A Knight's Charisma

We ran through empty roads paved of cobblestone. It was a quaint little town with houses made of wood and stone. The stores even had glass windows much to my surprise. Glass, while not expensive, was harvested from battlefields on my world and made from its blackened form into the clear version we see through normally. It was far easier than just making it given the amount of wars fought on my homeworld, but it was reserved for the powerful men and women who fought in said wars. Soldiers and their families are highly valued by their governors, and are granted the highest honours if they perform dutifully and with discipline.

This world continues to show itself as a far-cry from the war torn paradise that I called home.

…

We made our way towards a large, well maintained hall. Above the door hung a massive reptilian skull, granting it a foreboding air. The walls were made of wood, and seemed to have been meticulously cleaned daily.

"This is the adventurers guild?"

We slowed to a stop as Utbrot eyed the eight steps that stood between her and the door.

"Yes, it is. Give me a moment, I'm not very good with these."

I walked halfway up before turning back and offering my hands, which she graciously took. After making her way up and nodding her thanks, she pushed open the door and released the muted hubbub within.

And the moment we entered, several adventurers hollered greetings at Utbrot before laying eyes on me.

A couple of elbows and whispers later, and the entire guild was eyeing me.

There weren't a lot of men, as I predicted.

But there were still a few more than I had expected.

The guild almost felt like a soldiers pub. It had a large open space leading to what seemed to be a mission's board and a front desk right beside it.

Some missions were written on paper, and others on leather with paint and a variety of other materials. Each showed a hint about the location, and the wealth of the sender.

Otherwise, there was a large dining area and a lounge made up surprisingly of couches and cushioned seats.

It felt very posh for somewhere adventurers dwelt.

However I was forced to pull my gaze away from the vexing scenery as we came upon the sight of a worried receptionist speaking with what looked to be a scout of some kind.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you at this time."

The receptionist didn't even bother to turn around before pointing at a less busy employee speaking with some teenagers.

"Busy, talk to her."

Neither of us were offended, given the contents of their conversation that we overheard.

Ogres had invaded the forest, and were hunting the adventurers in there.

…

__________

POV: Utbrot

__________

Mumbling out an apology, I went over to the receptionist and asked her about my husband.

"Ah yes, your Utbrot Brun right? The wife of Cartor Brun? He's been referred to a free residence at the moment because of the current situation."

"Ah the ogre's right."

"Oh yes, things have gotten quite serious. An entire party was cut off from returning.

"That's terrible! Acros, what do y- Acros?"

I looked about only to see Acros walking back towards the receptionist. The hubbub which had died down when Acros entered and had begun to return, once again died down as he approached the man in glasses.

Acros then tapped the man on his shoulder, causing him to turn around exclaim in a loud voice:

"WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW WOMAN!"

Only to realise he was now staring down a 6'2 giant in armour that was thicker than most of his bones.

"Sorry, what do you need?"

The entire guild began to snicker as the high strung man finally met his match. Even I had to raise a hand to my mouth and giggle.

But I stopped when I heard what Astaros had to say.

"Do not fear my friend, you are simply worried. But do not fear, a knight is here to offer his sword."

The muffled chuckles and giggling now burst out into full blow guffawing and howling as the whole guild rocked back and forth in their seats.

Even the receptionist was bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

Sucking in a breath, I prepared to defend the gallant man who had kindly offered his help in my time of need, but it seems like it wasn't necessary.

"I find it funny how many cowards can come out of their misery and find humour in the plight of their comrades."

Almost immediately, the hall went silent as the adventurers mostly donned masks of contempt to shield their shame.

One particularly grizzled man stood up, refusing to take the insult. He was not very tall, but he was big and muscular, with unkempt hair on both his hair and face. An eyepatch and several scars denoted his experience and denied him any semblance of youth. But nonetheless, his stand seemed to put several adventurers who were getting up themselves at ease.

"Do you find this situation funny or something man-whore? Get the hell out of here before we strip you and let you figure yourself out in the forest. Actually wait, you might like that."

The man got a few chuckles as the adventurers calmed themselves. I sighed as the conflict seemed to end there, and turned to call Acros over in a loud whisper.

"Acros co-

"Does this one-eyed boar speak for the lot of you? Is there a monkey I may speak to while I'm at it?"

The man who had barely turned away whipped around, his face red as a few of his friends snorted at the slight.

"Alright boy, I don't know which noble house you came from in that clean armour, but this is not a place to look for feats or women. The red light district is two streets over."

"Acros, I really thi-"

"I am not a nobleman, I am a servant of Firmina, called to act from another world."

I facepalmed as the entire crowd looked on in shock.

But before anyone could refute him, he drew his sword and scabbard.

Or what I thought was the scabbard. The moment it was drawn, the blade transformed.

It clanked itself together as he spun it towards the floor in an arcing circle, striking the stone and bringing it up and around once again. Sparks flew as flames licked down the fully formed blade, roaring in the silenced hall. Pointing at the grizzled man, his next words sent a collective chill down all of our spines.

"If any of you do not believe my words, you are welcome to test your theories here and now."

It was a clear challenge. But for some reason, no one took him up on it. I had been on the receiving end of his might, and couldn't even make him draw his sword.

Even if they did take him up on it, I wasn't sure it would end well anyway.

"No one? Then listen closely. I am not familiar with this world. I arrived here on this very day. But I see weapons at your sides, armour upon your chests, and scars that line your skin."

"You have the makings of warriors, but you are missing one thing.

Resolve.

Where is your will? Your pride as adventurers!? You're seekers of the unknown, vanquishers of the horrors that stalk the land, you are warriors are you not!?!"

A mumbling concurrence spread throughout the crowd, and I could only look on in awe as Acros had taken the eyes of everyone onto him.

"You heard the word knight and thought me a common whore! But the moment I drew my blade, not one of you came and stood before me! NOT ONE!"

He pointed at the crowd with his blade and the tongues of flame that licked off the tip seemed to cackle scornfully at them. Their shame could no longer be hidden by contempt, and instead they now sat like children receiving a lecture from their parents.

And the lecture wasn't over yet.

"Your brethren stand at the precipice and you hide away, eating and drinking to drown your sorrows with gluttony. YOU DISGRACE YOUR TITLES AS WARRIORS! I'd rather drown our foes in their blood!"

Another, scrawnier man in the crowd cried out, indignation and self pity dripping from his voice.

"But their ogres! They could wipe us out!"

"Yeah!"

"You don't know how tough they are!"

"Yo-"

"So you will abandon them to their fate?"

The crowd was silenced once again, the weight of his words crushing the dissenting voices.

"You would rather cower within these walls than stand before our common enemy? Within this hall I count no less than a hundred armed men and women. Out of a hundred of you, not one is willing to put their life on the line? Then turn your blades in to the guards, I'm sure their armoury would be glad to receive such an abundance of weapons. You can whine and complain as you till the fields instead."

Once again, the crowd was left with no response as Acros made his way to the midst of the adventurers in the lounge and mess portions.

He took to the open floor, all eyes on him as his gaze washed over the crowd. Each one refusing to meet his gaze in one way or another.

"Disappointing. I challenged your pride, your honour, and your will. Yet none are willing to stand with me. Fine then. I'll fight alone, and if I fall, I'm sure you'll have a grand time mocking my corpse."

He then made his way towards the door without another word.

"A-Acros wait!"

He turned back for a moment as I looked at him.

"I get that you really want to save those people, but ogres are really dangerous! The-"

"I do not care. I am a knight, a soldier. My faith is my shield and my wit is my blade. If I cannot beat them with sheer might, I will crush them with intellect. But I will not abandon those men and women to their fate."

Just before he could walk out however, one of the teens beside me stepped forwards.

"Acros r-right? You said you're new here right? I-I'll guide you!"

A girl, no older than sixteen wearing a mage's black gown and a pointy wide brimmed black hat ran towards him.

The swordswoman and spearman behind her looked at her in shock, before immediately trying to call her back.

"Melinda stop! Those are ogres you know! If you get caught they'll rape you for days on end until you turn into witch!"

The girl shivered and tripped, but still kept walking towards Acros.

"Melinda!"

"...."

"MELINDA!!!"

"He's right, y'know, about you guys being cowards."

The harsh words of the soft spoken girl hit hard, as all the rest of her party recoiled. It was one thing to hear it from a stranger, and a tall powerful man at that. But the words of the mage girl just seemed to be far harsher.

Acros didn't bother to say a word as another woman stood up and walked up to him, this time being a woman wielding a hammer and shield.

"Well shit, now I can't stay behind. No way a little girl shaking in her boots can walk out there and leave me in here. RIGHT GIRLS!"

She then called out to her party sitting around a table, who all sighed and stood before making their way over.

"Melinda wait! We're coming!"

The rest of Melinda's party finally abandoned their reservations and fell in with the crowd as adventurers from all of them stood up and prepared to fight.

"Now this is what I was hoping for!"

Acros's shout brought eyes to him once again as he placed his blade behind him once more and curled his fist.

"Listen closely. Our task is simple. We will find the adventurers! We will crush the ogre menace! AND WE WILL BRING. THEM. HOME! CMON!"

Acros raised his fist high as the crowd cheered.

It was then I realised that even I had begun to walk towards the door. I couldn't even fight!

Yet…

He made me want to.

'Is that what a knight is like?' I wondered to myself as I watched the crowd walk out of the guild.

"WAIT!"

A loud yell drew the attention of the crowd as they all turned around to look at who was now trying to slow them down.

A well built man rushed to the door, his military style jacket adorned by many medals and the Larinian coat of arms.

"Guild master!"

The receptionist ran up to them, snapping out of his daze.

"Where are you all going!?"

"To bring back your subordinates."

Acros muscled through the crowd to stand before the man who was now red in the face as he looked at all his adventurers just decide to spontaneously up and leave.

"You all can't just leave! The city will be left with only the guard to defend it! The only reason this place isn't overrun by the forest monsters is because of how many of you idiots with swords call this place home!"

"Can't the guard protect the place till we get back? That's what they're paid for!"

The woman with the hammer spoke up beside Acros as she looked the guildmaster dead in the eye.

"NO YOU BLITHERING FOOL! If the city came under assault by monsters they'd overrun without our support! Besides! What even prompted you idiots to get so riled up! I could barely get scouts to go make sure people came back and now you're all suddenly willing to go wage a war!?!"

"It is because I brought them back to their senses."

Acros's voice drew the guild master's ire as he sized up the armoured man.

"And who the hell are you! You're not one of my adventurers!"

"I'm a servant of Firmina, a summoned knight."

"A servant of Firmina and a knight! REALLY! Is there a saintess in the crowd too!?! Give me a break! You can't even prove it!"

"I can."

The receptionist who I was sent to talk to walked to the door and stood side by side with the guildmaster.

"The sigil on his shoulder is the real deal."

The guildmaster sighed as he dragged his palm across his face.

"Ok, I stand corrected Mirabelle, thanks for your input. What the fuck do I do now…"

"Let them go?"

"Sometimes I wish I never took you in."

"If you're done with the banter, we have people to save."

Acros, who was finished with the two's interruption, turned to leave again but the guild master once again tried to stop them.

"Wait a minute, if you guys all leave the city, then we will be seriously undergunned."

"Then why not let him take Rose and Mark, together with a servant of Firmina, they should be able to fix this."

Once again, the receptionist's words caught the attention of the guild-master.

"Fine! FINE! As long as you all just don't wander into the distance, I don't care."

The woman then looked at Acros and smiled as the guildmaster went inside.

"A servant of Firmina should be able to do this much, right?"

The other adventurers looked to Acros, anxious to see his response.

"Understood. But I will require some additional time."

"That's fine, I will have an appropriate reward waiting when you return. The rest of you, come back inside."

The woman with the hammer slapped Acros on the shoulder and greeted him as another man went to join him.

The other adventurers then made their way back inside, seemingly slightly relieved as I was left standing without anything to say.

"Don't worry about him, he'll be fine."

I looked to see the receptionist standing beside me as she watched the three set off.

"Ah, yes, I hope so…"

I looked at the receptionist, wondering what she was thinking at that moment.

After all, something about her felt just a little.

Off.