The Crusader

By JP Wilder

The Crusader is a series of Short Novellas (10,000-15,000 words) about Aaron, a once-idealistic knight on a Crusade. The story is a Dark Fantasy series set in the dark and fantastical Land of Korannah. In the series, Aaron must face a series of events that call into question his belief in Honor and his God and the abhorrent nature of war.

The Crusader is the first novella in the series.

Aaron, on a Crusade to rid the Holy Land from unbelievers and their sorcerers, must face the truth of the Crusade and decide between losing himself and losing his soul.

Quotes from The Crusader:

“Honor is a thing not defined by your actions, but by your survival. If you survive and— praise to The God—emerge victorious, you may set the standards of Honor yourself”

“My best choice was not girding up in steel and wading honorably into the fray. My best chance of survival was skulking in the dark, killing without mercy an unprepared enemy. My best chance was with the Dark Men.”

“Aggressive action won battles did it not? But move to strike what? Where there should have been an enemy, there was complete blackness. I saw nothing. I heard nothing.”

“Perhaps I could gain favor, or treasure, in my travels here. Another load of shite. Most died in this hole of piss. Those that didn’t die returned back wealthy in stories of courage and Honor and battle, but little else.”

“I spat into his face—a time tested tradition of defiance. There was nothing left of which to be afraid. I was already dead.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: JP Wilder
• Release date: Sep 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781311815323

JP Wilder

I make my home with my beautiful wife and family in a suburb of Los Angeles, among a cluttered collection of too-big, cookie-cutter structures. Here I rest each night after a long (and somewhat miserable) commute from the glass monoliths of West Los Angeles through the lowlands, cloistered away from the multi-hued grid of American culture, pretending that I am above it all. Currently, I run this little blog, ply a trade as an executive in a financial services firm and muddle along as a wannabe author. I’m just having fun!!!! Yet, in my life I have donned many uniforms. I have been: A farmer (or son of a farmer — unwilling [and unable] to claim the expertise of my father in the ways of farming and ranching) A dishwasher A projectionist A paratrooper An Army scout A student A frat guy (of sorts) A roofer A plumber (but not a very good one) A grad student (twice-cooked) A professor (Adjunct really) An accountant A husband An executive An author A father And as I have changed and adapted to the world around me, I have maintained a connection to fantasy fiction and the macabre.

Book preview

The Crusader

by

JP Wilder

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 JP Wilder

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 1

Through no fault of my own, I found myself surrounded by dangerous men—the Dark Men, as we called ourselves. These were not men in glittering mail and polished hauberks, but murderous rangers—assassins that slit throats and feathered arrows through the enemy's eye. Oh, to be sure, I had heard the clarion call of The God and the offer made by the Archbishop to find Absolution wielding sword and axe against the heathen.

Like so many others, I had packed my kit, saddled the family charger—old Swayback, as the tired stallion had come to be called—and bid my family's manor in the pitifully small town of Neder, farewell. I threw in my lot with the Duke Lethan of Greenshire. He was, after all, my family's liege. The Duke forayed south toward redemption and glory at the behest of our King.

We would spill blood so our King might receive his own Absolution.

So, yes, I had set the course that eventually led me there, half-submerged in oily mud and watching a little-used trail for signs of the heathen, so that I might spring upon him and cut him down. But I took no responsibility for this skulking and subterfuge and... and yes, murder.

I had read the Three Covenants, as laid down by The God, through his Archbishop. Written within that treatise, there had been no reference to activities or horrors such as this—only ramblings of Honor and Conversion and Redemption. The Holy Land rightfully belonged to The God and we were going to get it for him, purged of the filth of the heathen. And for this glorious task, we would find Honor—so important to the standing of knights and lords and kings—convert more souls for the glory of The God and find our own Redemption. The damn scribbling had said nothing whatsoever about blood and destruction. Nor did it say anything of murder. I realize now it had been scrawled by an egotistic madman.

It is no place for a knight, mind you—there in the muck with the vermin and worms and worse. But after two years of savagery, I had found that the common understanding of war was woefully inadequate. Honor is a thing not defined by your actions, but by your survival. If you survive and—praise to The God—emerge victorious, you may set the standards of Honor yourself. It is not combat on a flat plain against an evenly matched opponent or striking only an armed foe or charging lancers that ring together like a silvery bell. Nor is it laying down

Reviews for The Crusader

[Alex James · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I actually downloaded the entirety of this book believing it to be the sample. I read the ‘sample’, enjoyed it, and was going to buy the book before I realised I already had read it all.

The story is 11,000 words, and I was very impressed. It read like a fantasy of the crusades. I particularly liked the heathen sorcery and Dark Men (assassins) aspects of this short story. I found it to be a twist that the Dark Men fought for the Crusaders and not the Saracens.

The story has a lot of fighting and a bit of betrayal. The action was fun to read, and I liked how it ended.

This book was free when I downloaded it from Smashwords. My only annoyance is that I felt I would have to download another book to read the continuation of this story.

Overall, if you like fantasy or the crusades then give this an immediate read!