The Knight in Shining Armor

Chapter 3

Three days later they prepared themselves for the trip in the castle of Seyruun. In the meantime when travelers did last minute checks and revised their traveling plans, stable workers saddled the horses that were reserved for them.

They had decide that Phil would go with four guards to Ralteague via the north road and Amelia would go with Zelgadis and Jeffrey to Ralteague via the northwest road.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" the captain of guards asked from Phil when they were watching preparations of Amelia and her bodyguards.

"I'm not completely sure about this myself," Phil admitted with serious tone but then he said: "But I trust in my daughter and Mr. Zelgadis. Both of them are experienced fighters and I'm sure that they will take care for each others."

"Yes, they will, but how about... Mailstar?" the captain whispered carefully and glanced at the sky in case that it would start raining angry mothers with iron hammers from the sky.

Phil and captain glanced at Jeffrey who tried hardly to climb on a palomino horse that was reserved for him while the stable boy was holding the horse. Jeffrey had problems to swing his another leg to the other side of the saddle. Finally he managed swing himself into the saddle but Jeffrey had swung himself too hard, so he lost his balance and fell from the saddle to the other side of the horse.

"Well..." Phil said while scratching the back of his neck: "At least he is eager and persistent. I believe that the boy will learn many useful things during this trip. And who knows? Maybe his "natural talents", which he and his mother always speaks, would prove to be true."

Amelia had changed her dress to her usual traveling clothes. Now she directed her white horse to her father and informed: "We are leaving now, dad. Promise me that you would be careful during the trip."

"You too, my daughter," Phil said with longing look.

"Fear not, Your Highness!" Jeffrey, who had finally got into the saddle, informed when he directed his horse next to Amelia's horse: "I will protect the princess."

"Thank you, Sir Jeffrey," Phil answered with nod: "I trust that you and Mr. Zelgadis will take care for my daughter."

"We will do our best, Your Highness" Zelgadis, who rode a dark chestnut colored horse, said.

"Okay then," Amelia said energetically and pointed her index finger towards the gate of the castle: "Let's go! With the powers of Justice and Love in our side, we will overcome every obstacles that we may encounter during our trip!"

"I totally agree with you, princess!" Jeffrey said eagerly.

Zelgadis just sighed while facepalming. Then the young trio rode out of the castle's gate.


Youth rode along the planned route. Amelia was riding as the first, Jeffrey a short distance behind of her and Zelgadis rode as the last of the trio.

Some time later Amelia rose her hand signaling them to stop. Then she turned her head and asked from Zelgadis: "Mr. Zelgadis, you have a map, haven't you? In what direction we need to continue?"

Zelgadis took the map out of his pocket and started to study it.

"We are here," Zelgadis stated: "Next we should go-"

"Give that map to me," Jeffrey said suddenly and streched out his hand.

"What? Why?" Zelgadis asked.

"Of course you don't know but I'm an expert of maps and directions," Jeffrey informed proudly while pressing his hand on his chest: "It's one of my natural talents apart from anything else."

"Right..." Zelgadis said with doubtful tone and didn't give tha map to Jeffrey.

"Mr. Zelgadis, give the map to Sir Jeffrey, please," Amelia asked.

"What?!" Zelgadis asked without believing what he has just heard.

"Let Sir Jeffrey see the map, please," Amelia asked: "I don't believe that it would cause any problems."

Zelgadis stared at Amelia for a moment, then he snorted and gave the map to Jeffrey. After it the chimera gave an offended glare to Amelia.

"Don't look like that, Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia said with reassuring tone: "I trust wholeheartedly your map reading skills but we should give Sir Jeffrey a chance to prove his own skills with maps."

Jeffrey was studying the map with his nose pressed against the paper. Then he pointed his finger in the one direction and informed with dramatic tone: "This way!"

"Are you sure?" Zelgadis asked doubtfully.

"I'm absolutely sure! Let's go!" Jeffrey said and directed his horse in the direction he had earlier pointed at.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Zelgadis asked with quiet tone from Amelia.

Amelia shrugged: "We don't know where we will end until we try the route, so let's try."

"Follow me! With my incredible skills, we-" Jeffrey said when he turned his attention to Amelia and Zelgadis, which was why he didn't notice a low branch of tree that hitted his head and made him fall from the saddle.

"We are screwed," Zelgadis sighed.


"Sir Jeffrey. Where are we?" Amelia asked.

The trio with their horses were standing on the high ledge which showed an impressive view from the forest below of them. But it wasn't their destination...

"Well..." Jeffrey said delaying while standing at the edge of the ledge and stared at the map: "We are..."

"Lost?" Zelgadis suggested.

"No, we aren't!" Jeffrey shouted with offended tone and pointed the map with his finger: "I know exactly that we are right here!"

Zelgadis landed from the saddle, went to Jeffrey and glanced at the spot that Jeffrey was pointing. Then he turned his gaze back at the knight and asked with suspicious tone: "In the Desert of Destruction?"

Jeffrey stared at the spot he was pointing and then he looked around: "Oh. I didn't know that deserts has so many plants nowadays."

Zelgadis and Amelia glanced at each others. The princess stated in her mind that Jeffrey hadn't skills to navigating and she said to young knight: "Sir Jeffrey, give the map to Mr. Zelgadis so he could determine our location."

"What?!" Jeffrey asked and turned to stare the princess: "B-but I know exactly where we are!"

"Please, Sir Jeffrey. Mr. Zelgadis has more experience with maps," Amelia asked with determined tone. Jeffrey tried to protest but when he didn't know what he would say, he reluctantly gave the map to Zelgadis.


While Zelgadis determined their location with the map and a compass, Jeffrey sat on the grass next to Amelia.

"Your Highness, I must say that I don't understand," Jeffrey said with serious tone.

"What you don't understand, Sir Jeffrey?" Amelia asked with confused look.

"I don't understand why – and how – you have befriended with that chimera," Jeffrey explained and continued without waiting Amelia's answer: "He is impolite, rude and suspicious looking."

"Don't be blunt, Sir Jeffrey," Amelia exclaimed: "Mr. Zelgadis isn't impolite, he is just little bit shy with strangers. And he isn't rude either. He calls me by my first name because we are friends. And about Mr. Zelgadis's appearence, it wasn't his choice to be turned into the chimera!"

Jeffrey stared at Amelia with surprised look: "Turned? Isn't he born as a chimera?"

Amelia turned her gaze at the grass and started to tell with serious tone: "Mr. Zelgadis hasn't born as a chimera but a human. Years ago he served under a great sage. Mr. Zelgadis was a good swordman but he wanted become stronger. One day the sage offered to make Mr. Zelgadis stronger without telling him in what way Mr. Zelgadis would become stronger. This sage had studied how to make chimeras, so he selfishly and unjustly turned Mr. Zelgadis into chimera, just to test how good the sage was making chimeras!"

"What? Really?" Jeffrey asked with surprised tone.

"Yes. Mr. Zelgadis was shocked very badly from transformation that he started hate the sage. After the sage's death, Mr. Zelgadis started to search cure that would change him back into human. He hasn't found cure yet but he is still continuing his search," Amelia told, paused for a moment and then added: "I hope that you will now understand Mr. Zelgadis better, Sir Jeffrey."

"And I hope that you would understand that it isn't nice to gossip about other person's private matters, Amelia."

Both Amelia and Jeffrey flinched for sudden voice and noticed that Zelgadis was standing in front of them. The chimera glared at them with crossed arms until he turned, walked towards their horses and said over his shoulder with cool tone: "We aren't far away from our planned route. We just need ride to northeast to return back."

Amelia stood up and went after Zelgadis.

"I thought that you two would work together better if you would know more about each others," Amelia explained when she walked beside of Zelgadis: "Friendliness, honesty and openness are very important things for the co-operation."

"Nevertheless you didn't need tell him," Zelgadis stated as restraint tone as possible: "He is no use to search my cure, so he didn't need know my situation at all."

"I know that but it's never pointless to meet new people," Amelia said with slight smile.

"That's right. I like meeting new people. Especially if they have lot of money."

Amelia, Zelgadis and Jeffrey turned into the direction of the low voice.

Some distance away from youth stood a group of bandits. Men were wearing worned clothes and different guards. Some of them had helmets and they were armed with swords, daggers and axes.

"Give us yours money, valuables and horses and we may let you live," the leader of bandits, a muscular and bald man who was wearing trousers, boots and chest guard, ordered youth while he lifted the axe in his hand.

Zelgadis grabbed his sword and cursed for not being alert to their environment.

"You heartless villains who ambush innocent travelers, prepare for your punishment!"

Both bandits and Zelgadis and Jeffrey turned their look in the direction of the voice.

Amelia had climbed into the top of the tree, stood in the heroic pose and shouted to bandits: "Heaven may forgive you but I will not forgive you so easily! Be ashamed and mend your ways or prepare yourself to face the punishment of my Hammers of the Justice!"

"How brave, princess!" Jeffrey shouted with shining eyes.

"When she climbed up there?" Zelgadis asked while sweatdropping.

"A princess, huh? Well, it was worth to check if it would be useful to rob you brats. We will get good ransom from that chick," the leader of bandits stated with smirk when he heard what Jeffrey had said.

"How dare you even think something like that?!" Jeffrey shouted when he turned to face the bandit group and grabbed his sword: "I, Jeffrey Mailstar, the elite knight of the Royal Guards will destroy you malicious boors and protect the innocent and helpless princess!"

"Helpless?" Zelgadis asked while giving a skeptical look to Jeffrey and wondered if Jeffrey knew anything about Amelia's journeys.

"Prepare to your destruction, you villains!" Jeffrey shouted and ran towards the bandit group while holding his sword raised.

Jeffrey's foolhardy action ended quickly when the leader of bandits punched Jeffrey's face.

Jeffrey fell unconscious on the ground and the leader of bandits turned his attention back to Zelgadis and Amelia who had landed with levitation spell from the top of the tree.

"Now this worthless bug is taken care of, it's your turn," the leader said with smirk.

Zelgadis and Amelia prepared themselves to fight when suddenly they heard a voice...

"What did you call my Jeffrey?!"

For everybody's surprise, out of nowhere a woman appeared standing between of the bandits and youth.

The woman was wearing a white frilly dress and white high heels. She had fake angel's wings with glitter on the back of her dress. The woman had covered her face with black bag and white mask with golden decorations. In her hand the woman had the iron hammer. Very familiar looking iron hammer...

Just then the masked woman disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

Nobody had time even open a mouth when suddenly the woman appeared above the bandit group and hitted the leader of the bandit group with her iron hammer!

"Nobody calls my Jeffrey 'bug'! He is the noblest and the bravest knight ever!" the woman shouted and turned her attention to other bandits.

[We will now skip this one-sided fight for the sake of children and sensitive persons.]

The beaten group of bandits laid on the ground, making a pile of humans and the masked woman stood in front of them with victorious look while Zelgadis, Amelia and Jeffrey, who had regained his consciousness, stared dumbfounded the scene in front of them.

"W-who the hell... a-are you?" the leader of bandits asked with powerless tone while laying under the human pile.

The woman gave an arrogant look to the bandit leader before she answered with supercilious tone: "I'm Cherubine the Masked Celestial Goddess of knighthood, wealth and love who had blessed that courageous knight that you dared to call 'bug'!"

"Goddess?" Zelgadis asked doubtfully.

"That voice sounds familiar," Amelia stated with thoughtful look.

"Gods have blessed me!" Jeffrey shouted with touched voice while tears ran from his eyes.

Then the masked woman turned her attention to the young trio and before anybody has time to do anything, the woman scooted to Amelia. She shoved her face close to the princess's face, grabbed Amelia's hands and said with loud voice: "Your Highness! I, Cherubine the Masked Celestial Goddess, have arrived here to bring you a prophecy!"

"Prophecy?" Amelia asked unsurely: "But you said that you are the goddess of knighthood, wealth and love."

"I'm the goddess, so naturally I'm capable to predict the future," the masked woman informed when she took something in her hand and showed it to Amelia while saying: "My crystal ball predicts-"

"That's not crystal ball but a fishbowl with a stub of candle in the bottom of it," Zelgadis stated with matter-in-fact tone.

Before he managed to react anyhow, the woman hitted chimera's head with the iron hammer while shouting: "If I say that it is the crystal ball, then it is the crystal ball!"

"Uummm... Mrs. Goddess...?" Amelia said carefully to get the woman's attention.

"Right! That prophecy!" "Cherubine" shouted, shoved the "crystal ball" in front of Amelia's face and said with mystical tone: "You are going to face a great danger, princess! Unknown and malicious enemies wants cause you sorrow and despair. But fear not because you are going to be rescued by courageous, skillful and noble knight – whose name begins by letter J – in shining armor and you will fall deeply in love with him!"

After hearing this Amelia blushed deeply. Zelgadis glared suspiciously at the "goddess" while rubbing his head.

"Excuse me..." Amelia started but then the "goddess" walked away from the youth.

"Goodbye, noble knight and princess!" the "goddess" said cheerfully: "Remember that your journey has the blessing of the goddess Cherubine!"

Then the woman started to spin so quickly that she created a tornado around of herself. Amelia, Zelgadis and Jeffrey closed their eyes and covered their faces with their arms. When the tornado finally calmed down, the trio noticed that the "goddess" had disappeared.

"Unbelievable!" Jeffrey said enthusiastically and clenched his hands into fist: "The Goddess herself had given us her blessings! Now nobody is able to stop us!"

"Don't be so sure," Zelgadis said strictly: "She may not be a goddess. I have never heard of goddess whose name is Cherubine."

"Maybe she is a new goddess?" Jeffrey suggested, making the chimera fell on the ground. Then Jeffrey asked from Amelia: "What do you think, princess? Cherubine is the real goddess, isn't she?"

"I'm not sure..." Amelia answered unsurely: "That prophecy sounded-"

"Don't doubt goddess's prophecy!" Jeffrey exclaimed with shocked tone while waving his arms: "Otherwise we will lose the blessings we have got!"

"Yeah, right," Zelgadis muttered to himself while standing up and walked to their horses that fortunately hadn't yanked themselves free from the tree they were tied when they got scared during the commotion. Amelia and Jeffrey followed him while forgetting the existence of the beaten bandits. Soon the trio rode under Zelgaids's guidance to their original route.


It was evening already when the trio continued riding.

"How long we are going to ride?" Jeffrey whined with tired tone while resting his head against his horse's neck: "I'm tired, I'm hungry and my butt is hurting for riding too much. We aren't lost, are we?"

"We are soon arriving at the nearest inn," Zelgadis informed when he rose his gaze from the map: "There it is. We can spend this night there."

"Let's hope that they have rooms for us," Amelia said hopefully.

Fortunately for youth, the inn had rooms for them – Jeffrey claimed that it was because of the blessing from Cherubine – so Amelia paid to the innkeeper and the trio went to their rooms.


"Mr. Zelgadis? Can I come in?" Amelia asked after knocking the door of Zelgadis's room.

"Come in," Zelgadis answered and Amelia entered in the room.

The chimera's room just like Amelia's room. It was small and it has only a bed, a chest of drawers and a chair. Walls had not paintings or other decorations, just a window.

Zelgadis was sitting on the chair next to the window and he was holding the map in his hands.

"Is something wrong?" Zelgadis asked when he turned to face Amelia.

"Actually not..." Amelia said carefully when she sat on the bed: "I just wanted to talk with you."

"I see," Zelgadis said.

Amelia was quiet for a moment and was just watching her shoes while Zelgadis waited patiently that the princess would start to talk. Finally Amelia opened her mouth.

"You remember that prophecy that the goddess Cherubine told me earlier today?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, I remember," Zelgadis said coolly.

"What do you think about that prophecy?" Amelia asked.

Zelgadis stared dumbfounded at Amelia for a moment until he snapped: "Don't tell me that you believe in something like that! I'm sure that it's made by a woman who want her son marry princess. I don't believe that goddess named Cherubine even exist!"

"Of course I don't believe in it! It was too clear to be a real prophecy," Amelia answered with soothing tone but inside of her mind she thought: "Mr. Zelgadis was afraid that I would believe in that prophecy... He can't stand the idea that I..."

"Oh..." Zelgadis said with calmer tone: "Then why did you want talk about it?"

Amelia answered with shrug: "I just wanted to know what do you think about it."

Silence fell inside of the room when neither of them said nothing. Then Amelia said with smile: "I'm happy that you decided to be my bodyguard during this trip."

Zelgadis glanced at the princess before he said: "Your father wanted somebody trustworthy magic-user to protect you. Besides this may be the last time in a long time when we can spend time together again."

"Excuse me?" Amelia asked.

"I found a promising book from the library of the temple we visited three days ago and I think that it would help me find my cure," Zelgadis told calmly: "I'm going to leave right after I have taken you in the Ralteague."

"Right after it?" Amelia asked with disappointed tone: "Why are you hurrying? Couldn't you wait couple of days before you will leave again?"

"I can't wait," Zelgadis said with serious tone when he turned his gaze at the window: "The sooner I leave, the sooner I will find more clues for my cure."

"I see..." Amelia said while lowering her gaze, trying not to show how much she was disappointed that Zelgadis would leave again so soon who knows how long. Then the princess stood up, went to the door of the room and said: "I'm going to my room. Thank you for letting me talk with you."

"It's alright," Zelgadis said while still watching out of the window.

Amelia left from the room and closed the door. When she entered in her room, she sat on the bed.

"So Mr. Zelgadis is leaving again to search his cure although we just met again three days ago," Amelia thought sadly: "Sometimes I thought if Mr. Zelgadis and me are actually friends? He is so distant sometimes and he often go his own ways... I wonder if he think me during his journeys?"

Then she sighed and pressed her face in her hands: "Why didn't I talk about it with him moment ago? Tomorrow is too late because we will arrive in the Ralteague. I wish I would get another chance talk with him, just two of us-"

Just a slamming sound was heard behind of Amelia. The princess flinched and turned her gaze at the window of the room.

The window of Amelia's room has pushed open and tall, hooded person was standing at the window.

Amelia screamed.


"Amelia?" Zelgadis asked with worried tone when he heard the scream. He rushed out of his room and went to the door of Amelia's room. Just then Jeffrey appeared there.

"Somebody screamed," Jeffrey said with worried tone: "Was it-?"

Zelgadis didn't answer to Jeffrey's question but shoved the door open. The room was empty. Amelia was nowhere to see but the window was open.

The chimera ran to the window and watched out of the window. Then he saw them!

Hooded person carried unconscious Amelia under his arm while running away from the inn towards the nearby forest.

"Oh no! Princess Amelia!" Jeffrey, who had watch out of the window over Zelgadis shoulder, shouted in terror. Zelgadis himself said nothing but his face was very determined and angry. He jumped out of the window and landed with levitation spell on the ground.

Just when the chimera's feet touched the ground, there was a loud thud when Jeffrey, who had followed Zelgadis, made a belly-landing on the ground.

Zelgadis didn't wait that the knight would get up but rushed in the forest where he had seen the kidnapper going.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Jeffrey shouted after getting his face from the ground and followed the chimera.


Oh no! Amelia is kidnapped but by who? Can Zelgadis rescue her before it's too late?