I AM SO SORRY! I know it has been a lot of time since the last update, but I just can say that life hit and hit hard. Then I started college and my free time disappeared. I can't promise I will update as fast as the first time, but I will try to not need three freaking months like this time, promise.
Now, again, you are wonderful people! So much favs, follows and reviews. I promise I was reading all of them, using it to fuel my guilt about not updating XD
And about the reviews, I decided to answer them here, in the AN, as one of you suggested. I know it will inflate the word count, but I think it's the best option. Nonetheless, to not inflate it too much, I won't respond to all of them, like the ones just liking the story. But remember that I have read them and I am very grateful for them, no matter the lenght of it. You people are really the best! So a general thank you to all of you and now to some of them:
Guest - I don't really know what do you mean about a chapter sentence. Did you mean a name for the chapter? Or like, a sentence said by someone at the beginning of the chapter? If it's the first one, I am thinking about naming the chapters, just that I am not very good at it XD
Havel the Hebel - I... have to admit I don't understand the review, probably because I don't know too much about DS3. Sorry about that.
Night - A SHIIIIIELD XD
Demon-255 - Thank you so much, and yes! First one to guess the armor. Really, black, badass and with horns can only be a dark knight.
Dyliokhan - I thought the same when I was writing it XD Of course, it's not the case, but I know the feel.
ParadoxVictor - Thank you a lot for the review! I am happy to hear the scene moved you, it was the intention after all. Our boy had a long road before him, and I wanted to make him more than a killing machine giving the Kuroinu their deserving punishment, so thank you. And yes, his first words will be important, I had already the scene planned, I just hope it will be good enough.
Nameless Archer - Never underestimate the charm of a mute armor XD About the harem, I am not really sure. I mean, basically by how the world of Kuroinu is, the story moves to that even if you don't want to, but romance it's not my best subject. There will be, of course, but I am still not very sure how I am going to do it. I hope it will be enjoyable nonetheless. About other characters from DS, there probably won't be. The dark voice made sure to send him very far from his original world, so it would be hard. But who knows? I can change my mind. And yes, I have read 'The Irregular'. Very good story, and I probably already took some ideas from it XD
UnknownGIND - Little by little, as I showed with the flashbacks. After all, the Fire really did a number on him.
Yami-Guy - Thank you very much. And don't worry, puns are the the real meaning of life XD
Jester - It would be maybe too op XD And our Chosen Undead prefers big shield as we will see in the future.
Ylnadiir - Thank you! I don't know if I would say it's the best in the fandom, but my inflate ego thanks you the same XD And yes, I like to give something to the battles. I mean, there will be battles that end with one or two slashes, but important ones should have a little more. And I agree, Anna and Eli are too adorable.
And well, that's it. If I haven't answered your review, I am sorry. It's becuase what I said before or because the answer would be too spoiler-ish and I didn't know how to answer it. By the way, if you are some of the ones who PMs, I am very sorry for not answering till now! I already apoligized in the answer, but for everyone, I will be more alert to future messages.
About the chapter, not a lot of action on it, but there was a lot to do and there can't be battles in every of them. I hope that you all will like it nonetheless. And I think I haven't nothing more to say. So now, read, review and I hope you can enjoy it!
After the spar, things returned to normal. The townspeople resumed their task while the soldiers finished their preparations to go. He decided he had done his part and prepared to sit down. The Princess Knight had said she wanted him to help the Kuroinu -whatever that was- in order to win the war. Obviously, that meant he would have to go with her when the squad moved, but for now it seemed he had some time to think.
It sounded childish, but... he didn't want to go. He had just found this place, where he could relax and relearn how to live again. Leaving so soon wasn't something he wanted to do, but at the same time, he couldn't say no... and not only because he couldn't speak.
For what info he had gathered these days, Maia was one of the leaders of the land, in charge against the Dark Queen Olga Discordia, and she wanted his help. Between the words of the incorporeal voice that had brought him here, and that the land didn't seem like the one in his flashes, it was obvious this wasn't his world, so he wasn't obligated to obey the Princess Knight. However, it was pretty clear this land was where he would live from now on, so could he really ignore her just like that?
Besides, even if he didn't do it for loyalty to Maia, he probably would do it for loyalty to this town, or more precisely, to some of its habitants. Anna and Eli were important, of course, but... not just them. He had grown used to Rowan's curses when something went wrong, to Karen's laugh at everyday events, to the sounds of everyone working to maintain their homes...
To the smiles of a woman who just wanted to protect her daughter and gave her the best life.
To the eyes of a child, looking at him with wonder and awe, seeing in him something greater than what he was.
He didn't know if he really could help to win the war, but he had decided to try. He wanted to protect them, to help them. He... he wanted to be a knight, to be a hero. And... and...
And a hero was someone who always protected the people, slew the evil and saved the world, right?
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Maia's, but surprisingly, this time it wasn't directed at him.
"Wait, I want to have a word with you two and with the leader of the town."
The redhead was looking at his side, where Eli and Anna were about to go with the rest of the people. They stopped at the woman request, but they weren't the only ones. Everyone around them stopped as well and looked in silence, faces full of curiosity. Except maybe the faces of the two women behind Maia, who looked resigned and maybe even a little nervous.
Finally, a man approached them from the group. He was big, maybe in his forties, but still full of life. Short, brown hair and blue eyes, and he was sure he had seen him before. Finally, he remembered. He was the same man Karen had called dad and hugged the previous day, one of the townspeople who had gone to fight.
He looked at Maia, scratching the beginning of a beard, "Well, we haven't a mayor or something like that, but you can talk with Rowan or with me." he gave a little nod to the blacksmith, who had approached as well, "We are the closest thing to a leader you are going to find."
The woman smiled at him, "Perfect then. You have some place when we can talk... Sam, wasn't it?"
The man blinked, "Er, yes, we can talk in my house. But I have to admit, I am surprised you remembered my name, lady Maia."
The Princess Knight laughed, "Hey, you were the one who was leading the townspeople I basically forced to fight, and I try to always remember the names of people I fight together with... At least, the important ones." she chuckled, but the next second she shook her head, sighing, "And please, no more of that 'lady Maia' nonsense. I have enough of that with the common soldiers, thank you very much."
Sam was a bit taken aback with the woman attitude, but he recovered fast and chuckled, "Well, thank you then, lady Maia."
The redhead looked at the man with a raised brow, not sure if she should be frustrated or amused, when Eli and Anna came to her side, the woman looking very confused.
"I-I am sorry to interrupt, but... why do you want to talk with us?"
Maia turned to the mother and daughter, her expression softening. When she looked at Anna, a gleam of something appeared in her eyes, something that almost looked like... guilt? But it disappeared so quickly that he wasn't sure he had actually seen it.
"Right. We need to talk about our armored friend here." the Princess Knight taped his arm as she talked, "So I thought you two should be part of it, as it seems the big guy has a soft spot for you and your daughter."
At the woman's reason, Eli looked at her side, a faint blush in her cheeks, "O-oh, that. Yes, I think we would like to join the talk. Thank you for your kindness, lady Maia."
Maia just sighed, resigned to hear the title several times in the near future. With a little nod to Sam, the man began to lead them to his house, Elena and Sera leaving the group of soldiers to join them. However, after walking a couple of steps, a little voice interrupted them.
"Wait." Anna pulled his mother dress, catching her attention and the others', "If you want to talk about Sir Knight, he should come too, right?"
Everyone blinked at the girl, then turned to him as one person. For his part, he blinked too, surprised. He had assumed they would leave him here. After all, they still thought he was just a moving armor or similar, a something instead of a someone. He didn't have any desire to go, after all, he was still mute. But... he supposed it would better if he know what were the plans for him.
Maia probably wanted to tell them she was going to take him with her to 'end the war'. Without the ability to talk, he couldn't add very much to the conversation, but a nod here and there should let him give his opinion... maybe. He looked at the Princess Knight, waiting for her answer. The woman returned the look with a contemplative expression. Finally, she nodded.
"Yeah, he should." she said slowly. Then, she turned to Anna and a smile erased all the previous seriousness, "So, kid, can you ask him to come with us?"
What?
Anna didn't share his confusion, just smiling back at the redhead and then turned to him, "Did you hear it, Sir Knight? Come with us!"
Hey, he wasn't deaf, he had heard Maia perfectly... Well, maybe they didn't know that, but why ask Anna to ask him? It made no sense to him. Well, at the end, it didn't matter. He had already agreed to go, so he would thought about all that later. The only problem was what to do with the sword and shield-
Before he knew what was happening, his body moved on autopilot, reaching his back with his left arm and hanging the shield on... something on his back.
Oh, that was useful.
So useful that he wouldn't question how it worked.
Now, it was just the wooden sword. It wouldn't be very useful in a real combat, even the battered axe would be better, so he just dropped it on the ground. Besides, it wasn't even his... Ok, the shield wasn't his either, but no one had told him to return it, so it should be fine.
And he really wanted to keep the shield.
He didn't know how, but it seemed some of his thoughts were reflected in his body language, because Maia was looking at him with an amused expression. However, there was something else besides the amusement. Like... satisfaction? Then, she turned to her guards with a smug expression. Sera just sighed, but he was pretty sure Elena muttered something about ducks.
Wait... ducks?
"Perfect." Maia interrupted his train of thought. She turned to the group and did an exaggerated bow, "Now that we all are ready, please sir Sam, lead the way."
The man snorted, but nonetheless started to walk to one of the houses, the group following. As he walked, he prepared mentally for what was going to happen. Probably a long discussion where they would talk about him as if he wasn't there and decide his future without any contribution for his part.
Oh, joy.
After some minutes, they were all around a table inside Sam's house. Karen had joined them when they arrived -as it was her home as well- and helped his father to gather chairs for everyone, but there hadn't been enough, so Karen and him remained standing at the side. Around the table, Maia, Sera and Elena were seated at one side while Sam, Rowan, Eli and Anna were at the other, the little girl sitting on her mother's knees.
However, even if everyone was positioned, the silence dominated the room. It was starting to be a little awkward, but before it could grow tense, Maia sighed.
"Ok, I don't really know what is the best way to say this, but we need to talk about what it's going to happen to the big guy."
Well, it seemed he had been wrong. Now, the tension could be cut with a knife. Especially around Karen, who was looking at the Princess Knight with barely restrained contempt. Pondering the situation, the first to talk was Sam, calm and with an even voice.
"You want to take it with you."
It wasn't a question, but Maia answered nonetheless, "Yes."
This time, Karen did explode, "Of course she wants!"
Everyone looked at the redhead, who was almost fuming. He was surprised, after all, Maia was one of the rulers of this land, wasn't she? He doubted that attitude was allowed. However, the angry woman didn't seem to care... nor Maia for that matter. Was this usual here or was Maia different?
Sam closed his eyes and sighed, "Karen..."
"No!" she replied with anger, "She took half of us for her battle! She left the town defenseless! We were attacked, and they almost..." she shivered and closed her eyes for a second. Then, she pointed to him, "If it wasn't for him, half of us would be dead or worse. Don't you see it? You all could have died in that battle, and now she wants to take our savior! How selfish can she be-!"
"KAREN!"
The sudden shout stopped her tirade and made her look at his father. He was scowling, arms crossed in a serious stance. Karen blushed a little, feeling the shame she always felt when her father scold her. But this time she knew she wasn't in the wrong. Just when she was going to say that to her father, Sam spoke again, voice calm again.
"You don't know what are you talking about."
Karen blinked, "What?"
The man sighed and his face darkened, "It's only because lady Maia's good will that none of us died. She kept us at the sides, we didn't fight more that imps and some war dogs. It were the real knights and mages who fought all the orcs and ogres. They won the battle, not us... They paid the price, not us."
After that, Sam looked down, a heavy feeling falling over the room. Karen's mouth was open in surprise, then closed it and looked down as well, but she in shame. After some seconds, she looked as Maia with a shy expression, "I-I am sorry."
The woman just shook her head, "Don't be. As I said, I am the asshole who asked your town to fight. We needed more men to stop the numerous, little monsters until we could deal with the big ones. But even with all the precautions, they could have died, and I am sorry for that, but we needed them."
Sam nodded at her words, showing he understood. Eventually, Karen nodded as well, albeit still a bit reluctant. With that over, Rowan opened his mouth, ready to resume the main topic, but another voice beat him to it.
"You... you want to take Sir Knight away?"
Every pair of eyes turned to Anna, still seated on her mother's knees, but now with a hurt expression and sad eyes. Maia flinched at the girl's words. Even if the other weren't the target of Anna's question, it was clear they were affected too, looking at her with pity. Everyone except Eli, who turned to him with a sad smile and resignation in her eyes.
The Princess Knight recovered first and smiled at Anna with a soft expression, "It's not that, I promise you. There are some personal reasons I want him to go with us, but if it was only that, I wouldn't ask for it. There is more."
It didn't seem to reassure the little girl, her eyes still filled with sadness. Eli began to rub her head, but it was clear it wasn't enough. At least, the adults looked more open to hear the other reasons, he included. It wasn't just to help them? What were the other reasons?
Maia understood their looks and nodded to Sera. The woman nodded in return and took a serious attitude, "My name is Sera, and I am one of the mages at Maia's command. Yesterday, I could inspect the armor with my magic and the results were... inconclusive." the group blinked at her, but she didn't stop, "I am pretty sure it is a magical golem, but its power source... I have never seen something like that. Added to its unknown origins, we have to be careful."
The mage's words were received with confusion, especially from him. She had scanned him with magic and even with that they still thought he was some kind of enchanted puppet? If not because he was pretty sure he had a body under the metal, he would have started to doubt it. And what the hell was that 'source of power'? What had she felt?
"So what?" Rowan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "You think he is evil or something?" the man asked with disbelief.
"Of course not." Maia chuckled, "After what he has done, it would be stupid. But we still don't know anything about him, so one of the reason is I want to take him to Celestine. If someone can know something about him, it's her."
After saying that name, Rowan, Karen and Sam gaped at the redhead, amazement obvious in their eyes. Anna didn't reacted, still depressed, and Eli was too busy comforting her to do anything more than blink with some surprise. He didn't recognized the name, of course, but it was clear this Celestine was someone important.
"The Goddess Reborn." Rowan whispered in reverence.
Important indeed. So, this Celestine was a goddess? He supposed it was normal, wasn't it? Kingdoms and empires were leaded by gods, that was what he remembered... but not every kingdom? He had the feeling he knew at least one or two that didn't follow that rule, but his burned mind wasn't helping to discern the truth.
Keeping that aside, this created some new problems. If Celestine was the leader of this land, she was also the leader of the war against the Dark Queen's army of monsters. He would have to work for her, but just thinking about it filled him with rebellious feelings. Was it because she was a goddess? More flashes showed him he had met several gods... and rarely in amicable situations. Hopefully, this time would be different.
Seeing as the group had processed the part about Celestine, Maia continued, "That's the first reason, to find more about him. The big guy is special, after our spar I can assure it. I have fought against animated golems before, and they can't compare. They are slow, mechanical and predictable. He is the opposite, fast and with human-like movements. If we can do more like him, having one protecting every town..."
She didn't finished the idea, but it was easy to see what she meant. If they could create a magical armor for every town, protecting them would be a lot easier. The only problem was he wasn't a thing, so they couldn't duplicate him... at least, he hoped so. If one thing was clear, it was they were going to have the surprise of their lives when he finally talked again. After all, they thought he was just an armor, completely hollow-
Wait, what if he removed his armor?
He couldn't talk, but if they saw him, they would know he wasn't a golem. And he wasn't completely sure, but something told him he looked human -if those looks were correct or not was an entirely different matter. Which would be useful if not for the fact that he... he didn't remember how. Not even Rowan had found out a way to do it, but surely there had to be one.
It was strange. Obviously, he hadn't always been inside the armor, so there had to be something they had being overlooking. And at the same time, he had the feeling he hadn't removed or put any armor in a long time. A sudden flash show him why. He had been wearing one and the next second, he hadn't, no action between those states. It had happened in an instant, as if by magic.
...
Well, magic existed, so it probably was magic.
The problem was he didn't remember how he had done it. Could he use magic? He... he didn't think he could. Something... wrong about him. He hadn't what was needed to learn it. He... someone had told him that?
~I am afraid that you are unable to learn sorcery. The basic framework, you see. It cannot be taught ~
He closed his eyes after the flash of memory. That... had that been a big, talking hat? He wanted to shook his head, it didn't really matter. Ok, so he couldn't do magic, or sorcery or whatever. How had he done that thing with his armor then? There was something else beside magic? He... yes, something inside his soul told him he could do something different, something beside just hacking and slashing, but what?
So absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't notice the group had kept talking until he snapped out of it. He didn't know how much he had missed, but it seemed Maia had almost convinced them, only Anna and Eli still with reluctant faces. Seeing it, the Princess Knight let out a heavy sigh.
"Ok, I can't say too much, but something it's going to happen." this time, even Sera and Elena were surprised by this, "Something big, and I really think with his help, it can't go wrong. Something tells me, that if I don't bring him with me, we all will regret it."
The ominous sentence made everyone tense. Elena looked at her superior with a worried face, "What are you talking about, Maia? What is going to happen? What would we regret?"
The redhead shook her head, "I can't say anything more. Just that it's very important and we need to do it right. About the dark feeling..." she looked at everyone with a serious expression, a heavy silence engulfing the room, "Call it woman's intuition."
The illogical explanation almost lifted the heavy gloom of the room, everyone taken by surprise with Maia's words, even Elena and Sera to some extent. And now that he had the attention of the group, she decided to tackle the most important matter.
The Princess Knight nodded with a smile, "Yes, never underestimate a woman's intuition. However, for that to happen, I need something very important first." then she turned to Anna and looked at the girl with a soft but serious face, "First and foremost, I need your consent."
"My... my consent?" Anna repeated, very confused. He was no better. Why the hell did Maia need the girl permission?
Luckily, Sam voiced his question, "I... I don't understand. What does Anna have to do with this?"
The redhead just smiled, "Probably none of you has noticed it, but since we came here, I have sees the same pattern. Every time Anna asks him for something or to do something, he complies with no complain. Whether it be a greeting, a hug, being with her, sparring against me... or saving her mother." she paused after that, giving Anna a meaningful look, "I think it's because he has accepted you as his master. That he will obey your every order."
He was sure that if his facial muscles weren't frozen, his jaw would be on the ground. What the Princess Knight had said, that he had obeyed every time Anna had asked, it was... was... kind of what had happened, but not for the reason she was implying! They were coincidences, consequences of his own free will and that it was very hard to say no to those eyes and smile, but that didn't mean he would obey her without a second thought!
... Probably.
As he couldn't voice the truth, silence reigned in the room as everyone began to think about what Maia had said. Soon, expressions of amazement and realization appeared in Rowan's, Eli's and Karen's faces, showing him that they had believed the insane theory. Sam didn't know enough to form an opinion, but Anna looked at him with a hard to read face, a gleam in her eyes where excitement was breaking through her sadness.
"Then..." the little girl began with a tentative smile, "If I ask him to play with me, he has to do it?"
In an instant, he moved his head to look directly at Anna, probably the fastest movement he had ever done, fights included. Play? He couldn't talk, his control over his body was precarious at best, he couldn't remove his armor and he had almost killed a seasoned warrior in a friendly spar by accident. No, he was pretty sure playing was not a good idea.
Luckily, it seemed that even without seeing his face, Maia had noticed his tension, because she began to chuckle, "Ahh, well, maybe there are limits to what he will obey. Although, it would be very interesting to see what he would do if you asked him that."
The redhead looked at him with a mischievous smile and he inwardly shivered. He was starting to see the woman's personality wasn't a good one. For him, at least.
Before the madness could grow more, Eli voiced her doubts, "I don't understand. You say he has accepted my daughter as his master, but why? We haven't done anything special, and it's clear we can't do magic. So how?"
"We have some theories." Sera said, relieved she didn't have to stop her boss from forcing a enormous armor to play with a little girl, "The most probable one is he gets bonded with whoever he sees first. Anna was the one who found him, and it's the only thing she did that others didn't, so for now, it's the best explanation we have for the armor's behavior."
Yes, because that there was something alive inside the armor was too crazy to even consider! Ok, it wasn't fair to say that. His armor was glued to him and it seemed it shadowed his face, but they could have poke him through the helmet or something! It would have been awkward, but at least they would have avoid this misunderstanding. And he used 'misunderstanding' as a big understatement.
Ignoring his inner rant, Elena continued the conversation, "I know it sounds crazy, but Sera knows her magic. If she says it's possible, we should believe it."
Everyone looked at him again with strange looks. Even if it was hard to believe, it seemed they had accepted the mage's theory as she was a more knowledgeable person in the matter. He really wanted to sigh. If these misunderstandings were going to keep happening, he needed to recover his voice as soon as possible.
"So he is just a doll that obey Anna's orders?" Karen asked, her eyes laced with some disappointment.
"No, he is more than that."
Surprisingly, the quick answer didn't come from Sera. Everyone blinked and turned to the owner of the voice, who was Eli. And judging by her face, she was the most surprised one for what had happened.
"... what?" Rowan asked after a long pause.
Eli fidgeted a little, not comfortable with being the focus of attention, "W-well, I... yesterday, I... talked to him?" it sounded like a question, but it made every face looked at her in surprise, "I-I mean, he didn't talk back, but when I asked him if he could understand me, he nodded. So, he has to have some kind of conscience, right?"
Sam, Rowan and Karen looked confused, especially as they didn't know when she had had time to do it. For his part, he felt a warm feeling in his chest at Eli's words. Maybe she believed he just obeyed her daughter as a servant, but at least she knew he wasn't just a hollow armor and had defend him.
After the little interruption, Sera resumed the conversation, "Yes, I came to the same conclusion. The armor had shown little reactions to external stimulus, even if they didn't come from Anna. Even with vague orders, it can understand the meaning behind them. Like with the previous spar. The girl just asked him 'to fight', but it knew it wasn't real, stopping when Maia asked it and not killing her when he had the chance."
Sera said everything with the same analytic tone, even the part about her leader almost dying, and Maia chuckled nervously at that, "Yeah, and I am very grateful for it, believe me. That's one of the other reason he is so special. We don't have to order him everything, he can understand and act according to the situation."
Then she turned again to Anna, "And that's also why I need your consent. Without it, he won't come with me. Even if we take him by force, he probably would just return to you the moment we drop our guard. The only way is that you order him to follow me and do as I say."
The silence returned as everyone focused in Anna. She looked down, a sad expression on her face as she thought about what Maia had said. All this began to making him anxious. This wasn't Anna's responsibility, he had already decided to go with Maia, but no one knew that. It was almost cruel, forcing the little girl to do something she didn't want and that would change nothing.
Finally, Anna looked up to the Princess Knight again, "He... Does Sir Knight really have to go?"
Maia grimaced a little at the spike of guilt, but he was a leader first and foremost, "I am afraid he does. I hate myself for asking this after what I asked for to your town, but it's the same as was then. I really think we need him."
Anna didn't react for a while. Then, she gave a little nod and got off from her mother's knees, approaching him until they were just a meter apart. He looked at her face. The sadness was obvious, but there was several more emotions he couldn't decipher. Then, after a pause of silence, she clenched her hands into fists and talked to him.
"Mommy said that the Princess Knights protect us all. That they always fight so we can live happy. So I... I know I should do what she says, that it's for the better. But I... I..."
She stopped and looked down, her tiny fists shaking a little. He wanted to say something, comfort her before she was filled with bad feelings. But he couldn't talk, and when she looked up again, he knew that even if he could, it was too late to avoid those feelings.
"I-I don't want you to go." she finally said, eyes wet with unshed tears, "When people leave, sometimes they don't come back. Dad didn't come back." she whispered the last part, so soft that only he was able to hear it.
Those last words made him clench his fists as he felt something gripping his chest. It wasn't a good feeling. He didn't want to upset the girl, to make her remember a painful memory, but this was also for her sake. If he really could help, if they could stop this war, it would create a better future for everyone, Anna included. He wanted to tell her this, to comfort her somehow, but again, his voice didn't answer to his call.
Seeing the tears, Eli approached her daughter, ready to give her a hug, but she stopped when Anna shook her head, cleaning her eyes with her sleeves. Then, she looked at him again, eyes already red, but with a gleam of what could only be described as faith.
"B-but you are different. You are a hero, you are Sir Knight." she emphasized her words the two times, in her mind both meaning the same. She blinked with new tears but didn't avert her gaze, "A-and you have to do what I say... So, g-go with the Princess, help her a-and do what she say, but after that... After that y-you have to come back and play with me, o-okay?"
With the last demand, her voice broke and she began to sob. Eli kneeled and hug her from behind, muttering soothing words in her ear. At this, Anna looked down, hiding her face with her hair, but it was easy to see the drops of water falling to the ground. The gripping feeling in his chest intensified with the sight. He had to do something, and if his voice couldn't, his body would.
Forcing his muscles to obey him, his legs moved until he was kneeled on the ground in front of mother and daughter. Everyone focused on him, curious and wondering what he was doing, everyone but Anna, who hadn't raised her head. That wouldn't do.
He ordered his arm to move, knowing now he needed a movement of control, precision and tenderness. However, the limb protested with little spasms, no muscle memory helping this action, no past battle where he had done it. Without it, it was like his arm had fallen asleep, thousand of needles stabbing him with every contraction.
He didn't care, ignoring everything and powering through the numbness with a burning will.
Finally, the muscles yielded and obeyed his orders. Slowly, his arm raised and approached Anna's head. Eli saw it, surprise evident in her face, but then she understood and a warm smile appeared in her face. The little girl didn't notice his movement until he finally put his hand on her head, very carefully to avoid hurting her.
She looked up in an instant, surprised by the action, puffy eyes widening. He supposed it was normal, after all, it was the first time he had initiated the contact. He knew she couldn't see his face, and yet, for a some seconds, their eyes fixed into each other's. Then, when he was sure he had all her attention, he gave her his answer to her plea.
He nodded, slowly. The same nod he had given her after she thanked him for saving her mother. And like that time, he tried to convey everything he wanted to say in that little action.
He would come back, he wouldn't disappear. And no matter what, he would keep this promise.
Anna blinked, confused for a second. However, as she had done every time, she understood everything, new tears filling her eyes. Before he could worry about the tears, she slammed into him, hugging his neck with all her strength. It was sudden, but thanks to the difference of weight and height, he kept his balance.
His limbs protested again, but the path he had made with pure force helped him. So with only a little of struggle, his arms moved around Anna, giving her the closest thing to a hug he could do. It seemed that was the last straw for the girl, as she finally broke down, crying in his neck as the tears ran free.
No one moved or spoke as this happened, just observing the scene with different emotions. Pity, sadness, guilt... But they didn't do anything, knowing the girl needed to vent out her own emotions. Eli wanted to comfort her daughter, but for now, that was his job. He didn't know how to do it, but he was determined to try.
She was the one that had found him. Without her, maybe he would be still in the forest, immobile and alone. She was the one who had given him the drive to finally move and called him a hero when he knew it was a lie. Thank to her, he had seen the starry night and appreciated the wonders of this new world.
And he was settled to return this kindness. Whether that was with a hug or winning a war.
When they left the house, he felt very tired, at least mentally. Anna had kept crying for a while, and seeing her sadness had really affected him. Fortunately, she finally had calmed down, only some hiccups and sniffs remaining. That had been when Eli had approached them and took her daughter, carrying her and hugging her at the same time. She had thanked him, but he didn't know exactly why, so he had just nodded in return.
After that, they had left, Karen, Rowan and Sam behind them with similar, sad faces. Eventually, Elena and Sera had left as well, leaving him with only Maia. The redhead had approached him and gave him a sad smile. Then, she had put her hand in his shoulder and spoke out loud.
"Don't worry big guy. I will make sure you can come back."
He really hoped she could keep that promise.
Now, he was outside, having followed the Princess Knight when she left. At some level, he knew it would only cement the idea that he obeyed orders and now Maia was his new master, but he really was too tired to worry about it.
Leaving those problems for his future self, he tried to spot Anna and Eli between the townspeople, but it seemed they weren't there. Sam, Rowan and Karen were, helping the soldiers, so he supposed the mother and daughter had gone to their house. It made him feel... sad, but he could understand it. He had already promised he would come back, so he would see them again then.
Focusing on his surroundings, he noticed Maia had left as well, now with her group as they finished to prepare, so he should do the same. Walking a bit, he got to where he had dropped the axe, the weapon still on the ground. It wasn't a very good axe, the metal rusted and the wood worn out -not to mention the layer of dried blood-, so no one had bothered to take it. He knew that, but he hadn't more weapons. Should he take it?
"Don't worry." a voice interrupted his train of thought. He turned and saw Elena besides him, looking at the axe too, "I still don't know how you killed an orc with that piece of shit, but if you are going to help us, we will give you something better that that."
He blinked. They were going to give him arms? Hmm, he supposed it was logical, as they wouldn't send a soldier without equipment, but it was strange for him. He had the feeling this was extraordinary rare, in his past always finding, buying or fighting for his other weapons. However, he wasn't going to complain.
Giving a nod to the blonde warrior, he resumed his walk. Now, he really didn't have anything to prepare, so he went to the horses. However, the woman behind him took a look at his back and let out a little sound, as if she had remembered something.
"Ah, about that shield..."
He froze, and was pretty sure that if his muscles weren't so contracted, he would have flinched as well. With a little dread, he turned his head, slowly, looking at the woman over his shoulder. At his reaction, Elena blinked, confused. They remained in the same position for some seconds until the warrior looked at her side chuckled a bit.
"Woah, Maia was right. He surely is weird about the shield." she almost whispered. Then she shook her head a bit and focused on him, "Relax, I won't take it from you. It's just a standard shield, and I am pretty sure the previous owner lacks the guts to ask you for it."
He blinked, not completely sure about the last part, but at least he understood that he could keep the shield. A wave of relief invaded him and he felt his body relax from the almost battle-ready tension. Elena just shook her head again, this time with some mirth, and kept walking towards the group of soldiers. He decided to follow her, as the weapon-issue had been resolved.
Approaching the group, the soldiers stopped what they were doing. At first, he thought they were looking at Elena, waiting for orders, but after some seconds he realized they were looking at him, a mix of mistrust, fear and even some respect in their eyes. Well, that explained what the blonde had said about the previous owner of his shield.
He didn't know if it was because they thought he wasn't alive, because his appearances or because he had bested Maia in the spar, but it was easy to see they didn't feel comfortable around him. Oh well, hopefully that would change in the future.
As the soldiers kept their distance, he began to observe. They had almost finished to gather all the equipment and now they were loading it on the horses. That was where Maia was, overseeing everything and shouting some orders from time to time. It was strange to see how the woman could change from the easygoing leader to the confident general. Even more strange was how her soldiers didn't bat an eye when it happened, just obeying with the utmost respect. Was Maia so authoritative? Or were they just used to the weirdness?
Probably a mix of both.
Finally, the redhead noticed his presence and smiled at him, "Hey, big guy. We have almost finished here, so we will depart soon."
He nodded to her, basically the only action he could use to communicate because his neck refused to move in the other direction. It was stupid, but at least now he knew he could force his body to move in a limit situation. Why a crying girl counted as one but avoiding a extreme misunderstanding didn't, should have been a mystery for him... but it really wasn't.
There was no comparison between the two cases.
As he thought about his scale of priorities and his obvious weakness, Elena began to look around them with a thoughtful expression. After some seconds of pondering, she turned to her leader, "Err, Maia, just a question. How are we going to carry the armor to Ken?"
The redhead blinked, confused, "What are you talking about? He will ride with us on the hor- Oh." Maia suddenly stopped and began to turn to him with a nervous face, "Say, big guy, you know how to ride a horse, right?"
It was his time to blink. Him? Riding a horse? He looked at their side, where one of the soldiers had finished his part and jumped with a coordinated action to his horse's back. No, he was completely sure he had never ridden, not even in battle, so he wouldn't have any muscle memory to help him. He would just hurt himself... and probably the horse.
He looked to Maia again and the woman sighed, already knowing his answer even if he hadn't said anything. Again. He had to admit it, he was very curious. It seemed Maia was able to read him just by his almost non-existent corporal language. How did she do it? She had to be incredibly observant or have an outstanding instinct to do it.
Still, that didn't help with their current problem.
"Agg, great." Maia lamented, "And you are too big to ride together with someone, at least on these horses. What we do with you...?" she muttered the last part, deep in thought.
"Hmm, maybe tie him to the saddle and guide the horse with a rope?" Elena suggested.
Inwardly, he grimaced. He didn't want to be treated as some cargo, but it would work. No matter if it was a bit humiliating.
Maia nodded, slowly. "Yeah, and we have to do that to the extra horses the townspeople took to come here anyway. It's probably the best plan." she turned to him with an apologetic expression, "Sorry, big guy, but it seems we are doing this. I know it's not very dignified, but I will teach how to ride as soon as I can. Promise."
He just nodded again. It was the only solution they had found, and even if he didn't like it, knowing Maia's worry and promise to the future was comforting. However... why? Why did she care? He wasn't complaining, of course, but everyone thought he was just a thing. Why was she different?
"That's good, but maybe I have another solution."
A new voice behind him interrupted his thoughts, making him and the two women look at the owner. It was Sam, scratching his cheek with what could be seen as hesitation... but in the stoic man's face was more like a mild, friendly frown.
"Sorry, I didn't want to eavesdrop, but I heard part of it and I think I can help."
Maia just smiled, dismissing his concerns, "Nah, all good. Especially if you have a better solution."
The man nodded and turned to him, giving him an appraisal look, "Well, I have an old cart that we used to use to transport goods, but we have built a better one. As I said, it's a little old, but I assure you, it will endure the travel with no problem."
The Princess Knight breathed with some relief, "That would be fantastic, thank you Sam."
"It's nothing, really." the man shook his head. Then, he turned to him with a grave face, "You saved my town. I don't care what you are or if you just did it because Anna asked it, I am still thankful. An old cart it's nothing compared to what we would have lost if you weren't here. So again, thank you."
And before he could respond, Sam left, probably to retrieve the cart. He had to admit he hadn't expected the sincere gratitude from the man. Especially now that he 'knew' he wasn't alive. But nonetheless, it was really... good, to hear those thanks. Even if Sam wouldn't see it, he nodded to the man.
At his side, Maia chuckled, "A little slow to return the gesture. Or maybe you were embarrassed about being thanked?" she shook her head with mirth, "Well, get used to it. If I am right, you are going to receive a lot more of those."
He looked to the woman, not really sure how to answer. But again, it wasn't necessary, because Maia just snorted at his 'face' and began to talk with Elena. This woman was really something else.
After that, he just waited there until Sam returned with the cart, Rowan and Karen helping him moving it. The cart was indeed old and a little small, with just two wheels and made for just one horse, but even if he was big, it was more than enough. They tied it to one of the free horses and prompted him to get on it. Slowly, he obeyed, a little nervous when the wood groaned under his weight, but as Sam had promised, it didn't break.
Now on the cart, he decided to sit down. Before he knew he was doing it, his body took the same position he had been in the Fire: legs a bit over the ground and arms resting on the knees. He didn't know why he did it, it was just... natural for him. Being eons in that same position was a very solid explanation for this habit, but he had the sensation it was more than just that.
Finally, all was set. All the soldiers mounted his horses, Elena, Sera and Maia included. Seeing this, the townspeople began to gather around them, wanting to see them off. Some of them looked at him with confusion, probably wondering what he was doing on the cart, but some words from Sam and Rowan explained the situation.
After that, the explanation kept circulating with quick whispers. Some looked a little surprised, others just neutral, as if they had known this was going to happen. And to his amazement, some of them looked ... sad? He could even heard one or two voicing their disagreement about Maia taking him. The two leaders of the town quickly explained and kept things calm, but for him had been enough to make him want to smile.
The attack had been a traumatic experience, added to the soldiers sudden return, they hadn't had time to really process what had happened and who had saved them. It was completely normal to distrust the unknown, and he was exactly that. He didn't hold it against them, and now at least, he would go knowing they appreciated his efforts.
Luckily, it didn't escalate, the saved victims accepting the situation while the ones who hadn't been there helped them to keep a level head. After that, as the people who had fought said goodbye to their brothers and sisters in arms, Maia approached the cart, guiding her horse with expertise.
"Well, this is it, big guy. Don't worry, you will be back before you know it." the redhead said to him with a reassuring smile. But then, she blinked and began to rub her chin, "Hmm, now that I think about it, calling you 'big guy' all the time can be confusing. I like it as a nickname, but we should give you a name for formal communication."
That... was probably true. He didn't mind the nickname Maia had given him, but if she was going to order him in battle, they needed something better. The problem was he didn't have a name... well, at least one he could remember. There was one he wouldn't mind to use, but how could he suggest that with just nods?
"Sir Knight. He... he likes the name Sir Knight."
Again, a sudden voice interrupted his thoughts and resolved his problems. This time the owner was, to his surprise, Eli, who was at their side, holding Anna's hand. In both their faces were a emotion he couldn't name. It was... like they didn't want to be there, but at the same time, had the firm determination of not missing the moment.
And he was... happy. Happy to see them, happy that they had come to see him off. After their last interaction, he had prepared himself to not see them in a very long time, so this surprise was a very pleasant one. It made him feel what the two had described him with.
Warm.
"Sir Knight?" Maia repeated, looking at Eli and then at him, "That is what Anna has been calling you, isn't it?" she pondered for a bit, "Well, it sounds a bit too formal and could create confusion about your status. But without the sir... Yeah, it could work." she nodded and grinned at him, "So what do you say about being called Knight? I can say it's better than half the names I had thought."
'Knight'? It was not the same, but he could understand Maia's reasons. It was good enough, and right now he was more worried about the people in front of him, so he gave her a distracted nod while he kept looking at Eli and Anna, who were returning the look but not saying anything.
The Princess Knight noticed this, and seeing Karen, Rowan and Sam approaching, decided to give them some privacy, "Ok, Knight it is. Now, time to put this in motion."
As she moved to the front of the group, everyone arrived and made a semicircle in front of him. There was some tension in the air as no one talked, but finally it was broken when Rowan chuckled.
"Well, I think I haven't apologized for all the thing I did when you were 'just' a hollow armor. So, sorry about that." he rubbed the back of his neck with his good arm, "And... thank you, for everything. I am very grateful that I decided to bring you to the town, and that I couldn't find how to open the armor. Probably for the best."
Yes, he was very grateful for that too.
Karen continued, "We are going to miss you, you know? Maybe it was just a few days, but everyone was getting used to seeing you there, sitting at Rowan's forge. And you turned to be not only a curious sight, but a savior for all of us. A-and I don't care that mage says, I know that even if Anna hadn't ask you to save us, you would have done it nonetheless."
He inwardly smiled. She was right about that one.
"I wasn't here, and that's why I should be the one to thank you the most." Sam affirmed with a tone of respect, "You protected the most precious thing for me, and that's a debt I will never forget. Golem, armor or whatever, I don't care. Just know you will always have a place in this town."
He nodded to the man, thanking him as far as he could for his words.
Then, he focused on Eli and Anna. The mother was looking at him with a complex expression. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but then stopped, closed her eyes and shook her head lightly. Finally, she looked at him with a little but sincere smile, "Stay safe. And make sure you come back."
It was short, but he could feel the deep care behind those words. Not only for Anna's sakes, but for his as well. It was... an amazing feeling. One he wouldn't betray, no matter what.
Finally, he looked at Anna. She was nervous, hesitation clearly in her eyes. But like her mother, she took a big breath and looked at him with a timid expression, "You... you remember your promise?" she asked with a fragile voice.
He nodded without a second of doubt.
Anna smiled a little at that, "T-then it's fine, because I know you will keep it. I... see you soon, Sir Knight."
Even with the smile, he could see the sadness in her face, eyes closed tightly to avoid any tears. It was like in the house all over again, but he didn't know what more he could do. And it seemed he wouldn't have time to think about it, as some seconds later, he saw Maia stopping between the group of soldiers and townspeople. With a last glance at him and his group, the Princess Knight nodded to herself.
"Ok, everybody, time to go!" her shouts reached all the soldiers that started to move. Then, she turned to the gathered town, "And all of you people! Thank you for not hating me too much and the awesome party of last night! But now we have to go! Just keep your spirit and everything should be all right! Until the next time, and hopefully for very different reasons!"
Her words caused some laughs in the crowd, probably what Maia had wanted with her goodbye speech. As his cart started to move as well, he kept looking at the group, especially to Anna, who was still looking sad. He... he couldn't leave like that. He wanted to do something. He wanted to say goodbye. So he tried again, focusing all his willpower on his vocal cords, but it was useless. No sound came out of his mouth, not even a grunt.
Now he wanted to recover his voice but to curse out loud. They were getting farther and farther. If he was going to do something, he had to do it quickly. This was like in Sam's house, if his voice didn't want to appear, he would use his body. Maybe the Fire had burned everything about himself, but it had left things like general knowledge and what he was going to use now: corporal language.
Focusing again on his arm, it responded a lot better than before. It was clear the more he used his body, the more it obeyed him, especially after the forced movement to comfort Anna. It gave him hope for the future, but now that wasn't important. Without much trouble, he raised his right arm. He saw the general looks of surprise in the group when he did it, but he hadn't finished.
The rest was a little more hard, but he wasn't going to give up now. With unbreakable will, he opened his hand and then, slowly, his wrist began to move. Right and left, right and left, until it reached a constant speed. That was when, filled with pride, he accomplished the arduous task of waving goodbye.
He was too far to really see or hear the reaction to his actions, but he was sure there were some surprised faces and some laughs filled with fondness, Eli included. But even with the distance, he couldn't miss the shock on Anna's face that turned in a second in a big smile. The same smile he had decided to protect.
The little girl moved as well, answering his gesture waving goodbye with both hands. He could see her moving her mouth, shouting things that were lost to him under the sound of the wind and the moving group. He really wanted to know what she had said, but for now, it didn't matter.
He would ask her when he came back.
He would see them again, no matter what.
That was his promise.
The travel towards the capital was, in a word, boring.
Maia had decided to go directly, just sending a messenger to inform the rest of her army about her plans. He thought it wasn't the proper behavior for a leader, but it seemed the woman had made him a priority. Whatever she wanted him to help with, being more important than the aftermath of a battle. Although, if she really believed he could help to win the war, it wouldn't be so strange.
So now they were on the road, where the only sights were endless fields and some forests far away. They had been moving for hours, and nothing had happened. It was… strange. He remembered traveling, and it had meant long walks filled with enemies or completely instantaneous warps, not this... prolonged suffering!
...
Ok, his previous life had been really messed up, hadn't it?
"Hey there, how are you liking the travel so far?"
The voice made him look to his side, where Maia was riding along the cart, looking at him with a smile, as if waiting for him to answer. And again, it was comforting, but really strange at the same time. Since he had awaken, only three persons had clearly treated him as if he was more than an empty armor: Anna, Eli and now Maia. But he couldn't understand the reasons behind the redhead's behavior.
Anna was simple, she was a little girl. She had talked to him as kids talked with their toys, not expecting an answer, but with emotion nonetheless. Then, he had saved the town and he had evolved from toy to hero, so her reactions were normal.
Eli, at first, had been no different than the rest of people. But after saving her and their talk, she had begun to see him as something more than just a thing. He still wasn't sure if he deserved everything she had said to him last night, but at least he could see why she had changed.
However, Maia... he didn't understand it. He hadn't saved her, she wasn't a child. So why? Why did she treat him as if he was alive? Even now, she was showing some kind of worry for him. Going to him and asking his opinion, even knowing he wouldn't answer.
And to do that, Maia had left the leading position, something she hadn't done since they departed from... from... T-the town where he... That w-was called...
Oh god, he didn't know the name of the town!
No one had mentioned it, at least, not in front of him. And obviously, he couldn't ask. How was he going to come back!? Wait, wait, he had to calm himself and think. Maia had promised to help him, hadn't she? So maybe it wouldn't be so hard. Besides, the plan was to relearn how to talk as soon as possible, so in the future, he would be able to ask for information... he hoped.
"Yeah, I understand you. Not a fan of travels myself." Maia's voice interrupted his train of thoughts and he blinked at her. It seemed his feelings had shown a bit and she had confused his internal panic with discomfort for the travel, "Don't worry, we are relatively close to Ken. We will be there a little after midday."
Hearing that, he gave her an appreciative nod. It was good to know. Maybe she had misunderstood his reaction, but hell, he was bored out of his mind. The sooner this travel ended, the better.
Maia smiled at his reply, happy to cause any kind of reaction in the silent armor, "Yes, only some hours left. But it's still a lot of time to kill. So I thought we could use it to talk a little. What do you think, Knight?"
He blinked. Ah, that name again. He knew the name 'Sir Knight' wasn't useful, not being correct and inducing mistake about his status. However, he liked it, and even if 'Knight' was almost the same, just one word less, it... it didn't feel the same. It was hard to him to think about it as his name... and he really preferred the other one...
Damn, he had got really attached to Anna, hadn't he?
But he shouldn't focus in those childish feelings. Knight wasn't bad for the time being, and when he recovered enough memories to remember his true name, he always could use it as a surname. With that resolved, he focused in the other part: the talk. He couldn't speak, but Maia knew that, so he supposed she was thinking about an one-side conversation.
After some seconds of pondering, he gave another nod to the redhead.
"Great!" Maia replied, "So, I know you can't talk, so I have thought about making yes-or-no question and you can nod or shake your head to answer. This way I can find a little more about you."
He wanted to shake his head, to say no to the plan, but he couldn't, and that was exactly the problem! Sadly, it seemed Maia didn't need his approbation for her plan and started to ask, "Well, let's start with an easy one. You have to obey everything I say, right?"
That was a hard NO, but his neck refused to move. Wait, no, it had moved a little. Just some spasms, but it was progress. Soon, he would be able to shook his head and avoid more absurd misunderstanding like this one.
The Princess Knight waited for his answer, but after some seconds without it, she blinked and began to laugh, "Yeah, I didn't word that right. It was clear you wouldn't play just because someone ordered it." she chuckled with the memory, "Ok, not everything, but you will obey everything I said related to battle, won't you?"
That... was technically correct. He wasn't bonded to Maia as everyone thought, but now she was his superior. He hadn't been a knight, but he was sure he had been some kind of warrior. He knew how military worked, so he decided to nod to the redhead's question.
Maia nodded as well, satisfied, "Perfect. I will explain more about what I want you to do later. Mostly because I still have to ask permission to do it, but this was necessary. Ok, next. If I order you to obey someone else like Anna did, would you do it?"
He thought about it and then nodded again. It was like a general assigning soldiers to a captain. He had promised to help, so he would obey. At least, as long as those orders didn't go against his own morals, but that was fairly difficult to express with just nods.
Maia hummed in deep thought, "That's good to know. And... ok, it's a little stupid asking this after the other ones, but... do you want to help us? I know you had to obey, but if you could choose, will you still do it?"
The Princess Knight looked at him with a serious expression, but it almost made him laugh. He had the choice, he was doing this because he wanted to help and protect the little piece of world he had found. But again, the misconception about his 'obedience' made it seem something very different.
Luckily for him, that didn't affect his answer, so without a second thought, he gave a firm nod.
The red head kept looking at him for some seconds until she finally relaxed and smiled, "I knew you were more than you seemed, Knight. Well, that's basically what I wanted to ask." she stopped for a second and the laughed, "Ok, no. I have a lot more questions, but very few that can be answered with yes or no, so I will leave it at that.
"And now should be your turn. But considering that you are not a very talkative fellow, I guess we will skip that part." she laughed with her own joke, "Then, I will tell you a little bit of everything about our situation. It feels a little like talking to a wall, but I know it will be useful for you."
Again, the redhead continued with no approbation for his part, but at least, this time she was right, it was useful for him. For the next hours, Maia told him about this country, Eostia, and the war that it had suffered for centuries. Some of it was what Eli had told him, but the blonde had done just a little summary.
Maia talked about how the war started, how the dark elves had been treated as slaves by the humans until their queen, Olga Discordia, had reached her limit and declared a war against all humans. He could understand the dark elf's motives, even sympathize with her, but targeting every human no matter if they were guilt or nor, using monster to attack innocent men, women and children... That erased any kind thought he could have had about the Dark Queen.
Then, Maia talked about Celestine Lucross, a high elf that seemed to be the reincarnation of a goddess. The woman had raised against the threat, gathering all the human forces under her flag and turning a sure loss into a prolonged stalemate. The war continued, the attacks never stopping, but they had been isolated in a frontier forged with blood and tears.
Celestine never stopped making security measures. One of the last ones, were the Princess Knights, great leaders that the high elf had trusted with a Fortress City and the lands around it. Their duty was simple, to protect their lands and to defend their borders. It was easy to see the pride in Maia's eyes when she said how Celestine had designated her as the Princess Knight of Rad.
After that, Maia talked about the Kuroinu, a band of mercenaries that had changed the war in recent years, winning very important battles and accomplishing something that hadn't happened in centuries: they had forced the battle closer to Olga's Dark Fortress than to the human cities. With even more pride than before, Maia said she had been one of its member, but sadly, when Celestine had named her Princess Knight, she had been forced to leave them.
At least now he knew who were the Kuroinu, the band that Maia had said she wanted him to help. After that, she talked about more things, but less relevant for now, like the other Fortress Cities, some important nobles -she seemed to hate some Michelle guy or something- and the names of the other Princess Knights. It was interesting, but it was too much information to remember everything with just one talk.
However, all the talk stopped suddenly. He blinked and looked at Maia, but she was focused on something far away. With some curiosity, he forced his body to turn around and see what the woman had saw, and it was easy to guess what had been.
Majestic walls of white stone that shone with the light. Tens of carts and groups moving around the big gates, so far away that they seemed little ants. Even at this distance, he began to hear some sounds, carrying the busy live of the city behind the walls. But what caught his attention were some big figures inside the city. Tall towers that announced the presence of an imposing castle, the residence of the Goddess Reborn, Celestine Lucross, leader of this land.
This was it.
They had arrived to the capital of Eostia, the Fortress City of Ken.
His next step in this world started now.
And he could only hope it would be a good one.