Knight of the Cross: A Forest Lord Tale featuring the Knights Hospitaller by Steven A. McKay

Author:Steven A. McKay [McKay, Steven A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Broadsword Publishing
Published: 2020-01-02T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

“Flat stones?”

“Aye, Leontios, stones that bear some inscription. We've seen them dotted around the town. What are they?”

The Greek merchant's eyes flickered nervously around the market and he shrugged his shoulders but the Hospitaller knight grabbed him and slammed him against the sandstone wall.

“Don't play with me!” Sir Richard roared, his voice startlingly loud in the quiet of the evening despite the bustling of the market. “You know a lot about these heretics – devil-worshippers – you even have the black eyes they all share, which suggests to me you were one of them at some point if you're not still some agent of theirs. I believe the symbol we've seen painted on flat stones around the town is related to this Dagon and his followers. Tell me what you know about it, now, or by God I'll see you tried as one of them!”

The man sighed and Sir Richard softened his tone, surprised to see a tear spilling down the merchants face. “Tell me what I need to know, Leontios and I'll see you well rewarded.”

The merchant nodded slowly, his expression unreadable as he pondered his options. “They… they gave us all a choice. Join them and reap the rewards when the Deep Ones return to reclaim their rightful place, or watch as our families die. I joined them but...” More tears streaked his face which twisted in anger as he continued. “My wife Alexis – a good Christian, incorruptible,” he smiled, gazing into space, “refused. As I should have!”

There was silence for a while until Sir Richard prodded the man to continue.

“They sacrificed her to Dagon.”

The sounds of the market continued around them as Sir Richard and Jacob watched the Greek merchant relive his wife's death, the pain evident in his damp eyes.

“I vowed then to see them stopped, but I could do nothing by myself and could approach no-one for help. The villagers are too frightened to do anything for fear of losing their loved ones and, until you arrived, there seemed no way to stand against them. The religion only came to prominence recently, brought here from somewhere in Mesopotamia I've been told, but I believe their underground cavern to be much older than any of the Christian buildings on the island. You've seen those bas-reliefs – they depict scenes from a time long forgotten by any historian. And the Dagonites seek to bring those times back; to destroy Christian, Muslim and Jew alike so their evil god and his brethren can enslave us all!”

“I knew this was all true,” Jacob mumbled fearfully. “I knew it...”

“Well, we're here now,” Sir Richard said, throwing a murderous glance in his superstitious sergeant's direction, “and our Order won't allow these blasphemers to continue their evil ways, I can assure you. Tell us what we need to know to stop them.”

Leontios nodded, hope flaring in his eyes. “They believe I'm still one of them; that's why I'm still alive. I discovered some wild mushrooms that, when ingested, make my pupils enlarge as theirs do when they.

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