Der Azurblaue Ritter des Betrügers

by SwimmingDalek98

Well, screw you too, universe!

Darkness. Heh, they assume that darkness can restrain me? Soul Edge IS darkness. Whatever they are inclined to believe, it is a falsehood they shall soon be corrected in. Those two… they believe they can restrain me by sealing my senses? What utter incompetence they possess. Nonetheless, this struggle shall end the moment I decipher this binding spell.

"May..." Was that a voice? Did I just hear someone's voice? Wow, this sealing spell is weaker than I thought.

"if we..." C'mon, what else d'ya have to say?

"ould… ight..." I can't piece together a conversation from such small fragments! C'mon! Speak more! I know there's more to this than that!

Before I can come up with any other snarky commentary, a bright light fills my field of vision. All my wasted opportunities… And now, the chance comes… to FINISH THIS!

I feel the stone around me shattering, and I look about for the first time in what seems to be forever. Now, is my time to strike against my captors! But I cannot sense them? Why? Why can I not sense their presence? I should be able to sense the fool's magic miles away! "GRAGH! HYAGH! C'MON! WHERE ARE YOU!? FACE ME, I SAY! FACE ME!"

"Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy, take it easy!" A gruff, stern voice shouts, and I feel a series of limbs trying to hold me down.

"C'MON! WHERE ARE YOU!? SHOW YOURSELF, SOLARIS! FACE ME! YOU DO NOT INTEND TO HIDE AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE TO ME, HUH? C'MON, C'MON, C'MON! I REFUSE TO- … Huh? Wh-where am I?" Where's the torn battlefield? The crimson king and ebony queen? A sudden spike of pain erupts in my chest, and I fall to my knees. My hand swings around, and I find that I cannot sense my blade, "Gah! Damnation… where… is Soul Edge? Gyagh! It… it hurts… I… need… my blade..." I raise my hand up, and cast a spell to reach out for it, and then I lose consciousness.

"C'mon, man! What the hell're ya doing? We're gonna be late!" A noisy, slightly high-pitched, but definitely masculine voice echoes through the corridors into my bedroom, where I'm admiring myself and my well-designed costume. My name is Wallace Delapore. I am currently dressed as Nightmare of the Soul Calibur series.

Specifically, his first form, but since each design only has a few aesthetic changes per game, I doubt anyone's gonna notice. That aside, I am feeling quite content with myself and my work. "I'm coming, hold your horses!" My own deep, extremely level voice counters my friend's. Many say I have the voice of an angel. I think I sound a bit too much like Vin Diesel. But that's none of my business. Right now, I have a convention to attend to! I begin to walk out, when I notice that my doorway is blocked by my shoulder pads. "Uh… just a second!" I turn sideways, and barely waddle past the doorway, before striding with as much audacity as possible. I plan to milk every second of this.

"About time, dude. I mean, c-" The higher-pitched voice comes from a slightly smaller man, who is currently dressed as Link, from Legend of Zelda. A decent costume, if not for the fact that he's a redhead. And he has no blonde wigs. Meh, everyone knows Link has no soul. This is just the proof we needed.

"Come along, Kevin. Wouldn't want to be late, would we?" I walk straight past him, and wiggle my way through the door.

"Hey! Wait up! Wow! That's… that's actually pretty badass." I chuckle, and climb into my friend's truck. I barely squeeze myself in, and silently thank my dad (may he rest in peace) for convincing me to help Kevin buy this thing. No other kind of car could possibly fit this costume.

As the engine kicks up, and its roar fills the street, my ears pick up the sound of someone shouting. I gaze out my window, and notice an old woman, shouting at us. "Hey, Kevin. You see that?"

Kevin rolls down his window, and he looks out, "Hey, Mrs. Brigsby! What's the matter?"

Much to my surprise, she points at us, "Yer the matter, that's what! You kids and yer evil lil vidya games! Yer all gonna get yer souls swallowed up by Satan, ya hear?" I roll my eyes, and let the event be remembered as just one of the old crone's many attempts to demonstrate her Puritan beliefs. Kevin takes it the same way, and simply drives off. We ignore her as she continues to yell after us.

Kevin sighs, "One of these days, I'm gonna tell her."

I snort in response, "Tell her what?"

He adjust his grip on the steering wheel, "About Cthulhu. And of the Deep Ones. And Azathoth. And all the other things out there that are FAR more dangerous than her 'Satan'." I let my hand fall to my chest, and recall the many tattoos upon it. The markings which display me as a worshipper of Great Cthulhu. My family was raised as part of the sect, and it was how I met Kevin. He is the child of a Deep One, and a human man. Truth be told, his fishy eyes are already materializing, and I've noticed that his hair is thinning in certain areas.

I then give him a stern glare, "You know better than to make jokes like that. If anyone were to find out the truth, the world would let no resource lay idle until they had slain as many of your kin as possible, and torn apart the temples of the Great Old Ones…" I turn and stare out the window, "Then WE'D get in trouble."

He gives a laugh, "Then I'll just summon a shoggoth. Eat her up, no big deal."

I turn my gaze to him, and raise an eyebrow, "O… kay… How about we just listen to some music?" I reach over, and hit the power button to his Cd player. Kevin's eyes widen, "No, wait!"

A moment of silence, then a song fills the air. I slowly turn to my best friend, "…"

He stares back, and a slow pause comes between us.

We both breathe in, "True love, true love
It must be true love
Nothing else can break my heart like
True love, true love,
It must be true love
No one else can break my heart like you!"

We continue to sing along as the truck rolls down the highway. Eventually, we slow down, in front of a stadium, with a large banner displaying 'Salem Comic-Con 2015'. I chuckle, "Heh, that was fun…" Kevin laughs with me, before pulling his keys out, and stepping out of the car. We enter, and are greeted with a ridiculous quantity of stalls, filled to the brim with a variety of goods and trinkets. "Damn, this is impressive…" I look around in bewilderment.

"Hah! This is what a con's like, man! Get used to it! C'mon, get out there and enjoy yourself! Take some pictures, meet a girl, live a little!" Kevin gives me a hearty shove, and then proceeds to head off in the general direction of the food courts. "Typical, can't keep his belly full. But he's right, though… I have lacked interaction with the rest of the world for… quite a while… Mayhaps I should see what they have to offer…" I walk around for a while, before letting my eyes fall upon one item hanging in the back of one of the stalls. It's a crusty, rustic, dark red blade, with an eye embedded in the cross-guard, and a skull beneath it.

It's Soul Edge, the blade of Nightmare. It may be in its short-sword form, but it's still the same thing.

"Oh, look! Someone I can sell that to!" I look at the shopkeeper, an aged, yet nonetheless physically fit man. But as I stare, I notice that his eyes bear a curious complexion, that of someone who knows things others don't. "Er… how much?" He grins, and leans forwards, "For anyone else, I would've made it $70. But for you? I'll give you a deal: $55." I swipe out my wallet, "Deal."

He hands me the blade, which I swing about for a moment, mentally thanking my mother for swordsmanship lessons.

The merchant, though, lets his grin grow even wider, and I notice on the back of his hand, there is a mark.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu…"

"R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." I instinctively follow up. I turn to him, and let my eyes widen, "By the Great Cthulhu…" His grin somehow grows, and I notice his marked hand reach up to a book. One look at its title, and I instantly turn and begin briskly walking from his stall, trying to mentally funnel out the words I hear from him.

"Hey!" Kevin walks up to me, holding a half-eaten hot dog in one hand, and a candy bar in the other, "I was lookin' fer ya! Want some chocolate?"

I push him aside, "Not right now. Gotta do something." I raise my pace even quicker, and hear as Kevin calls after me.

NO! I will NOT let this happen! Leave me be! As I walk to the front door, a sudden mist of varying colors rises standing between me and the outside. "Damnation! Why? Why are you doing this? Do not use that incantation!" I plant my hand onto my armor, recalling the many marks and tattoos on me, hoping one of them involves canceling out magic like this.

"Do not do this! Such a spell is not meant for mortal men to see! Great Nyarlathotep, save me!" I ignore the stares, and put my hands to my head, as I feel the sorcery tear into my mind.

I drop to my knees, and plant the sword before me, muttering many an incantation, hoping to deny him his goal.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!" As a bright light surrounds me, the screams and confused cries of those around me.

Silence. The only thing which confirms my continued existence in the mortal world is the distinct throbbing headache I'm feeling. Definitely from the third dimension. Nothing else could possibly provide such irritation.

I groan, and open my eyes, which are filled with a bright, unstoppable light. I put my hand up, trying to cover my eyes, before they slowly adapt to my surroundings. I slowly rise to my feet, before looking around. This is certainly a three-dimensional world. I've been above and below 3D, I'd know if it wasn't. However, it is unlike any worlds belonging to any of the Great Old Ones. Yuggoth is a barren wasteland on the surface, and they have no methods of replicating anything this… vibrant. Trees can't grow, and neither can grass. The Dreamlands are absolutely out of the question. It's too consistent. Dreams are always varying, and the air lacks the sheer vividness of the Dreamlands. I've never been to Yaddith, so I can't comment. But this world DOES hold a large quantity of magic power in the air. Enough so even a complete amateur sorcerer like myself could operate here with ease. But why bring me here?

"And where IS here? Wait, what's with my voice? Gah!" I jump back, "Testing, testing, one, two, three..." My voice now has a dark, demonic echo to it. "By Cthulhu's beard… I sound AWESOME! Wait, wait, wait… Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba!" I laugh aloud for a moment at my newfound vocal trick.

"Hah! This might actually be rather fun! Huh, my nose itches..." I raise my right hand, and as I grab onto the mask to remove it, I notice something. The plastic around my hand looks a lot less… plastic. And for some reason, I don't feel plastic on my arm anymore… And now I feel the cold metal of my helmet… through the claws of my new right hand…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Okay, calm down. Wouldn't be the first time someone's used polymorphic magic on you. Remain calm. It's okay… there should be a cancellation spell… Okay, what am I saying? THIS IS PERMANENT!" Apparently, the universe deems me more fit as Nightmare than as Wallace Delapore.

"Okay, c'mon… I think I should focus on mapping out the surrounding area… Best to find high ground..." I look around, and notice a large hill, with a small section of woodland about it. As I briskly walk in this forest, I hear a sound. A guttural, feral sound. The sound of a predator watching its next meal. I look around for some form of defense. I notice that the Soul Edge replica is still on my person, now clinging to my side in a scabbard. "Well, if this is the only tool the gods shall let me defend myself with, then I must use it." I grab at it with my claw-hand, but find that it is too large to hold the short-sword properly. I roll my eyes, and grab it with my left hand. I hold it in front of me, and quickly begin turning, eyeing the shrubbery and bushes about, hoping to see whatever might be hunting me as they strike, rather than after.

"ROOOOOAAAAAGGHHH!" Behind me, I hear the beast leap from its hiding spot. I turn, too late. I see feline-esque claws closing in on my head, but then the creature is knocked aside with a single attack. I look curiously to my blade, mainly because I had not even struck yet, before noticing that it was a feat of sorcery that defeated the beast. I look to my right, from which the attack came, and I gaze upon… another man? He is tall, around his early or mid twenties, and wearing bright crimson armor, with gold lining. In his left hand rests a mighty hammer. In his right, an orb of bright yellow magic crackles. He turns to me, and lets me witness the scars that adorn his face. And the strange horn protruding from his forehead, but that's beside the point. I mutter a short incantation, and let myself see into the realm of mana. His aura is bright, akin to the sun itself. I step back, apprehensively grasping at my blade, fumbling with it in my grasp.

"Th-thank you, mighty warrior. This beast would've gotten the better of me had it not been for you. I owe you my life." I drop to my knee, and place my blade into the earth. This one is easily on par with significantly more experienced sorcerers than I. It would be suicide to tangle with him. I keep my head bowed, and listen as he slowly walks closer to me. I feel him place his hand on my shoulder, "Rise." I am swift to obey, and I note that he and I are at eye level with each other. "May I inquire your name, great one?"

"I am Solaris. Sir Solaris, a knight of Equestria. And you are my prisoner."

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

Solaris has taken me to a fortress of sorts. It's mind-numbingly primitive, but it appears that it is still well-defended. As we enter, I notice a multitude of archers hiding in towers, taking aim at me. Solaris raises his hand in a most curious signal, and the archers lower their bows. Some run off, apparently to lower the gate. Sure enough, the drawbridge lowers, and we enter. Inside, I'm greeted with the sight of a crowded, filthy ghetto.

"What is this place? Why're you all in such terrible conditions?" My demonic voice doesn't exactly help display my concern, but being a skilled actor, I more demonstrate it in my motions. However, that proves to be a mistake, as I am struck on the back of the head with the butt of his hammer.

"You will not speak unless spoken to." The hell is this? I literally did nothing wrong! At least, I don't think I did! I thanked him for saving my life, and now I'm his prisoner? The hell is going on?

We enter the inside of the fortress, and I see something out of Game of Thrones. No, Game of Thrones is still cleaner. This is more Vikings. I'm amazed I'm the only one among my circle of friends who watches that show.

"Your Majesty." To quote Hellboy: Ah, crap. I turn, and see a woman upon a throne. She appears to be in her early or mid-forties. She has long, dark red hair, and somewhat motherly features. Wait, is that fucking Lauren Faust? Well, last I recall, she doesn't have a horn. Or wings. Before I can ponder any further, I feel a powerful strike in my knee, "On your knees, fool." Well, this is fantastic.

"What is this, Solaris?" Shit, it really is her. She's talking extra lofty, but I'll be damned if that's not the voice of one particular Lauren Faust.

"Lady Faust, I found this cretin wandering about in the woods." Yep, it's Lauren. And who you calling a cretin? "Clearly, he was crafted by gryphon sorcerers and sent to strike at us while our guard is down."

"I know nothing of any gryphons!" I shoot daggers at Solaris, before receiving a swift blow to the back of the head, sending me to the ground. "GYAGH!"

"I said you will speak only if spoken to, brigand!" As I try to pick myself up, I receive a sharp kick to the stomach.

"Cease this, Solaris. We are not barbarians. Let him speak." I slowly rise, silently thanking every god I can name off the top of my head, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I honestly have no idea where I am. I know not of how far away my home is. All I know is that I was cast here through a great and ancient magic."

"A likely story." Okay, you're on the list!

"As I was trying to find some high ground to acquire some reference of my location, I was attacked by a wild beast. Your warrior Solaris here saved me, if only to detain me afterwards."

"M'lady, surely you cannot believe this beast's story! Look at its arm! 'Tis unnatural for any such limb to exist on such a body!"

"Please, Your Majesty. I know not where I am. I… am alone… and at your mercy." I've been before royalty and other such beings of power before. But Solaris' commentary, not to mention the fact that they're apparently fighting some enemy, narrows down my options for worming my way into a favorable position. Right now, there's no evidence to say I AM a construct made to slay them all, but no evidence saying I'm NOT. It's my word against his. But he's the knight who's clearly holding up a frail little nation. I'm the guy in armor who appeared out of nowhere with a mutated arm and glowing eyes.

"Your Highness!" A guard slams open the door, looking rather exhausted and coated in scars, "There's… invaders! Coming… this way! Gryphons… dozens of them!" The reactions of the surrounding people clearly says that this is a bad thing.

"Solaris! Ready the guard!" Faust stands up immediately, and points at Solaris, who nods and runs off without a word. She looks to another guard, "Get the people to the stronghold!"

"M'lady! What of this one?" One of the guards points at me. So much for a sneaky getaway.

"Bring him with us. We'll have to deal with him later.

Well, this sucks. We're currently stuck in a literal hole in the ground with candles and a few iron bars. Above, the rumbling of feet and the cries of battle rage. I watch as the people sit and cry, whispering silent please to be kept safe, or for their family to remain safe. The guards, too, are whimpering. My mind is boggled by the sheer simplicity of the problem. I could easily end this with a single incantation. It would only take a couple of Fel Hounds to deal with these invaders. I let my vision waver, before falling on the children in the room. One of them locks eyes with me, and motions for me to come closer. I slowly go through the crowd, until I'm next to them. I lower to my knees, and one whispers in my ear, "Can you make the monsters go away?"

I think for a moment, before getting an amazing idea. I hold up my right hand, and keep it closed tight. I use a simple conjuration spell, creating a bright light in my hand. As I open my hand, a single, small, twinkling shape materializes.

"This is a fae. Her name is Airy, and she's an old companion of mine. Say hello, Airy." The fae smiles, before opening her mouth, "Hello! Nice to- *BUUURP*. Ooh! Excuse me!" The children, and several surrounding adults, laugh.

"… Eloquent as always, Airy. Now, would you mind singing a song? To make the monsters go away, of course?" She taps her chin, "Well… let me think..." She drags out every syllable, childishly grinning. I give her a simple glare, and she huffs, "Alright, alright! No need to be rude! Ah-heh-hem!" She clears her throat, and sits down, before singing.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.

As she sings, various specks of light appear around us. Fae magic, the magic of song. The magic of life, and nature. Their kind are notorious for outdoing even the best of poets and botanists in their sleep. In several cases, almost literally.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where dead man called out
For his love to flee.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.

The children gaze in awe, and one taps a ball of light, which shines brighter, and then spins away. Her music slowly drowns out the sounds of chaos above

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where I told you to run,
So we'd both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.

The adults around look to me with faces of silent gratitude, of which I respond to with a simple nod.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of hope,
Side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.

The sounds of the outside become muted, and I let my eyelids grow heavy. I sit down in the dirt by the gate, and let my head fall.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where I told you to run,
So we'd both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.

Airy now jumps and flies about, leaving behind twinkles and sparks of light. The people join in with her, and I find myself muttering the tune as well, trying to let myself be lulled to sleep.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree.

The children join hands, and make a circle, of which they dance around. Airy jumps around the circle, letting her magic fly freely. Flowers, weeds, and plants stretch, writhe, and blossom in the vault, and Faust simply stares at me with a silent smile. I return it, beneath the helmet, before standing up, and reaching for Soul Edge.

I draw it, and swing it out, holding it at the throat of the brigand who had knocked open the door. I force him back, "Oh, come now. Wouldn't want the children's' game to end so soon, right?" I force him outside, and- maybe I made a mistake. He has four buddies. All armed with axes, knives, and swords.

"Er… can we talk this out?" I let my gaze flicker between the lot of them, noting their stances, the paw-like arms, the wings, and the angles they hold their tools.

"How about we play a game of our own?" Craptacular. This is not going to end well.

"Well, that doesn't seem like a bad idea. How does hangman sound?" The look on their faces says they have no idea what that is. I chuckle, and stand easy, placing Soul Edge on my shoulder in a relaxed manner, while kicking the door shut,"I'm thinking of a word. The goal is to guess a letter. The word I'm thinking of has nine letters. Note that some letters repeat." I wave my right hand, casting the basic 'Hangman' setup on the wall.

"Alright, this is a load o' minotaur shit. Get 'em!" One lunges at me, and I simply kick him in the gut, "You're not very good at this game, are you?"

In return, he spits, "Tch!" I make a 'T' at the middle of the slots for letters, "Yes, 'T' IS a letter in this word. Very good for your first try!" Another two leap at me, and I smack them both aside with a kick and a backhand. "EEEYYYAAGGH!" "Oof!" I shake my head, and summon the noose, as well as an 'E' at the end, "Yes, 'E' is a letter in the word, but 'O' isn't."

Another swings at me, "Yeeaaggghh!" I parry idly, before pushing him back, and conjuring the head of the stick figure, "No, 'Y' isn't there either. Okay, here's a hint. It's something you can't escape from."

"Wagh!" Three of them leap at me, but I duck under, and make the neck and body, "'W' isn't a letter, either. Okay, another hint: It makes you wet the bed."

"Hah!" Another swing from behind me, which I block with ease, before sliding around and tossing him back, "Good! 'H' IS a letter!" I summon the 'H' to the left of the 'T'.

"AIIIIIIII!" I grin, and jump over my would-be assailant, and land on his back, forcing him to fall down, "Now you're getting it! 'I' is a letter in the word! Oh, so close!"

"Nrgh!" #4, as I am now dubbing him, raises his axe, and brings it down on my head. I sidestep, and with a simple flick, remove the weapon from his hand, "'N' is a letter, too! The very first letter!" I place the 'N' to the far left, before lunging out of #3's knife range, leaving him to trip.

"MPH!" He calls as his mouth hits the floor. "You're good! That's there, too!" I place the 'M' to the right of the 'T', and then duck under #5's broad sword.

"AAAAAAAGH!" "Yes! 'A' is there! Wow, for a bunch of barbarians, you guys are good at this! You might actually solve this!" I place the 'A' to the right of the 'M'.

"RGH!" I feel one of them grabbing onto a cinder block, and chucking it at my head. I turn, and swipe it away with my right hand, "'R', as well? Not half bad!" I place the 'R' to the right of the 'A'.

"YUH!" One of them sneaks up on me, and slams a piece of timber onto my helmet. The timber snaps, and completely falls apart.

"Little bitch! Not so tough now, are ya?"

"'Y' isn't a letter in this word..." The arms materialize on the drawing.

"Whuh?" One of the barbarians jumps back, and I hold up my blade in as dangerous an angle as possible, "And neither is 'W'." I let the legs materialize, "Too bad, only one letter left. Looks like you lost the game. Would you like to know what the word is?" I point my claw to the magic drawing on the wall, and the last letter, a 'G' appears.

"Fuck you, AND yer game!" One of them raises his sword, and runs me through with his sword, straight between my chest plates.

"… Heh, what's the matter? Don't be a sore loser..." He leaps back, and I wrench his sword from between my armor.

"Wh-whot the hell kinda thing IS that?" The barbarians lean back in fear, holding up their tools in a desperate and frightened manner.

I chuckle, and motion to the word on the wall, "That? Why… that's my name." Soul Edge begins to stretch, and shift. It lets itself warp, and become fleshy, with one of its blades fading away. The skull disappears entirely, and the eye turns yellow, and stretches. Soul Edge has assumed its first, 'male' form.

"I'm your worst fear."

"GYYYAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"

The torn corpses sit in the chamber before the stronghold, and I hold Soul Edge up, then plant it in the ground, and release a guttural growl, "The children should not see this… I must do something about this… Ah, I know just the thing..."

Soul Edge turns its eye towards them, then its eye on the other side looks to me, as if to say 'Are we really doing this?' "Yes… Come unto me..." The corpses sit still for a moment, but their blood begins drifting towards me. Through the stone slabs, the blood flows, until it hits the tip of my blade. The scarlet streams trail up, and into the blade, and myself, "Ooh… Yes, this is nice… Yes… Become a part of me…" The corpses begin to dissolve, being reduced to piles of blood, which follow suit.

I hear the sound of footsteps going down the stairs. I raise my blade up, and command it to shrink to a short-sword, "Halt! Who goes there!?"

"It is I, Solaris." The knight steps down the stairs slowly, holding his hammer, "Where is Her Majesty?"

I scoff, "In there." I slam my fist against the door, "It's alright now. They're all gone."

The door swings open, and I see Airy on Lady Faust's shoulder. I drop to one knee instantly, "Your Grace. I trust my companion was of no trouble to you?"

Faust grins, "I assure you, Airy did more good than harm." Airy jumps from Faust, onto my shoulder, and then blows a raspberry at me.

"M'Lady, are you alright? I apologize for having to leave you alone for so long. I trust no trouble came to you?" Faust grinned, "Well, nothing really big. A few gryphons came by, though." Solaris leapt in the air at that, "What? M'lady, did they hurt you?" Faust motions for him to be silent, "Our friend here escorted them away, though. No harm done, right?"

I look up from the ground, "Indeed. Those… interesting fellows went away. Didn't even leave a trace." I bear a proud smile, but it quickly fades as Solaris walks up to deliver what I assume to be several harsh words, and the business end of his hammer.

The children dash to my rescue, "That was amazing!" "Can we sing and dance with Airy again some time?" "Do you have any other friends like her?" I look at Solaris, and give a simple shrug.

Airy yawns, "Gee, I'm really tired. But maybe I'll come back again later! See ya!" She waves, and disappears in a small green glow.

Faust shakes her head, "Such an energetic little one… Now, what to do with you?"

Uh-oh.

Now I'm back in the throne room, with more guards, and the various citizens surrounding me as well. Solaris now stands next to Faust, who is contemplating what to do.

"Young knight, you claim to know not why you are here, nor where here is. You had no obligation to assist us, and yet you defended us from gryphon brigands, and cast aside our children's' fears. Why?"

"Because, Your Grace, I would not be able to call myself a knight if I turned away when children cried. Nor would I be able to call myself that if I looked away as innocents were butchered."

"I see. All in favor of allowing this young man to stay as a knight of the realm?" Wow, I've got a 99% approval rating. Of course, Solaris is the 1%, but he's not important.

"… I see. Now, before we do anything else, would you mind telling us your name, stranger?" This feels like an RPG moment. Well, better now than never.

"I… I am the Azure Nightmare." I drop to one knee, and hold Soul Edge in front of me, "And my blade is yours to command."