The Knight exam

Laurus looks up at the statues in admiration. Marble effigies of knights of old who have tasks he could only dream of. Leaving the prison that is this wall around the city, defending Marchrum from monsters and enemies it’s almost impossible to imagine that he could ever be one of them. “Hey! What are you doing?” The words yank him out of his daydream  it’s as if the world around around the statue suddenly reappear the Marchrum’s outer wall and the exit outside of the city, it was his sergeant obviously impatient and ready to go. “Sorry sir! I’m coming right now!” Laurus replies. He walks outside to the otherside of the wall. He winces , the sun burns he’s had been standing under the shade of the wall for a while. It was hot, it’s always hot in Marchrum, but it’s hotter on the other side. The desert surrounding the city is both a blessing and a curse. There hasn’t been a single invasion in centuries thanks to this desert but  it also makes it unbearable to wear any clothing that covers anything more than the essentials. It definitely makes Laurus wish he didn’t have to wear this heavy armor he wipes the sweat from his hands hoping it would give him a better grip on his sword. His sergeant approaches him and points  “you see that?” Laurus turns his head and sees the a hulking behemoth, it looks like it’s swollen body that looks like it couldn’t be supported by four legs alone. “Kill it and you’re done” says the sergeant. “That’s it? and then I’m a knight?” asks Laurus. “And then you’re a knight.” Laurus runs full speed towards the beast, his sword over his head, ready to defeat the only obstacle in his way. using all of his strength he pulls his sword down toward the monster’s bulky body. His sword cuts through the air and hits the ground with a loud clunk.Laurus looks at his area he striked in disbelief, his sword had landed to the right of his target completely whiffing his attack. had he misjudged the distance? No, He was sure that it was definitely there before. Had it moved? But, it’s so big, there’s no way it could have moved that fast. Laurus comes back to his senses eyes locked on the creature he swings upward, confident that a strike is guaranteed. This time he saw it clearly, It moved, unnaturally fast. Laurus could feel the beast’s eyes on him it’s murderous intent was clear. He thought about running, but he saw it how quick it was before there’s no way he’d get away. In this moment Laurus understood why, why the wall existed despite the their lack of enemies. There’s no way anyone could kill something like this, the stories he’d heard about the knights had to be nothing but myths and legends. He watched as the beast begin to move towards him he knew his death would be quick and hopefully painless. The beasts lunges at Laurus, he closes his eyes. He hears the beast barreling towards him and then nothing. Laurus opens his eyes and is relieved, he’s not dead, but more so confused. He looks up to see the monster dead a lance in its side and his sergeant standing on top of it. The sergeant sighs “Needless to say you failed.” Laurus looks up at his sergeant in amazement. If this is what knights are capable of there’s no way Laurus could be one the way he is now.