The Black Knight Signal

The next day, the capital of Veland had a cloudy morning where the clouds diffused the daylight to a soft gentle sweetness. The clouds moved much like the ocean, showing the blue amid the whitish dove-gray, a medley of silvers ripple outwards adorn the sky.

The kingdom was in turmoil as the news of the thieves guild massacre had spread across the kingdom through the newspapers and telecasts. Although communication was not as fast as the modern-day, the Etherian waves acted like a slow internet connection.

Currently, somewhere in Veland, a massive castle with fourteen slim, square towers dominated the skyline, connected by big, solid walls made of dark green stone. Ornate windows were scattered generously around the walls in seemingly perfect symmetry, along with same-sized holes for archers and artillery. A regular gate with big wooden doors, a regular bridge, and a moat guard is the only entrance to the castle built at the edges of the shoreline, and it's the only easy way in. Any other side would be futile.

Various lavishly built houses were scattered outside the castle gates. Surprisingly the rich lived comfortably outside the gates as well. The castle may look new, but it has been standing still for hundreds of years.

The castle's inside was just as fancy as the outside. Huge braziers at the bottoms of each of the sixteen marble columns lit up the entire throne hall and painted the hall a range of yellows and oranges, matching the kingdom crest and guard armors. The gemmed runes on the bowed ceiling dance in the flickering light while sculptures look down upon this elegant hall's limestone floor.

A violet rug ran in a circle around the room, with two paths at the throne and the main entrance, while burgee banners with burnished tassels dropped from the walls. Between each banner hung a small luster, many of which have been lit and in turn illuminated the wall paintings of conquerors and victors below them.

Huge, stained glass windows depicting late royalty were contoured by drapes colored the same violet as the banners.

A towering throne of oak sat atop a balcony overlooking the throne hall and was adjoined by three large but far less ornated seats for visiting royalty of other nations. The throne was covered in baroque images, and a carved tree was fixed on each of the stubby legs.

Those listening to their royal highness could do so on the many decorated but somewhat uncomfortable brass benches, all of which were diagonally facing the throne. Those of higher standing could instead take seats in the more ornate balustrades facing the throne.

At the moment, a muscular man wearing a red fur coat adorned with gems and diamonds leaned back on the throne facing the hundreds of terrified faces in the throne hall. His striking fiery red hair draped over his shoulder, complementing his crimson red eyes.

"Your majesty!"

"We have to stop the killings!"

"What have you done to stop the killer,"

"How can we sleep at night knowing a killer is running around our city?"

"This has to stop now!"

"Answer us, your majesty!"

The shoutings of the nobles reverberated in the throne hall, almost causing the king a headache. King Richard listened to their complaints without uttering a word. He was a man of few words, or rather, he chose to speak less when he had no idea how to fix a problem at hand.

"Silence!" suddenly, another booming voice echoed through the throne hall, silencing the nobles. Following the roar, King Richard turned to look at his trusted General Barton strolling into the throne hall like a lion on a hunt.

General Barton's dark gray armor clanked, producing a mild rumbling sound every time he took a step. The golden hair resembling a lion's mane fluttered in the wind as he stared at the nobles with his gaze as sharp as the sword hanging on his waist.

"Is this how you behave in front of his majesty?" General Barton's silvery voice made everyone stand still like soldiers in a military drill.

Looking at the crowd becoming silent, General Barton nodded. Then, he turned around and dropped to one knee to show the respect King Richard deserved.

"Your majesty,"

"What's the news, General Barton? Is it true?" asked King Richard in a rather serious tone,

General Barton looked up and nodded,

"Unfortunately, yes, your majesty. Except for five, all the thieves in the guild have been killed. Including their leader, Martiland,"

King Richard didn't seem surprised as he heard the news through his spies. Yet he waited for General Barton to go down in the sewers and confirm the news.

"Your maje-" the nobles tried to shout again, but King Richard's stare shut them up.

"Have you apprehended the five thieves who escaped?"

Once again General Barton nodded,

"Yes, your majesty. But they didn't escape. The killer let them go. The killer said quote, do me a favor. Tell everyone what happened here. From now on, there is no thieves guild in Veland,"

The nobles were visibly stunned. Their faces lost their rosiness and looked pale. However, some of the nobles sighed in relief. The thieves guild was a threat to their wealth and infested the kingdom like cockroaches. Although there were still branches of the guild in the other cities of Veland, the capital was their base. Since someone eradicated the base, it was only a matter of time before they either scattered or fought to the death amongst themselves.

"Any connection between this killer and the one who killed Scarface and his men?" asked King Richard, although his brain told him the obvious answer,

"The same, your majesty. They were both killed by the same man, who looks like this" As he said, General Barton pulled a paper roll from his waist,

"Bring it to me,"

General Barton stood up and walked toward the king. When Barton climbed a couple of steps and reached the throne, King Richard extended his hand to reach the paper scroll.

King Richard opened the parchment to see a portrait of a young man with shoulder-length hair drawn in black and white,

"Your majesty, there something I should tell you in private," General Barton whispered,

"Soldiers" After General Baron whispered, King Richard raised his voice as several guards holding a spear and wearing leather armor came running through the doors behind the throne,

"Your majesty,"

"Please escort the ladies and gentleman outside," King Richard commanded, but the nobles raised their concerns which King Richard completely ignored.

King Richard and General Barton remained silent until all the nobles left the throne hall, leaving them alone. Only then did King Richard stand from his throne,

"What is it, Barton?"

"The killer seems to possess a few uncanny superpowers, your Majesty" General Barton frowned as he still couldn't believe what he heard from the five thieves who escaped the sewers alive.

"I had a feeling we have a crazy cursed one in our hands," King Richard gritted his teeth. He was one of the people who believed the gifted ones were actually cursed by the gods and their powers were evil.

Hence, King Richard used the word 'cursed ones' instead of 'gifted ones',

"According to the thieves, he stole Harvey's power, the short distance teleportation,"

"Wait what?!" King Richard's eyes went wide as he shuddered,

"Harvey was killed too?"

"Killed was an understatement, your majesty. They were brutally massacred. The new recruits fainted on the spot and, to be honest. Even I felt nauseated by the scene" General Barton's voice turned very serious,

"Shit, the last thing we need is a gifted supervillain. The Black Knight, did he find anything?"

"No one has seen him since Clown broke into the warehouse two weeks ago, your majesty. But my guts tell me he's out there, looking for the killer. Just like us,"

"We have to catch before those UFH come sniffing around Barton. No matter what happens, I won't allow UFS to step into my kingdom as long as I live" King Richard's face turned colder and serious.

"Deploy all the resources you have Barton. I want this killer found and apprehended before he causes a riot in my kingdom,"

"But if he has Harvey's power as the thieves claimed, we might need the Black Knight's help, your majesty,"

For a moment, King Richard's eyes twitched. But since the Black Knight wasn't a gifted one, King Richard reluctantly decided to seek the Black Knight's help.

"Light the signal and call the Black Knight" King Richard ordered. The signal to call the Black Knight has been locked for a long time since Minister Reagan turned into Scarface.

Now they had no way but to light the signal again to find the killer quickly. Otherwise, the UFH would overtake the case and set up a base in Veland, which King Richard would never let happen.