The Tale of the Missing Champion

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

So far: After escaping the three headed dragon, Mamori and company now start out on their quest. But first they're going to stop at Ojolot, the home of the White Knights of the Pentagon table to recruit the most well known Knight, Shin the Mighty, and his companion Sakuraba the Ever Popular. But they run into a major complication upon arriving …

Who is who:

Mamori: Herself, of course. The others are convinced she is an arch mage. Who knew pictures could do that to a dragon?

Sena: A dwarf and friendly rival of Shin the Mighty.

Monta: A satyr; all that is said about him right now. He does play the flute sometimes …

Kurita: A half-troll that is a noted pacifist but can throw a Devil Imp pretty far.

Ha Ha trio: A three headed dragon that is afraid of the demon lord Hiruma.

Hiruma: Previous Demon Lord of the land where the son doesn't shine. Supposedly was sealed up but most people think he is loose again.

Shin the Mighty: A White Knight and champion of the land. Yeah … that's about it…

Sakuraba the Ever Popular: Another White Knight. He will always be popular … snirk

-0-0-

Mamori was never so tired in her entire life. Since morning the group had been trekking along large expansions of grassy plains on a pothole ridden highway.

Yet for being tired, she had never been so excited. The White Kingdom capital, Ojolot, stood on the horizon as a shining white blurb almost as if beckoning them to its gates to have a little rest.

Mamori glanced at her companions. Each one looked similar to her friends back home yet slightly different.

Kurita smiled as a butterfly landed on his shoulder. Standing at about eight feet tall, slightly stooped shoulders, and a bit of a jutting lower jaw, he struck an impressive figure. His familiar chestnut-shaped head gave her a lot of comfort with his friendly nature.

Sena trudged next to the giant and was talking good naturedly with Monta. Both were still about the same height but Sena's large boots gave him a few inches. Mamori was thankful Sena still looked like Sena, excluding the outfit he was wearing. Still the same shy, boy-manager from before.

Monta on the other hand was goat up to his navel. His bandy goat legs gave him a small spring in his step and she knew first hand he could really take off if he wanted to. He wore a red shirt with the number eighty sewn poorly onto the back. The whole look was topped with two horns poking out from his hair.

She sighed and returned her gaze to the vast grassy plains. It was so repetitive out here … a tree was a rarity and she wished for a building or two.

"So Mamori, have you ever been to Ojolot?" Monta asked.

"No never. What's it like?"

"Well …" began Monta placing a hand to his chin, "To begin with: it's huge! It has three hundred inns, six hundred gyms, seven hundred Sakuraba novelty stores, and the biggest shopping mall on this side of the Taiyo desert."

"I see …" she said, quite baffled as well as speechless by how popular Sakuraba was in both worlds.

"Don't forget their king, King Shogun …err, Shoji. Supposedly some lady in a lake threw out a magic sword and declared him king of Ojolot. Thus the White Knights were born," Sena supplied sheepishly.

"Kind of sounds like King Arthur, except he had a famous wizard named Merlin," Mamori said, half to herself, half to her companions.

"Merlin? Never heard of him but there is a wizard who resides with the king. His name is Takami the Calculative," Monta interjected.

"You know … I always wondered why all the knights had those long epithets after their names …" Kurita murmured.

"It makes them feel better about themselves," the satyr smirked. "I, on the other hand, don't need any long name to be known throughout the land."

Mamori shared a smile as the others shared a laugh. She looked up again at the large grassy field that remained between them and the White Kingdom.

The kingdom was the largest place she had ever stood next to so far in the strange realm. Mamori had to crane her neck to look up towards the peak of the city gates. The white walls of blasted stone rose hundreds of feet high, surrounding the entire city in a white cocoon. The walls, she noted, were super thick. The entire Devil team could line up shoulder to shoulder with plenty of room to spare.

"Whoa … amazing!" she gasped in awe.

"Yeah ..." Monta agreed, just as stunned with the sheer size.

The city inside, although not as massive, made up for it with its wide array of people, shops, and otherwise busy streets. It was such a sight to behold that Mamori could hardly believe it all.

The huge lumbering carts ladened with armor and weapons, the people bartering over the latest issue of Sakuraba Monthly … it was simply too much to take in.

"We need to go to the palace to locate Shin. He usually hangs around where there be less people. A word of warning to ye, keep away all yer magic devices. He has a nasty habit of breaking them," Sena explained to his stunned companions.

"So … uh, where is the castle in all of this?" Mamori asked.

Sena grinned and gestured toward the walls. "You just be passing it! The entire city is in the castle!"

Mamori gawked at him. If it was possible, her jaw would have continued to drop until it hit the ground. "That is the castle?" she shrieked.

Sena nodded. "To get into the castle ye be needing clearance … now if only we could find another knight."

Monta looked up at Sena from where he was examining a vast array of flowers. "Another knight? What is the chance another knight is wandering around?"

"Kurita! How are you old friend!" a deep base voice called out.

All four turned and beheld a large man, grinning like a lunatic.

"Oh. Hi, Sir Otawara the Indiscreet. Long time, no see," Kurita smiled waving to the large knight.

"Kurita! No need for formalities! Just call me Otawara Skullsmasher! A fellow half-troll of Joka Machi!" Otawara grinned, slapping Kuirta on the back.

Monta just shook his head in disbelief. "Someone up there really likes us …" he murmured.

"Now Kurita," Otawara began, leading Kurita away by the shoulder, "Join me for a drink at the Drunken Dwarf. We can catch up on old times!"

Sena looked at his feet and refused to show everyone he was blushing like mad at the name of the inn. Monta smirked and nudged the dwarf. "That super hero Eyeshield 21 sure did make an impression!"

Mamori only watched in confusion at this. Were Sena and Eyeshield 21 still on even terms? Even in this world?

"Wait, Otawara, I need to … we need a favor of you," Kurita said, pulling away from the other half troll.

"Speak and it shall be done!" Otawara boomed striking a noble pose ruined only by the large fart that snuck out at the end.

A mighty fart at that. Monta wrinkled his nose and placed a hand over his face. Sena looked a little green and was about to fall over in dead faint. Mamori sighed. Some things never changed …

"We need you to …" Kurita began slowly before being interrupted.

"… accompany you on a quest? Fight horrendous monsters? Fight for a fair maiden's hand in a tournament? Slay a demon upon a white stallion?" Otawara cut in excitedly.

"Err … no. We need a pass to see Sir Shin in the White Palace," Kurita answered back.

Mamori watched the grin and good nature attitude fade slowly from the knight's face. His shoulders slumped and he turned away.

"Sir Shin isn't here anymore … He rejoined with the great gods above …" he whispered with barely contained sorrow. "Sakuraba was the only survivor of that event in the Zokugaku Mountains. An invading army of Devil Fiends led by a Warlord caught Sir Shin and Sakuraba on their return journey from Lake Tong …"

"I'm sorry …" Mamori whispered feeling genuinely touched.

The others nodded and Sena bowed his head but everyone could tell he was crying. "May god be with ye, Shin …" he whispered.

-0-0-

A few minutes later, the four found themselves sitting in a bar in the midst of happy chatter. But they themselves were not in the same mood as the atmosphere. The death of a fine knight had wounded everyone. Sena mourned for a friend. Kurita and Monta for a fine man and protector.

Mamori watched their spirits fade and felt their depression as it hung heavy in the air. "Excuse me … I'm going to get a drink of water," she whispered. Her only response was a nod of Monta's head and a glance from Sena.

Mamori weaved her way through the jostling crowd toward the bar. The crowd moved about in a daze of happiness and continued on if nothing had happened.

"I wonder if I'll ever get home," she wondered out loud. Suddenly someone knocked her over and she hit the ground hard. Mamori panicked a bit and threw her hands up where someone promptly grabbed it.

"Thank you," she sighed in relief.

"You're welcome, Mamori, even if you're not from this realm," her rescuer returned.

Mamori looked up instantly at her rescuer and was met with a thin face with glasses and a tall wizard cap. "Takami!"

The quarterback smiled and bowed. "Takami the Calculative at your service, Mamori of another dimension. How do I know? I can see these things. Only one of high magical capabilities can tell. Yes, I am an all powerful arch mage."

Mamori blinked as all her questions were answered. "Err …"

"You must talk with Sakuraba and from there you will find Shin. You will also find two very unexpected allies in the Zokugaku Mountains," Takami added, pushing his glasses up a bit before fading out. "He is over there at the bar …"

Mamori blinked before looking quizzically at the bar. "Sakuraba is here?" she asked out loud.

She spotted the knight, sprawled over a bar table with an empty glass clutched in one hand. Many empty ones laid around him and the same depression that hung over her friends hung over his head as well. She had no idea what to say to him.

"Um, excuse me …" she asked timidly, tapping his shoulder. He jerked up and glanced with blurred eyes at her.

"Sorry … I am not in the mood to sign autographs. I lost my … my …" he trailed off, his eyes starting to water.

"Your best friend," she finished.

He sat upped and slammed his fist. "No! I didn't lose him! He is still alive! I know it! He wasn't capture by the Devil Fiends or the Warlord. Habashira captured him!"

-0-0-

Cliffhanger of a sort. And a bit short. Well chapter four will have Hiruma appearing. Not the next one, but the next, next one. Yeah …

I'm sorry if this seems slow ...;

Well, anyways … review!