There I was, a lone baby outside the Arcanum stables. My parents had abandoned me when I was but a little infant, they left me all alone in a cradle in the dark. Ever since that day the darkness has always frightened me. I can’t stand to be in the dark, I freeze and all I can think about is the cold night when I was abandoned. But I won’t let that stop me from becoming the most valorous and greatest knight of all time.

I’ve been training to become a knight since I was little, my father Archibald would make scarecrows from dead wheat from the harvest for me to use as training dummies. My father fashioned me a wooden sword to use on the dummies. I’d practice techniques that had been described in books, and I’d ask travelers what kind of techniques they use to slay their foes. Most of everyone I’d ask were hunters though. 

Father never let me go hunting with him, he said there's no place for a sword when hunting. That may be true but he never offered to teach me the ways of a bow and arrow. He isn’t all bad though, for the turn of the harvest season he had gotten me a brand new steel short sword. It has a green-dyed goat hide handle and an alligator-scaled sheath. It also has an imprinted dragon in the shape of an S on its blade, I wonder why that’s there. Father says it’s likely just a forge mark, the place that made it marked it so you know it’s authentic. 

I’ve been using that sword every day since I got it, no matter how wet, hot, cold, or windy it is. I go out there and I slash up those hay dummies with all my strength. This harvest I’ll finally get to try out for the royal guard. Father said I’m old enough to go out and live my own life after this harvest. I can’t wait to get out of here and finally go to the big city, to finally be beyond its great gray walls and past its spectacular golden gates. I hear it’s like Soverngarde in there, tons of food and lots of people. I heard stories all the time about Arcanum from books and travelers alike.

After my final harvest, my father gave me a big hug and said “I’m proud of you son, please come back and visit sometime”, and “Please do visit again Gerald.” Mary said with tears in her eyes. “I will,” I said and hugged her. Mother and father were never very vocal, they just left me be if I did all of my chores and left them be. My father then handed me a pouch of coins, it was quite heavy. “Thank you, guys,” I said, they nodded back to me. I turned around, gathered my supplies and bed, and headed off towards the city. 

The wooded path towards the city is long and the trees are huge. I looked around the tree-line and saw some nasty goblins following me. I don’t pay too much attention to them though. I move my left hand down my side to feel my scaled sheath, to assure myself that my sword is there. After walking just a little further a party of 3 goblins jumped out from the bushes about 15 feet in front of me. I draw my weapon and ask what they want from me. The gremlins just stood there and snarled at me. I stand steady with my sword ready for the fight to come. 

The goblin in the middle motions to the one on the left to walk up to me. He does so, and with his scimitar swings for my legs, I block it with my blade and slash him across the chest. The vermin tries to run past me into the forest but I slash him in his back and he falls down, lifeless. The other goblins, looking frightened, decide to attack me together this time. Before the right most goblin draws their weapon I stab him in the chest and he falls backwards writhing in pain. The final goblin curses me in his goblin language and runs off into the forest where he came from. After wiping my blade off and looting the goblins for any valuables I head back down the path to the kingdom. 

When I got to the gates the guards made me pay a visitors tax of 25 septums, I happily paid and walked into the kingdom and onto the cobbled paths. I walked to the palace where the general of the guard stopped me. “Hold it right there, citizen.” He boomed, “What do you think you’re doing?” He asks. “I’m here to join the king’s royal guard, sir,” I replied. “Well then you’ll have to talk to me” He answers, “You don’t look much of a soldier to me, but that’s a helluva sword you’ve got there,” he exclaims. I showed him my sword and after a little more chatter we went to the training yard.

“Show me what you’ve got.” He said. So I showed him all of the moves I learned and perfected. After a while of slashing on a hay doll, much like the ones from home, he stopped me and said “I’ve seen enough, you’re a good fighter for someone your size.” “Thank you,” I said. After he showed me around the camp he gave me a nice set of studded iron armor. It wasn’t too heavy but it was much better protection than my skin. 

After a few months of camp life and truly honing my skills, I had a meeting with the general. He said I need to retrieve the king’s most beloved treasure from the Nocturnal forest. Just from the name of that place I was scared, “Yes sir.” I said. I then gathered all my supplies and said goodbye to my fellow guard members. This felt all too similar to a few months ago when I left home, the only difference is that I now have a steel shield and armor. I walked down the dirt path to the Nocturnal forest not knowing what to expect. 

When I got to the entrance an old man stopped me, he said nothing to me, but he handed me a torch and then looked away. I took it, thanked him, and went on down the path into the dark abyss. To say I was terrified would be an understatement, this place was like hell to me. I could hear things rustling and moving from the tree-lines. A howl to my left and a growl to my right. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I put my torch in my left hand and I unsheathed my sword with my right. 

Holding my weapon made me feel a lot better but it was still frightening. After more walking and walking and walking, I arrived at what I can only assume is the place where the treasure is. I walked into the mouth of the cave and took my backpack off. I grabbed the jug of lamp oil doused my sword in it and set it ablaze with my torch. I threw my torch down the cave and barely saw a bear at the end of the cave. I set my backpack next to a pile of steel armor by the entrance of the cave. I paid my respects to whoever's body this was and snuck down the cave, my fiery sword illuminating the way. 

When I got to the open part of the caves all I could see were piles of bones. Skulls, femurs, fibulas, and fingers. I tried not to look at them but they were everywhere, “How could this one bear have killed this many things.” I thought to myself. Then as soon as I had collected my thoughts the bear awoke. I quickly moved to hide behind a pile of bone, but it was no use for my flamed sword was illuminating my exact position. The bear growled at the pile I was behind, it was almost as if it were intimidating me. 

I stood up, got my sword in a ready position, and yelled at the top of my lungs at this gigantic bear to hopefully confuse it. To my surprise it worked, I charged the bear stabbed my sword of fire into its huge belly, and slashed it across the stomach. When I stepped back the bear had disappeared and the only thing left was a sword, a chalice of pure gold, and a note. I took my now extinguished sword and sheathed it, picked up the great sword, chalice, and note. 

On my way back I gave the guy outside the forest 20 septums and continued on my way to the palace. Once I had arrived my general congratulated me and told me I was to be promoted, “This is the best day of my life.” I thought to myself. As I lay down to sleep, I remembered how lucky I was to be in this position, and I owe it all to my parents. “Thank you,” I said to myself while drifting off to sleep.