Born to be Knighted: The Red Army

By Andrew Jollymore

Jessie exited the forest onto his dad's field. The sight before him left him standing still in shock. Instead of a field full of corn, he was seeing soldiers all standing in a line facing him, with many tents and campfires spread over the land. He always had an imagination and had adventures with it, but this was too real. No one moved, but a sound from the forest drew his attention. Clutching his backpack full of books, he watched a trail of fire coming toward him; and then men with swords and men on horseback, all burning red, went past him to the soldiers that stood nearby. Just then one of these burning soldiers drove a burning axe into his backpack and sent him flying. Was this the end of Jessie or just the beginning of the greatest adventure he would ever experience?

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Page 1 of 216

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885402606

Book preview

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Born to be Knighted

The Red Army

Andrew Jollymore

ISBN 979-8-88540-259-0 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-260-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Andrew Jollymore

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

About the Author

Chapter 1

The college bell rang, and Jesse ran down the hall to get outside as fast as he could. His little legs went like the wind, and his backpack was swinging back and forth threatening to knock him over with every step he took. As he reached the outer door, he could hear the distant laughter of his bully Rich and his buddies. Even in college this is happening , thought Jesse. He hit the door handle as hard as he could, but his backpack had other ideas and swung to the side, making his body twist and fall to the ground; all his books spilled out and skidded across the ground. His math books and old history books went the farthest. Jesse scrambled to grab his books, and as he reached his last textbook, a shoe stepped right down on his hand, sending pain shooting up his arm. Turning his head, he looked up at the guy who was stepping on his hand. Rich looked down on him laughing.

Look, guys, the geek has more books going home than we do in our lockers. Let's see what he has.

With that, Rich bent down and grabbed his backpack shaking it, spilling all his books and papers on the ground. Old history papers flew around; the roman empire that he was reading for a hobby fell with a thud. And a group of papers he had stapled together made a lot of noise as they shook falling to the ground.

Look here, guys, the geek is writing a story.

Rich grabbed the story, and flipping through the pages, he laughed.

Guys, it's a love story.

All Jesse could do was beg Rich to stop as his foot was still pressing down on his hand twisting, causing more pain to shoot through his arm.

Please stop that, let me go.

Rich stopped flipping through the pages, slowly looked down onto Jesse with an evil grin on his face.

Sure, little guy, I'll do that.

Rich turned to his buddies. Guys, this story isn't long enough.

With that, he took all Jesse's pages and tore them in half then threw them up in the air, watching them spread around in the wind. The bottom section that was not stapled seemed to catch wind from somewhere and pushed them far away from the building toward a group of people, as the top half weighed down by the extra paper stapled together fell right at Rich's buddies' feet, and they just kicked it away like trash.

Mr. Fletcher, what do you think you're doing? The booming voice of the security guard stopped Rich midlaugh.

We're not done yet, you hear me!

With that, Rich looked quick at the guard and then, using his foot that was still on Jesse's hand, sprinted off, disappearing around the corner of the school. Jesse started to pick up his books, shoving them quickly into his bag, then he stood up and looked at all the papers from his story blowing across the grass in the field. There was no way he would be able to get them all back. While he was looking at the mess, he made eye contact with Grace, one of the girls in the group that the papers flew to; he's had a crush on her for a long time, and this story was about her. She was holding one of the papers from his story. The look in her eyes was one of confusion. Jesse, feeling embarrassed knowing his story had her name in it, looked around for anything else he lost that he could quickly grab; and seeing the security guard walking closer and his time running out, Jesse just grabbed his backpack, shoved just the books in it, and began running again around the corner of the school, the opposite way Rich and his friends ran.

Grace stood there looking at the paper she was holding, and it was hard to make out the one line because it was where it was torn, but she loved stories and wanted to know what Jesse was writing. She had to admit she had a crush on him but was too scared to say anything, so looking at the paper, she began to read,

race and Jesse watched the roaring fire as the light danced across their bodies, the heat from the flame warming them as they lay together in the field with their skin touching, and basking in the love they had for each other, they settled down on their back, looking up at the clear night sky where the stars shone down on them like their love shone back, and watching stars streak across the sky, Jesse knew that he didn't have to make any more wishes, his wish has come true, his love is here next to him, their bodies together as one as they were exposed to the night sky and the fire. They spent the night together never moving from the other's touch.

Grace looked hard at the first word; it was hard to make it out as the rip was right there, but it almost looked like a G. She started to blush as she came to realize it was a story about them. She scanned the area, and with the help of her friends who were making fun of her blush, they made short time gathering it all up and handed it to her. She turned and went the same way Jesse did; maybe now this was an excuse to see if he truly liked her as she will tell him she read it. She disappeared around the corner trying to find Jesse.

Jesse lived many miles from home on a farm. He mostly enjoyed the time alone walking; he was able to think of what he read in the books he had on the Roman Empire, and if he had his pen, he would write down ideas while he walked, but since that was destroyed, he had nothing to do. Jesse felt frustrated. He has been working hard on the farm, building muscles, but he was still a weak person when it came to bullies—he didn't know what to do. Wanting to get home quicker, he decided to cut through the forest. The forest made his walk about half as long, but it was a dark forest, and then he had a few fields to cut across to make it home; still, it cut his time in half for making it home, and he wanted to release some frustration out, so working on the farm would work. Jesse rescanned the forest and roads around him; he had been constantly looking around for Rich and his friends. One thing he had learned in school, starting in public school, was once a bully, always a bully, and it had followed him all the way to college. One thing with Rich was that when Rich says it's not over, it is never over. He may get whatever Rich wanted to do to him, 'cause the guard would get him in trouble later today or another day soon, but it has never been to long of a wait, and Jesse had bruises to prove it. That was one thing he has been good at hiding—the bruises he had on him from bullies like Rich. Stopping on the edge of the road, taking one more glance around and seeing that the coast was clear, Jesse repositioned his backpack and then quickly left the road and made quick time into the bushes. Knowing this area, Jesse knew that a path that led through the forest was just on the other side of those bushes, and if Rich didn't see him by now, he should be lucky and have a quiet but fast trip home. Jesse stopped once he was far enough in to hide completely from outside. Looking around, the trees were large, and the top branches made the forest floor dark as they covered any openings with leaves and blocked out most of the sun. Jesse had taken this path many times, and even with the forest dark and full, he knew his way. Jesse thought about trying to run through it, but falling down, he hurt his knee, and his hand still throbbed from where it was stepped on, so he decided to walk, nursing his sore hand and trying to balance his books on his back. Living on the farm and going to school, Jesse always brought all of his books home, including any one he borrowed from the library, like the ones he had now on old times; he used that to let his mind drift away from everyday issues, and since it was a Friday, he had everything in his backpack, which kept trying to keep him off-balance. Even with walking, the number of books that Jesse was bringing home made every step a cautious one, with the rocks and roots and the swinging of the bag making every step a plan and a calculation of what can happen. The sun was still high in the sky, but the shadows of the trees made it dark in the forest. Jesse loved this time walking in nature, listening to the birds and animals; he was glad they lived on a farm because he could escape away anytime and listen to nature.

Jesse stopped dead in his tracks and listened carefully. There was something off right now, and he didn't know what, so he looked around slowly checking every tree and bush around him. It came to him what was going on—there were no birds singing, there was nothing, dead quiet, so quiet he could hear his heart beating in his chest going faster and faster. He had no idea how long that was going on for. Jesse started to walk slowly, listening hard for any sound. Then came the sound he didn't want to hear; there was a crack of a branch behind him. Spinning around to look where it came from was his first mistake. The weight of the bag against his unprepared body sent him to the ground. Lying on the ground not moving a muscle, he listened for any more noise. Then it came—another dreaded noise, another crack from a branch; this one was not in the same location, but this one was to the right of him. Jesse strained his ears listening, and the faint sound of shhhh and some laughter came from the forest to Jesse's ears, and he knew right away it was Rich and his bully friends. Squirming out of his bag, he pushed it off the trail and rolled over to his knees and listened once more. Once more the echoing sound of another crack sent Jesse to his feet and the scream of He heard us, get him! sent his legs into overdrive, running as fast as he could. Feeling every step he took, his knee was screaming for him to stop; checking over his shoulder to see if he was clear, his eyes caught the last thing he wanted to see in the forest. He saw Rich coming out of the trees onto the path behind him. Rich being a bigger guy and with his guys wherever they were, Jesse knew he could not outrun them, so it was time to use his brain and get off the path since he knew this forest, and he hoped they didn't. He took his chances; being a little distance from them, he darted off the trail, running down the hill as fast as he dared. His legs were taking larger steps, gaining more speed; from their voices he could tell they were somewhere behind him—how far, he dared not look. Then he the worst case possible happened; he felt something hit his back. Whatever it was, it sent him forward completely off-balance, and he couldn't stop his feet from moving, so he prepared for what was coming—a face-plant on the ground. With the steep hill he was on and the speed at which he was moving, he did not stop. With the one time hitting the ground, he started to tumble, hitting bushes and branches all the way down; his mind was working overtime as his body was rolling like a rag doll. One thing he kept telling himself with every hit of a branch or a bush scraping through his body was to stay limp; that was the only way he may be able to get away. Each hit sent pain screaming through his body.

When he finally came to a stop, he felt blood running down his face and saw blood on his arms, and his pants were torn to pieces and stained with mud and started to show signs of where he was cut on his legs. He forced himself up and started to walk. With all the hits he took on the fall, he was in a daze, but he still had enough sense that he knew that he still had to keep moving and try to get away from them. Jesse stumbled and fell many times; the pain in his legs and rest of his body was warning him that he will not be moving fast, so he had to hide. Taking a quick look up the hill, he was past a ridge, so the guys could not see him, but he heard them talking and moving closer. Looking around, he noticed a hole in a tree stump. The tree was missing the top part of it, ending about twenty feet high; and on the base, there was a large hole that was open wide enough that he figured he could hide in the center of the tree out of sight. Jesse has walked though this forest many times over the weekends, and he never remembered seeing this, but now was a perfect time to find something new as he squeezed his body through the opening and into the center of the tree. Never seeing this before didn't give him any concern as his mind was still in a daze. He tried to clear his mind as it was throbbing, and he felt wetness on it, so he figured he was bleeding. Hearing the guys closer, he worked on his breathing and started to take slow, deep breaths. This was working; it calmed him down, and the clouds in his head were starting to vanish. The voices came closer, and he took slow breaths, listening to the voices get closer than farther away as they were talking that he had to be somewhere around. When the voices went quiet, he waited a little longer, and being in such a tight spot and being so still, his body was starting to go against him wanting to move. He listened a little longer; still hearing nothing but the birds that returned, he figured it was the best time as any to get away. He started to squeeze through the opening, but then the ground under his feet dropped down a foot, causing him to get stuck in the opening. His chest was pressed hard, and breathing was difficult, so Jesse forced himself back in quickly; as he did, the entire ground vanished, and he was in no position to stop his fall, and down he went into the void that was under him. He hit roots and rocks as he fell, and then the bottom came up quick, taking out every bit of air he had in his lungs. This caused more pain screaming through his body, more than he could handle, and the blackness started to envelop him, and a peace came over him. Just before his eyes closed, he heard Rich yelling to his friends that he had to be around here somewhere, and the last thought that went through his mind was that there was no way they would find him down here, wherever he was; blackness overcame him, and his body went limp in the dark hole.

Grace went down the road, and off in the distance, she watched Jesse dart from the road and into the forest. She continued her walk trying to catch up to Jesse as she really wanted to know if he liked her. The story he wrote must be a good one as the part she read gave her tingles. As she was walking along the road to where Jesse was, she noticed Rich and his friends farther up the road going into the forest. Run, Jesse, run! she thought as she quickened her pace to reach Jesse. The path was hidden from view, but getting close to where he left the road, Grace moved down to the bushes and made her way slowly through the thick bush till she found the path; and then entering the dark forest, she felt a strange feeling come over her, but shrugging it off, she continued down the path watching out for Jesse. When she saw him again, it was too late; the guys were already there, and all she could do was watch in horror as Jesse ran, and then she watched as he tumbled down the hill out of sight. Fearing that he was dead or really hurt, she took the hill with a speed that was too much for her, and she fell out of control, rolling and smashing into what felt like every tree and bush on the way down. When she finally came to a rest, she knew she still needed to help Jesse; and in pain, she worked her way to her knees and then her feet, but as she reached the standing position, there was a fog that entered her head, and the ground started to spin, and all she remembered was the ground impacting her head. Once her body rested on the ground, a blackness worked into her mind, and she passed out.

The sound of running water started to ring in Jesse's ears. He twisted his body and stopped as the pain was unbearable with every move, so he lay there listening to the water; with his mind still a fog, he couldn't picture where that water was coming from, but with that sweet sound, he drifted back into darkness.

Jesse sat up quickly, hitting his head on the ceiling of the hole he fell into; the pain from his head and his body brought him back to what has happened, and he sat in the darkness listening to any sound. Again, all was quiet. Now he was thinking that, before, he heard water, but this time nothing, which was strange, but no sound was good at this moment because it could mean that Rich and his friends may have moved on. Slowly Jesse started to climb up the hole, feeling mud squeeze between his fingers with every press he made, and it only made him want to exit quickly, but from past times with Rich, it was never good to rush because they seem to always be hiding somewhere. For what seemed forever, Jesse eased up slowly and finally made it to the top, where he could start to look around. The sun was low in the sky, creating dark shadows throughout the forest. Listening hard, all Jesse could hear were the birds chirping; and in his mind, that was a good thing. He slowly crawled out of the hole and lay there feeling the mud all over his clothes, which were in rags from all the rips. Listening and not hearing anything that should not be happening, he got to his knees; feeling the pain shoot up his legs, he quickly got to his feet. That sudden movement made his head feel very light. He stood still for several minutes waiting to either pass out or feel better, and in a few minutes, he started to feel better. Jesse opened his eyes and scanned all around him; for some reason, the forest looked different, but putting that to the cuts and bruises that he had. He looked up the hill and started to climb upward going slow and steady. About an hour later, Jesse finally reached the path where it all started. The sun was getting close to setting, and Jesse knew that he had an hour max before he would not be able to see in the forest. Moving as quick as he dared, he started walking back the way he came, scanning the ground all around the path looking for his books. When he was about to give up and come back tomorrow, he spotted his bag. Moving quickly, he reached down and pulled it up, feeling lightheaded and pain shooting through his arm; he stood still for a few minutes with eyes closed. After he felt better, he opened his eyes, looking up and down the path. Then he started the trip again back home. What was really strange to Jesse was that the clouds that have come into the forest halfway up the trees disappeared into this fog, and it had a strange red glow to it. Figuring it was the setting sun, Jesse quickly walked down the path hoping to make it out before dark. The farther Jesse walked, the more this cloud came down the trees; now it was only about five feet above his head. Jesse stopped for a minute to catch his breath, and looking back up the trail, there was a strange red glow coming in the fog. Thinking it was the sun setting, Jesse was only concerned with the darkness coming and again quickened his pace to get through the forest.

As Jesse finally reached the end of the forest, he looked down the hill over the fields he will have to pass through, and something strange was on the field. Down around the second field, there looked like several fires burning in the field, and he can hear some chant happening with something like metal hitting together. Standing still hugging his backpack, Jesse tried to make sense of this. Squinting more, he could almost make out what looked like people there, but something was off about them. They looked like they were wearing something and holding shields. The sound of horses running behind him broke off his stare into the distance and back into the forest that started about ten feet behind him. This orange glow, which now was not from a setting sun, was getting brighter, and the sound was getting louder. Stepping backward, Jesse watched the forest as this glow continued to get brighter and the sound was getting closer, and now the chanting in the field was also louder. A horse started to appear through the fog, which made Jesse close his eyes and reopen them 'cause this was not a normal thing; this horse was on fire, or this horse was made of fire with a rider on it that was made of or was on fire. Shivers ran throughout Jesse's body as this horse and another ran past him, the rider staring at him with hollow dark spots where eyes should be. Frozen in fear, Jesse could only look and slowly looked into the forest past the line of horses to see a group of things running down the path. The fog lifted enough that this line of these creatures was seen going far into the forest. Horse after horse rode past him, each one on fire wielding a sword and staring at Jesse with their dark eyes. Jesse was stepping farther back to the side of this line when he noticed that instead of horses coming out of the woods, there were soldiers or what he thought were soldiers, each one carrying a sword or axe in their hand and a shield in the other; but with all them being on fire, Jesse was again frozen in his tracks by fear. Each of these soldiers was staring at him, just like the guys on the horses were, and all had black eyes. Jesse squeezed his backpack tighter, hoping this nightmare or whatever was happening was going to stop soon. One of the running soldiers stepped out of the line exiting the forest and ran right toward Jesse. Jesse could not move but just stood there, watching like he would a TV show. This soldier was carrying a large axe; the roundness of the blade seemed to glow brighter than the rest with this fire. This soldier kept running right at Jesse, and when he was a few feet away, he grabbed his axe with both hands and brought it back over his shoulder. Jesse just stood still, unable to move, and watched with wide eyes, still not believing what he was seeing. The soldier took a step to the side as he was running and, swinging his axe like a bat, drove the blade right against Jesse's chest. The axe hit its target but stopped at the backpack. The force of this hit sent Jesse flying backward, feeling his backpack vanish from his arms and this fire glow all around him and his chest feeling like it was on fire, yet this enveloping fire was around him but not touching him. Several feet from the hit, Jesse made impact to the ground. Every inch of his body hurt, and this fire seemed to soak into his body, not burn him. Eyes wide open trying to catch his breath, Jesse gasped for air. As he was gasping, these fiery soldiers all stopped in their tracks and looked upon Jesse. Jesse, fearing now for his life as his body seemed to be on fire from the inside, pulled himself to his feet. There creatures or soldiers let out a deafening scream, and they all stopped in their tracks. Jesse was trying to move, but he couldn't; his legs refused to move, but those eyes seemed to glow red now, not black; and then with one more loud scream, the fiery creatures turned and ran back into the forest. Man after man were all running back the way they came, but this time, not one was looking at him; all were looking at the fire in front of them. Then the horses came and left; again, not one person was looking at him, just at the person or thing in front of them. After the last one went into the forest, the fog came down and hid everything from his sight. This fog was so thick that the forest entrance that was only a few feet away could not be seen. The fog still had a light-orange glow, and it wasn't from these creatures. This glow was coming from Jesse. Jesse dropped to his hands and knees, not trusting his feet; he started to crawl toward the forest. The glow helped light some ground around him, so he was able to move forward; and after a few minutes, he found the beginning of the forest with the bushes lining the edge. Jesse pushed himself forward into the bush where he figured he was safe and lay down on his back. This glow he was giving seemed to tighten every muscle that was making him want to get up and run or fight, but with everything that was going on, wherein his eyes were telling him one thing and his brain another, he decided it was best to hide and try to figure out what was going on. With all this and the tightening of his muscles, Jesse closed his eyes to try and think, and a peace overcame his body, and he passed out one more time into a red-glow-dream-filled state of mind.

Grace woke up feeling the pain of her fall though her body, and she slowly rose to her hands and knees then to her knees alone, and with the help of a tree beside her, she pulled herself to a standing position. Knowing first aid, she took account of all her injuries and her torn clothes. Before she moved, there was a red glow moving along the path; something about it was strange, and all she could do was watch it move, and looking around, she noticed that the forest was covered in a dense fog too. Scared for what that was, she slowly moved down the hill; knowing that there was a field at the edge of the forest, she may be able to see Jesse or at least his place, and since it was dark out, they could call her place since their families were friends. She slowly made her way down and came out of the forest at the edge of the field, and what lay before her shocked her and made her freeze in her tracks. It wasn't until a man grabbed her, yelling something at her, and dragged her to a waiting woman; she grabbed her shirt yelling and pulling her in a camp of some sort. Her mind was still foggy, and she had no idea what was happening, but shortly after the lady dragged her into this camp, she was ordered to add more wood to several fires that were getting low. Still not knowing what was going on, she tried her best to add wood to the fires. After that task was completed, the larger lady yelled again, giving Grace another task. She tried to talk to the lady to find out what was going on and that she wasn't supposed to be here, but the lady was hearing none of that and yelled again her orders and demanded that they get done at once. Grace figured till she can see what's going on, it's best to obey; she did witness the force that the lady hit you with if you didn't obey; and with her body already sore from the fall, it wasn't a good idea to get on this lady's bad side. Whoever she was and whatever was going on here, she will figure it out; it had to be some sort of play or dungeons and dragon game that she heard about. But this was so real it was amazing but scary. Grace worked on her next task to see where this was going.

Chapter 2

The fog was starting to leave Jesse's head, and he could hear voices talking in the distance. He shifted and felt a sheet slide over his chest.

Oh, that was a weird dream, Jesse mumbled softly to himself; he stretched and, with his eyes closed, tried to recall what happened. He remembered falling down a hole to hide from Rich, and that was where everything turned weird. From the fog rolling in to the fiery creatures to the fires in the field. As Jesse was getting more aware, he felt his body telling him all the spots that hurt, and this burning in his chest was still there. How did he get home? That was something he had to ask his dad. With his eyes closed still, Jesse swung his feet off the side of the bed and onto the floor in the sitting position; he cradled his face in his hands and started to think of everything as his toes dug away at the grass on his feet. Why did I dream of that? was the main question in his mind, then his brain started to work faster as his toes worked the grass?

Grass on my feet. What the… With that, he opened his eyes and looked at his feet; they were indeed in grass, not the floor of his bedroom, and looking around, he was in some kind of tent. There were some crests on the outside that cast shadows inside. The sides were held up with some tree limbs that looked fresh, and the bed he was on was just a wooden frame with grass for a mattress. Now that Jesse was getting a clear head, he heard two people outside chatting.

I can't believe that it happened. They ran away—they never do. That kid can't be over ten stones.

Ten stones, thought Jesse. That was strange, and thinking of the reading he has done, he remembered that in the olden days, a stone was a weight measurement, and one stone was fourteen pounds, so they said he was 140 pounds. But why would they talk like that? This was all weird. Jesse placed his face back into his hands and moaned with all that was happening. The talking stopped, and Jesse heard the rustle of the tent, but with all that was going on, he didn't want to look. Too worried that things were going to be like he feared—strange.

You stand up. My lord wants to see you.

Jesse felt a push on his shoulder, and with that, a burning feeling started in his chest and started to crawl to every point of his body. Jesse slowly stood up, still looking at the ground, and then slowly raised his head and slowly opened his eyes, scared of what he will see. What his eyes were seeing, his brain couldn't understand it; standing in front of him were two guards. Both were wearing metal armor, and both had swords drawn, and the sun through the entrance was shining off their blades. This burning inside Jesse became more intense, and the muscles were tight again, and before Jesse could understand what was happening, his body sprang into action while his brain was still trying to understand what he was seeing. His body moved like fire, twisting and turning around the guards. Jesse felt like he was watching a show, not being the one doing this. As he moved around the first guard, his body twisted like he'd never done before, and he freed the sword from the second guard; and now at the back of the first guard, his feet rose high in the air, and he kicked the first guard, sending his sword one direction and his body tumbling to the ground in another direction, and as the guard hit the ground, Jesse's body moved to standing over him, one foot on either side of his chest, with his right hand holding the sword straight out to his side. Now Jesse was regaining sense in his body and removing his eyes from the fallen soldier to the end of his sword, which was having the tip of the sword touching the Adam's apple of the second guard. Jesse quickly dropped the sword and moved back off the guard. With fear in his eyes of what just happened, he backed into a corner; the burning feeling was again just in his chest. It had vanished from the rest of his body.

I'mmm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that.

Jesse crouched in the corner fearing the worst of what may happen. But to his surprise, the guards slowly stood together, both putting their swords back in the sheath; the first guard stepped forward.

I apologize for the misunderstanding. We are not here to hurt you. My lord wishes to see you and figure out how you made the Red Army retreat. Please come with us. With that, the guards moved to the entrance and opened the flap. Jesse stepped out, and the sun was high in the sky and blinding to Jesse's eyes. The tent was darker than he expected, and it took several minutes before his eye adjusted to the bright sun. When his eyes finally adjusted, what he could see still puzzled him. There was row after row of tents, and looking around, he noticed they looked the same as the one he just got out of, and every so often, there was a campfire burning, and there looked like three or four people around the fire and women running around carrying food, and some were cleaning. But everything was done in a strange way, and if Jesse's mind was working right, and he was wondering if it was, they were doing it in ways that he read in the book, and that didn't make sense—it was about olden times. Standing there, Jesse noticed more and more people stopping either walking or talking and staring at him. Again, being the new kid, like in school, sent shivers up his spine. The guard close to him coughed.

Please follow us. He is waiting.

And with that the guard motioned with his arm which way to go. Jesse slowly started to follow the first guard as the second followed them. As they made their way through the camp, everyone who noticed Jesse stood up and put a hand on their weapon—either an axe or sword. They watched this trio walk; they all had either fear or concern in their eyes. Jesse was used to people staring at him as he walked the halls at school, but having it done here with the look of fear in their eyes was new. Normally it was anger or disgust that he'd seen. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the females staring at him; he turned to get a better look, but with the sun right behind her, it was hard to make out who it was, but he could have sworn that it was Grace. Before he could say anything, someone grabbed her and pulled her out of sight. Jesse stood still trying to see if he was correct but was interrupted by the second guard telling him to keep moving. The walk through the camp seemed to go on forever, and so did the tents and men that he'd seen. As they walked, the end was near, and just to the center on a row all by itself stood a tent that was larger and bigger than any of the others. The front guard turned and headed toward the larger tent. The field behind the tent, Jesse recognized by the way it rolled into the distance, but where his house should have been, there was nothing but a few trees there. By this time, they stopped at the side of the tent, and a few soldiers came out carrying rope. The front guard stepped forward alone and whispered to the front guard who came out of the tent. The new guard looked at Jesse with a surprised look but then stepped around the first guard who was walking with Jesse, and he slowly proceeded up to Jesse. Jesse was wondering about everything that he had been seeing, and as this guard slowly approached Jesse, he noticed that many guards around Jesse were either standing with their swords drawn, or like the group that was many feet away that had bows, they were all drawn back and aimed at Jesse. Now this complete scene was being understood by Jesse how dangerous it was becoming. With that knowledge, the burning in his chest started to grow stronger. Stepping back, Jesse held up his hands in a defense posture.

I'm not here to cause any problems. I don't understand what's going on. Please don't tie me up. Even as he spoke, Jesse kept stepping backward right into the guard who was standing behind him. At least this guard didn't have his sword drawn.

The guard spoke in a caring way toward Jesse. We're not here to hurt you, but from what you did to us and the Red Army, you must understand why we must do this. He is only going to tie your hands for protection of Lord Torren. Please let us proceed with this.

This peace that was spoken to Jesse put him at ease, and he slowly moved his arms down and in front of himself with the wrists together.

No. Behind your back, and be still, or the armed guards have orders to open fire.

Glancing over to the guards whom Jesse noticed were standing in the open field, each had their bow drawn fully back aiming at him. He slowly moved his hands behind his back and felt the rope get tightly wrapped around his wrists. The burning in his chest was strong but didn't seem like it was moving to the rest of body like before. Everything that was happening was still strange to Jesse, but he was starting to understand someway somehow he was back in time. How and why were still the questions he had ringing through his mind, and with the reading he had done on the Roman times, he hoped it will help him understand what was going on. A quick jerk of his wrists brought Jesse back to the present; he felt extreme pressure on his wrists from the ropes. Now he was pushed from behind, making him stumble forward right into the first guard who led the way to this tent. This guard grabbed Jesse while dropping his sword so Jesse wouldn't fall down. Jesse's eyes were locked on the sword glistening in the sun, this burning sensation getting stronger, and his arms were burning from this.

There was no need for that, he has complied to all our orders, bellowed this guard at the one who pushed Jesse. He helped Jesse stand up, then he picked up his sword, holstered it, and, with a gentle hand, directed Jesse to the large tent. At the entrance, the guard stopped. Lord Torren, we have your guest outside.

Both flaps of the entrance to the tent were pushed to the side as two guards held it open and stood on the edge of the doorway.

Please come in, young fellow, sounded a voice of control from somewhere deep in the tent. With the sun high in the sky, Jesse standing at the door still could not make out anything inside the tent; it seemed like it went on forever inside. Jesse slowly stepped inside the door, and as his eyes were adjusting to the contrast in light, he was making out things close to him. Two guards stood inside the tent on either side of the door, and off to his right was some sort of table with a cloth draped over it, and on this cloth, there was some crest on it. Jessy figured it was the crest of this Lord Torren that he was going to see. Jesse now moved his eyes to the left side, and all along the wall of the tent stood poles and on each pole draped a flag with another crest on it. Now why would he have so many, and just past the poles, he noticed a large bed, and this bed sure didn't look like it was stuffed with grass. Jesse moved his eyes farther, and there was another table, and again a crest was hanging on the front of this table, and behind it sat a figure. It was too dark to make out who it was, but the figure stood up and motioned with his hand to come forward. Jesse started to walk slowly toward this figure and quickly looked back as he'd seen the flaps of the door drop down, cutting out the bright sun, and the two guards moved closer together, blocking the exit.

Please don't be afraid. I will do you no harm. We just have many unanswered questions that I hope you can help me with. Please come have a seat. With the speaking, Jesse turned back to this figure and watched as he moved around the large table and moved a chair closer to the table, and then he proceeded to sit on the front edge of the table. Jesse slowly moved and slowly started to sit, but the tied hand became awkward, and he fell back into the seat, causing it to tip over to the side, sending Jesse to do a face-plant on the grass floor. The man quickly moved to Jesse's aid and, while picking him up, noticed that his hands were tied. The man quickly turned to the guards and, with anger on his face, spoke, Who tied this man up? I want him in here now. Get one of the maids with water, get him clean, and untie him now!

One guard quickly exited the tent, and hearing some harsh tones being spoken, it was less than a minute, and the guard who tied Jesse up entered the tent and, without delay, produced a knife and cut the rope binding Jesse. I'm sorry, my lord, we just wanted to protect you. He disarmed two guards the second he was awake. I just wanted your safety to be certain. With that, he bowed his head and stepped backward.

Standing up, Lord Torren looked right at the guard, anger flooding his face. I told you that he was my guest and not to harm him. I don't care what he did, you were not informed about any binding or restraints that were required for my guest. Now leave us. He bellowed that last word that seemed to echo in the tent, and the guard quickly turned and exited the tent, almost knocking over a woman carrying water into the tent.

You called, my lord? asked this girl in the sweetest voice that could have entered this tent.

My guest has fallen and became unclean. Please clean him up. With a wave of his hand toward Jesse, the girl sprang into action and quickly moved to Jesse and placed the water bowl on the ground. With that, Jesse started to reach for the cloth that was floating in the water but was abruptly stopped by this girl.

Please, sir, you just sit and allow me to clean you up. It will be my pleasure. With the fastest hands he'd seen, she proceeded to wring out the cloth and removed all dirt and blood from Jesse's face. Then she quickly soaked the cloth and started to wipe his arms. As she was working on the dirt that was ground into one of his arms, the tent flaps quickly opened and shut as a guard and another girl came in; he was holding her tight by the arm and half dragging her into the tent.

Sorry to bother you, my lord, but this female does not belong to anyone here. She must be a spy for the Red Army. He then pulled her to his chest and pushed her to the ground, making her fall like a rag doll; her hair messed and draped over her face, no one could see who she was.

Lord Torren stood up and motioned for the guard to pick her up. No words were needed, and the level of stress rose by the second during this time. When the guard grabbed her by the hair and lifted her to her feet, Jesse felt the burning force move from his chest to every extension of his body, and the guard twisted her hair holding her tight causing her to scream in pain was too much for Jesse. The burning was so extreme every muscle felt like it was on fire, and without thinking, Jesse grabbed the pail of water, spilling it on the girl who was working on him; moving his body like a dancing fire, he rotated around Lord Torren and brought the pail to the guard's head. The guard had some gold patch on his helmet that shattered on impact, and the force continued to the helmet, making it dent inward and causing the guard to fall straight to the ground, letting go of Grace. While he was falling, Jesse grabbed the handle of the sword as the guard's grip disappeared from it. He then drove the sword into the ground over the top of Grace and knelt down beside her; his eyes burning, he looked around at everyone. The two guards held their swords but haven't removed them yet from their holders. Lord Torren just stood still looking down at Jesse without fear marked anywhere on his face. The maid was crying, hiding behind the large desk that Lord Torren was sitting on. Jesse was now starting to figure that this burning he feels gave him the strength and ability to do this. Remember reading that you should never show weakness. So he hoped he was correct and was going to use that right now.

I do not wish to harm anyone, but I know this female, and anyone that wants to hurt her will have to do so through me. He twisted the sword in the ground, looking around at everyone who was there. The guards had their swords out now but still stood at the entrance of the tent. Lord Torren gave a shrug of his shoulders, walked back to his desk, and sat on the edge making eye contact with Jesse after he sat down. Seconds seem to move at a crawl as if each second was an hour as everyone stood still. The burning in Jesse's body has not died down, and this time he was grateful for that. Looking back and forth at everyone, Jesse was waiting to see who'd move first. It was Lord Torren who brought time back to the proper rhythm. Looking at the guards, he waved his hand for them to re-sheathe their swords, which they did, but not removing their hands from them at this moment. Now Lord Torren brought his attention back to Jesse.

I told you we will do you no harm, and if this female is known to you, then she will not be harmed also. Please come have a seat. We seem to have much to discuss. Now Lord Torren brought his attention to the guards at the entrance. Please take this guard to the medical tent and leave us alone for now. The guards obeyed the orders and exited the tent, only to return with some planks to carry out the guard who was still on the ground not moving; and with swift action, they removed him from the tent. Jesse was still covering Grace, but the burning in his body was not as intense as it was before. Lord Torren turned to the crying girl now. My darling, there is nothing to fear. You can leave now, but say to no one what happened here. With that the girl quickly gathered herself up and ran out the tent like it was on fire. Now it was just the three of them in the tent. Jesse slowly released the sword, leaving it half buried in the ground, and stood up.

You promise no harm to either of us? Jesse questioned Lord Torren.

No harm will be done.

Before he could continue, Grace looked up—blood and dirt all over her face—at Jesse, and her eyes became wide as she recognized a friendly face. She sprang up and hugged Jesse, crying, and then, through tears, moved back from the tight embrace. Jesse, what is going on here?

I will explain everything I know in a few moments, but please don't say anything to anyone, Jesse spoke softly to Grace, wiping away her tears.

You may explain it to her later, but I wish to know now what is going on and what happened. The voice of Lord Torren was one of authority and calm. So Jesse took Grace and led her to the chair that was waiting for him. Looking down on her, Lord Torren then looked to the empty entrance. Guards, come in. Within a few seconds, two guards came in. I want you to go get the lady of the house and bring her here. Now. With that order, one guard quickly departed, leaving the other guard standing at the door. Jesse noticed now this guard had some blue crest on his helmet and chest guard; it was the same one that was draped over Lord Torren's desk. This must be his ground, and looking around at the other crests, Jesse figured that other groups were here under Lord Torren's control. Strange that so many would be in one group. Jesse's thoughts were broken by Grace, who was squeezing his arm tight, pulling him down toward her.

Jesse, can you please tell me what is going on? One second, I was— Jesse cut her off quickly.

Shhh. Don't say a word. I promise I will explain to you everything I know. Trust me please. Don't say a thing. When I get a chance— The flap to the tent flew open, which stopped Jesse midsentence, and the guard and a lady came quickly in.

Lord Torren. The lady of the house you requested.

The lady lowered down to the ground and stood back up looking at Lord Torren.

I want you to take our guest here. It's Grace, isn't it? He talked while lightly touching Grace's arm, who quickly pulled it away in fear. Don't fear, my child. Lady of the house, I wish you to take her and give her a bath and clean attire and attend any injuries she has. With that, the lady quickly came to the side of Grace.

"Grace,