Legend Borne Part 2

Part II1

The Discovery of Justice2

Darcion was nearly leaping with joy at what was to come upon his arrival at the castle. He was pleased with himself at proving his worth even though he was a different race to the King. He talked to the wagon driver and found him to be a normal serf, low on self-esteem, but high on determination and loyalty. The man, whose name was Darius, told him he drove these carts often, but never before had such an honored guest accompanied him. Darcion told him of his roots as the son of a blacksmith and the man looked quite surprised at the occurrence of a serf becoming a knight. 3

Darcion told Darius that if was given a castle, he would bring him to become a vassal of his castle, the owner of a farm in return for his wonderful company, and saw his eyes light up. Darius began to tell Darcion the entire goings of his life, with his two children, one son, one daughter, and his loving wife. Darcion jut smiled and let him speak, pleased to hear of the simple but happy life of the peasants. It was quite a change from the typical pompous banter of some of the more spoiled students at the academy, always whining about how they never had enough. He sighed as he listened to this man, who was pleased just to be in Darcion’s presence without being looked down on.4

When Darcion offered to take the reigns and let him rest, Darius looked at him in complete shock, for those of higher class never offered to do something for peasants. After seeing the look on the man’s face Darcion laughed right out loud and almost fell off the cart because of his shaking. His laughter subsided and he spoke of his days as a page caring for horses and other animals in the stables. Darius stood up and let him drive the horses and was surprised at the gentleness he displayed in directing them, almost as if he could sense the road better than the horses. The cart rarely bounced after that and Darius went into the back of the cart and lay down to get some sleep. Darcion smiled and got into a pattern of riding, letting the horses take turns leading so as not to tire them out to quickly. 5

Soon it was night and Darcion drove the wagon into a rock overhang and let the horses eat and drink from a nearby stream before tying them up for the night inside the overhang. He then got into the wagon and checked his bedding to find Darius shivering in his sleep. Darcion went into his extra blankets and placed one on Darius to keep him warm. Darius awoke and found the blanket, looked around and saw Darcion asleep, realized that Darcion had given it to him and pondered this with a wistful look upon his face. If there were more knights like this young boy then the world would be a much better place. He then drifted off to sleep, not noticing Darcion beginning to toss in his dreams.6

In those dreams Darcion was again locked in deadly combat with a dragon army, a much larger and clearly more powerful dragon leading these forces. Darcion easily cut down on the smaller soldiers, hacking and slashing, his life depending on each swing. Powerful energy flowed through his sword, one flaming the other lightning, creating an incredible combination of attacks, paralyzing with lightning then frying with fire. When the smaller forces were decimated, Darcion put his two broadswords away and took out his great sword, requiring two hands to hold its seven-foot blade. He drew back into a defensive position and decided that the dragon’s element was fire so he flooded his sword with ice energy, allowing him to block the dragon’s breath. The dragon drew back and breathed fire as Darcion had guessed and he split the breath in a V around him using his sword’s edge. 7

Then while the dragon’s mouth was still open, Darcion threw the great sword, penetrating the beast’s head in a fountain of blood, ending the battle quickly; mercifully. When the dragon fell, Darcion walked over, pulled his sword out of the skull, he held it up to the sky and touched the scaly head when his blade entered for the killing blow. The dragon shifted under his touch and became a bright light, filling Darcion’s being and pushing him to the ground as the dragon’s energy merged with his own, something that had never happened before. He felt his muscles seem to extend, straining to deal with this new power.8

Darcion awoke from his dream in a great sweat, feeling the latest dragon image join the others on his body. By now his chest, both arms and legs were covered with one or more dragon image. Darcion was not ashamed of these pictures, as he considered them to be trophies to be shown off from victories. To him it was like asking, who else around here has defeated Dragons? He got out of the wagon and cared for the horses before unhitching them and allowing them to feed. Once they were fed, Darcion hitched them to the wagon and started the journey to the castle again. Darius woke an hour later; his sleep prolonged by the lack of bumps the wagon met on its wooden wheels. He clambered onto the bench and stretched groggily. He looked around and rubbed his eyes to remove the dust at their corners. 9

When he was fully awake he was startled to notice what time of day it was and where they were along their travels. Darcion explained that he usually awoke early for training, but he decided to get an early start and let him sleep in. Darius jumped back into the back seat and brought out some food he had saved and offered some to Darcion, who accepted readily. The day dragged on and Darcion gave the reigns back to Darius around noon. He then jumped off the wagon and ran beside it, keeping pace very well considering the speed of the wagon. He ran for two hours on end, his stamina quite strong thanks to his daily training.10

When he finally jumped back onto the wagon, it was almost sunset and the sky was afire with orange and red, a blaze crossing the entire horizon. 11

Darcion could see the outline of the castle walls several miles ahead. Instead of pushing the horses to hard in a rush to get to the castle, Darius kept the pace steady and let them get there in due time. Soon a horn blast sounded from the castle and two knights came out to accompany them to the gates. When they arrived at the castle gates, Darius announced his business and his passenger and were quickly admitted. Darcion said his farewells to Darius and was swiftly brought to the castle’s keep, the King’s courts and residency. The castle was made of magically enhanced solid stone and large tapestries displaying crests and battles were hung along every wall. 12

The knights accompanying Darcion looked at him in slight disdain for his age, but with some degree of respect for his accomplishment. Darcion stood tall, his custom armor not rattling at all and his boots silent on the stone floor. At last they came to two huge doors with a great light beyond. They opened and the dim corridor was lit like day from the incredible display of lights, radiance as bright as daylight. The king, King Tobias II sat in his throne on the opposite side of the room and stood when the trio entered the room. Darcion, who had been carrying all his gear and weapons, dropped his bags and promptly fell to his knees.13

“Stand up lad; you’re in a chamber of Knights, not peasants. So, you are the legendary Darcion the Dragoon from the Squire’s Academy? Hmm, you don’t look very remarkable. Let’s try you out,” were King Tobias’s first words to Darcion. He clapped his hands and two knights stepped forth to spar with Darcion.14

Darcion removed his travel cloak and strapped on his great sword to his back, his twin sheaths swinging at his sides. The knights began to circle and Darcion drew his twin four-foot Claymores. One of the knights was anxious and rushed in before his counter-part could stop him. Darcion readied the disarming technique and prepared for the attack. The rushing knight acted as Darcion anticipated, swinging his sword for a KO quickly. Darcion’s swords met his single blade and the knight instantly let go out of reflex. His sword swung up and into the wall behind Darcion, sticking out of the solid rock where it had penetrated. The knight put his shield up to defend and found himself staring at the ceiling as Darcion’s sword’s knocked his feet from under him, then passed out as Darcion smacked his neck just hard enough. 15

Darcion saw movement out of the corner of his eye and jumped aside just in time to avoid the sword crashing down. It hit the ground with a resounding clash and rebounded into the air. The knight that had swung the sword jumped back into a defensive position, shield up and ready to fight. This would be a much more difficult fight because he now knew how not to attack Darcion if he wanted to keep his sword and his feet on the ground. The knight took on a phalanx stance, shield covering the body and sword on the side for guarded attacks. Darcion went on the offensive, pulling his blades into a slashing stance, but when he neared the knight, he instead jumped, ran along the wall and jumped again so he was behind the knight and brought the claymores to his neck and the knight surrendered. The other knights were speechless at the speed this boy had defeated two fully trained knights.16

Darcion was very hot by now, as there was not much ventilation, so he removed his armor, then his chain leather long shirt and gauntlets, revealing all of his upper body dragons to the room. A general murmur went up around the room as the two defeated knights walked back into the ranks of knights, many pairs of eyes following their progress. Darcion kneeled again and awaited a word from the king. King Tobias stood up and after looking around the room, began to applaud loudly. The rest of the room joined in shortly and Darcion stood in the center of the room to bow in acceptance of the praise, and then put his gear back on, for he was not so hot anymore. Then Tobias stepped forth, calling Darcion forward to his knee. Darcion walked over to the king, knelt and awaited the king’s words.17

“I hereby entrust with you, young Darcion, the code of honor of the knights, the trust of the people around you, and the law of this great land. Defend it well, for it is yours and mine. Stand Sir Darcion,” those words would echo in Darcion’s mind for hours as he was led from feast to feast in celebration.18

hen he finally got away from the fray, Darcion climbed to the top of the keep and fell to his knees. He thanked that which had looked over him for so many years and for allowing him to fulfill his dream of making his father truly proud. He stood, brushing tears from his eyes, but to no avail. The tears flowed down his face in torrents, but for the first time in his life, they were tears of joy, not sadness. When he regained his composure he returned to the inside and asked to be led to his quarters. Several girls followed him, but he turned them away at his door. Not wanting to insult them, he asked that they give him their names and he would get to know them. He fell into bed after removing just his boots and his armor, his exhaustion getting the better of him. His dreams were silent, calm and serene like a forest at night. 19

His mind wandered in his dream state through memories long forgotten from his childhood, playing with the children of the village. Then his dream was filled with a roar, a terrible voice full of anger. When Darcion looked for the source, he saw the largest dragon he had ever seen, standing on a mountain, seeming to call to him in anger and rage. Darcion felt drawn to him by instinct, almost a primal urge, told him that this was his destiny to fight this beast. But Darcion resisted, staying clear of the mountain and the dragon, his mind telling him that to face him now was suicide.20

Darcion awoke in the middle of the night and decided to take a walk. He put his armor on and disappeared into the darkness of the castle, testing his stealth abilities by slipping past the night watch that didn’t even notice he was there. He would have a talk with the head of the guard on ways to improve the watch’s effectiveness at night, because a fully trained ninja could sneak in and kill anyone in the castle they wanted. He returned to his room without the guards even realizing he was there. He slept and again the Dragon atop the mountain haunted his dreams. His mind screamed at him to stay away so he steered clear of its high lair. He wandered in his dream state world; full of old memories, like a slide show of his life. He remembered every punch and kick he received as a low class serf. He wished such injustice could be stopped, but knew in his heart that that pain had driven him to where he was now, a knight of his kingdom.21

His eyes opened that morning to a gray cloud over his vision that he rubbed away. He stretched, groaning slightly as he reached out his well-muscled arms to the sky, then dressed, his breastplate and gauntlets his only real armor, the pedestal for a helm perpetually empty. He despised helms and leg armor, finding them both very constrictive and useless. The Samurai were far better swordsman for their lack of armor because their movement was so free with nothing weighing them down. He walked down the hallway to the kitchen and ate there, preferring to eat alone and with those that made the culinary works of art for the king and his knights. They were so pleased to even be in his presence, that he almost felt pity that his just eating breakfast with them would make their day great, but he decided that he would eat in the kitchen each day for as long as it made them happy.22

After breakfast Darcion explored the castle and its bailey to see what there was to offer. What he saw almost shocked him into speechlessness. Many of the serfs were undernourished and the grounds were dirty and unkempt, with rats scurrying about wherever they wished. He immediately returned to the castle and requested an audience with the king. They consented, but he noticed that he was given strange sideways looks from both guards. When he spoke to the king, he realized that he needed to make his ideas sound very important. 23

He presented his ideas for better care of the serfs and cleaner castle grounds with the spin of it would help the castle on the whole. Darcion proposed that the serfs be fed simple, easy to make dishes that were very nutritious, and that simple smooth rocks be placed on the streets to create neater roads that did not become muddy in rain, and that cats be introduced into the keep and the inner village. This would allow for much cleaner living conditions and be the envy of the other kingdoms and greatly cut down on the spread on disease.24

The king gave Darcion a wide-eyed look and stood up. He called for his advisors and had Darcion repeat himself. The advisors looked to the king with faces that seemed to scream, SO? The king was quite impressed with Darcion’s ingenuity and good thought process. His ideas would allow for better crops and other goods, because there was a much-diminished chance of the workers becoming sick and dying. The king ordered his advisors to find the best possible way to initiate Darcion’s ideas into the workings of the castle as soon as possible. The advisors gave looks of hatred to Darcion and it was then that he realized that almost everyone surrounding the king was there for their own gain, not for the good of others. They didn’t care about the serfs; only how good they looked in front of the king. As he left the throne room he could feel the same stares on his back.25

Darcion continued his exploration of the castle and soon found a nice corner of uninhabited earth surrounded by a smithy and a trading shop so he would be able to practice in peace. After telling the owners of the buildings that he would be using the area behind their property to practice, he returned to his quarters to prepare for training and drop his cloak. He grabbed his swords, including his greatsword, and went to his new training spot. Once there, he unloaded all of his gear from his back and began his training regiment for the day. His swords slid from their sheaths with a metallic slide, releasing his deadly blades from their prisons. His stance was calm and strong as he practiced his blend of Samurai and knight abilities, pushing his limits as far as they could go. The twin swords became black blurs as they moved through the air with grace and precision, Darcion’s attacks easily picking his enemies apart as in his mind’s eye.26

He was practicing so hard that he didn’t realize that he was being watched until he pushed himself too hard and had to rest, a pair of eyes watching his every move. When he felt their stare on his back, he found his eyes lock with those of a girl around his age, her beautiful face showing incredible surprise and awe. She had the most incredible indigo eyes Darcion had ever seen, framed by soft features and a fair skinned face. Her hair was a luxurious blond that extended to mid-back. Her facial beauty was sharply contrasted by her peasants clothing, showing poverty in her life.27

“How long…have you…been standing there?” asked Darcion between panting breaths.28

“For several minutes, good sir. How can someone be someone be so fast, and so dexterous? I’ve never seen such skill, and in one so young! ‘Tis quite amazing, good sir,” was her whispered reply, spoken slowly while she bowed her head in deference.29

“Please stop that bowing. I greatly dislike the formalities that my title earns me. I am a knight, but not a god to be bowed to. My title as knight gives me the right to protect the innocent and the oppressed, not to oppress the innocent. Please stand and tell me your name.” This was the passionate and informal response the girl was not expecting.30

“My name is Solaria, daughter of Darius, the wagon driver, good sir.”31

“Darius! Ha, what luck! I had intended to find him and thank him personally for bringing me to this castle with such speed and comfort. He seems to be a good man of integrity and loyalty.”32

“You have met my humble father, good sir? You say you are the squire he drove here? He speaks quite fondly of you good sir, and hopes to see you again sir.”33

“Well tell good Darius that I am also looking for him and will meet him soon to personally give him my thanks.”34

"I will do that good sir, thank ye kindly.”35

With those parting words the strange girl walked out the alleyway she had come and continued her errand with a quicker step. Darcion mused over the mysterious appearance of Solaria for several minutes before packing his gear and returning to the castle. It was nearing the evening meal and Darcion was very hungry for he had skipped his noon meal to practice. The knights were gathering at the dining hall doors and Darcion slipped into the back of the line. The knights were seated around the massive tables, Darcion’s position at the end of the line earning him a place farthest from the king, but nearest the kitchen. The dining hall was a massive room; the ceiling reaching at least fifteen feet high and the room fit four tables that seated 30 each. The tables were solid oak, each weighing well over 300 pounds. 36

Knights sat on long benches, while the king had a large chair decorated with intricate designs. The food was served on huge platters, whole hogs brought forth to serve the voracious appetites of the king and his knights. When Darcion was finally served he ate lightly of the heavy meal and finished quickly. He took his plate and entered the kitchen to clean his own dish before leaving, all of the serfs working in the kitchen standing in shock as a knight actually came into their work area and cleaned their own dish. Several knights at the table noticed his light table manners and didn’t like his disregard for tradition. They also left, but their messed areas were left as they were as they began to follow Darcion to have a chat with him about how things worked in the castle.37

Darcion detected the steps of metal boots behind him and he shifted his sheaths to be within easy drawing distance. He turned to face his pursuers and recognized three knights he had heard speaking around about serfs needing to learn their place. Darcion found them to be faintly repulsive but ignored this because they were his seniors. Because Darcion hadn’t earned enough respect to openly express his opinions and be seriously considered he only listened, gauging the opinions of the knights separately. He could tell that they were definitely following him and he leaned against the wall to wait for them instead of prolong this “chase”. The surrounded him and crossed their arms against their breastplates. The leader of this trio stepped forward.38

“Well, well, well. What have we found boys? Another knight wanting to change the way we live. I think you’re wrong in trying to help those poor weaklings. They are the lower class for a reason. So stop this subversive attitude of yours and go with the rest of the knights’ opinions. We don’t want any change around here, especially from outlandish freak who calls himself a knight, thank you very much, good sir,” Sir Walrick intoned sarcastically, only making Darcion’s respect for the man diminish even more.39

Darcion tried to think of a way to get out of this peacefully. They always come in threes don’t they, he thought silently. The ones of the sides were clearly simpletons who were good for brute force and following orders, but not much else, so they would not be to hard to defeat if it came to that. The knight in the center would be more difficult though.40

“Well thanks very much for the tip, but I don’t care about your ideals. They are serfs, but they are who give us power. Without your serfs what are you? A hunted man with good sword skills, that’s what. Let me pass or duel me, either way I shall return to my quarters. Now choose which.”41

A twisted look of rage crossed Sir Walrick’s face as he looked at Darcion before he jumped back and drew his sword, his glance ordering the two others to do the same. Darcion responded in kind, and with a metal scraping, he drew his twin claymores and prepared for battle. The two on the sides rushed him, the leader hung back, preparing to come in when Darcion was not expecting. Darcion did some fancy swordplay but always kept his eyes focused on the leader so he could not jump in without his knowledge. The two that were trying to distract Darcion proved simple opponents for their predictability, their bodies clearly showing what they intended to do next. 42

No matter what they tried, Darcion met them blade for blade, never allowing them to get to close. The leader decided that Darcion was distracted enough and jumped into the fray. Darcion allowed the two dimwits to close in before pushing them both to the ground with powerful thrusts using the flats of his blades before catching Sir Walrick’s sword between his own x-crossed swords and grinning with victory. Darcion tensed his muscles and pushed with all his might, sending Sir Walrick’s arms into the air and putting him off balance. He then pushed both swords against Walrick’s chest and neck.43

“I shall not lose to pompous swine like you. Be thankful that I do not kill those that insult me. I leave you now, dog, lying in the dirt of those you oppress. Think about my words, or ignore them I do not care. I have defeated you, so thus I take your sword and the swords of your helpers as proof,” Darcion took the three blades and sheaths before heading to the throne room to speak to the king about this trouble. Upon his reaching the throne room, the king was just leaving and saw Darcion’s approach.44

“Ah, young Sir Darcion. Have you been training; your face shines with sweat. Tell me of it before I leave for a walk of the grounds,” was the king’s simple request.45

“Yes, m’lord, I was training behind the smithy and trader’s. I spent a good hours practicing, but I had a run in with Sir Walrick and was faced with a challenge. I defeated him m’lord and relieved him of his and his companion’s swords,” Darcion explained carefully.46

“Sir Walrick? Challenged you? But why young Darcion, have you insulted his honor?” came the king’s hurried and bewildered response.47

“No m’lord, he did not like the way I am trying to help the serfs live better. Sir here are the blades of the defeated, for you to hold until you deem appropriate for them to receive them. I now must take my leave m’lord,” Darcion then knelt with the swords in his hands to the king who took them and gave the naked steel to the knight standing next to him to be carried.48

Darcion then stood up and with a swish of his cloak disappeared into the shadows of the corridor. When he arrived in the bailey, testing his stealth skills by not being seen during his exit of the keep, he laughed lightly as some serfs thought they saw something moving among the shadows but shook their heads in bewilderment. The bailey was bustling with serfs going about their daily business, smoke rising from the various homes scattered about. 49

When Darcion wrapped his armor and head in his cloak to conceal them he appeared to be another peasant and asked for the location of Darius the wagon driver’s home. No one looked at him with strange looks, save the few that noticed his proud posture, instead of the perpetual slump of the average serf. Darcion set forth and soon arrived at Darius’s meager home. When he knocked Darius himself answered, looking quite surprised to find a cloaked individual at his door.50

“Can I help you sir? ‘Tis late and you look tired my friend. If you are in need of shelter, there is warm straw in the storage shed for the animals,” spoke the kind voice of Darius.51

“Ha, ha, ha. Don’t worry good Darius, I have shelter tonight. I came to thank you for the peaceful ride from the academy. I quite enjoyed it and I will rely on you for any important moves, all right? May I come in?” requested Darcion in a whispered tone as he removed his cloak from his head.52

Darcion’s sudden appearance had a strange effect on the noise in the background. He heard a rapid scuffling and some whispered voices. Suddenly he was faced with two new faces and one he had met earlier. Solaria smiled at him with a finger to her lips, while the young man that was clearly her brother ran forward to ask him questions. Darius introduced his family as Solaria, his daughter, Trantis, his son, and Myra, his wife. Trantis started asking questions at a speed Darcion could hardly believe. Darius calmed them down and formally requested that Darcion stay for dinner.53

Trantis took Darcion’s cloak to hang and hurried away while Solaria gave him a tour of their small domain. Myra seemed to be a quiet but busy woman with too much to do as she bustled about the small cooking area. While the house was of mediocre quality, it was large enough for each of the family to have their own sleeping rooms. Trantis ran back and started asking questions again about the keep, his swords, and anything else that came to his mind. Darcion smiled and tried to answer as many of the questions as he could, sitting the ten year old on the edge of the chair he was sitting on. Solaria smiled at this then rushed to help her mother prepare the meat she was cooking. Darius told Trantis to set another place at their small table, and then gave Darcion a hand up from the chair.54

When the family sat down to dinner, Darcion was given the seat at the head of the table, the place of highest rank. Darcion greatly enjoyed his dinner with Darius’s family, finding them to be a kind and welcoming family. When he left he thanked them for the wonderful meal and cleaned up after himself. As he stepped out the door, he turned around and pulled out his swords to show Trantis his bare blades, and with a shout of pleasure he came out the door and looked at every inch of the steel shafts. Darcion then left and made his way back to the keep. 55

Before he entered he stopped at the office of the head man–at–arms to tell him about the changes that should be made to prevent the incursion of a Samurai into the keep. He assured Darcion that he would add his ideas into the security of the castle. As he returned to his quarters he heard muffled voices approaching and his name was mentioned. Darcion pressed himself against the wall in an area of shadows so he could overhear what was being said.56

“Sir Walrick, I followed Sir Darcion as you asked and he came to the house of Darius the wagon driver, who has a family of three, his wife and two children. Their daughter is Sir, Darcion’s age, while their son is seven years younger. He stayed and ate dinner with them, then left. I then lost track of him, good sir,” said a voice Darcion had never heard before.57

“Hmm, so he visited a serf family? Did he seem to care about these people, this Darius and his family?” demanded the unmistakable voice of Sir Walrick.58

“Oh yes sir, he seemed to like the daughter of the wagon driver. He met her eyes many times during dinner, and she looked at him when he was speaking to her father. I think that there is some interest in both of them,” answered the mysterious voice again.59

Darcion tried to hear more but the talkers had moved out of range. He quickly tried to process the information to understand it. He had been followed, and the follower had seen his entire visit to Darius’s family. His mind flicked to Solaria, but he focused and drove that distraction, albeit good distraction, from his mind to try and figure out why Sir Walrick would want him followed. He understood that Walrick would be out for revenge for his humiliating loss earlier, but to have him followed was the act of a desperate man, but all of his thinking was too much for one night and he decided to continue his thinking in the morning. He went to his quarters and fell asleep, his dreams filled with images of Solaria, and the dragon still roaring on the mountain.60

Morning arrived and Darcion dressed quickly, his breastplate gleaming with its recent polish. He slipped this on, pulled his gauntlets into place and slid into his boots. He grabbed his swords and clipped the sheath belts on as he went out the door. He ate in the kitchen again, a light meal before he went to morning training. His training was uneventful and he went for a walk atop the castle walls, greeting the guards and bowmen as he went. He was still pondering what he heard when he heard the voice from the night before, talking to Sir Walrick. He ran to find the source and found a ratty peasant, with a shrew-like face. He was trying to get past a man-at-arms, seemingly to follow Darcion. Darcion stepped forward and told the man-at-arms to grab the man and hold him.61

“Tell me your name serf, why have you been following me, and under whose orders? I know you have been so don’t deny it. Tell me or to the dungeon with you!” demanded the angry Darcion.62

“Sir Darcion, please no, not the dungeon. I am Salran, under orders from Sir Walrick, good sir. He wanted me to follow and report any behavior unusual for a knight, like your activities of last night, sir. Please do not send me to the dungeon.”63

“Well, Salran, you shall not go to the dungeon, but continue this foolishness and you shall have worse punishment. Release him, and continue your rounds guard.”64

The guard released Salran and he slunk away into the shadows. Darcion continued his walk, much more wary of any presence nearby. After he completed a full circuit Darcion decided to walk around the bailey and find the best blacksmith to forge him a new set of swords with true blades, not his dull practice swords. As he passed the communal well in the center of the bailey, he noticed Solaria drawing water and having difficulty lifting the combined weight of the buckets.65

Darcion stepped over to Solaria and surprised her, almost sending her sprawling, but Darcion caught her just in time, only spilling some water. He helped her stand and offered to carry the water home for her, easily lifting the heavy yolk to his broad shoulders and walking in the direction of her house. The walk was short, but the two talked the entire way. When they reached the house Trantis was practicing sword technique with a wooden sword like Darcion did at his age. Darcion brought the water to Myra, who thanked him profusely for his help, and then stepped over to Trantis. 66

He offered to show off some of his skills and Trantis almost fell over he was so happy. Darcion went through a demonstration of some of his best technique, including his most elaborate ninja abilities. When Darcion started running up walls and seeming to disappear in mid air, Trantis was practically paralyzed by the joy he got from this single event. Soon Darcion heard the bell for noon meal and he rushed off, but before he did, he ran to Solaria and planted a small kiss upon her check, making her blush bright red and run into the house to avoid the stares of her neighbors.67

Feeling very pleased with himself as he sat down at the table nearest the kitchens once again. He ate swiftly and was about to remove himself to his quarters when he heard a loud voice calling him over the hubbub of the meal. He stood to find Sir Walrick, standing at his seat with a sword pointed in his direction.68

“Sir Darcion I claim insult against you and demand a duel to the death, today!” exclaimed the overbearing knight.69

“What! How can you claim such, you fool! I defeated you and your compatriots yesterday! Now you claim insult! Ha! I accept your challenge if allowed by King Tobias!” retorted Darcion in a hasty manner.70

The King stood and demanded to now on what grounds Sir Walrick would claim insult against the newest knight. When Walrick told King Tobias of their duel and how he believed Darcion had cheated by using his Dragoon powers, and that the only way to prove who was the better knight and preserve their honor would be a fight to the death. King Tobias agreed to the grounds of the duel and escorted the two knights outside to the dueling ring. As Sir Walrick passed Darcion, he told him to look to the roof of the keep. On the edge of the battlements, there stood Solaria, held there at knifepoint by none other than Salran. Darcion immediately understood that if he won, Solaria would die. His mind scrambled to think of how he could win and protect Solaria at the same time. He came up with a plan, but it would require his reflexes to be on edge.71

When the two knights faced off, Walrick appeared supremely confident and drew his sword with casual ease. Darcion was tensed up, his movements slow but graceful, removing his twin blades from their sheaths. Darcion and Walrick began a circling, tracing a circle in the sand on the ring. Walrick charged, and expecting no resistance because of his trump card went for flashy rather than practical, to show off how “easily” he could defeat this “cheater”. His sword drew back for a powerful down slash, but found himself gasping for air as two blades hit several vulnerable places along his chest and legs. Darcion had dashed in and spun in a full 360˚ turn, slashing with each stroke. He jumped back and took his stance and prepared for whatever came next. Walrick was bright red with anger and embarrassment to have exposed himself so completely, that if it had been real swords, Darcion would have opened him up like a fish.72

Darcion’s plan was working. He had made Walrick angry and that anger would set him off guard and make him easier to defeat. He decided it was time to go on the offensive and charged Walrick, his swords trailing behind him then swinging to full readiness as he struck, one sword heading for Walrick’s head, the other thrusting for his gut. Walrick immediately caught the sword heading for his head and swung his shield just fast enough to save his chest a second time, but because of his attention on the second sword, he missed Darcion’s pulling back and swing again of the first sword, heading now for his knees. It connected and Walrick was knocked off his feet, sending his sword and shield flying. Because this was a fight to the death, Darcion grabbed Walrick’s sword and plunged it deep into Walrick’s chest, shaking his head in sadness as he did so. Blood pooled around the treacherous knight in a black as his evil died with him.73

Darcion had no time to contemplate such occurrences and ran towards the edge of the tower, then threw him self off into open space. He closed his eyes and envisioned his fastest dragon form, Stratos the wind dragon, and opened his eyes to see the falling image of Solaria, and he beat his dragon wings to intercept her in mid air. Darcion tucked his wings and fell like a stone, his speed incredible as he neared the helpless Solaria, his clawed hand reaching out to gather her up. He boosted his speed further using Dragon magic and caught her, his wings unfurling and catching the air, sending him soaring into the air like a hawk having caught his prey. 74

Darcion drew the unconscious Solaria to his scaled chest and held her there as he flew to the top of the tower that Salran had just pushed Solaria off of. He stood there and gaped in shock at Darcion as the Dragoon landed on the tower and turned back into Darcion in his armor, holding Solaria. Darcion laid her down and stepped over to Salran and picked him up by the scruff of hi neck, holding him several feet above the ground. The rage that was fueling Darcion’s actions did not last and before he did anything rash he threw the pathetic serf to the ground and walked over to Solaria, gently caressing her forehead, her tear-stained face troubled. 75

He again picked Solaria up and entered the tower staircase, the guards that were streaming up them immediately pressing themselves to the walls to allow him to pass. Darcion went straight to his room and laid Solaria on his bed, sitting by her side until she awoke, then disappeared before coming back with a mazer of strong wine for her. Her shocked expression was understandable, as the last thing she saw before fainting was the ground rushing towards her.76

“Rest easy Solaria. You are not dead, for you are in my quarters. Do you remember what happened?” she shook her head, “You were thrown off of the tower roof, but I transformed and saved you from an early death. I… I could not bear to see you harmed in any way,” Darcion said in as gentle a voice as possible.77

“You transformed? Into a dragon? To save me? Oh thank you so, Sir Darcion! I shall never be able to repay you for this blessed deed! And are you all right, m’lord? I could barely make out the fight between you and Sir Walrick. Salran saw him fall and knew you would not fight by their rules, so he pushed me off. Oh Sir Darcion, you are sent from heaven truly. May I always be near you my good sir…” these last words were whispered as Solaria fell into a deep sleep against Darcion’s pillows.78

Darcion stood and left his room, walking at a steady pace, but to those that saw him he seemed to be moving among them as through slowed motion. His face was set with a look of such determination that no one in the halls stood in his way. He reached the throne room and swung the doors open and walked into the center of the room. He did not kneel but instead stood with a look of defiance at the room. He took the crest of the king’s knights from his shoulder and threw it to the ground. The eyes of every knight in the room followed his motion.79

“I ask you gathered here, fellow knights, good king, what means this? What use is this crest if those below us are not safe? How can we look away while men like Walrick manipulated those we protect, to try and further his own position? Walrick is dead, by my own hand. I do not enjoy killing, but I will do so when I must. Walrick had one of the few people I truly care about almost killed. If I had not had my abilities, she would be dead, an innocent, killed for someone else’s gain. The thought sickens me, and also disheartens me, that our society, which bases so much on the code of the Knights, could look away, as was done today. I have severely questioned myself on this and come to a decision. I shall not forsake the knights, but my faith in you has been badly damaged. This may not mean much to you, but I care more about this kingdom and its people, than I will ever care about my own gain!” Darcion’s angry voice echoed around the room before he picked up his crest, turned on his heel and left.80

Darcion could hear the murmur of voices behind him gathering volume even as he left the room. The loud noise of his fast walking echoed around the dim corridors as he speedily walked back to his quarters to check on Solaria. She was still sound asleep, so he went to the kitchens and gathered some food for himself and Solaria and returned to his room. He again sat by her side, a constant vigil from any that might harm her. Once she began to shake in fear from a dream, Darcion’s gentle caress against her face quieting her motions. 81

As he stared at her gentle features, Darcion felt himself lose all touch with the world, a feeling of total peace coming to his heart. The anger that had burned against his fellow knights cooled, allowing him to rest, his head drooping in the chair. He awoke to find a blanket draped over him and Solaria bustling about the room. He tried to stand, but she forced him down and made him wait while she cleaned his room, scolding him slightly for trying to make her stop. When she was finished she brought him over to the small table and gave him his morning meal.82

“Are you feeling better Solaria? You slept for quite awhile,” asked Darcion after he finished eating.83

“Yes, thank you good sir. I owe you my life and more for your good deeds,” she replied.84

“Please, do not call me sir. I thought I told you that when I visited your family. I had to save you, for my sake as well as yours. Do you think your father would ever forgive himself or me if you had fallen? Besides, it was my duty as a knight to protect the innocent with my all.”85

Solaria looked crestfallen at this answer and looked at the floor. It then dawned on Darcion that she had hoped he would say something other than her father and his duty. He reached out tentatively with one hand to touch her cheek. She looked up at his touch, hope shining in her eyes. Darcion looked into those eyes and instantly knew what he really wanted to say. Warmth spread through his body as he looked deep into Solaria’s eyes and felt as if he was staring into her soul, a warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.86

“The truth is that, well I uh, you see Solaria…” he took a deep breath and then said, “I love you. I felt something since I first saw you that day I trained. Something I had never felt before. When I saw you watching me with wonder in your eyes, I almost shivered. Later when I saw you at your father’s home, my heart almost flipped completely upside down inside of me. I spent the whole night wearing a mask to hide my anxiety from being so close to you. As I saw you fall yesterday, I almost died, but my heart pushed me on and I felt stronger than ever before when I caught you. When I held you in my arms and knew that I had saved you from certain death, my whole body almost collapsed with relief and joy. Now we are here, and I’ve finally realized the scope of my feelings for you. I don’t know how, but it all happened so fast.”87

Solaria burst into tears and embraced Darcion, burying her head against his shoulder with tears of joy running down her face. Darcion placed his hand against her head and ran it through her hair, loving the feel of her against him. As she cried she pulled her face back and looked up into his face, gazing into his fathomless blue eyes and feeling totally at peace. Darcion pulled his hand from her hair and brushed away her tears. 88

She smiled and whispered in a voice so low he could barely hear it, “I love you as well, my good sir.” 89

They stayed like that, holding each other in their arms, neither moving, for several hours. Both simply enjoyed the company of the other’s arms more than anywhere else. Then Darcion moved to stand and Solaria detached herself from the long embrace. Solaria got up and waited for Darcion to stand then brought her lips to his in a kiss and as they stood there, a thrill passed through both like a lightning bolt, both standing rigid. Darcion pulled his face back and brushed some hair away from Solaria’s face and couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked with the candlelight reflecting off her eyes.90

“Come, let us get you home. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and will need to rest for a few days. I shall speak to your father soon to ask his permission. If I am granted such, we shall soon be married. Does this make you happy, Solaria?” he asked slowly.91

“Oh yes my knight! I am blessed to have love returned by one such as you, my Darcion,” she said his name slowly, as if testing it.92

Darcion gathered her into his arms and proceeded to carry her all the way home to her family. When he knocked upon the door, the entire family anxiously answered to door, led by Darius. When he saw his daughter carried by Darcion, his face gained a notable increase in color from the pale tone he had presented when the door opened. Solaria was quickly gathered into her family’s arms and rushed to her room. Darius stepped aside to allow Darcion to enter. 93

Myra ran to him and thanked him over and over for rescuing her daughter. Trantis said his thanks then ran back to his sister’s room to stay by her side. After the rush of the family’s concern calmed slightly, Darius led Darcion to a chair and asked for him to tell his family what happened. Darcion explained the matter carefully, not wanting them to suspect his relationship with Solaria just yet. When he was finished he asked for a word with Darius alone. Myra and Trantis gave him strange looks, but went to see how Solaria was feeling.94

“Darius, I have to tell you something I did not wish to tell the others yet. I am in love with Solaria and the reason she was not home until now was because she was with me in my quarters. Do not misunderstand, good Darius, I would never do anything to hurt your daughter. After I rescued her I brought her back to my room and allowed her to sleep. When she awoke she thanked me and I came to realize something, how deeply in love I was with her. I wasn’t sure how she felt so I did not tell her outright, instead being very general in my reply. But when I saw her crushed response, I could hardly contain myself. I confessed my love, and we embraced. After a long period of time I decided it was time for her to return home. Now I ask you good Darius, do I have permission to marry my love, your daughter?” throughout Darcion’s explanation Darius had listened with a strange look upon his face, but when Darcion knelt before him to ask his permission, he almost fell over.95

“You wish to marry my Solaria! Why, I would be honored to give you my daughter’s hand, provided it is willingly given. But from the sound of it, this is quite the truth. You have my permission to marry Solaria,” Darius then pulled Darcion up and embraced his future son-in-law.96

Both men heard a small yelp and looked over to see Myra standing next to the wall where she had been hiding to hear these secret words. She blushed at her eavesdropping, but then rushed forward to talk with Darcion. She questioned him furiously, apparently to test the purity of his love for her only daughter. His answers seemed to satisfy her because she smiled and embraced him. She ran to tell Solaria the good news and demand a few answers from her as well. 97

When Trantis heard the news he ran over and grabbed Darcion’s arm, jumping up and down and demanding to know if that meant that they were going to be brothers. When Darius said yes, Trantis practically touched the ceiling he jumped so high. Solaria rushed out of her room and attached herself to Darcion’s arm, her beautiful face beaming with joy, more tears running down her face. As he looked into his future wife’s eyes he felt a sense of joy come over him like nothing he had felt before, he felt complete, whole. He left for the keep with a kiss on Solaria’s cheek before heading out into the dark.98

Darcion’s heart was beating faster than a drum as he ran back to the keep, his mind only focused on the incredible joy he was feeling from deep inside. His steps felt lightened and he realized that he was literally floating, having accidentally used the levitation technique. Darcion smiled mischievously and began flying over the castle, going high above until the keep was the size of a toy. He laughed and had to hold his side because it hurt so much from his laughing. His laughter was born of pure happiness, the love he felt for those precious few. 99

He sobered himself and looked again at the quiet castle below him and shed a single tear in thanks for everyone who cared enough to get him here. He thought back to all those years in Sir Felix’s care, how he raised him like a son. It dawned on him as he floated above the castle that he should go back to Sir Felix and be married there, in his home. He began making plans and then realized that he was still floating hundreds of lengths in the air and he began to descend to the castle walls, startling the on duty man-at-arms into a salute. Darcion chuckled as he imagined the stories this man at arms would start. 100

Upon arrival at his quarters, Darcion laid down and closed his eyes, remembering how good it had felt to just hold her in his arms and let her cry. He brought his hand to his lips in memory of his first kiss, full of love and tenderness. He fell asleep like that, with his hands to his lips. His dreams were no longer haunted by bad memories, instead filled with hope and happiness for his future. But the dragon still stood atop the mountain, no longer roaring his challenge. He stared at Darcion, seemingly into his very soul, and found him still not ready to face his final trial. The dragon’s head curled around the mountain and feel asleep to wait for that day, the day when Darcion’s strength would be complete. Darcion was oblivious to this and enjoyed his dreams of Solaria and the future.101

The next morning Darcion was up early and went to speak with King Tobias. At his mention of his proposal to a serf, Tobias almost coughed into his goblet of wine. He demanded to know the details of this relationship and then he would make his decision. After Darcion explained everything, Tobias sat looking with wonder at his youngest knight. This young man had almost sacrificed everything to save her, this simple serf. Then he remembered Darcion’s true heritage and smiled. From the sound of this love, it was pure and should not be stopped because of simple class. He agreed to the marriage and asked when Darcion wished to hold it. When Darcion requested that it be held soon, but at Sir Felix’s castle, 102

King Tobias stood up and laughed, clapping Darcion on the back. He really did like this young knight, and agreed to his request, on the one condition that he was invited, he said solemnly. Darcion could hardly keep from laughing again and bowed in thanks to his King, then took his leave, almost jumping on the way out. The King laughed at this then sat back in his throne to ponder Darcion’s words from yesterday, about the state of his knights. When he thought about Walrick’s actions, he felt a deep disgust that such a change had occurred without his notice.103

Darcion ran all the way to Darius’s house to tell them the good news. He knocked on their door furiously, almost hitting Trantis on the head when he opened the door. He saw Darcion’s joyous expression and knew something good had just happened, so he rushed him inside. Darcion waited until the family was gathered then told them of the king’s agreement to the marriage and that it could be held at Sir Felix’s castle very soon. Solaria jumped into Darcion’s arms and Darius looked at Myra with a smile in his eyes and mouth. Myra started crying and Trantis started asking lots of questions. Darcion embraced Solaria and ran his hand through her hair before looking into her family’s eyes and feeling tears running down his face. 104

He brushed away his tears and stepped away from Solaria in order to thank her parents for their blessing, then gathered Solaria up and told Darius that he would return with her shortly. When they were outside, Darcion gathered his energy and began floating, using his levitation technique again. Solaria looked up at him with awe in her eyes as he flew high above the castle and turned toward his former home. The countryside passed beneath them with surprising speed as Darcion put most of his energy into flight and speed. He heard a small giggle and looked down to see Solaria grinning widely at being so high above the ground. He smirked and flew even faster, laughing as he went.105

Sir Felix’s castle soon rose out of the ground ahead of them, still proud and strong as it was so many years ago. Darcion decided to have a little fun and landed short of the castle. He set Solaria down and transformed into a dragon, a bright light encompassing his form, revealing his largest form, Bantrotis. Solaria jumped at the sight of a dragon being where her love was, but she adjusted quickly when Darcion gave her a hand up to his neck where she sat in a slightly uncomfortable position. Darcion extended his huge wings and took flight, heading for the castle. 106

The guards walking along the edge of the castle noticed the huge dragon heading for them and ran to alert Sir Felix. As Darcion neared the roof of the keep, he almost laughed at the expressions of Felix’s guards. They were ready to die to protect their Knight. Darcion landed and set Solaria down, greatly surprising the men-at-arms with her appearance. Sir Felix came from to the roof and looked at the immense dragon sitting on his keep with a young woman at its side. Darcion saw Felix and stood on its hind legs, wings fully extended, then began to glow.107

The men-at-arms covered their eyes because of the brightness and stared at Darcion, who now stood holding Solaria by the arm walking forward to address Sir Felix. They parted slowly, realization dawning on their faces, laughter beginning to spread along the ranks. Sir Felix walked forward to embrace Darcion in a fatherly welcome. Then he looked to Solaria.108

“And who might you be, lady that hold’s Sir Darcion’s arm with such pride?” Sir Felix asked gently, a smile itching at the side of his face.109

“I am Solaria, good sir. Daughter of Darius the wagon driver,” Solaria answered shyly.110

Felix gave Darcion a strange look at that then ushered them both inside. He dismissed the guards and then asked Darcion to fully enlighten him of this matter. Darcion told his story, leaving nothing out and finishing with a desire to hold the wedding here in the castle of his childhood, under both of his fathers’ watching gaze. Hearing this, Sir Felix happily accepted the task of having a wedding under his roof. Darcion thanked him profusely and then told Sir Felix that he would like to show Solaria around his childhood home. Darcion took her by the arm and began with the stables, where he told her of the many small adventures he had here. They continued to the places of his memories, until they came to the place where he had once lived with his mother and father. He fell to his knees as he had once done, over ten years ago. 111

When he explained to Solaria what this place was and meant to him she took him by the arms and looked into his eyes, seeing the beginnings of tears in the corners of his eyes. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him, driving away any thoughts of his loss from his mind. She pulled away and smiled at him, asking him to continue the tour of his former home.  Her affection had the desired effect and he started walking towards the next thing he had planned to show her. They were soon finished so Darcion brought them back to the keep and told Felix that they were leaving. Felix again embraced Darcion and then also hugged Solaria warmly. 112

They flew back to the King’s castle and landed uneventfully. Darcion dropped Solaria at her house then flew to his quarters directly, landing through the window. It was nearing sundown so he spent the next hour simply staring at the sunset, its reds and oranges stretching across the sky, gradually descending into deep navies and purples as the sun sunk lower and lower behind the horizon. Darcion then went to his bed and slept peacefully for the second night in a row, the dragon waiting for the time to come when he would wake. 113

The next morning Darcion went to his training area directly and spent two hours there before heading to the castle kitchens to eat. The servants were glad to see him and served him with pride as they always did, Darcion always enjoying the company of these happy workers. He finished and entered the main dining hall to find himself facing strange looks from all around the room. Whispers began to flow from around the room and Darcion began to understand from what little he heard. 114

Most of the knights were still talking about the speech he made the other night, and also news of his engagement to a serf. Both of those events, while separate, served to make him almost an outcast from the whole. He ignored the whispers and headed out to accomplish the days duties. Now that he had been there for a few days, even if he had stirred up quite a commotion and killed a fellow knight in a duel, it was time for him to begin living up to the responsibilities of a knight in the king’s castle. He took a several hour term as Captain of the guard then spent a few more hours as guard to the king. 115

Neither job was particularly interesting, but he served them with pride and did an excellent job at both. Darcion was very pleased with the loyalty the men-at-arms displayed for their king and castle and spent most of his time as Captain learning the various skills of the guards so they could be organized more effectively. He greatly surprised the next duty Captain by giving him a list of how to best organize them if any sort of war or battle began. 116

His duties for a while finished, Darcion went to his quarters and rested for the hottest part of the day before heading out to Felix’s castle to prepare for the upcoming wedding. Lady Armina was overjoyed to arrange such an event for the boy she had raised as her own. Darcion explained that he did not wish for a wedding that was too extravagant so as not to overwhelm his bride. Armina understood perfectly and made plans for a beautiful, but not overly fanciful, wedding so that Solaria would feel comfortable at her own wedding. Then it was time to invite the guests, a slightly difficult manner since they were obligated to invite the bride’s family. It was decided that they would invite her family, the King and his wife, several knights, the headmaster of the Squires Academy and several old friends that were around for Darcion’s youth, including Raynor.117

The plans were finished so Darcion returned to the Kings castle and told Solaria the plans for the wedding, and that they had designed the wedding so she would love it and not be uncomfortable. She smiled at their understanding then leaned against him, whispering that she could not believe he had chosen her to be his bride. Darcion whispered back that he could love no other like he loved her and they stood like that, Darcion gently placing his arms around Solaria in a warm embrace with her head resting against his armored shoulder, for a few minutes before 118

Trantis walked in and made a face, muttering something about mushy stuff. Darcion and Solaria looked at each other and both started laughing, her laughter a beautiful sound like a brook bubbling happily through a forest. When Darius walked in and asked what they were laughing about, they were still having fits and just waved at him. His look of confusion was very funny to them and they started laughing even harder. Darcion calmed down, kissed Solaria one more time and headed out to train. 119

He was almost to his training area when he was suddenly confronted by a hooded figure in a black cloak. The stranger drew a single sword and took and offensive stance, clearly about to attack Darcion. Darcion drew back his own cloak and drew his twin swords so he would be able to protect himself from this threat. The stranger lunged forward, and then dodged in several directions at high speeds that would have been difficult to follow if not for any normal person, but Darcion was used to training his eyes to follow fast objects. Darcion caught his blade between his two and twisted it upside down to make it difficult for the wielder to hold the blade. It worked and the cloaked fighter dropped the blade, but then threw his shield directly at Darcion’s head. Something clicked in Darcion’s mind as he remembered that fight with Raynor where he had done the exact same thing. 120

Darcion blocked the shield with his gauntlets the demanded that the stranger show himself. He was not at all surprised when the hood was drawn back to show a beaming Raynor. He had grown his blond hair longer and he wore it along the sides of his face, past his ears. He ran forward to embrace his friend he had not seen in such a long time. They walked towards the castle and talked about all of the things they used to do at the academy, and the changes that had come after he had left. Raynor was now the top student and the headmaster said he was very close to becoming a knight; he just needed to work on his attitude. Darcion thought this was very funny and clapped Raynor on the back.121

“Wow, Sir Darcion, you seem to have become a much more open person, or am I dreaming? You’ve changed greatly since I last saw you, is it because of that girl? Is she the one who did this to you, because if it was, I need to thank her,” Raynor said as Darcion just smiled broadly.122

“You can stop with the sir, Raynor. Besides you will be a knight yourself soon. And yes, Solaria is the reason I’ve changed. I have never felt like this before, like all my worries have taken second-place to something. There really is nothing like this feeling in the world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Darcion said these words with a look of pure bliss written all over his face.123

Raynor just laughed and started walking again, this time with a definite direction. He asked about the wedding and how the planning was going and when Darcion answered that the planning was just about finished. Darcion noticed that Raynor’s subtle changes in direction were leading them straight towards the keep, but he didn’t mention anything until they reached the main Hall of King Tobias’s wing of the castle. He stopped dead in his tracks and demanded that he know where they were headed. Raynor just smirked and showed Darcion to a door. He opened it and pushed Darcion inside, where he found himself facing several dozen of the king’s knights who thrust new armor at Darcion. 124

He looked at them, confused until they explained that the king had ordered that Darcion be given new armor for that night and his wedding. He was given a specially made breastplate with a crest of a dragon on it, a cape of black outside and silver lining, gauntlets made using his design from the academy with the claw mechanism worked out, and a new shirt and pants to go under his armor, including chain mail sown into the sleeves and legs to cover his extremities. When he tried to ask what this knight was the king’s knights wouldn’t say a word. 125

He thanked each of the knights profusely, for he thought his new armor was a wonderful gift and a very useful one at that, but he was most impressed when suddenly a door at the back of the room opened and the king’s person servant walked in and knelt, holding two sheathed swords on his outstretched hands. The sheaths were exactly alike in every measure of their lengths. Both were black and shone with care over long periods of time. The servant explained that they were known as the Dragon blades, for they amplified the power of a Dragoons power by using gems made from Dragon essence, given willingly. The first had been hidden deep within the castle after the destruction of the Dragoon fort in the Tarnianas Mountains several years ago. The other had been lost, kept by an old hermit in a faraway forest. A Drakenlord of great power had forged the swords during the war two hundred years ago, and then when he died they were separated so that no evil Dragoon could ever gain their collected power. 126

Darcion accepted the swords with awe and in return gave his blades to the servant and ceremonially strapped the twin swords around his waist, then drew them. The blades each had four gems set into the hilt, three of them on the guard, and one on the bottom of the hilt itself. Darcion could tell that these were the source of the sword’s power. The blade themselves were around five feet long using a strong straight-bladed design. The gems had a strange black inlaid pattern leading from each of them that met in the center of the blade and continued up along the inside of the blade. 127

The swords were light, lighter than even the original swords Darcion had trained with, and the servant told him that the blades were forged from mythril given to the Drakenlord that made them as a gift for saving a elf king’s daughter. Darcion was speechless at such a priceless gift and tried to return them, but the servant turned him away, saying that these were the wedding gifts to him from the King and Sir Felix, one sword each. He then truly understood how special these swords were and buckled them around his hips with pride.128

Darcion was now fully outfitted in new equipment, and finally looked like a real knight, his armor gleaming in its freshly forged perfection, the cape hanging still on his shoulders. He was directed to follow the king’s knights and they led him to a large chamber, not unlike the on where he had been knighted. There was a fighting ring drawn in the center of the room and the usual throne and benches for watchers. He noticed the king look up at Darcion’s entrance into the room and his smile upon seeing the new armor and swords. Darcion was shone to one side of the fighting ring and was told to wait. He had no idea what was going on, but decided that he would know soon enough. From the other side of the room, there came a scuffle and Raynor appeared, looking quite flustered as though he almost missed something. He walked to the center of the room almost sheepishly and faced Darcion, his eyes roaming over the new armor appreciatively. King Tobias spoke up from his throne.129

“Thank you for your arrival, Squire Raynor. This is your final test to become a knight. You shall face our newest knight in one on one combat; with full use of both of your…skills shall we say, allowed. You may begin!”130

Darcion now understood what the plan was, that because Raynor and he both had special abilities, they were being pitted against each other. Raynor could see his determination burning in his eyes and knew he could not take it easy on him, or he would never forgive Darcion. Raynor drew his sword and pulled his shield off his back and called upon his strongest Holy Armor technique, the glowing material awing the crowd. Darcion drew his own blades and decided that it was time to see what these swords could do, so he energized one sword with fire magic, the other with ice to create a contradictory elemental energy flow if both connected at once. Raynor grinned behind his shining faceplate and rushed forward again attempting to show off some of his additional training. 131

As he neared Darcion his sword also began to glow with holy light, surprising Darcion with the development that he could now use his powers offensively. Recovering from the shock, he swung his swords in completely different directions, the fire blade on offensive attacks, the ice shifting to defensive maneuvers. Raynor was not at all fazed by this as Darcion had known he wouldn’t, instead he dodged right at Darcion’s ice blade then slammed down on it with his shield. Darcion jumped back and found that Raynor’s shield was once more whipping towards him. This time however, Darcion noticed the special cord that stretched from the shield to Raynor’s heavily armored hand and he quickly calculated how he could use it to his advantage. 132

He dodged left and then grabbed the cord twisting it around his gauntlets and releasing the claws to further constrict its use. From there a struggle of pure brute strength ensued with neither fighter showing signs of letting go until Darcion suddenly let slack on the cord, then pulled mightily, dragging Raynor close to him. Raynor seemed to have prepared for this and went with Darcion’s momentum, using it to increase the power of the head butt he slammed into Darcion’s chest. 133

Darcion decided it was time to try a new tactic and jumped to the other side of the ring from Raynor then pictured one of his many dragon forms, choosing Farinth the Fire Dragon. Raynor had never seen Darcion transform and was shocked to see it first hand, but he recovered quickly. Farinth was a smaller dragon, not much larger than Darcion, but it was very fast and agile, allowing him to fly around very quickly and create a fire tornado of great intensity. Raynor simply put his shield up and the fire moved around a dome of magic created by the armor, but Darcion used this time to sweep in and slash a chunk off of Raynor’s arm guards, leaving gaps in the shining armor. Then Raynor called upon a technique he had never seen before and Angel’s Wings sprouted from his armor, allowing him to fly on the same level as Darcion, even match his speed. The wings were had a fourteen-foot wingspan and were made entirely of shimmering pure white feathers. 134

Darcion decided that his dragon form wasn’t versatile enough so he reverted to his human body and drew his swords, using his levitation technique to stay level with Raynor, then drawing on his invisibility skill and literally disappeared. Raynor had never seen this maneuver before so he became very cautious and listened to the silent chamber as Darcion flew ever closer, the silence punctuated only by the sounds of the magically muffled cheers and calls from the knights sitting around the ring. He sensed movement at his side and he shifted his wings just in time to prevent from having them clipped. Darcion couldn’t hold the invisibility technique for much longer so he simply gave it up and came out of hiding behind Raynor where he couldn’t see him. He simply hovered, waiting for Raynor to swing around and was surprised when he was almost knocked out of the air when Raynor’s shield came rocketing towards him and missed by inches. 135

Darcion then caught the shield and yanked on it, throwing Raynor backwards as his wings tried to compensate for the sudden awkward movement. Raynor fell out of the air, landing on his feet heavily as his wings dispersed in a rush of feathers. Darcion continued to hover nearby, glaring dolefully at his opponent’s hidden face, his own face mostly obscured by his hair which was now waving in the wind created from levitation. He dove towards Raynor then flipped upwards in the air and landed behind him then dashed repeatedly along the floor in several directions to misdirect his true intentions, to cut another hole in the gleaming armor. 136

This time when Darcion powered up his blades he chose to power both with bane magic, a risky choice because it left him completely vulnerable to any openings he left to Raynor’s holy magic. Darcion’s swords were now completely black, seeming to suck the light out of the room and as Raynor turned and saw Darcion’s swords he prepared to unleash the powerful holy spell, Purify, capable of cleaning any object of Bane possession. Darcion saw him prepare the attack and jumped high into the air, using his most advanced wind spell to leave a copied image of him behind, while he dodged at high speeds to a different location. Raynor fell into his trap perfectly and launched the spell at the after-image copy while Darcion brought both blades down on his arms and legs, shattering the radiant armor around him. 137

The cord binding the shield to Raynor snapped and it fell to the ground while Darcion simply sheathed his swords. Breaking Raynor’s armor was as good as knocking him out because so much energy was lost upon the moment the armor shattered. Raynor looked up to see Darcion’s hand reaching down to help him up and then the two friends walked over to King Tobias’s throne. Raynor knelt before the King, but as Darcion was the victor, he was allowed to stand next to the king for the final review by His Majesty.  The King stood and approached Raynor.138

“Young Raynor, you have found with ingenuity and courage. Even when faced with a friend you fought valiantly to win. Truthfully I had not expected such a show of skill from another after Sir Darcion. You have deemed yourself worthy of Knighthood. I hereby place the code of the knights and the king in your care, as it is with all my knights. You are now a treasured member of my household, to protect it with your life.”139

Knights were crowding around the two youngest of their order in an attempt to ask them about the fight, but with so many voices yelling questions at once, Darcion thrust Raynor through the crowd and led him to his temporary quarters until he was properly assigned them. Darcion laughed heartily at the expression on Raynor’s face as he pushed open the door on the luxurious quarters. 140

Darcion explained that such rooms were usually reserved for visiting dignitaries, but as there was not expected to be any of these for quite awhile, Raynor was to stay in one of the extra rooms. Darcion dropped Raynor’s gear and the two began walking towards the bailey. Darcion looked very dignified in his new armor, and many of the serfs did a double take when the saw him, realizing with a jolt that it was the same knight that was always walking around here. He smiled at this and told Raynor how he preferred walking here, near the hardest workers of all, as compared to the stonewalls of the keep.141

Darcion showed Raynor the length of the bailey then steered him towards the home of Darius and his family. He knocked and the door opened so fast he almost lost his balance, giving Raynor a good laugh as Trantis ran out and looked from Raynor to Darcion and back several times before Darcion could even say anything. He then ran back inside and could be heard yelling to everyone that Darcion was here with a friend. Solaria was at the door in moments, jumping into Darcion’s arms, and then turning to introduce herself to Raynor. When Darcion explained that Raynor had just been knighted and was an old friend of his, Darius invited them both in to sit and rest themselves. 142

Raynor took an immediate liking to Trantis and talked to the boy for long periods of time about the academy where he had come from. Darcion talked with Myra and Darius about the wedding and other arrangements that were being made. Darcion showed Trantis his new swords and Trantis started hopping on the balls of his feet with excitement. He reached out and touched one of the gems, but jumped in fright back when the orb shone with bright light and electricity passed over its surface. When Darcion explained that the gems were made of elemental Dragon essences, Trantis grinned even wider and just stood staring at the superb weapons. 143

Then, as if inspired, Trantis asked Darcion to transform into a dragon so he could see a real one. Trantis’s enthusiasm was infectious and Darcion agreed, leading the family outside.  He walked to the center of the bailey and focused on Leviathan the Water Dragon, one of his older, but still powerful forms. He opened his eyes and smiled as the light enveloped him, filling his body with warmth. He looked down from his new perch high in the air at Myra and Trantis, both of which had almost fainted when he emerged, though for different reasons. Trantis couldn’t believe that he was seeing a real dragon, while Myra was being assured by Darius that it was indeed still Darcion. Darcion spoke to them in his new voice, a deep mellow voice that seemed to flow over them just like water.144

“So Trantis, what do you think? I have other forms, but I find this is the least extravagant. I’m sorry Myra if I scared you, if you wish I can revert to my human body now.”145

Myra just nodded her head, her face betraying a deeper emotion than fear, the look of an ancient grudge, and Darcion focused on his human body again, feeling quite confused by the strange look. He felt the familiar wave of energy sweep over him and then his boots touched the ground. He opened his eyes again and looked right at Solaria as he continued to glow momentarily, the energy of the technique still making wind around him. Solaria looked at him with adoration as he stood bathed in light. Darcion reached up one hand and brushed some of his hair away from his eye, laughing as it shifted right back. He walked over to Myra to reassure her that he was real, that it had not been a dream and tried to see if he could see any evidence of the unusual look she had given him, then picked up Trantis and asked him what he thought, laughing again when the young boy could barely babble incoherently out of excitement. 146

Raynor had already seen Darcion transform and merely smiled out of respect for his abilities, then smirked when Solaria kissed Darcion right on the mouth. Trantis glowered at his sister then stomped off, clearly irritated at his sister for distracting Darcion from him. Darcion smiled at this, picked Solaria and spun her around once before setting her down and walking over to where Trantis sat pouting. He patted the boy on the head and turned him around, holding out one of his older swords for the boy to hold. He told him that his father made the sword, so he better take care of it. Trantis grabbed Darcion’s leg in a strong hug and then tried to strap on the sword belt like Darcion did, finding it both too large and too wide. He laughed and tried to strap it around his shoulder and found that it fit much better there than at his sides. He smiled then waved as Darcion returned to the castle.147