Rojuun by John H. Carroll Page A

I can’t stand it anymore.”
At that point, Sir Danth Wazmordin began banging his head against
the floor.
    “Oh, Sir Danth!” Liselle exclaimed. She
knelt down in front of him and stopped him. Then she wrapped him up
in a big hug. The sobbing from inside the helmet continued.
    Vevin and Tathan looked at each other and
shrugged.
    Liselle stood, drawing Sir Danth with her.
Then she turned to Tathan. “We must help him, Cousin.”
    “Umm, alright . . . How are we going to do
that?”
    “I don’t know. Come up with something,
please!” she demanded.
    He threw his arms up in exasperation.
“Really? It’s your idea to help, why can’t you come up with
something?”
    Liselle folded her arms and tapped her foot
while narrowing her eyes dangerously.
    Tathan turned to Vevin. “Do you have any
ideas?”
    Vevin shook his head no and held his arms
out helplessly.
    Tathan sighed and paced for a moment. He
turned to the knight. “You said you swore an oath to guard the
doors to the vault, which holds the Crown of Morhain, right?”
    Sir Danth gave a single nod. “That is
correct. I don’t care anymore if that helps.”
    That threw Tathan off. “You don’t care?”
    “Exactly. At this point, you can go in and
steal the Crown of Morhain. I can’t live in this cave any longer,
never seeing the light of day, never having anyone to talk to.”
There was a pleading tone in Sir Danth’s voice. “I don’t care if
you take the crown. Nothing is worth this eternity of seclusion
that I have faced.”
    “What about your oath?” Tathan asked.
    The knight folded his arms. “Have you ever
kept an oath for one millennium plus six centuries?” The massive
sword was put away in a sheath on his back with the hilt sticking
over his shoulder.
    “No,” Tathan admitted. He hadn’t noticed the
knight put the sword away, a detail he wouldn’t have normally
missed. It bothered him.
    “When you have, you will be more than
welcome to judge me,” Sir Danth suggested.
    “What’s so special about the crown?” Vevin
asked. “Is it powerful and magical?”
    “Not at all,” the knight said. “It is just a
symbol of the Kingdom of Morhain. The crown is made of gold,
encrusted with valuable gems, but has no magic, though there are
other items in the vault that are powerful.”
    Vevin seemed disappointed. “No magic? Why in
the world would a knight be made to guard it for a millennium if it
isn’t magic?” He scratched his head in confusion.
    “A millennium and six centuries,” Sir Danth
corrected. “It was a crown made for the last king of Morhain. It is
a symbol of the kingdom,” the knight explained. “The king insisted
it be guarded. I took the oath when no one else wanted it.”
    “Will there be any consequences if you break
the oath?” Tathan asked. “Will you die, be cursed, or
something?”
    “No.”
    “No? Isn’t there usually some sort of
consequence for breaking an oath?” Tathan asked again.
    “I am a knight. When I give an oath, it is
understood that I will not break it. There is no curse upon me if I
do. I will lose honor for breaking it though.” Sir Danth’s
shoulders slumped. “I have always been an honorable man. But
sixteen hundred years of guarding an item of wealth for vanity’s
sake is not a matter of honor.” The knight straightened, holding a
finger up as he thought. “I will let you in the doors myself. That
will solve the problem.” He walked over to the doors and said a few
words that made the filigree glow. The doors opened toward
them.
    “There you are. Take the Crown of Morhain
and anything else you like. I don’t care anymore.” Sir Danth turned
to Liselle. “I’m afraid I’ve been a bad knight, Milady. I hope you
won’t be too disappointed. I’d invite you to spank me, but you’d
hurt your pretty little hand on my armor.”
    Liselle blushed and giggled as Vevin and
Tathan stared at the knight in shock. “I certainly wouldn’t want to
hurt my hand, Sir Danth.” Liselle put