Part VII: The Thieves



	Too many lives lost, too many deaths uncalled for, too many 
unfair circumstances was what Knightfall thought as he continued to 
meditate.  
	Civilization is too primitive, no matter how technologically, 
and scientifically enhanced they've become.  In the end, nothing but 
primitive beings.  They have endured nothing, they have seen nothing,
they have felt nothing compared to what Knightfall has gone through.  
One hundred years is not long enough to fully experience all that 
civilization can do to one individual.  Surprisingly, though, one 
hundred years is also not longer enough to fully experience all that 
love between two people can do....

	They both stood in the chilling night, seemingly forgetting 
why they were out there.  Their minds were somewhere else...or more 
like toward someone else.  Two people could never have felt love more 
than Tombé  Chevalier and Belle Fleur.
	"Oh! I really must be getting home, Monsieur." Belle suddenly 
realized.
	"If you must, Mesmouselle.  I will call for a carriage at 
once." Tombé replied.  He waved his hands and a beautifully decorated 
one strolled towards them.  He bowed gracefully towards the lovely 
lady, and gestured her in and then climbed in after her.
	The carriage strolled like they were on air that night.  A 
perfect evening to a perfect ending.  Belle Fleur seemed even lovlier 
in the moonlight, reflecting her like a goddess.  
	"Why do you carry your sword everywhere, Monsieur?  It is not 
neccesary here." Fleur observed.
	"You never know, Mesmouselle.  Life is also unpredictable, I 
have learned.  It is like the winds, sometimes as calm as a beautiful 
night....sometimes as devastating like the wrath of the gods." 
Chevalier replied philosophically.
	"But you forget, everything in life has its purpose.  The 
gods do not put an event in front of you not for meer torture on ones 
soul.." She said.  Beauty and a mind...
	"Sometimes, Mesmouselle.  I wonder if my life is just a 
torture...but when i met you, I felt like I was actually human and 
not a damned creature."
	"I don't know if I should be flattered or pity you" She 
smiled.  Tombé smiled back.
	Their conversation was cut short by a sudden jerk of the 
carriage.
	"What is wrong, driver?" Chevalier asked but came there was 
no response.  A moment later, the driver fell off the carriage...dead. 
Tombé stepped out, wielding a sword in his hand now, trying to 
investigate.
	"Stay here, mesmouselle." ordered Chevalier but like all 
sensible women, she paid no attention to a man's order.
	In front of the carriage were five men, thieves actually.
	"You are to pay a tax to us, Monsieur." One of them bellowed.
	"This is a public road.  There is no tax." Tombé shouted back.
	"Ah! But when we're here, there is a tax."
	"Hmm...fair enough.  But the thing is, I have no money. So I 
guess I can't pay the tax.  I'm deeply sorry, Monsieur."
	"No problem, mon ami.  If you don't have any money, we'll be 
happy to take a life instead."
	"Bon pour vous, cher ami.  But, many have tried and none were 
successful."
	"Ahh! But why take your life...when i can take hers." The 
thief exclaimed.  It struck a cord at Tombé Chevalier.  He couldn't 
let them attack the flawless beauty.
	"If you want to take her life, paysan, you must first go 
through me." The thieves quickly pulled out their fencing swords.
	 "Ahh, It would not be fair if I fought you with my sword." 
Tombé observed as  he walked over to Mesmouselle Fleur and handed it 
to her and whispered, "If one of them should happen to slip past me, 
do you know how to use a sword?"
	"Of course!  My father fought with the king himself, and so 
happen to teach me." she replied.  Beauty, a mind, and able to fight 
someone.  He has clearly met his equal.
	"Then good luck, Mesmouselle." He walked over to the three 
thieves and stood ready. "This is more fair, don't you think, Mon ami?"
	"If you want a quick death monsieur, we'll be glad to help 
you." One of the thieves commented and before you knew it, they began
to fight.
	The thieves seemed to have the advantage but to no surprise, 
it was Monsieur Chevalier that was winning.  Not a single blade 
touched his skin, it didn't even come close as he kept dodging it.
	"If you wanted to steal people's money, at least you should 
do, is fight better, Monsieurs." Chevalier teased.
	"You'll bite your tongue Monsieur, you can count on it." one 
commented as he slid the immortal's arm.  
	"Very good cher ami.  But the water always beats the land." 
he replied as he quickly flipped over him and knocked him to the 
ground.  The sword flew in the air and Chevalier caught it.
	"If we must die, mon ami, we'll be taking our payment." One of 
them pulled out a few daggers.  A look of concern swept through 
Tombé's body.  He launched one dagger at Belle but Chevalier quickly 
caught it, hand on the blade.
	"You are a risk taker, aren't you Monsieur, but you can't 
catch them all." He threw out another one and Chevalier caught it 
again, on  the opposite hand, letting the sword fall out of his 
hand.  "Monsieur, we tire of this game, so we bid..adieu" he said as 
he threw out three daggers at once.  Fear crept over him as, for one 
instant, thought that he could not save his love.  He stopped two of 
the daggers...with his body, the daggers landing in his heart, the 
other at his throat but he missed the third dagger.
	He looked over to the predictable consequence...but it so 
happened, that the dagger was just floating there.  The sword he had 
given to Belle stopped it...just stopped it, right there.  A smile 
formed on Chevalier's face.  A look of shock fell upon Belle's.  So 
Merlin actually put some magic on my sword, after all. He thought.  
The thieves, on the other hand, looked scared to death, as all three 
uttered three words that would forever ring in his mind forever.
	 "She's a demon!"