Hey everyone! Welcome back for another chapter of The Fourteenth Knight! I am very happy to release the next chapter of this story. In the previous chapter, Adam got acquainted with the farmer and his family. Knowing that it will take time for him to fully heal, it looks like he's going to be spending quite a lot of time on this farm? What will happen to him now? Let's find out!

CHAPTER 7: A Simple Life

Dawn was always the part of the day Adam dreaded most. Living in the Axiom Church, Adam would always wake up to a bright sun shining through his window. In return, the knight would always wake up from a dream who wished he could stay in, rather than face the regular duties his knighthood required. However, this morning seemed different. On this particular morning, as the sun began to rise over the mountains, Adam would feel the sun break off into small fragments of light as the tree that grew beside the house provided some shade for him.

As he awoke from his bed, the knight could feel his strength slowly returning to him as he stretched his arms before they would start to ache. He also felt some small amount of pain in his ribs as he would place his hand above them. He may have the strength to walk be it would appear that he was not yet out of the woods. But that did not stop him from attending his duties for this family.

Morning after morning, Adam would wake up from a long nights sleep before he would start his daily exercises to regain his strength.

First he would stretch out his arms as wide as he could in order to prepare his muscles for a small work out. Next he would reach out for his sword and do his very best to lift up the blade that hid in its scabbard with a firm grip. Once he was able to accomplish that, the next step would be to unsheathed his divine object and hold it with one hand for as long as he could.

While at first he struggled to even hold the sheath of his sword, over time his muscle began to grow accustomed to the weight of the scabbard that held the blade.

After several mornings, the knight was finally able to draw his sword. It had been so long since he had seen the blade that cracked the sky. It had been so long since he unleashed its full power. But because of his arrogant nature, he had a lack of respect for the power this blade carried which made him and his dragon pay a heavy price. As he stared at the blade, he realized that it was still sharp that it even pierced his memory and reminded him of that fateful night.

The burning images of light dancing all over him and Hiroshi was enough for Adam to lose focus and loosen his grip on his sword. The weight of the blade was so heavy that it had caused the knight to fall on one knee while he accidentally caused his sword to slightly pierce the wooden floor beneath him. This process repeated for several days as Adam would try to regain his full strength.

Once his physical therapy was taken care of, the knight would walk to a kitchen filled with joy and laughter as he would watch James and Freya enjoy a breakfast that Hannah had prepared while Henry sat outside the house, preparing himself for another hard day's work.

The smell of cooked eggs and ham filled the kitchen with a warm scent that always brought a smile to Adam's face. Watching the knight enjoy his meal made Hannah slightly blush for it was nice to see that someone appreciated her cooking. While her father always had his mind on other things, he never really paid attention to the taste of some of Hannah's food. As for James and Freya, they were always busy causing trouble toward one another as most siblings would, leaving Hannah the job of cleaning up their mess.

Watching Adam enjoy a well cooked meal made her feel special inside. To take a step even further, Adam would often notice how the kitchen would always be a mess after everyone finished their breakfast, so to help take some stress off her shoulders, the young knight would often help Hannah with cleaning the kitchen. While at first this surprised the farm girl, but as time went on, she came to enjoy the company of Adam as they would both take to the time with helping each other out with cleaning the dishes, sweeping the floor, dusting the table, and all other sorts of things in order to keep a clean kitchen.

Once the kitchen was clean, Adam would ready himself for another day of hard labor. Given his current condition, Adam did his best to help out Henry on the farm. With his arm still in a sling, he still was not yet strong enough to do any physical work such as plowing the fields, digging up bad crops, or even putting in new fences for some of the animals. However, that didn't stop the knight from lending a hand with some of the other daily tasks that needed his attention.

Over the span of several days, Adam spent a lot of time with the animals of this farm. He often helped James with his daily chores. He'll never forget the first time he had to help the young boy with making food for the pigs. Because these animals will mostly eat anything, including leftover meals from several dinners that Adam had eaten, the smell was so fowl that it caused the knight to nearly vomit. But as the days went by, the integrity knight grew accustomed to the smell of bad cheese, moldy bread, and even rotting meat. This helped Adam prepare himself for cleaning up the droppings that these animals would leave behind after they finished their gross meal.

With the pigs taken care of, Adam also helped James with getting milk from the cows, grabbing some eggs from the chicken coup, and even making sure their horse's hooves were cleaned and ready for travel. At the same time, Adam wold most often check up on Hiroshi who was also slowly recovering from his injury.

As they days passed, Henry grew more comfortable with allowing Adam to leave the barn open for his dragon to breathe some fresh air. He'll never forget the moment he saw his children form a connection with a majestic creature. Knowing that Adam was around to make sure nothing would happen, Henry's worst fears were at least at ease.

Hannah was also amazed to see Hiroshi for the first time, and when Adam introduced her to his scaly friend. She'll never forget the moment she felt Adam's warm hands guid her hand towards Hiroshi's forehead. The moment she touched Hiroshi, the dragon closed his eyes and moved his large head closer to Hannah's heart as he wanted to nuzzle with this girl. The moment his dragon rubbed its head against Hannah, Adam was amazed to see just how quickly Hiroshi fell in love with his new friend.

Henry, James, and Freya, were all shocked to see just how much Hiroshi preferred Hannah over all of them, which led to small competition between the three children. While Hannah didn't really care for this sort of thing, James and Freya did whatever they could to gain the attention of Adam's dragon. For James, every morning, before he would tend to his chores, the boy would often bring Hiroshi some fish for him to feed on and Adam loved helping the young farmer interact with his dragon. As for Freya, she would spend a lot of time picking out flowers from the garden and fields in order to make several pieces of jewelry for Hiroshi. While this was something that Adam wasn't too thrilled about, he still enjoyed watching Freya present these little gifts to Hiroshi as the dragon would sometimes wear a crown of flowers on top of his horns.

As the days went by, Adam had grown accustomed to life on a farm. As his body started to regain a bit of more strength, he started to feel his bones strengthen themselves as he began to take on tasks that required his strength. Even though he still felt some amount of pain in his bad arm, it was manageable enough for him to still tend to his chores. It came to the point were he realized that he no longer needed to keep his arm in a sling.

With his strength nearly returned, Adam began to do more heavy lifting. He began to spend several mornings plowing the fields which was a tasked that would most often prove difficult for Henry and James. For Henry, the many years of working on the farm were finally catching up to him as he was not as strong as he was when he was younger. As for James, the boy still needed build enough strength to properly plow the fields. With Adam's help, production on the farm became easier done than said.

If Adam wasn't plowing the fields, he was helping Henry with chopping down several logs for either fire wood or for new posts that could serve as the base for new fences that will be built for the animals. If he wasn't helping Henry, he would often walk to a nearby creek with James and Freya and would help the two children fill up several buckets with water that would be brought back to the house.

Slowly but surely, Adam began to regain his strength, as well as Hiroshi. At the end of each day that went by, the knight would often check on his dragon. While Hiroshi couldn't fully recover in the barn, Adam would spend most evenings away from the farm where he would allow Hiroshi to stretch out his tired limbs and spread his wings in order to regain their strength. The first couple of nights were eventful as Adam brought the whole family to watch this dragon do his best to fly.

Hannah and her family remember feeling the rush of wind hitting their faces as they watch Hiroshi flap his wings but struggle to lift off the ground. But as time went on, the dragon became stronger than ever as he would be able to at least hover himself above the ground for some amount of time, which got the Hannah and her family excited when they saw a dragon take flight in front of them. It wouldn't be long until Hiroshi would feel string enough to soar through the skies.

With every evening that went by, it would always end the same where Adam would finally be able to rest after a hard days work and enjoy a meal made by Hannah. There would also be nights where he would help out Hannah prepare the meal. And just like every morning, Hannah would always feel this warm feeling inside of her knowing that there was one person who appreciated her cooking and took time out their day to help her. Seeing a warm smile fall upon her face made the knight feel goodness within him. Most nights would end in laughter as Adam would tell many stories of several adventures he had at the axiom church to Hannah her family before the knight would go to bed and repeat the same day over and over but would never get tired of each day.

As the sun rose on this particular morning, Adam felt his strength restored as he grabbed hold of his sword and drew it out of its scabbard. As he help the blade in front of him he was still reminded of the night he unleashed its full power. Knowing that he now fully understand the power he has been given he still felt some amount of fear towards his divine object. He quickly placed his weapon back into its sheets before he set it across the room for a little experiment.

For some time he had always wanted to expand his knowledge in the sacred arts but remembered that there was one form of art that was never documented but only mentioned in legends of old in the libraries of the Axiom Church. The art that he tried to perform would be to move his blade toward him without even laying a finger on it. It had been noted in several books that this was a skill that few Integrity Knights have learned. Knowing he had little to no chance of performing it on the first try, Adam still attempted it as he stood across his room and stretched out his hand.

As he concentrated on the blade, he felt his emotions cloud inside him while he watched his sword slightly rattle. Knowing that he got some reaction from his divine object, the knight grew eager and tried even harder until the silence was broken.

"Good morning!" From outside his room, Hannah stood near the door as she watched the young knight lose his focus with a quick startle. Never before has anyone got the jump on him, or at least been quiet enough for him not to notice. Perhaps it was because he was putting all of his concentration on performing the sacred art. After being startled by Hannah, he watched his sword fall onto the ground before he ran over to pick up his blade. "I'm sorry if I startled you! I only came to let you know that breakfast is ready."

"It's quite alright." Adam said as he caught his breath. "Thank you for letting me know."

"What were you doing just now?" Hannah asked as she walked into the room. "I've never seen a sacred art like that before."

"That's because it's not technically a sacred art." Adam said. "It's more of a secret art called Incarnate Arms, a skill spoken by Integrity Knights since the start of the Human Empire. It's neither a sacred art nor Perfect Weapon Control but it allows you to move objects with your own willpower. Only a small handful of knights have been known to use tis skill. I thought I'd give it a try."

"Sounds challenging."

"It is, so to at least get a small nudge from my sword means something." Adam said as he dusted his divine object before he had an idea. "Would you like to hold it?"

"Oh no I couldn't, I'm afraid I break it."

"This sword was forged by Quinella herself." Adam said as he walked behind Hannah and wrapped his arms around her. "This blade will never break."

Once Hannah grabbed hold of the sword's handle, she was amazed to feel just how heavy it was. If Adam wasn't helping her, the sword would have instantly fallen to the ground and sunken itself into the wooden floor. With Adam guiding her, with his hands wrapped around hers, she unsheathed the sword and saw the divine object in its full beauty as she looked at the hilt of the sword to the tip of the blade. She then allowed Adam to place his divine object back in its scabbard before she watched him set it aside his bed.

With Adam's back turned towards her, Hannah got a good look at all the scars Adam had received over the years. "Your scars?"

"Oh these?" Adam said as he tried to look behind to at least try to look at his back, when he turned around, Hannah got a good look at his chest and felt a fresh warm heat rush to her head when she saw how fir this knight was while at the same time noticing how he had a could of scars across his chest. "These are just old wounds."

"I-I can see that." Hannah said as she tried to regain her focus. "It's just that… why haven't they healed? It should be easy for them to heal with a sacred art."

"Yes they would heal with the proper sacred art, but I prefer to let them heal on their own, and when they heal they remind me to never make the same mistake twice." Adam said as he looked down at his chest to get a good look at some of the scars he carried. "You could say that I've made quite a few mistakes."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Hannah asked.

"You may."

"Were you ever afraid?" Hannah asked. "Do Integrity Knights ever get scared?"

That question shook Adam to his core as he remembered all the countless times he walked into battle and felt some small amount of fear. "Yes, in every battle I fought I was already afraid. I felt fear wondering if every fight would be my last. I was more afraid of being captured and tortured rather than being killed. But I always masked my fear with anger and brute strength, I didn't realize that I was only poisoning my soul."

Hearing Adam's words made Hannah almost regret asking that question. In a weird sort of way, she almost knew that this was the answer she was expecting but she didn't know how cold it would feel to hear the words come out of Adam's mouth.

"It's strange." Adam said. "I always knew that I was fighting to protect the empire, but I never knew who I was fighting to protect. I now see why we fight, why we bleed, and what we die for. Family. That is why a knight, does what he does."

"Family." For Hannah, that was a word thrown around often amongst her and her kin. However, for Adam, that was a word that he never truly understood. He had brothers, he had sisters, but those bonds were forged through iron in swords and armor. Never before did Adam really understand how it felt like to be part of a real family, or at least live with a real family. In these past few weeks, these kind people had shown Adam how each member of this family played their role to perfection.

In this family there was a father who worked day in and day out to provide food, clothing and shelter for each of his children. With no mother, the oldest daughter filled her role as she would help with the cooking and cleaning, making sure their farm became a home, a place where one could feel safe. Finally, the younger children were the ones who would offer aid whenever it was needed but would also find time to cause mischief. Despite that each member had their assigned jobs to fulfill, at the end of every day, this family would come together to remind one another how much they appreciate the work that they each do to keep this family whole.

As the two young adults talked about family, their moment of peace was disrupted when Hannah hear her name being shouted throughout the house. The two turn their head to the door as they see James and Freya peak their heads into the room. Freya, being the ever so bold one of the two, spoke for her and her brother. "Come on Hannah!"

"You promised you would take us to town?" James added.

"Don't worry you two, I'm coming." Hannah responded with a small laugh as she watched her younger brother and sister leave in excitement.

"Is there a problem?" Adam asked.

"No, it's just that I promised that I would drop them off at their friend's house to spend the night." Hannah explained. "I was going to head to town to take some of the school children on a little field trip through the woods.

"The woods?" Adam asked in curiosity.

"Yes. Most of them have never ventured out there and I thought it would be a good idea to give some some sort of adventure." Hannah explained. "Although most of them already venture out there so it's mostly going to be a long boring trip for them."

"I see." Adam said as he held his hand to his chin and suddenly came up with an idea. "May I bring up a suggestion?"

"Yes please."

"Why don't you bring them here?" Adam suggested which made Hannah a bit confused. "Bring them here so that they can see a real dragon and Integrity Knight."

"That actually sounds wonderful."

"Great." Adam responded. "Why don't you take James and Freya over to their friends and bring the rest of the children over her while I get Hiroshi ready."

Hannah nodded with a warm smile on her face as she went outside to ready the wagon. Not a moment later Adam watched The girl white white hair ride off with her two siblings as they cheerfully waved goodbye to their friend. While Adam waved goodbye to the three he heard several footsteps walking up behind him from the porch. He recognized them and knew it was Henry standing behind him as he wiped his hands and watched his children leave the farm.

"I see you got your full strength." Henry said.

"It would seem so." Adam responded. "While I do feel sore in some parts, I at least have the strength to draw my sword."

"Good, I suppose you'll be leaving once your armor is ready. Seeing that both you and your dragon now have the strength to travel."

Once Henry reminded Adam about his armor, the young knight quickly remembered the first day he woke up in this farm. He remembered being told that once he and Hiroshi had fully recovered, they would both leave this place. At some point during his time here, Adam knew that he would have to leave sooner or later, and it seemed that time was quickly approaching. With his body fully recovered, his dragon fully capable of flying and his armor almost nearly repaired, Adam knew that he would have to leave this farm.

"From what the blacksmith told me, your armor should be repaired within a day or so. If I were you, I'd start preparing your goodbyes."

"Why so eager to get rid of me Henry?"

"You should know that Hannah has grown very fond of you. Ever since her mother passed away, she has devoted her whole life into taking care of James and Freya. I tell her to leave them to me but she is so persistent. But when she's around you I see the look of joy in her eyes that once faded away long ago. She loves you."

"She does?" Adam responded as he widened his eyes in shock which confirmed Henry's suspicions.

The farmer nodded before he continued on with this lecture. "And just the way you responded, you feel the same way towards her."

"I-I just noticed right now." Adam hesitantly responded which got a small grunt from Henry.

"I'm sure you are aware that most Integrity Knights spend most of their lives at the cathedral, and I'm sure that you are aware that most knights rarely live long enough to live a normal life." Henry said before he walked down the steps of the porch to look the young knight in the eye. "One day you will have a daughter and you'll understand what I am about to tell you. No man is ever good enough for your daughter, so I suggest you give her a good memory before you leave."

"Excuse me sir?" Adam asked who was a bit confused as to what Henry just suggested.

"Be sure not to stay out too late." Henry said as he turned away to tend to the crops, which made the knight all the more confused. Was this Henry's way of giving him permission to be with his daughter? If so why? The knight knew that he would have to leave soon. Everything that Henry said about him was true. Once Adam leaves this place, coming back will be easier said than done for his duties to the Axiom Church would prevent him from doing so. Perhaps there must be a way for him to continue serving as a knight, and yet be with Hannah. If not, it would seem that Adam would have to leave the church, but would the cost be for leaving the knights he fought side by side with? Would they understand?

Those questions would have to be answered soon, but for now he would need to check on Hiroshi to make sure he was ready for the school children. As he walked toward the empty barn, he heard a small roar fly behind him from a distance. He turned around and saw his dragon gently land in front of the barn without destroying any of the crops or gardens. Adam smiled at his friend and rubbed the dragon's large jaw. "Hello my friend. Did you have a good breakfast? Good, because it seems that you and I are going to have our handful very soon, so I need you to be on your best behavior."

The dragon gave Adam a good chuffle and from his nostril the large animal blew a puff a fresh air towards the knight. Adam wiped away the odor of fish as he smiled to see that his dragon was ready to start the day.

As the sun reached the center of the sky, Adam and Hiroshi watched Hannah lead a small group of children to the barn as they all had mixed emotions about encountering the large dragon. While some children were excited to see a real dragon unclose, there were some who were very afraid to approach the barn. This moment quickly reminded Adam for when he first introduced James and Freya to Hiroshi. But very quickly, both Adam and his friend were surrounded by children who were shock when they saw just how big Hiroshi was.

Making sure that no one got hurt, Adam first laid out some simple ground rules for when dealing with a dragon. Hannah watched Adam list off several rules and was surprised to see just how quickly these children listened. Most of the time, it was very hard for her to even get one word through their small heads. But seeing as how there was a live dragon sitting before them, she was sure that they didn't want to end up as this dragon's next meal. If not then they would surely suffer the wrath of their parents which was even more terrifying.

As the day went on, Adam show off Hiroshi to the children. To show these children just how powerful Hiroshi was, he began to describe each part of a dragon that most people are familiar with. The large animal's scales was stranger than armor. He first mentioned how Hiroshi's teeth were almost like swords while his claws were spears, as the dragon showed off his teeth and claws to the children. The dragon's wings were strong enough to form a hurricane and children were amazed to see those wings fully spread out. Even the shock of Hiroshi's tale was like a thunderbolt to where the children were dumbfounded. Finally, this dragon's breath brought death as Hiroshi blew puffs of fish breath to the children which made them giggle.

After establishing some of the stereotypes the most dragons are accused of, Adam began to explain that while most dragons are dangerous, when a dragon is bonded with an Integrity Knight, the behavior of the dragon ultimately depend on the knight. In this case, Hiroshi's personality was molded by Adam as this knight trained this dragon to respect humans. This gave him the perfect opportunity to allow these kids to get up close with a real dragon.

Hannah quickly stood in as she helped Adam for a long line of children so that they could meet Hiroshi one at a time. One by one, Adam helped these children overcome their fear of dragons as he allowed them to groom Hiroshi and give him a snack for there was a small bucket of fish lying next to them. While Adam was used to children thanks to James and Freya, Hannah was surprised to see how Adam was handling a small group of children. Adam looked back and saw a small smile on the farm girl's face which made him blush a little. If at any point Adam was distracted, Hiroshi would use his tail to smack Adam in the butt to get his attention. This would most likely get the children laughing.

As the sun began to set, Adam watched Hannah lead the children back to the wagon so that she could take them home. With the last of the school children on the wagon, Hannah walked back to the barn. "Thank you."

"It was nothing." Adam said.

"No, really, thank you." Hannah said. "Because of you, you gave these children stories that they will tell forever."

"Exaggerated stories, but I see your point." Adam said knowing that some of these stories will more grander and epic than what actually happened.

"I'm going to take the children back to town. Would you like to accompany me?"

"Yes, yes I would like that very much." Adam said but soon remembered what Henry told him. Before he could take a single step, he built up the courage to say these next few words. "Hannah, before we go, there's something I would like to ask you."

"Yes, what is it?" The young girl asked as her eyes twinkled in front of him while her hair blew with the gentle wind. This made Adam much more nervous to say these next few words. Hiroshi grew tired of this embarrassment as he nudged his head behind Adam's back, getting him closer to Hannah.

"A-Are you busy tonight?"

"No."

"Good. Because I was wondering… if you… would like to…"

"Go on a moonlit walk?" Hannah suggested.

"Actually…" Adam said before he slowed his heart to regain his cool. "I have something much better in mind."

With the moon at its peak, the starts of the night sky twinkled bright as Adam, Hannah, and Hiroshi stood in the middle of a big open field. With Adam's arms wrapped around her, the young woman straddled herself in as the knight tightened his grip on the reigns to his dragon. For Adam, he was all too familiar with this sort of sensation, but for Hannah, her heart was racing with anticipation.

"You ready?" Adam asked only to receive a quick nod and hum from Hannah. With the flick of his wrists the reigns whipped on the side of Hiroshi's face as the dragon knew that it was time for him to take flight, However, seeing that they were stationary, Hiroshi couldn't just take off, instead the large animal began to flap his large powerful wings. Gusts of wind blew around them as Hannah watched the trees beyond them began to shake and rattle while the grass in the field were laid flat.

As the dragon began to lift his body into the air, Hannah's heart began to race as she saw the ground beneath her begin to shrink with every flap of Hiroshi's wings. She could not control her fear even though the moment was exhilarating. "Okay! I want to get down! I want to get down!"

"It's okay, I got you." Adam couldn't help but laugh as he saw how easily frightened Hannah was at this very moment. It was a side he had never seen before. From the moment he first met her, Hannah had always remained calm in the most stressful moments. It seemed that tonight was her breaking point. Nevertheless easily Adam strengthened his arms around her to reassure her that she was safe. "Alright, let's catch some air."

"Okay, but let's start things sl-" Before Hannah could finish her sentence, Adam flicked his wrists once more and Hiroshi flew into the sky faster than ever before. Hannah's words were lost in the sounds of her screams as she held on for dear life while the dragon soared through the night sky at the speed of a falling star.

For Adam, it felt exhilarating. It seemed so long since he and his dragon last flown together. Feeling the wind race past through them, it only made them both want to fly even faster. However with Hannah onboard, the two friends needed to Mae sure this flight went smoothly if Adam wanted to make sure Hannah had a good time. Adam stirred the reigns and the three of them turned slightly right as Hannah closed her eyes shut from the terror she experienced. Adam nudged Hannah to gain her attention. "Hannah, look!"

Having somewhat complete trust in her friend, Hannah opened her eyes slowly as she saw far below them was her small town. Her eyes lit up with joy as she saw the lights across the town light up like stars beneath them. A smile grew on her face as her heart grew with excitement when she began to laugh and wave her hand towards the towns people who could barely see them. She continued to wave her hand as she shouted out the names of her brother and sister. "James! Freya!"

Seeing Hannah get past her fears made Adam relax a little better knowing that Hannah was having a good time. Adam flicked his wrists and Hiroshi flew past the town and began to make his decent as the dragon spotted a nearby lake. Adam noticed where his friend was taking them and allowed the dragon to freely fly on his own terms as the three of them glided over the large body of water.

With a full moon illuminating the clear night sky, Hannah could see her reflection in the water as the three friends flew across the lake. Hiroshi took it even a step further as he allowed his right wing to slide across the surface of the water to create a small mist. Drops of cold water were able to make their way onto Hannah's skin as she couldn't help but laugh. Adam was amused by this but wanted to show Hannah even more.

Adam strengthened his grip onto the reigns and pulled them close before Hiroshi began climb the night sky. With the large lake, now a puddle from their point of view, Hannah watched the dragon flap his wings as they flew higher and higher. Suddenly, the young girl could see the scattered stars as clear as day and reached her hand to try to touch them. Seeing that they were high enough, Adam tugged on Hiroshi's reigns and the three soared across the sky where several clouds drifted towards them.

Hannah reached out her hand as she could feel the water held within the clouds. Her childhood thoughts of clouds feeling as soft as pillows were met with the reality of cold water which made her laugh. Seeing that Hiroshi was flying steady, and there were no obstacles in their way, Adam thought this was the perfect opportunity for Hannah to fly.

Adam slowly let good of the reigns before he placed his hands on Hannahs before the farmer girl quickly blushed. But the moment soon passed as she realized what Adam was doing. Playing along, she extended both arms out as far as she could and felt the wind brush under her arms and made her dress flap with the wings of a bird - no, the wings of a dragon.

As the young knight watched from behind, he felt Hannah's hair brush beside his face as he held her close to see the look of excitement on her face. Her eyes twinkled like the stars above them. Her dress blew graciously with the wind. Her hands were reached so far as if she was embracing the kingdom with a harmful hug in this cold evening. Seeing her smile brought back the memory of when he and Hiroshi first flew together. He'll never forget what it felt like to ride on top of a dragon for the first time and now he'll never forget this moment she was sharing with Hannah.

While Adam was lost in the moment, Hannah looked up and saw Adam's features up close. She never realized how strong he was when he had his hands on her hips. She never knew smooth his face felt when her cheek brushed against his. Even with his glasses, she could still see how his eyes were that of a dog. Loyal, protective, and caring.

Their moment of excitement turned into a moment of uncertainty as they both looked at each other in the eye and were entranced by one another. Now that Adam knew that Hannah had feelings for him, was it right to express his feelings towards her. What seemed like eternity, this moment lasted in the blink of an eye as Adam quickly realized that he had let good of Hiroshi's wings and ordered his dragon to fly back down.

Adam's heart began to race as well as Hannah's who was unaware that this knight felt the same way as her. Soon enough the three landed on a small hill that had large tree at the top. Adam first got down and extend his hand toward Hannah who reluctantly jumped off the dragon and into the arms of Adam. The jump was so strong that it had had caused both the knight and the farm grill to tumble onto the soft grass.

Hiroshi lied quietly beside the tree as Adam and Hannah laughed loudly with one another. Playfully they rolled along the side of the hill before Hannah was able to pin Adam beneath her. With her hair dangling above his face, kissing the sides of his cheeks, Adam now realized just how beautiful Hannah was and what she truly meant to him. "You are so beautiful."

Hannah smiled as she grabbed hold of Adams hands and placed it beside her warm cheek. "I love you."

"I know." Adam said with very little breath in him as his heart began to race when he saw Hannah lean in to kiss him. Suddenly Adam remembered something that forced him to ruin the moment. "Stop, we can't."

"Why not?"

"It is against the Taboo Index." Adam said. "One cannot kiss another person's lips unless they are married."

"Adam, do you love me?"

"I do. Without question."

"Than marry me." Hannah said with a warm smile as tears of joys formed in her eyes.

"Hannah, if I was like any other man, I would." Adam said as he sat up with Hannah sitting on his lap. "But as a knight, I could never marry. Even if we were to be married, who knows how long it would last."

Hearing Adam's words made Hannah see that marrying an Integrity Knight would be a life of solitude as Hannah would rarely see her husband for he would be performing his duties to the church. And if the unthinkable happened should Adam be slain in battle, Hannah would be a widow for the rest of her life. Either way, she would spend out her life alone.

"Hannah, you have been nothing but kind to me." Adam said as he wiped away the tears that formed in her eyes. "You took me in. You took care of me. Most importantly, you showed me what love truly is. I love you Hannah, but I cannot stand the thought of leaving you alone, waiting for me to never return. I'm sorry."

Hannah nodded before she placed her graced her hand over Adam's cheeks. "You're a good man Adam, with a strong heart, and it is easy for a strong heart to be misguided. So let our hearts both be misguided."

"In that case, just say the word and I will walk away from the Axiom Church." Adam said as their lips grew closer toward each other.

"Stay with me." As those words left Hannah's lips, Adam's decision was made. From this point forward he would stay with Hannah as her husband. But this moment did not last as Hiroshi began to growl as he looked beyond the fields lit my the moon light. His protective nature was too easy to recognize as Adam's attention quickly shifted from Hannah to his dragon.

"Hiroshi? What is is?" Adam said as his dragon began to snarl and show his teeth before Adam stood up to calm his friend.

Hannah stood up and tried to focus her eyesight to where Hiroshi's attention was focused. Her eyes widened as she saw an orange glow grow beyond the fields. "Adam! Look!"

"Oh no…" Adam's worst fears had come true. Their beautiful night together had come to an abrupt end as Adam and Hannah looked over the vast large fields and saw that the town of Arbane was set ablaze. Red and Orange smoke darkened the night sky as fires could be seen from afar. The sound of screams could be heard for miles as this only meant one thing. "The Dark Territory is attacking"

"James… Freya… " Hannah's eyes were left soulless as she tried to process the words Adam had just spoken. Adam looked toward Hannah and tried to get her attention but her eyes were entranced by the flames that were engulfing her home. Adam did all that he could to snap her out of it, but the thought of her brother and sister being caught in the fires that lit up the night sky shook her to her core as she fell to her knees. In an instant the young girl closed her eyes and held her stomach as she let out a blood curdling scream that could be herd for miles.

Alright that's gonna be it for this chapter. A bit of a slow one but we were able to see some character development with Adam and I was very happy with how the night flight scene with Adam and Hannah turned out. The next chapter is going to be BIG and EPIC!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you like what you see, add this story to your favorites so you can get all the latest updates! If you have any thoughts, feel free to leave a comment! I'll see you all next time with Chapter 8: The Flames Of War.