Kamen Rider Forge Remnant
Craft 23: A Family Curse
In the last Craft, Beacon academy began it's spring semester, Taiso and Artoria were out shopping when a Cast Grimm attacked causing the two to intercept and defeat the Cast Grimm. Yet all the while Legion slinks into the background. Now a week later, the next gear is beginning to turn...
We are Taiso… Beacon Academy...
Jake and Rachel walk beside me down the hall towards the forge. "So, how well did you do on the test?" I ask the two. "Pretty easy, but that's to be expected." Rachel said. "Same, it's pretty early in the year." Jake echos. "Just wondering." I shrugged. 'Mmh.' An itch feeling enters my bandaged arm as I rub the bandages to ease the itch. "Speaking of wondering. How's your arm feeling?" Jake asks me. Looking at the bandages I shake my wrist and clench it.
Taiso:(smiles) It's fine, it doesn't hurt and I should be able to take off the bandages next week or so.
Rachel: Is that right?...(sighs) You really are a troublesome person.
Taiso:(looks at Rachel) What's that supposed to mean?
Jake:(crosses arms) I think it means she's never had to deal with such an odd person. I mean, on your first week, you miss the boat and have to jump on a new one, be brought here by Vales on Kamen Rider, you get assigned to the first full Rider team in a long time, then you're injured and you have to get stitches to heal an arm that, may I remind you, was burnt and that you CUT you're one flesh. Who does that?
"Me, I guess." I said scratching the back of my head. "It seems to me, being the Rider's support makes you follow trouble wherever you go." Jake points out. "Isn't that our job?" I said, the three of us share a chuckle as we arrived at the forge, entering the room, the crackling of the fire entering our ears as our eyes fell upon a Faunus classmate of ours being bothered by a Hunter. More specifically, "Carden Winchester." Rachel said, disgust clear in her glare and tone.
Cardin is a 6 feet 1 inch tall man, he has burnt-orange hair that is combed backward with a slight peak at the front and indigo eyes. He wears silver-gray armor with gold trim. His chestplate sports a bird with its wings outstretched. Underneath the armor, he wears a black shirt with red trimmings and black pants with a red sash tied around his waist. He also wears silver-gray armoured under the knee boots that match the rest of his armor.
Jake:(sighs) Akaga again? Cardin does this everytime he comes to the Forge.
Rachel:(crosses arms) He never passes up a chance to mess with Fanus students…
Cardin reaches out to grab the Akaga's fox tail and pulls on it. "Argh! H-Hey! Let go!" Akaga said, holding onto a box of sharp weapons for dear life. Cardin pulls on the tail, while Akaga tries to pull away, only for Cardin to let go, causing Akaga to tumble to the ground. "Akaga!" The three of us shout as we rush over to help. Lifting Akaga up, her face has cuts across it from the tumbling blades. "Akaga are you okay?" Rachel asks, looking at her, nothing important was damaged. 'Whew, only a flesh wound.' Cardin then stomps on Akaga's tail. "Ow!"
Cardin:(cuckles) What's wrong? Your tail is at a perfect stomping target. Who knows, it could get torn off!
?: Like how torn apart your family is, Cardin?
A hand pushes Cardin away from Akaga. Alborz steps over and in front of Cardin. "Alborz..." Cardin said with a look of disgust. "My family may be torn but at least we aren't cowards." Alborz simply shrugs. "Takes one to know one." Alborz slaps back, Cardin simply grits his teeth. "I don't wanna hear that from a damn thief!" Cardin said walking off.
Cardin:(stops at doorway) Hey.(points at Taiso) You shouldn't get so close to him. He'll stab you in the back and take everything you own.(walks off) Damn backstabber...
Taiso:(blinks)... (looks at Alborz) What was that all about?
Alborz:(crosses arms) It's nothing. The beef between us is strictly linked to many of the noble families around Remnant…(looks down) Tho, it has spread to common people too.
Taiso:...(looks at Akaga) I… I have the blades.(begins picking up blades) Rachel, get Akaga to the Doctor's office.
Rachel:(nods) Okay, come on Akaga.
Alborz:(steps over) Do you need help?(reaches out to Akaga) I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner.
Akaga:(pulls away) I-I'm sorry…
Alborz simply clenches his fist and steps out of the way. Rachel helps Akaga up and the two leave the room. Jake and I put the last of the blades into the crate. "I'll put this away." Jake said, lifting up the crate and leaving the room. I glance over at Alborz who watches the doorway Rachel and Akaga left though, his gaze distant and emotionless. "Umm… Alborz?"
Alborz:(snaps back) H-Huh? Oh, yes.(takes out blades) Taiso, I would like you to sharpen my blades… They have been becoming a bit dull.
Taiso:(nods) Sure, hand the blade to me and uh… I'll get them done by the end of the day. I'll bring it to the dorm room.
Alborz:(hands blades) Thank you… I'll… Leave you to it…
Alborz turns and heads to the doorway, passing by Artoria as the two exchange quick greetings. My gaze follows Alborz as he leaves the forge. "Taiso?" Artoria asks. "He asked me to sharpen his blades but… There was a… Situation. Just earlier." I explained, putting the blades down next to the grinder. "Do you need something?" I ask turing my attention to her. Artoria shakes her head.
Artoria: Simply to talk.(walks over to Taiso) I've also wanted to learn about sharpening my blade, Proxy always did it for me so… I'd like to learn about it myself.
Taiso: Oh.(lifts up blades) Well then… Great timing then.(gestures with head) Come on, I'll show you the Sander Belts.
We are Observers… Vale Dockyards...
Legion sits, his cheek sits on his right fist as he silently watches the people below, hauling away crates of dust from atop a second story balcony. "Oh, how Humanity teases me with it's self-destructive nature." Legion mutters watching these people carrying crates of dust away. "Legion." Roman said, stepping over, a woman with an umbrella next to him following close behind. "Hmm?" Legion glances over at Roman.
Roman:(takes a puff) Don't feel like making one of those Cast monsters?
Legion:(sighs) Was it not you who said that My Cast Grimm brings too much attention?(shakes head) Humans, so hypocritical.
Roman:(taps ash off cigar) Oh, I stand by that. But considering the pile of bodies you're on. I'm surprised your blade hasn't once made a single cast.
Legion:(leans forward) You misunderstand, the creation of Molds takes a lot to produce even a single Mold.
Standing up, Legion walks over to the railing. "Much like how much preparation these Fanus need to succeed in their, "Utopia." As foolish as that notion is." Legion turns back to the pile of security guard bodies he once sat on. "Thus, I will leave you to it." Legion climbs atop the bodies, at the top is the dagger, with red veins stretching out into every body, the bodies of the guards are pale and without blood. "Going somewhere?" Roman asks.
Legion:(takes out dagger) I have… Other things to attend to. I'm going Fishing.
We are Taiso… Beacon Academy…
The sander belt comes to a stop as I step back with a freshly sharpened test blade. "The process is simply to pass the blade's edge down to get an even shapren." I finish explaining. Putting aside the blade, I walk over to the other side of the room. "Of course there is another way to sharpen a blade." I said, walking up to a shelf, reaching up I took a box out and took out sharpening stones of different grits on the table before Artoira. Putting aside the box, I pick up Alborz's blades and bring them over to the table.
Taiso:(gestures to stones) When in the field these are your best friends when sharpening your blade, the same principle applies.(begins sharpening Alborz's blade) Just… Much slower.
Artoria:(nods) I see.
Taiso:(grinding blade) … Hey, I have a question… About Alborz… It's about his family. I've been curious about how others talk about Alborz.
Artoria:(crossing arms) Right… I… Overheard what happened between Alborz and Cardin. Better to explain from the beginning. Every Rider family or rather, Rider has a different system in which they pass down the Title. For my family, the Pendragons, the oldest heir regardless of gender, are made into the Kamen Rider. While other heirs are basically replacements.(walks over to the shelf) For Leonidas, it's done through a tournament, the winners of the tournament get a chance to take up the title of Leonidas though another trial, Shizuka is more of a Master handing it down to their Apprentice. With Shahryar it's by choice the family could go generations without having a Rider if they wanted but, at least one person took up the belt each generation.
Taiso:(tilts head) So… Then what's the problem?
Artoria:(leans against table) The problem is… They aren't direct descendants of the original Rider. They used to be a family of Servants that worked for the original bearers. Legend goes that the original family were all killed in a fire orchestrated by Alborz's family. To which they stole the Rider belt from them.
Taiso:(looks up) Then why do they still have the belt?
Artoria: It's debated because there are two conflicting stories.(looks at Taiso) The one that Cardin argued was the one I just told you. The less popular story was one from Alborz's family's account of the events. A terrorist group assaulted the house, they were hired by a rival family to kill the entire Shahryar lineage, but in the last moments the remnants of the Shahryar family passed the belt to Alborz's family. Many nobles believe that Alborz and his family are thieves, while others think they are simply carrying out the last wishes of the old Shahryar lineage. So the ruling council of Vacuo let Alborz's family keep the belt due to lack of evidence, much to the dismay of nobles.
I silently put aside Alborz's freshly sharpened blades and I look over at Artoria. "Then… What do you think happened?" I asked her, she simply shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have a Time Machine to confirm what happened. I just believe Alborz is true to the Kamen Rider Name." She stands up and steps towards the exit. "Thanks for today, see you later." Artoria waved goodbye as she left the room, I waved back as she left me alone within the forge. Stepping over to a box next to my station, peering inside the ore box, I stare at my metal growths that I cut off then glancing at my bandaged arm. I pick up some metal and look at myself in it's jagged reflection.
Taiso:(clenches metal) So… Alborz also has a curse weighing on his shoulder to then…
Jake:(in a different room) H-Hey!? Taiso? You done there!? I could use some help here!
Taiso:(puts away metals) Right! Sorry, on my way now!
We are Alborz…
Standing on the Crown of Swords, the massive blade monuments point off towards the distance. I stand next to the railing and I stare off into the distance. Grabbing my mold from a pocket in my coat, I stare at it. 'It doesn't matter what we do! We are all doomed to be treated like thieves, the best we can do is live up to it.' Clenching the mold in my hand as I look up to the sky. "Brother." My Scroll rings, I put away the mold before checking who's calling.
Alborz: ...(Answers and holds phone to ear) Yes, father? Do you need something?
Father: Just checking in on you, son. Hoping everything is alright between you and the other Riders.
Alborz:(looking off to the distance) It was… Rocky at first to be honest, but we have someone who helps smooth things out, we're on good terms… I think at least.
Father: Sigh~ That's good to hear. Also, I wanted to tell you, your Overseer is on her way, she should be arriving by tomorrow. Please greet her with your team if you wouldn't mind. She should be coming with her fellow Overseers. Do make a good first impression.
Alborz:(sweatdrop) Wha- You gave in didn't you… Sigh~ Fine, okay. I'll meet her when she arrives, just... give me the time… Thanks, bye.(hang up) Whew~ Great.
Craft 23 Complete
Author's note: Sorry to be gone so long everyone! I'm back and I'm feeling inspired and refreshed. So expect regular updates now, especially now that I'm not cooped up in my room all the time. Also for anyone wondering, I left my Summer Job to return to school. Besides that I'm back on the regular. Thanks for reading!