Chapter 3: Legend of the Black Knight

“Ni chan! Ni chan! Why are you crying?”

“Because I just can’t take it anymore, Cloe.”

“But Ni chan, I didn’t hurt myself that badly!” A little girl giggled and then dashed into Haylee’s sight, pigtails on her head bouncing up and down. She spun around on her foot and gave her a big smile, “Come on Ni chan! Push me on the swings! Please?”

There was more giggling as Haylee closed her eyes and opened them again to stare at a shabby, cracked brown ceiling. She had hoped that the scene with the little girl had been real and the pounding in her head nothing more than a headache.

She kept still, letting her eyes adjust to her surroundings. Where ever she was, the furnishings were rather sparse. There was a clicking sound and then a screech. Cold air hit her along with the echo of heavy footsteps.

“Get up. I know you’re awake.”

Haylee stirred from her spot, her heart dropping into her stomach since she wasn’t sure what to expect. It was also one of the last people she really wanted to see.

The dark man stared at her with his single cold eye. His left was covered by a patch for reasons unknown. He was the man with the devil’s eye and Haylee was connected to him… in some way.

If only she could remember.

He walked towards her and then circled her, his breath hitting her at various intervals, sending shivers down her spine. He came back to where he started and stopped. Peering down at her, she felt even shorter and belittled. ~Stay calm… Think.. Happy thoughts… riightt~

He finally spoke, “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it Haylee?”

If she had not been trained in the art of deception, Haylee’s face would have fallen. Instead she kept her feautres schooled and looked him in his single eye, “Yes, it has.” She didn’t say his name. She didn’t know his name and she wasn’t about to let him know that.

He smiled. A cool little smile. On reflex, Haylee swallowed. She folded her hand into a fist at her side and dug her nails into her palm, reminding herself that this was reality and this was not the time to be overly bold in word or in action.

There was something in his eye that set her reeling. It also made her wonder about just what kind of relationship she had with this man. He took a step forward, coming closer. ~Don’t move.. Don’t move…~ He took two more and like it or not, Haylee stepped
backwards. He was too close for comfort now.

Her back hit a wall behind her and the man smiled just a little more. He lifted both hands and planted them on either side of her head, “You don’t have to pretend.” He leaned in closer to her, placing his right cheek almost against hers. He whispered in her ear, “I know you can’t remember.”

He pulled away and then with his pointing finger on his right hand, he traced the outline of her chin, “I’m the reason for it.”
He pulled away from her farther, walking back towards the door, “They call me the Black Knight, but you may call me Driedell. If you’ll follow me, I wish to show you something.”

Driedell turned and walked out of the room leaving Haylee the choice to stay or to follow.

Had he said what she thought he said? That he was the cause of her misery? Of her frustrating inability to remember?

The door continued to sit swung open, an inviting gesture. Haylee felt like a mouse and the opportunity to gain answers was the cheese to the trap.

Tucking that thought into the back of her mind, Haylee started towards the door, following after Driedell. She, afterall, had nothing to lose or regret.

At the moment…

It seemed dank and dark. The whole facility seemed to be underground. How far down though, Haylee didn’t have a clue. As she walked, she studied Driedell’s back. He had said that many knew him as the Black Knight, but she had never heard of such a name… or maybe she had?

There were very little signs of activity around her. Just like the woods when she was found.

The woman almost ran into the back of Driedell, his tall form having stopped. He said nothing as she stepped and came up to his left. With his right hand, he spread his fingers in the air before him and then made a circling motion before pushing his hand forward.

Suddenly, the dirt walls and floor fell away. Noise assaulted Haylee’s ears. She stood there, extremely disoriented.

The floor under her feet had become a metal walkway. The close walls had expanded into a huge chamber. Below them, people worked. That made her pause as well, not all of them “looked” human. Had everything she’d been seeing, up to now, been an illusion?

The clamoring of voices died down as Driedell held up his hands. Eyes of different varieties stared up at them, making Haylee start to squirm on her feet. Who were they? Just who was this man? And why did she have to be here?

Driedell opened his mouth to speak, his voice reminding her of a deep, bubbling creek, “My good people, the time of reckoning is quickly approaching! Even now, the higher orders of our current miserable society sit in their high spots of comfort, unknowing the threat that approaches them!”

There was a sudden rally and a cry took place, echoing across the huge room. “Driedell! Driedell!”
Haylee observed the crowd of humanoids, not fully understanding what they could be so happy about. Her mind finally clicked as well on where the name “The Black Knight” came from.

There had been reports coming into OMNI Corps about break outs of mobs. and that someone who went by Black Knight was in charge of their occurances. But Haylee knew nothing more than that, her job occupying her mind. It was not her duty to keep public peace as well, nor her job to investigate suspected terrorists.

Voices continued to echo around her.

“The Black Knight shall save us!”

“We shall be freed from the chains of society!”

“FREEDOM!!”

She glanced up at the man who still held his hands in the air. There was a smile of pleasure on his face. Driedell was enjoying this evident form of worship.

The cries settled down again and he spoke once more, “And now a great one has returned to us! It is a sign!! For the white Knightress graces us now with her presence!!”

He grabbed an astonished Haylee by her fore arm, cleanly spun her to face the large crowd and lifted her arm. The cries were even louder.

“We are blessed!”

“The White Knightress shall guide us!”

“Death to those who’ll now oppose us!!”

Her heart beat in her chest as she stared down at the gathered people. Driedell dropped her arm down, but continued to hold on to it. He gave a small nod to someone in the crowd and then began walking, dragging Haylee along.

His grip was tight on her arm, preventing her from breaking free easily. The two of them came to a doorway that automatically opened. Stepping through, it closed behind them. Immediately, Haylee ripped her arm out of his grip, “What the hell are you doing?”

Her voice was firm and strong. Rubbing the arm she’d just released, she glared at him, “Well?”

“What am I doing? You know exactly what I’m doing,” Driedell said before smiling slightly. Again he walked towards her, Haylee backing into yet another wall out of reflex, “Ah… but I forgot… you don’t remember.” He stared at her with his one single eye.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” He started to lean down, his head coming closer to hers. This was wrong. It was all wrong. Quicker than the blink of an eye, Haylee smacked him hard and then shoved Driedell even harder out of the way.

As she turned to make a dash for the doors, his hand lashed out, catching her by the wrist. In response, Haylee swung around and smacked him across the face again. By accident her hand knocked loose his eye patch.

Away it came with her and she froze. An almost pupiless red eye stared at her. The more she stared into it, the more her body became relaxed. Driedell released the wrist he had been holding and stood back up straight, wiping blood away from the side of his face.

He remained expressionless as he continued to look at her. The whole time Haylee’s mind whirled, drudging up more of the office gossip. The Black Knight had a strange thing about him. He had what was known as the Devil’s Eye. It’s properties were unknown, however Haylee was beginning to wonder if she now knew one of them.

If this was indeed what she thought it was…

Driedell smiled for a brief second and then lifted a hand, his face stern, “Come.”

Against her will, Haylee’s feet moved towards him. His hand reached up and brushed the hair away from her shoulder, “That was always the difference between you and Cloe. You were always the more aggressive.”

He had said the name of the little girl.. the one always calling her sister in her strange flashbacks.

~Ni chan! Why are you crying?~

Driedell lifted a hand and covered her face, “We will just have to find a way to fix that. Now sleep.”

Blackness swept over her for the second time that day. She found herself falling to the ground once again uncontrollably at the dark man’s feet.