NIMBUS AND THE KNIGHTS OF CENFERUM

Chapter 29

The Awakening of the Curse...

Immediately, the mob of soldiers led by Lonios, followed by Nimbus and Valeros, rushed toward the door. Adon looked and smiled at the corridor he had created between himself and his soldiers. At that moment, he fell beside Boagrius, who gasped his last breaths on the ground, entirely speckled with arrows. Adon held his pupil's hand in his final moments, and the giant expressed the best smile he could muster. Adon himself had noticed that, despite the archer squadron lying before him, he was not severely injured. Nevertheless, fresh blood welled from his mouth, and his body seemed to be freezing. That's when Valeros approached.

— Master, why did you do this? It wasn't supposed to be you; I should have done it.

— Quiet, Valeros — the boy immediately obeyed his master's order, who spoke with difficulty. — It was... my role. You still have many battles ahead — he coughed up a large amount of blood, causing him to stop speaking for a moment. And now it seemed that his voice was strengthening. Could it be the beginning of a recovery? — Now, Égipe is yours. God knows my children won't follow the knight's profession; they've already been warned. When one of my grandchildren or great-grandchildren decides to become a knight like their grandfather, it's your responsibility to train them and pass on the shield. — Once again, the old knight spat blood from his mouth, but this time abundantly. And then, blood began to flow from his eyes, nose, and ears. — Prom... ise me... promise, and he fell limp.

Valeros, holding his master's head with tear-filled eyes, rose from the lifeless body of the man who had been his father, his master, and his mentor for the past few years. Holding his shield, he ignored the fierce battle around him and vowed.

— Sir Adon Ethel, over your knightly body, I swear to honor your teachings, this shield, and your lineage by training your descendants.

There was nothing more to be done; the great knight Sir Adon Ethel lay on the ground in a pool created from his own blood. His body began to wither; his once gigantic size had returned to normal and continued to shrink until there was nothing left but his armor in a pool of boiling blood. There was not even a skeleton to put in a grave, and before Valeros could retrieve his leather armor, it was carried away by the wind into the depths of the ether. Only the memories of the great man that Knight Sir Adon Ethel was remained, and as he had lived a glorious life, someone might say in the future that he died happy for the life he had, for there seemed to be a smile etched where his body had once lain—now just a blackened stain on the enemy ship's deck.

But there was no time for mourning; Valeros had to honor his legacy, which, at the moment, was limited to taking the enemy ship and killing as many enemies as he could. The young apprentice, toughened by training, observed Sir Lonios accompanied by Nimbus fighting in front of the door. It would take a few more minutes for the duo to defeat all the enemies emerging from inside the enemy ship. But Valeros knew what could be more efficient at that moment.

Gripping Égipe, now his Diamond Steel shield, with his left hand, which was his dominant hand, he leaped with all his strength onto the entrance, pressing his shield against the right shoulder. In the same movement, all the enemies blocking the door came crashing down, and he found himself in the midst of several pirates inside the enemy bridge. In the room, he began to eliminate any pirate who crossed his path—one blow, one death. The chaos aided him in this endeavor; the space was tight, many enemies together and little mobility. He just had to charge against the crowd of fighters with the shield in hand, unbalance them, and cut throats, abdomens, and limbs.

When no fewer than a dozen pirates lay dead on the floor, Lonios, Nimbus, and the soldiers managed to enter the room. The bridge was taken. The pilots now had their hands raised, and the oldest man there, appearing to be the captain, had dropped his weapons to the ground.

— Who is the captain? — Valeros decided to dispel any doubt.

One of the pilots broke the silence and pointed to the old man with graying beard in front of him. There's no honor among thieves.

— Not Valeros, we need to interrogate him; they surrendered.

— Many good men died here today. — With a single stroke, Valeros slit the captain's throat and watched him choke on his own blood until death.

Lonios didn't reprimand him; he knew there was nothing that could make the boy feel better. He had lost his father today.

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