The moon hung high in the night sky casting its glow across the grasslands far outside the city of Vale, a swift icy breeze made its way through the landscape causing the tall grass and trees to gently sway back and forth, the inhabitants of these lands were mostly farmers with the occasional hermit, a small worn down wooden farmhouse stood in the distance, a flickering orange glow could be seen coming from one of the rooms of the house.
" Ash…Ash…you need to wake up. " An elderly male faunus said as she gently shook a boy who was asleep on a bed. After a few more nudges the boy's eyes slowly began to open. He slowly sat up in his bed.
" W-What's going on grandpa? " He managed to ask as he rubbed his eyes. The light from the candle in the corner of the room painted the wooden floor and wall in a bronze glow.
" Some of the herd got out. As much as I hate sending you out on a night like this one, the farm can't afford to lose those cattle. " The old man solemnly explained, there was a ping of worry in the tone of his voice.
" O-ok I understand grandpa. I'll get dressed and head out to the horse stable. Just give me a moment to get changed. " Ash explained as he rose from the bed. The faunus gave a nod and left the room, his drooping bunny ears bounced with every step he took.
Once he heard the door click close he changed out of his sleepwear and into his normal attire, a pair of jeans that at one point were probably a deep blue but had been used to the point where the color had faded and a green hoodie with patches poorly sewn on to help cover the various tears in the cloth. He took a brief look in the cracked mirror on his wall. His messy hair was a cross between black and dark green, his bright yellow eyes were still quite bloodshot from being so suddenly awoken. Physically, there was nothing special about him, in fact he was quite average, thankfully he managed to stay in shape due to his daily chores on the farm, though he never did understand why he didn't have ears like his grandma and grandpa. " You can do this. Just because it's your first time going out at night doesn't mean you should be worried." He quietly said to himself, he took a deep breath and left the room.
As he made his way through the house each step he took was rewarded with a loud creak from the worn wooden flooring, his shoes and blade were both resting beside the door. He quickly slid the shoes over his hole riddled socks and secured the sheathed blade on his belt. He took a deep breath and turned the doorknob, as he opened the door he was immediately greeted by the embrace of cold night air, it ran over his entire body sending a shiver up his back. His teeth clattered as he made the short trek to the horse stable, after a few minutes he managed to saddle up his horse and guided it to the front of the house where he was greeted by his grandpa and grandma.
" I'm ready to head out. " He said as he came to a stop in front of them.
" You have all your equipment? " His grandpa asked.
Ash gave a nod as he climbed atop the horse. " Hopefully I'll be back before morning. " He said as he began to steer the horse in the direction of the grasslands.
" We'll be here waiting for your return Ash. Please be safe. " She said as he began to ride off, they both waved as they watched him ride off into the night.
The grandpa's calm expression quickly vanished and was replaced by a look of sheer anxiety. " God I hate sending him out at night. " He quietly said.
" I hate it as much as you do, but our bodies can't do what they were once able to. He always comes back safe, this time will be no different. Let's get out of this cold, I'll brew us some tea as we wait for him. " She said as they made their way back into the house.
Spotting things at night was a much more difficult task than he had originally anticipated since he only had the glow of moonlight to go off of. As he made his way through the grasslands surrounding the farm he kept hearing what sounded like explosions off in the distance, at first he dismissed them as maybe a trick the wind was playing on him, that was until he saw a bright red flash, it only lasted for a split second but he knew what he had saw. " That came from the main road." He thought to himself, after a moment he turned the horse in the direction of the road began heading in the direction of the flash.
As he drew closer the sound became much more frequent and louder, he slowly crossed from the grassland onto the dirt road, against his better judgment he continued to pursue the noises. He immediately stopped his horse after he saw what looked like people fighting in the road, there weren't many, maybe three or four max, but it looked like three had ganged up on one. He continued to watch in amazement from afar, even with the moonlight he had trouble distinguishing any real details of the figures. In a clearly female voice one of the figures shouted as she fell to the ground, it seemed she had been overwhelmed by the three attackers. Ash felt a sickening feeling erupt in his stomach as he watched two of the figures grab hold of the woman's arms. " T-They're g-going to kill her! " He thought as his heart began to race, his breathing became much quicker. It was almost as if his body began reacting on it's own, he felt his heels spur the horse into a full gallop. His right hand released the reins of the horse and reached across his body to the hilt of the sheathed sword, the sword glistened in the moonlight as he drew it. " W-why…why am I doing this? Why am I trying to help this woman, I'm not a hero, I'm not even a hunter, I'm a farmer…I don't even know how to use this sword. So why am I charging in to save this woman?"
The sound of hooves against dirt gave Ash away once he was close, his sudden charge caused the figures to release their hold on the woman in order to get out of the way of the attack. As he pulled away from his foes he couldn't help but think. "That attack actually went well. " a large column of fire suddenly erupted in front of the horse causing it to rear, catching Ash completely off guard, he felt weightless as his body tumbled from the horse until he smacked chest first onto the cold ground, he felt pain erupt in his chest, he was left gasping as his the side of his face rested on the cool ground.
He heard a woman let out a slight chuckle from behind him and swiftly felt a heel of a shoe dig into his back. "Fate works in such interesting ways, don't you agree? To have our paths cross so early it seems almost too easy. To think I could kill you right here and now, but that would be such a waste. No, this is only the first meeting between us. Making you mine right now wouldn't be much of a challenge, so I'll let you get away this time. I need you to become big and strong, like a proper knight should be. Please don't make regret my decision " He winced in pain as he felt the pressure on his back dramatically increase as the woman leaned in close to him. " Because I hate being disappointed. " She whispered in his ear then turned her attention to her companions. " We're leaving. " The sounds of combat died away as the three attackers disengaged and retreated into the night.
Ash struggled to his feet, the air was finally starting to return to his chest. " Lad…lad…over here." He heard a very weak voice call out to him. He turned in the direction of the voice and saw a terrifying sight. A man sat slumped forward at the bottom of a tree, multiple arrows had pierced his body, blood had already began to create a little pool around where he sat. The man weakly beckoned him over. Fear's hands had a grip over Ash, he'd never seen a sight like this before in his life, sure he'd seen some of the livestock killed by animals before but this was different, this was an actual person and they were dying before his very eyes. Each step he took closer to the man he could feel the heartbeat in his chest. " You…you saved her." The man took heavy breaths between each word a thin river of blood ran out of the corner of his mouth. " As my final act as a knight, I pass on the abilities and responsibilities to this individual, whose actions proved him worthy of knighthood. May the maiden find safe haven behind his shield." Once he had finished the man raised a trembling hand and weakly held it before Ash. "Do you accept this oath?"
Ash raised an eyebrow at what the man had said, it all seemed like something from a fairy tale. Maidens and knights, those were nothing but mere legends, something his grandparents told him as a bedtime story as he fell asleep when he was little. And yet here is this dying man before him claiming he's a knight. " I suppose as an act of goodwill I'll shake his hand. His dying moments should at least be good ones." He thought to himself as he reached out his hand. The moment their hands met, it felt as if he had been struck by lightning, green energy surged into his body, he let go of the man's hand and stumbled backwards, his vision began to blur and he felt himself losing his balance, as he began to fall backward he was caught in a pair of arms that gently held him in place. As darkness began overtake his vision, he made out what looked like a pair of bright brown eyes looking at him, they didn't look menacing in the slightest, they gazed at him with an almost nurturing look. " It's ok, you'll be safe with me. I promise." A female voice gently said to him, this voice was very different than the one he heard while he was pinned on the ground, this voice was much more warm and welcoming, while the previous one was dark and intimidating. "Now close your eyes, my little knight. " The voice continued as he felt a warm hand gently stroke his hair. He felt his body go limp as he fell into unconsciousness.
When they opened he found himself in a much different setting, to his surprise he was lying on a cold marble floor, in a dimly lit room with torches lining the wall. He put a hand to his head since it was throbbing in pain, he examined the room in front of him trying to understand where he was.
"Achilles, your boy has awoken." A deep rumbly voice said from behind Ash. He winced as he turned his head, the pain seemed to grow as he turned in the the direction of the voice. Once he was completely turned he saw a very large man staring at him, his arms were crossed and he had a very serious look on his bearded face. He looked to be probably in his late thirties, oddly enough he was dressed in a toga. Ash opened his mouth to speak but was immediately stopped when the man held up his hand. "Achilles will be the one to explain everything to you." The man said, Ash decided it was probably in his best interest to follow the man's instruction, this man seemed like someone who he wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of. After a few moments the man let out a deep breath, shook his head and left the room, the sound of a door slamming close was the only thing to fill the silence.
After a few moments the man returned but this time he was joined by someone, they were both dressed very similar but this man had a much more welcoming expression, his deep green eyes seemed oddly familiar along with his deep red hair. "Welcome! Welcome!" The man happily said as he made his way over to Ash. He must've had a puzzled look on his face cause the man raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember me do you?" The man said with a slight chuckle.
Ash very gently shook his head, trying not to cause anymore pain."I can't say I do sir." He replied. The man smiled and turned to his counterpart. "You hear that Ulysses, he called me sir." He said in a very proud voice, the other man simply shook his head.
He turned his attention back to Ash."I'm the person that brought you here, you can call me Achilles, you're to replace me as the Fall Knight on Remnant. I gave you my knightly abilities when you shook my hand before I passed on to this place."
Ash's eyes grew huge. "P-Passed on? Does that mean I'm dead as well!?" He quickly asked in a shocked voice. Achilles shook his head "Not at all, you're actually unconscious right now, I'm guessing Amber is taking very good care of you."
"He's much too young to be a knight Achilles, look at his frame, how do you expect him to bear the armor of a knight with a build like that, what makes you think any of the guardians would accept him as their disciple? Tell me lad, how old are you?" The man said as he suddenly interrupted Achilles.
Ash lowered his head for a moment. "I'm sixteen." The man shook his head at his answer.
"Sixteen!? You expect a mere teenager to keep guard over a maiden? I doubt he even knows how to correctly wield a blade. And yet you expect him to guard one of the four most important people in Remnant. This is pure foolishness." Ulysses angrily protested.
"Silence yourself Ulysses." A voice boomed seemingly out of nowhere, as a large man stepped out from the shadows. "Leonidas" Achilles quietly said as he looked at the man.
He turned his attention from Ulysses to Ash."Tell me, that feeling you had when you blindly rushed to save the maiden, it burned within you didn't it, did your body move seemingly on its own, as if assisting her was something you NEEDED to do. You paid no mind to the consequences or your own safety as long as you were able to help a person in need."
Ash thought back to the moments before he charged in to help her, this man was describing his emotions perfectly, Ash gently put a hand up over his heart and nodded. "Yes sir, that's how I felt when I saw her in trouble."
Leonidas simply nodded. "What Ulysses fails to realize is, strength and skill can be obtained through training. But heart is something you're born with." Leonidas then turned to Achilles. "Explain to him what it means to be a knight." He said in a stern voice.
Achilles nodded and turned to Ash. "You see, us knights have one task and one task only, our purpose is to guard the maidens against any and all threats,whether it's something as ferocious as a dragon, or as weak as a mouse, it matters not, if the creature is intent on hurting our maiden then it must be erased. Thankfully we have our knightly abilities to help accomplish this task, our sword is our most powerful weapon, no knights ever have the same sword, your sword is the embodyment of your soul or essence, it is unique to you. Second, there is your guardian, we have seven different guardians, Saber,Lancer,Rider,Caster,Berserker, Assassin and finally Ruler. If one of these guardians accepts you as their disciple , they'll lend you their abilities in combat. These abilities are incredibly powerful and put quite a bit of strain on the user's body. They should only be used in life or death situations. Both your sword and your guardian will awaken to you when you're ready, you will know when the time is right."
Ash rubbed the side of his head, the headache was growing even worse with all this information he had to process. "Listen, I know this is quite a bit to take in, I remember when I became a knight I could hardly believe it as well but we're all here to support you, we want to see you become a great knight, unfortunately our time here has to come to an end, they need you back in Remnant. Just know, you're not alone Ash, we'll be here keeping an eye over you." Achilles said.
Leonidas stepped forward. "Before you go Ash, you must know that you are but a mere piece in this game of chess, you have the potential to be something great but as of now there are far stronger people who will try to stop you on your quest for greatness, it will be up to you to make the correct choices on your journey, but remember, this path is yours and yours alone to walk. I wish you nothing but the best on this large task set before you." Leonidas then turned his attention to Achilles. "It's time."
"Alright kid, looks like it's time to say goodbye. I left my sword and shield, they're yours now, hopefully they prove as useful for you as they were for me. I really wish nothing but the best for you. Remnant needs a hero, and I hope you're it." After he finished speaking he placed a finger on Ash's forehead.
When Achilles' finger made contact with his Ash's forehead the world went dark. Once he regained consciousness he could feel the hard uneven ground underneath him, he felt the warm embrace of the sun on his face and oddly enough it felt as if he were in a sleeping bag. He slowly opened his eyes to see where he was, as he surveyed his surroundings his eyes fell upon a woman who prodding a dying campfire with a stick. She glanced up from what she was doing and their eyes met, Ash recognized them as the same warm eyes that he had seen as he had fallen into unconsciousness.
"You're finally awake." She said in a voice whose warmth matched the that of her eyes, she got up from her spot and began to make her way over to Ash who was now sitting upright. She was beautiful in every meaning of the word, she had flawless brown skin and perfectly kept brown hair that cut off just above her shoulders, she had strong brown eyes but he didn't feel threatened at all by them. Her outfit was almost as beautiful as its owner, she wore a white blouse with a brown vest across her waist, she wore brown pants which hugged every inch of her legs, and finally her outfit was finished off with a pair of beautifully made golden boots.
Much to Ash's astonishment she placed a hand on his forehead and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, no more fever." She said with a smile. "I'm Amber."
"Didn't Achilles mention the name Amber?" Ash thought for a moment. "That means you're the.." Amber smiled and nodded. "That's right, I'm your maiden and you're my knight."
Anxiety ran through Ash's body, sweat began to appear on his forehead. "M-My job is to protect this beautiful woman!? Oh geez! H-How am I gonna be able to pull this off! I-I'm just a simple farmhand! I'm in way over my head!"
"Umm are you ok? Oh no! Did your fever come back?" She said in a worried voice as she looked at him.
"Hah, I-I'm fine..really. I'm Ash..it's a pleasure to meet you." He managed to say.
"Ash huh, I like that name." She said with a smile."Do you feel well enough to travel?"
"Travel? Where are we going?" Ash said confused.
"We're scheduled to meet your teacher today. Knowing him he'll probably be late either way but it's better to be safe than sorry. Qrow isn't exactly known for his punctuality...or sobriety." She explained.