12 Forsaken Knight is born
Jacara and Yamada were brought to the Blesseds and were laid before them. The Blessed man inspected Yamada's injuries. His calves were covered in second degree burns, covered in large blisters filled with fluids. Red flaking across his cheeks and lips, and heavy blistered bulged over his knuckles. The two Blessed men, clapped their hands together, creating blessing cross and held it over his limbs. They nodded at the Blessed woman wielding a flaying knife, made of cold steel. She nodded back and begun removing the burnt skin, nimbly and deftly, with blood and fluids gushing out. As she removed the skin, the Blessed men held the cross over Yamada's injuries, closing the wound with new skin. They worked through the day on his body, carving away the burnt flesh and sealing the wounds.
Yamada shot awake as she reached his fists, and he struck the blade out of her hand. The blade flew across the room, and the three of them stumbled back. He wore a furious scowl, locking eyes with them, breathing heavily through his nose. "Your hands are injured, let us-" The Blessed man said stepping forward. "Will my scars disappear?" Yamada said cutting him off, staring down at his blistered knuckles. "You want to keep them?" He asked confused. "Yes." Yamada said. "Is it possible?" He asked. The Blessed looked at each other and then shrugged. "Sure...hold your hands out." The Blessed man asked. The blisters on his hands slowly swelled down and disappeared leaving his thick heavy scars.
Yamada smiled at the sight of them, confusing the Blesseds to no end. He bowed and thanked them rushing out of the building. "Just once, I wish the people, the Grand Knights and Mages brought here would be a little normal." The Blessed man said, with the others nodding along. Yamada rushed outside to see the night sky and the streets illuminated by the lanterns. "How long have I been asleep?" He whispered to himself. "A few hours." Jacara said weakly, sitting on the steps, leaning against the stone wall. Yamada heard chanting from down below and peered down, seeing a large gathering of knights and mages hauling the dragon up the street. "They've been dragging it for the last few hours." Jacara said handing him a leathery flask.
Yamada sat down beside him, taking a swig of the refreshing sweet juice. It was a combination that he had never tasted before, it danced on his tongue, and made him feel lighter. "What is this?" He asked handing the flask back. "It's Lychee juice, you never had it?" Jacara asked. Yamada shook his head. "Thank you for saving me, but I'm not going to be indebted to you, or anyone else." Jacara said standing up, dusting off his pants, and tossing him the flask. Yamada scratched the back of his head. "You don't really owe me, I don't think I could have killed that dragon, without your help." Jacara looked down at Yamada. Thinking back to when Yamada stood over him, protecting him from the fire. "He had been insulted and didn't even know who I was, yet he rushed to protect me. Why?" Jacara thought to himself. "Why did you save me and not protect yourself?" He asked.
Yamada smiled up at Jacara. "Because you needed protection, and it's my job as a knight to protect-" Jacara furrowed his brow, his muscles tensing as he heard the sentence coming to a close. "Those who need it." Yamada finished his sentence. Jacara relaxed. "You're job is to protect the weak. Is what you were meant to say." Jacara said walking away. "But you're not weak?" Yamada called out confused. Jacara froze turning around. "What did you say?" He asked perplexed. "You're not weak?" He said cocking an eyebrow at him. "I didn't kill the Dragon, you did." Jacara corrected storming off. Yamada stared at him puzzled scratching his head. "What's with him?"
Gwyneth passed Jacara as he marched towards the Keep. He ignored her and continued on. Abaddon walked with Gwyneth, wearing a large white cape over his head, and wielded a large hammer. They met Yamada drinking greedily from the leathery flask. He leapt up to attention and bowed to Gwyneth and Abaddon. "How do you feel?" She asked, looking at him up and down, noticing the scars still on his knuckles. "I feel better! The Blesseds here are amazing." He said energetically jumping up and down. "You're in high spirits. Good, follow us. Abaddon will explain what is about to happen." Gwyneth said.
Yamada followed them feeling uneasy. They stopped before the dragon's corpse, the Knights and Mages all quickly scurried to look away from Abaddon. Gwyneth made her way to dragon's hind leg and plunged her arm into the gaping wound, removing her sword. She shook it clean of the blood and guts. Yamada leaned his head forward confused. "How did you?" She inspected her blade and smiled at him. "Dragons are incredibly powerful. The reason you couldn't remove the sword, was because its muscles were holding it in place. I'll teach you how to fight with a sword, if your survive this." She said standing in the wrath stance, with her legs making a wide base, and the long sword resting on her shoulder.
Abaddon removed the white cape, wrapping around his fist, staring at Yamada with his soulless black eyes. "It's not, too late to choose a different material." He said staring at the dragon. "I want this." Yamada said confidently. "Very well, but I will warn you first. What you are about to do, is akin to spitting in the face of the Blesseds. You will merge your very soul with this Draken, and eventually become one yourself. Know that you've have chosen a possibility of turning into a Draken into a certainty. And that unlike, those who learn to master the Draken state, you WILL lose yourself to this armour." Abaddon said. Yamada was silent, looking at the dragon's corpse. "Knowing this now, will you still proceed?" Abaddon asked.
"What will I become?" Yamada asked. "What level of the hierarchy, you will take, I do not know." Abaddon said. He felt his knuckle scars and looked to Abaddon filled with poise. "What do I have to do?" He asked. Gwyneth ripped her shield out, from the beast's cavitiy, where Encara had lazily thrown it, sheathing into the underside of her cape. "Put the armour on." Abaddon said with his ghastly smirk. Yamada strapped Vexgar's old Deiridium armour on, and Abaddon strapped the cape onto his shoulders. "Um, do I need to put the helmet on?" Yamada asked. "No, but strap these to your waist, during the process." Abaddon said, handing him the two war hammers. The other knights and mages curiously took a peek over their shoulders to see the process. Abaddon's gaunt body leaping up to the dragon's cavity, caught Yamada by surprise.
He crawled in ripping out the dragon's large scaled heart, handing the blackened lump of mass to Yamada. Abaddon was swift and stepped off its corpse, and ripped a fang out. "Lay on the ground and hold its heart over your own." He ordered Yamada. He was hesitant but followed, feeling nervous and taking a deep breath to calm himself. The curiosity got to other mages and knights, they turned around to watch the process, ignoring their fears at the sight of Abaddon. "Hold the fang." He ordered Gwyneth. She sheathed her long sword into her cape and held the large fang atop Yamada. "Are you sure, you want this?" She asked. Yamada nodded. "Now boy, I'm going to swing on three. I want you to pour all the arcane energy you can muster into that heart, before I do so." Abaddon ordered.
"One!" He chanted raising the hammer over his head. Yamada took a deep breath, and everyone watched on enthralled. Encara watched on from a nearby roof top, from a far. "Two!" Abaddon held the hammer up high, and Gwyneth turned her head away. Yamada began pouring his arcane energy into the dragon's heart. The black and red lump began to beat throbbing with an azure radiance. "Three!" He shouted slamming the hammer down. The fang pierced through the dragon's heart and Yamada's heart. The Knights and Mages all stepped back shock, and Gwyneth gathered some distance, drawing her long sword.
Yamada remained motionless on the ground, with a pool of azure blood seeping out, his eyes closed with blood dripping out of his mouth. The azure blood stained his cape, and his black armour had now become an deep shade of royal azure. Abaddon stepped back with the other knights and mages scowling at him. Gwyneth took a step back drawing her long sword out and took a high guard, ready to strike. It confused the others, as they looked at Yamada dead on the ground with, the fang pierced through his heart. "You killed him!" One of the knights yelled. "Quiet boy." Abaddon snarled.
Encara smirked, gazing at the azure flame around Yamada dissipate. He had only ever told his wife how he saw the world. The world a blaze of colourful fires, but it had always missed a colour. The Citadel radiated with colourful flames, of emerald, crimson, magenta, gold, black inky swirls, silver grey flames rising to the sky, each emanating from someone. Six magenta fires shot to the skies, belonging to the Grand Knights, that over shadowed the other knights. Five large pillars of flames shot to the skies, one representing the Grand Mages. He watched as Yamada's azure flame slowly faded, dissipated into nothing. He stood up scowling at him. "No!" He thought, clenching his fists. The fang and beating heart turned were absorbed into Yamada's cavity.
Yamada found himself drifting under the Oeo, seeing the sun above the gentle ripples. He reached out to the surface, suddenly hearing a roar behind him. Yamada spun around to see the face of a frilled neck serpent, its eyes hollow white, gazed into his soul. It lunged swallowing Yamada whole in an instant. The Knights and Mages jumped back seeing Yamada open his eyes. His brown eyes, turned a fire yellow, and he let out a deafening monstrous roar. He levitated to his feet, as his roar struck fear into the hearts of who heard it. Encara stumbled back tearing up and laughing at the sight. It was the most mesmerizing sight to him. A pillar of azure flame shot to the sky. Yamada went silent hunched forward, silent and motionless. The others held their breaths, with the knights drawing their weapons from their capes, and the mages opened their gates.
He took a step forward crushing the ground, reeling back, to bellow out another roar. His azure armour started to crack and splinter, into large shards, resembling scales. His azure silk cape became leathery and split down the middle. The gauntlet's rounded finger tips became spiked, with each segment becoming razor sharp. His sabatons merged over his feet, forming over his toes into sharp claws. Yamada fell to his knees screaming with it becoming more and more visceral. "Kill the boy before it's too late!" Abaddon ordered taking a step back in horror. The knights and mages hesitated for a second, but followed his command. Gwyneth was frozen her arms and legs trembling.
Several knights lunged in bringing down their swords, poleaxes, maces and spears. Each of their Damascus steel weapons shattered against his scales. "His scales merged with the Deiridium?" Abaddon thought, unable to hide his shock. The war hammers liquefied and merged into the azure vambraces, becoming long extended blades, that protruded backwards, past his shoulders. The earth mages opened their gates and encased Yamada in a tomb of stone. The fire mages blasted the tomb with a stream of fire, creating a molten furnace. The wind mages fanned the flames, increasing its intensity.
With another primal roar, Yamada broke free from the tomb now tripled in size. He stood five metres tall, and tripled in width, with his teeth now razor sharp fangs. Gwyneth was frozen, but not out of fear. With a crackle of lightning Rai appeared in front of Yamada with his golden cloak. He held his hand out towards Yamada, opening the gate of lightning magic. A faded crimson lotus became engulfed in a twelve point golden ring of lightning. "Calm down." Rai said with a cocky smile. The golden lightning engulfed Yamada and he reeled back in agony. "Time to take this out." He said, launching Yamada clear out of the Citadel with a stream of lightning. Rai's cloak fell back revealing his lush golden locks. He looked back at the trembling Gwyneth and shook his head derisively. "Some Grand Knight you are." He scoffed and leapt away chasing after Yamada.
Gwyneth looked down at her trembling hands. The other Grand Knights stood outside on the first ring, watching from afar, each of them stopping a limb from trembling. Yamada plummeted towards the ground, after clearing the third ring. He bellowed out another monstrous roar, his long flowing leathery cape split in half, turning into wings. Rai followed after him, moving as a lightning bolt, bouncing between the air. He appeared over Yamada, opening the gate above his face. "Split the Earth." He growled. A bolt of lightning shot out sending Yamada crashing through the ground, with dust and rubble shooting up. Rai gently floated down, dusting himself off, and fanning away the dust cloud.
Yamada stood up roaring, his face beginning to extend and turn into a snout. He continued to grow in size, the fauld of his armour beginning to transform and elongate into a tail. "Tsk, what the hell were they thinking, letting a child under go this process. There's a reason why knights stopped doing it." He said opening the gate. A large azure and orange dorsal fin emerged from the back of his armour. Rai held his hands out the gate increasing in size, now larger than he was. "Surge." He said, releasing a stream of golden lightning. Yamada fell to his knees writhing and roaring in agony, his snout growing in size, and wings splayed out.
Yamada slowly began to rise through the stream of lighting, scowling at Rai, snarling his fangs. Rai took a step back as smoke wafted around Yamada. "Quite resilient are we?" He said with a smile. "Alright then, guess I end this quickly." He said removing his cloak. He wore a fine silk tunic with a belt strapped over his leather pants. He planted his leather shoes into the ground, opening the gate beneath him. With a blinding flash of light, Encara appeared beside Rai. "Alright enough of that." He said grabbing Rai's shoulder. "He's already lost himself to it. Look at him!" Rai exclaimed. "Normally when someone transforms, they don't roar so much. That's a sign he's fighting the transformation." Encara said.
Yamada stood nearly 15 meters tall, his splayed out wings blotted out the stars, and he still continued to grow in size. The rounded breastplate now contoured around his torso muscles, and frills spawned from behind his ears. Yamada reeled back as a full were-dragon, standing on his digitigrade hind legs, his large azure leathery wings beating, his body covered in razor sharp azure scales. He bellowed out another roar, looming over the two of them, standing 50 meters tall. Encara and Rai looked on shocked. Yamada had taken the form of Vasha herself. "Can I kill him now!?" Rai asked. "No, go back inside and fetch Gwyneth." Encara said.
Rai shook his head confused. "What? Why!? They can't do anything!" He yelled. Yamada charged in roaring. Encara clapped his hands opening the gate to blessing magic. "True strike." A golden cross branded Yamada and a tree in the distance. He swung his large claw at them suddenly being directed backwards to the tree. Yamada unleashed a feral barrage of attacks, always striking the same point, no matter what he did. "I said go get her, because I ordered it, I'm your king." He growled. Rai scoffed, rolling his eyes derisively. "You're not my king. You're just, A, king to a type of magic. You also seem to forget that I'm also a grand mage." The two of them glared at each other in silence. "Go get Gwyneth, before I get angry." Encara snarled. "Or what?" Rai said smugly.
The earth beneath them split apart and Soel emerged, with Gwyneth beside her. She grabbed Rai by the collar, scowling at him, pulling him in close. "Listen to your king child and learn your place before it gets you killed." She said tossing him aside. "I could have done that myself." Encara said to Soel. "I know, but I'd rather you not create a second Blessed Blight." Soel remarked. Encara bit his tongue, and stayed silent. "He's lost himself, I have to kill him." Gwyneth said, her arm trembling. "Look at her! She's a Grand Knight and trembling to one Draken." Rai shouted. "Rai, listen well and remember this, it will save your life. Do not test the patience of those stronger than you." Soel said staring at Yamada continue to barrage the tree line. "You were given the rank of Grand Mage by us, when you came back with six Draken hearts. We did not specify its strength only that, YOU, bring it back. She earned her titles in battle, and is strong enough to kill you in a heartbeat. Now return to the Keep before, I lose my temper." Soel said glaring at him.
Rai furrowed his brow at them and scoffed, leaping away with a bolt of lightning. "Kids these days, don't know anything about respect." Soel said shaking her head. "No they don't." Encara said. "So, how long do you intend to let the boy rampage in that state?" Soel asked. "If this doesn't work, then we'll have to kill him." Encara said, snapping his fingers. The golden brand disappeared on Yamada, and he snapped around at the three of them. He charged in on all fours, bellowing out a roar, his tail swinging wildly behind him. Yamada raised his claw high into the air."YAMADA! IF YOU WANT YOUR REVENGE! WAKE UP!" Encara shouted.
Yamada froze reeling back. He clutched his head roaring out in anguish. "How are you going to enjoy killing Begron, if you aren't even awake for it!?" Encara shouted. He began to shrink thrashing about. "He's fighting the transformation this far in?" Gwyneth said astonished. "You don't have any faith in your squire?" Encara said with a smug look. Yamada's lower jaw shrunk back in, his top snout receded upwards, turning into a salet. His wings retracted merging into one azure silk cape. Yamada's size returned to normal, the azure armour shaped like scales that contoured his body. The three of them gazed on in silence as Yamada fell face first into the dirt with loud metal clang. "Well I call that a complete success!" Encara exclaimed happily throwing his hands up.
Gwyneth and Soel rushed over to Yamada, lifting up his visor. As Gywneth raised him into her arms, his arm fell apart turning into dust, revealing his bare body. "Wow, this boy is well equipped." Soel said impressed looking at his loins. Gwyneth cleared her throat aggressively at Soel. She shook her head puzzled. "What? It's a compliment." "Give him your cloak." Gwyneth said. "Give him your cape. I don't want sausage on my cloak." Soel replied clutching her cloak. Gwyneth rolled her eyes quickly removing her cape and wrapping Yamada's lower half. She held him in her arms looking down at his sleeping expression, and for a brief moment she saw the face of another man over his, mangled and covered in blood. She closed her eyes and blocked it out.
