The Red Knight and the Crystal Tower

The Red Knight and the Crystal Tower(Broken Curses) The Red Knight stood atop the Crystal Tower with the Chestnut Maiden. It had been three years since he had last attempted the Test, but this time he was sure to succeed. Afterall, she was different. She had endured so many challenges, the Red Knight could not help but admire her. She had traveled so far with him, gave him so much strength. Their bond was one of destiny…or so he thought.

Each of the Seven Knights were chosen to face a certain test, one that would prove the mastery of their knighthood. The knights who passed the test were rewarded with a Rainbow Weapon, an invincible tool with which a knight could defend all that he had come to love. However, if the knight were to fail his test, the experience would leave him pained and scarred.

The Red Knight had failed his test twice before. The suffering he had endured as a result were the only moments of his life in which he had begged for death, but Death would not take him. Instead, he chose to watch the Red Knight bear the agony of life. In a way, the Red Knight had died in those moments, for each failure had changed him. The lessons of rejection had allowed him to evolve into a stronger warrior, a wiser sage, and a more compassionate man.

The Red Knight’s test was not a dragon or a demon, such a challenge was far too easy for the nimble swordsman. His challenge was that of Love, simply to win the affections of a worthy maiden. When the Red Knight felt that he found a woman who could bear his endless love for the world, he was to take her to the top of the Crystal Tower for their bond to be judged.

And so they stood in front of their judge, the Rainbow Sword. The radiant, ethereal blade illuminated the entire tower with its brilliance, and had promised to grant immortality to the Red Knight and his beloved. It spoke to the Red Knight welcoming him once again. The Red Knight returned the honors, and turned to the Chestnut Maiden to begin the rite.

From his pocket he drew the Ruby Ring. Once worn, this trinket would forever bind its owner to the Red Knight. He recited his vows and incantations. His conviction spoke straight to the maiden’s heart.

The Red Armor chose this man for his passion and vision. The Red Knight sees the true potential in each and every person he meets. This potential beckons him, urges him to free them from the chains of the world, and guide them towards their destiny. When he finds a potential that mirrors his own, he cannot help but resonate with it, and risk all he knows to awaken it. But not everyone believes in their potential, they cannot see the beauty and power that sleeps within them. Instead, they seek security in the trivial matters of life. The idea of awakening to new self is a risk too great to take. The Red Knight has raised his sword against many men, but Fear is his only enemy.

The Chestnut Maiden stood at the top of the Crystal Tower, frozen in fear of the power around her. She could lie here, the Rainbow Sword had banished all thoughts of deceit. The confession of the Red Knight was too much for her. She could not let go of who she was, all that she had left behind. The Red Knight was simply another man, and she refused to listen to the waves of change stirring inside her heart.

The Rainbow Sword sensed her trepidation, and delivered its verdict. Screams of protest echoed throughout the tower. They were not of the maiden’s voice, but rather the Red Knight’s. A sea of fear and darkness had flooded his soul once more. His punishment was coming, and he was powerless to stop it. The sword rose from its stand, hovering silently for a moment, before igniting into flames. The fiery blade darted through the air, and found its target in the Red Knight’s chest.

The fleeting moment had turned into an eternity. There was no sight. There were no sounds. No smells. Only pain. His future had abandoned him, and all of the tragedies of his past had come to dwell inside his mind.

The Chestnut Maiden had disappeared, like the two before her, evaporating into his memories. In reality, he would never find out what happened to them. He felt no hate for them, no anger, only sorrow and regret for what could have been.

The Rainbow Sword released itself and returned to its stand. The Red Knight remained on his feet, bearing a hole in his chest where his heart should have been. Once again, he lost his resolve. Once again, he cried for Death.

And when the hooded figure descended, he observed the broken knight like he had twice before, gently shook his head, and gave the knight a shove. The Red Knight fell gracelessly to the tower’s base, and would not awaken for some time…


When the Red Knight came to, his heart had returned, but it was not whole. For the third time, he had lost a part of his heart on top of the Crystal Tower. The Ruby Ring sat heavy in his pocket. How great of a burden it will be for the next one.

The next one…

The Red Knight questioned whether or not he should ever try the Test again. Amidst his dull heartache were the seeds of confusion. What had he done to fail the Test three times? Why was it so hard to win a maiden’s love? And why, despite his failures, did Death refuse him three times?

Instead of submitting to the vaguery of such questions, something his younger self would have done, the Red Knight meditated on the recent events. If he was to ever succeed, he needed to understand the purpose of his test.

He had evolved once again. It turns out the the most traumatic experiences in life stay with us, morph us, for better or for worse. The Red Knight had reached some conclusions about his ordeal. He could not know if he was right about them until he gathered the strength to face the Sword again. He learned that his failure was no fault of his own, nor did fault lie with the Chestnut Maiden. Everyone is guided by the forces of Fate, constantly writing the stories of life. Blame is impossible to place because each cause is ceaselessly tied to all others.

The Red Knight also learned about love. He learned that he cannot draw the love out of others. Instead, he must let his own love shine, in hopes that one day someone else will have the courage to shine beside it. He could not allow the reluctance of other’s to destroy his ability to love. Their insecurities have no home in the greater purpose of life.

Finally, the Red Knight had learned about himself. His power to love was great, and his purpose was genuine. He could not allow his personal tragedies to divert him from saving others. Death did not claim him because his quest was not over. The life within him, as scarred as it was, would forever burn bright. There were many more adventures to live, and many more people to meet. He would continue to move on because something much greater was still waiting for him. One day, he will be the master of the Rainbow Sword.

So after watching the Star rise in the western sky, the Red Knight gathered himself, and walked away from the Crystal Tower. With a new outlook, he continued quietly down the path, inching ever closer to his princess, the love he had set out to seek so many years before.