I can't marry you. It would be wrong to take you away from Miklotov just because we risked one night of pleasure. I don't mind taking care of the baby alone, but we'll have to tell Miklotov and my father about what we did."
They discussed the matter a little longer before making their final desicion. Maki would take care of the baby during its first years of life. If the baby is a boy, Camus would come back in eight years to train him to become a knight. But if it turns out to be a girl, she could stay in Milit with her mother until she decides to live somewhere else. Camus would visit her for a few months every year; he felt that the battlegrounds would be no place for a girl.
Maki's father, who is the village elder, felt disappointed but acted calm and accepting when they broke the news to him. Although Maki wouldn't tell her father why she didn't want to marry Camus, he accepted their desicions on how they would raise the child and questioned them no more.
Miklotov, however, took the news very badly. Camus had barely begun explaining when Miklotov went into a rage. He felt betrayed by Camus' infidelity and stormed out of Maki's house. He disappeared for several weeks and although several villagers searched for him in the lands surrounding Milit, they could find no trace of him. Camus fell into depression and refused to eat unless Maki forced him to. She wasn't exactly in the best of moods those days either because it hurt her that she could never make Camus love her. And their child was a painful reminder of that.
On a stormy night, Miklotov came back to Milit unexpectedly. After apologizing to Maki for his actions, he searched for his lover. He found Camus in his room, staring blankly out the window. It suddenly pained Miklotov to see him looking so thin and unhappy.
"I have decided to forgive you, Camus," Miklotov announced. If Camus was surprised about Miklotov's return, his gaunt face didn't show it. He continued staring out the window.
Seeing that Camus showed no reaction, he continued with great effort. "You had your reasons for doing what you did and I respect those reasons. I'm sorry for the way I took the news when I should've been happy for you. Maki and you have a bright future ahead. I can tell that she too has loved you for a long time."
Camus remained silent for several minutes. "Maki and I aren't going to get married," he finally said.
Miklotov looked at him with surprise and walked closer to where Camus was standing. "What? Why not? It would be the best thing to do!"
Taking a deep breath, Camus turned around and looked at Miklotov in the eye. "You didn't let me explain before. I proposed marriage to her but she refused because she knew about us. Maki didn't want to take me away from you because she knew it would make me unhappy. And although that would be the best way to make amends, she is right because I'd rather be with you...if you'll still have me. I'm so sorry Miklotov for what I did, but if you'll let me I will devote my entire life making it up to you."
With tears in his eyes, Miklotov slowly reached out and hugged him. Camus was crying too; he missed Miklotov terribly and felt very lonely and lost without him. Their hearts were at ease with each other's presence and they both knew that everything would be all right again.
The two of them stayed in Milit long enough for the child to be born. It turned out to be a boy, who looked like his father but had his mother's beautiful large brown eyes. Camus gave Miklotov the honors of naming his son as part of his apology. And after much deliberation, Miklotov decided to call him Kael, which meant "Mighty Warrior" for he too wanted Camus' son to be a knight. Kael proved true to his name, for few years later he would become a mighy warrior who would do many great things. But I jump ahead on our tale.
Although Camus didn't want to leave, he said goodbye to Maki and his son a few days later and went off with Miklotov. From the window in her bedroom, Maki sadly watched Camus' retreating back. Deep in her heart, she knew she would never see him again. With a heavy heart, she hugged Kael closer to her chest and closed the window.