Chapter 3 A New friend

Lucifer couldn't belief her ears. This guy had just asked her who she was, while he should be asking himself that question! The knight, who had just now realized what he was wearing, had sat up and was examining himself, utterly dumbfounded. He seemed amazed at the armor he was wearing, but even more amazed that he was alive at all.

Jake heard a voice echoing from a distance, but was unable to discern the meaning. Suddenly, a bright light shone down upon him, and he heard the voice clearly this time: My dear follower…I bestow upon you my divine strength… so that you may go forth and eradicate the evil from these lands. Go now, and awaken!!" Was there really someone speaking to him? It didn't matter, he had been killed…killed by a bandit. What a pathetic way for a knight to die. He was drifting…drifting away into the darkness….

The first thing Jake noticed was the sound of footsteps. He didn't know where they were coming from, but he wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not. He tried to move his arms, but to no avail. He opened his eyes to see that it was still night time but the clearing was much darker due to the fact that the fire was almost dead. Dead…it wasn't a word Jake would ever throw around so lightly again. Wait…was he dead? And if he wasn't, how was this possible? He would have to get to the bottom of this.

Jake saw a female cavalier a few feet away, staring at him. She was wearing blue armor to match her hair, and her eyes seemed glued to him. She seemed to be of equal age to himself, which was not unusual for a new knight. They were a midnight black, and seemed to enrapture him…. He shook himself mentally and chastised himself for being stupid. He asked the cavalier, "Who are you?" The woman seemed even more astounded to hear him speak, which confused Jake to no end. Why was she this confused? It wasn't as though he had come back from the dead…was it?

Jake sat up and saw that he was wearing armor…which was odd, considering he hadn't been wearing any .He examined himself and was wondering if he was seeing things. He was wearing what appeared to be the finest armor, pure white, wrought with gold. He just then realized he was wearing a helmet. He grasped it, and pulled it off.

Cold night air assaulted his face as he picked himself off the ground. He felt like one of those fancy knights from the castles . The armor covered his entire body, unlike his other armor. He looked around for his sword, and saw one sitting by the nearly dead fire, flickering in the dim light. He picked it up, His eyes widening as he realized that the sword was just as ornate as the armor. The blade was pure white, with golden symbols running up the blade. He looked more closely at the blade, and was able to make out the words : Knight of St. Elemine.

Jake realized that something strange was going on. He walked towards the girl again asking her, "Who are you?" The girl seemed to regain her composure, as she started getting over her initial shock.

"I am Lucifer, a mercenary knight from Illia. There is one thing I must ask you…what the hell just happened to you?"She asked him. She put her lance away and sat down, trying to revive the fire. Jake sat down also, trying to think of a suitable response to her question. He was about to answer when she spoke again. "Also, you haven't told me who you are…." She said with a small smile. That was one request that Jake could fulfill easily.

"I'm Jake . I'm a mercenary knight . At least, I thought I was…I just don't know anymore." Jake said sadly. He moved to the remnants of his bags and began searching them, looking for Uther's note. To his utter horror, it was gone! The bandits must have taken it, in hopes of getting paid. He had to get it back! He desperately needed that money. Jake gathered up what was left of his belongings, threw them into his bag. He began to walk away from the fire, when a hand touched his shoulder. He spun around, sword whistling through the air. There was a clang as the sword connected with Lucifer's lance. There was an awkward silence .

Jake finally lowered his sword, sheathing it. "I'm really sorry. I'm still a little paranoid since the bandit attacks, so next time, please don't sneak up on me like that." Lucifer put her lance away, also looking apologetic.

"Well, where do you plan on going from here? You don't really have anywhere to go, and you just got robbed." Lucifer asked him, glancing at the debris that lay around her.

"First, I have to get back what was stolen from me. It was too valuable to let it go, so I'm going to track down those bandits. Then I have to deliver it to marquess Darin. I don't know what I'll do after that." Jake began to walk away, leaving the glow of the fire behind.

"Wait! If you're going after those bandits, do you mind if I come? I'm sure you could use the company." Lucifer said, smiling slightly.

"Suit yourself. It doesn't bother me much. It would be nice to talk to someone for a change instead of being alone all the time." Jake smiled. It really would be nice to talk to someone, instead of spending his time in isolation.

The two of them set out that night. As they talked, Jake was pleased to learn that Lucifer was also a mercenary, albeit a professional one. She was from Illia, a country known for it's mercenaries. She was down south, looking for a contract, but had been unsuccessful at finding one. At that point, she had happened across Jake, who was close to death. Since then, Lucifer had decided to join Jake, in hopes of finding work with him.

Jake knew that it was a lucky night for himself, as he had found a new friend.