A TALE OF UNKNOWN LEGEND

Written to you by Edward Levin.



PROLOGUE

In time before time, and place hidden from greed and
corruption of humanity stood a great forest, and in the
middle of that ancient forest stood a great mountain, that
it's edge could not be seen by any forest creature, for it
was hidden among the clouds of colorful skies.
And on that great mountain laid a city, a city so old that
even the wisest elders in whole world could not determine
it's age, and on top of that city, in the very center of
that great mountain stood an ancient castle ruins with
forgotten past, and lost memories.
And in that time before there was time was a group of young
children, pure in mind and adventurous in soul, and that
group, of those young adventurous children released once
again the ancient past back to this perfect place on that
great mountain, in that eternal forest that was hidden from
the greed and corruption of humanity, but not from lost and
forgotten secrets...




CHAPTER ONE

It was a beautiful morning that day, a perfect spring
morning, and there, on eternal green planes filled with pale
stones that appeared from time to time in the sights of the
children running freely through this deep green planes
toward the ancient ruins of the castle that stood for
centuries there, in the very middle of that great mountain.

As every moment passed and let another moment to enter for
that instant brief of time the castle seemed to be closer
and closer, it's pale walls looked so desperate in that
colorful and perfect spring atmosphere.
The old rusty gates opened wide and the children ran inside,
wielding wood swords and shields. They were the knights,
fighting imaginary monsters that surrounded them from the
deep shadows.
The game continued to the late hours of the evening, and
right before the end the children entered the King's hall in
the middle of the castle, sitting together as a group of
eternal friends that will never leave each other in a time
of danger. One of the children stood up, waving his wooden
sword, revealing good idea to the rest of his friends.
" Listen to me my friends." He announced proudly and all
eyes turned within a moment to him.
" Why do we need to pretend that we are Defender knights
when we can be real knights."
The children thought a long time for the interesting offer.
" We can save our city from any evil, and become famous as
our ancient fathers who created this order."
The offer was very tempting, and the children saw a great
opportunity in it. They sat one near other in a cycle,
repeating again and again the ancient oath of their lost
heroes. When the ceremony was finished and lasts of the
children told the last words of the ancient oath a sudden
image appeared in the near shadow behind a pale stone
pillar. The image turned to be a young lad wearing a custom
of a fool. He smiled at the children a small warm smile as
he spoke with a voice of a trickster. " You are fools if you
think yourself as real knights! Knights were fearless
warriors and you are but a group of little children! Ha! I
bet you cannot even
stay in dark place for only one night!"
" Of course we can stay in dark place through the night! -
The children said, trying to save their new reputation from
a total destruction. - Real knights were fearless and so
shall we be."
The fool smiled silently. " Then follow me, my fellow
knights. For I know the perfect place to test your
courage."
The young knights accepted the fool's test and followed him
through the ruins to an old house.
" There. - Said the fool, pointing to the dark entrance. -
If you survive down there for one whole night, then you are
true knights."
" We accept your test, fool." Said the children proudly.
Then, holding each other they slowly walked down the stairs
into the darkest place... old basement.
 

CHAPTER TWO

The stairs seemed to go down forever, deep into the unknown
depths of the mountain, when suddenly the children,
frightened slightly by the shadows surrounding them as they
went deeper and deeper through the stairs, encountered an
old looking door. The door opened slowly with hollow sound,
and to the eyes of the children revealed a large room,
resemble to a small hall. That fool knew the place where
they will test their courage as true knights, and for the
first time they sought to overcome this test.
For long and agonizing hours they stood in that old, deep
basement, when one of the children saw something unnatural
in one of the room's walls. Concealed by darkness and
shadows this wall looked like any other wall, but there was
something beyond it, a secret concealed by history,
something that should never be open.
But they were curious, and child's curiosity knows no
limits.
They broke the wall, pushing its ancient stones one by one,
revealing an entrance to a great corridor filled with many
doors from both sides. A rotten smell of death filled the
air as they entered the corridor, but sense of adventure and
curiosity flushed their minds, tempting them to go inside
and look.
They walked in that dark corridor, entering each room,
desperately hoping to find something that will satisfy their
thirst for curiosity, but there was nothing, only dark old
naked rooms filled with shadows of the dark that covered
them.
The end of the corridor came closer and closer with each
step and after several quick moments they found themselves
standing against ancient huge door, the biggest and darkest
among all other doors. Children's curiosity grew even
stronger when the door stood up and remained closed.
But stubbornness was another virtue those children held in
possession. They tried as hard as they could to open or even
brake the door. Again and again and again, when suddenly the
door opened, revealing secrets that it held for many
centuries...


CHAPTER THREE

And as the ancient door opened slowly, a sudden cold and
wicked in nature breeze of air filled the hall and the dark
room inside, lifting dozens of black rags to the air, giving
them their evil and monstrous lives back.
But the children remained in same spot, some from curiosity,
others from fear, when suddenly the rags began to whisper
nefariously, filling children's hearts with unnatural fear
and panic. The children watched with shock as these black
rags opened their dark piercing eyes to them, growing
enormous and horrific claws, coming closer and closer to
them with thirst for death and blood.
The panicked children tried desperately close the door to
this forgotten evil, but the wind that brought those evil
creatures back to life fought against them, holding the door
open with all it's unearthly strength. Most of the children
ran, leaving three brave brothers and sisters that entered
that black room, sealing the evil within with their lives,
and as the remained children ran out of that abandoned house
in the middle of that great mountain near the ruins of the
castle, they heard their fellow's last screams fading into
the darkness of the sealed room.

The frightened children ran through the pale green planes
back to the city. As the sun became to show itself between
the gray clouds the children entered their houses, hopefully
trying to convince their parents in their story about the
monsters in old abandoned house that slaughtered their
friends. For whole next day the parents consulted with their
elders and on the next day they went to that old abandoned
house, armed with swords and shields and will to find the
truth.
With evening fall they went inside the house, down the old
stairs, through the door to that dark basement where
everything began. A stench of death stood in that concealed
corridor.
They entered slowly, wielding their weapons and shields.
Their minds and bodies waited for every attack from any
shadow, but silence filled the air.
They came to the end of the corridor, standing near the old
rotten door. The strongest among the warriors pushed the
door but it remained closed. And again, as it happened only
a day ago, their curiosity and will opened the door as
sudden breeze of air filled the corridor, surrounding the
warriors. They looked inside, but so nothing but darkness.
Suddenly one of the warriors spots several little, childish
images deep inside that room. They were just children,
slaughtered by unknown beasts.
The breeze of air became cold wind, becoming stronger and
stronger with each moment pass.
Two of bravest warriors entered the room, coming closer to
the dead children, when suddenly the rags began to move,
coming closer, as shadows thirsty for life toward the
warriors, and then they heard a scream, and another one
followed by another. A scream of pain and agony.
The warriors began to panic to the sight of their friend's
strange and horrific deaths.
But the shadows wanted more, and they saw freedom where
their victims saw death.
The fight was quick and brutal. The warriors, unable hurting
the shadows that surrounded them in dance of death died a
painful, slow death and their screams sounded across the
castle as many howls of crying beasts in horrifying agony.
And on the next morning only one from dozen brave men went
out of that abandoned house.
All bleeding and barely live he went back toward the city.
His armor ruined by hundreds of monstrous scratches, his
sword broken and shield lost, but in his hand he held an
ancient tome, a tome that contained this man's ancient
history... a wisdom forgotten with many ages.


CHAPTER FOUR

The elder opened the ancient tome with shaking hands. Its
yellow pages almost crumble to dust as he read gently the
wisdom written inside.

              Many years ago, on the edge of a great blue
sea and deep green forests stood a great kingdom, strong in
arms and laws, but free and perfect. Its wonderful towers
stood high, pointing to the stars themselves. That kingdom
stood for many centuries until one dreadful night when
unknown storm appeared suddenly in the far skies of the sea.
And as the storm came closer, the air around it and water
became black with death. But it was not a normal storm, but
a shadow devouring every living being that appeared in its
path. And after many nights this storm came to the city. For
many days and nights brave warriors fought the storm with
faith and steel, but it did nothing to it, but grew it only
stronger. The king knew the dark times that fell upon his
kingdom, and desperately turned to last hope he found. The
arts of magic. He called his wisest elders and asked for
their help. They gave him the answer he wished, but for a
prize... a prize so high that for a moment his mind
hesitated if all his mighty kingdom worth this sacrifice.
" It is your only son he wish." They said to him. " Your
only son is pure in mind and body, as his father is, and
this is the reason he want him. Give him your only son, oh
mighty king and save your mighty kingdom from this evil, or
death will come upon us all."
The king sat back upon his throne. " Leave me." Said the
king, banishing the wisest elders in
dying kingdom.
Three days passed and Kingdom's mighty king sat upon his
throne. His hand touched no bread or wine.
And then he said, announcing his words with pain. " Let the
sacrifice begin!"
The elders brought King's only son to the deepest tomb and
there, the boy, all pure in spirit, mind and flesh leave his
mortal body in a quest of great importance. He found the
entity he seek and asked him one right question. The entity
revealed the answer to his pure heart, and then the boy
suddenly awoke, choking, and as his life drew from him, he
revealed the answer to his father with last words.
The king did as the creature's answer was. He gathered many
strong people and asked them to cut the biggest tree in his
kingdom. And so they did. For year they cut the biggest tree
in that great kingdom. And when the tree fell the bravest
knights entered that tree, deep into it, sacrificing
themselves to the storm that came after them. But when the
shadows in the storm entered the deep of the tree they fell
asleep. Remained knights threw those shadows inside a dark
corridor, sealing many shadows in dozens of rooms forever.
The war was over and that old mighty kingdom survived
through greatest sacrifice.
On top of that tree, in its very center a great castle was
built to honor the brave knights who fought against the
storm. They were 'defenders', defending the entire kingdom
from any evil for eternity.
But the king never forgot his son's last words. " Only a
wind of upcoming storm will awake the shadows and dark times
will fall upon the kingdom again."

The elder closed the book with honor. " Dear god, what evil
have we unleashed."
And as the next morning came a group of young children ran
through the green planes toward the ancient castle ruins of
'defenders', while dozen of men sealed for the last time the
gateway of storm...


CHAPTER FIVE

" The door is sealed once again, but for what prize... a
sacrifice our brothers and sisters did to save us and all
the people of our great city from damnation and death. They
were true 'defender' knights... fearless and honorable. They
are in celestial halls of fame now, but they will always
remain in our hearts and memories. " Said the children as
they sat in a cycle in old throne room. Suddenly the fool
appeared again. He didn't smile this time, but stared at the
children with cold hatred.
" You may won the battle, knights, but the war will never
end." And then he disappeared, vanished back into the
shadows...


EPILOGUE

In time before time and place hidden from greed and
corruption of humanity stood a great forest, and in the
middle of that ancient forest stood a great mountain that
wasn't a mountain but a great tree.
And on that great tree laid a city, a city so old that even
the wisest elders in whole world could not determine it's
age, and on top of that city, in the very center of that
great tree stood an ancient castle ruins of old knight order
of 'defenders'.
And there will be a time when a group of young children,
pure in mind and adventurous in soul, will release once
again the ancient past back to this perfect place on that
great tree, in that eternal forest that was hidden from the
greed and corruption of humanity, but not from their past.
This time they will be prepared...