Purity

As long as those watery eyes remember, it only saw the black sky roaring above him and not for once, that sky had lifted. Not for once, he sought purity among those clouds, as they poured down relentlessly. Was it the correct sky for someone who life was told to be a symbol of purity?

As soon as those eyes saw the first light of life, an anonymous power had 

curved out the child’s forehead with a future he must live upon and no one 

else even raised a voice. Ever since then, the sky had not lifted; an internal scar in his forehead had not recovered. The female who gave birth to him and held him in her arms was dripping tears, as if having her son’s future destined by an outsider brought her joy and honour. She named him Stephlor, his name and the last glances of memories were all she had left for him. 

A holy knight is the purest form of human, of justice. People drop their heads before a holy knight; they worship him as the ultimate righteousness. Stephlor 

was chosen to be a holy knight. 

Spring arrived. The boy chosen for such purity had finally touched ends of adolescences. It was time to explore his colossal city for the first time. Yes! 

The first time ever. He was leaving in a carriage, sitting quietly beside the idol 

man of his highest respects, Sir Eugo. In fact, he was the only person he had. A tall sturdy man, whenever he looked up at his face, it was as if the sky had 

pierced down its dark clouds with brightest rays to fall on him. He very much resembled like – purity.

At the age of four little Steph discovered his foretold fate. “A holy knight who people looks up to, just like Eugo” Steph elaborated his own understanding immediately. Steph was sent under church’s training school. Given his foretold position, his presence amongst the students always took a higher level. Teachers and nuns adored him, so did his Sir Eugo who used to visit a few 

times every week. Steph claimed the title of a shining child as he grew, his 

foretold future proved to be more suitable to everyone’s eye. He was 

beautiful in every way. Pure in every way. Any princess would gladly fall for his silky light brown hair. Any great king would cherish those ocean blue eyes as crown treasure. The knight armour would shine bright on his hard but smooth body; even Steph himself became so certain about it. As adolescence hit, fame engulfed him just as it would do to any other, it blinds us from seeing what is beyond that shade of whitely environment. Although he never stepped out from the campus, the city from top of church tower already felt like HIS to protect. However, when the time arrived for him to leave with Eugo during a spring day, it was rather saddening. Almost every girl cried when their holy knight left without even a farewell kiss, not as if they were bold enough to ask any. 

“Your role is greater than any tears, son,” said Eugo inside the carriage. 

The holy knight’s position was to be granted a week after their arrival to the city. Just what Steph expected the city to be – glorious. 

“Eugo, am I allowed exploring the city on my own?” Steph asked his queries 

once they reached a huge mansion. 

“I would love to let you go but I cannot. Do not worry though, I shall certainly give you a guided tour later” Eugo kept his words, rigid but for the first time, they managed to upset Steph. He wanted to explore and gain the regards of citizens who seek the holy knight, who love the holy knight. Steph quit the thought with a sigh and stepped into the mansion. The doors opened to a wide hall and there standing to welcome were three women dressed as maidens. They bowed with a pleasant greeting and when they lifted their heads, Steph halted. He took a second to think again, that those women, those astonishing women were only servants. Their eyes held bliss, and when they excitedly looked at their new holy knight, their smiles threw a burning sensation right down Steph’s spine reaching the ends of his knees. Was it the city’s magic? He wasn’t certain. The mansion was beautiful itself, the servant with black long hair showed his way to his huge room with a cushioned warm bed. 

“Is this what a knight is served, miss?” Steph asked with excitement. 

“Not even close my lord, once you become a full-vowed knight your room will be no match to this puny dwell” she stepped forward and stopped right behind him “You will get all the riches and services you desire” her hand slowly slid over his shoulder. His heart skipped a volcano burst as she slowly stepped back to her position. “Well then, If you need anything just call me” saying this, she left. Such women were never in the training campus so he never felt this odd sensation before. 

The city starred as bright as day during the night. Steph only gazed from within his room with a slight gloom. He instantly walked out to attend Eugo in 

conversation about their visit to the high priest on the following day. 

Preparing a bright smile for his face, he reached the closed door and was 

about to open when a low chatter caught his ear. 

“So, what do you plan to do now Sir Eugo?” a foreigner male voice asked. 

“It is for him to decide now; whatever he chooses shall be understood.” Eugo 

replied. 

“Do you really want to hand him over to the church?” the man asked again. 

“Of course I don’t. That fat bastard will make a living toy out of him.” Eugo 

replied, frustrated. 

“I can agree. That little boy had to lose her mother for that retched already,” 

the man said. Rest of the conversation couldn’t even hit Steph’s ear. He 

stopped at those words. 

“My mother?” he slowly whispered, about to lean in too much when a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist from behind. Its grip fluxed his attention back to reality as he turned around in surprise. He saw, it was the maiden from afternoon, one with black hair – Silica. She quickly put a finger over his lips to prevent any noise. His eyes widen a bit, as she quietly took him back to his room. He couldn’t make a sound then for how startled he was but if she hadn’t pulled him back, he knew what a ruckus it might produce. 

“Whom did they refer as a fat bastard? What about my mother?” queries 

strangled in webs inside his mind. Moreover, it was shocking for him to recall if he even had any mother and if so why didn’t Eugo tell? Steph sat on his bed with a devastated mind and strength. As remembrance of a mother, he managed to force out only a figure with no face. “Who are they handing me to?” this time he spoke it a bit too loud. Silica was present inside too, she closed the doors and arrived in front of him. He lifted his head towards her. 

“I can understand how troubled you might be, lord Stephlor” saying this she gently held his cheeks. Such quick and bold actions, Steph could hear his heart pounding but his troubled mind failed to think of anything else. Her hands were warm enough to make anyone sleep. Her lips were red and wet as they smiled down at him; he lost the sight of anything else. Her strong sweet scent hovered like pink fog around him. “It’s so comforting” he whispered, a bit too loud again. She grinned. 

“Such a pure soul you have my beloved lord, it’s so tempting” she spoke as if 

chanting his heart to pound even harder. Blood rushed wild within his veins as she took his hands and placed them on her back. He gulped. She slowly moved them down where the curve began and even below. Stephlor burst to the strange urge and he finally lost hold to his own movements.

The cloths stripped down and Silica let only to groan loud and mercilessly in 

pleasure as the unleashed beast devoured the woman to its full content. Lust was though an evil, which a holy knight was to wall against, but it was too late for him to recollect the thought. 

“Silica?” he called her. She slowly rose from the sheets and wrapped her arm 

around his waist to listen. 

“I don’t think I can be a holy knight anymore,” he said. She let out a smile. 

“That’s okay my beloved lord.” She calmly replied with a strange sense of 

satisfaction he quickly noticed in her face. Then, he looked outside from the 

window and decided what he had to do. 

“No it’s not okay. I am going out to explore the city” he placed his decision. 

Steph slipped out using passage of shadows connecting to outer grey walls and then outside. The street was clear, so he made it down to open after escaping from the mansion’s highest clear sight. 

“I must find that man,” he whispered under tension while sprinting down the slope. The moment he saw Eugo parting a man from the gates, Steph knew what he had to do. For the first few turns, he received no sight of anyone similar, only until when the streets began lighting bright yellow and pedestrians began increasing, a slight view of the man’s peculiar red coat he received. He followed the coat as the man kept walking but soon before realization, they entered a heavy market. If word VIBRANT could have a face, for him it would be that market. Steph struggled his way moving forward while the man went inside a building. It was a tavern, not as he had very much of idea what it held, but he still barged in. The man exited straight from a door on other side. Steph stood gazing. People were loud, drinking and enjoying their time with gorgeous women like the earth was to end the next day. “Isn’t this purity too?” he began asking himself. The back exit led him to another narrower street. Dark and cold. Within the empty street, a red coat was easy to spot. Steph sprinted to stop him with a holler too. 

“Hey, aren’t you...?” the man asked. 

“Tell me what you were talking to Eugo, about my mother and about handing me over,” Steph asked immediately. The man grinned. 

“I can’t” he refused boldly. 

“Why?” 

“I just can’t, not now”

The refusals were much annoying to him, after all this he couldn’t return 

empty-handed. For the first time, he grew an outmost urge to slit someone’s throat. It became intensely unavoidable. “I am already corrupted. If I were to replenish as a holy knight, I need my answers,” he requested again. Maybe the man was convinced then, he gave a sigh giving it a thought, finally prepared his words to speak too but couldn’t. His words stopped when three men wobbled out from the tavern’s exit behind them. The moment Steph was 

waiting so miserably stopped again. Moreover, those wasted men strolled 

straight towards them with loud hollers as if any old comrades they were. It was ridiculous, unbearable and unforgivable. 

Steph stood like a raging quiet shadow and those men approached, and 

tapped his back. Steph had a dagger that he kept for emergencies. The next scene that happened within that tiny street was of blood spraying wild all over, from the slashed throats of three men done by a young male – the next holy knight. For a second it was nothing more than a monster’s face. The sky never seemed as dark before as blood spread across. The dagger dropped and so did Stephlor. As soon as his complete consciousness returned, his world changed drastically. His hands were red and his body trembled in horror as a short prayer to holy priest escaped his lips. 

“You must get away,” the man said in a sudden stepping forward. He took the 

dagger and grabbed Stephlor’s arm to pull him up. The man looked around 

and pushed him into another safe passage, which led to the market. “Do not crumble down, Stephlor. A holy knight is nothing but the purest sinner. You shall not be like him” those were that man’s last words to him, whose even name was unknown, saved him.

The dark skies returned. The white walls of fame and comfort were just 

coating them until now. Stephlor returned with a lost hope of becoming the knight. He didn’t want to become a knight, anymore. Before the mansion’s 

gate, Silica was standing alone, waiting for her master. He smiled at her.

“Tell me Silica, what is a holy knight?” Stephlor’s words slipped with his arms

wrapping around her bare body inside his room. 

“A holy knight is a man pure towards depravity. He is NOT you, my lord” she 

replied running her gentle fingers through his hair as the night crossed within his arms. 

The next day, Eugo planned to have the high priest meet Stephlor. However, the enthusiasm Steph had earlier was completely missing. City’s central church was significant with a hundred stairs to its top level. Eugo and Steph began climbing the stairs slowly. No, it wasn’t the same Steph anymore. 

"I know what happened last night,” Eugo calmly stated. 

“Everything?” Steph asked. 

“Yes, and I don’t blame you” Eugo replied. The stairs were coming to its end. 

“Why?” asking again, Steph stopped. So did Eugo. 

“Because I cannot lose you to the hands of the church,” Eugo finally stated. 

“Are...they also who killed my mother?” Steph had to ask. Instead of answer, 

Eugo resumed walking and finally reached the top floor. Steph reached his side demanding answer right away, “Answer me Eugo,” he asked a bit loudly but Eugo didn’t even look at him. He kept his face forward at the figure approaching them. 

“One who killed your mother is the high priest” he said calmly before kneeling down as the high priest came near. A fat geezer wearing the highest white honour stood there. Once again, Steph felt a raging urge to rip someone open but Eugo’s presence shackled his hands from doing so. 

“Ah! Young Stephlor, our new holy knight” he morally grinned, so did Steph. 

The dark skies would never disappear anymore; he just had to accept it. He 

stopped on the stairs and spared a look around. People looking at him had no smile anymore. They had hatred. They had disgust. 

Stephlor’s vowing ceremony shortened three days. Eugo had no say to it. It 

was all for Stephlor to decide and so Eugo was certain even if the boy may 

decide to flee or refuse the position, he would give his everything to support that cause. However, ever since the visit to the church, Eugo lost the trace of Stephlor’s look. It was pale, blank and depraved, resembling a HOLY KNIGHT. History sought to repeat the same circle every time a holy knight was made. The more their world changes, the more of the position drives them into submission.

Finally, the day arrived of Stephlor’s vowing ceremony. For people, they were to receive a new tyranny and for the high priest, a new tool. The carriage was much bigger this time for its job to transfer Stephlor from the mansion to the stairs of church. He was in his best suit, smiling from the window at the gathering of countless people until he reached the bottom of stairs. His cape waved high in the winds as his steps were proudly taken in honour and delight. 

Eugo felt the outmost failure as Stephlor ascended towards the top floor where the high priest waited with the holy sword. Stephlor reached the top and stood beside him, facing the city with a smile. His eyes were no treasure anymore nor were his hair and his beauty admirable. The crowd was quiet as the priest handed him his sword. He announced their new holy knight. 

“People of my city” suddenly cried Stephlor, “It is an honour to become your knight, your sight of justice and I shall prove it with my very actions.” Saying this he honoured the sword by lifting it towards the sky. His smile turned to a smirk, “and that shall be done right now.” 

The holy sword swung across the wind and slashed down the high priest’s 

head. Over the white stairs, a blood-spilling head rolled down and the city 

went insane with joyfulness. 

“This is my purity”.