Sitting on an old pine-made chair, with his back hunched and his hands gripping onto the hand rest, the knight straightened his glare at the standing esquire. Three days had already passed ever since the breakfast meeting with the knight’s inner circle. After getting the lights knocked off him for three days, the newly woke-up esquire decided to ask for the madam and the knight just to explain his side. With cracked ribs and some shock organs, displaced by the knight’s knock-out punch, the still injured esquire reported his discoveries.
Standing on the sides of the knight, young Liszt had his arms crossed as if a judge ready to put down a felon to his death.
The thick eyebrows of Davin twitched in response upon seeing such familiar setting. He felt like a prisoner waiting for a forlorn end.
What’s worse? Madame was actually beside the knight holding the hands of little Ciera. Like a victim waiting for the final convictions of the accused.
“Davin. Explain yourself… or I’ll beat you up.” The knight said in murmurs, his forehead forming strips and cringes along the way.
Hearing the words coming from the knight’s mouth, the esquire couldn’t help but burst a cry inside his heart. Ain’t that statement a bit too late. Dang it, look at me, please! He was already beaten up black and blue. Inside and out. And what the heck are you even trying to say? Would there be a continuation if my reason was not to your liking?
Heh. This Davin isn’t afraid. I Davin, proud son of Baron Gisvold would fight it out with all I have, until death! The esquire thought within his mind, cringes appearing on his hand as he strengthened his grip into his hands, his face slowly turning and shifting into a scowl.
Though, the bravado didn’t last for long as the esquire saw the madame pulling out shiny sword hooks out of nowhere as if she completely read the thoughts of esquire Davin.
Changing his mind and tone faster than a beat, his scowl cooled down and returned to what it was supposed to be.
Well, Anyway, on a positive side. I earned quite a lot from the ordeal(beat up). I managed to achieve both enlightenment and breakthrough. Perhaps, upon my return to Gartner Town, I would be promoted to an Iron-knight. The thought itself was invigorating enough, my father would definitely be happy once I visit again.
Erm… So no biggies!
Cough! Cough! Ehem.
“Esquire Davin reporting to Milord and Madame, this esquire discovered a suspicious track of a beast appearing in the nearby village outskirts during the training of the villagers.” The esquire said, standing ram-rod despite his injuries. “Those tracks eventually led me to discover a Deviltusk boar roaming around the area.”
Hearing the discoveries of the esquire, knight Levo couldn’t help but crease his brows. He felt something ban, his odd senses kicking in. He then threw away a knowing look towards the madame before returning his gaze to Davin.
“Go on,” said the knight as his hands rested on his chin.
“Yes, lord. We all know that the appearance of such beast is a piece of bad news especially in this kind of remote village." The esquire added, his eyes serious, gazing to the eyes of the listeners. "So I decided to personally hunt and subjugate the monster before something happens to the nearby vicinity.”
“I hid and laid an ambush by climbing a tall tree as I look for any opportunity to strike. I waited as the beast roamed around, sneaking around the forest nearby village outskirts. The moment it came near my hiding spot, I immediately lunged towards the monster, grasping its neck with a stranglehold. I tussled with the boar until I managed the kill it.”
“The villagers who were undergoing our training program even witnessed the event. I strictly told the villagers to keep silence about what happened to avoid further panic among the villagers. I then carried the beast after completing the blood-letting process, thinking that it would be nice to have it as our dinner. But, kuhum, the rest was history.”
…
“Hmnn, I get it. Alright, continue.” The knight said, his fingers hitting the chair's armrest, echoing in the ears of Davin like war drums.
Despite knowing that the inevitable would still come, the esquire was still a bit stifled and tongue-tied, the idiom cat got his tongue seemed to lose its meaning. He felt like dogs, lions, hyenas and all other forest beast and animals got his tongue instead.
“Regarding lit-little Cier-.”
“What are mumbling around?” The knight uttered, his words carrying some chilling effect. “Say it like a man.”
“Milord, the thing a-about little lady Ciera is just a mis-misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding eh?”
“Yes, Lord. M-my instincts kicked in after seeing the corpse of the deviltusk boar suddenly twitching,” said the esquire as beads of cold sweat formed on his back. “I th-thought it was still alive so I grab the little lady which was then playing with the boar’s carcass to protect her. I decided to use my body to shield her from any possible attacks. After a few moments. I realized that the boar was just undergoing rigor mortis. Th-then milord and madame arrived.”
…
“Oh, so that’s what happened,” said the knight as the creases in his forehead relaxed a bit. It seemed like that knight Levo was satisfied with the esquire’s explanation.
“Did you discover anything else such as monster tracks or other suspicious activities within the outskirts especially nearby the forest of wilderness?” The madam asked, trying to confirm some of her thoughts about what was happening.
“I didn’t see anything else, madame, aside from the already suspicious dead devil tusk boar,” answered the esquire. “It's rare to see such monster away from its herd, especially for a rank three monster that’s supposed to be a leader based on its level.”
“I see, I suppose we must add more patrols and scouts in that area.” The madame said as she put her ring and thumb fingers on her chin. “Perhaps, I’ll also ask Old man Gazz to give the outskirts a look.”
“Gazz? Who’s Gazz, madame?” The esquire question, his curiosity getting the better of himself.
“During the last breakfast meeting, I and my husband introduced two new members from the village. The first one is the village chief. While the second one was Old man Gazz, someone we personally scouted”
Hearing the answer of the madame, the injured esquire blinked his eyes, a glint of interest showing in his face.
“Maybe I can partner him with you,” said the madame. “I think you’ll like him. After all, even Uncle Sept like him very much.”
The words ‘Uncle Sept’ triggered some of the esquire’s old memories, his heartbeat galloped in fear. He remembered his early days when he was still a new esquire. He was ordered by his father to undergo training under the sun-kissed old man. He was like a stringed puppet unleashing his deepest secrets one after another. The glimpse of the past caused the esquire to shiver, those moments pricking his skin.
“He’s still alive right madame?” The esquire asked as he took a gulp.
“Of course he is Davin. The madame answered, a queer smile lazing in her face. “Though, Uncle Sept indeed manage to dig some really sensitive information from old Gazz. Uncle Sept even ran to his room in frustration after playing with him.”
With the mention of the words ‘sensitive information’, the atmosphere in the room turned cold and serious. Though, only the adults in the room noticed it. The knight even lowered his gaze to the floor, his face clouded by uncertainty.
“Like what madame?”
“Peeping spots.” The madame answered, a waft of cold air suddenly entered the room.
“Right Levo?”
“Hahaha, what peeping spots? I heard of no such places here.” The knight answered as if trying to brush away the topic, his eyes moving away from the madame’s chilling glare.
“Anyway, how old are you Davin?” The knight added as he tried to further change the topic on hand. “You should start thinking of making family already. Look at you, the old maids might be eyeing you as their target already. Auburn might steal them if you don’t move fast. Bahaha.”
The outburst of the esquire caused the face of the esquire to flush a little. It seemed like the determination of the knight in changing was indeed commendable. He managed to shift the subject to Davin’s love life in just a jiffy.
“Replying to the lord! This esquire i-is just 18 years old. S-so I’m not yet th-thinking of such things yet.”
“Haha, you’re already 18 yet you still don’t have any wife or children. When I was 18 I alre-.
…
18?
“...”
Pfft.
The knight gave the esquire a hard look, scanning him up and down, his hands on his bearded chin. He then threw a questioning look at the madame.
The madam just gave him a smirk and a nod.
The knight thought that Davin was just around his age. But who could have thought that the esquire was still an 18-year-old brat? He doesn’t look like youth or acts based on his age. His smile was even like an amicable middle age man. Scouring the whole image of the esquire in his mind, the knight felt a bit baffled as if the esquire hid a big secret from him for a long time.
“Damn, if you’re still 18 years old, why do you look like a middle age man then?” The knight mumbled huffing, still unconvinced by the revelation. “You look too old for a damn brat!”
When the esquire heard the knight’s mumbles, he almost froze in his spot, his mind blank after being slapped by the knight’s words. He remembered the days when he still looked like a dashing youth, ah, those glory days. It was around before his father asked him to learn from the knight and the madame.
He felt like crying suddenly, streaks of moist tears staying on his eyelids, ready to fall any moment. His once neat eyebrows twitching due to the storm of emotions swirling in his heart and mind.
It seemed like the knight forgot the fact that my looks now was the result of his daily pounding guised as a training regimen. To become the knight’s esquire, one was required to join the knight in his training sessions as a training partner. The knight’s training involved various combat drills: hand-to-hand combat, weapon mastery, meditation, endurance training, muscle training, flexibility training and deadly sparring sessions with the knight.
I even remembered a close of friend of mine, going bald due to stress brought by the training, the esquire thought.
After a short rest, the afternoon training would start, madame and uncle Sept would ask you to play board games such as chess and Othello with them. It was fine if it was just that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. When Madame plays, she would also literally play with your mind, her simple words would cause doubt to rise in your mind. Every piece you move involves tiring psychological warfare.
On the other hand, playing with the bored Uncle Sept would be even worse. He would make you feel extremely comfortable with him first, then he would gaud you to willingly spill your hearts darkest secret. Like who’s the woman you like? Or if you’re more interested in men. He would make you say things you don’t even intend too while looking at your face with a smug smile telling as if he knew it all along.
Damn, like a living puppet dancing in a puppeteers strings, the feeling after each game would make you wish you were dead. Few streaks of white hair were now even visible in my head, living proof of the hardship and frustration I experienced. I even sometimes wonder if my parents would still recognize my face upon my return.
And now the knight would even have the guts to ask me what happened to my face?
“...”
“M-Madam can I excuse myself?”
Lol! I love that Madam.
What a mind boggling family...
(´⊙ω⊙`)
Actually, she's my favorite character among the characters I created for Tryst.