In the Kingdom of Lycia, twelve young male knights completed their training and were officially declared loyal servants to the king. For years the citizens had observed the growth of eleven of these young men believing they would be heroes who etched their names in history forever.
As for the twelfth one, the people had despised him. Compared to the eleven handsome, tall, and strong-looking men, he was a small and skinny male. His skills with the sword were supposed at best. But what truly made people dislike him was that he used magic. Knights were meant to be honorable warriors who fought with the sword, but the young man did anyway with that rule and used spells to move up the ladder in training.
His name was Erneis, the son of a warlock.
On the day of the twelve knights’ orientation, each of the young men was given golden metals representing their loyalty to the kingdom. Erneis was the last knight to be offered a medal and the sound of millions of boos filled the throne room.
The young knight did his best and tried to pretend that the harshness of the crowd did not bother him, but his tears betrayed him as they leaked out of his eyes.
The next day, the twelve knights were called back to the throne room by the king who wanted to relay important information.
As they bowed before their ruler he had begun to explain himself while looking frantic and frightened.
“My knights! I have word from the neighboring kingdoms that the Dragon of the Marshes—Dunnarth has appeared on the far side of the east! He is destroying everything in his path, torching the land, and killing every single living thing that crosses his path! I order you twelve to go and slay that demonic beast before he reaches Lycia!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“The Kingdom of Lycia thanks you for your service! It will take two days on horseback to get to the destination. Please go to my stable and take my horses!”
Eleven of the knights immediately ran off to the royal stables, but Erneis stayed behind as he walked over to a royal guard who was standing near the throne.
“I…I am not familiar with the land to the east. Do you have a map?”
The royal guard rolled his eyes as he put up one finger indicating Erneis to wait. After the guard walked away, the young knight waited for almost an hour until he returned with a brown piece of paper.
Erneis thanked the guard after receiving the map and ran down to the Royal stables. However, as he got there his mouth was held open in shock as he saw that all the horses were gone except for one.
“They left me!?”
The scrawny warrior walked down to the end of the stable where the last horse—a dirty brown horse with a golden mane and tired eyes.
“This horse has seen better days…”
Erneis shrugged and immediately tried to put a saddle onto the dirty horse. As he was two servants who were cleaning the stables watched the young knight who smiled and started gossiping loudly amongst themselves.
“Look at that! The Warlock Erneis is going to ride Mercy!”
“How truly fitting! The worst knight claiming the worst horse! They make a perfect pair!”
Erneis gasped aloud.
“Worst horse?!”
The servants continued to cackle.
“It’s such a shame. All knights who ride Mercy claim it to be the worst experience and return to the king revoking their stasis as a knight!”
“A much more good reason for that Warlock’s spawn to take it! Perhaps that girl can do the Lord’s duty and make that boy retire!”
Erneis wanted to shout at the annoying servants but he put his frustration as he was way too far behind the other knights.
He jumped onto the horse known as Mercy and immediately rode off. The horse was not very responsive at first but eventually obeyed when Erneis kicked her harder.
Mercy stormed out of Lycia with great speed but as the beast got into the road it started swerving and jumping all over the place as if it was mad.
Erneis struggled to control Mercy who calmed down after an hour. But then came another problem…the horse was now moving at a ridiculously slow pace.
The scrawny warrior could do nothing but grumble as he looked ahead of the road not even seeing the other eleven knights and their steads.
“If only I didn’t waste time getting that map…no if only this bloody horse wasn’t so slow!”
In anger, Erneis slapped the back of the neck of Mercy.
“Dumb beast! Why are you so slow!”
“Do not talk to me like I am a dumb animal you stick!”
“H-huh?”
“I will walk at the speed that I please!”
Out of nowhere, a haughty feminine voice was heard throughout the area. Erneis turned his head in multiple directions and saw no one.
“W-who said that? Hello! Is anyone there!?”
“Are you a fool!” The voice spoke again. “Who else is here but me!?”
Erneis slowly lowered his head down to Mercy who had her horse head slightly turned to look at the young knight with what seemed to be an annoyed glance.
“I will say this again—I am not a dumb animal and I refuse to be treated like a slave by some stick like you!”
The scrawny warrior screamed as he fell off Mercy. As he landed on the floor he crawled away as he took out his sword in fright.
“Y-y-you can talk?! Is this the devil’s work!?”
Mercy huffed.
“Devil’s work!? Please! I am God’s work! Only a holy deity can make something as beautiful as me!”
“W-who are you!? What are you!?”
“What I am…is quite complicated. Many would say horse but it’s not so simple yes? I mean, I can speak. And the reason I can speak is because of one simple fact…I am a human being.”
Erneis’ eyes widened in shock.
“Y-you’re a human?! Wow! B-but why are you a horse?”
“Hmph! I tell you this was not of my own free will! My name is Princess Alexandra of the Kingdom of Ema!”
“Princess Alexandra? The third daughter of King Anthony who passed away four years ago?”
“That is a lie! A lie fabricated by that witch of a mother-law!”
“What do you mean?”
“My mother-in-law did not like me. She found me to be…annoying and naggy. So she cursed me by turning me into a horse and selling me off to Lycia!”
Mercy—who was in truth Alexandra—started to cry. The horse looked very ugly as huge tears fell from her eyes.
“Oh! It was the worst four years of my life! The knights treated me roughly and threw me into danger mission after danger mission! I constantly tell them to be gentle with me or try to help me—but they freak out the moment I talk! They run off to God knows where and I just return to Lycia on my own because…well, where else can I go!?”
“That’s terrible…I’m sorry that happened to you…anyway, can I get back to you now?”
“Huh?” Alexandra tilted her head. “Did you not hear my story? I am a princess!”
Erneis replied, “I get that but I am on a very important mission! You are my only ride so can you just…be silent and take me to my destination?”
Alexandra gasped loudly.
“How dare you! Have your parents not taught you even the simple decency to be kind to royalty!?”
“My mother was a warlock who was too consumed with dark magic…so no.”
“Warlock? Your father was a warlock?”
“Yes, very much so—now let’s be off so we can face Dunnarth!”
“What in the blazes is Dunnarth?” Alexandra asked. “Some kind of country?”
“Hm? Oh no, that’s the name of the dragon me and the other knights were sent to slay. Now let’s be—WOAH!”
Out of nowhere, Alexandra turned around and started galloping down the opposite side of the road.
“WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?” Erneis shouted after the horse as he chased after her.
Alexandra screamed back.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK!? A DRAGON!? YOU WILL GET ME KILLED! I’M GOING BACK TO LYCIA!!”
“No, you don’t! Desine!”
A strange purple aura emitted from Erneis’s palms and then attached itself to Alexandra. Instantly the horse was frozen in place like a statue being only able to move her eyes and mouth.
“W-what have you done!? I can’t move!”
“I’m not just a knight, I’m a sorcerer,” Erneis stated as he walked up to the stuck Alexandra. “I know over a hundred spells. Time stop is simply one of them.”
“What knight uses spells!?”
“I do! Now let’s go unless you want to use a spell to shrink you to an ant!”
In truth, Erneis did not know such a spell but Alexandra fell for his ruse and started begging.
“Alright! Alright! I’ll come with you! J-just please don’t shrink me!”
Alexandra cried out as Erneis jumped back on the saddle and continued on the quest. Even as they rode slowly the horse continued to scream out in sorrow which greatly annoyed the young knight.
“I think I understand why the knights called you Mercy…may the Lord have mercy on my eardrums!”
A day had passed and as night had come the two were forced to make camp. As Erneis made a fire under a tree using a spell Alexandra observed with curious eyes.
“So…you know over a hundred spells?”
Erneis looked up at Alexandra.
“What?”
“You know a hundred spells. Do you perhaps…know how to break my curse?”
“Uhm…a curse like yours that directly changes the body is very advanced. I could possibly break it but…”
“C-could you break it now?!”
“M-maybe?”
“Please break it! Set me free!”
“I-I can’t turn you back now! You’re my ride to the dragon! We have one more door so please wait!”
Alexandra grumbled.
“Come on! Don’t you feel bad for me? I am a poor lady who has been turned into an animal by her evil stepmother! You have to do something!”
“I…I promise after the mission I will try to find a spell to set you free.”
“After!? You fool there is no after when you fight a dragon! Do you know any warrior who tried fighting a dragon and surviving!?”
“…I heard of a few—“
“Exactly! A few! Only a few! And we may not be that few!”
“J-just trust me! With my magic—the dragon will not stand a chance!”
Alexandra continued to whine.
“So…this is how my life ends. Turned into ash by a beast from hell! Oh, Lord! I hope there is a place for me in your heavenly kingdom!”
Erneis rolled his eyes as he covered himself with leaves. Alexandra eventually complained to herself about sleeping.
As morning rose, Erneis and Alexandra went on at a slow speed. For the first few hours, there was nothing eventful until they saw something coming down the road at an intense speed.
“What’s that!?”
Alexandra shrieked in fear. Erneis took out his sword and readied himself for battle but the adrenaline in his heart quickly died down when he saw it was just three wild horses running away.
“Wait…aren’t those horses from the royal stable?” Alexandra said with a raised brow.
“Huh!?” Erneis yelled. “Are you certain Alexandra!?”
“I have been living in the stables for years! I recognize the horses!”
“But where are the riders?”
The horrible sound of a beastly roar echoed throughout the land shaking the trees and causing an earthquake.
Erneis ordered Alexandra to go down the road where they saw something that could exist in fairy tales.
A great green dragon with a fat belly and glowing orange piercing eyes. His wings sounded like thunder as they flapped and his teeth resembled a thousand spears.
Fire and smoke escaped from his mouth and nostrils as he flew around the sky like a hawk.
“Dunnarth…”
Erneis then took his focus off the dragon to see eleven scorched bones.
“T-the others…they were killed…”
“See? See!?” Alexandra howled. “Even the knights who were supposedly stronger than you could do nothing! Let’s go before we join them!”
“W-we can’t Alexandra! Dunnarth will reach Lycia if we leave him like this!”
“Are you dense?! What can you possibly do!?”
Dunnarth swooped down and released a wave of flame directly at the knight and his horse. The two screamed as they ran to the far right avoiding being turned to ash.
Erneis held out his hand and cast the spell of time stop. The dragon was able to freeze for a few seconds before moving again.
“Damn! He’s too big for the spell to last!”
The green dragon landed, breaking the earth beneath him. As he got closer to Erneis and Alexandra he swung his left glow in hopes of cutting them to pieces. But the hooves of Alexandra were fast and able to dodge the attack of Dunnarth.
As the horse avoided the fiery beast the young knight took out his sword and shouted in a loud voice.
“From heaven’s glory to hell’s fright! May I claim the bitter might! Never again shall it be told! Oh mighty of old, Shu of the Frozen Mold!”
The blade had turned into a gorgeous long ice sword. The mist from the blade froze the earth covering the grass in blankets of snow.
“That…was my first time doing the spell…Alexandra! Help me get on the back of the dragon!”
“What!? Are you insane!”
“With the power of ice, I should be able to extinguish the fires in his body! The flames of hell are his source of life. If they go out he will die!”
“B-but why do I have to!?”
“Because you’re faster than me and more nimble! Please, Alexandra! If I win I promise I will set you free!”
The former princess growled but reluctantly charged at the dragon like a bull. Dunnarth took on Alexandra’s charge as a challenge and released fire from his mouth once more. But the female horse put all her strength into her legs and launched herself into the air.
She perfectly landed on the dragon’s head which gave Erneis time to get off and attached himself to it. The young knight then stabbed his ice blade into the center of the dragon’s head which caused the beast to violently react.
“This is the end, Dunnarth! Nyx!”
A tornado of ice exploded from the sword and crystallized the inside and outside of Dunnarth. The great dragon let out a final shriek before turning into a statue of ice and falling to the ground shattering.
Coming out of the broken pieces of what once was the mighty Dunnarth was a battered and cold Erneis and Alexandra.
“I-I think I have a c-cold!”
“D-don’t complain!” Erneis stuttered. “W-we won! We saved Lycia!”
“Great! Now please save me from freezing to death!”
Erneis and Alexandra had returned to Lycia and word of their victory over Dunnarth made the Lycia erupt in shock. The people could not believe that the magician knight defeated the mighty dragon but they also praised him for saving the kingdom.
The king awarded Erneis the highest title of knighthood and decided to make him his most trustworthy guardian.
As Erneis was resting in his newly made room within the castle, Alexandra the horse had busted inside with an enraged look.
“It has been a week Sir Erneis!” Alexandra snarled. “Break my curse!”
“O-oh! I’m so sorry Alexandra! Let me see…Undatus!”
Smoke had covered the horse and out of it came a beautiful woman with long brown hair and gorgeous hazel eyes.
Alexandra had touched her human face and smiled brightly.
“You did it! I am human again after all these years!”
“Oh dear…Alexandra? Look down…”
The princess was confused by Erneis’s awkwardness until she looked down to see she still had the body of a horse. While the upper part of her human body has returned her leg was still an animal.
“Now you are a centaur,” Erneis said with a shrug.
Alexandra growled.
“Fool! Break my curse completely!”
“I’m sorry the spell is more complicated than I thought! Please just give me more time!”
“Damn you! I am not leaving your side until you return me to normal!”
And so the world would hear my tales of the Knight Sorcerer Erneis and his Centaur partner Alexandra.