The Arcane Knight

'The Rising...'

"So... You said earlier you got a new weapon right?" Athena asked cocking her head to the side, as her and Davi walked down the city looking around. "How did you manage to use a second Devil Stone?"

"I dunno?" Davi shrugged unhelpfully making his friend sigh and shake her head.

"I hate you."

"No you don't-"

"Yes I do."

Davi rolled his eyes, before his attention was suddenly taken away, by a large metal vehicle that moved down the street at a high speed. It looked similar to a metal train, but much smaller and had four wheels. Davi could see someone rested in the strange thing and seemed to be pressing on something making it move forward at a rapid speed. "What is that!" He asked excitedly. "It looks so cool!"

"They call it a car," Athena said shrugging. She made a face looking at her friend. Davi was so weird? "It's like a carriage but it doesn't have a horse. Or it does have a horse but it is invisible? Not really sure. Magic maybe? Who knows."

"That's so cool! I know there was a boat that could fly that the elves built way back during the time of King Arthur, before all the elves were killed in the great massacre, but to think Humans made their own kind of magical rides!" Davi let out a laugh before something caught his eye. He played his hand on Athena's shoulder stopping the young girl as he stared ahead. "What's that?" He wondered out loud pointing forward.

Athena stared ahead and frowned. "It's a crowd." She said unhelpfully making Davi sigh.

"Right... How did I not realize that..."

In front of our two heroes, a large crowd of cheering girls could be seen all staring excitedly at something. They all seemed to have surrounded someone and were all cheering at them excitedly. They yelled louder and louder surrounding this person who was impossible to make out from all the bodies that covered them.

"What's with that?" Davi questioned. "A famous guy in town?"

"How should I know?"

"Yo," Davi asked tapping a girl on the shoulder. The girl turned to him slightly in annoyance from being dragged away from what ever it was that she was doing. "Hey what's up with this crowd?" Davi asked curiously.

The girl shot him a look for a moment. "You don't know? What did you guys just get here?"

Davi and Athena looked at each other for a moment. "Yeah. Is whoever in the crowd a big deal?" Artemis asked.

"Are they a big deal! They're Master Grimval! What do you think?"

"...We don't know who that is." Athena said flatly. "It sounds familiar though?"

"Isn't he one of those Guild people? Like one of the really big deal one?" Davi asked scratching at his chin. "I think I tried to join that Guild but was turned down?"

"Yeah now that you mention it... Guild leader of the Shinning Sentinels. It's like the number one ranked Guild or something? I think? I also tried to join that Guild, but was kicked out for some reason I don't know..." Athena shrugged. "Is that Master Grimval? Or am I thinking of someone?"

"You don't know who Master Grimval is!" The woman looked horrified and disgusted with them for a moment. "The Master Grimval. As in one of the strongest Light Magic-Users in the world! A powerful Noble who is serving our Country while the King is sick! He has taken the royal family under his wing vowing to protect our Country until the King gets better! He is the leader of the greatest and coolest Guild around protecting all manner of people! The Shinning Sentinels made up of only the best of the best! He's the strongest Wizard in the Country, and the most skilled Arcane Knights taking on any Quest, slaying monsters and dragons alike! He's the greatest and coolest wizard ever!"

"I thought he was one of those rich boys who wouldn't go to these backwater dumps of cities?"

"Yeah? I don't think Grimval would be caught dead in this place?" Athena said cocking her head to the side.

"Well you're both wrong!" The woman announced. "It's the one and only Master Grimval! One of the greatest people in the world! He's so kind and cool, and strong!"

"Yeah, whatever," Davi said placing his hand on her face and forcefully turning her around much to her anger. "You want to check this out? I think Grimval is strong right? Maybe he knows where your Dad went? Or at the very least he might know about those Devil Orbs I'm looking for. He might even let us just join his Guild if we can ask him?"

"Sure." Athena shrugged. "But how are we gonna get through this crowd?" She pulled her lion toy off of her head and held it out in front of her. "Should I slice everyone in half?"

"That would be a bit messy..." Davi hummed before reaching for the guitar that hung on his back. He held it in both his hands about to play it. "...Explosions? I have a new sword that can just send out blast waves with every slice."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I see no way this plan can fail."

"Me either! Get on my back!" Davi announced drawing his guitar as it began to glow.

***

Oliver walked out of the store grumbling as Jakey, the weird dog rode on his head.

"I can't believe that man actually thought I would give him you! You are way more valuable than some stinking magic weapon... Even if that weapon was super cool and powerful and would have let me achieve my dreams quicker... Way quicker..." Oliver sighed bowing his head slightly as the dog clung to his hair, seemingly not minding the bumpy ride. "Still though... I really could have used that sword- No! It can't be helped. Besides! That old guy was a total creep..."

Oliver was cut off midsentence when he saw a large crowd that had formed in front of him.

"Huh? What's that?"

The crowd seemed to be made up entirely of women who all seemed to be freaking out about someone. All of them were cheering and calling out to the person who was at the center of the crowd.

"Notice me Master Grimval!" One girl cheered making Oliver's eyes go wide.

"D... Did she say... M... Master Grimval! As in leader of the Shinning Sentinels Guild! The man who is running the Country alongside Master Venefectus, and Lady Abigal the leader of the Umbra Mortis, and the Crossed Scythes guild! That Grimval!"

"Yeah!" A woman said excitedly. "Isn't it great!"

"What is someone as famous as him doing in a dump of a city like this? I mean sure this building is pretty cool but it's not even in the top twenty biggest cities in this Country. Why is he here?"

"He says he's here to recruit one lucky individual for his Guild! He claims the King saw a vision of a powerful Wizard, who he wants to recruit as an Arcane Knight!"

Oliver let out a loud gasp followed by a gulp. His body shook slightly as he reached to his wrist and grabbed his sword pulling it out. The sword looked pretty old and was covered in cracks and rust. It glowed slightly as a green light began to bubble out of the tip of it forming a rune in the shape of a clock as everything around him began to slowly turn black and white.

"W... Well..." His face slightly turned up forming a small smile. "I'm really not that good at this but I've got to try as best I can. I'll give this everything I've got! Slowed Down!" He yelled. Everyone slowed down moving sluggish now. People were still moving but it was like their speed had been cut in half.

Oliver and Jakey moved forward as the air around them bent and twisted. Oliver's face became green and his stomach began to rumble louder and louder as he began to trip. He moved through the crowd at a fast speed as he stumbled into the center falling down and landing on his knees.

His stomach growling got louder as he tried to cover his mouth. The sword stopped glowing as color finally came back to everyone and time began to move once again.

"T... T... T... Tadah!" Oliver bent over and threw up all over the shoes of some poor girl who shrieked and kicked him in the face making him stumble back and clutch his nose which began to bleed. "Oww..." He groaned.

Everyone in the crowd let out a shriek and backed away from the puking, and bleeding boy. All except one figure who stood above Oliver staring down at him.

"That was some powerful Magic... Time Magic huh... And is that a familiar riding on your head? My, my a Devil-Beast huh... I'm impressed. Those are rare." A voice muttered making Oliver's eyes go wide when he heard it. He recognized that voice. The voice of a hero. The voice of a powerful and Noble man. The voice of... "Stand up kid. And tell me your name young man."

Oliver felt a smile cross onto his face as Jakey the rabbit began to twitch on his head. He brought his head up seeing who had spoken ready to meet the man who he admired so much.

A man stood in front of him with a smile on his face. The man had long black hair, as well as some manly facial hair around his chin. He had a kind smile, and electric blue eyes that shined with power. He wore red armor and had a sword that rested on his belt. He looked like the main character in a fantasy novel.

All the girls cheered as he held his hand out to Oliver in an attempt to help the boy up.

"Our King has foreseen you in a vision!" The man announced. "He told me that a powerful Wizard was in this city. I came here to recruit you for our Countries strongest Guild, Shinning Sentinels! It is your birthright to join and fight for this-"

"Who are you?" Oliver asked blinking a few times.

The man, as well as all the girls, fell back for a moment not expecting that answer.

The man let out a small laugh. "Why... I am the one and only Grimval! You might have heard of me?" He announced going back to his heroic speech. "Master of the-"

"No, you're not."

A silence seemed to pass over the crowd for a moment as everyone slowly stared at Oliver in silence.

Oliver stood up and began to dust himself off in a very casual manner. "You're not Master Grimval, and don't even dare to pretend to be him. You're obviously an imposter. Even a child could see through your miserable excuse of a disguise."

'What the hell's up with this kid...' Grimval thought recoiling back slightly. 'He's acting different. From a glance I thought he would be a nervous brat but the look on his face is so serious... He's looking down on me now? It's like he knows he's better than me?' He shook his head and cleared his throat. "W... What? That's preposterous! I'm-"

"A faker!" Oliver cut him off reaching into his bag and pulling out a large poster. On the front of the poster it showed a man, that looked exactly like the one in front of him. "That's Grimval!" Oliver announced.

"That guy looks exactly like me though!"

"Does not!" Oliver pointed towards the poster's hair. "Your hair is black! Master Grimval actually has dark, dark, dark, dark, dark, brown hair! And his eyes aren't electric blue! They are sapphire blue, with a bit of an electric pop, in them! And his armor isn't red! It's a light maroon color! The real Grimval is also six foot one, but you're only six feet exactly! And finally the most damning evidence of all! The real Grimval doesn't carry around a sword! He summons his with his magic! You're nothing more than a dirty fake! What a crappy disguise! As if someone would believe you were the real Grimval!"

"I wondered why Grimval would be at a dump like this..." Someone muttered.

"Yeah... Grimval's a Noble. He'd never visit a town like ours."

More mutters broke out as everyone all stared at Grimval with disapproval now. "I bet he was pretending to be someone famous to get us to sleep with him." A few of the girls announced. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was using love potions on us!"

The fake Grimval let out a small growl as he stepped back. Everyone was looking at him now trying to judge what to do with him as he began to panic.

"You're busted." Oliver announced. "This is what you get for pretending to be someone as great as The Master Grimval!"

"You damn brat..." He growled raising his hand up. Blue lighting began to crackle off of it as he smirked and Oliver and the girls all stepped back not expecting him to turn hostile.

"That's a lot of magic... He isn't planning on using that on all of us is he?"

"Time Magic is rare you know... I didn't think anyone in this damn place was worth a damn but after seeing you... I'll have that magic one way or another!" He yelled throwing a ball of lighting towards Oliver as hard as he could. The ball scattered forward splitting into a massive ball of lightning.

'I don't have time to block it!' Oliver realized as it soared towards him. 'Am I gonna... Die-'

"This is the greatest plan!" A massive sonic boom went off followed by two bodies that flew forward right as the lighting was about to hit Oliver.

The lighting hit the two bodies, causing Davi, and Athena, to drop out of the sky and crash into the ground lighting covering them both...

"Oww..." They both groaned.

"What the hell!" Oliver and the Fake Grimval said in shock.