Scotty's Short Stories

[ScottyMcGee]

I've been writing for a long time now, and I'm currently in the process of editing and publishing this one book.
But I'd like to start off witha few short stories I wrote. Feel free to criticize or praise them in any way.
I'll start off with my favorite short story.....
(note: the whole thing is not here. I'll post the second part later)

The Second Knight
A Tale of Caviar

The doors gave a deathly moan as the knight entered the castle. The moan was so long, so painful, that the outside storm was immediately muted.
Adder Baalum, revered member of the Paladins of Caviar, stood firmly in the dimly lit foyer. As he surveyed the scene he saw the array of sharp decorations hanging threateningly from the ceiling; he knew he should have brought his helmet this time.
But the time was now, and now there was little of it. He had been eager to save a life or vanquish evil, earning his title as “knight” and having “Sir” before his name. All his life, since a little boy, Adder looked up to that day in glory.
The job was considered by a scraggy old man he encountered along the way of his travels. The man was a drunk who did nothing but rant at random travelers.
When the scraggy old man woke up from his footsteps he went hysterical. He blocked Adder’s path and cried: “Don’t!”
Adder said contemptuously: “Out of my way peasant.”
“Don’t! Do not go there!”
“I must continue my journey, good sir.”
“No…you…you don’t know what horror lies there.”
“I am to be a knight, and therefore nothing shall stop me.”
The drunk watched him leave. He started to laugh crazily and said: “What do you seek, sir knight-to-be?”
Adder cleared his throat. “I seek glory, or die trying.”
“Why have glory?”
“To earn my title.”
“Then you are just like the rest of them…all the other knights…”
“What do you mean?”
The drunk gave an eerie sense around Adder. He did not like it one bit. The rugged man repeated: “Then you are just like the rest of them. Do you truly wish to become a knight?”
“Yes.”
“Truly? Knowing all the sacrifices you must make? The pain you must endure?”
“Yes! Yes! Why? Out with it man!”
“Very well. You will find a castle up there, a very strange castle with a beautiful lady said to be held captive.”
Adder whipped out his sword. “Then I shall do my duty and save her!”
“No, wait! You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!”
“You have no idea what you're talking about, drunkard. Now out of my way!”
The drunk staggered a few feet, trying to catch up with Adder. “Remember: glory comes to those who find that their duty is in their ordeals, not in their rewards.”

The trek through the naked woods and up the shivering mountains was arduous, but nothing would stop Adder Baalum from doing his duty, not even the apocalyptic and eternally bare landscape of the Underground Country.
Adder grew suspicious as he approached the castle, through the giant maw of the gate.
No dragons, no foot soldiers, no vampires, ghosts, goblins.
He started to wonder if anything was wrong at all.
The entire foyer was deaf of sound; even his footsteps gave no whisper throughout the halls. It was as if all time had frozen.
Naturally, he climbed the stairs. The higher he went, the higher the chance of something stopping him from getting to the highest room would be. The maiden, or maidens, would be locked up in one room, all the way at the top. If there were any…or maybe there could be treasure waiting for him?
But once he reached his hand for the doorknob to the staircase, the foyer shined brilliantly and a bold and brassy fanfare sounded; the fanfare that announced the arrival of a king.
Adder looked around with his guard up, his adrenaline ready. The torches were lit as was the chandelier. Still, nothing had moved. The echoes of the fanfare rang throughout the castle, until it waned somewhere in the tower, out the window, and out to the dead fields.
Adder waited.
He continued his way through the door, but it was locked and would not budge.
Then he heard someone enter the foyer, and immediately he raised his sword.
The footsteps were below and calm, with no real hurry or alarm.
A finely dressed man, who was quite handsome, walked down the foyer and looked up at Adder speculatively.
“I say, I hope nothing is wrong here with this kind of interruption.”
Adder was lost.
The man laughed, exhaling a lungful of smoke from his mouth. “I think you’ve stumbled into the wrong castle my friend.”
Adder stumbled his words, still looking around the foyer. “Is—is there no…trouble?”
“Trouble? Pah! We were just having dinner. Unless you call Mistresses’ Siofra’s cooking trouble. Come, come.”
Adder walked down the steps cautiously.
“Come, come, we’re having steak tonight.” said the man jovially. He opened the door for Adder to step in first into the corridor.
It was the longest corridor Adder had ever seen, with pictures of past counts, dukes, marquises, and barons of the castle. The man then led the way, but first shook his hand.
“I am Count Lain, the hundredth and thirty-first caretaker of Castle Siofra.”
Adder had not said a word this whole time. He felt as if he just entered a very strange dream. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the place.
He finally spoke: “This…Lady Siofra has been alive for that long?”
“She is an Elvin Lady.”
“In soothe, I thought elves were extinct.”
“Ah, well, it would be foolish to say such a thing. No one can search every cave nor swim every cove nor run every square foot.”
Adder had never been prepared for this. An elf lady? Here? He made sure his tunic and baldric were straight, brushed a hand through his crisp black hair, and sheathed his sword back in at his hip.
Count Lain did not seem to notice how heavily armed Adder was, he did not even ask who Adder was. It was almost as if he knew already. He let out another billow of smoke which nauseated Adder, but he did not want to be rude to the Count and tell him to stop.
The dining hall was also, like the corridor, the longest he had ever seen. The table was ridiculously long, fit for several hundreds of people, and the hall very narrow with a high ceiling.
Sitting at the extreme end of the table was Lady Siofra.
At this distance she was hard to see, but Adder confirmed she was an elf by seeing two sharp ears on either end of the head.
Count lain led him down the magnificent hall, their footsteps ricocheting from wall to wall.
Adder could feel his heart rate pulse the closer they reached Lady Siofra. When they finally did, he could feel it suddenly halt.
So far in this castle, he had seen the largest things he had ever seen. Now this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. How her hair ceased to shimmer, even when there was no sunlight, cascading down her shoulders like some golden waterfall. Her face was perfect, absolutely perfect, no blemishes, no wrinkles, no section that protruded longer than the other.
But there was something wrong, and that was the expression.
Lady Siofra looked down almost unsatisfied at what she was drinking, which was a simple bowl of soup. Adder then realized her expression was not about the food, but it was her natural face. She looked up at him with the most downcast eyes, as if she knew someone dear to her had just been murdered.
“Lady Siofra,” Count Lain bowed. “We have found another guest for you tonight. I hope you will enjoy the company of Mister…”
Adder was too entranced by her to answer quickly. He said: “Oh! I’m Adder Baalum…lady…er…mistress.”
Surprisingly she smiled, though briefly. She said in the softest voice he had ever heard: “You do not need to call me by formalities, Mister Baalum. It is not like we receive visitors this often, and in this weather and time too. Please, sit down.”
Count Lain pulled the chair for him. Then he clapped his hands and ordered: “Mungel! Another order of soup and a goblet for our dear gentleman!”
As soon as Adder sat down, a short butler came, fresh from the kitchen, and set down the soup and goblet. He then went off again without a word.
Adder inspected the soup; there was nothing suspicious inside it. Count Lain sat on the other side, to Lady Siofra’s left. Adder watched him release another puff of smoke before he continued his soup. He set down the pipe, satisfied, and said: “So what brings you here Mister Baalum?”
Adder took the first sip; it was not bad. He then straightened up and said straightforwardly: “I heard from the town of Welt that there is trouble here.”
Count Lain stopped drinking and laughed. “Peasants, they always make up stories, don’t they, my dear?”
Lady Siofra did not answer.
“No one has tried to kidnap Lady Siofra for over a hundred years. This castle is the most secluded castle in the entire realm.”
“Hm, well I have heard otherwise.” muttered Adder.
Lady Siofra had not said a word the whole entire meal, throughout the appetizer and into the meal. Adder began to suspect something. Was Count Lain holding her captive? Against her will? Threatening death unless she gave him pleasure?
Count Lain in fact did not look like the man who would do such a thing. He was a jovial fellow who was middle aged, far older and less attractive for Lady Siofra. He was even showing signs of gray hair at the front.
The “steak” was in fact dragon meat, something very rare, especially in the Underground Country. Adder asked how they had gotten a hold of it.
“We have special quantities in the cellar.” explained Count Lain.
Still, Lady Siofra had not said a word, with those sad eyes not looking to either man. Adder decided to pull her into conversation.
“When did you build this castle, milady?”
She stopped eating, almost surprised that she was chosen to speak. She dabbed her mouth with the napkin before she spoke. “This castle belongs to my family heritage. I was not here when it was built, but it was built even before the Underground Country became…well…underground.”
“That’s a very long time ago. You’re talking eons.”
“Yes, that is a very long time.”
“Where is your family then?”
Count Lain answered, since the Lady seemed too saddened to do so. “All killed during the Great War, or at least some escaped during Castruya’s reign.”
Now it was Adder’s turn to feel solemn. He toyed with his fork and said quietly: “Not really one of our best kings now was he…”
“A corrupt time, yes.”
Dessert finally came, which was an extravagant display of cakes and creams, all of which Adder felt guilty to dig into, but took a small portion of chocolate cake.
When the dinner had ended, Adder could tell there was going to be an awkward moment.
Now what?
“Lady Siofra,” said Count Lain rather seriously, not even laying eyes on her, “please excuse us.”
She nodded and left the dining hall, with Adder staring at her figure.
There was silence. Count Lain looked at Adder with contempt. Adder moved his right hand slowly, down on his hip where the hilt of the sword was. He gripped and waited.
Count Lain chuckled. “There is no need for alarm, Mister Baalum. You may be wondering why I have easily accepted you without question.” He sat more comfortably, with his elbows on the table. “You see, Mister Baalum, Lady Siofra is not well. You may have noticed you may have not, but she isn’t.”
Adder waited for the reason. Count Lain said with a curvy grin: “It is because I have forced her to give me much pleasure.”
Adder slowly unsheathed the sword.
“Don’t…Mister Baalum. I suggest you shouldn’t do that. Do you know the history behind this castle?”
Adder said nothing.
“It is the very first castle the elves built. Ever since their disappearance the have given the job for men to look after it….and whatever family member returns. It is a job that my own family holds with pride, Mister Baalum, for you have seen all those pictures on the corridor. Now, it is said that the elves built a treasure room deep within the catacombs. Now…being that Lady Siofra holds contempt for me—“
“You wish for me to romance her and make her tell me.” finished Adder.
“Eh…yes. Unfortunately I am growing old, and I need...how shall I say...fitter men for the job.”
Adder shook his head. “You sick man. And if I refuse?”
“You will not leave this room alive.”
Adder looked around. He remembered the strange and sharp objects he had seen hanging from the ceiling in the foyer; the same were hanging right above him in the dining hall.
“Come on now Mister Baalum…the Paladins won’t know of your private affairs with the Lady. Do you really have to listen to all those codes of chivalry?”
“A knight must not—“
“Who dares to tell me what a knight must or must not do!” roared Count Lain. Adder hated to admit he jumped at the sudden voice. The Count now laid heavy eyes on him. “Caviar will pay for what they’ve done to the Underground Country, the neglect they put on us because we are literally lower than them.”
“I assure you; Caviar does all it can, why do you think I’m here?”
“True. But one knight isn’t enough, not even a second. Now, I ask you kindly for the last time: Please attend to Lady Siofra and gain that information.”
Adder thought for a long time. A part of him, the youthful headstrong coming-of-age-knight, wanted to do so, whereas the other was the noble man he was to become.
He looked at the Count again.
“No one will know…”

[ScottyMcGee]

Mongul, the short and stubby man, led Adder up the castle to Lady Siofra’s room. The short man was very strange and deformed, along with a limp. Adder asked if he had gotten it from battle.
“No, m’Lord. Since birth.” grunted the man.
Mongul was not one to talk to for a long time, so Adder stopped. They passed by many strange rooms, one being an armory with almost every weapon known to Adder and more.
“I noticed there are no knight statues in this castle.”
Mongul only grunted in agreement. They finally reached the highest room in the highest tower, which surprisingly did not take long. It was probably because Adder spent his thoughts thinking of escape and such.
Mongul said with a dull statement: “Lady Siofra, my Lord.”
“Thank you…”
Adder felt odd saying it to someone who was holding him captive. But no worries, he had a plan, a rather rough one, but once he was in the elf maiden’s room, he would take her out of here at once with his sword in his hand.
The door locked behind him; that did not scare him. The bedroom was almost pitch black, and Adder would not have seen her if it would not have been for the open window with the flowing curtain. She sat there, almost as if she were about to jump off. But no, she was merely watching solemnly out at the thunderous plain.
Adder tried to speak but did not know what to say. He looked around the room, checking every suspicious detail.
Before he could even move, the Lady spoke.
“He wants you here doesn’t he?”
“He’s a very evil man…that Count. But don’t worry milady, I have a means of escape.”
Lady Siofra smirked, dismissing his eager idea as pitiful. “You have no idea what the Count can do. He has majick powers beyond your control.”
“Majick?”
“Yes. Even stronger than mine.”
Lady Siofra was troubled, almost teary-eyed. She stood up and rushed to him, but hesitated when he did not welcome her with open arms. She instead walked very close to him, looking up into his eyes.
“At least…sleep with me…please? Until—“
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.” whispered Adder.
“I thought it was your job to protect me.”
“I can do that in other ways.”
Lady Siofra turned cheeky. “You just cannot admit your desire for an elfin princess like me.”
“I am a knight, and I’m not afraid to admit anything.”
“A man isn’t whole without a woman, Sir Baalum.”
Adder shifted. “I have not earned that title yet, milady.”
“It doesn’t matter…”
She slid under his arms and pressed her head against his strong chest.
“No one will know…”


The next few days, stuck in the Count’s castle, were surreal to Adder Baalum. The intimacy was strange to him. They shared no words about it, they simply did it. He did not like it one bit…but he loved it.
Every breakfast the Lady would be dismissed, and the Count would face Adder with that wall of smoke and ask him if he had done the job. So far, Lady Siofra had said nothing.
And she never said anything.
Because Adder never asked.
He was entranced by her. He would have the conversation ready in his throat, but instead his lips were used for sweet kissing.
It happened like this for some time, and Adder had completely forgotten about his knighthood. He had abandoned his gear and it lay in the armory by Mongul, where it was left untouched in the corner of the room. He was livelier, happier, and the Count was irritated that Adder had forgotten about the treasure beneath their feet.
Lady Siofra became more open to him, but wanted more play than talk. She gave him that devilish smile, that soothing and slithering feeling whenever her arms caressed him.
Adder had also not realized something important.
Her gaze became reddish, her face somewhat changed into fierceness, her ears oddly longer, and lastly her voice was smooth and sultry.
Adder was looking into the mirror, checking out the new suit that was given to him for the next dinner. He had also delved into the riches of the Count during his time there.
Once again, Lady Siofra sauntered into the room, slithering her arms around him.
“Do you really have to go see him..?”
“Yes. I have to make him think I’m still doing this.”
“Hm…come to bed instead.”
“When I come back. I promise.”
“No, stay.”
She held him tight.
Adder sighed. “It’s only a short dinner.”
“Stay…”
She held him tighter.
“Siofra, is something wrong?”
“No…Sir Baalum. Just…next time don’t trust an angel…with horns…”
What came next horrified Adder. Her reflection in the mirror became darker, and darker. Her eyes became inky voids, her elf ears became horns, fangs appeared just as she was about to kiss his neck.
Adder writhed. She pulled her arms up to his neck and strangled him. He could feel the kiss of death right at his skin, his hairs on end.
Adder pulled her and crashed her into the mirror. She did not seem hurt at all by the broken glass, and instead looked at him darkly, hungrily.
Adder checked his neck, but there was no bite. He stood back slowly.
“You’re...you're...vampire?”
Lady Siofra said softly: “Love me now and together we will live forever.” She walked towards him, around him, trapping him. Yet he did not make any move to attack or escape, he simply contemplated.
“You’re the one behind all this. What does the Count have to do with this though? Who are you?”
All she said was: “You want to be a knight? You shall become my knight, my hero.”
Lady Siofra was back to being an elf, innocent and fair, true and beautiful. “Come with me, and nothing will ever be the same again.”
The treasure…we will have it for ourselves!
Adder almost fell over when he heard her voice, but did not see her lips move.
You will become the king of kings, lord of lords, knight of knights, with me at your side as your bride.
Adder stared at her figure, that perfect, slender, seductive figure. His eyes were locked onto hers.
To be granted such things so immediately, and at the right time too! At the peak of his age, when the women glanced at him the most!
Adder turned to face the broken mirror.
There was a shattered vision amongst the pieces on the floor.
It was him…only darker…stronger…more kingly…
The second knight…

[ScottyMcGee]

It grabbed hold of him, slid its sword against his neck with a thin smile. That sword…a better sword than his own clumsy Cavarian type. The sword fit for a king. Everything fit for a king.
Its clothes, the demanding look of the clothes, the kind of clothes that demanded authority and power.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked it, the more relaxed the second knight became and released its hold.
No!
It suddenly held him tight again…so tight…against his own will.
He felt a sharp pierce of pain in his head. So painful that he cried out loud. But even so, he gritted his teeth and managed to speak.
“I…am…a knight…”
Lady Siofra shrieked.
Adder looked down.
His sword had plunged into her heart. At this Adder himself gasped, looking horridly as the beauty escaped her.
Blood trickled down, then gushed and sprayed. It traveled madly through her body, up her nostrils and mouth.
She made one last feeble attempt in her prim and proper voice. “H-How c-could you? I’m…I’m a woman…your maiden.”
Adder let go of the sentiment. He dug the blade in deeper.
“No. You’re a bitch and a whore.”
When Adder released the sword, Lady Siofra’s cry pierced the night sky. The castle itself shook, and Adder realized with dread that he had to escape.
He bashed through the door and stumbled through the shifting hallway. After that he made a mad dash to the armory, where he avoided the falling weapons and strapped on his gear, but did not have time to put on the full thing.
Two knight statues blocked his way with their swords. He dodged backwards as the first one stroked its flail. They were too big for him to fight with a simple sword. He grabbed one of the bigger axes and hewed the first knight into pieces. The second one stopped moving and was almost afraid of Adder.
Adder grinned and hewed the second one as well.
With that he abandoned the ax and returned to his escape.
Along the way down the staircase he saw Count Lain coming up the steps, apparently undisturbed by the terror around him.
“Count! What foulness is in this castle?”
The Count looked up at him blankly.
He let out another billow of smoke..
This time without a pipe in his mouth.
Adder murmured and then shouted: “Smoke…SMOKE!”
Count Lain shifted into a hideous, scaly figure. His eyes became oval and red, his skin turning green, his spine elongating and his legs becoming hind legs.
The dragon.
Adder just barely had time to dash by the Count during his transformation, and now behind him the creature roared and leaped.
The staircase collapsed and Adder fell several feet, slapping his back against the stone floor. He scrambled up to his feet before the dragon could retaliate from the fall.
Down the next corridor he dashed, slashing at anything that moved. The castle itself shifted into a horrible dungeon of death, with the foulest creatures popping up from every corner. Adder’s slashes were powerful, so powerful that sprays of blood stained the carpet and the walls.
Mongul came around the corner.
“Mongul! Flee! Flee!”
Mongul did not move, and instead his eyes grew hungry. He walked towards him slowly, his lips drooling and his arms outstretched like a child learning how to walk.
Adder cursed, ran up and slashed the goblin’s head off.
Then the roar of the dragon came.
Behind Adder was a fury of embers, stretching down the hallway.
He burst into the foyer, leaped to the chandelier, and rolled out on the floor, all with the death traps from above falling down and missing him.
The gate of the castle exploded into a fiery mass of red. The castle shook, still with Lady Siofra’s shriek dragging on.
The long scream lasted until the very last piece of rubble fell to the floor, until the dust settled, the ash stopped sizzling, and all was quiet.
All was now quiet in the country of death.
Adder panted and regained his strength. He was still half wearing his suit and half wearing armor. He tore off the rest of the suit jacket, the cuff links, the tuxedo, the fancy shoes, everything. He cursed it as he threw it into the rocks.
And he waited...waited until his mind was finally satisfied with what had happened. He waited until it looked as if the castle had been destroyed there for years.
With that, he donned his full knight’s gear and trudged down the road he had come.
Adder stopped.
The same drunk from before was in the same spot, only this time he was more sober.
Adder walked slowly past him, avoiding eye-contact. He felt belittled, maybe somewhat embarrassed...stupid even.
The man noticed this, and very slowly watched him leave and disappear around the bend in the road.
The grin came first, then the crisp chuckle, and lastly, the burst of laughter.

(The End)