Horrors of History

March 7th, 1379; this is time researcher Amy Bankes. Interviewing Mason Zane, AKA; “Sir Zane the Courageous.” This journal entry takes place when knights we in service of kingdoms across Great Britain. (AMY:) “Speak clearly into this device and state your name.” (ZANE:) “What sort of witchcraft is this? This invention is no larger than my finger.” (AMY:) “Just please state your name into it. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can be finished.” (ZANE:) “Apologies milady, I am Mason Zane; Sir Zane the Courageous, a title given to me by my lord. King Richard the second!” (AMY:) “Mason Zane would have been more than enough.” (ZANE:) “Apologies again milady.” (AMY:) “How about we begin. Start with when you were appointed a knight.” (ZANE:) “Ahh, my knighthood, I was dubbed Zane, the Courageous. King Richard the second knighted me; as I knelt before a crowd of my loved ones, I felt honor and glory of the highest demand. The battles I won were plenty, all in service of my king. A knight’s courage comes from his devotion to not just his lord, but his kingdom. Knowing that I fight so that my family may live their life without fear; makes it easier to draw my blade against threats to our home. I’ve seen things that will stick with me until the day I perish. But no battle nor war will ever compare to what I witnessed in that damned forest. (AMY:) “And what was that Mason? (ZANE:) “If I told you, you’d think I was a loon.” (AMY:) “Trust me, Zane, I’ve heard some crazy things in my line of work. Start with the beginning of your day when it happened and work up from there.” (ZANE:) “But of course, milady. My day started like any other we were assigned roles daily. We would tend to the prisoners, guard the king’s throne, patrol the village, and watch the walls. I was to patrol that day, taking my steed and riding her around town with my lance. We were all newly knighted, with one of us in service for over two decades. His name was Jack Merryweather, and he was the oldest in our squadron. He even taught me how to wield a blade when I was a squire. While patrolling, we received word from a messenger that a prisoner had fled. Of course, we had to retrieve him.” (AMY:) “who was this prisoner; what was their name?” (ZANE:) “he was another knight from our kingdom; Garret was His name. He shipped off to faraway lands, so he and his solider could fight for an allied king. When he came back, something changed in him; he began saying that they were knocked out cold during battle, and when we woke up, he saw crows feeding on the flesh of his dead men. But then, he noticed that the number of corpses diminished. He said the moment he stood up, the world turned darker, as if the sun was flushed out. He didn’t say much after that; he just mumbled to himself, much like a loon would. The king ordered that he’d be held in the dungeon. As to not spread panic among the people.” (AMY:) “What do you think he saw?” (ZANE:) “Oh... I know what he saw. When we hunted him down, he let out a bloodcurdling scream. I pulled out my mace so I could silence him. But Jack stopped me; he told us he could calm him down. He knelt and looked into Garret’s eyes, trying to soothe him. After a while, Garret was silent; he just stared. Straight up to the moonlit sky, mumbling to himself. Jack held my shoulder and told me to mount him on my horse. Sadly, when we returned, Garret was executed; King Richard ruled it treason, spreading lies about what happened outside our walls and inciting panic within our kingdom. As night befell us, I couldn’t help but think about Garret, the look on his face. You’d think he’d seen the devil himself on that field. Come morning. I was ordered to guard the prisoners for the day. While I was walking along the corridor, a messenger boy came through the door. He told me that King Richard was gathering knights to send to a nearby battlefield, for a village had come under siege. I ran out of the dungeon and caught Jack while he was marching toward the stables. He wouldn’t say anything, no words of affirmation. Nor encouragement to his fellow men. I tried to get his attention, it wasn’t like him, but we were already on the move. hundreds of knights, marching on horseback to fulfill our duties. When we arrived, the air was thick and clouded in dark smog. The screams of villagers haunt me to this day. Jack raised his sword and ordered us to attack; as soon as he threw his sword down, he was shot straight through the neck, and a volley of arrows came from the trees. I dismounted and ran for cover, along with a dozen others; the rest, motionless on the floor, arrows covering their corpses.” (AMY:) “What happened after the arrows stopped firing?” (ZANE:) “I led the dozen that hid with me and charged toward the field. As soon as I drew my blade, a large squad of enemy knights came off of horseback from the woods; I witnessed my brothers; die in front of me, pierced through the chest with lances and spears, arrows, and swords. Until finally, I was struck with a blunt mace to the head. I spent hours there, lying on the cold grass. When I opened my eyes, I slowly picked myself up; I felt numb. I felt the weight of my fallen comrades, as well as the innocent, on my shoulders. (AMY:) “When did the incident occur, I’m sorry Mr. Zane; but I’m not here for war stories.” (ZANE:) “I stood and waited for my head to stop spinning, and that was when the ground darkened; I looked up, and saw birds, circling all the bodies around me. I thought it was just my head playing tricks on me. But they were there, remaining in the sky, as if scared of something below. It wasn’t until I heard crunching, did I turn around. And there it was, 18 feet tall, extended neck; and pitch-black eyes. I thought it was death itself; but it was more like a beast eating away at my friend’s bodies. Its beak was chipped and bloody, holding a head within it. I didn’t know whether to scream, run, or fight. As a knight, fear is not a reaction we tend to have. But this thing, it was a monster.” (AMY:) “And how did you get away?” (ZANE:) “Luck. Pure luck, I tried backing away; but as soon as I took one step back, it shot its head up. Like a bird noticing its prey. I couldn’t breathe. it was like I was staring at the devil himself; scales covered its entire body, and jagged horns protruded from its head. We just stood there staring at each other; my heart wanted to jump out of my chest. It was so still; then it stood on its hind legs, spread its arms, revealing massive leathery wings, and bellowed a bone-chilling roar before lifting off into the sky. I took this chance to escape. I ran for so long; I finally reached the kingdom come nightfall. When they opened the gate, the guards assumed I was the only survivor of war. So they escorted me to the king. When I arrived, King Richard sat anxiously, waiting for me to explain what happened. If I told the truth, I’d be imprisoned, killed even. I told them I was the only survivor; and escaped enemy capture. They believed me, and I was accommodated for something that wasn’t true. I was appointed a general. The guilt I feel, I’ll never escape it. Jack would be so disappointed in me, not only for lying but for fleeing from danger, freezing. That’s not what a knight would do; beg for mercy; a knight would’ve drawn his blade, and only dropped it when the hands of death take it from him. (AMY:) “let me cut this off now; we got what we needed. Thank you, Mr. Vane. Please stare into this device; it will produce a small flash.” (ZANE:) “Right, sorry, I tend to get carried away when I-” (AMY:) “Journal entry, 1379, file name: Mason Zane. Story collection complete, Memory wipe complete, Document termination complete. You are a peasant who were banished from King Richard II’s kingdom; you do nothing but roam the forest. you have no family; you have no history.” (ZANE:)” I am a peasant who was banished from King Richard II’s kingdom; I do nothing but roam the forest. I have no family; I have no history.” (AMY:) “Leave... This is Amy Bankes requesting a recall back to HQ.” (MYSTERIOUS VOICE:) “Excellent as always Miss Bankes. The boss wishes to speak with you.” (AMY:) “On what occasion? Hello? Dammit.”