Jet and the Black Knight
LoZ © Nintendo
Chapter Seven: Hardhead Matchup
The scene opens to the night in the eastern forest of King Arthur's kingdom, in the region close to Stonehenge. Even outside the stories of King Arthur, Jet had heard many legends concerning the fabled rocks. Some say they were a sign of worship to Chaos, created by the echidnas. Few people even believed that they were a marker for an alien race; no one dismissed this theory. No one knew where they came from, but the Rogues knew their ancestors had nothing to do with them. But right now, the emerald hawk had other things on his mind.
"Knave, you must listen to reason!" Caliburn shouted pleadingly from Epona's saddle. "We only have a few hours until nightfall! If we hurry, we might be able to catch Gawain before he leaves Stonehenge."
"Forget it, Caliburn." Jet said firmly. "I promised that kid I would rescue his parents and that's what I'm going to do."
"But if you fool around too long, you'll fail the Lady's challenge" Caliburn informed persuasively.
"You know, this is what makes us different, you oversized knife." Jet proclaimed insultingly. "Unlike you, I actually care about what happens to other people. I just don't show it often." Caliburn hummed skeptically. "Ok, I never showed charity to anyone a day in my life."
"Then why start now?" Caliburn questioned disapprovingly. "One person is nothing compared to an entire kingdom."
"I have my reasons." Jet muttered incoherently.
The emerald hawk called off the argument from that point, even if Caliburn continued to question him. How would he understand what it felt to lose a member of your family? For seven years, Jet believed his father to be dead until their unexpected reunion. Naturally, the emerald warrior felt a sense of abandonment and resentment towards his father that was not easy to shake off. When he thought back to the girl, he could see himself in her place; she didn't deserve the suffering he had to endure. But as he allowed his mind to trail away, Jet's senses were suddenly brought back as Epona suddenly stopped and reared upon her hind legs.
"Whoa, girl!" Jet screamed surprisingly while trying to remain in her saddle. "Yo, what's up with this crazy horse?"
"Uncultivated animals have a natural sense of danger." Caliburn informed. "Whenever there is an enemy nearby, they can sense it."
"You don't believe that." Jets sniggered questionably. "There is no way some animal can sense danger from a mile away." Suddenly, an arrow stabbed into a tree close to the hawk's head. "And I stand corrected."
The young mare staggered backwards with her awkward rider as seven Underworld Knights emerged from the brushes around the trail. Four of the Knights were carrying their standard purple-steel blades, but two of them were wielding enlarged battleaxes and two were holding crossbows that the ready. The Babylon Prince looked between the soldiers and instinctively reached backward into Epona's saddle. He touches the leather for a moment and cursed; Caliburn had fallen out. He craned his neck over his shoulder and found the sword resting on the ground behind on of the swordsman's feet. Epona must have realized their situation as she slowly lowered herself to allow Jet to touch ground. The emerald hawk jumped off swiftly and raised his hands in defeat before the Knights confronted him.
"We have finally found you, Knave the Hawk." Soldier #1 glared. "We have heard many things from Sir Lancelot."
"Why'd ya have to call me that in front of a famous knight?!" Jet snapped to Caliburn.
"Anything else would have been a lie." Caliburn cackled. His laughter faltered when one of the axmen picked the sword up from the dirt. "Uh...I mean...I am not a magical sword!"
"This must be one of the Sacred Swords Sir Lancelot warned us about." Axmen #1 growled.
"Saddle it and carry the piece of rust back to the Black Knight!" Soldier #2 commanded. "The dark king has requested that we should also retrieve Crewennan, Clarent, and Arondight! Such weapons are too powerful for one bird!"
"Uh...Captain?" Bowmen #1 called hesitantly.
The soldier, who had been identified as the captain, turned back to his archer before being directed for Jet. But when he did a double take, the nervous mare stood alone without her rider. In the moment the Underworld Knights were distracted, Jet took his opportunity to take cover within the trees. And since his feathers were the same shade as the leaves, he blended perfectly within his environment. With their leader giving the command, the knight armed themselves for anything that the hawk might try. A long period of silence over the group, occasionally broken by a nicker from Epona. Tensions were high between the Knights before one of the archers released an arrow by accident, shooting the bolt into the trees. While the captain scowled at the clumsy soldier, a sudden rustle of leaves alerted the soldier, causing the archers to react. When the captain pushed away the brush, he found the remains of the former axmen that once held Caliburn, who had suddenly gone missing.
"Knave has the sword again." The Captain informed.
"He has the advantage in this terrain." Soldier #2 commented frightfully. "He could be anywhere."
"Get a hold of yourself!" The Captain snapped. "We out number him six to one! Can't defeat us!"
"You might want to do a recount."
The Captain turned on his heel before everything went black. Jet had run Caliburn through one of the soldiers before moving on to the Captain, leaving four soldiers to face. Immediately following the defeat of their leader, the archers released five arrows each round with their crossbows. Fortunately, Caliburn had called upon his protective barrier to parry the flying point away from his wielder. The emerald hawk held his protection until the archers were depleted of their stock within two minutes; they were cut down in a moments notice. As Jet stared down at the armor left behind, his mind was brought back to the battle as a twig snapped close within his range of hearing. With one swift turn, he raised Caliburn to block a two-sided attack from the remaining axmen.
"Hey, watch it!" Caliburn yelled haughtily. "I just had my blade polished!"
"Like I care!" Jet snapped. The soldier pressed down with their battleaxes, forcing the Hawk to his knees. "A little help wouldn't be too bad at this point!"
"You're the knight." Caliburn stated pointedly. "This is your problem."
"If I survive, I am going to..." Jet seethed.
But the strain of holding up the sword prevented any other words from escaping his beak. For one heart-stopping moment, Jet feared that Caliburn would break in half by the ominous creeks sounding from the blade. But by good fortunate, Epona shook off her fear and charged into the Underworld Knights. The mare's hooves trampled one of the soldiers, leaving behind its dented armor. But the remaining axmen sidestepped and took a swipe for the horse; Epona stumbled to the ground as the ax cut across her back leg. Caliburn watched with a worried expression, but not for Epona.
"You really shouldn't have done that." Caliburn stated seriously.
"What for?" The soldier questioned.
The sword said nothing, but directed his attention to his wielder. One look at Jet's expression would have made even Amy in her worst mood look like a sweet little princess.
"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK EPONA?!" Jet screamed furiously; Caliburn quivered. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!"
"I suggest you run." Caliburn advised.
The Knight did not hesitate to follow and turned away while dropping his battleaxe. But after barely taking three steps, the Knight was thrashed to the ground by the enraged hawk. Jet was so blinded by his anger that he barely registered the Knight's disappearance after the first swing. Caliburn said nothing to stop him for even he feared Jet in this state of mood. After several minutes of random swinging, Jet exhausted himself to the point where he could barely raise his sword. The emerald hawk heaved himself to his aching legs and replaced Caliburn in his scabbard before rushing to check Epona.
"Is she all right?" Caliburn asked softly.
"We got lucky, it was only a scratch." Jet confirmed as he traced the small cut. He patted the mare's head and she slowly limped to her feet. "I think we could fix her up if we find some water."
"I have never seen you act in such a manner." Caliburn commented as the emerald hawk directed his horse. "That is the true ferocity of a knight. If you could just summon that same courage..."
"That wasn't courage." Jet interjected. "I just lost my temper. I promise it won't happen again."
"But if you face the Black Knight..." Caliburn said persuasively.
"I'll deal with him my own way." Jet glared mutinously.
The ancient sword recognized that the conversation was getting nowhere and ceased from speaking. It didn't take much thinking to know how stubborn a person like Jet could be. The emerald hawk pulled Epona by her reins, making occasional glances at her injury, and trailed down the dirt path until they breached through the trees. Having escaped the depths of the forest, the group discovered themselves to be in the passage of a wide plain. Jet could spot the mountains of the Dragon's Peak from a short distance, but his gaze fell upon a closer spectacle. Only a few short feet from the forest stood a wide ring of stone arches with a second ring of stones in the center of the phenomena. Under the light of the full moon, the site was more enchanting than they could have imagined. They had reached the most legendary site in all of England: Stonehenge.
"Whoa..." Jet said awestruck. "So this is Stonehenge."
"A sanctuary of mystery and discovery." Caliburn said in equal amazement. "These stone monuments are a shine to an unknown race. No one knows how they were made or for what purpose."
"Which is what makes it a perfect battleground."
Releasing the reins of Epona, Jet jumped in shock for a moment as he instinctively withdrew Caliburn from his scabbard. Standing in the circle of stones was a tall figure dressed in blue armor that seemed to move of its own accord. It only took a glance of the swirling liquid within the armor to recognize to the knight was.
"Heh! I don't suppose you're going to let me by?" Jet asked hopefully; the knight remained impassive. "You know, you remind me of this one blue freak that I know. Except he was more of a talker."
"Hold your tongue!" Gawain commanded. "You would dare mock Gawain, the Shifting Knight and a member of the Round Table?! An act most unwise, Knave the Hawk."
"Ugh, my name is not Knave!" Jet snapped frustrated. "I am Jet the Hawk, Prince of Babylon and the Legendary Wind Hawk."
"Hmm, you have such commanding titles." Gawain nodded interestingly. He reached into the back of his armor, where he drew two weapons. They were gilded weapons that resembled tomahawks, but were held by sword handles. "Then you would be best to prove yourself in battle."
"Hold up there, knucklehead." Jet waved earnestly. "I'm not trying to start a fight with you. I'm on a mission to save a few people from the cave at Dragon's Peak."
"You cannot fool me with your lies." Gawain said stubbornly. "I know you're kind. You merely seek to steal the Treasure of Nimue guarded by the red dragon, Cyreno."
"Great..." Jet mumbled. "He looks like Blue, but sounds like the red mutt. Maybe they've been hanging out for too long."
"You have defied King Arthur!" Gawain exclaimed as he charged forward; his blades were crossed. "Stonehenge will now serve as your grave!"
Jet was shocked by Gawain's unbelievable speed and accidentally backed into Epona, who trotted behind one of the stone arches. With only a few inches separating them, the blue knight crossed his blades again for a clean cut to the neckline. Luckily, the emerald hawk was able to stab Caliburn between them, preventing the blades from reaching his flesh. Once Gawain's attack had passed, Jet stabbed his blade into the ground and used it as support to kick the knight's chest. But as luck would have it, his foot missed by a hair and the sapphire knight was able to sidestep for Jet's blind spot. As soon as he realized what had occurred, Jet landed and ripped Caliburn hastily from the ground. The tactic forced the Sacred Sword from his hand, but it did save him from being cut in two. Unfortunately, that was only Gawain's first swing and saved a second one just for the occasion. Acting on fearful instinct, Jet fell backwards to the ground to avoid the blade and scurried to Caliburn in haste.
"Any suggestions?" Jet asked as he grabbed Caliburn.
"Maintain a proper grip." Caliburn said bluntly.
"Any info that I don't already know?!" Jet snapped.
"Beware the power of Galatine." Caliburn advised seriously. "It is one of the Six Sacred Swords, which means it also possesses a special power."
"What can this one do?" Jet asked curiously.
"Intrigued by Galatine, are we?" Gawain said in a hearty mood. "Curiosity is a gift rather than a sin. A wise knight would seek to know everything he can and explore the dark depths of the unknown to uncover the hidden secrets. I applaud you, knave."
"Finally, some respect!" Jet shouted cheerfully.
"I guess I could show you Galatine's power before you pass on." Gawain said humbly as he crossed his blades. "Pay close attention."
Though he realized the sapphire knight was the enemy, Jet could help but a feeling a friendly rivalry about him. It reminded him of the rivalry he shared with Sonic. For a moment, the heroes, including Epona, watched Gawain was he stood in the same spot for several long moments; his armor glinted under the moon. The suddenly, the knight deformed into a puddle with the Galatine splashing in the middle.
"What has happened to him?!" Caliburn exclaimed.
"I've got a pretty good feeling." Jet murmured seriously.
Without warning, the puddle jumped at the emerald hawk in the form of a snake; Galatine was pressed into each side of its body. Epona neighed in freight and trampled back to the rock formation, but Jet instinctively took a swipe for the aqua snake. Naturally, Jet was able to rip the snake in half, but both halves retracted together upon touching ground. A moment later, the snake expanded to the shape of a lion; the Galatine rested in its back. Lion-Gawain released a thunderous roar while swiping at Jet with one of its enlarged claws. Knowing he couldn't compare to a lion's claw, the Babylon prince rolled backwards and prepared to stab forward with Caliburn. But before he had the chance to swing, Gawain had already transformed back into his normal form and kicked at Jet's beck.
"Ah, I think I got a nosebleed." Jet whined as he held his beak.
"You fool! Do not worry over a minor injury!" Caliburn yelled strictly.
"Oh, I think I lost all feeling in my right eye." Jet moaned.
"Are you ready to surrender now?" Gawain asked, sounding a tad sorry for his actions. "If you just hand over the sword, I promise I won't turn you over to the king."
"Sorry, I don't know the meaning of the word defeat." Jet stated as he released his nose; his left nostril was bleeding. "And I looked it up, so don't say anything."
"Do you have a plan?" Caliburn asked silently.
"Well, I got something." Jet said sheepishly. "If he's like the other knights, he'll lose his powers after he loses his weapon."
"But he has two of them." Caliburn pointed. "And besides that, he could transform at any given moment."
"I don't think the second sword matters." Jet said certainly. "I'll wager the Crystal Box and the Wind Rider that he needs both of them to make his powers work. If we separate them, he'll probably lose everything he has."
"The two swords act as polar opposites of each other." Caliburn realized. "If that is the case, Galatine would be useless without its twin close at hand. But how do you intend on stealing even one of them?"
"Have you forgotten who I am?" Jet smirked.
"I haven't." Caliburn said sarcastically. "That's what worries me."
A vein pulsated from the hawk's forehead, but he didn't have to retort before Gawain had transformed once more. This time, he took the shape of a vulture with its neck stretched out to peak at Jet's eyes. Instinctively, he cleaved the bird in half and ran around the outer ring of Stonehenge before Gawain could reform. Most likely planning to outrun him, Gawain transformed into a cheetah and followed his trail. With his heightened sense of smell, the Shifting Knight could catch Jet's scent just around the bend. But when he found the Babylon prince, he was resting on Epona with a victorious smirk. Without warning, the young mare pushed up hind legs and kicked at Gawain's forehead. While the impact sent the sapphire knight flailing backwards, Jet jumped off his horse's saddle and swiped at Gawain's leg paw. He wasn't aimed to perform any real damage, but did manage to separate the knight from his main target: the Galatine. As Jet landed with one blade in hand, Gawain, who was forced to change back, landed in a crumpled heap holding his remaining blade.
"So, are you ready to surrender?" Jet smirked, placing Caliburn in his scabbard and the one blade of Galatine in his coat.
"I...can't believe it." Gawain muttered shockingly. "I have lost...to an apprentice knight. I have shamed the name of my clan and the Round Table." He gripped the remaining blade, pointing the blade in the direction of his neckline. "I cannot allow this disgrace to harm my fellow knights. Only death will remove this stain on the honor of my comrades."
Without hesitation or fear, Gawain swung the Sacred Sword for the final blow. But before the knight could complete his task, Jet appeared and swiped the blade out of his hands.
"Give me a break!" Jet shouted disapprovingly. "What is it with you knights and all this drama?!"
"Silence, apprentice!" Gawain exclaimed. "A knight who fails to serve their king is not worthy of life!"
"I always though there was more to being a knight than just serving a king." Jet said with a gleam of humility in his eyes. "My dad always told me that the Babylon Rogues were knights in standard." Gawain glanced at Jet with a look of curiosity. "King Rakis created the Babylon Rogues to protect his people. And here we are, four thousand years later."
"I...don't understand." Gawain said earnestly.
"I hope you will some day." Jet said as he placed the second Galatine in his coat and saddled Epona. "You know, Lamerok and Galahad understand what it means to be a true knight. Maybe there's some hope for your kingdom yet."
With all words said, Jet tugged at Epona's reigns and trotted off into the distance, leaving Gawain baffled by his speech. The knight and his mare were crossed the vast plain beyond Stonehenge at a brisk pace; Epona's injured healed during the match. The euphoria of their victory was short lived as the first light of dawn stretched over the horizon; the three day had begun.
"This is very bad." Caliburn said wearily. "We have completed two of the tasks, but we still have one left to go."
"I can count." Jet said grudgedly.
"We only have twelve hours to show charity." Caliburn informed feverishly. "Listen, I have an idea. Why don't you steal from some noble family and give it to the poor citizens. You are a natural thief and could perform this task within an hour."
"It is not charitable if you steal from others." Jet said pointedly. "Besides, I promised that girl I would bring her parents back."
"Why do you even care?!" Caliburn yelled frustrated. "What could possibly tempt you to...?"
"Because I lost my parents, too!" Jet snapped. Silence fell over the group; even Epona stopped to listen. "I never really knew my mom because she was killed by the Lunar Tribe when I was two. And when I was seven, my dad left for a mission and disappeared for seven years. I went through a lot of rough times, but at least I know my dad's alive." He glares backwards to the sword. "I can't let that girl go through the same suffering I did."
A faint breeze of wind brushed over them as the sun slowly crept closer over the Dragon's Peak. Caliburn hummed in moments over silence, clearly thinking over Jet words, as Epona nicked lightly; she was most likely sad.
"Then we best make haste." Caliburn said finally. "Onwards to the dragon's lair, young apprentice."
Jet didn't know what shocked him the most: the fact that Caliburn agreed with him or the fact that he called him an apprentice. Though the emerald hawk knew Caliburn would deny it, he knew he was gaining respect. Kicking at Epona's sides, the trio raced off under the shadow of the tall mountains, the home of the red dragon.
The next step to redemption has been taken. Will Jet succeed in saving the captured citizens? Will Gawain learn the true secrets of knighthood? And what dangers lie ahead in Dragon's Peak. Find out in the next chapter of Jet and the black Knight!
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