Chapter Six: Dawn Knight

It was dawn when the heroes reached the capital city, or what was left of it. Dan tried to get a good look at Kevin, to make sure he was okay. Kevin seemed emotionless, his stare blank. He seemed to have stopped being fazed by the destruction a long time ago.

They had to pass through the capital city to continue on the road towards Planaphew. Pretty soon they were reaching the outskirts of the city. The place seemed like a giant ghost-town. Not a soul in sight. Or so it seemed.

"Hold on a second, guys," said Uchi, warningly. "I see something up ahead."

Indeed, a figure of a person was walking towards them, zigzagging through the rubble and debris. It was wearing armor, from what they could tell, and not carrying weapons. Soon, he was visible, looking at all of the destroyed buildings in turn, a hand rubbing his chin. He seemed to be lost.
"Um… Hi there…" said Dan to the stranger.
The wanderer jumped back and looked at them as though he had not noticed they were there before. He was young, about seventeen. His deep blue eyes shone in the light of the rising sun. He was wearing expensive silver armor, gauntlets, and greaves. Black chain mail could be seen underneath it.
"And you are?" said the stranger, looking inquiringly at each of them in turn.
Dan and Uchi looked at each other, and then at Maria. They had talked about how revealing who they were and what they were seeking to anyone who asked would not be a smart move.

"Travelers," said Maria quickly. "Travelers from Rosadel."

"Rosadel…" repeated the stranger. "The country of grassy fields?"
"Er… yes." Said Maria.
The wanderer stared at them for a minute, until he turned around and stared at a piece of broken sword.
"What about you?" Asked Uchi, questioningly. "You haven't told us where you're from yet."
The stranger spun around and looked at her inquiringly. "You never asked."

"Well, we're asking now." She said, impatiently.
The odd teenager seemed to choose his next words carefully.

"I have…no idea where I'm from. Or what I'm doing in this country, for that matter." He said calmly.

The four heroes looked at each other, perplexed.
"Do you think you could be a survivor…from this country?" asked Kevin, in a quiet voice.
The stranger stared at him for a moment.

"No, definitely not. Look at my armor. The fools of this land wouldn't have such great protection."

Dan thought Kevin would get angry, but as he caught sight of the mage's face, he just looked confused.

"At the very least, do you remember your name?" Kevin asked again.
At this, the stranger smiled.

"Yes," he began. "My name is Erik."