Disclaimer on chapter 1

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Night had fallen on the kingdom of Balandor now and the party, in Cerwyn's eyes, appeared to be in full swing despite his lack of understanding in these human customs. Right now however the guardian's mind was less on the festivities as he looked out of the window of the palace and more on his duel with the Captain of the castle guard.

Had Princess Cisna not intervened when she did, both he and Cyrus could have started another war with the outcome of their fight for all they knew, ruining all the work and effort His Grace, Archduke Dalam, and His Majesty, King Valtos, had put into this peace treaty. While he was surprised that it was Princess Cisna herself who had stopped them from probably making the greatest mistake in both human and farian history, what amazed him was that she was willing to almost get herself killed in order to stop the duel to the death.

Speaking of the young maiden, Cerwyn cast a glance over towards the throne of the kingdom of Balandor where the two royals were watching the proceedings with their respective measures of enjoyment. Despite hiding it behind a forced small smile, Cerwyn could tell that her heart and mind was elsewhere most likely wishing that her mother, the late queen Floraine, was here for her birthday with her. To have witnessed her mother killed at such a young age must have really hurt her in ways unimaginable for any child to bear.

The subject of family made Cerwyn turn his thoughts of his own. Asides from his brother, Cerwyn had no proper collection of what a family was like until he had been taken in by the Archduke where he soon came to see the Archduke as a father figure while his granddaughter Miu became the sister Cerwyn never had. But even with all those people around him he couldn't ignore one person in his life that shared his blood.

When Cerwyn had been taken in by the Archduke, his brother had been taken in also but by Ban Nanazel one of the Archduke's head councilmen who also commanded the farian armies. The last time he saw his brother was years ago when they were fighting to become one of the Archdukes elite guard. There was a tournament where many Farians, most with military background, showed up to participate and after a week of games that tested their endurance, speed and mental capacities among other qualities, only the two brothers were left.

The Captain of the Guard, who was there to oversee who would be joining his ranks, gave Cerwyn and Shapur two swords and declared that the first to draw blood from the other's torso would be declared the victor and join the Guard. The battle was long and hard and eventually, Cerwyn's brother was starting to fight dirty as his impatience grew while his strength waned. Despite this, Cerwyn saw an opening and struck his brother clean across the torso but also across his brother's face as well.

The Captain declared Cerwyn the victor and, for a moment, Cerwyn had been pleased with his victory but when he saw his brother, he realised the damage that he had done. Cerwyn tried to take him to a healing mage- had they moved fast enough they could have saved his eye- but his brother was too proud and blamed him for not just the eye but for all the negative things that had happened in his life. Cerwyn was hurt but told him that he only defended himself. Ignoring his words, Cerwyn's brother left the Farian kingdom and told Cerwyn he will do everything in his power to be more powerful than him and the whole world if possible.

Cerwyn was still thinking of those words that had been said to him. He had not seen his brother since then and had spent many a night wondering how his brother was doing. But still it was likely his brother maybe in prison or dead due to his attitude.

He was not engrossed enough in his reminiscence to not notice somebody at the far side of the dinner table, someone whose clothing told Cerwyn that they were neither servant or guest. Cautiously walking towards the table with hand to his sword in case anything was to happen, Cerwyn investigated-for all he knew it could be a food poisoner. Circling the table, the Guardian was surprised to find a young girl pilfering several slices of cake evidently having snuck in to sample some of the finer delicacies of those of higher class than herself.

"Hey what's the big idea?!" The young girl squealed as she turned to find Cerwyn standing directly behind her.

"My apologies, Miss. I thought you were a spy or something." Cerwyn confessed letting go of his sword as he backed away from her showing that he was not going to harm her. Hearing someone approaching, he turned around and saw two boys coming up to her, one boy had brown hair with a ponytail and the other boy who looked familiar to him. "Dragon?"

Dragon looked at Cerwyn realizing it was the Farian that he had met during his traveling to Balandor, "Cerwyn, you're here too."

The lavender hair girl looked between the two a mixture of curiosity and suspicion in her eyes. "Dragon, have you two met?"

"Yeah, this is Cerwyn one of the archduke's guard. I met him during my traveling here" Dragon nodded before pointing to his two friends and introducing them for Cerwyn's sake. "Cerwyn these are my new friends Yulie and Leonard."

Cerwyn nodded looking between the two, he then saw Leonard looking at the princess. "I don't think the king would be impressed if he saw you gazing at his daughter like that."

Realising he had been caught Leonard turned around "Sorry, I just feel like I saw her somewhere before."

Cerwyn nodded despite not understanding how the young man before him could have met the princess before now. Before Cerwyn could ponder more on the subject, a knight came into the room looking bloodied and broken as if he had visited Hell itself.

"My Lord…the circus…they aren't real." The Solider gasped before succumbing to his wounds.

No sooner had the soldier's lifeless body collapsed to the ground, pandemonium broke out as dozens of black armoured soldiers poured in through the main doors to the castle followed closely by a large creature spewing fire and carrying on its back a cannon just as large as its carrier.

"Get out of here!" Cerwyn ordered the three before running off, drawing his sword and charging into the thick of the enemy followed closely by Captain Cyrus and the rest of the castle's defenders.

As the three wine clerks made to do as the Guardian ordered of them, Leonard could not help but notice the princess running away with her father to the staircase. Making to follow after them, in the hopes of protecting her and getting noticed, Dragon was pushed into him making both of them stumble to the ground in a heap.

"Sorry, Leonard" Dragon apologised as the two untangled themselves only to find some of the enemy knights surrounding them.

Before they could stab them, they were attacked by a stranger whose sword wiped the out enemy knights in one swoop.

"Who are you?" Leonard asked the stranger.

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As Dragon and Leonard were looking at the person who had saved there live, Cerwyn was actually in a tragedy of his own. The Archduke had been attacked by the enemy and been severely wounded. Cyrus was next to him.

"My Lord!" Cerwyn said holding the archduke not wanting him to die "Please, what will I tell Miu"

"Cerwyn…You have been like a son to me I ask only one thing: protect Princess Cisna" The Archduke whispered his life fading before Cerwyn. "We came so far to make peace. I want this peace to come so that our races can learn from one another. Please, Cerwyn, do this for me…"

As the light in Dalam's eyes faded out, Cerwyn nodded as a tear trickled down his cheek, too choked up to speak as the man he had looked up to as a father passed away in his arms.

"Our one chance of peace…" Cyrus cursed as he stood near the farians watching as Cerwyn gently placed the Archduke on the ground and closed his eyes.

"It has not been lost yet, Sir Cyrus" Cerwyn reminded as he stood. "Peace can still be achieved"

Cyrus nodded in agreement he may not like most farians but was coming to respect the one before him.

"Take the stairs next to the throne it shall lead you to where His Majesty and the princess are hiding. I'll join you once I've aided my men finishing off the enemy here" Cyrus told Cerwyn before taking on several black armoured soldiers charging towards them.

Following the Captain's directions, Cerwyn had reached the bottom of the staircase in time to see King Valtos die in Princess Cisna's arms and, standing above them, person in black amour. Unlike the rest of the black clad soldiers the helmet had horns with red eyes and had a purple cape making it looking more demonic than the rest of its brethren signalling that he was a higher ranked individual than the rest of them.

From the look of things, Cerwyn had reached them just in time to intervene the Black Knight as he made to strike the princess and stop the attack. He had made a promise to the Archduke and he would keep the princess safe no matter the cost. Knocking the black armoured being back up the stairs, Cerwyn took Cisna by the hand and lead her to the lower part of the castle.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase something odd happened. Cerwyn was seeing the black armoured being right in front of him issuing orders to some of his underlings. But he was just saw the black armoured being on top of the stairs so how was he here also?

Ignoring the matter for now, Cerwyn lead Cisna through several side corridors away from all the fighting. It was when the sounds of battle were faint when the princess finally collapsed to her knees exhausted and clearly distraught over events that had just transpired.

"I can't do this. I can't!" She sobbed her spirit more or less shattered after now losing her father.

Understanding the pain she was feeling, Cerwyn knelt down in front of her and placed his free hand on her shoulder.

"I know it is hard, Princess, and I am sorry for your loss, but now is not the time for grieving. With your father gone, the responsibility of all Balandor rests on you. You have to stand up on your own feet and show everyone that you are no longer that silent little girl anymore. You need to be strong for your people because if you fall then they too will fall."

The princess looked into Cerwyn's eyes and understood everything he had just said. Collecting herself, she allowed the swordsman to help her up before the two headed off towards the lower levels of the castle in hopes of keeping out of sight until the fighting upstairs was over.

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"Good, I don't think that the enemy will be getting to us at all down here" Cerwyn stated as he closed and bolted the door to the chamber he and Cisna were now in. Asides a couple meetings with several of the enemy, which fell quickly to Cerwyn's skill, the two reached the lowest echelons of the castle with next to no trouble.

As they both turned around, Cerwyn was shocked at what he was seeing in front of him. It was giant suit of white armour complete with a blue cape and was just incredibly tall.

"By all the Gods" Cerwyn gasped as he moved towards it as if drawn in magically. "It's just like the one from my dream I told Father Yggdra"

"Get away from there!" A voice from behind him ordered. "The Ark is mine, not yours!"

Cerwyn was then frozen in his tracks recognising the voice. Slowly, he turned to see another Farian only he had green armour and had an eye patch covering his blind eye.

"Shapur?" Cerwyn asked not believing what he saw.

"I should have known you would have come here protecting that human harlot, brother" Shapur sneered spitting on the ground when mentioning the princess.

"Shapur you may not address the princess like that. This is between me and you." Cerwyn said as he stepped in front of Cisna putting himself between the two.

"Yes, but I must admit that I wasn't suspecting to see you here in this place." Shapur said darkly drawing his curved sword and advancing on them.

"Wait, Shapur, don't tell me you're a part of this" Cerwyn said as he realised the reason as to why his brother was here also. All he gained in reply was a sarcastic laugh

"That has always been your problem, brother, you could never ever see the true me, you always saw a mask and you ripped that mask by taking something." Shapur said indicating his eye.

"Shapur please." Cerwyn asked

"You see that armour over there has been older than you or me dear brother. It is from ancient times and has power beyond your dreams. The Magi already have one, but with this armour I will be more a match for any opponent even you." Shapur declared pointing to Cerwyn with all the hate he could muster.

"Do not let him get it!" Cisna pleaded something inside of her saying that the White Knight should not be allowed to fall into this group's clutches.

Cerwyn nodded his heart telling him something along the same lines as he readied his blade. "Shapur, despite us being kin I can't let you get this power, I promised the archduke to protect her from all threats, even you."

"Then you will die! I'm going to correct something I should have corrected years ago!" Shapur snarled drawing his sword and charging.

Steel crashed against steel, sparks flying as the two brothers came at each other in attacks that would take a life should they connect. As the battle raged on between them, Cerwyn needed to think fast as, sooner or later, his brother's reinforcements would arrive. Stepping back to catch his breath during a lull in the duel, he noticed there was a mantle with a white gauntlet bearing the same design as the white knight armour. Deciding to take the chance, Cerwyn went running as fast as he could and put it on.

"NO!" Shapur screamed at his brother as a white light engulfed the chamber.

The next thing Cerwyn knew was that he had been transported to a new realm. The floor was emerald blue and everything was in darkness.

"What is this?" Cerwyn asked bewildered at what was going on.

"New maker." Cerwyn turned around to see a white ghost behind him, It looked halve with skin and hale with a skeleton attached.

"What are you?" Cerwyn asked not trusting this creature.

"You are not the one that was originally meant for this power. But I sense you need the power that this armour can give." The Ghost said.

"You mean the power of the knight? This knight like the one Father Yggdra contains?" Cerwyn said remembering his dream.

"Master, to thee, all my power, I bequeath" The Ghost declared to Cerwyn. As the ghost said that a power charged through Cerwyn bathing him in light. When the light faded, he quickly noticed that the princess was behind him and Shapur was in front of him before realising Gauntlet was on his left arm while a small knife was now clasped in his sword hand.

"You…How dare you!" Shapur shouted angrily. "You steal all the power I have, now this?!"

As in response to Shapur's anger, the monster from earlier appeared behind him breaking through the chamber doors as if they were not there.

"I will let this deal with you."He growled stepping out the way as the monster charged forwards.

Despite the approaching danger, Cerwyn closed his eyes while raising his gauntlet clad arm.

"O, Wizel, white warrior, wielder of the ancient sword, grants me your power…Verto!" As he said that Cerwyn pushed the knife into the white gauntlet once more becoming engulfed in blinding light. As the light faded, the armour was now seen standing where Cerwyn once stood, eyes flashing a radiant blue.

"This is incredible."Cerwyn remarked as he looked around his surroundings and at himself before being tackled by the monster.

It was at this moment that Cyrus and the others came into the room only to stop in their tracks at the spectacle before them.

"The Knight, it moves!" Cyrus gasped seeing something once dormant since being brought here beginning to move again.

Knocking back the beast with a single punch, Cerwyn clasped hold of the air by his left hip and summoned the Knight's sword from its plane of existence and became but a blur of white steel as he attacked the monster without quarter unleashing his fury at the loss of the Archduke, King and all the others whose lives had been taken all for some group's conquest for the very thing he now wielded.

"Today was to be a day of peace but now that will never happen because of what you've done, brother. You robbed a child of her grandfather, a daughter of her father. You may say it was for this armour, but we both know it was me and for that I will never forgive you." Cerwyn said coldly after he sent the final blow to the beast, killing it.

At the moment of its death the white knight turned back into Cerwyn, Cerwyn took a deep breath after feeling what the monster felt.

"Cerwyn." Cerwyn turned around and saw Cyrus coming "You destroyed it, you saved us all."

Cerwyn only nodded "It was my duty, Cyrus, and a promise I made to the Archduke."

Cyrus was about to reply but heard a noise they turned around and saw Shapur, he had Cisna tied up and gagged while holding her "Don't worry captain your king may meet his daughter again maybe in the next life, then they will rest in peace." Shapur said while smiling evilly at what he had done.

"You bastard let the princess go!" Leonard screamed trying to go for Shapur but Dragon and Yulie were holding him back.

"Leonard, think about this: The guy is a swordsman with a whole army to back him up! Fight him and you're dead!" Yulie argued trying to calm Leonard down.

Leonard looked as if to argue but barely had time to protest before a massive anchor came crashing through the roof of the chamber.

"Good timing, Dragias" Shapur said tossing the princess up to the demon knight standing atop the anchor before getting on himself as the anchor was suddenly withdrawn. "Good bye brother and don't worry we will meet again to settle this once and for all but be sure after that there will be only one person who has our blood will live." Shapur declared as the anchor took the three passengers up to the airship it was attached to.

Staring up through the hole in the roof the anchor had made, all Cerwyn could do was feel like he had let down Archduke Dalam, Princess Cisna and Miu, the latter of which he would not be seeing for an untold amount of time until he had fulfilled the promise he had made.

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& thus another chapter done. Review if possible & until next time

It's goodbye from me...

& it's goodbye from him

Goodbye!