7 Distortion in Events

Damon couldn't wrap his head around the facts of the previous night as he sat strategizing the change of events that may be required for the future. The rift opening was related to a time and space paradox. He had known of the rift forming due to the education he received through his journey with the Princess but the rift was never meant to open a passage through worlds. It was meant to travel through time. He recollected the words of the Eques Tempus,

"It was a test for the young Knight to understand your determination to protect the Princess but also must have made you realise that you failed to notice your surroundings."

He had once again failed to be aware of his surroundings. Damon knew that it was only a matter of time before he would fail his task of protecting the Princess if he did not work on his awareness. He took action immediately and sat down on the floor. He concentrated with his eyes closed as his senses seemed to awaken. The darkness shroud over his eyes made him feel peaceful as he focused on every sound no matter how miniscule it was. He heard the chime of the clock, the turning of the fan, the movement of air, the rustling of leaves outside his window, the creak of the floorboard and someone screaming his name. He got pulled out of his reverie as the light flooded his sight which caused him to squint.

"DAMON, WE ARE HEADING OUT. SINCE YOU FIND IT SMART ENOUGH TO NOT COME DOWN SINCE MORNING YOU DO NOT DESERVE COMING WITH US. DON'T EVEN BOTHER ABOUT DINNER. IT'S NOT MADE AND EVEN IF IT IS YOU WILL NOT GET ANY.",

Damon's aunt screamed as she burst into his room. As soon as she finished her rant she left the same way she entered leaving Damon in another daze.

"I've got to start paying attention to my surroundings.", he thought as his wide eyes closed and he shook his head. He felt a small smile spread across his face as he thought of how the Princess would have given him an equally snarky remark in return for his thought. As he thought about the Princess his eyes glazed over as he averted his eyes to the greenery outside his window. Although he was safe in his room his heart was racing at the thought of the Princess' security. He knew that although being in his room had once upon a time made him feel calm but at the current moment his calm would only come back when he fulfilled his promise to the Princess and returned to her side.

On the other hand Eques Lux had waited for an entirety of 24 hours. He still had to wait for the next 64 hours for the fourth Solis dip. Although he knew that Eques Noctis would return but it was almost impossible for him too to keep his calm as only the Eques Tempus was available to protect the Princess. Time kept passing for Eques Lux. He knew that the Princess had reached the 'Valley of Death' but the trials she had to undertake were unknown to him. At the dip of the fourth Solis Eques Lux sighed heavily. The temperatures had begun to drop with time and he knew it was not worth the effort to wait when he could be protecting the Princess from harm. The faith and trust he had on the Eques Noctis had begun to waver.

As Eques Lux set foot into the woods towards the Valley a sudden flash of light brightened up the night sky. He dropped his sack and wielded his sword aiming towards the source of light which had appeared a couple miles ahead of him in the woods. He threaded lightly through towards the source of light with precise alertness and an enhanced sense of hearing. As he managed to cover a mile and a half he noticed a figure standing. His consciousness ate him up as he decided to attack. In his mind, he knew it was wrong to harm someone who did not seem hostile but he could not be sure at this point. As he stepped closer he felt the tip of a weapon pointed at his throat. Eyes widened he tried to register the person in front of him only for the light to suddenly dim and vanish leaving both the assailants battling for bearings.

A few seconds was all it took for both the assailants to focus and snap back into a battle stance. But what shocked both of them was that they each wore similar armour with the emblem of the Princess's personal detail. Eques Lux did not hesitate to disarm the knight in front of him and point his sword at his throat just as he had experienced a few moments ago.

"Who are you? What do you think you are doing here?", Eques Lux shouted

"Peace Frater Eques. I am Eques ...