Forever Knights

We were made by humans.

They made us to fight wars they could not, against enemies too powerful for them.

The Forever Knight's, they called us.

Our bodies are shaped like theirs and forged from a metal they discovered only on a dieing planet. Blood red in color, the metal stays a thousand degrees to the touch, and, according to human scientist, is indestructible. In the chest of our eternal shells, beneath the rivers of wires and islands of computer chips, is set the device that powers us. I do not know the human word for them, but we call it God. As long as God stayed within you, you would live.

I was created at the end of the hundred year war.

The first battle I fought in was the last one. It took place on the icy planet, Roth. I looked out the windows of the hover-shuttle at the endless white planes, mountains, and valleys. It looked so peaceful. Then suddenly we passed over a hill and down into a valley where the battle was taking place, and my utopian image was shattered. The ground was stained with blood. Not from us, of course. The blood belonged to the anteli.

Bat-people-all tall and corded muscle. Their strong, coal colored bodies were human shaped, with a pair of wings attached to the arms and connecting to the legs. They had large triangular ears, and snouts filled with three rows of tiny razor teeth. The anteli believed the universe belonged only to them, and had set out to destroy all other races...including humans.

We were to stop this from happening.

The door to the hover shuttle opened, and myself along with my troop of knights jumped out, dropping down to the snow below and joining the battle.

I wasted no time in slaying the hordes of anteli around me. I struck out at them with my metal hands, kicked with my feet. I knocked them to the ground, and pressed my feet into their faces and chest. They cried out in pain until the life left their bodies. The swords they carried were no more than twigs for me to snap in two. Not an hour had passed and I had already killed seventy. I felt a since of unity with my brethren knights fighting around me, and it only spurred me to fight harder. This war was going to be over soon, I had no doubt of it.

And then I saw him, flying low over the battlefield.

He was slightly bigger than the rest of the anteli. And where they were completely nude and without adornment, this one had rows of gold rings lining his ears and gold bands about his biceps and neck. He carried a sword in his hand. I knew the moment I saw him that this one was of a higher rank, perhaps the king.

And he had to die.

I raced across the battlefield, throwing anteli out of my way, and leapt into the air. I grabbed onto his waist and held on tightly. He screamed and tried to throw me off, but was unable. We crashed to the ground. He slipped from my grip and landed a few feet away.

I jerked my head up. He was already getting to his feet, his red eyes blazing at me with furry.

I was the first to attack. I leapt at him, placing one hand around his throat and the other on his chest. I could hear the strong, reptilian skin sizzle as it burned. Yet the anteli king did not scream as the rest did. He looked me in the eye, then sneered.

Then he pushed me hard against the chest, and sent me flying back through the air and crashing into the snow. I jerked my head up and looked at him, trying to comprehend. What he had done shouldn‘t have happened. Anteli weren't suppose to be stronger than us.

Slowly, the anteli king strode towards me, the horrible, toothy sneer still on his snout. He kicked me hard in the stomach, and for the first time since my programming I encountered a force strong enough to make me feel pain.

I screamed. When the shockwave had coursed through my body, I tried to get up again, but couldn‘t. I could hear the battle going on around me, but it seemed miles away. All that existed was the pain. I struggled onto all fours, but another kick in the stomach sent me down again.

Suddenly I was flipped over, and the anteli was staring me in the face. A low rumble erupted from the creature. And I realized he was laughing. The anteli leaned low and whispered in my ear. "Did you not think we would take a sample of your armor skin and find a weakness, Android? Surely you didn't think us too primitive of a species?"

With a triumphant howl, he raised his hand, which I now saw was gloved, no doubt the source of its power, and drove it's hand down, deep into my chest.

Pain. Darkness. Fear. Coldness. Hard. Comfortless. Pain.

How do you describe that feeling? My screams echoed across the battlefield, so loud the Knights and anteli around me stopped fighting and watched.

The king twisted his hand inside me and jerked it out.

My God lay in his palm.

"Forever Knight, how does it feel to be the first of your kind to die?"

I lay on the ground and prepared for my life to leave my body. The pain was unbearable. And so was the fear of death. I looked around me at the other Forever Knights, who had stopped fighting were staring at me in shock. Fear ran through there wiring, something they had not felt before. Even the anteli had paused to watch my demise. I knew that my death would not just be the end of me, but the end of the battle as well, for I was taking with me the confidence of the Knights. I felt nothing but shame in my dieing hour....

...And that's all I felt.

The pain had subsided. I law still for a moment, confused. I was still alive. All my parts were still online and functioning. I tilted my head and gazed at my God in the King's hand. Nothing inside me felt any different, any weaker. The shell of God had left me, yet, somehow, God was still within me, coursing through me. I would ask my questions later. That it had happened was good enough for now.

I leapt to my feet. Confusion filled the King's eyes.

Then rage.

"Fight," I called to the Forever Knights. "You are truly invincible. Remember your programming and fight."

The encouragement spread through the troop and they rejoined the fight.

The King raised his gloved hand once more, but I was quick and ducked down. Kicking him in the stomach, I sent him to the ice. My God fell from his hand. I hoped he enjoyed it; he could keep it.

It would be the last thing he owned in this life.

I dropped down on top of him, sending my fist through his skull.

Keyword: Forever Knights

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Comments (4)

Posted by chaabuk 2008-08-09 20:01:52 Bravado! You have good imaginative power to come up with sci-fi story of this kinf. I liked the battle scene and where he loses his God but not courage. In the end he wins. Bravo! Good work. + Report this comment
Posted by sydneyroosters 2008-08-10 03:17:17 goes alright... i personally don't really like sci fi, or things that don't actually exist in real life unless the author can pull it off. you, my friend, have pulled it off. my favourite part was the way you described and explained the battle. it felt real to me. please keep writing :) + Report this comment
Posted by The 13th 2008-08-10 05:25:25 .... My son loves Ben 10 and they have a character called forever knight so that's why I picked this story. Really got into the story, annoyed that it had to end.Well told and the pace was strong.Good stuff. + Report this comment
Posted by Something Indecent 2008-08-12 19:18:26 .... That's crazy that humans would give the Forever Knights emotion and pain. That was the only odd thing I found in this but it could be understandable why you would want that. It definetly makes the narration more interesting. I liked the fight and how believable you made this feel. It was a good quick read. + Report this comment

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