THE HARP AND THE SHIELD
Ages ago, before 'nations' and 'Clans' even existed, an evil force threatened to engulf the world. The people ran and hid in fear, there was nothing they could do to stop the approaching darkness except pray. But pray to what, they didn't know.
In that time of ultimate despair, 'he' appeared. The Original Saver, Zero.
Wielding the 12 'Blaster' artifacts, he destroyed the darkness and brought the light back to the world.
Their task complete, 11 of the artifacts scattered to the wind, leaving only the Blaster Blade as a testament to the hero's courage.
But no one remembers him anymore.
Not a single soul.
…
Iseult was born and raised in the Capital of the United Sanctuary. For as long as she could remember, her dream had been to become a member of the Royal Paladins. And for as long as she could remember, accompanying her on that dream had been her childhood friend, Tristan.
The two had applied to join the knights on the same day. They had underwent the orientation examination on the same day. They had graduated from the Academy on the same day. And they had been inducted into the Sixth Squadron on the same day.
Since the very beginning, Iseult had shown great promise in the fields of combat. Her swordsmanship was consistently exceptional, a far cry from Tristan, who was not particularly weak per say, but he wasn't particularly strong either.
Tristan's talents had always laid in the world of music. The enchanting melodies of his harp never failed to amaze and raise the spirits of his comrades, and his performances at the market always made the girls swoon.
He was truly a master of the fine arts.
Sometimes Iseult wondered why he had even joined her in the Royal Paladins.
One fine summer's day, the Sixth Squadron was serving as an escort for Princess Elaine on a visit to the ruins of an abandoned castle that had once been home to the elves.
"Iseult. Tristan." The Captain of the Sixth Squadron, Bors spoke. "These ruins haven't been inhabited in years. Some renegades or beasts may have taken refuge in them. I want you two to scout ahead for any danger. The Princess' safety is of utmost importance."
"Yes, Captain!" They replied in unison.
Used to working with each other, the pair swiftly covered every single nook and cranny in the dark interior of the castle. But just as they were about to report to the Captain..
BOOM.
"Woah!" Without warning, the stone floor beneath Iseult's feet cracked and shattered instantaneously.
"ISEULT!"
Tristan impulsively leaped in after her.
But what he found made him gasp.
A chamber with walls made of pure gold. It seemed to be a library of sorts, with silver books lining uncountable numbers of rectangular hollows slotted into the very walls themselves. Archaic hieroglyphs and letterings decorated the pillars and edges of the room.
And in the middle of it all was Iseult unconscious on the ground. Her arm lay on top of what seemed to be a massive shield but the very metal of the shield itself seemed to have latched onto her fingers and was now slowly consuming her arm, crawling upwards with every moment.
Uncertain of what to do, Tristan yelled. "Captain! Captain!"
It wasn't long before the Knight of Conviction arrived, accompanied by both Elaine and his second-in-command, Gallatin.
"Unbelievable.." whispered Bors as he approached the unmoving form of Iseult.
Then, cautiously, he placed his hands on the shield.
ZAP!
A surge of energy made him recoil. But it hadn't been just any surge of energy. He had witnessed the colour of that light many times before.
"The Blaster Blade.." Turning to his companions, the Captain barked. "Gallatin! Tell the rest of the men to get ready. We return to the Capital at once! My humble apologies your Highness, but it seems that we must postpone your visit. There are more pressing matters to attend to."
"I understand," she nodded.
…
Upon the Sixth Squadron's arrival at the Capital, Iseult was quickly handed over to Blaster Blade, who brought her to the lair of Exculpate, ruler over the power of 'Blaster'.
Tristan, Bors and Gallatin waited at the entrance of the cavern. The Knight of the Harp was pacing endlessly, the thundering noise of the waterfall did nothing to calm his nerves.
After a few minutes, Blaster Blade returned.
"Where is Iseult? Is she okay?" Tristan demanded.
"Calm down, Tristan," reprimanded Bors. "Let him speak."
"It is as you suspected, Bors," Blaster Blade began. "That artifact on the girl's arm is indeed a weapon that possesses the power of 'Blaster'. The Blaster Shield. But it has been many ages since it last saw the light of day, and its power has drained dangerously, transforming it into a cursed weapon. Even now it grows, seeking to consume the girl's life force for itself. It is no longer a weapon worthy of the title of 'Blaster'."
Despair showed on Tristan's face. "So Iseult is.. going to die?"
"No." Blaster Blade shook his head. "Using his powers, it is possible for Exculpate to halt the weapon's growth. But removing the weapon is another matter altogether. That shield will most likely remain on her arm.. for the rest of her life."
Iseult was never the same after that day.
With her hands coated by the shield's metal, she found it all but impossible to wield a sword, much less swing it.
Yet, furious and determined, she continued to train each day under Tristan's watchful eye. The despair and rage in her heart grew with each time a blade fell out of her grasp. She tried to learn how to use a sword in her left hand. But it was useless. The huge shield mounted onto her arm restricted her movements so much that she could only dream of fighting with her old level of competency.
As the days passed, her eyes darkened, and she slowly began shunning others. No one, not even Tristan, was able to help her.
The only thing that Iseult could see was darkness.
And so the fateful day came that she left the Sanctuary.
With nothing but a small bag of food and water, she trudged across the land without stopping, unknowingly entering the lush jungles of the land known as Zoo.
It was then that she was attacked by a Hell Spider.
The creature nimbly leaped from tree to tree, striking her with its multiple limbs and blasts of webbing.
Holding her sword unsteadily, Iseult struggled to repel the monster's attack, but she knew deep inside that death was approaching.
Death.
Perhaps that could be the solution to all her problems.
CLANG!
Her blade was sent flying.
Grinning maniacally, the Hell Spider approached her with the patience of a hunter who knew that its prey had no chance of escaping.
But suddenly, Tristan burst from the bushes with his light sword flashing. "Iseult! Run!"
He managed to get a few good slashes with his surprise attack before the Hell Spider savagely smashed him into the trunk of a nearby tree.
The monster reared on its hind legs, preparing to sink its mandibles into its prey.
At that moment, all the doubt, fear and pain vanished from Iseult's mind. The only thing that she could think about was that she had to protect Tristan. And that was exactly what she did.
Rushing forward, she raised the giant field in the monster's face.
There was a low hum and a powerful flash as the shield unleashed a circular wall of energy which sent the Hell Spider flying upon contact.
Not wanting to incur any more unnecessary damage, the creature scampered away.
Iseult sighed in relief as the magical shield dispersed.
"I didn't know you could do that," Tristan grinned despite the blood at the side of his lips.
"Neither did I," Iseult turned to face the battered form of her friend. "You idiot. I can't believe you did something so reckless. You should never have followed me."
"I couldn't have left you alone."
"You never make any sense. I don't even know why you decided to become a knight. You would be better off as a musician."
"Well, I became a knight because I wanted to be with you. That's all."
Iseult stared at Tristan for a while. There was no sign of any sarcasm or pretense on his face. He had just bluntly and simply stated the honest truth.
Just like always, she thought to herself.
She laughed.
Confused, Tristan asked. "What?"
"Idiot."
Then, much to his surprise, she gave him a light peck on the cheek and walked off.
She would never run away again. Even though she could no longer be a sword to smite the enemies of the Sanctuary, she could be a shield to protect the Sanctuary from invaders. And she would. Not just to protect the Sanctuary, but to protect the precious friends and comrades that she had made and that she would continue to make on her journey as a Royal Paladin. Her new powers would make sure of that.
And so, with a heart filled with determination and pride, she returned to her homeland as a knight. The knight of the Flash Shield.