Fire Knight Read online

  HADES ONLINE: FIRE KNIGHT

  FIRE KNIGHT SERIES, BOOK 1

  (A FANTASY LITRPG)

  AUTHORED BY ALEX ITSIOS

  STRUCTURAL EDITOR: A. A. ROI

  EDITOR IN CHIEF: CHARLES HEBERT

  Copyright © 2020, Alex A. Itsios

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5 – EPISODE EPILOGUE

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  Interested in another story? Fire Knight appears in Paladin series, book 2 as a side character.

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  CHAPTER 1

  My parents are dead. My home village is in ruins. My love is held captive by a monster, and I’ve made promises… promises that I don’t know how I can keep.

  Call me Melanthios, and I am–or at least was–the blacksmith’s apprentice in the village of Scyles, but after the terrible events that I’ve endured, I’ve become the Fire Knight, for all that it’s worth.

  Every story has a beginning and an end. So, let me tell you, my friend, what fate led to my village’s demise and has left me sad and gloomy.

  Life in the Kingdom of Lycia isn’t easy, as I am sure you are aware, even as a Great Knight yourself. But the former king, Pero, did the best he could to protect us. Emissaries from the Fate of Elysium protected the villages and the countryside from the many dangers of the world: demons, lycans as well as other creatures, including those found in the nearby Cedar Forest. But two months ago, by the edict of our new king, Alastor, the Fate was forbidden from our realm, and our cleric was forced out of our village. Like rabbits in the hound’s den, we’ve been left to protect ourselves with nothing.

  Being almost sixteen years of age, I had many reasons to look forward to my coming birthday, because it is the age I would be seen as a man and would be given my own forge. I could also wed Leda, the baker’s daughter, the girl I love.

  Full of dreams after my day of work, I returned to my home for dinner and to rest. This was two nights ago. It was dark when I was awoken by screams and found my father, a former soldier in the king’s army, readying his old sword.

  Knowing that something bad was going on, I asked my mother, “Where’s dad going with his sword?”

  “The Flesh Tree has come from the forest,” she warned me, her voice shaking with fear.

  Then she handed me my hammer and told me, “We must fight for our village and our lives!”

  Adrenaline flooded my body, fueling my muscles and blood for the battle to come. My heart pounded, ready to explode, and my pupils dilated, seeing even in the darkness. My body wanted to run away; I’m not a soldier or warrior after all, but I knew that my thought of escape was wrong. I knew I must stay and fight for my family. And by the time I rushed outside with my father, the monster was already advancing on my fellow villagers. As it rose up, I saw a mass of gnarled, tangled limbs grabbing men and swallowing them whole. It’s physique monstrous, the creature resembled a tree, not made of wood and bark, but of multiple human bodies wrapped together, their limbs, hands and feet its own.

  “By the God of Elysium!” I swore, “How is this happening?”

  My father and I joined the other men to stand and fight the towering beast, their torches flickering around us. We attacked as a band, but our weapons did little harm, and two of us were quickly taken by its clawed branches. For the Flesh Tree, we were simply meat that had to be consumed. Hardly a menace to be reckoned with.

  Knowing that our weapons couldn’t do any harm to monster, I threw my hammer to the ground and grabbed the flickering torch of the man it had just swallowed, thinking to burn it. I charged at the creature, my ears filled with my father’s screaming voice.

  I won’t stop, I can’t stop, I’ll save us all! That’s what I was thinking, and what a fool I was. With a smashing blow from one of its limbs, it ended my charge, sending me flying, and I fell back onto the hard soil, left barely conscious. So much for my surprise attack and my conceited pride, crushed so easily.

  We were no match for the beast. Despair overwhelmed my mind, and my body felt numb. I couldn’t move and knew that it wasn’t only my consciousness that was fading. It was fear that has taken over and swallowed all hope. The creature extended a monstrous limb to grab me. My doom was certain. Just then, my father appeared before me and swung his sword, cutting the limbs that reached me with his sharp blade. I admired his strength and courage so much, but it mattered not. I could only watch as the monster’s branches entangled him, pulled my father into the Flesh Tree’s dark maw. Just one bite from the beast, that’s all that was needed for me to lose him forever. I can hear his rattling bones break even now, and his screams still haunt me.

  Moments later all went black.

  CHAPTER 2

  When I awoke, I still could not move. I was held up in the air, caught by one of the Flesh Tree’s limbs. Its glowing yellow eyes stared at me, and I knew in my soul that my death had come. I prayed to God that I would see eternal life in Elysium and that I would be able to the spend eternity with my family and the girl I love.

  “Oh? You’re awake,” the Flesh Tree moaned at me with its horrible voice. I saw that he had several of my neighbors entangled in his limbs. I could now see that Leda, my future wife, and my mother were still alive, yet now part of the monster.

  I stared in horror.

  The Flesh Tree pried my mother slowly from its trunk. Terrified for her, I struggled to break free. I had to save her; she was the only family I had left. She screamed and gasped and begged for help, but no one was coming to save her. I closed my eyes, pleading for the nightmare to go away, but my ears, my damned ears couldn’t suppress the horrible sound of the cracking bones and ripping flesh. It was the flesh of my mother! I screamed and cursed, crying that I would reduce the Flesh Tree into ash.

  But I knew that I was weak, and there was no way for me keep such empty promises. What’s worse, is that the Flesh Tree was just playing with me, with my pain.

  “This one looks delicious.” It smiled at me with that monstrous mouth in its trunk.

  I could see it was Leda’s turn.

  “Stop!” I pleaded. “Kill no more. We’ve done nothing to harm you. We stayed out of the forest.”

  Although we knew of the monster’s existence, none of us had ever witnessed it in the flesh before. It never left Cedar Forest and only attacked foolish adventurers who intruded on its territory, or so the stories had promised us.

  “Young, muscular, red hair. I was right. There is one here that is no ordinary man. One who is greater than the others,” the Flesh Tree told me with its moaning voice.

  I continued my begging, hoping for some stupid reason the flesh tree would spare me and my love.

  “Why have you come down to the village? Why have you done this? We are no threat!” I screamed.

  The monster replied as his branch tightened around me
painfully.

  “Of course, you are no threat, not as you are. But it’s not you, weak mortal, that concerns me. An old power has reemerged from the darkness; an old rival from the past has awoken. I know too well that soon my ancient adversary will come for me, and I must be as strong and powerful as I once was, in order to survive. I require flesh, much flesh! Strong flesh!” It roared.

  “What can I give you that will stop this?” I cried out. “Spare me, spare Leda, and I will do whatever you ask.”

  “Will you now?” The Flesh Tree mused. “Young warrior, it was you I sensed and came here to consume, hoping that your strength could make me stronger. Instead, I find a fruit that hasn’t ripened yet. Consume it too soon and it’ll be wasted for naught. What am I to do with you?”

  “Please, let us live,” I begged, but the monster paid no attention to my cries.

  Finally, it responded with a malevolent laughter that chilled me to the bone. “I will strike a bargain. As you see, captive is the girl you love, and your parents are now part of my being.”

  “Let her free!” I screamed, horrified, thinking of what was to become of my love.

  Instead, the giant monster dropped me back down on the ground, where I stumbled as I tried to stay on my feet. It loomed over me, a threat unlike any other. It wanted something from me and has offered me what I most desired. But could I trust it to hold up its end of what had to be an nefarious bargain? I could sense that it wielded great power to keep whatever it wanted. If I was to get back what I wanted, I would have to appease its anger, fear and desire to endure.

  “This is your quest. You must find the five powerful and great knights of this realm,” the Flesh Tree commanded. “The Red Knight, the Black Knight, the Golden Knight, the Bone Knight and the White Knight. They are the keys to defeating my adversary. You must seek out these great warriors and persuade them to either kill the menace that is coming for me. Or you must lead the five to me so that I can devour them, make them a part of me so I will be powerful enough to defeat my adversary once and for all! Only then you will see your beloved Leda alive and free and have those others you desire restored.”

  “How will I do that?” I asked, sure that I could not achieve what it asked of me. “I’m but a blacksmith’s apprentice; I am not a prince or a general to command such knights.”

  “You will be, or your love will be consumed!” The Flesh Tree howled with such force that I was knocked to my knees.

  Then, from out of its horrible black bark, it extended such items I had never seen before, the articles of a warrior more powerful than has ever passed through my valley.

  I was given the diadem I now wear. It was light in my hand, made of some black metal inlaid with copper. The moment I put it on, strange symbols appeared before me, and I saw words form before my eyes: Activate Advanced Hades Neural Control Interface?

  As I was ordered, I selected ‘Yes’.

  Another notification appeared: To use this artifact, you need to attune it. If you select ‘Yes’, you will never be able to remove it for the rest of your life.

  The hell with it, I thought, believing I had no other option. I selected ‘Yes’ and then could feel the diadem immediately attach itself to my head while a new world opened before me. Every creature or object I could see now had strange symbols and numbers hovering over it.

  I looked at Flesh Tree and a tooltip appeared above it: Threat Level 63, HP: 220. Man-eating plant of the Cedar Forest. It increases its strength with each creature it consumes.

  I noticed that my own Threat Level, that of the ‘Fire Knight’, was 2. I never stood a chance against such a creature, nor any of the warriors in the village. Few were trained soldiers like my father, and fewer still had fought any monster in my lifetime.

  More came out of the Flesh Tree’s trunk: a beautifully made set of armor this time, purple-red with several patterns inlayed over it in shades of gold, what I now wear. As a blacksmith, I knew this was no ordinary set of armor. It is light in weight, ideal for fighting and riding. I know no human could have made it.

  “You now have your armor. Place it on and you will become a warrior as the man who wore this once was, the Fire Knight,” the Flesh Tree ordered. “As you will now be!”

  I did and immediately discovered how natural this armor is to wear, how natural it is to move. It is as though it had transformed me from the boy I was into something more than the man I was expecting to become.

  And for the final part, I was given a sword, of a kind I never thought I’d have the honor to lay my hands on, the blade you found me with.

  “Take this blade,” the monster told me. “It is a most powerful weapon, the Fire Sword.”

  I gingerly took the copper burnished blade by its ornate pommel. I’d never before seen such a finely wrought weapon, sharper than anything even my master could ever work. It cannot be copper or bronze I know now, but some metal sharper and tougher than steel.

  My Neural Control Interface instantly informed me of the weapon’s attributes and specs: Short sword, magic item. Use this magic sword’s command word and flames will erupt from the blade. While the short sword is ablaze, it deals double the damage compared to a common sword.

  A tooltip popped up above the weapon, and I saw that I must choose my Fighting Style. There were a bunch of options: Great Defense, Dueling, Expert Rider, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, Two-Weapon Fighting.

  It made me wonder which one I should choose. Then I received another notification: Your NCI will train you during your quests to obtain one Fighting Style. Ok, it made sense now. I chose Dueling, as it was the style I’d been taught by my father.

  “Command it!” The tree ordered, interrupting my thoughts.

  I commanded the blade somehow, and it burst into flames. I swung the sword around, and the flames swirled like a whirlwind of fire before sputtering out.

  “That was once the blade of the knight who attempted to end my existence and failed,” I was told. “Remember that you cannot fight me, only serve me. Now, young warrior, you must venture out of your valley into the world,” the Flesh Tree ordered. “Find the other Five Knights and destroy my enemy, kill them, or bring them back to be devoured; it will matter not what you chose to do. Should you succeed in your quest, you will see your neighbors and bride-to-be once again. Fail me, and you will have nothing. You will have only earned your death and the death of all you have loved.”

  CHAPTER 3

  I was still hesitant to accept the creature’s commands. My father had taught me some swordplay, but I was no warrior. How could I possibly do what it asked of me?

  “Do not waste time, mortal,” the monstrous tree boomed, shaking me again to my core. “My adversary will find me, and should it destroy me, you too will pay the price!”

  I was angry, afraid. What did I do? I did not want this obligation that had been thrust upon me. Yet I had little choice but to comply. Even with the sword and armor I have been given, the great monster loomed over me as though I was but an insect. I could not imagine fighting the Flesh Tree, defeating it and getting my family back. I had to trust it would keep its promise if I agreed to its demands.

  New words appeared before me: Accept Flesh Tree’s Quest? Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

  “I will do as you say,” I forced out. “As long as you vow to keep your promise, I’ll seek out these Knights and do as you command.”

  My NCI informed me: Main Quest accepted, check your Adventurer’s Log for Main Sub-Quests.

  The great beast leaned its great trunk over me, and I was bathed in the horrible glow of its eyes, bright and cold.

  “Our pact is sealed,” it ground out.

  Then it reared back up to its full height, as tall as any tree I have seen, and pulled up its roots. Once free of the earth, it stomped back into the darkness, away from my village, carrying all the flesh it had taken. I was left alone in the street, in the heaviness of a silence like none other I’d felt.

  A voice screamed in my mind, my own
voice!

  “You have no idea where to find these knights! You are just a blacksmith’s apprentice! You will fail!”

  I was shaking, but knew one thing, one truth. I could not wait for any Knights to come to me. And so, I picked myself back up, stumbled back to my home and gathered supplies. Some food, a waterskin, as much coin as I could find.

  I would need to head out into Lycia to search for those knights, if they truly existed. The kingdom was vast, unknowably large when compared to my village and the valley I called home. I would have to ride for several days, even to the nearest city. I realized I would have to travel a good ways, the next valley and the one after that. Even then I wasn’t sure I would find folk to talk to or anyone who might have heard of those the Flesh Tree spoke of.

  “Leda, my love,” I vowed. “I will do whatever it takes to free you of the monster who has taken you!”

  Having gathered my gear, I headed to the smithy, saddled and mounted my master’s horse. It was not a fast one, but it was a sturdy one. Since I was now armored and laden with supplies, this horse was exactly what I needed. I expected the journey ahead would be a long one.

  I left my village at the first light of dawn. The surroundings I was familiar with, the rocky hills and pastures of the entire world I’ve ever known fade away as I rode. I had heard of Cendeta, the village over the ridge, but had never even been there. I looked down on the collection of buildings scattered around a snaking river. I took in a breath to steel my nerves. This was a whole new world for me. I had met travelers before who’d come to my village, who had passed through many places. They spoke of the world beyond, and it looked like I had imagined. It was strange but familiar, worrying, but a source of hope.

  My gaze searched for anything familiar. There were a few buildings down in the village where smoke was drifting up from chimneys. There must be an inn, I decided. I would ride down to it, see if the innkeeper had any lore I could glean that might aid my quest.