Chapter 3

Shining Amor

„Do you think it was right to send Opiter away like that“ Livia asked as she was getting lunch ready.

Julius stopped working on the wagon wheel and said: „I don’t know, but I couldn’t risk that he put us in danger. I know the boy means well and he’s a hard worker, but you cannot be careful enough“

Livia looked at the floor as she was holding back tears „We could’ve done more for him. The food and water I gave him must have run out by now.“

„Livia my dear“ started Julius, „We cannot help everyone. I know you want to see him well and I‘ve grown fond of him too, but you have to understa�"„

A knock on the door, both looked at it and stood in silence.

„Hello?!“ Another knock, this time a little bit harder then the last. „This is the royal knights of his majesty, king Aurus. We‘re here on royal command to investigate the wreck and ask the locals about it.“

Julius went up to the door and opened it „Hello, how can I help you?“

At the door was knight in full body armor, polished and shining in the mid-day sun.
„Good day to you sir!“ started the knoght talking, „We‘re here on royal command from his majesty, king Aurus. Do you know anything about the shipwreck that is lying around behind me good sir?“

Julius looked the knight up and down.
His armor was decorated with golden twirling lines across his arms and legs wich met in the middle and formed the outlines of a golden sun. He had his helmet in his right hand holding it by his right hip and on the other side was a sword which’s scabbard was black with the same golden lines and the sun on it.

Behind the one knight, by the wreck were four more of his kind inspecting it, but one of them had a pitch black amor instead of the bright shining ones. The black knight also had a red cape with the golden sun woven into it and was giving orders to the knights by the wreck.

„Sir?“ the knight asked and snapped Julius out of his thoughts with a smile on his face.
„Do you know anything about it?“

„Yes, I mean no. yes“ Julius stammered, „I don’t know anything about it. It fell three days ago from the sky and I didn’t have the time to dispose of it yet.“

The knight raised an eyebrow and asked: „From the sky? Could you elaborate that? And disposing of it won’t be necessary, we‘ll take care of it from now.“

Julius cleared his throat and said: „Yes precisely, from the sky. It fell down like a fireball and that was that.“

„Alright sir.“ said the knight, „I‘ll report back to the captain. He will maybe have some more questions for you.
Good day to you sir!“

„Yeah tanks. Good day to you too.“ answered Julius.

Whith that the knight put on his helmet, turned around and started walking towards the other soldiers.
Julius closed the door and headed back to his wheel.

„What was that about?“ asked Livia.

Julius grabed his tools and answered: „It seems Opiter isn’t the only one who is interested in that dwarf and his ship.“

Just as he was about to sit down, there was another knock at the door.
Julius got up and said to himself annoyed: „What is it now?“

He opened the door and there stood the captain. From up close his armor looked much more well crafted then the other ones, his armor was completely black but it shined just as the others, maybe even more.
Just like the other knights, golden lines adorned his armor, but other than the knights he had a small „3“ engraved on the side of his helmet.
His scabbard was thinner than the knights but longer and on the swordhilt Julius could see that just like the armor, it was much better crafted then that of the knights.

The captain looked at Julius and said with a slightly scruffy voice dampened by his helmet: „Good day to you! May I come in? I have a few questions about the ship if you don’t mind.“

Julius stepped to the side, waved towards the table in the middle of the room and said: „Be my guest.“

„Thank you very much!“ replied the captain.

„Livia, could you get us some water over here please.“

Livia shot up by the sight of the knight and said: „Yes, right away, father.“

The men sat down at the table. The knight still hadn’t removed his helmet, but none the less started asking: „So, you said to my subordinate earlier that the ship fell from the sky. Is that correct?“

Justus crossed his arms and leaned back:
„Yes, from the sky just as I told the other guy. We were having dinner about 3 days ago and heard a crash. When we ran outside, the was this ship on fire.“

The black knight rested his elbows on the table and crossed his fingers: „Did you see the ship falling?“

At this moment Livia came in with a jug and two mugs: „Opiter saw it.“ she exclaimed.

Justus raised his eyebrow as he shot Livia a side eye. The knight turned to Livia and asked: „Say, who is this Opiter? Is he here?“

„He left shortly after the incident.“, said Justus shortly. „Can you be a dear and check on the lifestock Livia?“

Livia stood there stiff like a statue
„Yes father!“ and proceeded to grab a bucket and storm out of the door.

The knight turned back to Justus: „So, where is this Opiter now?“

„I don’t know, he didn’t tell me where he was going.“

„Do you know when he will be back?“

„No, it’s not like him to just up and vanish, but he was just a farmhand for a short time here. So I couldn’t care less where he went“

„Do you know if anyone was on the ship when it crashed?“

„Not that I recall.“

„Look, I‘m going to be honest with you. You‘re not really a big help.“

„I‘m terribly sorry, but that’s all I know.“

The knight put his hands on the side of his his helmet and started to take it off as he continued talking: „The situation is very serious. That ship belongs to pirates, they have the technology to make instruments that allow their ships to fly, but that’s not the most dangerous part.“ He se his helmet on the table.

Justus face had shock written all over it, he was reviled and and scared of the face of the captain.
The captains face had burn marks and was disfigured on his left side. It was as he had two seperate faces, his right side was beautiful with a dark blue eye and raven-black flowing hair, but right down the middle as if there were and invisble border the othe half was almost unrecognizable as a face.
His left eye was milky and blind and on his head was no sing of his completely black hair, only burn scars.

„They also have Instruments that can produce fire, hotter than any forge in the world and this is what they are truly capable of.“

Justus looked away and said: „As I told you, that’s all I know.“

The knight put his helmet back on: „I know you want to protect him and I can help you, but the only way I can do that is when you tell me everything. He could be in great danger as we speak.“

„Is Opiter going to die!!“, Livia bolted through the door back in holding back tears.
„It’s because of that dwarf isn’t it?! I heard what you were talking!“

Justus stood up: „I thought I told you to stay outside.“

„Bu- but, if Opiter is in danger, we have to help him!“ now with tears in her eyes, she stood at the door and started crying.

„Don’t worry young lady,“ the knight stood up and patted her on her shoulder „I‘ll make sure that the boy is safe. You just have to describe him to me and where he went off to.“

„Do you promise?“ She look up with teary eyes.

„By my honor as I knight I swear to you, that I‘ll do whatever I can and must to protect and safe that boy.“

After getting a description of Opiter the black knight said his farewell and went back outside to his subordinates, who were taking a break by the wreck.

„Break‘s over men, me and Argent will head back to report to the crown prince. The rest of you will take everying made out of metal from the wreck and haul it back to the royal blacksmith, I want to be able to replicate everything we see here, so do not damage anything any further.“

„Yes Captain Pyr!“ said all of them.

Livia watched the knights as they packed up and went on their way.

„Do you think he‘ll be able to help Opiter?“
she asked concerned.

Justus getting ready to go to the field answered: „I don’t know, but I don’t think we should have told him about Opiter. I don’t think we can trust them.“

„I trust him, the black one. His presence was warm and friendly, I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt safe when he talked to me.“

„I‘ll be on my way now, you take care of the animals. I just hope that we haven’t made Opiters life harder.“

With that Justus went out the door, on the carriage and made his way towards the field.