Kay and Ector stepped through the golden portal, the dazzling light fading to reveal… snow. A vast expanse of it. Blindingly white, bitterly cold, and stretching as far as the eye could see.
The biting wind howled around them, pulling at their cloaks as snowflakes lashed their faces. The nearest sign of civilization was nowhere to be seen.
Kay groaned, already stomping his feet to ward off the cold. "By the Lion's mane, where in Avalon have we landed? Is this some punishment for my sins?"
Ector pulled his fur-lined cloak tighter around himself, his expression calm despite the circumstances. "Don't be so dramatic, this should be the empire called Russia, the land in which this Red Room can be found."
Kay scowled, glancing around the desolate expanse. "And how, pray tell, are we supposed to find anything in this frozen wasteland? The snow itself feels like it's trying to kill me."
Even though he knew Kay was just being overly dramatic, Ector too thought it strange how far out they had ended up. "Maybe the witch played a trick; I wouldn't put it above them."
His words didn't make Kay's mood any better. "Great, if I learn she did that, I will give her a piece of my mind I will."
"Alright, enough about that. We won't get any closer to completing our mission by standing around here. Let's pick a direction and start walking." Ector said, not wanting to stay out in the snow any longer than they had to.
As Kay and Ector trudged through the biting cold, their armor clinking faintly with each step, they finally spotted the small, leaning hut in the distance. Smoke rose faintly from its chimney, promising warmth and, hopefully, answers.
Kay groaned dramatically. "A hut in the middle of nowhere. Let me guess—haunted, or inhabited by a witch who'll turn us into frogs."
Ector smirked faintly. "At this point, even a witch's fire would be preferable to freezing out here. Let's see who or what lives there."
Kay knocked firmly on the wooden door, his armored fist making a sharp sound. The door creaked open, revealing an elderly woman wrapped in heavy furs. Her eyes narrowed as they flicked from one knight to the other.
"What in the world are you supposed to be?" she asked in Russian, her tone skeptical. "Knights in armor, out here in this cold?"
Kay offered her a kind smile, inclining his head slightly. "Madam, appearances can be deceiving. We are but travelers seeking shelter from the storm."
Ector stepped forward, his voice calm and measured. "Forgive our intrusion, but the wind bites sharply, and we mean no harm. May we step inside, if only for a moment?"
The woman's gaze lingered on their armor, her suspicion clear. "Travelers don't usually wear armor like that. What are you really?"
Kay chuckled softly, the warmth of his humor cutting through the tension. "We prefer to be prepared for whatever comes our way, madam. One never knows when trouble might arise."
Ector added, his tone still polite, "And we're not exactly from around here. We have questions, and we hoped someone of your wisdom might help us."
The woman grunted, stepping aside reluctantly. "Fine. But no tricks, knights. My house is small, and my patience smaller."
The knights stepped into the humble hut, the warmth of the fire instantly a relief against their cold faces. Kay gave her a grateful nod as he removed his helmet, revealing his noble yet approachable features.
"You have our thanks," he said sincerely. "A warm hearth and kind hospitality are treasures greater than gold on a day like this."
The woman eyed them warily but seemed slightly disarmed by their politeness. "Fine words, but what are you after, really? You don't look like ordinary men."
Ector met her gaze steadily. "We seek something hidden, something shrouded in secrecy. We were told it may be near these lands."
Her brows furrowed, suspicion creeping into her voice. "Hidden places and wrongs, you say. Russia is full of both. What exactly are you looking for?"
Kay glanced at Ector before speaking carefully. "A place where they take children and train them to kill. A place without mercy. Do you know of such a place?"
The woman froze, her hands tightening on the edge of the table. Her voice dropped, suddenly guarded. "And what would two armored men want with a place like that?"
Ector quickly noticed her reaction and knew that it was hardly normal; instantly, he grew suspicious about this seemingly old woman.
Kay and Ector exchanged a glance, their shared understanding unspoken. The woman's reaction had betrayed more than she likely intended.
Kay, ever the diplomat despite his humor, softened his tone. "Madam, we mean no harm. But your knowledge of such a place suggests you're not as removed from it as you seem."
The woman's eyes flickered between the knights, her grip on the table tightening. "If I do know anything, it's for my own safety to stay silent. Asking about that place will get you killed."
Ector stepped forward slightly, his voice calm but firm. "If we feared death, we wouldn't have taken up this quest. We are here to right wrongs, to stop the suffering that place causes. If you know something, speak. We will protect you."
The woman hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. The firelight cast shadows across her weathered face. "You don't understand."
Ector looked around the small home and quickly found that it was lacking. For a poor old woman living in the middle of nowhere, the hut was lacking many things.
While he wasn't an expert in this modern age, even he knew enough to notice these things being off.
The home had no soul; it was far too bare for a kindly old woman; barely any decorations and none of the things he expected to see, no knitting equipment, no signs of what she did with her spare time.
While Sir Kay kept kindly attempting to get the old lady to speak, Ector watched her closely. He was trying to see if she was hiding something, but in the end, he had to admit, she truly looked every bit the old lady.
Still, he couldn't get the thought that something was wrong out of his head, he could feel it, but couldn't see it.
Ector's suspicions gnawed at him, even as the woman's demeanor screamed innocence. He couldn't shake the feeling that her reluctance to speak was more than just fear. There was a calculated hesitation in her eyes, a deliberate stalling.
Kay's gentle prodding was met with continued silence, but Ector noticed the subtle shift in her posture, the way her eyes darted to the door, then back to the floor. She was buying time.
Suddenly, it all made sense. The hut's bareness, the woman's evasiveness—it wasn't just fear. She was no helpless old woman; she was a sentinel, placed here to watch the area, which likely meant that the witch had sent them far closer than he had originally thought.
Ector's mind raced. He knew little of the Red Room, but its use of women, girls even, trained from a young age to become loyal assassins. This old woman could indeed be a former assassin, one that wasn't killed later but was put on guard duty.
However, for that to happen, it meant this woman had to be truly loyal, someone willing to die for the cause.
The fact she played her role so well was as sickening as it was impressive. Acting like a confused, scared old woman, she likely had led many young girls to their deaths.
Kay tilted his head, his smile kind but faintly probing. "Madam, I promise you, we aren't here to harm anyone who doesn't deserve it. Whatever you know, sharing it with us might help far more than you realize."
The woman's lips tightened, her hands gripping the table so hard they trembled. Her eyes flicked to Ector, who met her gaze evenly. "I don't know what you're looking for," she muttered, her voice weak. "And if I did, it wouldn't matter. You should leave."
Ector stepped forward, his voice firmer than Kay's but still measured. "Enough games. We know you're more than you seem. You've seen it, haven't you? That place, the one that steals children and makes them killers. You've served them, haven't you?"
Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by a cold, steely resolve. She stood straighter, the frail act slipping away like a discarded cloak.
"You shouldn't have come here," she said, her voice low and sharp now. "You have no idea what you've walked into."
Kay's humor vanished, his posture shifting subtly as his knightly instincts kicked in. "Oh, we know exactly what we've walked into," he said, his voice hardening. "And we're not leaving until we've destroyed it."
The woman moved faster than either knight expected, her hand darting under the table. Ector's reflexes were quicker, though, and his sword was drawn in an instant, the tip pointed at her throat before she could grab whatever weapon she had hidden.
"Don't," he warned, his voice cold.
She froze, her breathing sharp but controlled. Her act was gone now, replaced by the trained calm of someone used to danger. "You won't survive," she hissed. "They'll kill you before you even find the gates."
Kay stepped closer, his usual jovial demeanor gone. "They'll try. But first, you'll tell us everything. Where is it? How far?"
The woman's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You won't live that long." She said, a strong resolve in her voice.
Kay and Ector were no strangers to war, nor to loyalty and sacrifice. They both instantly recognized the tone, that resolve. It was only something a warrior ready to give their life could have.
Ector still hesitated, not willing to cut off her head just yet; she was unarmed and defenseless. So even if she wanted to drag them to death with her, she couldn't.
No sooner had he thought that before the building they were in suddenly exploded, engulfing them in flames and fire as everything was destroyed, even they were both knocked to the ground by the force.
Kay and Ector hit the ground hard, their armor absorbing much of the impact but still leaving them rattled. The deafening roar of the explosion gave way to the crackle of fire and the groaning of collapsing wood. Snowflakes mixed with ash as they swirled around the ruins.
Ector coughed, shaking off the disorientation as he pushed himself to his feet. "She was ready to die," he muttered grimly, surveying the burning wreckage. "And take us with her."
Kay groaned as he sat up, brushing soot from his face. "Damn, I hadn't expected her to be able to do that, no signs of how she did it either. It just exploded."
Ector's sharp eyes caught movement in the distance—shadows weaving through the snow. "Kay," he said sharply, nodding toward the figures. "We're not alone."
Kay stood quickly, drawing his sword. "Well, it seems they've sent a welcome party. How thoughtful."
The shadows resolved into a group of armed individuals on snowmobiles, gliding over the snow like it was nothing.
They slowed down, stopping and stared in shock, not believing what they saw, two knights in the snow, and even more, having survived the explosion like it was nothing.
Kay tightened his grip on his sword, his gaze locked on the group of armed figures atop their snowmobiles. The mix of shock and confusion on their faces was almost amusing. "Seems we've made an impression, Ector," he said, his tone light but ready for a fight.
Ector nodded, his calm demeanor unshaken. "They didn't expect survivors. Their mistake."
One of the figures barked an order in Russian, the group fanning out to encircle the knights. Guns were drawn, the weapons glinting ominously under the pale light. The leader, a burly man with a thick fur-lined jacket, stepped forward cautiously.
"What are you?" he demanded in Russian, his voice edged with suspicion.
Kay stepped forward, his sword glinting in the firelight. "We're knights," he said, his tone unwavering. "And we have no patience for cowards who hide behind guns."
Ector's voice was cold and sharp, cutting through the tension. "You work for the Red Room, don't you? Tell us where it is, and we may spare you."
The leader's eyes narrowed, and without warning, they all opened fire. Not sure what was happening, but deciding to kill these two due to them knowing too much.
Bullets flew towards Kay and Ector, but the knights moved with a speed that was clearly supernatural. They deflected the incoming fire with their swords, the metal ringing out as it met the bullets. None of the bullets managed to get through their armor, bouncing off harmlessly.
Kay moved first, a blur of motion as he charged the nearest snowmobile. With a single swift stroke, he cut the man in half, like a knife cutting through water.
Ector followed suit, his movements equally swift and precise. Within moments, two more men were taken out, and another two piles of snow turned red.
The two moved without mercy; their justice was delivered in clean cuts and quick deaths; neither showed mercy, for they knew that these men deserved none.
The last of the attackers tried to flee, scrambling back to their snowmobiles in a desperate bid for safety. But there was no escape. Ector's blade found its mark with unerring precision, cutting through the air and stopping the final assailant in his tracks.
He looked into the man's fearful eyes. then, with a sigh, he thrust his blade into his neck, shaking his head as the man choked to death on his own blood. "It's saddening to see men be so loyal to an evil cause."
Kay wiped the blood from his sword with a calm, practiced motion, his expression grim as he surveyed the lifeless bodies scattered around them. "Loyalty can be a noble thing," he muttered, "but in service to monsters, it makes them nothing but fools."
Kay kicked over the corpse of the leader, his gaze narrowing. "They were trained to die for their cause, just like that old woman. And they did. But they still haven't told us where the Red Room is."
Ector, having cleaned his own blade, looked back at the path the enemies had come from. Tracks visible in the snow. "Young Kay, you still have much to learn, for they led us right to their lair."
Ector's observation caused Kay to glance up, his eyes narrowing as he followed the trail of snowmobile tracks winding into the distance. "So they have," Kay muttered, a grim smile tugging at his lips.
(end of chapter)
So yeah, plenty of death, these knights, they are warriors, from a time filled with war, they don't hit with the flat side of their swords, they dispense the king's justice.