Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale - Colin McComb

at his side and his pet wizard at his back, he began to subjugate the lands around his hometown.
By the time of his death, he sat on the throne of empire and had rebuilt civilization, dragging it
screaming from the dark age that had settled upon the land.
As a broad stroke, this was all essentially correct. It was in the details that this history
was wrong, but it was wrong for a purpose: it helped fill the young knights with devotion for the
Empire they were sworn to defend.
That devotion came with the Code, ritually repeated, used as a marching cadence, as a
breathing exercise, fit into every corner and cranny of their waking minds. At first they hated the
Code, but they grew to rely on it as the sole touchstone in their training that never changed. They
could recite it in their sleep.
“Honor is strength. Honor is integrity. Honor is dedication. My life is my honor, my
honor my life. I value my honor more highly.”
And another oath, as well:
“I am the stone on which my order rests. My order is the stone on which the knighthood
rests. The knighthood is the stone on which the realm rests. I am stone, and when I stand fast, so
too does the realm. If I fail, the realm fails. I am its defender. My commitment never dies.
“I am the steel of my country. I do not bend. I will not break.”
Year 3 – CY 580
By his third year, three hundred of his classmates remained. Half of them would go on to the
Knights Lesser. Many of the remainder would go to the ranks of the Knights Faithful. A select
handful would achieve the honor of Knight Elite. Only ten such slots were available per year, and
they were not filled if too few candidates were suitable. The competition was fierce. Though the
students had been trained against desire, they sought honor, and the greatest honor and glory
would belong to those who belonged in turn to the Empire, body and soul.
Pelagir had learned to crush his expectations and deal with immediate necessity. He could
forecast, anticipate, and plan for eventualities, and he had one of the finest minds among the
students of his year—indeed, of any class in the school that year. Further, the lessons they had
taught him in this year had been successful in driving hope from his spirit. He planned, he
Colin McComb Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale
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