HLnovel Episode Two Hundred and Thirty-Four: Amulet
Episode Two Hundred and Thirty-Four: Amulet
“What do you mean, what happened?” I asked, feeling a strong hum from the necklace. “I hoped you could tell me what all of this meant.”The necklace glimmered in the light and made my fingers tingle.
The Cat shook his head, sniffing around the area. “That was a Death Knight. They are unbeatable, destructive forces of nature… and it's just… gone.”
Death Knight? It didn’t feel destructive. I kept my mouth shut as I held the necklace. That poor person only wanted to rest, wanted their fight to be over, and now it was.
The Cat’s eyes were wide and the hair all over his body remained standing. His tail whipped around behind him, like he couldn’t stop moving.
“He asked for a story where the dragon won,” I added in a soft voice, as I clutched the gem. “He felt so tired, worn, and ready to take a rest. So I gave him a few different options, then he turned into that blue light. Did I kill him?”
The Cat hesitated, and inched closer to me before nudging my elbow from his spot on the table. His eyes moved so fast I could practically see the thoughts going through his head.
That answered that.
“I…” His voice cut off as he stared at the necklace. “I think he decided to take a rest. The final rest for his kind. And you helped him do it in a respectful way.”
It wasn’t like I felt bad about what happened. I didn’t. He was just so tired. But the gem in my hands didn’t make sense. “How did this appear?”
The Cat turned away from the necklace and hopped off the table. “How about we talk in the living room. I can tell you all about Death Knights, and the Amulet of Rest and Recovery.”
The Cat didn’t leave me a choice as he padded around the counter.
It took me a few minutes to follow as I stood there, still staring where the bright blue light had taken him.
I patted the last book about the dragon and knight opening a restaurant together, then followed the Cat. The necklace I held ever so gently. My energy began reaching out to it, but I stopped it from touching the stone.
By the time I sat upstairs on the couch, and my mug appeared on the coffee table, it took effort to not connect with the stone. I carefully set it on the coffee table and picked up my mug instead.
The constant hum that raced up my fingers and into my arms vanished.
I let out a sigh as the Cat stared at me.
“Alright, tell me about our visitor,” I said, keeping my voice nice and calm.
“Death Knights appear in places of great conflict, war, and, unfortunately, death. No one knows how they are created, but all agree that much bloodshed is key.”
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A shiver went down my spine at that thought. Of being born from the deaths of others.
“... and they are practically unstoppable, especially on a battlefield. If one is created during a war, it stops almost instantly. If the conflict is started again, the same Knight usually shows up, decimating the instigator.”
“They stop war across the universe…” My warm mug helped keep the chill off. A throw blanket appeared near my side, which I grabbed. “It’s what they’re created for.”
“Not just any war, a battle with an unspeakable loss of life. More than most can imagine.” explained the Cat in a solemn voice. “A tragedy so large that the tree itself says ‘No More.’ I’ve never seen one before today.”
The dark eyes staring out of the shadowy helm, asking for a story. One in which the dragon wins. I hadn’t given him that.
“And a story caused him to rest. One where tragedy changes to hope and friendship.” The warmth from my mug increased as I swallowed hard. “He left that as payment.”
“We will never speak of where this came from, except for right now,” said the Cat. His green eyes focused on the gem, and then on me. “If the wrong people understood where this Amulet of Rest and Recovery came from, who knows what would happen.”
“I assume it helps one rest and recover,” I said, trying to keep my voice light.
“The legends say it can heal anything,” his voice came out, but as a whisper. “No one believes they are real. I only heard of them through my search for objects of great power that might save my people. This was but a footnote in an ancient manuscript.”
I swallowed hard. “That makes sense. Death Knights are unbeatable.”
“You didn’t beat him,” said the Cat, as he climbed into my lap. “You let him rest, and set down the never-ending hardship that was its life.”
Tears trickled at the corners of my eyes.
“That’s why you ended up with the Amulet. You gave him something no one else would think to give.” The Cat’s voice continued in a muffled tone, as he ran his rose along my leg. “I bet you weren’t even scared, you just asked how you could help them.”
I nodded, but said nothing. Of course I asked how I could help. The shop wouldn’t show up to someone who didn’t need help, or to someone who wasn’t worthy of help. That meant I had to help, at least to the best of my ability.
“What do we do with the necklace?” I asked, thinking of my now-healed father, and how much I would have done to find one weeks ago.
“It’s yours,” said the Cat, as he finally set his head on my knee. “This wasn’t a stop mentioned in the book, that means it's yours. Keep it hidden.”
My thoughts went to my magical fanny pack. It could go in there with my wand and other magical things. Who would look in a fanny pack for magic, after all? Still, another priceless magical object just being given to me. First the feather, then the plant still on my bedside table, plus the leaf from the dragons, and now this.
I scratched behind the Cat’s ear. “So, the book isn’t working.”
It wasn’t a question. The Cat hadn’t had a clue about this customer.
He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning against my hand. “No. I only wish I knew what it meant.”
“We will keep on going,” I said, trying to sound as brave as possible. “We’re both good at our jobs. We can figure this out.”
“Today, I was scared for you.” The words were so very quiet. “That I wouldn’t make it in time.”
“Oh, Cat, I was fine.” I continued to pet him, trying to think of a way to help reduce his fear. The Death Knight hadn’t scared me at all. “I have magic now, even shield magic. Plus, do you think Betty would let anything happen to me?”
The Cat said nothing, just continued to lay in my lap and let me give him pets.
#
She had no idea what had just happened, or what it meant.
A tightness in my chest remained at her standing so close to the Death Knight. Like it was the most casual thing in the world.
I couldn’t keep her safe.
It was my job to keep her safe.
The shop was just a child, after all. And Sable was even younger.