All is now quiet in the valley.
As the two contending armies finally retreated to their respective side.
Some were carrying the wounded, while others were dragging themselves toward
their lines. An uneasy peace settled down all across the plains.
Deceptionally tranquil. Only the sounds of the rustling leaves I hear and
the occasional howling of the wind.
I surveyed the ground from where
the battle took place, but all that my eyes beheld were bodies of slain
men, scattered and strewn all across the valley. Their bloods mixing
with the rain water that has begun a while ago, staining the greens
of the grass and the brown earth below. I couldn’t believe with my
eyes the horrors that transpired right before me. Just by the sheer
number of men who have died this day surely blows my mind off my head.
It was staggering to think of it on the first place. I thought it
was way out of proportion. This is too much!
“Proud Knights of ancient
valor,
Chivalrous men of noble calling,
a moment ago stood proud and mighty,
now littering the floor of the
valley...
It was an ugly sight to see.
I just could not imagine the
wailing
of lonely mothers crying
whose sons they have nursed with
their breast,
whose body they once cradled in
their arms
gone from them forever.
O, the widows and their children
how many of them would be waiting...
watching the horizon, hoping
that their fathers would comeback”
I felt exhausted. Exasperated
from all the things that I have witnessed this day. I felt as if
my whole body was drained of strength. My knees are shaking.
My hands were trembling and I felt a stabbing pain in my belly, not from
lack of food (for I haven’t eaten a decent meal for days) but from the
horrors that I saw. I felt sick, that I sat down among the grasses
and placed my head in between my knees. I felt some indignation and
my soul seemed to detest all these madness. There was ringing in
my ears. The sounds of which, I know will continue to haunt me for many
years.
The young lad who was with me all
this time was sobbing. Never in his life did he saw something as
horrifying as these, but neither do I! I couldn’t help but mourn
for those slain men who took to the battle.
“Look!” the young lad exclaimed,
while pointing his hand to a hill not far from where we are. I woke
up from a momentary languor and asked.
“What now . . .?”
“There... over there!” he replied.
Then I looked to where he was pointing,
and there I saw...
Another knight! Mounted on
a black stallion draped in black colored linen. He was standing still
and motionless, much like the posture of the knight in silvery armor just
before that gallant charge. He must have been there all this time
watching his contemporary engage the soldiers from his side. Watching
him perhaps with awe and respect. This knight looked equally majestic
in his stance, equally formidable. His cape, velvety black with golden
lines of thread adorning the hemline, flapping everytime the wind blows.
The plume of eagle’s feathers on his steely helmet flows gently along the
eastern wind. He looked black as the night except that his breastplate
is in gold, and prominently etched on its surface, two lion’s head in sideways
and two swords crossing each other forming an “X.” His shield
bore the markings of a cross with a king’s crown above it.
And with it, you will never mistook him for any other but a king’s champion.
The knight in silvery armor, after
spending his time in mournful repose, mounted his horse and sped towards
the direction of the knight in black armor but made no response to meet
the challenge.
Thereafter, the knight in shining
silvery armor halted his horse just a few hundred yards away from where
the black knight is. He dismounted from his stallion and slowly walked
another few yards and unsheathed his sword. Thereupon, he stood upright
for quite sometimes with arms fully stretched, with his right hand gripping
tightly the sword. Then afterwards, he knelt to the ground on his
right knee, raised the sword high above him with one hand --- and plunge
it to the ground with two! He bowed his head thereafter, almost leaning
to the sword...
Meanwhile, the soldiers and the
remaining knights from the two armies retreated to their respective lines
of battle and settled down. It seems that they were giving way for
these two noble warriors of unquestionable courage to finish the battle
that ceased for the time being ---- by fighting it out to the death.
The fate of the armies that gathered in this valley would be decided by
the victory of one and the defeat of the other.
Then I panned my eyes towards where
the fair lady is, and I saw her disconsolate face, sad and forlorn,
wet with tears. Yet, in spite of her woeful countenance, there can
be no denying that those pair of glassy emerald eyes, perfectly set upon
two rounded cheeks and well chiseled nose, would indeed send a thousand
knights on a quest, ready to lay down their lives --- All for the prize
of winning even just a fleeting, momentary glance from her adoring eyes!
Her parted lips so supple, would have made young men, both princes and
paupers, dream of a thousand dreams. The ivory neck and her seemingly
soft and flawless skin, would have rivaled, if not perhaps, unseat any
pagan goddesses of ancient lore in her heavenly dominion. “Ah...
it must be, that all the divinities conspired to bring about this woe and
misery upon this creature, whose only fault was her being born possessed
with such beauty that only a divine hand with a flair for perfection would
have created.”
“There was this certain
glint in her eyes that is inviting.
There was this certain charm that
I find so captivating.
Ah, Helen of Troy would have been
green with jealousy,
and Venus... Fuming red with envy.”
I am certain too, that the gods,
must have been very restless.
She is a beauty so stunning,
it would leave everybody breathless
Only he who is blind would have
missed
gazing such resplendency.
Only a fool would have ignored
such an opportunity.
She is such a natures wonderful
work of art . . .
Any man would have certainly wished
her in his heart!
I for one if given a chance,
won’t passed up the opportunity
to hold her,
even just for once...”
A foot soldier then distracted me from
that brief lethargic stupor, when he approached the lady, whose hands and
feet still bounded in chain. A drawn sword was in his hand.
I thought at first, the soldier was sent to slay her right then and there.
I was so consumed with so much indignation that I found it repugnant to
witness such kind of cruelty. It made me stood up on my feet as if
I was about to make a run for it and save her from her captors. But there
is nothing much I can do about it. I am just as helpless as she is,
an accidental witness to all of these.
“What an atrocious deed it is to
slay someone who is unarmed . . . much more a weak and helpless woman!”
Then to my relief, the soldier instead
loosens the shackles and freed the lady, but motioned her to stay put until
the duel between the knight in silvery armor and the one in black armor
with the golden breastplate is over. Her fate also lies to whoever
is going to emerge as the victor between the two equally gallant knights.
There was a break in the clouds
above the valley. The rains had stopped, and for the first time in
so many days, the golden rays of the sun broke through the clouds.
A shaft of light shined directly above where the two contending knights
are about to take their last stand. Thus, giving more highlight to
the drama unfolding.
The knight in black armor with the
golden breastplate riding on a black stallion, paced his horse downhill
towards the knight in silvery armor, with lance on his right hand pointing
upward and the shield on his left. Slowly he approached the other,
but the knight in silvery armor seemed unperturbed by his approach.
He seemed all alone in whatever he’s doing, lost in his silent meditation.
Then after awhile, he stopped his horse when he is about a few yards away
from the one in shining silvery armor.
He remained in his horse sitting
upright, watching and waiting for him to finish his meditation. Then he
dismounted. Walked casually towards the silvery knight with cool
demeanor and hardly any trace of hesitancy. He then stood right in
front of him who remained kneeling on his right knee and leaning on his
sword. Thereafter, the knight in silvery armor slowly lifted
his face and stood up to acknowledge the presence of his challenger.
Now, they were standing face to face, almost the same in height.
They just stood there for quite sometime. Both neither spoke a word
or anything. I couldn’t make up my mind who would be the best among
the two. They looked equally mighty, equally formidable, although
I have yet to see the knight in black armor engage himself in battle.
But both seemed to possess commanding respect for each others exploits.
The knight in silvery armor then
removed his steely helmet, which brought down his amber colored hair with
curled locks, that immediately waves gracefully in the wind.
He knelt down again on his right knee and bowed his head before the knight
in black armor which made me wonder in complete bewilderment! I was
baffled at his gesture and I heard myself asking again...
“What is he doing?”
“How can he do that in the middle
of an impending duel?” “What if his adversary suddenly attacked him?”
Ah... I felt like more of a fool
trying to answer my own questioning. I am completely unlearned in
the art of chivalry. The codes, the ethics, its ways, its customs... Ah!
I do not understand... I do not think I will ever understand the paradox
of its mores! Gentlemen in protocols but brutal and savage in war.
The knight in black armor with the
golden breastplate made no attempt whatsoever to initiate any challenge.
He just crossed his long arms in his chest all the while standing still.
I knew there was more to these two than just mere adversaries. Or were
they?
Then it dawned in me!
These two contending forces, these
two opposing knights might have been known to each other after all.
Judging by the posture of the knight in silvery armor --- kneeling down
in front of the knight in black --- is a gesture of salute and courtesy
to someone whom he esteemed in high regards. They might have been well
acquainted with one another! They might have been together on a quest
or something. Perhaps, on one of those crusades somewhere in Palestine.
But whatever, I have a gut feeling that, they must have been something
other than being enemies.
Maybe, perhaps... “But why is it
that they are here, in mortal confrontation...?”
“... For what reason? For
what cause?”
“Ah...” I whispered,
“... that fair lady, how could she command such rivalry and bloodshed?”
I do not understand...
Then I motioned to the young lad
who is still with me to stay put. I am now possessed with so much
curiosity that I cannot help myself but crawl stealthily among the tall
grasses, and into a small mound with huge boulders all around it.
Just as I thought would be perfect to get closer.
Crouching low, I manage to get to
that place where these two knights are, just a whisper away from them,
but well covered enough to watch them without being seen.
Their voices were now more audible.
I can even hear their every sigh and heaving; and as I began trying to
capture their conversation, my hunch was confirmed. They are really
known to each other and that the lady in question is what these armies
are here for.
I couldn’t help but notice also
their stately comportment. I nearly forgot that these men are of
noble birth and raised in high civilities. Learned in the art of
social ethics and the proper conduct one expected of a knight of high stature
in the field of battle. They are really magnificent and almost majestic
in their armors and suits... The steely helmet with its plumage, the gilded
breastplate with its elaborate carvings of their respective emblem, the
heavy chain mail they wore underneath their body armor, the gloves, the
shields and their highly prized swords, festooned with ornate designs.
They looked splendid in their apparel. No wonder, many young men
dreamed of becoming knights themselves. To wear those august
armor would catch every fancy a boy could ever have. The honor, the
accolades, the prestige and privileges accompanying it, are enough to whet
one’s appetite for princely recognition, not to mention the admiring glances
of swooning maidens and fair ladies.
“Heaven must have ordained this
day that we should meet in this fashion...” Thus, I heard initially
their conversations. The knight in black armor seem to speak with so much
regret.
“I knew we will meet again,”
as he continued, “... but I have never thought nor imagined that we will
meet indeed on a battlefield, not as friend fighting side by side against
a common foe, but as adversaries . . .”
The knight in silvery armor stood
up on his feet without speaking a word. Then after awhile, the Knight in
black armor removed his helmet and held it on his left hand, revealing
his face. He was bearded with some streaks of grays. His hair
receding from his forehead is long and braided. His brow wrinkled
with age and the lines of passing years were prominently written on his
face. But you can still trace how good looking he must have been
when he was much younger. Perhaps, he would have given the
knight in silvery armor a good competition for swooning maidens and fair
ladies. His stately countenance could easily deceive you and mistook
him for your own grandfather, kind and caring... But not this one!
The look on his eyes is piercing and calculating, it may have been borne
by many years of battles. Anybody could easily be intimidated just
by his gaze, and nobody in his right senses would be daring enough to fool
around with him. But beyond that, I could still sense that this knight,
although fearsome, is soft and kindhearted.
Then he spoke again after a long
pause and said, “How long has it been since we last saw battle together,
huh?” Then he looked up and turned around as if trying to recall
something. He took a deep sigh and added, “Ah... I cannot remember
anymore. The passing years had gotten over me now, that more often
than not, I simply cannot recall many of those days. Much to my dismay.”
“Sire...” said the silvery knight,
but he was stopped short by the knight in black armor motioning him to
hush as if he did recall something of importance . . .
“Jericho...” whispered the Knight
in black.
“...do you remember it my young
lad?”
“Jericho?”
“Ah . . . it was one battle I remember
now with all its vividness and details!” he said as if he found something
to be excited about. “So I’m not as forgetful as I thought I was!”
“Now, I remember perfectly well the first time we were together. It was
in the plains of Jericho... Remember? We were defending the fort
that guards the road leading to Jerusalem.”
“Ah... those Moors... I marveled
at their courage to scale the walls of that fort. In spite of having
sustained heavy casualties, they kept on coming with their siege ramps
and attacking us from all sides. Until we were badly decimated and almost
more than half of our finest and noblest knights --- dead in the succeeding
scrimmages. We held on for a couple of days. Short on food and water,
outnumbered, badly wounded; we were almost given up for dead when they
finally breach the walls of that fort, except for the few of us who tenaciously
held on to our position and kept the fighting going on. I thought
it will be the last of my breathing days on earth.”
“Ah... it is then that you came
along,” as he continued while pointing his finger to the knight in silvery
armor. Who made no attempt whatsoever to interrupt the aging knight
in black armor.”
“... It is there that I first saw
you riding your stallion at the head of the cavalry. It was
a sight to behold those gleaming knights of yours, rushing towards the
fort to rescue what remains of us and expel those barbaric hordes; who
neither have regards nor a semblance of respect for chivalric codes.
But I did admire their courage and bravery.”
“You Sir, however, were so resplendent
in your effulgent armor, although I might say a bit young and reckless
then, but nevertheless, I thought I would never saw a knight as gallant
and fearless as you are. I remember how you sowed so much panic in
their ranks. You quickly wrought havoc among them, that they all fled in
all direction with terror in their eyes and trembling in their hearts.
What took us days to resist their onslaught, you dear Sir, manage to do
it in just a single stroke.”
Then there was momentary silence
as the knight in black armor halted in his speech. The other knight
just stood there, perhaps waiting for the other to continue.
“Ah...” sighed the knight in black,
“...indeed, life moves in mysterious ways. It is so full of paradox.
Man is helpless when time and circumstance spins its wheels. You
just never know what may lie ahead of you at the crossroads. I have
long thought that we are a master of our destiny. It is only now
that I realize I was wrong --- that fate is not within the province of
man. We are not at the liberty to choose for ourselves what we want
to happen. Is it not true, Sir? You just have to prepare whatever
life throws at you and be man enough to stand your ground and pray you
do the right thing at the right time and come out of it wiser and better.”
“Would you call it fate, Sir, that
we are now here, in this valley, about to shed each others blood... I refuse
to believe so, but then again, as I have said, one must be prepared to
face the realities of life, for there is no way to escape it.”
“Perhaps, it is our destiny to meet
in battle not as friend, but as foe. Who would ever thought that
your very best friend whom you have so depended your life with and his
with yours, would also be your slayer! Ironic, is it not, my friend? I
do not understand it myself.”
“Sire...” said the silvery knight
whose voice, deep and resonant, were hushed and respectful. “It is
not my wish to engage you in battle, nor am I here seeking glory for myself.
I do not revel in the blood of those whom I have once shared and served
with on a common quest. I have come not for anything else but to
redeem my vows as the Queen’s champion; and you sire, have in your detention
the Queen whom I am seeking after, with whom I am bounded with an oath.
I have no recourse but to honor that vow.”
Then the black armored knight breathe
a deep sigh and looked away from the silvery knight. Knowing perfectly
well what the other knight said is true. There is no way for a dedicated
knight like him, who strictly observe the pandect of his knightly calling,
turned away from his principle. It is a travesty and treasonous to
transgress the code of chivalry. He knew that the silvery knight
will not leave without redeeming the very purpose of what he came for.
A knight of true character would abide by his noble creed and will not
hesitate to lay down his life in fulfillment of the vow he has committed
himself to.
“Pray, tell me good Sir...” said
the knight in black armor, “before we go on to this unavoidable predicament
of ours --- Was it really in fulfillment of the vow that which you came
here? Or, was it for the love that you have for the Queen that you are
determined to lay down your life with --- champion or not? Which
one is it...?”
“Sire, please... I beseech you,
do not drag along whatever private feelings I may have for my Queen, for
it has nothing to do with it,” said the silvery knight with a disconcerting
air.
“Oh, come now . . . pray tell me
young Sir, you have not told me the whole truth . . .” responded quickly
the knight in black, “. . . I have learned that you have been banished
from the very kingdom you are now serving for. They have stripped
you of your knighthood, humiliated in front of your peers, sequestered
all of your estate and denounced you as usurper to the thrown. Allegations
which they themselves has contrived! Has it not dawned upon you that
the royals you are serving now all conspired for your downfall and shame?
They were all jealous of your exploits, and fearful about your growing
stature, not to say the least --- envious of the fondness the Queen has
accorded you. How naive must you be . . .? Or maybe you are lost
beyond hope in your romantic fixation about your Queen, that you have lost
all manner of sensibilities. Now you’re telling me you have a vow
to fulfill?”
“Banished or not . . .” calmly said
the Knight in silvery armor, “the Queen has nothing to do with my predicament,
nor am I here to serve the cause of the very people that brought about
my present plight. The safety and deliverance of the Queen is what
I am here for. So whether or not I serve their cause, it is but incidental.
Believe me Sire, I have no more pleasure in serving their cause nor will
I ever harbor remorse for these people if ever they fall by the sword of
someone else --- but the Queen, she is not part of my vexation over
my present state. Stripped of knighthood or not, I am still her champion,
and my vows remains true. Thus, I am here!”
Then I saw the black armored knight
smiled and shook his head, “Hmm, forgive me good Sir, I do not intend to
offend you as far as your integrity is concern by questioning your word
of honor for that matter. I would have not forgiven myself if I have
not done it also. A knight has no honor to speak about if he has
abandoned what he vowed himself to. You sir, however are beyond reproach
as far as your word. You have my respect, indeed. But please indulge me,
since we only have a short moment to luxuriate ourselves in this
conversation --- I do not intend to be malicious about it by repeating
my question, but it intrigues me no end as far as your motives is
concern”
Then the knight in black armor paused
for a little while and looked straight in the eyes of the one in silvery
armor, trying to read the real motives of his friend-turned-adversary!
Afterward he spoke again...
“Was it really the vow or the love
you have for the Queen? Pray, tell me good Sir . . .”
I saw the knight in silvery armor
closed his eyes and momentarily bowed his head and let out a deep sigh...
“Very well, Sire... as you wish,
I shall not deny you the answers to your inquiries.” Then he paused
and closed his eyes again, perhaps trying to grope for words on how best
to answer the queries of the knight in black armor.
“We have been good friends...” begun
the silvery knight, “and I harbor no ill feelings about you standing in
opposition against my quest, even now. We have gone through so many
battles together for diverse causes... We have shared moments of pain and
pleasure, of laughter and lamentations... We have seen each other through
moments of victory and held on together in defeat. Such travails,
I have partaken with you and you with me; and few men I believe, Sir, has
ever had the luxury of encountering a ‘friend who sticks closer than a
brother’ and you Sire, have I treasured so much more than a brother.”
“Indeed, we are, and we’ll always
be!” responded the black armored knight, “You have my word for it
dear Sir no matter what!”
Then the silvery Knight continued...
“And as to your query, Sire...”
The silvery knight tried to compose himself but I felt the hesitancy in
his voice,
“... I must admit, I do not know
myself as to the motives of my quest for the Queen’s deliverance. I do
not hide the fact that indeed, I have fallen for her comely charms, although
it is never her fault. It is entirely my own. I have allowed
myself to venture outside the confines of my knightly etiquette, and nearly
have done what is most forbidden and abominable for a knight --- that is,
to yield and pursue what my heart craves for... But now I am in great quandary.
I would like to believe that it is to my vows why I hasten to seek after
her safety, but I quake in fear for my own salvation at the thought, that
I might be doing it for the love that I harbor for her.
"...my heart fluttered in between
my vows and my love, that I hardly distinguish anymore to which of these
two have I committed myself.”
“Ah... heaven knows that I have
tried to divorce myself from such emotional fallacies of mine. But
how could I detach myself from a heart that have grown swollen with so
much desires and longings for her?”
“I do not know anymore, Sire...
I am lost!”
Thus fell the silvery knight on
his right knees again. If ever I saw someone that would match against
this formidable and fearsome knight and defeat him . . . It is no less
that himself. Ah . . . Man, indeed, is his own worst enemy.
“So it is true then...” said the
knight in black armor with a sympathetic voice.
“I was not wrong after all.”
“I know how difficult it must have
been for you, but you know perfectly well that you cannot keep the love
you have for the Queen, lest, you be consumed with so much passion that
may very well spell disgrace on your calling. You might even perhaps
endanger your Queen’s reputation or even her life for that matter.
But neither can you turn your back away from your vows as her champion,
which demands that she be not out of your sight always. I myself
would not want to be in your predicament. You know very well and
perfectly clear, that the love you have for the Queen will never find any
fulfillment nor consummated in any way. For heaven’s forbid...!
my dear good Sir, that a man like you who reveres and fears the Lord would
dare even taste what is forbidden. I might very well slay you here
and now rather than see you disgrace yourself. Ah... fate must have
wrought one of her playful tease upon your heart. Ha!
The silvery knight just stood there,
speechless. Then afterwards, the knight in black armor reached out
to him and placed his hands upon the silvery knight’s right shoulder and
spoke again, but this time hushed and with more sympathy.
“My dear good Sir...You must contend
with it. You may won a hundred battles in your lifetime and suffer
not any defeats, you may conquer every land on a quest for glory; you may
vanquish every foe that stood your way and dare challenge you, but the
battle that is raging in your heart is one that you will not master.
No man has ever won against the quest of his heart. There are no
weapons against it. It is one battle that you shall find yourself
no victor but vanquished by its wishes...”
“I could only say that you
must contend with it with all your best. How Sir? --- I do not know.”
“Ah... but you are still the man
I have my highest admiration for, you spoke well, indeed. You have
conducted yourself in the manner highly commendable, worthy indeed of your
knightly calling. I have not made a mistake in befriending you, although
it is most unfortunate that we are now standing oppose to each other.
Then again, you have proven still, that you are a man of honorable words
and unblemished integrity! Such qualities are rare these days.
Where loyalties and allegiance shifts from one end to another --- all for
the glitter of gold and glory, and not based on the sacredness of one’s
principled commitment and moral ascendancy. Rare indeed, most especially
where todays knighthood were no more than just mere titles bestowed upon
men, who were fortunate enough to have been born of noble lineage.
They are no more or less than scoundrels who preys among the weak and the
helpless. Wretched bunch of aristocrats who prides themselves in lording
over hapless men and women.”
Then the black armored knight glances
back over the field and let out a mournful sigh upon seeing the bodies
that lay scattered and strewn across the valley. “Those soldiers...
Those knights . . . Those boys! Here they are, all dead...! All believing
that glory lies in the conquest of another! What vanities... what
blatant disregard for the sacredness of life. Where is glory, where
is honor in all of these? Man has never learn --- we have never learned
indeed... And until such time, man will continue to commit this monstrosities
and will hardly turned away from perverting the sanctity of life, without
any thought of reverence for the One who created it --- All for the pursuit
of one’s selfish ambition. All for a fleeting moment of what they
believe will bring them glory, honor and fame --- man will never
shrink back from committing such atrocities. What delusion!
What aberration it is indeed!”
Then I saw the knight in silvery
armor bowed his head. I felt the pang of guilt and shame crept into
his heart. The knight in black armor spoke all too well of the realities
of man’s madness over fame, glory, honor ----- and even love. Prudent
and wise, I thought, he has a deeper perception of life and had a better
grasp of human nature. Ah, the years may have mellowed down a man, it may
even have slowed down the body, but comes along with it are the wisdom
of the ages, which is hardly found in young men given to impulse and reckless
abandon.
I thought this one has been won
already by the knight in black armor. Then I heard the silvery Knight
spoke almost whisperingly...
“Sire... It is true as you have
said, ‘that you must be prepared in whatever life throws at you and be
man enough to stand your ground,’ would you then advise me to turn my back
from my vows and resigned myself to the fact that I have violated the chastity
of my own words, and live the rest of my life in ignominy? Would
it be better to have died defending what you believed in rather than to
have lived a long life with the specter of disgrace haunting you...?
Would you have done it so yourself?
“Indeed, you have grown wise and
prudent, something that was lacking of you many years back when we have
the privilege of each others company” the black Kkight responded with an
air of resignation over what has become of them --- Adversaries!
“We have come a long way --- you
and I, and now here we are at the crossroads of life. And as much
as I regret it, we must both part ways --- each to his own path.
I would advise that you must stood path on your conviction for I will never
sway from abiding to mine. It is here, where we must draw the line.”
“Come now, my dear Sir... let us
get this thing over” thus said the knight in black armor as he motioned
toward his stallion.
“Sire, please...!” The silvery knight
shouted back pleading.
“We can still avert this senselessness.”
he added.
The knight in black armor halted
in his track and turn his back again to the knight in silvery armor, but
he just stared into his eyes.
“Sire, I beseech you...” pleaded
once more the knight in silver armor, “... just hand us over the Queen
and we will depart hence from your realm.”
“Silence!” shouted back the knight
in black armor almost on top of his voice, “... you are not yet mellowed
with age and yet, you seem to have forgotten so easily what you have just
said earlier. Have you forgotten that it is a travesty for any knight
to make light the creed of chivalry? If you are so steadfast in your
vows, and as you have said it yourself, is bounded with an oath, even if
it means laying down your life ---- so it is with me!”
“Come now my dear Sir” as he tapered
down his voice, “Right or wrong --- I am my King’s champion. I am
duty bound too, just like you to the vow I have committed myself to.
I will see to it that I will honor every word of that vow, even if I have
to battle my own son, or my peers, or a trusted friend.”
“Oh, my dear good Sir . . . my good
friend,” added the black armored Knight with a change of tone, "Although,
I regret having to engage you in battle, I felt more honored than anything
else. I would not have it any other way. I would rather see
myself die in the very hands of the one who has saved me a countless times.
That Sir, I shall have no regret whatsoever.”
“. . . I am already in the twilight
of my years and much of the zest and vigor has already gone from me.
I have seen enough battles in my life long before you were even conceived.
I have seen too many blood my lance and sword has drawn. I have seen
enough terror and death in the eyes of men who have engaged me in battle,
many of whom were young enough to be my grandchildren --- fresh from suckling
their mothers breast! I have my share of glory and gory days and
I want no more of it.”
“And now . . .” continued the knight
in black armor. “providence has shown me his kindness once again by granting
me one final moment of glory and honor. Heaven has not denied me
of this privilege now, by doing battle with a great knight whose highly
esteemed reputation and exploits in battle preceded him -- The envy of
every man of war...”
“Please, good Sir . . .” he
added with a solemn voice, pleading. Then he reached out to the knight
in silvery armor and placed his hand over the right shoulder, “Deny me
not the honor due to a knight of my stature, for it would be unfair of
you to deprive me of that privilege. No knight who stood by the ethics
of chivalry, would deny his worthy opponent the battle he sought for.
But worry not my good friend, I shall give you one good fight despite my
age! Pray that I might do so with honor and pride.”
“Sire . . .” the silvery knight
said shaking his head, perhaps believing that the knight in black armor
does not even have a shadow of a chance, but he was interrupted by the
aging black knight...
“Hush...! No more talk.
Too many words only prolongs the agony. There is nothing much we
can do about it. Do you not see that our fate has already been written
and sealed.” Then he mounted his stallion with such aplomb, but obviously
disguising the sadness written all over his face.
“Ah ... look!” said the black
knight, “... a rainbow! Hah! It is indeed a good day to die... do
you not think so?”
Then, from his mount he extended
his arms and the knight in silvery armor responded in kind and they both
locked arms. They have said their farewells to each other.
“Joust with me...! Like the
good old days, huh?” as the black armored knight set spur and speed his
horse.
All I can hear was the silvery knight
murmuring in bitter surrender to the stubbornness of the aging knight in
black armor, “How I wish we do not have to go through with this... Good
bye my old friend.”
Thereafter, he too motioned
to his stallion and mount the beast in a manner much like his old friend.
There will be no turning back for any of these knights and there will be
no tomorrow for any one of them, as they prepare to joust each other ---
Each is determined to defend his respective honor and creed.
