A Knight's Purpose (Book 1) ✔️

Excerpt 3 - Sigils in the Second Age

By this time the use of sacrifice to attract magic anywhere was common place. But the second age was characterized by more than just the first use of magic. It was here that the beginning of magic as we know it started.

We continue our story shortly after we left it, in the town of the Gajasimha. Their matriarch, Thinasna, had been born when Arthur wished the first people into existence and ruled with iron tusks sharpened into deadly points. As people began to realize that the sacrifice did not need to be your own, things in Avalon became much more dangerous for the average being as demonstrated by the previous chapter.

So, the Gajasimha closed ranks and moved into two villages, separated by male and female. Now, one of Thinasna's many times great granddaughters was not too happy with this decision as her best friend was a boy who now lives in the other village. Physta began to sneak out and run the miles better the villages to see her friend without anyone knowing.

But one day, a great Alicanto was flying over in search of new gold deposits to eat and Physta's golden lion's fur caught his eye. He continued on his way but mentioned the lone Gajasimha to a friend who spoke to another and soon most of those who flew knew that there was a cub out running the forests alone. The story spread quickly as even adults weren't travelling alone any more. Therefore it comes at no surprise that these rumors fell into the wrong ears.

However, they also fell into the right ones. Avalon was mostly lawless, everyone living their lives and interacting with their neighbors. The predators hunted and the prey ran or befriended bigger predators. But, people were beginning to be unhappy with this sort of life and began gathering together in what would become the first large cities of Avalon and they begat making rules. And where there are rules there are people to enforce those rules.

There were two groups that rose to the challenge. The first if such were the Knights, the thirteen who were first brought into the world by Arthur and Mordreth together. They enforced the laws Arthur decreed such as home villages being safe places for the prey and acted as his body guards though he was likely more deadly than any of them alone.

The other such organization was lead by Modreth, Arthur's brother, called the Squires. Mordreth, a giant black wyvern with grey claws that would eventually lend their name to his group. For now, they were simply those loyal to Mordreth and Arthur but not Knights.

But Physta had no notion of all the grater goings on, she simply wanted to see her friend. So she did. It was during one of these visits when a great Enfield, a great winged wolf, began tracking her. The Enfield stalked her journey back and forth for eight days before laying in wait behind a log on Physta's path. But the Gajasimha do not have such large ears for nothing!

As Physta cane near the log her elephant ears started to quiver and she paused. The Enfield, which had been hunting alone so that the prize of Physta's sacrifice would be all his, panicked and lunged before she was close enough. Physta reared back and ran as fast as she could. But the Enfield drove her north, away from both villages and she grew desperate.

The end appeared near when she was corralled into a set of cliffs that caused a dead end to her path. She spun and dragged her truck in an arc across the ground hard enough to draw blood and she wished for something to block the Enfield . When no barrier appeared she thought she had failed and so she huddled back against the rocks and watch the Enfield stalked forward.

But as the Enfield lunged he slammed into an invisible barrier. It shimmered as he hit it again and again but it did not break.

Luckily for Physta the Squires has come to investigate the rumors of a child running alone. When her absence was notes and no Gajasimha could find her in either village a great Roc among their number took flight and searched for her.