Dawn of the Zombie Knights (12 page)

Every now and again he would punch Sir Mountable on the arm and was glad to have graduated from, in Sir Mountable's terms, the power of a dollop of cream to the strength of a three-year-old boy.

At the end of the first month Sir Mountable announced the two would be building a barn. They worked together this time, although Pete did most of the manual labour.

Sir Mountable set challenges, like carrying a certain number of wooden palings in a day, or hammering in a certain number of nails, and Pete would always try and smash the challenge he had been set. At first he wouldn't get close but again, as time passed, his strength and fitness improved so that he would break Sir Mountable's goals daily.

Finally, the barn complete, Pete arrived at Sir Mountable's house one morning after running over with Lightning. He opened the door and laughed out loud when Sir Mountable's sword thudded into the wooden shield Pete held.

‘Ha! In your face, Sir!'

His gloating was cut short as a dagger pressed against his ribs from the other side, where Sir Mountable stood grinning. Pete glanced at the sword. It was suspended on a rope.

‘Evil will cheat, and evil is sneaky,' Sir Mountable said. ‘That is a given. But you are getting better. Now. Let us train.'

With that, Pete McGee's knight-training began in earnest. He was still required to run and build and clean, but along with that he learnt to sword fight, to wrestle, to box, and he learnt how to conduct himself amongst royalty. Every morning he cleaned Sir Mountable's armour until it gleamed. He also sharpened weapons and he cleaned the barn, inside and out.

He would eat with Sir Mountable each evening, and the knight would tell stories of great knights past, believing Pete needed to know and understand the history of the brotherhood he wished to enter. There were also tales of not-so-great knights, as being a knight brings power, and there are always those who wish to harness that power and use it for their own gain.

After six months of this Pete was becoming a man. His mother barely recognised him any more. Her little boy! Pete would wrestle with Marloynne for fun, and was able to hold his own now, using his newly-gained strength and skills.

There were only two things that distressed Pete. The first was that he had not been allowed to even try to mount Lightning, and the second was that he really wanted to learn how to use a bow and arrow.

King Rayon had been pleased by reports that Sir Mountable was training Pete McGee, even though training of a banished squire was not permitted. King Rayon knew Sir Mountable well, and he knew that the old knight would bring out and develop the skills and heart that Pete McGee already possessed.

So the King had no doubts that letting the secret training continue was the right thing to do. If someone discovered them he would take care of it, as a King must. For now though, he felt like eating a royal scone. So he went and had one, because he was the King and that is what Kings do.

The Black Knights were on the march. Everything about them was now black … almost. Only Sir Vyvor stood alone, unwilling to accept what the others had become. He continually tried to convince them to turn back, to return to the side of good, but they were too far gone.

They marched from town to town. At first Sir Charge would ask for knowledge of the Wilderene Flower's whereabouts, and when he was not given a satisfactory answer, he would signal the other zombies to do what zombies do best … make weird grunty groany noises then kill people and eat their brains.

After a few villages he tired of asking. He would simply ride to the centre of town, yell something about a flower, and then signal. The Black Knights killed and they stole, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. They still looked disgusting, although eating so many brains and so much flesh was actually making them look like healthy zombies, if there is such a thing. Well, you know, their eyes were still hanging by a thread, if at all. Their bones stuck out from under their armour. They had worms for company the whole way, and little bugs that would eat whatever flesh grew on their bones.

Which brings us to their flesh. Their rotting flesh smelled like, well, rotting flesh. That pretty much sums it up. But they were getting a little hair on their heads, and some of them used glue to stick their eyeballs in place.

The thing about the zombie knights is that they seemed pretty much unkillable. No town that fought back could inflict any damage on them. If they chopped off an arm, it would crawl back and join the body. Or worse, it would keep on fighting all by itself! Eyes would be picked up and put back in. Even heads would be picked up and put back on if they were chopped off. It seemed that nothing could stop Sir Charge and his order of Black Knights. It seemed as though they would fulfil their zombie dreams.

Pete's fifteenth birthday was approaching. Sir Mountable knew it was coming, as Pete had mentioned it once or a hundred times. They had been working together for nearly nine months now, and the boy's progress had been remarkable. Sir Mountable found Pete's work ethic, enthusiasm and dedication contagious, and was starting to feel alive like he hadn't in a long, long time. At least, not since … Sir Mountable banished the thought from his mind with a grunt.

He worked with Pete on the barn and also engaged in sparring with the boy. He rode and trained Lightning while Pete worked. He told stories and passed on his philosophies.

He also spent a lot of time on his own, working on a project he knew would please the boy. He just hoped it would be completed on time.

Mrs McGee was also working on a birthday surprise for Pete. She didn't see him all that often anymore, with all the training he was doing. And when he did get home he was usually so exhausted he would just fall into bed.

But she made sure to get up early every morning so they could talk before he left, and she cherished every single one of those mornings with her son. She hoped beyond hope that this would all lead somewhere, but she knew it already had. The added confidence, the way he carried himself, how strong and grown-up he now looked … it had all been worth it no matter what happened from here on in.

In terms of his birthday, it wasn't easy working on that. He was no longer a boy, so a party with games was out, and he didn't know a lot of people his own age anyway. There were the twins he had met in Bandragon that he still talked about, and who he still corresponded with via letters, but that was it. She smiled. She had sent the twins a letter of her own.

Pete and his mum did have one tradition whereby he would choose what he wanted for his birthday meal. Mrs McGee would always cook that exact meal, although in the years leading up to her ‘death' he had been the one to cook anyway, as she barely had the energy to get out of bed.

She smiled, remembering the birthday meal Pete always chose. Vegetables, gravy and bread. It was all they were able to afford most years, but he would choose it and eat it as though it was the most wonderful meal he could possibly have. She knew he would choose it again this year, but with more money in the household, she wanted to surprise him with something different. That, and the other surprise, would be her present to him.

Pete sat on the fence, Lightning's head resting against his leg. He stroked the horse's mane absentmindedly.

‘It's almost time, Lightning,' he murmured. ‘Those other knights, they'll be having their end of year showing. They'll be cheered and adored and called the next big thing in knighthood. Blah blah blah.'

Lightning, sensing Pete's annoyance, snorted out hot air. Pete laughed.

‘We don't need that, do we boy? Hey? We'll cheer ourselves. Woo! Go us!'

Lightning snorted again and trotted around the yard like a dressage horse. He pranced over to Pete and bowed low. Pete jumped off the fence and bowed to the horse, who stayed down.

Pete hesitated.

It was like an offer, and one he didn't want to pass up. He walked over to Lightning, who was still bowing, glancing up at Pete through one eye. Pete tentatively swung his leg over the lower section of Lightning's neck. The horse suddenly stood up, making Pete gasp and grab onto the mane. It was only when he remembered to breathe again that he realised he was doing it. He was on Lightning! He was riding a horse! Well, he was sitting on a horse that wasn't moving, but that was a start, right? He yelled out and swung his arm in the air. Lightning got excited too, whinnying and rearing up on his two back legs. Unfortunately, Pete waving his arm in the air and Lightning up on two legs meant Lightning was soon back on four legs and Pete was on his butt in the dirt. Still, it was a start!