Chapter 1
A cool mist rose off the field of wet grass. The knight looked down his line of men. Sunlight glinted off their armor; they were still as statues.
They’re waiting for my command, he thought. Across the field, he could see the enemy, ready for battle. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach.
Despite his nerves, he kept a brave face. He knew his men were watching. This is it, he thought, with a twinge of fear. The knight raised his sword in the air and yelled.
“Charge!”
He leaped forward, the first in the attack. His men ran with him, the line dissolving into a wedge as he outran the others. Across the field, the other side gave the command to attack. In seconds, the two lines clashed.
The knight wove amongst the foe, dodging blows, deflecting with his shield, parrying with his sword. He defeated adversary after adversary with seeming ease.
Spinning from a defeated soldier, he locked blades with another opponent. It was the enemy commander.
The commander wasn’t easy. They circled each other, thrusting, parrying, and using their shields. The knight could not find an opening to end the contest.
This one’s good, he thought with a stab of fear. The enemy lunged with a lightning-fast thrust, and the knight was barely able to get his shield up in time. He wondered if he would make it out of this fight in one piece.
And then, disaster struck. As he moved to parry a blow, he stepped on a patch of wet grass.
The knight lost his balance and began to fall. The commander’s blow, which had been aimed at his chest, now struck him on his helmet as he fell. He hit the ground hard on his back, stunning him. He felt moisture under him. Was that his blood or just the wet grass?
He lay there, consciousness fading, as the enemy commander leaned over him.
***
“I got you, Alex!” Erica exclaimed.
Alex had been beaten … by a girl. He promptly passed out.