Kingdom's Edge by Chuck Black Page A

burned as it entered and left my flesh. I heard William gasp in pain as he caught a slice across his chest that bled profusely. He recovered and brought down his attacker with a quick thrust to his opponent’s abdomen, but the leader filled his place.
    Our situation was hopeless, and my thoughts turned to the Prince. Would His work here carry on effectively without us? Had we let Him down?
    From within my heart came my final words to the world. I shouted for all to hear, “The King reigns—and His Son!”
    Just when all seemed lost, from above our heads came the sound of deliverance. A man jumped from the roof and landed just behind the ring of attackers. From between the buildings to my left came another man who positioned himself beside the first.
    The band of thieves was as shocked as we were, and the fighting momentarily stopped. The two men held brilliant swords, and they were massive men of power. Their chiseled facial features matched their muscular frames, which were partially hidden by peasant clothes. They were … Silent Warriors!William collapsed from the loss of blood, and I moved to cover his position. The Silent Warriors advanced on the thieves without hesitation. There was no mercy. In less than a minute, four of the thieves were prone on the ground, and the remaining two managed to escape down an alleyway.
    The Silent Warriors wiped their swords and sheathed them. One knelt down and lifted William with the ease of a parent lifting his child.
    â€œI am Keef, and this is Ramon,” the other knight said. “Follow me.”
    Keef led us to an old building near the southern part of Chandril. Once inside, Ramon laid William on a table and tore off a portion of his own tunic to dress the wound. William was still unconscious.
    â€œThank you for saving our lives,” I said to them both. “Is William …?”
    â€œWilliam will live,” Keef said. “Ramon will make sure of it.”
    It was almost an order, but Ramon nodded in agreement. I felt some relief in their confidence.
    â€œHow did you know to come to our aid?” I asked Keef.
    â€œYou spoke the words of the Prince, and your situation was desperate. Only then are we allowed to reveal ourselves.”
    I had forgotten what the Prince told us and felt stupid. My foolishness had nearly cost William his life.
    â€œIs there any message from the Prince?” I asked. It had been many months since He left us to return to the King.
    â€œWe have not been home for a long time.” Keef began dressing my wounded upper arm. “There is no message,but do not lose heart. Continue to build. What you tasted tonight is the work of the Dark Knight. These people do not swear allegiance to anyone. Therefore, they become his tools to work anarchy in the kingdom. When the time is right, he will sweep in and bring tyrannical rule, which the people will gladly swallow for the sake of order. The Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors are moving, and you must be vigilant.”
    I watched Ramon cover William’s gash with a salve from his pouch. The sweet odor of the salve filled the small room.
    I turned back toward Keef. “Where did the Dark Knight come from, and why is he such a fierce enemy of the King?”
    Keef finished bandaging my wound and sat down on a wooden stool. He leaned against the wall and folded one arm over his thick chest while his other hand stroked his cheek.
    I saw a flood of memories pass across his thoughts. I was ready to hear a story that might make sense of this strange saga.

ORIGINS OF EVIL
    â€œRamon and I were both there,” Keef began, “many, many years ago.” Keef was clearly a veteran of warfare. His dark blue eyes conveyed a “serious business” attitude in all that he did. His hair was sand colored and cut short. He owned a square jaw that matched his determination. His broad neck, shoulders, and arms revealed tremendous strength, and his hands dwarfed