Hey folks,
After finishing this amazing game about two months ago, I felt like I needed more of KDC and decided to start writing my own stories about the game and its characters.
I would love to hear your opinion about this one!
*This story takes place after the events of the main game, and therefore contains major spoilers.
*This is the first part of the story, I will consider posting the rest of it should you enjoy it.
It was noon of a calm and sunny day in the town of Rattay of the Bohemian countryside, when the young Lord Hans Capon rushed into the chamber of his uncle, Lord Hanush of Leipa.
When Lord Capon arrived, his uncle was having lunch with his guest and close friend, Sir Radzig Kobyla, lord of the now ransacked town of Skalitz.
“You two will not believe what I have just seen!” declared young Capon.
“There is a good chance we won’t, but do tell.” replied Sir Radzig in his deliberate yet cheerful voice.
Lord Hanush was chewing a large chunk of meat and staring at his nephew impatiently, waiting for him to go away.
Almost every day, did the bored young lord either come up with a new moronic fairy tale, pick a fight with one of the locals or get drunk with soldiers on duty. Lord Hanush was weary of trying to make him see sense.
“I have seen a couple of Teutonic knights! They were drinking at the town square!” cried the excited young Lord.
Lord Hanush then chocked on the meat and gagged.
“Bring him water” said Sir Radzig to one of the servants.
“Teutonic Knights? How on earth did they get to Bohemia? It’d better not be one of Sigisumd’s tricks, I’m sick of the old whoreson’s mischief!” yelled Lord Hanush in his gravelly voice.
“Calm down, old friend,” said Sir Radzig calmly and grinned. “It is very unlikely that Sigismund try to make another move on us. Considering what’s happened, he’ll have to think twice before acting.” Sir Radzig was a fine specimen of a nobleman. He was composed, reasonable and good mannered as he always controlled his words and actions and kept them calm. “Are you sure they were Teutons, Hans?” he asked.
Lord Hanush did not wait for his nephew’s response and yelled at him: “Don’t make me remind you of the day you made us believe the pope had come to visit Rattay since you’d seen Divish’s men passing by!”
“But I was a brat back then! In any case, I am certain they were Teutons! Who else could be wearing those silly waffenrocks! Besides, they were speaking German and had Teutonic crests on their shields and garments.”
“Oh yeah? And what did the crest look like? A bloody lion? Maybe a silly horse?” said Hanush impatiently.
“Relax Hanush, the boy may be right, and if so, I wonder what business those Teutons could have in Bohemia. I suggest you send Captain Bernard to look into the matter. What say you, Hanush?”
“Whatever. Just leave us be. My dear boy, if they aren’t Teutons…” he grumbled.
“But they are! I’ll go and look for Bernard.” Said the young lord and left, leaving his uncle murmuring unintelligible swear words.
The young lord left the chamber and headed to the training arena, where the captain usually spent his days.
Captain Bernard was a typical battle-hardened warrior with his considerable bulk and small bald pate. To his men he was both terror and mentor, and above all, an excellent swordsman and a loyal soldier to Lord Hanush.
By the time the young lord arrived in the arena, Captain Bernard was sparring with Henry, sir Radzig’s bastard son.
The moment the captain saw the young lord he sheathed his practice sword and bowed.
“I’m honoured that you should come to me, my lord. I hope you are doing well” he said in a voice that was authoritarian, yet respectful.
“Oh, you know, just an ordinary day except there are Teutonic Knights sitting in the town square. My uncle asked me to send you to look into it.”
Captain Bernard’s small blue eyes opened wider than ever before, which stretched his deep wrinkles to a point they almost disappeared.
“Teutonic Knights? In Bohemia? How on Earth did they get here?” Henry asked. He was as surprised as the captain was.
“These are chaotic times, Hal,” said the contemplative captain, “If Cumans have made it to Bohemia, visitors from the Teutonic Order should not come as a surprise. However, I do agree it is indeed very strange. Where did you last see them, my Lord?”
“In the traders’ tavern, not too far from here. Let’s go. Henry, come with us.”
“As you wish, Sire”, replied the captain, and they headed off.
When the three arrived in the traders’ tavern, they saw no hide of Teutons only the ordinary guests.
“Say you? There are two of them! I’ve been told that old Milan and Konrad Hagen here used to serve under the Teutonic banner in the Holy Land back in their flaming youth!” whispered Henry.
Captain Bernard’s lips twisted and he snorted as he tried to resist bursting out laughing.
“I could swear they were here! Go ask the innkeeper, Bernard!”
“But sir isn’t it quite an unusual…”
“I said go ask him!” yelled sir Hans.
The captain sighed and the three approached the innkeeper.
“Ah, gentlemen, it’s good to see you! Ale, as usual?” he asked.
“Not this time,” said Captain Bernard “The young Lord claims to have seen uhm… Teutonic Knights in the tavern not too long ago.”
“Aye. It may sound peculiar, but the young lord is actually right. Three German men wearing garments and shields with Teutonic crests were sitting here with their translator, a young bard. They asked for beds for the night, yet I did not have room for four men, so they headed off in search of a place to sleep. Their translator said they would come back once they had settled in, for they had a proposal for the local lord.”
“See! I told you I had seen Teutonic Knights!” rejoiced the young lord.
“Did they talk to anyone or say anything else?” asked Henry.
“A handful of brave townsmen tried to start conversations with the knights, they did, yet their translator said they were not going to talk to any of the locals.”
The three were getting more curious by the minute.
“Did they say where they were heading to?” asked Henry.
“I regret, sir, but they didn’t mention a specific destination, but you’d better try your luck at the inn in the glades near Neuhof. It is rather secluded and the biggest one in the area and we all know the type of dubious characters that place attracts.” Said the innkeeper, now curious himself. “They’ve left not too long ago, if you head due North East, you may be able to catch up with them.”
“Well, gentlemen, I think it’s time to mount” declared Captain Bernard, as the three started running towards the stables.
It was already afternoon when the men mounted their steeds and left the town through the upper gate, heading for the inn.
“My lords, I must admit the situation puzzles me,” said Captain Bernard as they rode along the country roads.
“Indeed,” called Henry, “My father - I mean, Martin - used to tell me heroic tales about Teutons and crusaders when I was little in Skalitz. I was always fascinated by his stories, and always wished to see a Teutonic knight in person.”
“What was he like, Hal? Radzig speaks highly of him, too” said Sir Hans.
“He was a true man of honour and a loving father, yet I know so little about him, Hans,” said Henry and sighed. “He never told me anything about his past other than vague insights. Such a shame he is gone, I have so many questions for him!”
“But didn’t you ever suspect he wasn’t your real father?” Said the young lord, completely ignoring Henry’s previous answer. It was one of Sir Hans’ typical tactless questions. As always, he didn’t heed the answers, but enjoyed the discomfort his prying questions caused.
“Never. He treated me as his own until his last breath. I suppose that was why Sir Radzig chose him, of all people, to look after me and my mother.” replied Henry, and all remained silent for the rest of the ride.
The three arrived at the inn at dusk and greeted the innkeeper.
“May the Lord watch over you, gentlemen! How can I be of service?” he said in a crafty voice. He was a slippery bastard who shifted his loyalty with the wind.
The innkeeper had been shifting his allegiances in the region of Leipa, yet he always put on a phoney friendly face whenever local soldiers and lords came to the inn.
“Hail, my good man. We’re here on behalf of Lord Hanush of Leipa, in search of Teutonic Knights who have been reported to roam these lands. Have you seen their like?” said Captain Bernard.
“Maybe. I don’t remember,” said he.
“Have you an idea who you are talking to?” shouted the furious young Lord. “Do you want my uncle to destroy your puny inn? You’ll end up just like…”
“Hey, I think I see them inside” called Henry after peeking through the ground-floor window.
“It wasn’t that hard, was it, peasant?” said Sir Hans and pushed the chastised innkeeper aside.
The three entered the inn. They were both excited and nervous as they hoped the mysterious Teutonic Knights would not disturb the fragile peace of the kingdom again.
All the guests stopped their doing, stood up and bowed. They greeted the young Lord and his entourage.
Four distinguished-looking men were sitting in the far-right corner of the inn. Three wore fashionable white garments, shiny armour pieces and broadswords. The fourth looked like a commoner. They were the only ones who did not stand up.
When they noticed the honourable guests, the commoner whispered something and they all got up and approached Henry, Lord Hans and the captain.
The three battle-hardened knights were massive and seemed to be about Captain Bernard’s age, who looked harmless by comparison.
The man on the left was the most terrifying of the three. He was bald and had a long red beard. He wore an eye patch over his left eye and the skin on his right cheek was shrivelled by a burn.
“He must have fought in the Holy Land” thought Henry, amazed and intimidated by the man.
The man in the middle was not battle-scarred yet terrifying none the less. He was very pale with long greasy greying blond hair, and piercing small light-grey eyes that looked as if they could penetrate one’s soul and read one’s mind. He looked like an evil old wolf.
The man on the right was somewhat younger than the others. Unlike the other two, he was rather handsome.
He was a fair-skinned man with neatly cut dark-blond hair, blue eyes and a chiselled jaw. However, he had a long scar across his face and his expression seemed very uninviting.
“Hail, gentlemen!” said the fourth man. A commoner young bard. “My name is Bartek, and I am the translator of these men. I believe you’ve heard of our short visit in Rattay and could not wait for our return.”
“True enough. Your visit in our town left us wondering. We would love to know what business Knights of the far Teutonic lands have Bohemia.” Said Captain Bernard.
The young bard then translated the captain’s word to the men and shortly after replied in the name of the bald knight: “This is no business to discuss in an alehouse, especially not in an alehouse as fishy as this,” the innkeeper then muttered juicy swear words, “all we can say is that we have business with the local lord. Come to think it is you?” he pointed at Lord Capon.
“Well, technically it is my uncle, Sir Hanush of Leipa.”
The wolf-looking knight then said something. His voice was a cold as his appearance. The bard soon translated: “Would you kindly take us to him?”
The young lord, Captain Bernard and Henry exchanged hesitant looks and
after a silent while, Captain Bernard replied: “We will take you to him, but you will have to hand us your weapons before we get to his chamber.”
The terrifying bald knight then yelled German words and started laughing. It was an intimidating display, even the brave Captain Bernard looked concerned. All avoided looking at the knights, and stared at the young bard instead, waiting for his translation.
“If we wanted your lord dead, he’d be dead already.” He said, hesitant.
The young lord opened his mouth, about to reply, yet closed it and gulped.
“Shall we go?” asked Henry after another short silence.
“Lead the way, gentlemen” replied the bard.
All kept silent as they rode. They arrived in Rattay after sunset.
The knights handed their weapons to a guard and followed Lord Hans up the stairs to his uncle’s chamber.
Sir Hanush and Sir Radzig were in the midst of a heated discussion about politics. The young lord entered the chamber and said in a very hesitant tone: “Uncle, remember the knights I told you about?”
Sir Hanush was about to give him an angry response, when the three knights and their translator entered the room and stood in front of the lords, ignoring Capon’s introduction.
“Christ Almighty!” called Sir Hanush and crossed himself rapidly.
He and Sir Radzig stared at the intimidating men, shocked.
Eventually, Henry and Captain Bernard entered the chamber too.
“Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on?” yelled sir Hanush as they entered.
The bard then introduced himself, unfolded a piece of parchment and read out loud: “My name is commander Otto von Lauterberg. I have heard that Bohemia is in great peril and come to offer the aid of the finest warriors of the Teutonic Order. As your Catholic cousins, it is our duty to support you in an hour of need, as we, Catholics, must always stand together and face…”
“Get to the point” said the young lord, interrupting the bard, which granted him with an angry glace from his uncle.
The bard then cleared his throat, and read on: “I offer to send one thousand veteran warriors to aid you, in exchange for a humble amount of fifteen thousand Prague Groschen.
I am awaiting your response eagerly.
May the lord watch over you, cousins.”
“Fifteen thousand Prague Groschen?! Do I look like the bloody pope?!” yelled the hot-tempered Sir Hanush, yet his reaction was ignored.
“I must admit I wonder, why would the Teutonic Order be willing to aid us? You have got nothing to do with this conflict.” Said Sir Radzig.
The bard translated his words. The handsome knight then replied. It was the first time he was heard.
“The political motives of our liege are none of our business,” translated the bard, “Yet if it hasn’t been clear enough, we, Catholic Teutons, and you, dear Bohemian cousins, share little love for Sigismund’s heathen army of Cumans.”
“I see.” Said Sir Radzig. “Thank you, gentlemen. Do you have anything else to say?” the bard shook his head. “Then I must kindly ask you to leave. My friends and I must discuss this matter in private. Return in three days, when we will have made our decision. In the meantime, make yourselves at home in this town. God Bless, gentlemen.”
“As you wish, Sir Radzig” said the bard, and the men left the room.
“Normally, I’d reject such offers right away,” said Lord Hanush, “Yet these days we truly are in a need of able men, and this may prove a golden opportunity for expanding our army greatly and securing the peace of these lands once and for all.”
“I agree,” said Sir Radzig, “Besides, a mercenary army of one thousand veteran warriors will cost at least double the amount.”
“But bear in mind that there is a potential risk here. We have never negotiated with the Teutons before, at least not for troops. How can we be certain that this is a genuine offer?” Said Henry.
“We can’t,” replied Hanush, “And therefore I’m hesitant. If something does go wrong, we would lose a lot of money. We cannot afford to lose even a mere amount of two thousand Groschen.”
“Teutons are men of honour, they will not steal from their allies. And besides, we belong in the most powerful empire of Europe, they won’t be able to easily get away with scams.” Said Captain Bernard.
“Gentlemen, hasn’t it been quite a long day?” said Sir Hans, “Let us discuss it further tomorrow! Henry, let’s go to the bathhouse, shall we?”
“With pleasure!” he replied.
Hanush shook his head and tutted. He couldn’t stand seeing the next Lord of his beloved town spending his days drinking with wenches, yet he grew tired of disciplining the young lord.
From the following morning, the lords were discussing the situation and analysing every possible scenario for three days and nights.
On the third day’s evening, it was finally decided to accept the knights’ offer. Bohemia was short on troops, and it seemed very unlikely that something would go wrong.
Shortly after, the knights and the bard returned to the chamber.
When all arrived, Sir Hanush declared: “Gentlemen, we have finally made our minds up. We have decided to accept your generous offer.”
Two servants dropped a large and chest in front of the knights, which sounded a loud tinkle as it landed.
The servants opened the chest and revealed an abundance of shiny coins. The knights seemed impressed and shook everyone’s hands.
“It appears our business here is done. I believe we should get on our way so we can get back with the troops as soon as possible. We shall get back within a month, you have our word, Sir Hanush.” Said the bard.
“We shall anticipate your return. Safe travels, may the lord watch over you.”
The knights loaded the heavy chest on a horse Sir Hanush lent them and set off.
The lords kept watching them until they left the town.
“Odd. The lands of the Teutonic Order are to the North.” Said Sir Radzig, as they were watching their peculiar guests leave through the lower gate of the town, headed West…
A story by Lars Radziwill
Corrected by linguist Adam Roon