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It is during this attack that he comes across a young man who will become a part of his life forever.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "A young squire by the name of Byron finds himself coming face to face with the threat of a hellion attack after hearing about the rise in attacks by the creatures throughout the region. It is during this attack that he comes across a young man who will become a part of his life forever.", "writing": "Byron was not having a good start today. \n\nFalling out of bed with a yelp the pale skinned human grumbled in annoyance as cursed the nightmare which had startled him. Pulled himself up from off of the cold stone floor of his bedroom the young black haired teenager couldn’t exactly recall too many details of what it was that he had dreamt about, though his heart hammered just a little harder inside of his slim yet muscular chest as he thought back to the shimmering crimson eyes glaring down at him. A vision of black serrated teeth clamped down upon his naked body filled Byron’s mind for several seconds before he shook his head free of the phantasmal image. The phantom feeling of those fangs tearing through his chest and his blood spilling down onto the ground below left Byron panting and shaking before he silently chastised himself. \n\n‘It’s just a dream, so get a hold over yourself!’ He shouted within his mind.\n\n“Byron, are you awake yet?” Natalie, the daughter of the head of the maids, inquired after knocking on his door. Bryon hissed in panic after flipping his head over to the wooden barrier separating himself from the outside world; he really didn’t want the young girl to see entangled within his bedsheets as he was at that moment, if only because Byron knew that she would blab about what she had seen to the other maids, who would in turn allow such information to get to the ears of the other squires his age. Just the thought of having to deal with the other’s scathing looks and jeering taunts was enough to make the young man’s stomach twist into knots.\n\n“Y-yes!” He called back while struggling to get himself free from the itchy linens. \n\n“Ahh, good. May I come in?” The young woman asked.\n\n“H-hold on. I-I’m not decent just yet.” He cursed as he finally kicked the cloth away from his nude form. \n\nRunning to where he had thrown off his clothing from the night before Byron hurried to get himself dressed and then went over to open the door. The black haired squire found his emerald gaze landing on a small brunette with bright blue eyes staring curiously back at his slightly taller form.\n\n“Good morning, Natalie.” Byron chirped with an embarrassed smile.\n\n“Good morning to you as well.” The young woman chuckled before carefully taking stock over Byron’s appearance. “Are you alright, Byron?” she asked somewhat worriedly.\n\n“Of course I am!” He smiled shakily. “Why on earth wouldn’t I be?”\n\n“You’re face seemed rather flush, and your hair is in an awfully messy state.” Natalie frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly.\n\n“Ahh, I just need to wash up a bit and then I’ll be right as rain!” Byron saw no reason to make the young girl worry over him, as there was little she could do about the blood chilling dream he had just recently suffered through.\n\n“Are you sure?” Byron nodded down at her. “As you say then,” It was obvious that the brunette didn’t believe him, however the young maid saw no reason to press the issue, at least for right now. “Shall I fetch some towels for you?”\n\n“No thank you.” Byron shook his head. “I can find my own without going through all the trouble.” \n\n“It’s no trouble, believe me.” the young maid blushed as she looked down over his chest which stood out underneath the worn cotton shirt wrapped snugly around his midsection. \n\nByron chuckled when he noticed Natalie’s cheeks becoming stained red. “I appreciate everything that you do for me, Natalie.” He then reached out to curl an arm around the young maid’s waist.\n\nThe brunette barely knew how to contain herself as she wallowed within the sudden affections from the older boy. Thankfully she kept from making a fool of herself by simply nodding her head instead of trying to speak right then. \n\n“I suppose you came here to tell me that breakfast will be served soon?” Bryon asked after taking a step back from the younger girl.\n\n“Y-yes.” Natalie nodded once again. “Mother asked the cook to prepare some beef stew so I…” Before Natalie could say anything more the black haired teen was dashing back into his room for his boots. A moment later Natalie watched as Byron quickly shuffled his naked feet into the leather footwear and then hotfooted it down the hallway towards the eating hall. It actually took her a moment to realize what had just happened but once she did Natalie couldn’t help but throw her head back in laughter.\n\nInside of the massive stone hall Byron looked around to see who was currently within the eating area, it was still rather early, as could be seen by how the sun had yet to peek through the open windows just yet. Seeing that there weren’t that many squires ambling about the area at the moment Byron quickly grabbed a bowl from off of a nearby table and then went over to the red haired cook looking about the open hall. When the man dipped his ladle into the large pot in front of him and then poured some stew into his bowl the teen respectfully bow his head up at the other.\n\n“You eat like a man whose been kept in prison for half a century, boy.” the grizzle faced cook snorted while staring down at the messy haired youth.\n\n“I just truly appreciate your skills in the kitchen, good sir.” Byron smirked as he listened to the sounds of stew being poured into his bowl.\n\n“Save the flattery for the lords that will be here later on today.” the older man grunted. \n\nByron lifted his face and then cocked his head to the side upon hearing this information. “Lords?” \n\n“Have you forgotten that the four lords of Hrothfar are coming here to speak with our Lord Karlsdal today?” the chef asked while raising an eyebrow in disbelief.\n\nIt actually took the black haired teen a moment to recall such facts, and yet even when he did as such the information was rather hazy at best. “Forgive me, but it appears that I have.” Byron chuckled nervously when the cook shook his head down at him.\n\n“Then you better ask the other squires what’s going on then, otherwise I can only imagine the tongue lashing you’ll get from your master when he finally drags himself through here.” the chef’s words made a lump form within the black haired youth’s throat. \n\nHe knew well enough that his knight would not appreciate him not recalling such an important matter; the last time he had failed to recite important information to him the older man had taken a cane to his backside for several minutes straight. The phantom feelings of the wood smacking across his body were almost as bad as the nightmarish feeling the twisted fangs which had crunched down across his bones within his nightmare.\n\n“Y-you’re right. Thank you, sir.” Byron quickly turned away from the older chef and then made his way over to a table where some of the other squires were casually speaking with each other.\n\nSeating himself next to the others Byron quickly tried to assess the situation. Twenty minutes later the black haired squire had assessed the situation in full.\n\nIt seemed that the lords of the four cardinal territories were coming here today to speak about the rising concerns over the possibility of a direct hellion attack on one of the surrounding provinces. For weeks now there had been small incidences with the fiendish creatures that crawled out from the depths of the netherrealm attacking various farms and merchant wagons, and while there had been no casualties to speak of as of yet, the frequency of such happenings had been enough to set many of the knights within the region on edge. His own master had been somewhat eager to go out and strike down the creatures, as it had been quite a number of years since he had gone into a true battle, however Lord Karlsdal had forbidden anyone from taking action against the creatures, at least not yet. The retired captain of the king’s knights wanted to get as much information as he could about the incidents before he made a judgement call, this was why the other lords were coming here today. \n\n“I don’t see what the big problem is.” One squire said rather flippantly. “Hellions are no longer the stuff of legends, as more than a few knights have retold stories of slaying the beasts, so why doesn’t Lord Karlsdal give the knights the order to go and put them to route?” The fact that there had been more and more hellion attacks on the country was something that went right over the young squire’s head, and yet it was a fact that had always drawn alarm within Byron’s mind.\n\n“That may be true, but what if there’s something more going on here?” Another squire chimed in rather worriedly making Byron silently nod.\n\n“If there is something more going on, then our masters will ride into battle to wipe these creatures out!” The squire sitting next to Byron cheered making several of the other lads within the room give out boisterous calls of praise to the idea.\n\n“We should be cautious though,” Byron interjected, making everyone turn to regard him. “If there is more behind this then we should make sure that we’re fully prepared for what may come, less we lose good men.” The surrounding group of youths couldn’t argue with this fact, though some did look rather perplexed by his statement, as their eagerness to see actual battle clouded their minds to the possibility of death.\n\nBy the time Byron and the others finished their meals his master and the other knights were stumbling into the eating hall. Turning his head to look at the golden haired man who his family had pledged his services to upon his eight birthday Byron got up from his seat and then went over to speak with the other.\n\n“Good morning, Sir Robert.” he said while bowing his head respectfully.\n\n“Morning, Byron.” the older man yawned while taking a bowl of stew he had been handed by the cook over to a nearby table. \n\nByron dutifully followed after the blonde haired man, yet once he got to the table where his master sat at the black haired teenager respectfully waited for the other to eat without saying a word to the other. Byron mentally chuckled as he thought about how he had fallen into the practice of obedience while serving underneath Sir Robert; when he had first arrived he had been so confused about the duties for which he had to submit himself to that he was often verbally and physically chastised by the older man, however, after nearly ten years serving the other it was all too easy to stand in respectful silence next to his master.\n\nOnce Robert had finished his meal Byron asked, “Is there anything that I can do for you right now, sir?” Usually the knights didn’t ask much from their squires so early within the morning, but given that such important individuals were coming to the castle today Byron wanted to be extra attentive to his master’s needs.\n\n“Go and make sure that my horse is ready to ride in case we need to set out today.” The older man grumbled before letting out a loud yawn.\n\n“Yes, sir.” Byron turned to go about his way but before he could fully do so he found an empty bow thrust into his side.\n\n“But before that, fetch me another helping of stew.” Sir Robert commanded.\n\nDoing as he was told and then exiting the eating hall Byron hurried through the castle towards the front entrance. Letting himself out into the warm courtyard the black haired squire looked around in subtle awe as he noticed that various people within the area going about their day. Many of them were tradesmen that Lord Karlsdal had hired to keep up the castle, and so they nodded their heads respectfully as the young squire walked passed them on his way to the stables. The sounds neighing horses caught the raven haired youth’s attention several yards before he got to the area around the back of the castle. As the smell of fresh hay an unwashed horses washed through his nose Byron found himself unconsciously smiling, he had always enjoyed the smell of the beasts for which men had bred to suit their needs. There was just something so exciting about being around such impressive creatures, what with their mighty forms packed ever so tightly with thick muscle that just screamed barely repressed power.\n\nThe thought of riding on top of such creatures made a tightness swell within Byron’s britches. Biting at his lower lip the black haired squire looked around before sneakily reaching down to caress himself, a low moan poured free from his lips as he felt the head of his shaft throb slightly underneath his fingers. He then quickly moved his fingers away as he noticed a familiar looking brown haired boy walking through the hallway carrying an empty bucket within his hands. Byron’s heart beat just a little faster within his chest when he noticed his longtime friend smiling back at him.\n\n“Morning, Byron.” The stable boy walked up to Byron and then stood patiently in front of him. Being shorter than the squire the young boy had to look up at his friend and upon him doing so Byron could barely stop himself from leaning forward to pressing his lips into the other’s mouth. He stopped himself of course, as he would never violate the other’s trust by doing something so taboo. “What are you doing here so early in the morning?” \n\n“I-I…” The squire turned his head away and then coughed into his hand in order to right his thoughts. “came to make sure that my master’s horse is ready to be mounted, Carl.” He said upon turning back to look at the younger teenager. \n\n“Ahh, I see.” Carl nodded and then turned to look at where the steed in question was currently standing within its stall. Byron couldn’t stop himself from looking down at the brown haired boy’s clothed rump, the sudden eagerness to reach out and fondle the tightly clothed buttocks of the other was just barely remained under his control. “You came just in time then because I just finished mucking out his stables.” Carl then turned back around to look at the older squire. “Do you need a hand preparing him?”\n\n“I’d really appreciate a hand right about now.” Byron said without thinking. He then winced as he realized exactly what he had just said.\n\nThankfully Carl didn’t see anything wrong with his statement. “I’d be happy to help you, just as soon as I finish getting some water for the other horses.” the brown haired boy lifted the empty bucket for emphasis to his point.\n\n“Let me help you with that.” Byron smile. \n\n“Are you sure?” Carl asked somewhat nervously. “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with the stable master.” \n\n“A good knight should always help those in need.” The black haired teen placed his fist over his heart in the traditional manner knights would when showing loyalty towards his king and country.\n\n“You’re still a squire, Byron.” Carl chuckled. He then yelped when he was grabbed around the neck by a muscular arm.\n\n“Soon-to-be knights have to uphold these values all the same, you little bugger.” The black haired boy growled as he playfully ran his knuckles across the other’s scalp.\n\nCarl laughed out loud for several seconds following this sudden attack on his head. He only calmed down once Byron released him from his hold. The two boys quickly set about filling the various horse stalls with fresh water and mucking the stables clean after that. Once this chore was taken care of the two went over to Sir Robert’s large black steed and then looked him over. \n\n“You’ve been doing a good job with him.” Byron patted Carl on the shoulder after he checked that the stallion’s metal shoes were clean and his fur was clear of burrs and bugs. “I really appreciate all of your hard work.” \n\n“Thank you, Byron.” Carl puffed up his chest proudly upon hearing such praise, the gods knew that his own master spoke very little about his own efforts, unless it was to berate him for something he had failed to do. “Are you and Sir Robert riding out today?” \n\n“I don’t think so, but I was told by my master to see to his horse all the same.” Byron replied before sliding his hand down Carl’s back.\n\n“It probably has to do with the other lords coming to the castle today, doesn’t it?” Carl asked before gasping when Byron’ hand trailed down over his rump. \n\n“Probably.” Byron winked at the other in an impish manner as he slapped the other hard onto the rear making Carl jump.\n\n“You overgrown hellion.” The brown haired boy growled as he shoved his elbow into the older teen’s chest. Byron laughed at this. \n\n“Sorry.” After Carl shook his head in exasperation the black haired squire turned to look at the stallion who was now staring at the both of them questioningly. “Anyway, if worse comes to worst and I am asked to ride out with my master then I want you to know that it may be a couple of days before I see you again.” \n\n“Oh how will I ever live without you being here to pester me?” Carl smirked as he rolled his eyes.\n\n“I’m sure you’ll find a way to survive.” The two boys then let out a series of boisterous laughs at that.\n\nSadly there was no laughter to be found anywhere within the castle hours later when the other lords of the region arrived within Lord Karlsdal’s court.\n\n“So, not only are these hellions now actively attacking villages, but they seem to be doing so in an organized manner.” Lord Karlsdal sighed as he sat at the head of the table within the great hall. The elder man of sixty-three summers brushed a weathered hand over his balding head, the gray strands rushed like water through his fingers as he looked down over the map which he had called for. “And you say that they have now began actively cutting off trade routes to the capital?” \n\n“Yes, Lord Karlsdal.” Joseph, the lord of the southern region, replied solemnly. “I only recently learned of this happening when a carrier hawk flew from the capital asking why the region’s taxes hadn’t arrived.” The southern lord closed his eyes and then shook his head. “You don’t want to know what became of the knights that had been sent to guard the carriage carrying said taxes once they were found.” \n\n“Seeing as everyone in this room has heard the stories from the priests within the great church of what hellions are capable of, I think we all have some idea of what to think.” Miguel, the northern lord, grunted with a snarl. \n\nThe surrounding knights and their squires all squirmed in barely restrained disgust as their minds played over the words for which were told to them by those within the holy order. Between the tales of brutal savagery, murder, and blind murder there seemed to be no atrocity that a hellion wasn’t capable of comitting. That was one of the reasons why debauchery between men of the same gender was considered such a profane thing, as hellions enjoyed laying themselves upon men and then using their bodies for their own sick pleasure. Those men who survived the ordeal faced such shame for what happened to them that those who didn’t immediately submit themselves to the church for cleansing often took their own lives in order to wash away the stain which had been placed deep within them.\n\n“Damn those creatures!” Arnold, the western lord, slammed his fist onto the table making most of the squires within the room jump slightly. “To think that they would attempt such an attack on us! I say we should take one thousand good men and route them out like the vermin they are!” \n\n“Hold there,” Lord Karlsdal said as he looked to the western lord. “we can’t afford to act so rashly.” \n\n“Rashly?!” Arnold gasped as though he had been struck. “These creatures have long since been a nuisance, but now they are actively killing our people!” the western lord barked. “What’s so rash about putting them to the sword?!” \n\n“We don’t know how many there are,” Jeffery, the eastern lord, chimed in quietly. “Nor do we know what may be behind these sudden attacks.” The older man said calmly. “With that said, sending out knights to try and take them on is a fool’s errand.” \n\n“I take offense to that!” the western lord growled while rising slightly from his seat.\n\n“Be calm.” Jeffery sighed while raising his hand in a sign of peace. “I meant no offense, but you will agree that fighting against an opponent whose numbers we know nothing about is a good way to throw away lives, do you not?” These words stilled Arnold’s anger and slowly he settled himself back down into his seat. \n\n“Ahh, I do, but…”\n\n“I understand your frustration with this situation,” The northern lord spoke up making all heads turn towards him. “However, we have to consider all possibilities before we make a decision, otherwise we risk losing our most precious asset in this situation.” \n\n“Which is?” The western lord inquired with a raised eyebrow.\n\n“The element of surprise.” Lord Karlsdal answered. “Right now these hellions seem to be preparing for something,” The older man tilted his head down to the map and then pressed a finger to the southern territory. “perhaps they are attempting to cut each of us off from supplies in an attempt to attack us when we’re at our most vulnerable, or perhaps they are planning something much more vile.” The knights within the room turned to look at each other, their faces tight as they knew what their lord was trying to hint at. “With that in mind we need to gather as much information as we can.” Each of the cardinal lords nodded upon hearing this. “We also need to increase the number of guards within the towns along the roads between the regions.” \n\n“I thought that you might suggest this and so I’ve already sent out several dozen knights to prepare the people for what may come,” Joseph chimed in. “Sadly, I don’t think that they’ll be enough to take on too many devils, should they come across more than a handful of the creatures. And may the gods help them should they encounter a fiend.” \n\nByron recalled that devils were the equivalent of knights to the hellion legions, while lesser devils were the attack dogs. Both tiers of creatures were strong and fast, but lesser devils were not exactly intelligent, and so these creatures were mostly used as cannon fodder by the devils, though that didn’t exactly make them easy to contend with. It didn’t help that they could cast flames and frost from their maws, and utilized the power of shadows to slip around an opponent’s defenses to get at their blind spots. However, a fiend was truly a force to be reckoned with.\n\nIf devils were knights then fiends were the generals of the netherrealm; the power of just one of these creatures was said to equal that of a hundred men, and that was only accounting for their raw physical strength. Tales of those who had survived an attack by a fiend reccounted stories of swordplay that went beyond anything a normal human could ever hope to display, with the creatures moving their bodies in almost an almost serpentine fashion when facing down dozens of armed men. That they often came dressed in armor as black as a moonless night didn’t help matters, as only a powerful blow, like that of a steel hammer, could hope to shatter the metal covering for which fiends often wore. And then there was the rumor of them employing powerful arcane magicks, the likes of which could warp a man’s mind enough to make him attack his own comrades, or the hushed tale of them being able to invoke their blood in such profane ways that men would often die of sickness days after touching the slimy black substance which oozed within their veins.\n\n“Then we may need to summon a paladin from the capital.” The northern lord suggested making Byron blink.\n\n“I agree.” the southern lord nodded. \n\n“A paladin?” One of the younger squires asked and Byron winced when his master turned to glare at him.\n\nLord Karlsdal chuckled. “A paladin is a knight blessed by the church to defeat hellions.” The older man said while closing his eyes. “Blessed by the light of the gods, these consecrated soldiers are tasked to protect the innocent from evil and corruption.” Lord Karlsdal finished as if he were reciting a long poem.\n\n“If we are all in agreement on this matter then I will go and send a carrier hawk to the capital.” Joseph stated. \n\nWhen a round of nods were given by all of the lords at the table the southern lord spoke again. “Alright then. If you’ll excuse me, I will be returning to my territory now.”\n\n“I would ask that you stay the night, Joseph.” Lord Karlsdal’s words made the southern lord pause just as he was about to rise from his seat.\n\n“My lord?” Joseph blinked almost owlishly at the retired king's knight.\n\n“It took you three days to get to this castle, so even if you rode a horse as fast as you could you would not make it back to the south before night fell, and I think we all know that when darkness falls the hellions grow more active.” \n\n“Just like those blasted luphanos!” The western lord grumbled.\n\n“Are you still having trouble with those creatures?” The eastern lord inquired somewhat bemusedly.\n\n“Much to my chagrin.” Arnold spat.\n\n“Hold on now, what this about luphanos?” Lord Karlsdal asked with a hint of worry in his voice.\n\n“It is nothing for you to concern yourself over, my lord.” Arnold sighed angrily. “My knight captain and I have already put together a plan to put all of those blasted creatures to the sword.” \n\n“Let me be the judge of that.” the elder man replied sharply making everyone in the room tense. “Now then…”\n\n“Yes.” The western lord swallowed a lump in his throat before continuing on with his story. “I’ve been getting reports of the beasts stealing livestock from the local farmlands, and while no one has been harmed as of yet, the frequency of the attacks have been growing steadily enough to where I’ve had to hire mercenaries to protect the farmers.” \n\n“Why did you not bring this to my attention earlier?” Lord Karlsdal drew his hands together and then looked rather sternly at the western lord.\n\n“I was too ashamed to do as such, my lord.” Arnold grunted while turning his head away from Lord Karlsdal. “To have to admit that common mongrels are unsettling my ability to protect my territory has more than once drawn me to a bottle of wine before bed.” All of the men within the room gave audible grunts of understanding, as every last one of them knew the feeling of needing a cup of alcohol to calm their nerves before they could rest for the evening.\n\n‘The luphanos are hardly mongrels.’ Byron thought to himself. \n\nCombining the strength and intelligence of men with the ferocity and speed of wolves, the dog-like race of creatures were known to be more than a match for the average knight, especially on nights when the moon was full. Byron had never seen one of the creatures before, but from the stories that he had heard from traveling mercenaries it seemed as though luphanos had the power to heal most of their wounds given enough time and so they could be almost nigh unstoppable if they actually went all out in battle. Though according to a mercenary he had arm wrestled with at the local tavern most of the creatures were easy enough to talk down, so long as they weren’t in the throes of bloodlust or plain lust. Byron felt his trousers tighten as he remembered the same mercenary telling him a tale of how he had been caught underneath one of the beasts while the two of them were out hunting together. \n\n“Do you suppose that the luphanos have some connection to the hellions?” Jeffery asked.\n\n“I can only hope so, as that would give me all the more reason to have every last one of them slaughtered.” The western lord chuckled darkly.\n\nByron winced as he let the imagine of such an occurrence wash through his mind. It was often known that the luphanos traveled in packs, and so if you slaughtered one of them, then the others would retaliate with a ferocity that could be called nothing less than barbaric.\n\n“What’s the reason for you not sending your own knights to deal with these creatures?” Asked the northern lord.\n\n“The damned beasts hide within the forests where my men cannot easily get to them,” the western lord stated while gnashing his teeth. “So my advisor suggested that I hire mercenaries to track them down, as those scallywags can go and come as they please through such areas.” Arnold scoffed. “The same said advisor is also the one who suggested that I not burn down said forests to smoke the beasts out.” \n\n“You were wise to have listened to him.” Lord Karlsdal nodded. \n\n“And why is that, my lord?” The western lord was clearly surprised by this statement, as were many of the men within the hall.\n\n“Luphanos can become quite ferocious if they feel that they are trapped.” The older man tapped his finger onto the table while bowing his head slightly. “If you attempted to make such a rash action then they might retaliate, especially if there are any pups that they are trying to care for.”\n\n“Are you saying that I should continue to let them pilfer from my lands?!” The western lord’s voice was close to becoming a shout, however a stern look from Lord Karlsdal quickly made him settle down.\n\n“No.” Lord Karlsdal replied after several seconds of uncomfortable silence. “What I am saying is that you should handle this matter in a way that won’t cause you to suffer unnecessary casualties in the future.” The older man waited a few seconds before speaking once again. “If at all possible, you may want to send out a scout to see if the leader of the luphanos would be willing to talk with you.”\n\n“My lord?!?!” Arnold gasped. \n\n“I understand your confusion, however, in my younger years I dealt with many of these creatures, and that’s how I found out that they have a hierarchical order for which they adhere to with a great deal of deference.” Lord Karlsdal chuckled for a moment as though remembering a funny tale. “While I cannot say for certain that this will happen, you may end up finding the results of such efforts to be quite favorable, should you give my suggestion a try.” The older man finished.\n\nArnold took a few calming breaths and then nodded his head, yet everyone could tell that the western lord would not do as had been suggested, his pride and indignation shone within his eyes like torches within the dark as he looked at the older lord. However, Lord Karlsdal was wise enough not to challenge him on the matter.\n\n“Now then, I believe it is time to eat.” Lord Karlsdal turned to look at the knights assembled within the room and then nodded to them.\n\nSlowly everyone except the four lords removed themselves from the hall, Byron followed after his own master once Sir Robert stood up from his seat. All the while they made their way down the hall Byron found himself thinking about the days to come. Would he get a chance to see this paladin? Was his own master going to be asked to go and fight against the hellions? And what of these luphanos? Were they really somehow connected with the hellions, or was it honestly just bad timing on their part in being at the wrong place at the wrong time? \n\nSome of these questions were answered in the days which followed. \n\nThe paladin had come down from the capital to assist the southern lord in purging the hellions from his territory, however the holy knight requested aid in their endeavor as it seemed as though the devils and lesser devils were being directed by a fiend, much to everyone’s surprise. The paladin had wounded the creature, however the fiend had managed to repay the holy knight in kind after it decimated many of the knights within the southern territory. Sir Robert was going to lead a platoon of knights to the south and Byron was going to join him, simple as that. However, things quickly became complicated once they arrived at Lord Joseph’s castle.\n\n“How is this possible?!” Sir Robert asked as he looked to see the town beneath the shadow of the castle being ransacked by dozens upon dozens of lesser devils. \n\nThe nightmarish skeletal faced hounds swarmed about the fire soaked area killing, maiming, and even devouring anyone and anything in their path in an orgy of blood and fire which made the most stouthearted of the knights within the platoon of soldiers twist their faces up in disgust. Byron found himself feeling sick to his stomach as he watched one man trying to shield his kin get his throat literally torn out by one of the creatures, the gorish display of blood, bone, and cartilage which sprayed about the air was so visceral that some of the knights turned from where they had been standing to empty out the morning’s meal. \n\nThankfully Sir Robert was able to keep his composure as he sat atop his black stallion. \n\n“Byron!” the older man called down to his squire making the black haired youth look up at him. “I’m going to lead a charge through the streets, I want you to take some men and get as many people out of the town as you can.” \n\n“Yes, sir!” Byron said with firm conviction. “I shall take them back to where we made camp for the evening, sir.” \n\n“Good thinking.” Sir Robert nodded before the sounds of screaming echoed throughout the area. “Now hurry and pick out some men.” Byron quickly did so, going with those knights who he knew were not going to fair well in a fight for the duty. Once he was done, “Men, to arms!” Sir Robert said as he pulled his sword from its sheath. \n\n“Yes, sir!!” those knights that weren’t selected by Byron drew their own blades. \n\nWhen Sir Robert kicked his stallion’s sides the horse reared up and then charged forward into the town. The rest of the knights quickly followed suit leaving Byron and the other men to watch as they quickly and effectively tore into the lesser devils running about the flame soaked streets. It was only after Byron could no longer see his master that he order the knights now under his command to follow after him into the town. \n\nThe interior of the area was just as bad as could be expected as there were numerous mangled and half-eaten corpses littering the area. The sickly sweet scent of burning flesh coupled with the sight of rivers of blood running across the streets burned into the young squire’s mind as he watched the horror of hellion attack firsthand. Byron fought hard not to lose his breakfast when he noticed that some of the dead bodies belonged to children half his age, though it became harder and harder to do as such as more sights of horror played themselves out across his green eyes.\n\n‘Come on, Byron! You’ve got a job to do!’ The black haired squire mentally chided himself. \n\nThe sound of someone screaming nearby jolted the young man into action. \n\nDrawing out his short sword he ordered the knights to look in the surrounding houses for anyone who might still be alive while he went after whoever had just let out that ear piercing shriek. Running as fast as he could Byron turned two corners and then jump over several mangled corpses before he got to where he needed to be. Once he arrived at a small back alley the black haired squire watched as a large bestial hellion slowly padded its way over to a frightened looking girl. In front of her was a small white puppy that was barking its head off in an attempt to dissuade the netherrealm beast stalking closer to the pair from approaching its master. The lesser devil seemed not to pay the other any attention as it continued moving forward on all fours. \n\nNot wanting to witness another murder Byron let out a roar drawing the beast’s attention. \n\nAnd he almost wished that he hadn’t.\n\nThe sight of entrails falling free from the creature’s skeletal mouth as it turned to glare at him nearly made Byron swoon. Burning red eyes glared at the young squire with a look of feral madness that was complemented by the creature’s twisted black fangs dripping blood and saliva down the front of the monster’s chin. When the lesser devil fully turned to face him Byron took one deep breath, exhaled, and then stood in the fighting stance he had been trained to draw into when in the midst of battle. The sight of the lesser devil charging at him made the black haired squire sneer. Byron ducked to the side just in time to avoid a face full of claws, though his nose couldn’t miss the rank scent of unwashed dog as the creature’s blood mattered fur crossed by his face. \n\nDrawing his blade over his shoulder Byron swung his weapon down into the creature’s back before it could turn around to attack him once again. The sight of black blood filled his vision making the raven haired squire grunt in disgust, however he didn’t turn his focus from his opponent. In seeing the lesser devil staggering into place as his blade dug deep into its body Byron pulled his sword out and then stabbed it into the creature again!\n\nAnd then again!\n\nAnd then once more!\n\nMore black blood spilled out down and around him as the netherrealm beast yelped in pain, yet Byron didn’t care about the other’s suffering as he drew on his barely suppressed rage to end the nightmarish creature’s existence. It was only when the lesser devil was no longer moving that the black haired boy fully drew his sword out from the creature’s backside. Sighing as he looked over his defeated foe Byron sneered and then gave the now dead creature one swift kick in the chest for good measure. With that matter taken care of the squire turned to see how the young woman was fairing from all of that.\n\nByron was not prepared to feel two warm arms encircle him around his waist.\n\n“Thank you.” The ‘girl’ whispered making the squire blink in confusion.\n\n“You’re a boy.” Byron said incredulously. \n\n“Haha, thank you for telling me that, I’d almost forgotten.” The blonde haired youth smirked while looking up at his bloodsoaked savior. \n\n“Glad to see that you kept your sense of humor in this situation.” Byron pulled away from the other and then turned to look down the alley. “Come on.” He said upon seeing no other hellions coming their way the squire took the other boy’s hand and then guided him back the way he had come. “We need to get you to safety, uh…”\n\n“Kurtis.” The blond answered the unspoken question.\n\nA bark next to them made both teenagers turn their heads down to see an indignant looking puppy pawing at the squire’s bloodsoaked leggings. “And this little nipper here is Alexander.” Kurtis chuckled as he leaned down to scoop up his valiant protector.\n\n“My name is Sir Byron.” The squire replied before rushing back the way he came with his new companion in toe.\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Byron was not having a good start today.

Falling out of bed with a yelp the pale skinned human grumbled in annoyance as cursed the nightmare which had startled him. Pulled himself up from off of the cold stone floor of his bedroom the young black haired teenager couldn’t exactly recall too many details of what it was that he had dreamt about, though his heart hammered just a little harder inside of his slim yet muscular chest as he thought back to the shimmering crimson eyes glaring down at him. A vision of black serrated teeth clamped down upon his naked body filled Byron’s mind for several seconds before he shook his head free of the phantasmal image. The phantom feeling of those fangs tearing through his chest and his blood spilling down onto the ground below left Byron panting and shaking before he silently chastised himself.

‘It’s just a dream, so get a hold over yourself!’ He shouted within his mind.

“Byron, are you awake yet?” Natalie, the daughter of the head of the maids, inquired after knocking on his door. Bryon hissed in panic after flipping his head over to the wooden barrier separating himself from the outside world; he really didn’t want the young girl to see entangled within his bedsheets as he was at that moment, if only because Byron knew that she would blab about what she had seen to the other maids, who would in turn allow such information to get to the ears of the other squires his age. Just the thought of having to deal with the other’s scathing looks and jeering taunts was enough to make the young man’s stomach twist into knots.

“Y-yes!” He called back while struggling to get himself free from the itchy linens.

“Ahh, good. May I come in?” The young woman asked.

“H-hold on. I-I’m not decent just yet.” He cursed as he finally kicked the cloth away from his nude form.

Running to where he had thrown off his clothing from the night before Byron hurried to get himself dressed and then went over to open the door. The black haired squire found his emerald gaze landing on a small brunette with bright blue eyes staring curiously back at his slightly taller form.

“Good morning, Natalie.” Byron chirped with an embarrassed smile.

“Good morning to you as well.” The young woman chuckled before carefully taking stock over Byron’s appearance. “Are you alright, Byron?” she asked somewhat worriedly.

“Of course I am!” He smiled shakily. “Why on earth wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re face seemed rather flush, and your hair is in an awfully messy state.” Natalie frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Ahh, I just need to wash up a bit and then I’ll be right as rain!” Byron saw no reason to make the young girl worry over him, as there was little she could do about the blood chilling dream he had just recently suffered through.

“Are you sure?” Byron nodded down at her. “As you say then,” It was obvious that the brunette didn’t believe him, however the young maid saw no reason to press the issue, at least for right now. “Shall I fetch some towels for you?”

“No thank you.” Byron shook his head. “I can find my own without going through all the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble, believe me.” the young maid blushed as she looked down over his chest which stood out underneath the worn cotton shirt wrapped snugly around his midsection.

Byron chuckled when he noticed Natalie’s cheeks becoming stained red. “I appreciate everything that you do for me, Natalie.” He then reached out to curl an arm around the young maid’s waist.

The brunette barely knew how to contain herself as she wallowed within the sudden affections from the older boy. Thankfully she kept from making a fool of herself by simply nodding her head instead of trying to speak right then.

“I suppose you came here to tell me that breakfast will be served soon?” Bryon asked after taking a step back from the younger girl.

“Y-yes.” Natalie nodded once again. “Mother asked the cook to prepare some beef stew so I…” Before Natalie could say anything more the black haired teen was dashing back into his room for his boots. A moment later Natalie watched as Byron quickly shuffled his naked feet into the leather footwear and then hotfooted it down the hallway towards the eating hall. It actually took her a moment to realize what had just happened but once she did Natalie couldn’t help but throw her head back in laughter.

Inside of the massive stone hall Byron looked around to see who was currently within the eating area, it was still rather early, as could be seen by how the sun had yet to peek through the open windows just yet. Seeing that there weren’t that many squires ambling about the area at the moment Byron quickly grabbed a bowl from off of a nearby table and then went over to the red haired cook looking about the open hall. When the man dipped his ladle into the large pot in front of him and then poured some stew into his bowl the teen respectfully bow his head up at the other.

“You eat like a man whose been kept in prison for half a century, boy.” the grizzle faced cook snorted while staring down at the messy haired youth.

“I just truly appreciate your skills in the kitchen, good sir.” Byron smirked as he listened to the sounds of stew being poured into his bowl.

“Save the flattery for the lords that will be here later on today.” the older man grunted.

Byron lifted his face and then cocked his head to the side upon hearing this information. “Lords?”

“Have you forgotten that the four lords of Hrothfar are coming here to speak with our Lord Karlsdal today?” the chef asked while raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

It actually took the black haired teen a moment to recall such facts, and yet even when he did as such the information was rather hazy at best. “Forgive me, but it appears that I have.” Byron chuckled nervously when the cook shook his head down at him.

“Then you better ask the other squires what’s going on then, otherwise I can only imagine the tongue lashing you’ll get from your master when he finally drags himself through here.” the chef’s words made a lump form within the black haired youth’s throat.

He knew well enough that his knight would not appreciate him not recalling such an important matter; the last time he had failed to recite important information to him the older man had taken a cane to his backside for several minutes straight. The phantom feelings of the wood smacking across his body were almost as bad as the nightmarish feeling the twisted fangs which had crunched down across his bones within his nightmare.

“Y-you’re right. Thank you, sir.” Byron quickly turned away from the older chef and then made his way over to a table where some of the other squires were casually speaking with each other.

Seating himself next to the others Byron quickly tried to assess the situation. Twenty minutes later the black haired squire had assessed the situation in full.

It seemed that the lords of the four cardinal territories were coming here today to speak about the rising concerns over the possibility of a direct hellion attack on one of the surrounding provinces. For weeks now there had been small incidences with the fiendish creatures that crawled out from the depths of the netherrealm attacking various farms and merchant wagons, and while there had been no casualties to speak of as of yet, the frequency of such happenings had been enough to set many of the knights within the region on edge. His own master had been somewhat eager to go out and strike down the creatures, as it had been quite a number of years since he had gone into a true battle, however Lord Karlsdal had forbidden anyone from taking action against the creatures, at least not yet. The retired captain of the king’s knights wanted to get as much information as he could about the incidents before he made a judgement call, this was why the other lords were coming here today.

“I don’t see what the big problem is.” One squire said rather flippantly. “Hellions are no longer the stuff of legends, as more than a few knights have retold stories of slaying the beasts, so why doesn’t Lord Karlsdal give the knights the order to go and put them to route?” The fact that there had been more and more hellion attacks on the country was something that went right over the young squire’s head, and yet it was a fact that had always drawn alarm within Byron’s mind.

“That may be true, but what if there’s something more going on here?” Another squire chimed in rather worriedly making Byron silently nod.

“If there is something more going on, then our masters will ride into battle to wipe these creatures out!” The squire sitting next to Byron cheered making several of the other lads within the room give out boisterous calls of praise to the idea.

“We should be cautious though,” Byron interjected, making everyone turn to regard him. “If there is more behind this then we should make sure that we’re fully prepared for what may come, less we lose good men.” The surrounding group of youths couldn’t argue with this fact, though some did look rather perplexed by his statement, as their eagerness to see actual battle clouded their minds to the possibility of death.

By the time Byron and the others finished their meals his master and the other knights were stumbling into the eating hall. Turning his head to look at the golden haired man who his family had pledged his services to upon his eight birthday Byron got up from his seat and then went over to speak with the other.

“Good morning, Sir Robert.” he said while bowing his head respectfully.

“Morning, Byron.” the older man yawned while taking a bowl of stew he had been handed by the cook over to a nearby table.

Byron dutifully followed after the blonde haired man, yet once he got to the table where his master sat at the black haired teenager respectfully waited for the other to eat without saying a word to the other. Byron mentally chuckled as he thought about how he had fallen into the practice of obedience while serving underneath Sir Robert; when he had first arrived he had been so confused about the duties for which he had to submit himself to that he was often verbally and physically chastised by the older man, however, after nearly ten years serving the other it was all too easy to stand in respectful silence next to his master.

Once Robert had finished his meal Byron asked, “Is there anything that I can do for you right now, sir?” Usually the knights didn’t ask much from their squires so early within the morning, but given that such important individuals were coming to the castle today Byron wanted to be extra attentive to his master’s needs.

“Go and make sure that my horse is ready to ride in case we need to set out today.” The older man grumbled before letting out a loud yawn.

“Yes, sir.” Byron turned to go about his way but before he could fully do so he found an empty bow thrust into his side.

“But before that, fetch me another helping of stew.” Sir Robert commanded.

Doing as he was told and then exiting the eating hall Byron hurried through the castle towards the front entrance. Letting himself out into the warm courtyard the black haired squire looked around in subtle awe as he noticed that various people within the area going about their day. Many of them were tradesmen that Lord Karlsdal had hired to keep up the castle, and so they nodded their heads respectfully as the young squire walked passed them on his way to the stables. The sounds neighing horses caught the raven haired youth’s attention several yards before he got to the area around the back of the castle. As the smell of fresh hay an unwashed horses washed through his nose Byron found himself unconsciously smiling, he had always enjoyed the smell of the beasts for which men had bred to suit their needs. There was just something so exciting about being around such impressive creatures, what with their mighty forms packed ever so tightly with thick muscle that just screamed barely repressed power.

The thought of riding on top of such creatures made a tightness swell within Byron’s britches. Biting at his lower lip the black haired squire looked around before sneakily reaching down to caress himself, a low moan poured free from his lips as he felt the head of his shaft throb slightly underneath his fingers. He then quickly moved his fingers away as he noticed a familiar looking brown haired boy walking through the hallway carrying an empty bucket within his hands. Byron’s heart beat just a little faster within his chest when he noticed his longtime friend smiling back at him.

“Morning, Byron.” The stable boy walked up to Byron and then stood patiently in front of him. Being shorter than the squire the young boy had to look up at his friend and upon him doing so Byron could barely stop himself from leaning forward to pressing his lips into the other’s mouth. He stopped himself of course, as he would never violate the other’s trust by doing something so taboo. “What are you doing here so early in the morning?”

“I-I…” The squire turned his head away and then coughed into his hand in order to right his thoughts. “came to make sure that my master’s horse is ready to be mounted, Carl.” He said upon turning back to look at the younger teenager.

“Ahh, I see.” Carl nodded and then turned to look at where the steed in question was currently standing within its stall. Byron couldn’t stop himself from looking down at the brown haired boy’s clothed rump, the sudden eagerness to reach out and fondle the tightly clothed buttocks of the other was just barely remained under his control. “You came just in time then because I just finished mucking out his stables.” Carl then turned back around to look at the older squire. “Do you need a hand preparing him?”

“I’d really appreciate a hand right about now.” Byron said without thinking. He then winced as he realized exactly what he had just said.

Thankfully Carl didn’t see anything wrong with his statement. “I’d be happy to help you, just as soon as I finish getting some water for the other horses.” the brown haired boy lifted the empty bucket for emphasis to his point.

“Let me help you with that.” Byron smile.

“Are you sure?” Carl asked somewhat nervously. “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with the stable master.”

“A good knight should always help those in need.” The black haired teen placed his fist over his heart in the traditional manner knights would when showing loyalty towards his king and country.

“You’re still a squire, Byron.” Carl chuckled. He then yelped when he was grabbed around the neck by a muscular arm.

“Soon-to-be knights have to uphold these values all the same, you little bugger.” The black haired boy growled as he playfully ran his knuckles across the other’s scalp.

Carl laughed out loud for several seconds following this sudden attack on his head. He only calmed down once Byron released him from his hold. The two boys quickly set about filling the various horse stalls with fresh water and mucking the stables clean after that. Once this chore was taken care of the two went over to Sir Robert’s large black steed and then looked him over.

“You’ve been doing a good job with him.” Byron patted Carl on the shoulder after he checked that the stallion’s metal shoes were clean and his fur was clear of burrs and bugs. “I really appreciate all of your hard work.”

“Thank you, Byron.” Carl puffed up his chest proudly upon hearing such praise, the gods knew that his own master spoke very little about his own efforts, unless it was to berate him for something he had failed to do. “Are you and Sir Robert riding out today?”

“I don’t think so, but I was told by my master to see to his horse all the same.” Byron replied before sliding his hand down Carl’s back.

“It probably has to do with the other lords coming to the castle today, doesn’t it?” Carl asked before gasping when Byron’ hand trailed down over his rump.

“Probably.” Byron winked at the other in an impish manner as he slapped the other hard onto the rear making Carl jump.

“You overgrown hellion.” The brown haired boy growled as he shoved his elbow into the older teen’s chest. Byron laughed at this.

“Sorry.” After Carl shook his head in exasperation the black haired squire turned to look at the stallion who was now staring at the both of them questioningly. “Anyway, if worse comes to worst and I am asked to ride out with my master then I want you to know that it may be a couple of days before I see you again.”

“Oh how will I ever live without you being here to pester me?” Carl smirked as he rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to survive.” The two boys then let out a series of boisterous laughs at that.

Sadly there was no laughter to be found anywhere within the castle hours later when the other lords of the region arrived within Lord Karlsdal’s court.

“So, not only are these hellions now actively attacking villages, but they seem to be doing so in an organized manner.” Lord Karlsdal sighed as he sat at the head of the table within the great hall. The elder man of sixty-three summers brushed a weathered hand over his balding head, the gray strands rushed like water through his fingers as he looked down over the map which he had called for. “And you say that they have now began actively cutting off trade routes to the capital?”

“Yes, Lord Karlsdal.” Joseph, the lord of the southern region, replied solemnly. “I only recently learned of this happening when a carrier hawk flew from the capital asking why the region’s taxes hadn’t arrived.” The southern lord closed his eyes and then shook his head. “You don’t want to know what became of the knights that had been sent to guard the carriage carrying said taxes once they were found.”

“Seeing as everyone in this room has heard the stories from the priests within the great church of what hellions are capable of, I think we all have some idea of what to think.” Miguel, the northern lord, grunted with a snarl.

The surrounding knights and their squires all squirmed in barely restrained disgust as their minds played over the words for which were told to them by those within the holy order. Between the tales of brutal savagery, murder, and blind murder there seemed to be no atrocity that a hellion wasn’t capable of comitting. That was one of the reasons why debauchery between men of the same gender was considered such a profane thing, as hellions enjoyed laying themselves upon men and then using their bodies for their own sick pleasure. Those men who survived the ordeal faced such shame for what happened to them that those who didn’t immediately submit themselves to the church for cleansing often took their own lives in order to wash away the stain which had been placed deep within them.

“Damn those creatures!” Arnold, the western lord, slammed his fist onto the table making most of the squires within the room jump slightly. “To think that they would attempt such an attack on us! I say we should take one thousand good men and route them out like the vermin they are!”

“Hold there,” Lord Karlsdal said as he looked to the western lord. “we can’t afford to act so rashly.”

“Rashly?!” Arnold gasped as though he had been struck. “These creatures have long since been a nuisance, but now they are actively killing our people!” the western lord barked. “What’s so rash about putting them to the sword?!”

“We don’t know how many there are,” Jeffery, the eastern lord, chimed in quietly. “Nor do we know what may be behind these sudden attacks.” The older man said calmly. “With that said, sending out knights to try and take them on is a fool’s errand.”

“I take offense to that!” the western lord growled while rising slightly from his seat.

“Be calm.” Jeffery sighed while raising his hand in a sign of peace. “I meant no offense, but you will agree that fighting against an opponent whose numbers we know nothing about is a good way to throw away lives, do you not?” These words stilled Arnold’s anger and slowly he settled himself back down into his seat.

“Ahh, I do, but…”

“I understand your frustration with this situation,” The northern lord spoke up making all heads turn towards him. “However, we have to consider all possibilities before we make a decision, otherwise we risk losing our most precious asset in this situation.”

“Which is?” The western lord inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“The element of surprise.” Lord Karlsdal answered. “Right now these hellions seem to be preparing for something,” The older man tilted his head down to the map and then pressed a finger to the southern territory. “perhaps they are attempting to cut each of us off from supplies in an attempt to attack us when we’re at our most vulnerable, or perhaps they are planning something much more vile.” The knights within the room turned to look at each other, their faces tight as they knew what their lord was trying to hint at. “With that in mind we need to gather as much information as we can.” Each of the cardinal lords nodded upon hearing this. “We also need to increase the number of guards within the towns along the roads between the regions.”

“I thought that you might suggest this and so I’ve already sent out several dozen knights to prepare the people for what may come,” Joseph chimed in. “Sadly, I don’t think that they’ll be enough to take on too many devils, should they come across more than a handful of the creatures. And may the gods help them should they encounter a fiend.”

Byron recalled that devils were the equivalent of knights to the hellion legions, while lesser devils were the attack dogs. Both tiers of creatures were strong and fast, but lesser devils were not exactly intelligent, and so these creatures were mostly used as cannon fodder by the devils, though that didn’t exactly make them easy to contend with. It didn’t help that they could cast flames and frost from their maws, and utilized the power of shadows to slip around an opponent’s defenses to get at their blind spots. However, a fiend was truly a force to be reckoned with.

If devils were knights then fiends were the generals of the netherrealm; the power of just one of these creatures was said to equal that of a hundred men, and that was only accounting for their raw physical strength. Tales of those who had survived an attack by a fiend reccounted stories of swordplay that went beyond anything a normal human could ever hope to display, with the creatures moving their bodies in almost an almost serpentine fashion when facing down dozens of armed men. That they often came dressed in armor as black as a moonless night didn’t help matters, as only a powerful blow, like that of a steel hammer, could hope to shatter the metal covering for which fiends often wore. And then there was the rumor of them employing powerful arcane magicks, the likes of which could warp a man’s mind enough to make him attack his own comrades, or the hushed tale of them being able to invoke their blood in such profane ways that men would often die of sickness days after touching the slimy black substance which oozed within their veins.

“Then we may need to summon a paladin from the capital.” The northern lord suggested making Byron blink.

“I agree.” the southern lord nodded.

“A paladin?” One of the younger squires asked and Byron winced when his master turned to glare at him.

Lord Karlsdal chuckled. “A paladin is a knight blessed by the church to defeat hellions.” The older man said while closing his eyes. “Blessed by the light of the gods, these consecrated soldiers are tasked to protect the innocent from evil and corruption.” Lord Karlsdal finished as if he were reciting a long poem.

“If we are all in agreement on this matter then I will go and send a carrier hawk to the capital.” Joseph stated.

When a round of nods were given by all of the lords at the table the southern lord spoke again. “Alright then. If you’ll excuse me, I will be returning to my territory now.”

“I would ask that you stay the night, Joseph.” Lord Karlsdal’s words made the southern lord pause just as he was about to rise from his seat.

“My lord?” Joseph blinked almost owlishly at the retired king's knight.

“It took you three days to get to this castle, so even if you rode a horse as fast as you could you would not make it back to the south before night fell, and I think we all know that when darkness falls the hellions grow more active.”

“Just like those blasted luphanos!” The western lord grumbled.

“Are you still having trouble with those creatures?” The eastern lord inquired somewhat bemusedly.

“Much to my chagrin.” Arnold spat.

“Hold on now, what this about luphanos?” Lord Karlsdal asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

“It is nothing for you to concern yourself over, my lord.” Arnold sighed angrily. “My knight captain and I have already put together a plan to put all of those blasted creatures to the sword.”  

“Let me be the judge of that.” the elder man replied sharply making everyone in the room tense. “Now then…”

“Yes.” The western lord swallowed a lump in his throat before continuing on with his story. “I’ve been getting reports of the beasts stealing livestock from the local farmlands, and while no one has been harmed as of yet, the frequency of the attacks have been growing steadily enough to where I’ve had to hire mercenaries to protect the farmers.”

“Why did you not bring this to my attention earlier?” Lord Karlsdal drew his hands together and then looked rather sternly at the western lord.

“I was too ashamed to do as such, my lord.” Arnold grunted while turning his head away from Lord Karlsdal. “To have to admit that common mongrels are unsettling my ability to protect my territory has more than once drawn me to a bottle of wine before bed.” All of the men within the room gave audible grunts of understanding, as every last one of them knew the feeling of needing a cup of alcohol to calm their nerves before they could rest for the evening.

‘The luphanos are hardly mongrels.’ Byron thought to himself.

Combining the strength and intelligence of men with the ferocity and speed of wolves, the dog-like race of creatures were known to be more than a match for the average knight, especially on nights when the moon was full. Byron had never seen one of the creatures before, but from the stories that he had heard from traveling mercenaries it seemed as though luphanos had the power to heal most of their wounds given enough time and so they could be almost nigh unstoppable if they actually went all out in battle. Though according to a mercenary he had arm wrestled with at the local tavern most of the creatures were easy enough to talk down, so long as they weren’t in the throes of bloodlust or plain lust. Byron felt his trousers tighten as he remembered the same mercenary telling him a tale of how he had been caught underneath one of the beasts while the two of them were out hunting together.

“Do you suppose that the luphanos have some connection to the hellions?” Jeffery asked.

“I can only hope so, as that would give me all the more reason to have every last one of them slaughtered.” The western lord chuckled darkly.

Byron winced as he let the imagine of such an occurrence wash through his mind. It was often known that the luphanos traveled in packs, and so if you slaughtered one of them, then the others would retaliate with a ferocity that could be called nothing less than barbaric.

“What’s the reason for you not sending your own knights to deal with these creatures?” Asked the northern lord.

“The damned beasts hide within the forests where my men cannot easily get to them,” the western lord stated while gnashing his teeth. “So my advisor suggested that I hire mercenaries to track them down, as those scallywags can go and come as they please through such areas.” Arnold scoffed. “The same said advisor is also the one who suggested that I not burn down said forests to smoke the beasts out.”

“You were wise to have listened to him.” Lord Karlsdal nodded.

“And why is that, my lord?” The western lord was clearly surprised by this statement, as were many of the men within the hall.

“Luphanos can become quite ferocious if they feel that they are trapped.” The older man tapped his finger onto the table while bowing his head slightly. “If you attempted to make such a rash action then they might retaliate, especially if there are any pups that they are trying to care for.”

“Are you saying that I should continue to let them pilfer from my lands?!” The western lord’s voice was close to becoming a shout, however a stern look from Lord Karlsdal quickly made him settle down.

“No.” Lord Karlsdal replied after several seconds of uncomfortable silence. “What I am saying is that you should handle this matter in a way that won’t cause you to suffer unnecessary casualties in the future.” The older man waited a few seconds before speaking once again. “If at all possible, you may want to send out a scout to see if the leader of the luphanos would be willing to talk with you.”

“My lord?!?!” Arnold gasped.

“I understand your confusion, however, in my younger years I dealt with many of these creatures, and that’s how I found out that they have a hierarchical order for which they adhere to with a great deal of deference.” Lord Karlsdal chuckled for a moment as though remembering a funny tale. “While I cannot say for certain that this will happen, you may end up finding the results of such efforts to be quite favorable, should you give my suggestion a try.” The older man finished.

Arnold took a few calming breaths and then nodded his head, yet everyone could tell that the western lord would not do as had been suggested, his pride and indignation shone within his eyes like torches within the dark as he looked at the older lord. However, Lord Karlsdal was wise enough not to challenge him on the matter.

“Now then, I believe it is time to eat.” Lord Karlsdal turned to look at the knights assembled within the room and then nodded to them.

Slowly everyone except the four lords removed themselves from the hall, Byron followed after his own master once Sir Robert stood up from his seat. All the while they made their way down the hall Byron found himself thinking about the days to come. Would he get a chance to see this paladin? Was his own master going to be asked to go and fight against the hellions? And what of these luphanos? Were they really somehow connected with the hellions, or was it honestly just bad timing on their part in being at the wrong place at the wrong time?

Some of these questions were answered in the days which followed.

The paladin had come down from the capital to assist the southern lord in purging the hellions from his territory, however the holy knight requested aid in their endeavor as it seemed as though the devils and lesser devils were being directed by a fiend, much to everyone’s surprise. The paladin had wounded the creature, however the fiend had managed to repay the holy knight in kind after it decimated many of the knights within the southern territory. Sir Robert was going to lead a platoon of knights to the south and Byron was going to join him, simple as that. However, things quickly became complicated once they arrived at Lord Joseph’s castle.

“How is this possible?!” Sir Robert asked as he looked to see the town beneath the shadow of the castle being ransacked by dozens upon dozens of lesser devils.

The nightmarish skeletal faced hounds swarmed about the fire soaked area killing, maiming, and even devouring anyone and anything in their path in an orgy of blood and fire which made the most stouthearted of the knights within the platoon of soldiers twist their faces up in disgust. Byron found himself feeling sick to his stomach as he watched one man trying to shield his kin get his throat literally torn out by one of the creatures, the gorish display of blood, bone, and cartilage which sprayed about the air was so visceral that some of the knights turned from where they had been standing to empty out the morning’s meal.

Thankfully Sir Robert was able to keep his composure as he sat atop his black stallion.

“Byron!” the older man called down to his squire making the black haired youth look up at him. “I’m going to lead a charge through the streets, I want you to take some men and get as many people out of the town as you can.”

“Yes, sir!” Byron said with firm conviction. “I shall take them back to where we made camp for the evening, sir.”

“Good thinking.” Sir Robert nodded before the sounds of screaming echoed throughout the area. “Now hurry and pick out some men.” Byron quickly did so, going with those knights who he knew were not going to fair well in a fight for the duty. Once he was done, “Men, to arms!” Sir Robert said as he pulled his sword from its sheath.

“Yes, sir!!” those knights that weren’t selected by Byron drew their own blades.

When Sir Robert kicked his stallion’s sides the horse reared up and then charged forward into the town. The rest of the knights quickly followed suit leaving Byron and the other men to watch as they quickly and effectively tore into the lesser devils running about the flame soaked streets. It was only after Byron could no longer see his master that he order the knights now under his command to follow after him into the town.

The interior of the area was just as bad as could be expected as there were numerous mangled and half-eaten corpses littering the area. The sickly sweet scent of burning flesh coupled with the sight of rivers of blood running across the streets burned into the young squire’s mind as he watched the horror of hellion attack firsthand. Byron fought hard not to lose his breakfast when he noticed that some of the dead bodies belonged to children half his age, though it became harder and harder to do as such as more sights of horror played themselves out across his green eyes.

‘Come on, Byron! You’ve got a job to do!’ The black haired squire mentally chided himself.

The sound of someone screaming nearby jolted the young man into action.

Drawing out his short sword he ordered the knights to look in the surrounding houses for anyone who might still be alive while he went after whoever had just let out that ear piercing shriek. Running as fast as he could Byron turned two corners and then jump over several mangled corpses before he got to where he needed to be. Once he arrived at a small back alley the black haired squire watched as a large bestial hellion slowly padded its way over to a frightened looking girl. In front of her was a small white puppy that was barking its head off in an attempt to dissuade the netherrealm beast stalking closer to the pair from approaching its master. The lesser devil seemed not to pay the other any attention as it continued moving forward on all fours.

Not wanting to witness another murder Byron let out a roar drawing the beast’s attention.

And he almost wished that he hadn’t.

The sight of entrails falling free from the creature’s skeletal mouth as it turned to glare at him nearly made Byron swoon. Burning red eyes glared at the young squire with a look of feral madness that was complemented by the creature’s twisted black fangs dripping blood and saliva down the front of the monster’s chin. When the lesser devil fully turned to face him Byron took one deep breath, exhaled, and then stood in the fighting stance he had been trained to draw into when in the midst of battle. The sight of the lesser devil charging at him made the black haired squire sneer. Byron ducked to the side just in time to avoid a face full of claws, though his nose couldn’t miss the rank scent of unwashed dog as the creature’s blood mattered fur crossed by his face.

Drawing his blade over his shoulder Byron swung his weapon down into the creature’s back before it could turn around to attack him once again. The sight of black blood filled his vision making the raven haired squire grunt in disgust, however he didn’t turn his focus from his opponent. In seeing the lesser devil staggering into place as his blade dug deep into its body Byron pulled his sword out and then stabbed it into the creature again!

And then again!

And then once more!

More black blood spilled out down and around him as the netherrealm beast yelped in pain, yet Byron didn’t care about the other’s suffering as he drew on his barely suppressed rage to end the nightmarish creature’s existence. It was only when the lesser devil was no longer moving that the black haired boy fully drew his sword out from the creature’s backside. Sighing as he looked over his defeated foe Byron sneered and then gave the now dead creature one swift kick in the chest for good measure. With that matter taken care of the squire turned to see how the young woman was fairing from all of that.

Byron was not prepared to feel two warm arms encircle him around his waist.

“Thank you.” The ‘girl’ whispered making the squire blink in confusion.

“You’re a boy.” Byron said incredulously.

“Haha, thank you for telling me that, I’d almost forgotten.” The blonde haired youth smirked while looking up at his bloodsoaked savior.

“Glad to see that you kept your sense of humor in this situation.” Byron pulled away from the other and then turned to look down the alley. “Come on.” He said upon seeing no other hellions coming their way the squire took the other boy’s hand and then guided him back the way he had come. “We need to get you to safety, uh…”

“Kurtis.” The blond answered the unspoken question.

A bark next to them made both teenagers turn their heads down to see an indignant looking puppy pawing at the squire’s bloodsoaked leggings. “And this little nipper here is Alexander.” Kurtis chuckled as he leaned down to scoop up his valiant protector.

“My name is Sir Byron.” The squire replied before rushing back the way he came with his new companion in toe.
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