Hello readers! This will be my first published story. I hope you guys will like it; please leave your comments and suggestions, so it'll be easier to make more and exciting chapters. Well, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 1: Blaster Blade

"Hey, Blaster Blade, wake up, you sleepyhead! We got trouble ahead!" Marron exclaimed.

"Huh… what? What was that?" Blaster Blade rubbed his eyes and stared into the earnest face of a youth too young to be participating in battle. He tilted over and sat up in his temporary wooden bed, its sturdy wooden legs creaking with every move Blaster Blade makes. He reached down through a hole in the bed under his pillow and felt for his sword. The familiar touch of cold, hard steel assured him that his weapon hadn't been touched by anyone except him. Good, he thought. Now, to the problem at hand…

"I said, there's trouble ahead! Tristan had scouted out the forest, just like you ordered last night, but then he returned this morning all beaten up and bruised!" Marron quickly reported. It was clear that he was trying to show his irritation at Blaster Blade, for some reason.

"Who's the perpetrator?" Blaster Blade said as he stood up went to a shelf, and with much creaking, opened the door that revealed the pieces of his majestic white armor. He put on his steel plates, one by one. The large, white chest plate with a red, glowing gem in the middle went last. Finally, he reached out under the bed and brought out his sword, bringing forth a ray of light that made Marron cover his eyes.

"Unfortunately Tristan wasn't able to recognize who was the enemy, since he was in a particularly dark place, and the person who fought him had black armor and a black sword." Marron said while still covering his eyes. "What should we do?"

Black armor, black sword, dark place… the words had surfaced an old memory of his true mission. Blaster Blade's mind began working. His father had once told him that his destiny was to find his lost brother who was taken by a dark force much stronger than him, but Blade will be able to defeat it. His father's description of his brother was exactly the same as what Marron had said. He began to feel… scared, glad and frustrated at the same time. Scared, because his brother had walked down an evil path. Glad, because he will be able to fulfill his destiny, and frustrated because he can't find his gloves.

"Okay Marron, here's what happens. You tell Gallatin that he'll be in charge of the team for a while, and I'll be looking for that guy." He was intent on finding this peculiar knight. But he's not about to tell the team that he suspected that black guy as his lost brother. Not yet, at least. The entire clan knew about his suffering, and they had helped Blade feel better.

"But Gallatin isn't available! His wounds hadn't healed yet. And if you make Wingal the commander, everything will go wrong! Who will you choose?" Marron had a tone of concern weaved into his voice. He was wondering why Blade will be leaving them for the dark guy.

"Then it'll be… Morgana!"

"What!? But she's just a Grade 1! She can't lead the team!"

"You want Stardust to lead? Fine! Stardust Trumpeter shall lead the team!" Blaster Blade said harshly, and left the headquarters. He left Marron in the room looking like he lost the lottery. "Oh, boy… what am I going to tell them? Stardust is too weak and young to be in charge…"

Outside his tent, Blade scanned the scene. He saw his pet Wingal sleeping on a cot, Flogal standing on guard, Govannon cleaning weapons, Epona dusting his armor, and Elaine keeping Tristan and Gallatin company. Seeing her with those two sent of a twinge of jealousy in Blade, and he set upon Gallatin his so-called "royal glare". Elaine didn't seem to notice, but Gallatin did. No words were said, but Gallatin knew well enough to sit up, take his sword and leave.

"Hey, Gallatin, where are you going? You haven't healed completely yet!" Elaine called.

"Uh, nah, I'm fine now. I-I gotta go fix my clothes and weapons, so thanks Elaine." He momentarily forgot that Blade was looking at him, and he blew her a kiss. Blaster Blade glared at Gallatin, who took a glance at him. "I will talk to you later." Blade announced. He gulped and went on to his tent.

"Uhm, Elaine?" Blade cleared his throat.

"Oh, Commander Blade! You're already awake! What a relief. Please let me finish healing Tristan first, so we can speak without interruptions." Elaine said with respect. Blade dislikes it when Elaine calls him Commander. Marron, on the other hand, doesn't respect him by calling him Commander. Elaine had lectured the boy about respect, but he still did not change.

Blade was made Commander of the First Team by King Alfred, and being the King's son, he had never disagreed with his father. He was given the following people under his command. Marron, Wingal, Flogal, Barcgal, Stardust Trumpeter, Starlight Unicorn, Elaine, Govannon, Epona, Tristan, Gallatin, and Morgana. He had not treated them as his units, but as his friends. He was the first Grade 2 in the entire Royal Paladin clan that became a Commander. Alfred had seen potential in his son's eyes, the same way as Blaster Blade's grandfather, Majesty Lord Blaster, had seen potential in Alfred's eyes.

"Um, Elaine, can I ask you something?" Blade said dryly.

"What is it, Commander Blade?" Elaine replied while healing Tristan.

"Can Tristy talk now?"

"H-hey… don't you call me Tristy. My name is Tristan, you hear me?" Tristan croaked. His throat was still rough, and he couldn't speak without feeling pain in his throat. There was also a tone of irritation in his voice. Elaine and Wingal were the only ones who called Blaster Blade commander, and although Stardust doesn't call him that, she respects him and looks up to him as a role model.

Blade surveyed Tristan's wounds. He had a bad blow to the chest, and his throat was damaged. His arm was bandaged tightly, and his foot was also bandaged and splinted with a piece of wood. He had cuts on his chest and face, and there was evidence of blood on his face in the form of a dark pattern similar to a dragon from his hairline down to his chest.

"Tristan, were you able to know which clan the enemy come from?" Blade asked him. Tristan was sitting up in his bed, when Elaine pushed him down again.

"Just rest and think, Tristan. You don't have to stand." Elaine reminded.

"I had a hunch it might be Dark Irregulars," Tristan replied, finding a comfortable position for his aching shoulder. Dark Irregulars were very hostile, especially to those clans who came from the United Sanctuary, and the Royal Paladins always kept away from them. Blade had hazarded a guess that maybe it wasn't his brother who Tristan fought.

"But when he did not use anything aside from his sword, I began to doubt, and thought of other possibilities. But there was never a dark clan that didn't use dark power but fights like a knight. I think he was a knight. Yes, I'm sure of it. I fought a black knight. Kind of strange, right, Blade? Blade?"

Blade was listening until Tristan mentioned the word "knight". His mind was flying. He was unsure if he should go or not. Tristan was badly hurt. Can he handle someone like that? Can he fight someone like that? Especially his brother?

"Gallatin will be in charge of the Team while I'm gone. I will look for that dark knight to give him a real beating. Don't worry Tristan; I'll make him pay for what he did to you." Blade remarked, but his mind was elsewhere. Deep inside, he really did not want to fight his brother, but he did want to see for himself if it really was his brother who fought Tristan.