At night in the forests not far from Camelot three men are running for their lives. The three men seem to be dressed in nothing but rags hunting that they are from a small village outside the walls of Camelot. In the distance behind the three men is the sound of a horse galloping aggressively towards them.
"Quickly we must head towards Camelot before it catches up to us!" One of the men yells in a panicked voice. Just then one of the men trips and fall. The other two men stop quickly and begin to help the man up. "Go on without me I think I sprained my ankle." The man who trip says.
"No don't talk nonsense, if we leave you here, the monster is surely going to kill you." The two help the man up putting each of his arms on both of their shoulders. They quickly begin to fast walk towards the direction where they were running. "Look the castle wall is just in view we are almost there!" One of the men points out the silhouette of Camelot. The men begin to get closer and closer to the Camelot's wall but are the frozen their tracks as they hear the horse halt right behind them.
The three men swallow hard knowing this is the end for them. "Well men it's been nice knowing you two." The middle man says before the three men's heads are sliced clean off their bodies.
(The next morning)
A simple chubby balled advisor dressed in nothing, but a brown robe quickly is rushing towards King Uthurs throne room. The advisor pushes open the two large wooden doors that enter Uthurs throne room.
"Your highness I have urgent news from the village of Squall. "The advisor says as he enters the room and bows in front of the king.
"Speak, what is this urgent news."
"The decapitation murders have started once again. Last night three men of the village where killed and when the villagers woke up in the morning they saw the three men's heads on stakes in the center of the village."
The kings face grows pale. "What how is that possible we killed the culprit years ago back when these murders where happening, this must be the work of a copycat killer."
"Either way your highness the villagers are requesting that you send some troops there to Hollow Bastion."
"Very we'll send about 50 men that should be enough to scare the murderer from taking heads off again, if that is all then I will take my leave."
Meanwhile back at Merlins house the young apprentice is currently reading one of Merlins books about creatures all over the realm.
I skim through the pages of the old book and happen to stumble upon a specific creature that catches my interest. "Winter Phantoms. Not much is known about the winter phantoms only that they seem be reanimated corps of dead humans or animals that only appear during winters every 1000 of years. The appearance of a human winter phantom is that their skin becomes very pale as if they have frost bite, the eyes glow blue as the sky and these creatures are said to have almost ended the ancient kingdoms."
"Hey Merlin do you believe in Winter Phantoms?" I look over at my mentor as he is sitting on his desk looking at a book of herbs.
Merlins looks at me and raises an eyebrow. "I have seen many magical creatures back when magic wasn't outlawed, but a winter phantom is one of those creatures I haven't seen in person. I believed in their existence I just don't believe they exist anymore. Thank God, they don't either or else if the legend of them almost ending the ancient kingdoms
Is true who knows if we would be able to fend them off. Besides the last thing I need now is for you to be worrying about them existing especially now that winter is close."
I roll my eyes. "Please Merlin I'm of afraid of some snow zombie besides I managed to kill a witch and defeat a cheating knight with snakes on his shield I'm sure I can take on almost anything."
Merlin let's out a laugh. "Most men who say that are fools who end up dying an early death. But I will give you that you said almost anything so maybe you're not a fool but wise. I just hope you don't get to cocky and make some absurd story like you will be summoned in the future to participate in some magical war fighting some golden archer who thinks to highly of himself."
Just then there is a knock at the door. "Merlin it's me Morgan can I come in?"
Merlin quickly rushes to the door and opens it for Morgan. "Why of course my lady you are always welcomed here anytime."
Morgan walks in wearing a purple dress that goes all the way to her feet along with her blond hair in a ponytail and some make up on.
I notice how Morgan's dress has some cleavage and quickly looks away from her noticing him staring. Dam why the heck does Morgan's dresses always show some cleavage it makes it really hard for me to act like a gentleman.
"My lady what brings you here? Do you need a refill already on your sleeping potions?" Merlin asks.
"No no I still have this week's supply I'm actually here for Seth. Do you mind if I borrow him for the day?" She turns and smiles at me.
"Why of course if anything he was being a nuisance to me by talking about nonsense. Merlin gives me a smug looking smirk.
"Let me just go change my clothes since it is a bit chilly with the winter wind coming our way."
"Of course take your time." Morgan smiles as she takes a seat.
I head upstairs and put on some khaki looking pants with some brown leather boots and a red long sleeve shirt. I strap on my leather sword holster on my back and put my full bronze sword in it.
I head back downstairs and me and Morgan head out to the horse stalls where there are some guards waiting for us with a big bag on top of a horse carriage. We both get on and the guards begin driving the horses out of Camelot.
"So what did you call me out for anyways?"
"Well I thought I'd reward you with a picnic with me out in the country since you did win the knights tournament a week ago."
I scratch my head. "Oh yeah I remember Arthur saying that you figured out it was me fighting in his place."
Morgan smiles. "So, I thought since you couldn't escort me to the dinner what better way than to have a picnic while my brother and father are busy."
"I'm flattered my lady, but this isn't necessary I mean your thanks is enough."
"Non-sense you deserve a reward especially for saving my brother's life yet again. You seem to have a natural talent for that." She chuckles.
The carriage instantly stops. "Halt state your business?" An all too familiar voice yells in a commanding tone.
"Brother what's the meaning of this?" Morgan jumps out of the carriage and I follow behind her.
"Morgan what are you doing out here and why is Seth with you?"
"There's no need to be jealous brother, I just borrowed him from Merlin to join me on a picnic is all?" She says in a teasing tone.
Arthur gives his sister a smug look. "Well I hate to ruin your mini date, but Father has ordered only me and my men to leave Camelot to investigate the town of Squall."
"Why what's going on at the town of Squall?" I ask feeling like this might be something exciting to consider.
"I can't tell you since well it's information for high rank officials such as myself."
Just as I am about to make a clever comeback Morgan interrupts for me.
"He may not be a high rank official, but I am the kings ward and last I checked that is a high position in the kingdom." She says with a look of assured victory on her face.
Arthur sighs in annoyance. "A series of strange beheading murders had occurred in Camelot around when father was barely a new king of Camelot. Father had eventually caught the culprit who was a man named Edward Hollows my mothers brother who was against father by blaming him for our mother's death. Well to make a long story short he claimed before his beheading that he will rise again someday and continue the beheadings until he cuts fathers head off."
"Alright! Sounds like we got ourselves a mystery to solve!" I chime in feeling pumped about finally getting some action.
"Woah hold on their Seth who said you're going to the village?" Arthur says.
"He's been saving your butt since you were small Arthur without him you honestly would be dead, so I say for your safety he should come along as well as me. I want experience firsthand what it is like outside the castle." Morgan vouches for me.
"Alright clearly I'm not going to win this conversation with you sister so you two can come just don't try to get in the way sister."
"Please I use to beat you back when we were kids at sparring." Morgan teases.
"You didn't have to say that in front of Seth. Whatever let's just get going to Squall." Arthur says in what seems to be a flustered tone.
(At the village of Squall)
After 10 minutes of Morgan teasing Arthur in the ride to the village we finally arrive. Stepping off the carriage and setting foot in the village I begin to feel a very dark atmosphere and it doesn't help that the sky had gotten cloudy making the mood more depressing.
"Ahh young prince you must be here to protect us from the headless knight." A middle-aged man dressed in what seems to be brown dirty pants along with brown worn out boots and a red long sleeve shirt with his hair slicked brushed back and brown eyes.
"Headless knight, that's just a legend that's use to scare children at knight. I personally don't believe in this headless knight but nonetheless I am here to put an end to these murders."
"Thank you your highness that is much appreciated." The man gets on his knees and begins to praise Arthur.
"There is no need for praise I am only doing my job as future king." Arthur says with a tint of pink on her face.
"Hey Morgan is it just me or has Arthur been getting I don't know flustered up lately like a girl kind of?" I whisper to Morgan.
She give me smirk. "You have no idea how much he gets flustered up especially when you are not around."
"Wait what is that supposed to mean?"
"You will find out soon enough my dear Seth until then I will be enjoying what I can get before then." She chuckles and winks at me.
My face heats up and begin to turn away from everyone trying to calm down. "Okay while you guys talk everything out and get us a place to sleep in, I'm going to walk around and see if I find anything suspicious around here."
Arthur nods at my suggestion. "Alright that's fine with me. We might cover some ground faster this way. Just don't go getting your head cut off will you." Arthur teases.
"I'm touched that you actually care buddy." I tease as I begin walking off deeper into the village. As I walk inside the heart of the village I notice the people of the village to quickly run inside their houses and closing their doors. Okay this is just weird they are acting as if I am some type of monster. I notice a cemetery and decide to check it out. As I walk in the gloomy cemetery I notice an old man dressed in a brown dirty cloak digging up a grave along with three black body bags next to him. "Hey, do you need any help sir?"
The man stops and wipes the sweat off his forehead and turns to me. "Sur do boy my back isn't what it used to be."
I walk over to take the shovel and begin digging. "So, if you don't mind me poking my nose in your business are these three bodies of the mean who where victims of the beheadings last night?"
"Indeed, they are, they fell victims to the headless knight."
"That's exactly what the man who greeted us in the front of the village had said. Does everyone in this village believe in the headless knight?"
"That they do because he is real iv seen him once with my two very eyes. Last night I saw him galloping in the woods after those three men."
"Why didn't you do anything to try and stop the knight from killing those men?" I raise my eyebrow in suspicion.
"What is an old man like me going to do against a ghost?"
"Point taken. Answer me this then at least do you think the knight will return tonight and claim another victim?"
"That he will. The knight will not rest until he has his revenge on the one who cut his head off." The old man says staring dead into my eyes. "Id suggest you stay by your two royal friends tonight because he will go after them I guarantee it."
(Later that evening)
I meet up with Arthur and Morgan in a small cottage house from the man who greeted us earlier that day when we entered the village. Arthurs and Morgan's room are a small room with two twin side beds one on each wall with a window in between them and a night stand underneath the window. I unfortunately ended up having to sleep in the living room. Me, Arthur and Morgan are sitting in the kitchen eating super and discussing what we discovered.
"Well everyone in this village believes in this headless ghost knight." Arthur says.
"Same here I couldn't get much out of the people also." Morgan says with sad expression.
"Yeah the old man at the graveyard said the same thing though he told me something quite interesting."
"What did he say?" Arthur asks eagerly.
"He told me that the knight will most likely go after you two since if the legend is true and it is your uncles ghost then he probably wants to get to Uthur and the only way to get his attention for sure would to hand both of your heads on a platter to him."
"Well the men I brought with us should be able to guard us well along with the villagers they will keep watch at night and warn us when they see the killer." Arthur says in a reassuring voice.
"But Arthur what if the killer is actually your dead uncle what are guards going to be able to do then. You can't just kill a dead person, again can you?"
"Merlin, you need to relax I'm sure it's just some copycat killer that is trying to mimic my uncle that is all, but these murders will end tonight once he attempts to kill someone." Arthur pats my shoulder with a smile on her face. "Lets all just get some sleep and wait for this killer ok."
I turn towards Morgan. "Morgan, you can't be okay with the possibility of your dead uncle coming after you two, are you?"
Morgan simply shrugs at me. "I can accept the fact that it is possible it is my dead uncle, but I will have to side with Arthur this time. The knights of Camelot are more than capable of killing our uncle again."
I sigh. "Guess there is no changing your minds then. I'm going to head outside to get some air."
Morgan looks at Arthur with a worried look. "You think he will be alright?"
Arthur sighs. "Knowing him probably not, when he is worried about someone he doesn't stop worrying until the issue is resolved. I must admit that's one trait I admire from him, it's a good trait a king should have."
"That's not the only thing you admire from him is it?" Morgan teases.
"I don't know what you are talking about sister!" Arthur looks away with her face completely red.
Meanwhile outside Seth is standing on the front lawn of the mini house they are staying in. Man, winter really is coming its freezing out here. Suddenly I begin to hear galloping in the forest outside of town.
"I here him coming from the north of the forest let go men!" One of the nearby soldiers commands the guards as they all begin running out into the forest.
"Let me go with you guys I'm trying to protect the prince and lady Morgan as much as you guys are." I yell towards the captain.
"Very well iv seen you fight I know you can handle yourself just don't get in our way still."
Me and about a dozen guards including the guard captain begin making our way into the dark black forest around the village. As we go deeper and deeper into the forest the galloping of a horse gets louder and louder and sounds as it is getting closer to my direction along with thick grey fog begins to surround us. One by one we all end up splitting up until it is only me by myself in this thick fog.
"Hello anyone still out there I can't see anything from the fog!" I yell out hoping to hear a response back but the only response I get back is silence. "Hello anyone out there?" I yell again but this time I notice a shadowy figure of someone on top of a horse charging towards me. I quickly begin to run the opposite direction of the horse and run as fast as I can. Crap looks like the ghost might be real after all. As I am running I trip and fall. The mysterious rider slows down his horse and begins to slowly make its way towards me in a menacing way. I get up quickly and draw my sword out. If I am going to die I want to at least die fighting. But instantly my eyes open wide as the mysterious rider gets close enough for me to see his features.
The rider reveals itself out of the fog revealing a black horse that has two glowing red eyes that feel like they can pierce through your soul. On the horse is a knight in midnight black armor wielding a black sword that has a weird black aura surrounding it along with the entire knights body and horse. On the knight's head is simply a pumpkin with a sick and twisted grin carved in it along with flames gushing out of the eyeholes and mouth showing there is a flame inside the pumpkin head. The headless knight stares at me for a good minute.
"Crap so you really are real then? Well then at least ill get the chance to fight a dead knight." I get ready into a battle position. The knight gets off his horse and gets in a battle position as well. We both begin charging at each other with all our speed until we both clash our swords.
Authors Note: Well I'm going to make the headless knight into a two-part arc, so I am going to end this chapter as a cliffhanger also I apologize for taking long to post the next chapter I got caught up with work and school that's the reason why ended up making this arc a two part since I decided to give you guys something to read instead of making you guys wait longer anyways hope you guys enjoy the chapter.