Outsider Chronicles: Shielder of the Bay
Getting reborn as a side character whos only real achievement is dying is not something I had in mind for an afterlife. On the other hand, it does give me the chance to possibly do some good and its not like I'm just going to curl up and die. After all, I'm a shield to keep people safe.
And here we go with another chapter. Not much to say, so lets get started. Enjoy!
Chapter 2
When I went to bed that night, I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow and immediately found myself stood on the cliff side above Camelot where I'd first met Galahad.
"Aww crap, this is gonna be a thing, isn't it?" I muttered, "I really hope this still counts as sleep…"
I sighed and looked around. I was alone this time, so I turned away from the cliff and walked over to the overgrown stone for a closer look. It had caught my attention last time and I was curious.
At first glance, it was just as it appeared, a large, moss covered stone with vines sprouting from the top, but a closer look revealed something shining under the plants. I gently pushed some of the vines apart and nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw what was hidden underneath.
Stuck into the top of the stone was a sword. Well, sort of, but calling it a sword was like calling Leviathan a newt or Eidolon bullshit. It looked like a sword, but it was far to perfect for the descriptor to truly do it justice. The metal gleamed as if it was freshly polished and its edge was clearly still keen, despite having clearly been here for a very long time. Its gold and blue hilt and guard were as flawless as the blade and the runes running up the blade were perfectly legible. As with the city below, there was no mistaking the Divine Construct for anything else.
"What the fuck is Excalibur doing up here?" I muttered as I let the vines fall back into place.
A glint of metal caught my eye and I brushed away some moss, revealing a plaque attached to the boulder.
May the Sword of Promised Victory rest forever more.
I frowned. That actually made a lot of sense. Excalibur was very much a weapon, intended to protect a kingdom under constant threat and expand the lands of King Arthur. However, if Camelot was at peace and the dreams of its Knights a reality, its role was done. On the other hand, only a fool assumes that a dream will last forever, so it remained within reach of the King of Knights, just in case it needed drawing again.
"Why do I have a nasty feeling that I'm going to be forced to use this thing in the future?" I muttered as I got to my feet, "Oh well, guess I should enjoy this dream while I can."
I made my way down towards the city and soon found myself wondering through the streets, admiring the architecture of the city. After so long in the shit hole that was Brockton Bay, it was nice to be in a city that was well cared for and alive. The sound and smell of life and the people and animals that called the city home was invigorating, enough that it was honestly hard to believe that I was technically dreaming.
The sound of a horn from the main gate distracted me from examining the contents of a stand selling pottery and clearly got the attention of the crowds, which started heading in the direction of the main road.
"Huh, I wonder whats g-OOFF!"
I stumbled forwards as something ran into my back and bounced. I turned around to see a blonde girl in a squires uniform flat on her butt where she'd fallen after running into me at full tilt.
"Oww, that hurt," she said.
"Um, sorry about that," I said, offering a hand, "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, "Sorry about that."
"Eh, its fine," I said.
Another blast of the horn stopped me from saying anything else as the girl jolted to her feet and seized my wrist.
"Ohmygosh, we need to hurry or we'll miss them!" she gasped.
"Wait, wha...WHOA!"
I was nearly yanked off my feet as the girl took off again. Fortunately, I was used to being dragged around by super strong girls, so I was able to keep my footing and follow her as she led the way down to the main gates where a large crowd was gathering. Despite the size of the crowd, the girls was able to get through it without much trouble until we had a spot at the front.
"Alright, now that we're here, perhaps you can tell me what's going on?" I asked.
The girl grinned, bouncing on her toes with clear excitement.
"That horn means that the watchmen have seen the Kings party returning," she said.
I blinked.
"Wait, you mean…"
Once again I found myself being cut off as the horn sounded a third time and the massive gates opened smoothly and silently to allow a party of armoured Knights to ride into the city. They were dirty, covered in mud, dust and dried blood, but somehow, that did nothing to take away from the sheer presence they gave out. Then again, could anyone expect anything less from the Knights of the Round Table?
They were easy to recognize and not just because they were identical to their Fate versions. Even Lancelot and Mordred were present, the later with her helmet retracted, which was somehow more surprising than seeing the two Knights responsible for the fall of Camelot riding alongside their comrades and King. Then again, this was supposed to be an idealized version of Camelot and they had had a LONG time to work out their issues, most of which stemmed from a lack of communication and some very stupid choices.
Behind the Knights of the Round followed a small army of lesser knights and the support staff that accompanied the hunt, as well as a large cart that held the body of...well, it looked like a boar, but it was the size of a humvee, had a mouthful of fangs that looked like they belonged in the mouth of a crocodile and had four tusks that looked like they could cut a man in half without much effort. Its body was covered in wounds and four enormous pig spears were still embedded deep into its hide. The fact that none of the hunting party appeared badly injured from fighting the monster was truly impressive.
Then, I turned my attention to the figure at the head of the procession and stared. There was no doubt of the identity of the woman at the head of the party, not with that sword at her hip. I could feel the sheer power and authority radiating off the King and that was before taking into account the aura Caliburn radiated, even from inside its sheath. As if sensing my gaze, Arthur turned her head and our eyes met. For a moment, two pairs of green eyes stared into each other, before the King inclined her head slightly and spurred her mount into a slightly faster trot.
"Oh wow, so COOOOOL!" gushed the girl next to me.
I glanced at her and stifled a snort at the look on her face. Her eyes were almost literally sparkling as she watched the Knights ride past.
"Man, I wish I could have gone with them," she said, "It would have been awesome to get to hunt with Sir Lancelot..."
She gave a very familiar sigh that I'd heard from my sister more than once when she gushed over a celebrity crush. It, combined with the look on her face, made her seem more like an eager puppy than a Knight in training.
"Fan of his, I take it?" I asked.
The girl grinned and nodded.
"Whats not to like?" she asked, "Hes so strong and skilled and…"
"Handsome?" I asked with a slight smirk.
The girl shot me a flat look.
"I guess so, but I respect him far more for his deeds than his looks," she said, "I'm not some shallow princess ya know."
"Fair enough," I said, "So, just out of interest, what was with that pig they caught? It didn't exactly look...normal."
"Thats...kinda hard to explain," said the girl as she led the way through the rapidly dispersing crowd and sat down on a low wall, "Camelot is the manifestation of Mankinds dream of an otherwise unattainable utopia, but even in dreams, Man can't be without something to challenge them. As a result, beyond our walls is the Darkness made up of Humanities nightmares."
"Ah, infested with monsters and horrifically hostile, got it," I said.
"Actually, that's not quite true," she said, "Yes, its dangerous, but survivable for anyone who's armed. Very few of the monsters are intelligent and, while they are aggressive, there are ways to avoid or defeat them all. They might be Nightmares, but they are still very much part of Humanity."
She shrugged.
"This isn't some grimderp world where everything has to either kill, eat or want to impregnate Humanity," she said, "It might be a Dream, but it still works the same as your world."
"Well thats...nice," I said, "At least I don't have to worry about my own power getting me killed."
"Nah, that won't happen," said the girl as she hopped off the wall, "Lord Camelot is an Artifact made by Humans for Humans. Its not something that can turn on its wielder, even by accident. That said, its weakest point is still its wielder, so be careful. I'd hate to see you die so soon after starting your journey."
I blinked and looked at her.
"You're remarkably well informed about the workings of the Shield," I said.
She grinned and shrugged.
"I spend a lot of time in the Castle," she said, "You can pick up a lot from listening in."
"Eh, point taken," I said, "So, any advice on using it?"
The girl shrugged again.
"Not really," she said, "Although it is important to remember that a shield isn't really a weapon. It can work as one in a pinch, but sometimes a real weapon is needed."
I winced.
"I...don't know if thats such a good idea," I said, "A shield is one thing, but swinging around a sword is a lot more...permanent."
The problem with being an outed Cape (which I was by this point thanks to my public 'Trigger') was that any action I took was subject to intense scrutiny, made even worse by my family being New Wave, which meant that I didn't have anywhere close to the leeway other Capes had. Plus, I wasn't entirely sure that I could actually go through with killing or maiming most of the people I'd come up against.
On the other hand, there were others who I wouldn't hesitate to dice like luncheon meat.
"And thats up to you," said the girl as she hopped off her perch, "Just remember that if you ever need help, all you need to do is ask."
"I suspect I'll end up taking you up on that in the future," I said.
The girl smiled.
"I look forwards to it," she said, "Until next time Eric!"
I blinked.
"Wait, how do you…"
Before I could finish the question, a thick fog came out of nowhere and completely smothered my surroundings. I blinked and found myself staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom with my alarm blaring in my ear.
"Well, that was a decidedly strange dream," I said, "Now why do I feel like I've seen that girl somewhere before?"
One of the more annoying things about being a PRT affiliated teams was that anyone who joined had to go through official power testing. As a result, three days (and another two trips to Camelot in my sleep) after my 'Trigger Event' saw me, my Mother and Aunt (because was there any doubt?) heading into town to do just that. The tests themselves weren't really all that interesting, so I'll summarize.
No one could figure out what in the hell my shield was made from, which didn't really surprise me. In terms of power, my shield was proven to be basically impossible to damage and impossible for anyone who wasn't me to move once it was put down. However, its real power was the ability to project a force field that acted as a perfect reflector, meaning that anything that hit it was reflected straight back the way it came without losing any force. Punches, bullets, laser blasts and a number of rather esoteric effects Armsmaster was able to come up with, nothing was able to pass through it, making it a truly formidable defence.
I neglected to mention the fact that I could probably project the walls of Camelot if I went all out, mainly because I wasn't entirely sure what would happen if I did that inside and I wanted a trump card.
The final aspect of my power was that I could project a barrier around my body that acted similarly to Glory Girls shield. It didn't work exactly like Glory Girls force field, instead functioning more like a downgraded version of the barrier my actual Shield projected, reflecting any attack that hit it back where it came from, thus granting me a form of pseudo superstrength. It required conscious effort to activate and keep up however, which was a bit of a pain, but I didn't see it as being that much of a problem.
"Aww man, I'm so glad thats over!" I groaned as I finally left the PRT building.
"No need to be so dramatic," said Mom, "It wasn't that bad."
She completely ignored the withering glare I sent her way as she led the way into the underground car park and the three of us piled into Moms car.
"So, what now?" I asked as Mom pulled out.
"Now, we see about getting you a costume and up to date on New Wave protocols," said Aunt Carol.
I scowled lightly at the apparent assumption that I'd be joining New Wave without asking for my thoughts on the matter. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't about to go off on my own and did intend to join, but it would have been nice to be asked first. I sighed lightly and pushed down my irritation as I settled in for the rest of the drive.
That night, I once again found myself appearing in Camelot, but this time was different. Instead of appearing on the summit of the Tor above the city, I found myself in what was clearly a training room with Galahad waiting for me.
"Um, hello?" I said.
The young Knight didn't answer and instead threw a wooden shield similar to Lord Camelot at me.
"Whats this for?" I asked.
"If you wish to use my shield, you need to learn how to actually use it," said Galahad, "Now, prepare yourself!"
I barely had enough time to do so before he charged across the room and slammed his shield into mine.
I quickly lost track of time as Galahad put me through my paces. Apparently, the Knight didn't think much of taking training slowly, which led to me collapsing almost immediately after he called an end to the session.
"Good god, I really hope this exhaustion doesn't pass over to my real body," I groaned.
"Enough complaining, you can't get exhausted here," said Galahad.
I groaned and glared at the young Knight.
"Maybe you can't, but I…" I started, before being interrupted by Galahad throwing his shield at me.
I rolled out of the way and back to my feet before the heavy lump of wood could hit me.
"Hey, whats the big idea!?" I spluttered, "That could have...hurt...me…"
I blinked, then looked down at myself as I suddenly realized that my body wasn't hurting at all. In fact, I felt exactly like I had when we started the 'training' session.
"Did you forget that this was a dream?" asked Galahad, a slight hint of amusement in his tone.
"Huh, thats neat," I said, "Although, if I can't get tired or hurt, why stop the session?"
"Because even in a dream, you can't go forever," said Galahad, "You need to take breaks to make sure you properly absorb what you learn."
I opened my mouth to respond that that didn't make a lot of sense, then closed it again. Considering I was currently standing in a city of legend that was literally formed from dreams and my cousin could turn a person into a tree with a touch, I probably shouldn't be talking about things that don't make sense.
Instead, I joined Galahad on one of the benches that surrounded the sparring ring and accepted the cup of water he handed me.
"So, is anyone else around?" I asked.
"The others are otherwise engaged at the moment," said Galahad, "You will meet them in time, once they deem you worthy."
"Hmm, any hints?" I asked.
Galahad eyed me for a moment.
"Only to be yourself and act as you believe to be right," said Galahad, "That will do for most of my comrades. Trust me, it would do you no good to change yourself in pursuit of power. That never ends well and my comrades are unlikely to accept you for it. Just remember that we are all Knights and everything that stands for."
"Honour, strength and protecting the innocent?" I asked a little sardonically.
"Indeed, but don't forget that Knights are, first and foremost, warriors," said Galahad, getting to his feet, "Feats of strength and skill will go far further in impressing my comrades than random acts of heroism."
He picked up his shield and turned to me.
"Now, enough talk, lets get back to training."
I sighed, but did as I was told.
The next day, my family and I headed over to the Dallon household for a team meeting. We tended to alternate between houses for team meetings and this time was the Dallons to host.
"Alright, lets get started," said Mom once we were all settled, "We need to figure out how to work Eric into our patrol schedule and we also need to sort out a costume."
"Oh, I believe I can help with that."
The unexpected voice from right next to me caused the expected reaction from a room full of reasonably experienced Parahumans. I barely had time to jolt away from the man who had just appeared out of thin air sitting right next to me before he was hit by blasts from my Mother, sister, Uncle and a punch from my cousin while my Aunt jumped across the room with a blazing sword in her hand that made short work of the sofa. However, not one of the attacks hit and, by the time we could see again, the sofa was destroyed, but there was no sign of the newcomer.
"Well now, that was rather unfriendly," said the voice from by the window.
Everyone spun around, hands glowing or clenched as I summoned my shield, ready for a fight. He didn't really look like much, not that such a thing meant much in a world where schoolgirls could benchpress school buses, just a man of average height in a brown cloak over a white robe with only the lower half of his face was visible thanks to his hood and metal mask which, along with his wooden staff wrapped in colourful fabric, served to make him easy to identify.
"What are you doing here Myrddin?" asked Dad as everyone relaxed a little as we recognized the leader of the Chicago Protectorate.
I however remained tense and didn't dismiss my shield. Something about the man in front of me was setting off every single warning sign in my head and I was almost certain that I'd seen that staff somewhere before and I don't just mean in terms of him being a famous Hero.
"Oh, I just sensed the activation of one of my old creations and thought I'd come check up on its new holder," said Myrddin, "I wasn't expecting to find it here however."
He looked around, an air of vague nostalgia in his stance.
"To think, it'd appear in this family of all possibilities…" he murmured.
Then, the still tense air was utterly devastated as something small and white somehow jumped through the closed window and kicked Myrddin in the face.
"FUU!"
"OUCH!"
The sudden attack sent Myrddin stumbling and knocked his hood and mask off, revealing a surprisingly youthful face, purple eyes and curly white hair. My jaw dropped in utter shock as I recognized both him and the little white fluffball that was now jumping up and down on his head.
"What the fuck?!" I spluttered, "You're the Dick Wizard!"
And ya know what? I'm going to leave this here. Its a bit short, but that's just the perfect line to end on.
So, anyone want to guess who it was that Eric met on his little dream romp? Its not that hard.
To be clear, Eric finds himself in Camelot every time he falls asleep. Its a dream after all. That'll be when he meets the Knights and gets training in the use of their weapons and powers out of them.
I hope Erics skill set makes sense. I wanted to add a little more to the shield so he doesn't have to some the entire thing to be useful. It is rather bulky after all and I doubt he could manage swinging it around indoors.
I originally planned for Merlin to arrive a bit later, but theres really no need to keep the effeminate bastard away when he almost certainly has a way of detecting Lord Camelot and its activation.
Just a quick reminder, while I am stealing a lot from Fate for the Knights and characters associated with them, this isn't actually a Fate world, so not everything will work like it does in Fate. Thats a lot of Fates.
Fun fact, I originally planned for Fou to show up as Taylors companion.
If your wondering why Merlin hasn't simply blown the Endbringers and Zion away, its because hes currently excessively limited in terms of what he can actually do. His body is still in Avalon after all. Hes still rather powerful for a 'Parahuman' however, for obvious reasons.
Speaking of Merlin, anyone want to guess what I have in mind for the New Wave families? It won't really tie into anything over the top for them, but there is a reason why Merlin was so surprised to find Lord Camelot in Erics hands.
And with that, I'm done. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!