RIDERS OF CAMELOT
Riders of Camelot
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 1 Here be there Heroes
The Kingdom of Camelot had seen better days. The great kingdom overlooking the sea was still a splendid sight to see, but the times of war had been hard on it, giving it a dark and depressing face. The kingdom had been under siege by the evil witch Morganna and her Warlords, men carved from stone and given life with magic. No sword could cut them, no disease could sicken them, and no arrow could pierce them. In earlier times, King Arthur and his eleven Knights of the Round Table could fend off such forces with their might, magic, and courage. However, Arthur and his knights were gone. Trapped inside the fabled Cave of Glass, prisoners of Morganna's magic. Without Arthur, it fell to Merlin to keep the castle safe from harm.
And this day his extreme magical talents would be tested yet again.
Emerging from the forests on horseback and foot, carrying spears, axes, swords, or whatever deadly weapon they could get their hands on in the middle ages, Warlords came. The majority of them looked similar and rightly so since they were practically mass produced by Morganna's magic. Their armor was gray with red circling the shoulders and a red spike emerging from it. The chest had a splash of gold on it, but it was dull. Their helmets were box-like with more dull gold around the base and red horns sticking from the sides with only a horizontal rectangular slit to see through. They weren't the smartest of beings, but they followed orders to the letter. Thinking was more the talent of the more powerful Warlords.
One such individual was Lord Viper. He was the field commander of all the Warlords and when he said something, you listened or paid the consequences. He wore dark green armor with demonic black shoulder guards and shin guards. His chest was marked with a cobra design. A black cape hung from his shoulders, making him look more intimidating and regal. His helmet was styled after a snake with his eyes being visible through the snake's own and its fangs framing his mouth. Out of all the Warlords, he looked to be human, unlike the rest whom were obviously made of stone. He was mounted on his black horse which was covered in green serpentine armor which gave it a most fearsome image.
"Are you sure we should be attacking Lord Viper?" asked an approaching Warlord. This one was donned in slate gray and black armor with little decoration. The chest piece had a red and yellow crest on the front and his shoulder armor had white spikes rising from them. His helmet was gray as well, with only two triangular holes for sight which revealed only darkness, proving that this was one of the Warlords forged from enchanted stone. His helmet had two axe blades donned on either side of his head with a straight blade emerging from the top. His name was Warlord Axe, one of the generals. His was mounted on a horse-driven wagon which was mounted with a large number of axes which gave him the capability of cutting through almost anything. "I mean, Merlin will just use his magic to raise a barrier around Camelot!"
"I'm counting on that," Viper chuckled darkly as he gazed hungrily at the castle. "My plan depends on it." Grabbing the handle of his sword, he drew it, revealing a serrated edge which made it look cruel and evil, he raised his blade into the air. "WARLORDS! ATTACK!"
The Warlords gave a huge battle cry as they all charged at the fortress of good ahead of them. War machines, cavalry, and infantry alike all charged at the castle they desired so. Archers grouped together once close enough and began to shoot volleys of arrows at the castle, hoping to keep enemy archers away from their fellow soldiers. The air was filled with such volleys, unfortunately the volleys were all going in a single direction.
Up on the castle wall, there was but a single defender against the army of Warlords. He wore a dark robe with gold lining it. He showed an advanced age with a long gray beard with streaks of white in it. A gold ring circled his forehead and an aura of power surrounded him. Holding out his hands, the man became engulfed with a golden aura which spread across the castle walls and rose up, keeping the arrows from penetrating and doing harm to anyone who would have been in their path.
"Fire the catapults!" Viper bellowed in retaliation. The Warlord Troopers obeyed without question as they brought the snake-themed war machines forward. Loading large rocks into the machines, they launched them into the air, sending them crashing against the old man's field.
"Never!" the old man growled. "For as long as I draw breath, I will stay here to protect this kingdom!" Blue magical power coursed through his hands and fired at the enemy. Several Warlords were struck, sending them crashing to the ground, one even shattering from the force, but no one paid the death of their comrade any mind. With Morganna's magic, he would be either revived, or simply replaced.
"Curse you Merlin!" Viper snarled, as his horse reared back from the flashing lights. "Keep firing! Give no quarter!"
Behind the protective field, in one of the tallest towers, two souls dared to brave a look at the battlefield. One was a charming young woman in a flowing pink dress and long dark brown hair. She was one of the ladies in waiting of the Queen. Her name was Lady Elaine. Next to her was a beauty among beauties with flowing orange hair with a golden crown upon her head. She wore a green dress which fit her to a tee but her eyes were filled with sorrow for something she had lost. She was Guinevere, Queen of Camelot and wife to the missing King Arthur.
"When will all this senseless fighting stop?" asked Lady Elaine in sadness as she watched the Warlords mercilessly attack the castle to no avail, but tiring poor Merlin in the process.
"I suspect it will never end until my husband returns," Guinevere replied sadly as she also took in the sights of the battle. "Although I know not where he could be."
"But…that means…" Elaine gasped.
"Oh but Queen Guinevere, if you desire to see your husband, I can take you to him," a snide voice spoke.
The two women looked up in horror at a figure standing on top of a tower, well on the safe side of Marlin's barrier. His body was gray, but blue and red armor was on his shoulders to protect him from harm. On his back spread two large metal wings with iron claws which were only matched by the wicked set attached to his feet. His helmet was pointed and blue with a yellow mouthguard shaped not unlike a beak. The eye holes were black and cold, revealing him to be another Warlord. He was Warlord Blackwing.
Leaping from his perch, Blackwing soared through the air and to the balcony where Guinevere and Elaine were watching the battle. The evil Warlord snarled, "Away wench!" while smacking Elaine away with a beat of his metal wings while taking the struggling Guinevere in hold. Chuckling, he soared towards his comrades with the Queen of Camelot in tow, "You'll be our guest of honor at Castle Morganna!"
Merlin heard the cries of his queen, and turned to see her being carried off by the airborne Warlord. Raising his hand, he attempted to use a spell which could stop the stone man and free his queen. However, Blackwing was wary of the man's magic and swooped down at him before clubbing him with his talon-clad feet, knocking him to the stone floor. Laughing all the while, Darkwing soared towards his comrades.
"Success!" Viper laughed as he spied his soldier returning. "We have claimed Queen Guinevere!"
"Wow! We did it!" Warlord Axe gaped as the other Warlords cheered for their victory.
"Onwards to Castle Morganna!" Viper cheered pointing his sword into the opposite direction of the castle. Blackwing nodded to his commander before following in the same direction. Many of the remaining Warlords followed suit, however several remained behind to form a siege line to prevent anyone from interfering with their escape. Viper's echoing laughter only served to herald his victory.
"No," Merlin groaned as he got to his feet. "Not the Queen."
-oOo-
-TIME BREAK-
Merlin sighed, recovered from his bumps and bruises, as he entered the room of the Round Table. This was the place where King Arthur and his Knights would meet to discuss strategy and other issues concerning the kingdom. However, since they had vanished, the room had been quiet and the only reason it wasn't collecting dust was because of the dutiful servants who kept it clean and ready for any eventual use.
"I have failed," Merlin sighed mournfully as he touched the surface of the Round Table, touching the emblem where King Arthur himself once sat. "Camelot was supposed to be a kingdom of pure good and justice…but then Arthur and his Knights vanished and now even Queen Guinevere has been taken. I fear…we are doomed."
Just by uttering these words, the Round Table began to shine. Energy which rippled like water spread across its surface before a figure began to emerge. The figure was that of a beautiful woman with a long white gown. Her hair was a shining golden and she wore a white headdress. She was in fact the Lady of the Lake who was the keeper of Excalibur when the King was not capable of holding it. Her soft gaze landed on a startled Merlin.
"Fear not Merlin, for all is not yet lost," she spoke. "For in the cosmos, there exist warriors whose hearts are pure, wills are strong, and filled with a passion for justice. Reaching them will be difficult, for they exist in another world, but your magic is strong. You can find them. Summon them, and they will continue the fight where King Arthur and his Knights left off." With a final smile, the Lady of the Lake vanished back into the Round Table, her task completed.
Merlin took the Lady's words to heart. There were still champions of good who remained who would be able to defeat the likes of Morganna and her Warlords! However, if what the Lady said was true, then reaching them would be most difficult. Reaching across time was an exhausting task, but reaching across worlds, that was nearly impossible. However, Merlin was confident that his magic would be able to bring those warriors to Camelot in its time of need. The safety of the land…no, the world depended on it!
The master wizard had to prepare himself. Taking a stance in front of the table, he began his spell. It would be difficult and he would have to use the power of the Round Table to anchor these brave warriors to this world. What effects that might have on the Table itself would have to be dealt with. This wasn't the time to be overtly cautious.
As Merlin chanted in a foreign language, invoking the spell, his body glowed with a mystical aura. Pulling individuals from another timeline was one thing, but to pull them out of another world which was at least a dimension away was tricky, very tricky, even for such an old and wise like himself. Still, they were desperate. Camelot, in the absence of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table, needed champions and if what the Lady of the Lake said was true, then these brave warriors were the champions they needed.
Merlin quickly set to work, standing in front of the legendary table which housed such potent magic. Chanting in a lost magical tongue, Merlin began to glow with a magical aura which reached to the Round Table. The magic of the table reacted, making it shine brightly. The crests of King Arthur and his knights vanished in the power before beams of light soared from the table and struck the decorative banners around the room, imprinting each knight's crest so that their power was kept for safe keeping. Continuing his chant, Merlin opened the hidden skylight which focused nature's energy for the table to use, beseeching the powers that be to summon the familiars that the new warriors would need.
He got his answer.
From the enchanted skylight, red energy poured down, taking the form of a red serpentine dragon. The great beast roared and dove down towards the table, fusing with it and creating the first symbol of the new knights, that of a dragon's head, finely crafted and carved into the table. A screech echoed out, bringing forth a dark blue bat which took up the second position. An orange crab came third, followed by a green bull and then a pink stingray. Next was a grey creature Merlin recognized as a rhinoceros from a land across the southern oceans and a purple cobra that slithered down after it. After them was the golden form of a phoenix. Following it was a blue tiger with a brown gazelle close behind. A bright green chameleon dove down next, creating another symbol, followed by a magnificent white swan. The last two were an intimidating black dragon and a shark as blue as the ocean, completing the new circle of fourteen.
Merlin's spell was not complete yet. Continuing his chant, he let his magic reach through the new familiars towards the world where their masters would be. It was difficult, a farther than he expected, but he managed to find every one of them. With sweat upon his brow, Merlin finished the final piece of his spell. His magic flared one final time, its light reaching to all corners of the room and shining through the windows for all to see. Within, a hole in the air opened wide, depositing 14 individuals upon the stone floor before sealing itself shut again. The groans of pain and dizziness sounded off, but they were alive and present for Merlin to see, much to his relief.
Stepping forward, Merlin examined the fourteen warriors whom he had summoned. They all seemed to hail from the lands of the Far East. Still, each of them seemed to be only just entering adulthood, but Merlin had learned long ago that appearances were very much deceiving. Why, Arthur himself was once a scrawny young stable boy but had a will of iron and a heart of gold that helped him become the king that he was today. Merlin had little doubt that these young adults would prove themselves just as powerful.
With grumbles and grunts, the youths began standing up. They were donned in clothes of the era, but coloured differently for each one. The men was donned in knightly robes with their emblems over their hearts while the lone female was in a white gown with her swan symbol held as a necklace. As they all got their senses back, they quickly discovered their surroundings and were more than a little confused as to what had happened.
"My apologies for your rough arrival," Merlin spoke, announcing himself and catching the attention of the young heroes. "However, it could not be avoided."
"And…who are you?" asked the lone western boy with the black dragon emblem.
"My name is Merlin," the aged sorcerer answered, causing the boy's eyes to widen in shock. "I have brought you all here because Camelot is in dire need of your assistance. Morganna and her Warlords threaten everything that the kingdom stands for and we have no means of protecting ourselves. With King Arthur and his knights sealed in the Cave of Glass, no one save myself are left to protect us."
"Morganna?" asked a young man in blue with a tiger marking. "Doesn't sound like a nice person."
"She's not," the boy with the black dragon marking frowned. "She's about as far from nice as you can get. History's not too clear on just how powerful she was, but it was pretty darn clear that she despised Arthur and desired to take everything that was his."
"Ah, you are closer to the truth than you think," Merlin nodded. "Morganna is a powerful sorceress and had created her Warlords from enchanted stone, giving them life and movement. No sword can cut them and no arrow can pierce them. Sickness does not affect them and wounds never appear. They are the near perfect army."
"Sounds real bad," muttered the boy with the gold dragon. "So you think we can stop these guys?"
"Yes, but it shall not be easy," Merlin answered. "The situation is most dire at the moment. In the last encounter Camelot had with the Warlords, our fair queen Guinevere was captured and taken prisoner by the Warlord Commander, Lord Viper."
"What do they want with her?" asked the young man with the shark emblem.
"Without the queen, Camelot is left leaderless," Merlin replied. "She was a beacon of hope that one day Arthur and his Knights would return to us. Without her, the people shall begin to lose hope and one day even beg to surrender to the Warlords. If Camelot falls, then the world is doomed."
"So we rescue Guinevere," said the young man with the bat marking. "Do you know where she is?"
"I do," Merlin nodded. Collecting magical power in his hands, he created an image of a nightmarish castle which looked like it grew out of the desolate rocky earth. "This is Castle Morganna. It is here that Queen Guinevere is being held." The image then shifted to reveal the red-haired beauty as in Merlin's memory, being attended to by one of her chambermaids.
"Wow," The gazelle marked young man breathed. "Okay, I'm all for rescuing this lady."
"Right, but even if we rescue this lady and defeat Morganna, how are we supposed to go home?" asked the young man with the chameleon mark.
"To send you home now would leave Camelot defenceless once again," Merlin explained. "However, the spell which keeps Arthur and his Knights imprisoned is not unbreakable. There exist twelve Keys of Truth which are capable of ending any curse or spell they are used upon. However, only the truly valiant can touch them, otherwise they vanish to be found elsewhere. If you find these twelve keys, we can release Arthur and his Knights. Only then can I send you all home."
"Heh, is that all?" asked the youth with the cobra marking. "Heck, this just makes my day. As far as I'm concerned, you've got a deal old man." A general chorus of agreement followed as the other young men and lone young woman all agreed to Merlin's logic. Everyone could tell that this was a big deal and thus knew that there was no turning back.
"Excellent, it was as I hoped," Merlin smiled with relief. "Morganna's Warlords are powerful. The castle armoury and stables are at your disposal. Take what you need and fear not of any sort of cost. Nothing is too great to secure our queen."
"Your generosity is appreciated Merlin," the western boy nodded. "However, we are prepared for battle already. If you wish Guinevere to be rescued, then we'll head out immediately. The only thing we'll need from you are mirrors or steel polished so well you could see yourself in it."
"An odd request," Merlin admitted with a raised eyebrow. "But easily done. I shall have horses outfitted with protective steel which does exactly that. I shall also enchant it so that it does not lose its shine if it is so important."
"Trust me Merlin, it is important," the western boy nodded.
-oOo-
--TIME BREAK—
Merlin certainly came through with his promise. Fourteen horses were prepared for the group of youths and covered with protective plating which could have been used as a mirror if one so desired. Each horse's armor was coloured the same color as each of the summoned fighters' garments and their crests were etched on the horses' flanks. The horses were waiting for the group in the courtyard as they mentally prepped themselves for the upcoming fight. It wasn't often they got the chance to prepare so they were going to make the most out of it.
Greg Jones admired the polished black steel of the horse he was given, his mark of Ryuga etched onto both sides. He was a city boy and didn't have much experience riding a horse, but he could do it given the circumstances. He was a little more concerned about the others, having lived all their lives in Tokyo and probably never had seen a horse outside of a zoo or something. Still, whatever spell or magic was used to help them speak English to Merlin hopefully gave them the knowledge to ride horses as well.
"Hey Satoru," Greg called, catching the attention of the tiger-marked young man. "Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah. Shinji and Ren were just checking with Merlin for any details they might need. Miho and Itsuro are waiting for us while Kitaoka and Asakura seem like they're ready for a fight. Tezuka says we have a good chance of victory today so I feel pretty good too."
Greg nodded. Despite knowing these people for a while, he still couldn't believe hat they were the same people from the Kamen Rider Ryuki series, only younger. The only ones he wouldn't have knows was Tetsuya Oikawa, who was a skinny kid with dirty black hair and dirty choice in clothes who could become Kamen rider Odin, and Hiroyuki Kamata who was a little tall for his age and was rather good looking to a female's eye who became Kamen Rider Abyss. All of the others looked like younger versions of their counterparts from the Ryuki television show. However, they were able to make a respectable team, especially since they all had something to gain by helping Merlin and Arthur.
Soon, all of the collected Riders were in place, ready to go. Greg did a quick count of heads to ensure that everyone was present. Seeing they were, he glanced to see Merlin approaching. The old wizard stepped up to the collected Riders before speaking, "I have the utmost confidence in your victory. I only ask that you hurry. You are Queen Guinevere's last hope."
"Then she has nothing to worry about," Shinji grinned. "We'll have her back before you know it. We won't let you down!"
"But how do you plan to fight the Warlords without weapons or armor?" asked one of the squires who prepared the horses. He was a young boy named Everett who was thin and had brown hair in a pageboy cut. Appropriate considering the time period they were in.
"Who said we were without those things?" Greg smiled. Reaching into his pocket, he produced the Ryuga deck. His friends followed suit as they produced their own Advent Decks before all of them held them up to the reflective armor the horses wore. With a shimmering noise, their V-Belts appeared in the reflections and wrapped around their waists, the same happening to their actual bodies in the real world. The squires and what witnesses there were gasped at the sight. However, the Riders weren't done yet as they made motions with their hands before giving a unified cry of: "Henshin!"
-oOo-
--TIME BREAK—
Outside of Camelot lay the Warlord siege line. Warlord Troopers were lined in ranks, ready for the order to attack. They had their spears, axes, swords, and other implements of death at the ready for what they thought would be their final charge on Camelot. At the back of the group were five Warlord Generals who were in charge of the siege in the absence of Lord Viper. One of the four was Warlord Blackwing who was next to Warlord Axe. The third in the line was Warlord Hammer, a muscle-bound fighter with red and gray armor who wore a cylindrical helmet with a skull-like face. Strapped to his arms were large steel hammers which could crush stone and steel with their weight and the power Hammer had at his disposal. Next was Warlord Spike who had bronze and gray armor with a bronze shield on his back. He wielded a staff with large blades on the end. His helmet was bronze with red around his black hollow eyes with blades rising from the top like horns. Finally was Warlord Bash who was donned in primitive gray and brown armor with a helmet which looked like an actual skull with red and yellow hair-like decoration. He wielded a giant club which looked like it was made of bone.
Warlord Hammer raised his hand, preparing to give the order to charge, however before he could actually give the order, the drawbridge dropped. It certainly confused the Warlords, some hoping that Camelot saw the futility of their struggle and decided to surrender. However, that thought died a very quick death when fourteen armoured individuals began riding out of the castle on horseback.
The leader of the group wore black armor which had gold lines accenting his chest while he wore a black bodysuit underneath. His left arm was covered in a black gauntlet which looked like a dragon's head with deadly red eyes. His helmet sported two red eyes covered by a horizontal grille with a black dragon emblem on the top of his head. Silver sockets were placed on his shoulders and kneels, as if he were meant to be locked into something He bore a silver belt with a black rectangular centre with a dragon's head in the middle. His name was Kamen Rider Ryuga, master of Dragblacker.
Following Ryuga was almost a complete double. His armor was styled the same, but with a red bodysuit with black and silver armor and a red dragon head gauntlet on his left arm. His helmet was the same as Ryuga's save for the differently styled dragon marking on the top. The centre of his belt was likewise different with a black surrounding with a gold dragon head in the middle. His name was Kamen Rider Ryuki and he was the one who tamed Dragredder, the polar opposite to Dragblacker.
Third was a Rider in a black bodysuit. His chest armor was this with yellow shark jaws motif in the centre. His shoulder pads stuck out like a shark's fin with dark blue stripes on them. Over his left arm was a large gauntlet which looked like a blue shark with a black head. His gauntlets and boots were the same color as his chest armor with silver sockets on his knees. He even wore blue thigh armor His helmet looked like that of a blue shark with a silver mouth guard which looked like a mouth with rectangular teeth and black slits to see through on his silver face. He was called Kamen Rider Abyss, the Rider who was officially contracted to two Mirror monsters, Abysshammer and Abyssslasher.
Next was a warrior who looked most like a knight. He was covered in a dark bodysuit which had sockets on his knees and shoulders. His chest armor was silver and segmented, giving an appearance of a bat. Strapped to his waist was a black rapier which had a bat-shaped guard which served as his card reader. His helmet was black with a silver visor styled after a knight's and the mouth guard had markings like fangs on it. His name was Kamen Rider Knight, the one who called Mirror Monster Darkwing his contract.
The following warrior was donned in a black bodysuit with an orange chest with a silver patch in the middle. His shoulders were styled to look similar to crab legs. On his left arm was a pair of shears which served as his main weapon. His helmet was plainly orange with a pair of dark eyes as a visor with a silver mouth guard. The top of his helmet was decorated with antennae similar to crab eye stalks complete with green tips. His name was Kamen Rider Scissors and his contract was Mirror Monster Volcancer.
The Rider who came next was a purple Kamen Rider whose armor was folded from his chest to back, creating the image of a cobra's hood with silver edges. His helmet was similarly styled with a silver face and six slits acting for a visor. The top of the helmet was purple with gold designs adding to it. Silver sockets which were in common with all the Riders were on his knees, forearms, and purple shoulder pads. In his hand was a staff tipped with a cobra motif which was in truth his Veno Visor. His name was Kamen Rider Ohja, the master of Venosnaker.
Next was a Rider who seemed more animalistic than the others. He wore a black bodysuit underneath white armor which was accented with blue stripes. His shoulder pads were styled like a tiger's claws, making him look fiercer. His helmet was mainly white with a blue back and slits acting as a visor. Accenting the sides of his helmet were protrusions which were similar to whiskers. His main weapon of choice was a battle axe with a tiger's head decorating the top of the handle usually known as the Dest Visor. He was Kamen Rider Tiger who was partnered with Destwilder.
Another Rider followed Tiger closely. Like the others he had a black bodysuit. His chest armor was a tanned brown with his gazelle symbol in the centre of his chest. White fur lined the sides where his arms were connected to his torso. His shoulder pads were brown and rounded, but had gold horns on each side. His helmet was mainly brown with a silver faceplate with numerous black slits acting as his visor. On either side of his helmet were two pairs of horns. Two of which were sticking into the air and two more on either side of his mouth guard. On his right knee was a gold gazelle-like skull which was his Gazelle Visor. He was Kamen Rider Imperer and his true contract was Gigazelle, but he had an army of Mirror Monsters at his beck and call.
Next was probably the most regal of the Riders. His armor was a royal crimson color with gold shoulder pads which stretched out like the wings of a phoenix. His chest armor was likewise accented with gold and had a black section just below his neck. His helmet was the royal crimson below the slits in his visor, but the rest was gold and arranged almost like a crown. Held almost regally in his hand, but not above being used as a weapon was an ornate staff which looked like a phoenix had been perched there with its wings closed. The Gold Visor was a powerful weapon in its own right. His name was Kamen Rider Odin, arguable one of the strongest Riders with his contract Goldpheonix.
The next Rider wore a green bodysuit over his body. He also wore thick steel armor which looked technologically advanced, especially in the time period they were in. It was box-like and bulky, but it didn't appear as if any sword could pierce it. Attaced to his belt was a green semi-automatic gun which served as his visor, the Magnu Visor. His helmet was green save for his visor which was silver and like his armor, technologically advanced. He was Kamen Rider Zolda, arguably the most destructive with his contract Magnugiga.
The Rider who came out next was one of the most colourful. It comprised of a black bodysuit with green chest armour which had red coils on it. His shoulder pads looked like green shields with red horns and silver sockets on them. His gauntlets and boots were likewise the vibrant green of the rest of his armour. Strapped to his left thigh was a chameleon head which was his Bio-Visor. His head was covered by a green helmet which had two large eye-like decorations which were connected by his black slit of a visor. His moth was covered by a silver mouth plate which had lines on it not unlike a reptile's underside. He was Kamen Rider Verde who was just as tricky as his contract, Biogreeza.
The next Rider was in a black bodysuit, but his chest armour was a shade of pink with gold accents on the sides. His shoulder pads were somewhat shell-like while his gauntlets and boots were the same color as his armor. On his left arm was a small shield shaped like a stingray which was called his Evil-Visor. His helmet was mainly silver on the front with six wave-like slits for him to see through. A barbed ponytail hung down from the back of his helmet as well, completing his look. Kamen Rider Raia clenched his fists, mentally prepared for the upcoming fight, remembering that his contract Evildiver was by his side.
The second last Rider had a black bodysuit as well. However, that was where similarities ended. His torso armour was gray and thick, giving a sense of strength with the bolts placed on them. His left shoulder was engulfed with a gray rhino snout complete with a pink horn extending from the tip. A black panel was on the front, revealing the section of armour as his Metal-Visor. His helmet was actually built onto his neck armour, bringing six straight slits to see through along with a sharp metal horn with a yellow stone embedded in it. Kamen Rider Gai was ready to play and couldn't wait to bring out his contract Metalgelas.
The last Rider to clear the drawbridge and definitely far from the weakest was Kamen Rider Femme. She wore a black bodysuit like the others with white torso armour which was decorated with swan-like wings across the front. She had gold on her shoulders and even a white cape which gave her some resemblance to Knight. Her visor was in a swan-themed rapier called a Blanc-Visor. Her helmet, like the rest of her armour, was white and had the same wing-like decorations as a visor with numerous slits to see through. Her armor reminded many of a swan, which was the form her contract Blancwing took.
The Riders charged from Camelot on their armoured steeds. Each one was shining in the sunlight with the respective color of their Riders. The Warlords were reasonably confused as to what they were seeing, Warlord Hammer voicing the thoughts of all of them, "What trick is this? Who are these knights?"
"Obviously mercenaries hired by Merlin," Warlord Blackwing sniffed. "The question is how did he get them? Our siege line lets nothing pass!"
"Bah! It matters not!" grunted Warlord Bash, gripping his club. "We'll crush them like bugs!"
"I agree!" Warlord Hammer laughed before he raised his arm. "Warlords! Attack!"
With a unanimous cry, the Warlords charged towards Camelot and its new defenders. All of them were ready to crush these fools who thought to challenge them. After all, they were an army of stone warriors. These fools were but fourteen flesh and blood humans. What chance did they stand against their obvious power?
"Here they come!" Ryuga frowned as he gripped the reins of his horse. "Imperer! Bring out our army!"
"You got it!" the gazelle Rider grinned. Reaching to his belt, he drew a card from his case before raising his leg where his Gazelle Visor was kept. Slipping the card into the chamber which appeared in the middle of the skull when his leg was bent, Imperer straightened his leg to allow the card to activate.
"Advent!"
In blurs of movement, numerous members of the Gazelle series of Mirror Monsters began to leap out of the reflective armor of the horses before beginning a charge towards the Warlords. Gigazelle, Negazelle, Omegazelle, and other breeds were all present as they started targeting the Warlords as their next enemies. Soon, the odds did not look so favourable for the Warlords as they did at first.
"What sorcery is this?!" cried Warlord Spike as he stabbed at a Gigazelle which leaped at him. Sparks flew from the impact, but the blade did not penetrate the monster's hide. The beast did groan in pain and stumble, proving that it was flesh and blood to an extent, but it wasn't beaten yet.
"Who cares?!" snapped Warlord Hammer. "Rip them to pieces!"
"Remember guys, they're just stone brought to life," Ryuga called to his allies while drawing a card. "Show no mercy!" Slipping the card into the chamber hidden underneath the brown of his gauntlet, the device called out, "Sword Vent!" Immediately, a black scimitar emerged from his steed's armor before landing in his hand.
"My favourite words!" Ohja laughed. Approaching several Warlord Troopers, he leaped from his horse in a flying tackle which connected and knocked the stone soldiers to the ground with a loud crash. Laughing, he kicked one on the head before dashing into the masses to fight more of them. "Come on! Come on! Try and kill me!" Ohja laughed like a maniac as he started to go wild. He rolled his neck around during short pauses before rushing at his opponents. He didn't have to hold back with these fiends as he fought barehanded.
"I'm so glad he's on our side right now," muttered Ryuki.
Zolda shot with precision at the Warlord Troopers, burying bullets in their stone hides. It wasn't enough to destroy them, but it certainly made them think twice about attacking since they were unsure of just what the heck his weapon was. Verde had summoned his Hold Vent and was striking Warlord Troopers before they could get close enough to use their weapons on him. Femme and Scissors both dismounted their steeds so to use their basic weapons more effectively, both striking down Warlords around them.
"Ngh!" Gai grunted, his thick armor managing to protect him from one of Warlord Hammer's heavy blows. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Your armor is thick," Warlord Hammer frowned. "However, it won't protect you from my blows forever!"
"Then I'll just have to take you down before that happens!" Gai laughed. Drawing a card, he tossed it into his Metal Visor before shutting it. "Advent!"
A loud cry rang out before a hunched over rhinocerous-like monster with thick gray metal skin and a gold horn suddenly emerged from the steel of Gai's horse. The beast lunged through the air and crashed into Warlord Hammer, knocking him off his horse before both crashed into the dirt. Metalgelas punched the Warlord several times as Hammer struggled to escape, smashing his hammers against the monster's hide.
"Feel free to eat him if you can!" Gai called to his monster as he rode into the battle.
Elsewhere, Warlord Blackwing and Knight were struggling as Blackwing stabbed at Knight with a staff tipped with an iron bird claw as Knight retaliated with his Dark-Visor. The bird-themed Warlord grunted as Knight's blade clashed against his staff with a rain of sparks.
"You're formidable on the ground, strange knight," Blackwing grunted as he spread his wings and leaped from his horse, taking to the air like an actual bird. "But can you fight me in the air?"
"With pleasure," Knight frowned, drawing a card. Opening the chamber hidden in the hand guard of his sword, he slipped one of his cards inside before shutting it. "Advent!" With a screech, the silver and black bat Darkwing emerged from the polished steel of Knight's horse before latching onto Knight's back. With wings of is own, Knight took to the air, much to Blackwing's shock as he managed to avoid a slash from Knight's blade.
"What?!" the Warlord cried out in shock.
"Surprise!" Knight smirked, diving down at Blackwing.
"Take this!!" Kamen Rider Tiger roared as he went axe to axe against Warlord Axe. Sparks flew from every impact as both fights used their weapons with powerful force.
"Your silly weapons can't beat mine!" Warlord Axe grunted as he took another swing at Tiger's head.
"Woah!" Tiger cried, ducking beneath the strike. "Better switch for my specialty!" He drew a card and put it into his Dest-Visor.
"Strike Vent!"
He put his axe away and his arms became covered in gauntlets with sharp claws on them. Axe blinked in surprise and hesitated with his next strike. It was more than enough for Tiger to capitalize on. Lunging, he stabbed Axe in the chest knocking him off of his horse and landing hard on the dirt. It would have knocked the wind out of anyone, but Warlords didn't have to breathe so he was able to get back up…after a minute or two so the world would stop spinning.
"Rah!" Warlord Bash roared as he knocked a Negazelle away with his club. "We must be facing sorcerers! No Knight has magic like this!"
"Worse, you're fighting Riders!"
Bash turned around as saw Ohja running towards him with his Veno-Visor out. Drawing a card, he opened his device and slipped the card inside before shutting it again, "Final Vent!"
From one of the nearby horses the Riders used, the giant purple armoured cobra Venosnaker appeared with a dangerous hiss. Slithering behind Ohja, both charged towards the primitive Warlord with a maniacal gleam in their eyes. Once they were close enough, Ohja leaped into the air and did a back-flip before landing on a rising Venosnaker's nose. Kicking off, Ohja began executing a bicycle kick as Venosnaker unleashed a spray of acidic venom. Warlord Bash's eyes widened in actual fright before Ohja's attack landed, knocking him into the air with several powerful kicks and being splashed by the venom. The Warlord screamed out as purple cracks spread through his body before he exploded in the air, showering everyone with pieces of stone. To Ohja's curiosity, an orb of red energy was left behind. He would have tried to examine it, but Venosnaker gobbled it up before making a pleased hiss.
"So you liked that eh?" asked Ohja with a grin. "Seems like these Warlords just went down a notch on the food chain!"
"They destroyed Warlord Bash!" cried Warlord Spike. "We ARE fighting sorcerers!"
"Kill them!" roared Warlord Hammer, finally free from Metalgelas. "Kill them all!"
"Don't count on it," Gai laughed, approaching on horseback with Metalgelas close behind. Reaching to his belt, he drew a card with his emblem on it. "Time to set the high score!" Tossing the card to the Metal Visor, he snapped it shut. "Final Vent!"
Metalgelos unleashed a bellow as he charged at Gai from behind. Gai's right arm was enveloped by the Metal Horn, a gauntlet shaped like a rhinoceros head with a sharp golden horn. He then leapt off the horse and landed upon Metalgelas' shoulders, standing horizontally on them. The two rushed at their target, energy shining from the tip of the Metal Horn that trailed behind them. Warlord Hammer didn't get a chance to move before the pair struck him, making him scream. The force of the blow sent him far through the ranks of Warlord Troopers and Gazelles. Hitting the dirt, he continued to scream as gray cracks of energy raced through his body before he exploded into rubble. Like Bash, a red core was left behind, but Metalgelas and Gai quickly approached as their attack ended before the Mirror Monster scooped up the core and swallowed it whole.
"Two-thousand points!" Gai whooped. "I'll make the high score in no time!"
"I don't believe this!" Warlord Blackwing cried from the sky, witnessing the destruction of two of his allies. "Warlords are meant to be indestructible!"
"Now you should know that nothing is invincible," Knight called out from above. Drawing a card, he slipped it into his Visor before shutting it and activating the card. "Final Vent!" Quickly, a slight shot up from the battlefield before solidifying into a black lance which Knight caught in his hands. Darkwing's wings then wrapped around Knight before both spun, turning into a drill which cut through the air. Warlord Blackwing yelled out in disbelief before the drill struck him, cutting off his flight and sending his sprawling to the ground. A hole was in the spot where Knight's attack struck him, but dark blue cracks spread from the point before the aerial Warlord exploded, leaving stones and a red core to fall through the air. Kamen Rider Knight could only hold on as Darkwing swooped in to swallow the core.
"Our forces are being cut down like cattle!" Warlord Axe grunted to his fellow general as both fought off Gazelles. In the distance, Warlord Troopers were being blown up by the handful thanks to Zolda's choice of firearms, namely his bazooka. "We won't be able to hold out much longer if this keeps up!"
"I know!" Warlord Spike agreed, kicking a Gigazelle away. Seeing no choice he signalled to the remaining Troopers. "Warlords! Full retreat!"
The Troopers couldn't be told quickly enough. They immediately turned tail and started running, a quarter of their troops and three generals destroyed. The survivors quickly made for the forest where they could hide out until they could regroup. The Gazelles didn't try to follow, more interested in the cores that the destroyed Troopers left behind. However, Ohja was more than eager to follow, making some of the Troopers run that much faster to escape him.
"Come back you cowards!" the cobra Rider shouted, watching the Warlords run. "Come back and fight like men!"
"They aren't men though," said Ryuki, meeting up with Ohja, still on his horse. "They're just hunks of rock brought to life."
"That's no excuse!" Ohja hissed.
"You'll get your chance to fight them again," Ryuga sighed, approaching the two Riders. "Remember, we're heading for their base, Morganna's castle so save the fight for them. Now get your horse. We have to keep moving."
Retrieving the horses for those who dismounted, all of the Riders began their journey into the woods. Castle Morganna wasn't too far away. It was easily reachable within a day. However, there was no telling what kind of defences the Warlords had set up along the way. While the Riders each had different reasons to don the armor, they all knew that they had to save Guinevere, stop Morganna, and rescue Arthur and his Knights or else they were never going to get home.
-oOo-
--TIME BREAK—
"WHAT?!" Lord Viper cried out in outrage as he received the report from Warlords Axe and Spike.
"It's true!" Spike cried. "Merlin has summoned battlemages to pit against us! They destroyed several of our troops and even Bash, Hammer, and Blackwing!"
The Warlords were camped out in a forest clearing which lay between Camelot and Castle Morganna. They had been taking their time returning to their home, feeling like basking in the glow of the previous victory. They even had Guinevere with them, her hands tied together as she sat on horseback, forced to follow Viper as they travelled. With them were three Warlords who were lucky enough to not be at Camelot when the Riders appeared. The first was Warlord Slasher who wore black and gray armor with metal studs on his shoulders, chest, and face, accented by the horns on his head. He wore a long purple cape which had blades along the edge to make for quite a weapon. The second was Warlord Blinder who was wearing bronze and gray armor. The bottom half of his helmet was bronze with holes assumedly for talking with axe-like horns on the sides of his head. His weapons of choice were a pair of dirks that when pressed together, would create a blinding flash. Last was Warlord Lucan who looked part animal with his brown-furred claw-like arms and his wolf-like helmet which had blue markings and yellow fur.
"What magic besides Merlin's could possibly destroy Warlords such as Bash, Hammer, and Blackwing?!" Viper demanded.
"We saw it with our own eyes!" Axe insisted. "They summoned strange beasts which our weapons could not cut and which devoured the magic cores that give our bodies life! They were destroying handfuls of Troopers every minute. We had to retreat or else our entire forces would have been destroyed!"
"They ride this way, no doubt to rescue Guinevere! We only managed to get ahead of them by riding through the River of Fire!" added Warlord Spike.
"Hmm," Viper frowned, trying to think of something which he could do to combat these apparent battlemages.
Guinevere only listened on with hope, feeling that Merlin had managed to find aid for Camelot and to rescue her from the entrapment which the Warlords had her in, "You would do well to surrender Viper," she spoke, not once abandoning her pride. "It seems these battlemages can easily destroy your Warlords. If you value your life you had best let me go."
"Bah, I do not fear these magicians!" Viper sneered at the queen. Gripping the rope which kept her bound, he tossed them to Warlord Axe. "Take her to Castle Morganna. The rest of us will go intercept these mages and shop them the true strength of the Warlords!"
Nodding as he took the reins, Axe headed in the direction of Castle Morganna with Guinevere forced to follow. As they passed by one of the more ancient trees of the forest however, the bark and leaves began to turn a royal crimson red…
-oOo-
--TIME BREAK—
"So…what's with the trees here anyway?" asked Verde as he and the other Riders came across yet another tree which was completely red. They had been finding several such trees since they had entered the forests which had been part of Camelot's territory.
"You think it's a marker of some kind that tells us where that Guinevere lady went?" asked Scissors.
"Might be," shrugged Ryuga. "Stories from King Arthur's era said that nature spirits often mingled with humans. Merlin was someone who could connect with them easily so hopefully they're on our side. We'll just have to trust the trees for the time being. So far we haven't been turned wrong."
"Bah, I just want to find those Warlords again," Ohja huffed. "The last fight was too short."
"Hey, against us the Warlords don't have a chance!" Abyss laughed.
TWACK!!
"Woah!" Ryuga cried as his horse reared back as a battle axe cut through the air and embedded itself in the red tree, returning it to normal. Looking around, he saw Warlord Troopers emerging from the bushes with weapons in hand. With them were three new Warlord Generals and one from the battle at Camelot. However, to the surprise of the Riders, a human was alongside them with a serrated sword and snake-like armor.
"Hey, that must be Lord Viper, the commander of the Warlords!" cried Zolda.
"Well, looks like we're not getting out of here without a fight," Ryuga frowned.
"Correction sorcerer, you're not getting out of here alive!" Viper sneered, raising his sword. "Warlords! Attack!"
"Bring it!" Ryuga growled, raising his own scimitar. "Let's ride!"
The battle was quickly joined as Warlords and Riders clashed once again. Warlord Slasher was fighting against Scissors while Warlord Blinder had picked Femme as his target. Warlord Lucan had picked out Tiger while Warlord Spike went against Imperer. The others were fighting off Warlord Troopers with what weapons they decided to use. Of course, Ohja seemed to be having the time of his life as he went against the troops unarmed.
"Yaaaah!" Viper roared as his blade met against Ryuga's in a shower of sparks.
"So you're Lord Viper eh?" Ryuga grunted as he and Viper pressed their blades together. "It'll be a pleasure taking you down!"
"Greater warriors than you have tried, boy!" Viper snarled before both separated for another charge.
"You haven't faced anyone like me before!" Ryuga cried as he went for another swing.
"It'll be a pleasure mounting your head on my wall in that case," Viper retorted as he and Ryuga began exchanging blows.
Abyss struck several Warlords with his Abyss Sabre, tearing chunks out of their stone hides. Behind him, Zolda was shooting several of them from afar with his Giga Launcher, destroying them where they stood. Tiger was battling Slasher, axe against cloak daggers, with sparks resulting from the crashes. Femme pressed on with her Blanc-Visor against Blinder who was holding her off with both of his dirks, but not pressing for an advantage yet. Turning, Abyss spied Scissors and Imperer clashing against Lucan and Spike.
-oOo-
"Woah!" Tiger yelped, dodging the strike from Slasher. "Nifty weapon you've got there."
"Perfect for dicing my opponents just the way I like!" Slasher cackled as he pressed onward. Tiger attempted another strike, but Slasher caught it with his thick shoulder armor before he swung his barbed cape with cut across Tiger's chest armor with a storm of sparks.
"Gah!" Tiger cried, stumbling backwards from the blow. The attack had left him off balance before he tumbled to the ground. Shaking his head to get the stars out, he looked up with a sinking feeling to see Slasher approaching him with his bladed cape at the ready. "Crud…"
-oOo-
"Hah!" Imperer kicked at Spike, trying to get him to back off so he could activate one of his own cards. However, the horned Warlord was keeping up the pace and sticking close so trying to use a card was out of the question at the moment. Imperer just had to curse his luck as he ducked underneath another swing of Spike's weapon. "Don't you ever quit?!"
"A Warlord never gives up!" Spike snapped.
"Then what was the big retreat about back at Camelot?" teased Imperer. Spear growled at the insult and charged again.
"Quiet you fool!" Spike raged, stabbing forward with all his fury in the attack. This time, the attack struck home, impacting the centre of Imperer's chest and making him cry out in pain before falling backwards. As he hit the ground, he heard a groan. Confused, dazed, and curious, he looked to the side to find Tiger's head not far from him. Apparently he had fallen over his ally, Tiger.
"Now, time to say goodbye!" Spike laughed as he and Slasher raised their weapons for a finishing blow.
That was when the ground gave out beneath the two Riders.
-oOo-
Hearing the voices of two of his comrades crying out, Ryuga's eyes turned to where he had heard them. To his horror, he saw Imperer and Tiger vanish into a hole which had suddenly appeared in the ground. Warlords Slasher and Spike were at the edges, laughing as they watched the two Riders disappear.
"Imperer! Tiger!" Ryuga cried out.
"Pay attention to the battle!" Viper laughed before he slammed his shoulder into Ryuga's side, knocking him clear off his horse. Hitting the ground, Ryuga growled as he looked up at the gloating Viper. "Two more guests in Castle Morganna it seems. I'm sure they'll keep Guinevere from being too lonely. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!" Laughing, Viper took off into the forest on horseback. The other Warlords took it as a signal and quickly vanished into the woods along with their leader.
"Dammit!" Knight growled, trying to follow, but finding no luck. "For a bunch of rocks these guys sure move fast."
"Yeah, when they run away," Odin sighed. "What happened to Tiger and Imperer?"
"They vanished down some hole," Ryuga sighed, pointing to the round hole in question. However, it was rapidly closing up as if a wound was healing and soon vanished. "Viper said they'd be at Castle Morganna which is lucky since that's where we're going."
"Then let's get a move on!" cried Ryuki. "You saw how nasty that place looked!"
"You heard the man," Ryuga frowned. "Let's ride!"
-oOo-
"Woooooaaaahhhh!"
"Waaaaaaaaaagh!"
Both Imperer and Tiger fell through what felt like a bottomless pit with walls of dirt and stone whizzing past them, unable to see the details. Both were scared and rightly so. However, both had forgotten one of the cardinal rules of this new world they were in: When dealing with magic, expect the unexpected.
The unexpected came in the form of a sudden bright light. Both Riders feel through it, fearing the worst, but instead met polished stone floors with a loud thud. Groaning, both Riders tried to get some idea of where they had ended up. In all, it appeared to be some kind of thrown room with stone walls carved in rather scary shapes. Ahead of them was a large throne with a stone dragon above it with its wings spread, being used as windows. However, they were surrounded by all sides by Warlord Troopers and sitting in the throne was who they assumed to be Morganna herself.
The witch did look like a noble lady to an extent. She wore a purple dress fit for a queen with a red cloak attached to her shoulders. Her hair was long and as black as night, but tied back in a ponytail. She wore large pieces of jewellery on her ears and as a headpiece, indicating that she was possibly vain with her appearance. In all, despite her good looks, she appeared to be just as evil as Merlin had described.
"So these are two of the battlemages Warlord Axe told me about," the evil woman smirked. "I wonder what secret magics you have which I can use in my quest to conquer Camelot."
"We have nothing for you lady!" Tiger growled before he lifted up his axe and charged for the evil lady with it raised high. "Hraaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
"Hmph!" Morganna frowned, crossing her hands. As she did, a blast of red energy extended from her body before striking tiger in the chest and sending him sailing backwards, crashing into Imperer, knocking both Riders to the ground again. Smirking, she stood up, "You attacked a sorceress of my calibre head on in my own throne room. You didn't even try to catch me off guard. I must say you are a brave warrior, but also a fool." Chuckling, she waved to her Warlord Troopers. "Take them to the dungeon. I'm sure Guinevere will enjoy the company."
The Warlord Troopers obeyed, hefting Tiger and Imperer by the arms and dragging them out of Morganna's throne room as the witch watched in amusement. She looked forward to learning the secrets to their magic.
-oOo-
It had taken the Riders a few hours, but they finally managed to reach Castle Morganna. The land around it was rocky and with only the very rare piece of vegetation to color the dark and rocky area. At the moment, all of the Riders were on a cliff overlooking the nightmarish castle. They had left their horses several feet back so any guards wouldn't be able to see them from whatever windows were in the tower. The only one who could have spotted them was Warlord Blackwing and Knight had destroyed him already.
"Well, we made it," Ryuki commented.
"The question is: how do we get in?" asked Zolda.
"Good question," admitted Ryuga before he looked to his friend, the stingray Rider. "Any predictions which might come in handy Raia?"
"I haven't seen anything since before we left the castle," Raia replied.
"So we're stuck then," frowned Odin.
'Far from it Sir Odin,' the voice of Merlin suddenly spoke in the minds of the Riders, stunning all of them. However, they were not able to ask any questions before Merlin continued. 'There is a secret way into Morganna's castle. It is at the base on the far side. However, it is blocked by a large boulder. It will take the strength of a hundred men to move it.'
"A hundred men huh?" Gai grinned. "Well, I think we have that covered. We have some tricks up our sleeves."
'Good,' Merlin replied. 'That path will take you right past the dungeons. It is there that Guinevere and your friends are being kept.'
"Okay," Ryuga nodded as Merlin's presence faded. "Gai, Zolda, you're both with me. Everyone else hang back. If a Warlord spots you then make sure the battle's big so they're distracted while we get the queen and the others back."
"Oh goodie, more fighting," Ohja snickered. "I knew taking this job was a great idea.
"Just save it for if or when you get spotted Ohja," Ryuga sighed as he, Gai, and Zolda began to travel to the opposite side of Castle Morganna.
-oOo-
After being dragged down a few sets of stairs, both Tiger and Imperer were unceremoniously thrown into one of the cells which populated the lower levels of the nightmarish castle. Both Riders landed with pained groans on the floor as the Warlord Troopers shut the cell and locked it. With both Riders locked in, the Warlord Troopers left the room, leaving the prisoners by themselves.
The dungeon itself was sparse with little to decorate it. Like the rest of Morganna's castle, the walls were made of solid stone. The bars to their prisons were made of wood which was too thick to cut with an ordinary blade and definitely impossible to break with ones bare hands. On one side was the tunnel which lead to the main corridors of the castle while on the other side was a deep pool of water which was probably used to get water for thirsty prisoners. Off beside the Riders' cell, Tiger's axe was leaning against the wall, just out of reach.
"Great idea you had there Tiger," Imperer groaned. "Attack the super powerful witch. I'm sure that one will be one for the books."
"Hey, at least I didn't go quietly as a prisoner," Tiger retorted. "Why didn't you summon the Gigazelle and his friends to help?"
"When we're in the same room as the super witch who could probably turn them and us into toads? I don't think so," Imperer answered.
"Whatever," Tiger grumbled, sitting away from his fellow Rider. "Any ideas how we get out of this?"
"Well..." Imperer began.
"Hello? Who's there?" a soft female voice asked from across the room.
Both Riders turned to the source, walking to the bars of their cell so they could see who was trying to talk to them. Peering through the bars, they saw someone was indeed in the cell across from them. From what they could see, it was a woman with long red hair and wearing a green dress. Even more surprising was the fact that she was wearing a crown. In fact, both Riders easily recognized her from what Merlin had showed them back at the castle!
"Hey, you're Queen Guinevere!" gasped Imperer. "Queen of Camelot!"
"Yes, I am," the lady answered, slightly startled by the appearance of the strange prisoner. She had half-feared they were Warlords, but judging from their actions, they could not be. "You know of me?"
"Heck yeah!" Tiger nodded. "Merlin had asked us and our friends to rescue you! They're coming here right now to break you out!"
"They are?" Guinevere asked with rising hope in her voice. "How many of you are there?"
"Besides us, twelve," Imperer answered. "But I don't plan to wait here for them. I have an idea which can get us all out of here if we can get the stuff we need."
"So you do have a plan!" Guinevere smiled. "Pray tell, what is it?"
"First of all, is there anything in your cell lets you see yourself in it? Glass, water, anything?" asked Imperer.
"Umm," Guinevere stalled, checking her rather sparse cell for anything which may have cast her reflection in it. After a moment, she found something. "There is! A bucket filled with water the Warlords gave me in case I was thirsty. I suppose a dead hostage is of no use to them."
"Right," Imperer nodded. Turning to Tiger, he continued. "Okay, let's see if we can find the same." The two Riders made for a quick search and indeed find a bucket used to hold water for thirsty prisoners. The water was shallow, but it was enough to cast a reflection, making Imperer grin. "Perfect."
"Looks like we just found our way out," said Tiger, smiling under his helmet.
"Just be patient your majesty!" Imperer called to Guinevere. "We'll be right over to get you out!"
"Please hurry!" the worried queen pleaded. "I do not know how much more of this foul place I can bear."
-oOo-
"Okay, this is the place according to Merlin," Ryuga sighed as he, Zolda, and Gai approached a large boulder which as at the bottom of a deep canyon. The three Riders had to travel along the shores of the desolate land before they could find the place. They almost had been caught by Warlord Trooper patrols twice in their short trip. Zolde and Gai had also brought sections of their steeds' armor as Ryuga requested.
"So how do we move this thing?" asked Zolda. "Merlin said we'd need a hundred men to do it."
"Why would we need a hundred men when we have some of the strongest Mirror Monsters?" asked Gai as he dropped his section of armor. Reaching to his belt, he drew his contract card. Realizing the train of thought, Zolda set his section of polished steel onto the ground before drawing his own contract. Both riders quickly inserted the cards into their respective Visors and activated them.
"Advent!"
Metalgelas bellowed and reappeared in the human world through Gai's section of steel. At the same time, a hulking metal bull-man covered in green and silver armor with guns for arms, a broad metal chest, and large golden horns appeared from Zolda's steel piece. The monster was known as Magnugiga, the most destructive out of all Mirror Monsters. Both monsters gave out individual growls as they waited for orders from their contractors.
"Okay guys," Gai spoke, getting their attention. "We need to get that giant boulder moved so we can get inside the castle. Are you up to it?"
"Don't let me down Magnugiga," Zolda spoke seriously.
With grunts, both monsters approached the boulder and began pushing against one side of it with all of their might. At first, it appeared as if they weren't strong enough. However, the giant boulder trembled with dust falling from its crevices. With louder growling, both monsters pushed even more effort into moving the hunk of rock, causing the massive rock to begin sliding and proving Merlin's advice true as a tunnel was found behind the boulder with torches lighting the way. After the gap was wide enough, Gai and Zolda snapped their fingers to stop their contracts. With grunts of satisfaction, both monsters returned to their contractors before vanishing into the strips of armor again.
"Next time I saw we just blow the thing up," Zolda sighed.
"Maybe if we want to be obvious," Ryuga muttered. "Now come on. I want to get Imperer, Tiger, and Guinevere out of there before the Warlords decide to interrogate them…or worse."
"Then let's go already!" Gai cried, already heading for the doorway. "We'll get high scores if we do this!" With sighs, Zolda and Ryuga both followed.
"I bet he thinks this is like some sort of fantasy RPG," said Zolda.
"I have no doubt about it," replied Ryuga.
-oOo-
"Here goes nothing," Imperer sight, raising his foot and lowering it into the bucket where the water cast a reflection. At first Imperer feared that nothing would happen, but when his foot neared the water's surface, silver light flashed from it and he was suddenly drawn inside of the water's reflection.
"Well, it works," Tiger grinned, reading to dive for the bucket himself.
"Oh my word!" Guinevere gasped in shock.
Seeing his ally's plan was successful, Tiger dove for the water bucket himself. Like Imperer before him, the water's surface flashed silver before the feline Kamen Rider vanished within it. Guinevere was surprised to see both warriors vanish into something so small, but had remembered Merlin being capable of numerous fantastic feats thanks to his magic. The good queen waited with baited breath for something new to happen. Her patience proved to be rewarded when she heard a strange noise at the back of the cell. Turning, she witnessed the warrior calling himself Imperer appear from the bucket of water.
"I hope I wasn't too long your majesty," she heard the warrior speak, a grin in your voice.
"Not at all," Guinevere smiled. "However I do not wish to delay leaving this place a moment longer."
"Then with your permission Milady," Imperer smiled as he scooped up Guinevere in is arms. She gasped slightly, but did not fight him. Heading back to the bucket, jumped into the water's surface. Guinevere gasped as she felt a strange pulling sensation as she and the warrior vanished into the reflection in the water. Her eyes then opened in wonder as they appeared in a long tunnel made from crystal which shone beautifully. They had appeared on one end of the tunnel before Imperer carried her to the other side, passing through the crystal wall again before emerging again from a bucket of water to see…her cell?
"Sir Imperer, are we not in my cell?" she asked, seeing the familiar back wall and cot she had bee supplied with.
"Not quite," Imperer answered. Turning around with the queen in his arms, both viewed where the bars to the cell had been, only to see that the wooden bars had been destroyed, allowing full entry. "We are in a world beyond the looking glass. It is here Tiger and I traveled through to reach your cell. Now that you're free, we can get the heck out of here."
Walking out of the cell, both Imperer and Guinevere spied Tiger waiting at the edge of the pool of water in the back of the dungeon. Seeing that the queen was in hand, Tiger jumped into the pool of water, vanishing in silver light. Imperer didn't need a royal order from Guinevere to follow as he took a leap for the water himself. For a second time, Guinevere entered the crystal tunnel before re-emerging from the pool of water in the realm she began in, finding the bars to her cell to be quite solid and not broken like she had seen in that other world.
"Well, here we are," Imperer smiled, setting the royal lady down. "We're out of the cells and free to go."
"Yeah, now let's get out of here," Tiger sighed from the doorway to the Riders' cell, picking up his axe. "I don't want the Warlords to know we're free just yet."
"Oh, too late for that!"
Tiger and Imperer's attention snapped towards the stairway exit to see Warlord Spike approaching with his staff in hand and ready to use. A splashing noise from behind alerted the Riders to Warlord Lucan leaping out of the water. As he landed, the claws on his right hand extended, appearing to be as sharp as razors. Tiger raised his axe, ready to defend the queen, while Imperer took a ready stance, just spoiling for a fight.
"Just how did you guys find out?" demanded Imperer.
"The dungeon is a spacious place for a reason," Spike snickered. "Voices carry up the stairs quite well. I heard you speak with Guinevere the whole time. Now, you can do this the easy way and return to your cells, or you can do this the hard way and fight a losing battle."
"I think we'll go with the third option and kick both your asses before taking Guinevere from this place," Tiger growled, clutching his axe.
"You can try!" Lucan snarled. "Prepare yourself battlemage!"
"And we will!" said Imperer as he slid his card into his Giga-Visor.
"Spin Vent!"
The twin-drilled gauntlet appeared and attached to his right arm. The drills, which resembled the horns of his Gigazelle, spun as Imperer went into a Muay Thai stance. The two Warlords charged but their movements would be halted soon enough.
"Freeze Vent!"
Warlords Lucan and Spike suddenly froze, their bodies refusing to comply with them as they were slowly encased in ice. Imperer blinked as he turned back to look at Tiger who lowered his axe, having just activated one of his unique cards. One that no other Rider had. The feline Rider noticed his comrade glancing at him and spoke, "Our mission is to rescue Queen Guinevere, not make fools of the Warlords. We can do that after she's safe back in Camelot."
"Good point," Imperer sighed, but not before punching Spike in the face and knocking him over. "Let's get a move on then. If all goes well we'll have her majesty back in Camelot before nightfall."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea to me brave knights," Guinevere smiled.
"Then we'll make it so," Tiger nodded. "Let's go."
-oOo-
"Their magic is indeed formidable, to simply stop two of my most powerful Warlords with just one spell," Morganna frowned as she watched the Riders and the queen with her Viewing Rock, a large hunk of ruby which was the size of a curled up adult. It allowed Morganna to view her enemies anywhere save for Camelot where Merlin's magic obscured its scrying power. In her castle though, its sight was the strongest. She had been spying on the Riders to see just what kind of magic they possessed that could destroy her Warlords so easily. "Also how they escaped the cells is curious as well."
"It seems I have underestimated these mages," Viper admitted grudgingly. "Obviously they allowed themselves to be captured so that they could snatch Guinevere from our clutches!"
"Yes. Merlin chose his allies well. Facing them at less than our full strength would be a folly," Morganna agreed. Ending the image on her Viewing Rock, she stepped into the middle of her throne room before crossing her arms, invoking her magic.
Magical streams of energy shot across the room, striking the stone walls with practiced ease. The streams existed for only a moment, but it was all the time they need. Rumbling started from the stone walls before boulders easily the size of men slithered out as if the stone were made of water. The three rocks glided across the room before settling down in front of Morganna. The witch then sent another blast of magic energy into the three rocks, which promptly began carving themselves into new forms. The pieces which were chiselled off fell to the floor and we reabsorbed by the castle as if it were feeding. Soon, the three boulders had been transformed into stone statues of Warlords Hammer, Bash, and Blackwing. Muttering to herself, Morganna produced three red orbs of power which she sank into the chests of the three statues. The magic immediately took effect, turning the statues into the true Warlords Bash, Hammer, and Blackwing.
"What happened?!" Bash demanded, looking around.
"Where are we?" asked Hammer with confusion.
"Your bodies were destroyed," Morganna frowned, catching the Warlords' attention. "Shattered by these battlemages which Merlin had summoned to aid him."
"I remember now," Blackwing hissed with anger. "I was fighting one of them when he used a spell to strike me down!"
"Well don't let it happen again!" Morganna hissed making the three revived Warlords flinch. "I will not have my mighty Warlords made to look like fools! Now, two of these sorcerers are with Guinevere in the lower levels. Take a contingent of Warlords and find them! Defeat is not an option!"
"Yes my lady!" the three Warlords and Viper nodded before dashing from the room, preparing for battle.
-oOo-
Gai gladly led the way as Ryuga and Zolda followed. The rhino Rider had elected himself leader of their 'party' as they were on a 'quest' to rescue Queen Guinevere and the kingdom of Camelot. Zolda and Ryga simply humoured him. Gai, while he thought life as a game, cold be dependable when there was a goal and huge rewards at the end. In this case, the rewards probably couldn't be any greater than what Guinevere might see fit to reward them with. Both rhino and bull Riders had brought the reflective armor with them in case they needed to use their weapons or abilities and in the Warlords' home turf, it was almost a guarantee.
"The dungeon should be somewhere along this hallway," Ryuga commented as he kept his eyes trained on the creepy hallway walls. "Merlin did say we'd find the prisoners there."
"Hopefully they didn't do anything to Guinevere," Zolda added.
"Yeah, otherwise we'd lose bonus points," Gai agreed, making the other two Riders sigh.
The three Riders travelled deeper into the castle, searching for their goal. However, the hallway was a twisted maze and it was hard to tell of there was any end in sight. It just appeared to go on and on and on. Still, they trekked on, hoping to find the way to the dungeons that Merlin had pointed out. It was really all they could do since there was no turning back at this point. Not when they were so close. As they went deeper, they began hearing voices.
"Shh!" Ryugi whispered, pressing himself against the wall, his allies following suit.
"Warlords?" asked Zolda.
"Maybe," Ryuga frowned.
The voices grew louder as the owners approached. However the echoes were distorting them slightly, making it hard to tell who the owners were. Still, it sounded like two males and one female. Could it be two Warlords and Morganna herself. Mentally, prepping themselves, the three Riders tensed and the voices came even closer. Soon, it seemed like they were only a few steps away. Quickly reacting, the three Riders leaped from their hiding place, ready to beat down whoever had approached, "Yaaaaahhhhhhh!"
"Woah!"
"Look out!"
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
Ryuga, Gai, and Zolda came to a very sudden halt when they didn't see Warlords and Morganna, but their missing friends Tiger and Imperer along with a woman with long red hair whom they assumed to be the missing Guinevere. The two Riders were prepared to attack and Guinevere looked very startled as she watched the three new Riders with wide eyes. Needless to say, it was a really awkward moment.
"Nice way to greet your friends!" snapped Imperer. "You scared the crap out of me!"
"We thought you were Warlords!" defended Ryuga. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck before glancing at the startled redhead. "Is this who I think it is?"
"Yep," Tiger snickered. "Gentlemen, we are proud to introduce Queen Guinevere of Camelot, the very same woman Merlin brought us to rescue."
"My, such an honour it is my lady," Zolda bowed respectfully. "I hope we did not frighten you too badly."
"My nerves are not what they should be after a day such as today," Guinevere sighed, a hand at her heart to slow it down. "I only wish to return home to Camelot where I can be with my cherished friends."
"Then we'll be the ones to take you there," Ryuga nodded. "Come on, we better get out of here before actual Warlords come."
"It's too late for that battlemages."
"Just great…" Tiger grumbled. He along with the other Riders and Guinevere turned to the source of the voice. To their dismay, it belonged to Lord Viper and his Warlords. Among them were Spike, Slasher, Blinder, and Lucan. Surprisingly, Warlords Hammer, Blackwing, and Bash were with them as well.
"Hey, didn't I waste you?" asked Gai as he spotted Hammer in the group of Warlords.
"Ha! Lady Morganna's brought me back," Hammer snorted. "Destroying my body is but an inconvenience!"
"Hey, that means I can get even more points!" Gai grinned.
"This is no time for games!" Ryuga snapped. "We have to get Guinevere away from these guys!"
"Allow me then," Zolda volunteered. Drawing a card, he opened the hidden chamber on his Magnu-Visor before slipping his card inside and shutting it again. "Shoot Vent!" was heard before a large bazooka which looked like it was made from the arms of Magnugiga appeared out of the reflective armor fragment Zolda carried. The gun-wielding Rider easily caught it before taking aim at the enemies which were swiftly approaching. Aiming high, he fired off a round which exploded against the ceiling of the hallway, causing a loud explosion which caused the roof to cave in. Viper and the Warlords quickly began retreating so not to be crushed by the rubble. The Riders on the other hand, saw an opportunity.
"Let's go!" Ryuga barked, him and the other Riders quickly forming a circle around Guinevere as they headed back towards the secret tunnel.
Meanwhile, Viper and the other Warlords were shrugging the rubble and dust from their bodies, finding themselves blocked. Growling, Viper began barking orders, "All of you up to the castle gates! If we hurry we can catch up to them outside! Go!" The Warlords quickly obeyed as they started running down the hallways.
Back with the Riders, they had reached thee underground caverns which made up the secret entrance to Morganna's castle. They didn't stop running despite the distance they had managed to put between themselves and the Warlords. No doubt they knew about the secret entrance too and were racing to cut them off. If they were going to escape, they were going to have to move fast. In short time, they managed to reach the exit and no Warlords were in sight, meaning they still had some time before any fights started.
"We don't have time to go around like we did coming in," Ryuga sighed. "We'll have to climb out of this canyon and fast!"
"But how?" asked Tiger. "Only Knight could do that and he's with the others."
"With a little help," drawing his contract card, he opened his Black Drag-Visor and slipped the card inside before shutting it again, "Advent!" Gai's reflective armor piece flashed before the black armoured serpentine dragon Dragblacker emerged with a powerful roar. Guinevere gasped in awe and a little fright as she saw the black dragon swoop in low before sliding alongside the Riders. Mounting the spot just behind Dragblacker's head, Ryuga gestured to the others, "All aboard."
The other Riders and Guinevere quickly took seats along Dragblacker's back. Once everyone was aboard, Dragblacker roared before taking flight. Soaring through the air, he aimed for the top of the canyon with as much speed as his contractor could stand. Soaring past the jagged cliffs, Dragblacker emerged from the mouth of the canyon before swooping low to the ground again, allowing Ryuga and the others to dismount.
"Thanks Dragblacker," Ryuga nodded. "I'll let you eat some Warlords next time we fight them." He chuckled slightly as Dragblacker made a pleased roar before diving back into the piece of reflective steel Gai kept strapped to his back. "Okay, let's meet up with the others and head back to Camelot. I'm sure everyone will be happy to see Lady Guinevere again."
"HALT!"
"Oh you've got to be kidding!" Tiger gaped as Viper and his Warlords appeared from behind a row of stone spires on horseback, their weapons raised and ready for blood, "Are you sure these guys are made of stone and not lightning or something? Rocks shouldn't be able to move that fast!"
"Well, they are on horseback," offered Imperer weakly.
"Who cares what they're made of?" asked Ryuga. "Draw weapons! Defend the queen at all costs! We came here to rescue her and that's what we're going to do!"
"Sword Vent!" the Black Drag Sabre appeared in Ryuga's hand.
"Strike Vent!" the Giga Horns, a gauntlet with gold horns from Magnugiga's head appeared in Zolda's hand.
"Strike Vent!" the Metal Horn, a metal gauntlet which looked like the top of Metalgelas' head complete with a pointed gold horn appeared in Gai's hand.
"Strike Vent!" the Dest Claws appeared over Tiger's arms.
"Spin Vent!" the Gazelle Stab weapon appeared on Imperer's arm.
"Let's take it to them!" Ryuga roared. The others roared as well as they charged at the Warlords.
The Warlords had an advantage since they were on horseback and thus had some leverage on their side. However, the Riders were more agile thanks to being on their own two feet and able to go around the horses as they struggled to move under the Warlords' commands. Swerving around the cloak of Warlord Slasher, Tiger stabbed him in the chest, knocking him off of his horse. Lucan fired the claws of his left arm at the Riders, but with the horse panicking in the chaos, his aim wasn't what it should have been, and missed. Seeing him as a threat, Ryuga grabbed him by his arm and yanked him off of his steed, throwing him into the dirt. Soon, the Warlords began dismounting, finding that the advantage they had wasn't as helpful as they hoped.
"Yaahhhh!" Viper cried, his sword clashing against Ryuga's with rain of sparks. "You're beginning to annoy me boy!"
"Really? Just an annoyance?" asked Ryuga as he backed away. "Then I'm not doing my job!"
-oOo-
"Payback time Warlord!" Tiger growled, as he lunged at Slasher. "You won't get me a second time!"
"Believe what you want! It won't change the fact that I will be the one who is victorious today!" Slasher gloated, swinging widely with his bladed cloak, causing Tiger to defend himself with his Dest Claws. Grunting from the surprising force behind the blows, Tiger pressed forward, tackling Slasher and disrupting his pattern of attacks. Inside Slasher's guard, Tiger unleashed a slash across the Warlord's chest which left gouges in his armor, causing Slasher to stumble back in shock.
"You caught me off guard once, but not again!" Tiger frowned before he lunged. "Take this!" Another tackle sent Slasher sprawling into a boulder, causing him to lose his senses for a moment. Still, it was enough for Tiger. Dismissing his claws, he brought out his Dest-Visor before drawing a card. Pushing the handle at the bottom of the blade, the tiger motif near the axe blade opened, allowing Tiger to slip his card inside before closing it.
"Final Vent!"
A feline roar came from the nearby pieces of reflective steel which Zolda and Gai dropped before the battle began. Emerging from it was a white tiger-like monster which was humanoid but wore armor instead of being covered in fur. The beast, Destwilder, pounced through the battlefield before descending on Slasher. Slapping him with his paw, the Mirror Monster began dragging the Warlord towards Tiger, whose claws had reappeared again. Slasher cried out and attempted to swat Destwilder away, but there was no force behind his attacks since the bladed cloak was underneath his body. Coming upon Tiger, the Kamen Rider swung his claws from beneath, catching Slasher's back and digging themselves into his stone hide. With a growl, he hefted Slasher into the air as icy blue cracks spread out from the point the claws dug in.
"Gyaaahhhhhhh!" Slasher screamed out before his body exploded into rubble, pelting Warlord and Rider alike. All that remained was the red magical core and Destwilder snapped that up like a regular cat did tuna.
"Hope you're not full," remarked Tiger. "There are still some more main courses for you."
Destwilder roared happily.
-oOo-
Warlord Spike stabbed at Imperer, aiming to get back at him for the insult in the forest, but his weapon was blocked by the Gazelle Stab. Twisting around the weapon, Imperer kicked at Spike's side, knocking the Warlord off balance and causing him to stumble. Grunting, the Warlord swung wide, aiming to relieve Imperer's body of his head. Imperer had the common sense to dodge before lunging forward, tackling Spike to the ground. Spike dropped his weapon, pushing at Imperer's shoulders to gain leverage with one hand as he struggled to get his other hand around Imperer's throat.
"Watch where you're grabbing!" Imperer grumbled, dropping a knee into Spike's stomach, sufficiently stunning the Warlord and allowing the gazelle Rider to get away. Spike was immediately scrambling to get to his feet and grab his weapon, giving Imperer time to finish his fight and get a little payback on the Warlord after their last fight. Drawing a card from his belt, he raised his leg before inserting the card into his knee-mounted Giga-Visor.
"Final Vent!"
The joined battlefield of seven Warlords, their commander, and five Kamen Riders suddenly became much bigger when a mob of Mirror Monsters of the Gazelle subtype emerged from the pieces of armor Gai and Zolda brought out and began to charge. They pointedly ignored the other combatants, but shoved Warlords Blinder and Axe out of the way as they raced for their master and Spike. The horned Warlord could only gape as the Mirror Monsters charged at him. He raised his weapon to defend himself, but against such numbers it didn't make much of a difference. The numerous Gazelles charged at him, punching and kicking him with gusto as they charged past. Some flipped over him, dealing kicks to his back while others did quick punches, making him see stars. Trying to see if more were coming so he could time strikes, Spike was met with Imperer charging towards him. The horned Kamen Rider moved with speed like his contracts before he grabbed Spike's head and used a powerful knee strike to strike the Warlord's face in a Muay Thai attack.
"Hyaaah!" Imperer bellowed, putting all the force he collected in his momentum into the attack.
Spike's head launched backwards as his body flew from the impact. Hitting the ground, brown energy began to leave cracks in his body before he reached critical mass in an explosion which sent rock chards in all directions. Imperer watched as the magic core appeared in the epicentre, but he didn't get to see it long before Gigazelle and the others began piling on top of it. Once the whole group was on top of the core, they all flashed, signalling that each of them at least got something out of it. However, Gigazelle just looked pleadingly at Imperer, as if asking for more.
"Hey, don't give me that look," Imperer laughed. "There are more Warlords where he came from!"
Gigazelle informed its brethren who all cheered in their own language before returning to the Mirror World. Imperer sighed. He just had to be the one with an entire herd. It was hard enough to manage with just Gigazelle but due to their herd mentality, wherever Gigazelle went, the others followed.
-oOo-
Guinevere watched as the five knights who Merlin charged with rescuing her battled with the Warlords. Despite two of their number destroying two Warlords, the battle was still quite even. The black knight was fighting Lord Viper and faring rather well. Both the green and silver knights were forming a protective wall, blocking off the Warlords' attempts at capturing her again. Both the white knight with the cat-like creature and the brown knight were returning with their familiars behind them, aiming to take the fight to the Warlords again. Numbers were quickly turning in the knights' favour with so many wild creatures assisting them. She could only pray for victory and a safe journey home
Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, making Guinevere look up. Her eyes widened as her pupils shrank in horror. Above her Warlord Blackwing began to swoop for a quick grab, aiming to capture Guinevere for Morganna once again. She could hear the flying Warlord chuckling as he came in closer, "No one escapes Castle Morganna!"
"Noooo!" The terrified queen cried, backing away in the futile hope that she could avoid Blackwing's attack.
"Strike Vent!"
Blackwing was blindsided by a bright orange fireball which seemed to come out of nowhere. Crying out in possible fear (since heat was able to destroy stone if it was hot enough) Blackwing dropped like the stone he was made of, desperate to smother the flames which had taken hold of his body. Hitting the dirt ground, he rolled several times to smother the flames, sighing in relief as the flames did just that. Guinevere just watched in shock, as did the other Warlords, before turning to see where the fireball had come from.
"CHAAAARRRGE!"
Several strange-clad knights were charging towards the battle on horseback. No doubt they were the ones who her rescuers said had come to assist them. They were dressed in rather colourful armor and each suit was rather different from the others. Still, she could tell that these were the ones who would help rescue her. Relief was already flooding her heart. Now she knew that she would be able to return to Camelot by the end of the night.
-oOo-
"Yah!" Ryuga cried, kicking Viper away so he could get some breathing space. He watched in satisfaction as the remaining Riders convened on the area, their weapons drawn and ready for a fight Gai, Zolda, Tiger, and Imperer quickly met up with them as the new arrivals began to dismount and face off against the remaining Warlords.
"Hey, didn't I kill you once already?" asked Ohja, pointing at Bash.
"Morganna's apparently able to bring them back after we destroy them," Zolda reported.
"Then we just have to break them all over again," said Gai. "Zolda, would you please do the honors?"
"Gladly," Zolda nodded, drawing a card before sliding it into his Magnu-Visor.
"Final Vent!"
Another Mirror Monster emerged from the reflective horse armor from nearby. This time it was the hulking Magnugiga which entered the world. Stomping across the barren ground, Magnugiga positioned himself in front of Zolda, raising his arms. Zolda just calmly inserted his Magnu-Visor into a hollow in Magnugiga's back. The large Mirror Monster then seemed to groan and hidden panels and cannons began to reveal themselves on his body. Cannons from his shins, his chest opening to reveal missiles and even a laser on his head came to life.
"Bye-bye!" Zolda waved at the gaping Warlords…and then pulled the trigger.
"BOOOOOOM!!!"
"AAAAAAHHH!!"
Magnugiga unleashed a veritable firestorm of lasers, bullets, and missiles. The Warlords didn't have a chance of getting away before the first wave of missiles struck, launching them in all directions. Viper could be seen sailing into the distance, skidding along the dirt. His Warlords were sent flying in all directions. Warlords Blinder, Lucan, and Axe had been standing next to Viper and thus the closest to centre all flew through the air with green cracks running through their bodies before they exploded. Blackwing, Bash, and Hammer were lucky enough to have been sent flying by the shockwaves of the attack and thus survived, but they were on the ground, groaning as the funny lights refused to leave their eyes so they could see the funny birds spinning around their heads.
"Well, that should about do it," Zolda nodded. Magnugiga gave off an echoing bellow as he stomped towards the remains of the three Warlords, his eyes on the three magic cores which had given their stone bodies life.
"Enemies defeated, wanton destruction, and a rescued queen," Ryuga observed. "I think our work here is done. Let's head back to Camelot. No doubt Merlin and the people will be very relieved to see that their queen is home again safe and sound."
"I agree wholeheartedly," Guinevere smiled. "After a day such as today, I yearn for my home of Camelot."
"You heard her majesty," Ryuki grinned. "Let's ride!"
The Riders quickly mounted their horses with Ryuga lifting Guinevere to ride side saddle with him. With a gesture of his hands, the Riders began to ride away from Castle Morganna and the downed Warlords who still hadn't gotten their senses back. After seeing the nightmarish castle, Camelot would be a welcome change.
With the return of Guinevere, the kingdom of Camelot celebrated. Despite the loss of their king and his loyal knights, they now had new champions to defend their kingdom against the threat of Morganna. Having so little to celebrate since the day Arthur and his knights were captured by Morganna, the people were more than ready to feel good about something. A feast was quickly made to honor the brave heroes who rescued the queen and everyone ate heartily, most of them had never had such food before and were more than eager to dig in. The feasting and celebrations went well into the night before everyone went to bed somewhat loopy from wine and good food.
The day after, Queen Guinevere called for the Riders to appear in the throne room in full armor. Slightly confused, the Riders made their appearance. The throne room was lined with the people of Camelot each of them seemingly finding some good news which hadn't reached the Kamen Riders. Still, the approached the Queen, dressed in her usual green dress with her crown perched regally on her head. In her hands was a sword with a golden hilt and a red handle which seemed to glow in the sunlight that poured in the windows.
"For your courageous efforts in protecting Camelot, in spite of it not being your home, you have shown great courage. I wished my king was here, however, to meet you all in person, but since he has gone missing. Thus, in his place, I shall honor you all. Please, kneel before me."
The Riders did as told and knelt before the Queen of Camelot.
"I dub thee Sir Ryuki of the Dragon's Fire"
"I dub thee Sir Knight the Chivalrous."
"I dub thee Sir Scissors the Just"
"I dub thee Sir Zolda of the Iron Ox"
"I dub thee Sir Gai of the Invincible Steel."
"I dub thee Sir Raia the Mystic"
"I dub thee Sir Ouja the Venomous"
"I dub thee Sir Tiger the Brave"
"I dub thee Sir Imperer the Swift"
"I dub thee Sir Verde the Cunning"
"I dub thee Sir Odin the Mighty"
"I dub thee Sir Abyss the Bold"
"I dub thee Lady Femme the Graceful"
"And finally I dub thee Sir Ryuga of the Black Dragon."
She finished, "Now, rise. From this day forth you are now the new Knights of the Round Table!"
An explosive cheer echoed through the room as each of the Riders, now official Knights, stood and faced the room. Everyone had bright smiles on their faces, cheering and congratulating the new champions of Camelot, feeling secure now that they were protected again. The riders themselves knew that a heavy burden was placed on their shoulders, but they knew they could handle it. After all, the things they faced were just as bad as whatever Morganna and her Warlords could throw at them.
Right?
A/N: Well, another idea I had. This one combines elements of Kamen Rider Ryuki with King Arthur and the Knights of Justice. It just hit me one day so I figured, why not? Let me know what you think.
