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Chapter Text

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It was a beautiful day in the tavern, multiple gray knights were seated down in small groups. Their lively chatter can be heard all around, weather they were dancing, drinking, or practicing their weapons. 

The gray knights signifies that they're a beginner knights, only learning basic magic like summoning arrows from above. If they're able to train to their full power, they would receive an element and a color that matches. 

But in those groups of gray knights, there was a group that stood out in the tavern. These four knights were highly trained than the others. Each knight held magic that represents their colors. Raidon, the red knight, and the leader of the group. His lightning personality matches with his element. A charming smile laced his lips as he played with his lightning magic.

Aconite, the green knight, the second member to be formed in the group. Wielding poison magic, he can poison his enemies to the point they're left dead. He's known for being the grumpiest of the group. 

He turned his gaze to see two of his other teammates, watching one playing with fire while the other sat in silence while eating. Jokul, the blue knight. Known for being the calm and collected one of the group. He holds the power of ice magic, freezing his enemies on the battlefield. And last but not least, Jokul's best friend, Cyrus. 

Being the orange knight, he holds the power of fire magic. The use of it helps him burn his enemies to the ground, turning them into dust. Holding cocky personality, he was the loudest of the four. "Do you think we're going to do something today?" Cyrus questioned, waiting for his teammate's response.

"I don't know, the village's been in peace for the last few years." Raidon replied before a wide smile stretched on his lips. "But I heard that we're gonna have a new knight." 

Cyrus beamed at the news, there hasn't been a new knight in a while. "Do you know what magic they hold?"

The questioned came from Aconite, seeing a glint of interests in his dark green eyes. "Not yet, but I've heard that they're very powerful. I heard rumors about the new knight having rare magic." he informed.

"Do you think we're going to see them today?" questioned the orange knight, earning a shrug from the leader. Jokul couldn't but chuckle at his best friend's eagerness. It's been a while since they've trained with a new knight.

"We'll just have to wait and see..." Cyrus whined at the little information of the new knight, wanting to see how powerful they were. That was until they heard a small commotion coming from the front of the tavern.

Directing their eyes to the entrance, they see a crowd of grey knights surrounding someone. As a few of them went away, it revealed to be the new knight. They wore the same armor as them, but with hints of the color pink.

A toothy smile was plastered on their lips, adding to your beauty. You greeted the grey knights as you shook their hands. In front of your armor was a light pink heart, it was different from the usual plus sign. "It's them!" Cyrus shouted with excitement before dashing towards the pink knight.

He watched the new knight's eyes slightly widen when he ran up to them, making sure to stand a few feet in front of them. "Hi! You must be the new knight! It's been so long since we had a new knight." he pushed his hand out to greet them. "I'm Cyrus."

A gentle smile laced the pink knight's lips before taking the hand and shaking it. "[Name]. You must be the fire knight?" you replied, earning a grin from orange. 

"Sure is! C'mon, I want you to meet the others." he nearly dragged you towards his teammates.

Once you guys stepped towards the table, you examined the group. These were the highly trained knights that you knew of. "Guys, this is [Name]!" announced Cyrus, watching you greet them with a wave. "It's nice to meet you, [Name]. I'm Raidon, the leader of this group." spoke the red knight.

He flashed you a charming smile before pointing to the other two knights. "This is Aconite, the grumpy one. But don't mind him, he's actually softie." he spoke in a teasing tone, chuckling at the annoyed green knight.

He greeted you with a nod of respect, seeing that you were pretty powerful to become an elemental knight. Even though he didn't know what magic you held, he still had to respect the hard work.

"And this is Jokul, he's the most chilled one out of the group." the pun earned him a chuckle from you and an annoyed groan from the blue knight. 

"It's nice to meet you, [Name]." Jokul greeted with a polite and smooth tone. The red knight then pulled up a seat for you to sit, ready to converse with you.

"So how long have you've been a knight, [Name]?" questioned the green knight. "I've been a knight for a few years ago." you replied, watching the lightning knight eyes widen. 

"How come we haven't seen you then? We could've train so much!"

Your gentle smile slightly faltered but regains its brightness. You explained that you were going through some things and also having to train for that matter. Your explanation peaked Aconite's interest, wanting to see how strong you were with your magic.

"Is it okay if we could see how strong you were?" he questioned, his tone filled with excitement. You gave him a nod before stepping away from the table before going to one of the test dummies. 

They watched carefully as your hand formed into a fist and cocked it back. Using enough force, you delivered a blow to the scenter of it. Once the blow made impact, bits and pieces of the test dummy flew in different directions. The test dummy had a hole in its chest. Cheers from the gray knights echoed in the tavern, causing the four main knights interests peak even more. 

They couldn't wait to see what magic you held. "That was so cool!" shouted Cyrus, but Jokul quickly calmed him down. 

"They pack a lot of power. They would make a great member to the team." spoke the blue knight, earning a nod from the leader.  

"Hold on, we can't just jump into that. They may be powerful, but we still don't know what magic they hold." stated the green night. 

Raidon gave him a confused expression before a sly smirk laced his lips. "Oh? So you're willing to spar with them?" he teased. Practically everyone in the tavern knows that Aconite was one of the strongest and toughest knights here. 

Many knights have attempted to challenge the poisoned powered knight, but all of them had failed. The only ones that were on par with him was his teammates. Making your way back to the table, you sat back down. 

You felt someone gently nudge your side, seeing that Radon wanted to speak to you. "Do you want to challenge this guy over here?" he questioned while pointing to the green knight. He explained about him being the toughest knight.

"Sure, I don't mind." you answered a gentle smile. Aconite and Jokul began to take in your appearance. Your gentle smile complimented your features, but there was something deeper in your eyes. They couldn't figure it out, but something was behind your gentle expression.

 Aconite waved his hand over to the training grounds that was behind him. You both get up from the table and make your way towards the training grounds. Jokul, Raidon, and Cyrus followed behind the both of you. "Who you thinks gonna win?" questioned the fire knight.

"We really can't decide, we really haven't been training for quite a while." stated the ice knight. 

"I don't know as well, but I hoped they'll be able to join our team. Having another strong teammate and sparring partner would be spectacular." the leader added.

The tree stood from the sidelines, watching you and Aconite stand from different sides, stern expressions plastered their faces. They all felt an odd feeling of jealousy inside their chest, but they brushed it off. 

"For the first round, we're going to do hand-to-hand combat. And for the second round, we'll use our weapons and magic." You gave the poison knight a nod, making you both get into a defensive stance. Dark green eyes stared into yours, waiting for you to make a move.

When the time was right, Aconite made the first move. Dashing towards you, he threw the first punch, but you easily tilted your head to dodge. Throwing out multiple punches, wanting to test out your reflexes, you successfully dodged them all before aiming a blow to the gut.

The green knight quickly recovered and thrusted a kick towards you, but you countered it by catching his leg and throwing him to the ground. You quickly followed the attack with a punch, but he quickly rolled over, making your punch land to the ground.

The knights on standby watched in shock as you made a crack on the floor. With quickness, you launched towards him and landed blow to his jaw, causing him to stumble back a bit. Dodging his sloppy punch, you aimed a hard kick to his side, hear a pained groan emit from him.

Throwing out another barrage of punches, you made your best to dodge them all, but the green knight had found an opening. Aiming a quick blow to your stomach, he tried to aim a blow to your jaw, but you caught his hand. Twisting his arm, he fell to the ground, dirt particles flew everywhere.

Still having his hand lock, you aimed multiple punches at his face, only landing a few. Raising your leg to deliver an axe kick, Aconite's eyes widen before snatching his hand out of your hold and rolling over. The powerful kick landed on the ground, watching another crack being made on the ground.

"How are they this strong? Was their gentle expression just a mask?" muttered Jokul. 

"Never judge their appearance. You don't know what they could be hiding." the red knight replied before a smile landed on his lip. He examined your speed, reflexes and techniques.

Since Aconite was the tallest and more muscular than the others, you were able to counters his attacks with quickness. You were the same height as Radion, followed by Jokul being slightly taller by a few inches, and Cyrus being a few inches shorter than you.

They examined your calculated moves, waiting you launch when you find a perfect opening to attack, you dodge when you need to and follow it with a counter. When you were attacked, you would find a way to recover back into the fight.

Cyrus watched with excitement as you both stared own each other, he could feel his cheeks slightly burn. A sly smirk landed on the poison knights' lips. "That was a great first match. Way better than I expected." You replied with a thankful nod, still having the gentle smile on your lips.

He examined your expression, still having the gentle expression on your face, but that's when he looks at your eyes. There were cold, focused. Was your gentleness just a mask from your true personality? Or was this just a switch?

"Now, let's start round two. You have your own weapon, right?" he asks, making his way towards the weapon cabinet. 

"Yeah, but it's been some time since I used it." you replied with sheepish smile.

Aconite couldn't help but chuckle, feeling excitement flowing through his body. From the weapon cabinet, he pulled out a long, thin sword, seeing that it was still sharpened. He waited for you to pull out your weapon, wanting to see what type you use.

His serious expression was washed over with shock and disbelief. Your weapon revealed to be a giant lollipop, but that was only half of what made him shocked. Its the fact that half of it was caked in dried blood.

You had a blank expression, looking at your weapon with no emotion. "Oh..." you muttered before snapping yourself out. "Sorry, I forgot to clean it when I was finished with it." you informed while making it back to the training ground.

"Is that a giant lollipop?" questioned Cyrus, his expression filled with slight confusion. 

"Forget the lollipop, why is half of it covered in blood?" added Jokul, feeling his heart slightly beating faster.

It wasn't out of fear, but out of excitement. Was this how Cyrus was feeling all the time? He turned towards Raidon to see his expression, seeing that a bright smile laced his lips. "They're definitely joining our team."

The fire knight jumped with joy from his leaders' words, excitement began to fill him once more as you both went back to a defensive stance. "I can't wait to see what magic they have." he spoke, earning nods from the blue and red night.

A few seconds passed and Aconite was the first to move forward. He thrusted his sword forward, but it clashed against your weapon. His eyes widened when your weapon clanged against his. 'What is that lollipop made of?!'

The other three knights watched the training with a mix of awe and enchantment. Jokul's eyes were wide, his heart beating faster as he saw your quick movements and the cold, focused expression on your face.

He was taken aback at just how quick you could move and how accurate you were with your lollipop. The green knight did his best to dodge, but he couldn't avoid all your attacks. He pushed himself away from your weapon distance as he pushed one his hands out.

His hand started to coat with green smoke, watching the grass particles die around him. "He's using his poison magic." muttered Cyrus, patiently waiting to see what you were going to do. The green smoke surrounded his hand as it formed to a ball.

You took guard, watching him cock his hand back before throwing the poisoned projectile. As it came closer, an idea formed. Gripping your weapon with both hands, you swinged your weapon at the projectile, launching it at a far distance.

"There's no way... How?" Aconite whispered in disbelief; he was now distracted. Your hand started to envelope with bright colors, feeling the eyes of the three knights a few feet away. Pushing your hand out, a small rainbow was pushed out from your hand.

Aconite turned around to see bright colors coming towards, quickly trying to block it. He barely made it as a small explosion was made, shocking everyone around. His eyes widen in shock as a hole was present in the ground, black smoke slowly streaming off the ground.

'Explosion magic?! With a rainbow?!'

He thought you were just a soft and sweet knight, but with how cold, yet focused you were right now, it was clear that there was more to you than meets the eye. He felt a sense of both awe and fear, wondering just how powerful you really were.

The fire knight grinned brightly, finding the display absolutely amazing. He was impressed by your speed and technique, his heart filled with thrill. "Explosion magic! We've never seen that before!" he cackled.

Red found himself captivated by the sight, his heart racing. He was in awe of your power and skill, and a small but strong feeling of infatuation began to take hold.

Aconite gripped his weapon tightly, your cold eyes never braking contact. He then dashed towards you, clashing weapon with yours, making them dance in battle. He charged his sword towards your side, but you maneuvered your body and swung your weapon, watching it connect to his jaw. 

Green's vision blurred as he was slightly stunned by your attack, his body startle to slightly stumble, but he stood his ground. He couldn't attack in time as he saw a pink blur darted towards him, feeling a devastating blow to his stomach. 

Crashing to the wall, he felt his body nearly falling to the ground, but he quickly stood on his feet. "How are they this powerful? Were they telling the truth when they said that they've been a knight for a few years?" he muttered. His felt himself become tired, nearly dropping his weapon. 

Lifting his gaze towards you, he watched you powerup from your rainbow magic, the beautiful colors flowed out of your hand before it darted towards him in newfound speed. The only thing he could do is block, not having the energy to move fully. 

As the attack came in contact, he felt his body froze, a stinging feeling surrounded him. He couldn't move. Why couldn't he move? From afar, the knights watched an unmoving Aconite on the ground. "They use stun magic as well?! They have two abilities just like us!" exclaimed Raidon. 

They watched as you walked towards the stunned green knight, your focused expression still present. Stopping right at his feet, you placed your weapon right at his throat. 'I lost...' A defeated sigh escaped from him, feeling a smile laced his lips. "I give..." he announced, declaring his first lost.

Placing your weapon down, you carefully pulled him up to his feet, feeling your stunning magic wash off his body. "Sorry if I went too far. I got too into the moment." you apologized. Then, as suddenly as it had come, your cold look was gone. 

The gentle and soft expression returned, as if the fierce warrior from moments before had never been there. He found himself wondering just how many facets there were to your personality. "No, no, it's fine. I was the one who challenged you, after all. But damn, you're seriously good." He chuckled, a hint of both admiration and defeat in his tone.

He then turned his attention to your hand that held his, still not being used to such gentleness, and for a moment, except for his teammates when they first met. He then felt your hand being pulled away, the both of you making your way towards the other knights.

"That was amazing, [Name]! You have two magical abilities just like us!" praised Cyrus, earning a shy smile from you. 

"The way you moved with precise accuracy was very good." Jokul added before Raidon spoke.

"You have definitely earned on spot on the team." his words cause your eyes to widen. 

"Wait, really? I was only going to hang out in the tavern, but this is great!" you exclaimed with a wide smile.

"You were definitely in the zone, that's for sure." Orange had a wide grin on his face as he patted you on the shoulder. "You scared the hell outta Aconite here." he teased. 

"I didn't mean to do all of that. I got way into the fight..."

"You kidding? You basically wiped the floor with Green. And he's one of the most skilled fighters among us." The ice knight and fire knight nodded in agreement, clearly impressed by your battling skills.

Turning your gaze upwards, you noticed that the sun was setting. How long were you guys battling for? Looking back at the four knights, you gave them a gentle wave. "I'm going to head home now, but I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"You're right. It's getting pretty late. We should probably head back to our quarters." added Jokul as they all bid farewell, each trying not to show how disappointed they were that you had to go.

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Your light footsteps could be heard on the path you followed to go home. You carefully carried your lollipop weapon with you, knowing that you had to clean it. Once you were at the door, a tired sigh escaped your lips as you opened the door.

Closing the door behind you, you placed your weapon on the desk before wiping the left-over sweat on your forehead. A pair of footsteps were headed towards the dining room, revealing to be your childhood friends that you lived with.

"Hey Ferron." you greeted, giving him a small wave. 

"Hey, you're here later than usual. How was the tavern?" he questioned, his silver eyes holding a curious glint with a smile. 

"It was great, actually. I was skeptical on going there to see what was there, until I saw the four knights that were there." you informed while taking the upper part of your armor off, wearing an undershirt underneath.

"They were quite excited to see that there was another knight that had an element like them. Supposably, they think I'm the fifth one to receive an element for a high trained knight." you added before turning towards your childhood friend.

"But they still don't know that you exist. There was a fire knight named Cyrus; he had the same element magic as you." Ferron hummed at the information, placing the book down he had in his hands.

"That's nice. Then I won't be the only fire user in the village." the statement earned him a confused expression from you. "But your elemental colors are purple." you stated, earning a nod from him.

"It's because I became a blacksmith before I became an elemental knight. I just liked the color purple for a blacksmith." He watched you sat down across from him at the table, seeing that you had something else to say.

"I also got to have a sparring match with Aconite."

"The one that controls poisonous gas?"

"Yeah, the other wanted me to challenge him into a match to see if I was powerful enough, and I won the fight." your words caused a proud smile to lace your friends' lips, a hint of curiosity sparked in his eyes. 

"You had a blast, huh? I heard that he was one of the stronger knights out there."

"Yeah, and it turned out to be quite fun. How was your day?" you questioned as you went to your room to change into some comfortable clothing.

"It was pretty uneventful, to be honest. Just forging some weapons and training is all. Though, I must admit, I'm quite curious about your training with Aconite." He looked at you with a sly grin.

"Yeah, they said that I was cold and ruthless when fighting." you stated from the other room. Once you were in your comfortable attire, you sat back down with Ferron.  

"Oh, I bet they were. I can imagine their faces when you defeated him. It must have been quite the sight to see." He leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye. "And how did the others react? They must've been pretty shocked as well, huh?" 

You chuckled at his question, feeling your cheeks slightly heat up. "Yeah, the leader, Raidon wants me to join their team. I didn't know that all these events were going to happen..."

Ferron let out a small laugh, finding your obliviousness to your own demeanor during the battle cute. But he knew about the cold side of you. The side that was opposite of your gentle expression. He just hopes that side doesn't come out again.

You shyly laughed. Purple loved your soft giggles. Ever since you both were kids; he loved your laugh. "Yeah, I guess." You then walked to your room to go change into your pjs.

A yawn escaped your lips, feeling the wave exhaustion crash. You sat up from the seat and stretched your body, feeling the soft pops in your joints. You were then pulled into a comforting hug, feeling a smile land on your lips.

"I bet you're tired from all those events, why don't you get some rest?" he insisted, earning a small nod from you. Patting your back, he chuckled as he watched you nearly stumble into your room.

"Goodnight, Ferron..." you murmured before landing in the bed, feeling exhaustion overtake your body. 

"Goodnight, [Name]." he replied, hearing the soft snores emit from your room, telling him that you were asleep.

For the rest of the night, he made sure that everything was in place before making weapons tomorrow. He wondered if the knights needed new weapons, guessing that nothing bad happened here in a few years.

With a sigh, he made his way towards his room, feeling the wave of tiredness as well. Getting under the covers, he let the comforting darkness lull him to sleep.

Chapter Text

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Morning came around, the sun shined through the gap of the curtains that was in your room. Your eyes fluttered open as you placed your face against your soft pillow. A tired groan flowed out of your lips as you sluggishly woke up, not eager to leave the comfort of your bed.

You sat there for a moment, staring blankly at your room. On the desk near the window, there laid your lollipop weapon that needed to be cleaned, the evidence of dried blood on half of it was still there. The sound of a cabinet opening can be heard, seeing that Ferron was awake.

A silent huff escaped your lips, finally forcing yourself out of bed. Today was training day at the tavern, knowing that the other knights would be there. Rubbing the tiredness out of your eyes, you trudged to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on your face, trying to fully wake yourself up.

Drying your face off, you brushed your teeth and headed out of the bathroom. Your slow and light steps alerted the blacksmith as a light smile laced his lips. "Morning, how'd you sleep?" he greeted in a low, gruff tone, taking a sip from his coffee.

"It was alright, wish I could sleep longer..." you replied, your voice was slightly groggy from speaking. 

A chuckle escaped Ferron's lips as he ruffled your hair. "I know, but at least it's just a training day. You can get that done and head back home and sleep all you want."

He chuckled at the smile that stretched on your lips, knowing that you were going right back to sleep when you got back home. You both headed to the kitchen and ate breakfast, still smelling the food that was cooked by Ferron.

Ferron watched as you sat at the table, eating your breakfast with him. He couldn't help but chuckle at your tired state, finding your half-lidded eyes and sluggish movements endearing. He knew that, despite your grogginess, you were determined to do your best during training, regardless.

"What are you going to do today?" you asked, breaking the silence. 

"Probably just forge some weapons and train on my magic." he answered with a shrug. "It's been some time since I used it." he added as he held his hand out, watching a small fireball form above his hand.

You took a look at his calloused hands, evidence of forging weapons and years of training of becoming a knight. He didn't really retire from being a knight; he just likes making weapons. You remembered when he would talk about weaponry when you guys were young.

Looking at your hands, you had some calluses on them as well from your hard work. Instead of training with the gray knights, you both were sparring partners, and till this day, you both sparred everyone now and then.

A light concern expression plastered his face, seeing that you were staring at your hands for some time. Reaching across the table, he lightly flicked your forehead, earning an annoyed whine from you. "You were spacing out again. You feelin alright?" he questioned.

"Yeah, just thinking..." you answered as you finished your breakfast. Throwing your trash away, you went to your room to change into your armor. Taking your pjs off, you looked at the mirror in front of you.

Your hands lightly soothed the healed battle marks and untoned abs on your body, lightly tracing them. The memories of the harsh training and battles ran through your mind, hearing a soft ring in your ear. You then remembered another memory; a dark one.

Looking up at the ceiling, making sure that no tears were developing, you dressed into your armor. Your blank expression was washed away as a gentle smile stretched on your lips. The memories of meeting the other knights and even training against one of them made you feel light.

Putting on your armor, you went over to your dresser to pick up a small, framed picture of your parents, feeling your smile slightly falter. You missed them dearly, knowing it's been years since they passed away. Putting the picture down, you went over to your weapon, grabbing it as you went outside.

Sitting down on a small stone that was in front of a bucket of water, you grabbed the small towel and started to deeply clean your weapon. The soap helped wash away the dry blood, your weapon starting to shine from the light coat of soapy water.

As you were close to finishing washing your weapon, the sounds of footsteps emerged from the small hut, seeing that Forren was starting to get his tools out. Washing the soap off with some water, you began to dry your weapon.

You twirled your weapon like a baton with quickness, watching droplets of water fly off the pink blur of your lollipop. Stopping the action, your weapon looked brand new. Placing it behind you, you made your way towards the blacksmith.

"Well, I'm off." you announced, being pulled into a comforting hug from Ferron. You felt his hand pat your head affectionately as the embrace started to break, missing the warmth. "I'll see you later." you both exchanged waved as he watched you head to the path that led to the tavern.

As you walked away, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry mixed with affection. Ferron knew that you were strong and capable, but he couldn't shake off the protective feeling he had towards you.

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As you walked through town towards the tavern, you encountered several gray knights along the way. You all greeted each other with friendly waves, seeing that some of them were headed towards the tavern as well.

You felt a sense of belonging among the knights, having to barely even go to the tavern when you first became a knight and received your magic. Entering the tavern, you were greeted by the sight of Jokul and Cyrus chatting with each other. They seemed engrossed in their conversation, not noticing your arrival yet.

The orange knight noticed you first, a big smile spreading across his face as he saw you enter. Jokul turned to see what Cyrus was smiling about, turning to where he was looking to see your appearance. You both exchanged waves as Cyrus dashed towards you.

You could've sworn you saw fire sparks emitting from his feet as he stopped a few feet away from you. "Hey, [Name]! Are you going to be training with us?" he questioned, his tone filled with excitement as his body lightly bounced.

"Yes, I am. I figured that I could train with you guys for a while before going home." you replied with a gentle smile. Jokul went over to the both of you, chuckling when he had to pull back Cyrus. 

"How've you been?" The ice knight greeted with a warm smile.

"It's been good. I finally cleaned off my weapon." you replied as you pulled it from behind you, watching it shine in the sunlight. "I'm sorry if I scared you guys from the blood, I haven't used it in a while." you added with a shy smile.

"That's fine with us. It means that you don't play around in battle." beamed Cyrus, earning a chuckle from Jokul. 

"We've just been here chatting for a bit, seeing how training was going to be today." Jokul informed as he turned his gaze towards you.

"We're glad you're back, too. Training was kinda dull without you." your eyes slightly widened as you felt your cheeks slightly warmed up. "I didn't know I was making training fun. Did you guys want to train with me?"

"Yeah! We can have a little sparring match while we wait for Raidon and Aconite." Cyrus beamed as you gave him a nod. Looking around the tavern, some of the villagers can be seen playing some whimsical music as gray knights surround them.

Some could be seen eating breakfast or dancing to the music. "I thought they were going to train as well." you muttered, earning a shrug from the ice knight. "They needed to do something before heading back here." he explained, seeing that they arrived first before Cyrus and Jokul.

You answered with a hum as you headed towards the training grounds with Cyrus, Jokul followed the both of you as well. "Let's do some hand-to-hand combat. We don't want to tire ourselves out when training actually starts." insisted the fire knight.

"Sure." you replied with a nod as you placed your weapon onto a table that was with Jokul. Making your way towards the center, Jokul decided to take a look at your weapon. It was a giant pink lollipop that was the size of a regular sword.

He could smell the soapy aroma from it as he lightly tapped his finger against it. His white eyebrows lightly furrowed at the sound. 'What is this made of? Who forged their weapon?' Taking his eyes off the weapon, he watched you both stand there facing each other.

Directing his eyes towards Cyrus, he was lightly bouncing on his feet. Whenever he sparred with him, Cyrus would use his speed to his advantage, but he would leave openings. Turning his gaze towards you, the same gentle expression plastered your face.

You had your fists in front of your face, staring at the fire knight with a gentle expression, but he could see a slight dull in your eyes. The only thing that could be heard was the music in the background, but he muted it out and focused on the both of you.

The two knights stood there in silence before charging towards each other. You swiftly dodged the multiple punches Cyrus threw out, calculating your way to find an opening. Dodging the last punch, you aimed a blow to his stomach, but he blocked it.

Aiming a kick to his side, you swept your leg under him to fall to the ground, followed by aiming a blow to his face. Before it could connect, Cyrus quickly rolled away watching a small crack form on the ground.

With quickness, he was able to land a punch against your stomach, but you held your ground, sticking your feet firmly onto the ground. Dashing towards you, seeing that he could still attack, you countered with an uppercut. While he was immobilized, you swiftly aimed a kick against his chest, pushing him back a bit.

The fire knight never felt more excited in his life. Ever since you fought Aconite, he wanted to spar against you next. He watched you charge towards him with a cold expression, making his smile widened at your quickness.

He quickly threw out a punch, but you caught it with ease and flipped him onto the ground. Grabbing his arm with both hands, you enveloped them around his arm and laid on the ground, putting him into a submission.

Cyrus gritted his teeth as he tried to escape from the firm hold, making sure to move around so it wouldn't hurt that much. From afar, Jokul watched the fight closely, seeing what techniques you used against him.

You were able to counter his speed by putting him into submissions, holding him down so he wouldn't move. Cyrus would try to escape, but you would place him into a different submission every time, making sure to tire his body out.

His interests were starting to rise, liking how you used your smartness to your advantage to pin the fire knight down. He felt his cheeks lightly flushed, nearly causing him to question it. He watched a fire enveloped around Cyrus's hand, causing his eyes to widen.

"He's using his magic. I wonder how [Name] will counter it..." he muttered to himself. As Cyrus aimed his fire enveloped fist towards you, a loud clang echoed in the air. Cyrus's red-orange eyes widened as your magic was surrounding your hand as well. Pulling his hand back, you both backed a few feet away.

"You're full of surprises!" he shouted as both of his hands were enveloped with his fire magic. He watched a smirk stretch on your lips as your rainbow magic surrounded your hands as well, banging them against each other to make a loud noise.

The fire knight's wide smile brightened as you both charged towards each other. His fist connected towards your cheek, feeling the burning feeling as you held your ground. You aimed a blow to his chest, nearly coughing up saliva from it.

You quickly followed the attack by thrusting a knee to his stomach, but blocked it in time by stopping it, causing you to pull your knee away from the fire. Acting at the same time, you both ended up in a hand-lock, pushing each other back.

Jokul watched in awe as the sparring match was getting rougher. He was learning so much about you. Now he needs to see how you'll fight against him with his ice magic. His thoughts were interrupted as multiple pair of footsteps stridden towards him.

He turned his gaze to see Raidon and Aconite. "Hey Jokul, we had to do something," greeted the red knight as he sat beside the ice knight. Aconite sat with them as he went to see where Jokul was focused on. A sly smile laced his lips as he placed his chin on his hand.

"I see that they're getting their daily exercises. Did Cyrus challenge them?" Aconite lightly teased, earning a chuckle from the ice knight. 

"He wanted to get a quick spar in before training actually started. So I just let him go." he answered with a knowing smile.

Raidon couldn't help but watch the fight, seeing how you used different fighting styles to use it as an advantage. He noticed that the both of you were using your magic around your hands, knowing that it can help them do even more damage.

"You think we should stop them? I don't want them to hurt each other..." he muttered. 

"We could, but let's see who backs down first." shrugged Aconite. Raidon was about to speak until he watched Cyrus being sent flying to the wall, his body left a dent as well.

Everyone watched in silence as his fire magic went away, his body falling to the ground with a thud. You were about to see if he was okay, but he held his hand up as he slowly stood to his feet. "That... was... awesome!"

His red-orange eyes shined with excitement and awe as he dashed towards you. His arms wrapped around your torso as he jumped with joy. "That was amazing! You really know how to counter all my moves!" you couldn't help but laugh at his joyful expression.

"But you're not hurt, are you?" you questioned, earning a firm nod from him. 

"Yeah, I think my back may be messed up, but it's cool." giving you a thumbs up, he grabbed your hand and walked towards Jokul, seeing that the other two knights were here as well.

"You really want to take all of us down, huh [Name]?" the red knight teased as your cheeks slightly brightened. 

"I didn't mean too!" you retorted back with a toothy smile. "I can't turn down a spar." you added, earning chuckles of amusement from everyone.

Jokul then pulled out two big red apples from his bag and gave one to you and Cyrus. "Eat these, they'll help you restore your health. Both of you are lightly bruised up." giving him a thankful nod, you took a bite out of the juicy fruit, humming at the flavor.

You watched the small bruises and cuts heal away as you felt yourself getting your energy back. Jokul then turned to Raidon, his expression unsure of the red knight. "So what were you two doing?" he questioned.

"Me and Aconite were getting the weapons ready for the gray knights. The king said that he wanted us to train them." he explained, seeing Aconite nod with agreement. 

"We didn't know if you guys were coming here early, so we decided to get it done quickly." the green knight added.

As you finished your apple, you all grouped up at the table and conversed with each other with unusual banter. You and Raidon chuckled at the orange knight, seeing that his mind was still on the fight from earlier.

Jokul lightly smiled at the lighthearted moment, seeing that you were able to get along with everyone. He couldn't help but admire you while you were chatting, you brought a light feeling in his chest.

Aconite watched in silence as he examined everyone's expression. It's been a while since he's seen smiles on Jokul's and Raidon's face, seeing how you brought a lighthearted moment in the tavern. Before you arrived, it was a bit dull, only having the music to brighten them up a bit.

He felt a light, hopeful moment with the group, hoping to see you more often in the tavern. With you, you examined the group's dynamics. Seeing how the red and orange knight love to converse, while the blue and green knight watch them in silence.

You were amused by their antics, wanting to see how long these guys knew each other. It must've been a few years before they encountered each other. You noticed Aconite giving you a faint smile, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement, feeling a shy smile laced on your lips.

As you all chatted with each other, the carefree atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash as a gray knight was flung into the tavern, their body covered in blood and an arrow sticking out of their chest.

All of you were caught off guard by the sight, your faces going pale as you stared at the injured knight in shock. Jokul's eyes widened in horror, while Cyrus's cheerful demeanor immediately turned into shock at the gruesome sight. Even Raidon and Aconite looked surprised, their casual expressions replaced by concern and alertness.

You all watched the multiple groups of gray knights rush out of the taverns with their weapons and shield, hurrying their way to go see the problem and who caused the act. You felt your heartbeat slowly rise, running towards the injured knight's side.

Crouching to his side, you pressed your two fingers onto his neck, hoping to find a pulse, but it was clear that it was too late. The ice knight knelt by the lifeless gray knight's side, a mixture of horror and anger on his face.

Raidon and Aconite both looked tense, their weapons ready in hand as they looked around warily. With quickness, you, Jokul, and Cyrus quickly grab your weapons and rushed out of the tavern, armed and ready for a potential confrontation, the atmosphere was tense with anticipation and fear.

You were on edge, your eyes darting around the area for any signs of danger. "Who could have done this?" you muttered in disbelief. Cyrus was equally concerned, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a serious one. 

"We need to find out who's responsible for this."

"C'mon, let's go. We need to find out what's going on before more of the knights start to fall." Everyone nodded in agreement with your suggestion, their own expressions serious and determined. Raidon eyes scanned the surroundings as you all made your way towards the king's quarters.

"Be prepared for anything. We don't know what's waiting for us."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Meanwhile, in the king's quarters, he was sitting on his throne, deep in thought. He had been mulling over recent events in the kingdom, when suddenly he heard the sound of slow footsteps approaching his chamber.

The king's heart raced as he saw the figure in the dark cloak, the red markings on it sending chills down his spine. The evil wizard, Erebus, slowly walked towards him, their gaze locking onto the king's.

He felt a deep sense of unease and terror as the wizard approached, sensing the menacing aura emanating from him. "W-what are you doing here, Erebus?!" he demanded as he pulled out his sword. The evil wizard wasn't fazed by the king, a low menacing chuckle escaping his lips.

The king's hand was starting to shake with fear, his mind racing with thoughts of what the wizard could want. "I just need that crystal that's behind your chair, oh rightfulness." he mocked with a taunting grin.

"No! I will never let you take it away from me!" the king retorted back as he lunged towards the enemy. Swinging his sword with all his might, the evil wizard only dodged his sloppy attacks. 

"It seems that you're getting quite old for this, should I say." snarled the evil wizard.

Pulling out his magic wand, he used his telekinesis to forcefully move the king away from him, making his old body crash to the ground. The king watched in horror as the Evil Wizard raised the crystal from behind his chair with his wand.

The crystal hovered in the air, glowing brighter as it moved closer to the wizard. The king was powerless to stop him as he jumped onto the crystal, causing it to glow bright red. The wizard gave the injured king a devious smile as he soared away on the crystal, the king unable to follow and retrieve the stolen artifact.

The king, still shaken by the wizard's appearance and the theft of the crystal, looked up as he heard the footsteps nearing his chamber. His wary eyes see you and the others rush in, your expressions reflecting the same mix of shock and concern that he was feeling.

Raidon rushed his way to the king's side, helping him off the ground. "What happened?" he questioned firmly, needing to know what was going on. 

"E-erebus... He stole the crystal from my chair." the king replied, his voice was dry and damaged.

"Do you know where he went?" inquired Jokul, watching his injured arm point at the back entrance of the castle. 

"You must hurry! My daughters are probably in d-danger as well!" the king quickly added.

Raidon gently laid the king on the ground as he called out some of the gray knights to help him to a doctor. After the king finished speaking, you all were eager to avenge the king by retrieving the stolen crystal.

"We need to go. Now." demanded Aconite with a firm tone. Without a moment's hesitation, you all hurried out of the castle, ready to face the evil wizard and get back the crystal. So many things ran through your mind as you remembered something.

'I need to see if Ferron's okay! He must've already got the message from the other gray knights...'

Chapter Text

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Hurried footsteps rushed out of the king's castle, you all gripped your weapons firmly as the sight that greeted everyone was filled with horror and despair. Houses were set ablaze, casting an eerie bright glow over the village.

Lifeless bodies of gray knights lay on the ground coldly with wounds all around them. Villagers ran out of their homes with fear; their expressions filled with fright. Raiden gritted his teeth; they needed to move now and quickly.

The once peaceful kingdom had been turned into a battlefield, everyone was filled with a sense of shock and anger at the destructive sight before you. “We need to find the main problem before it’s too late.” you insisted with a firm tone.

Aconite grunted at your plan, a sound of agreement as you all moved forwards. The fuming heats from the fire were slowly down, groups of gray knights rushed with buckets of water to put out the fiery blaze. “We’ll take it from here!” shouted one of the gray knights.

Receiving thankful nods from the colorful knights, you all began to rush forward, seeing that some of the villagers were still evacuating the horrifying scenery. Then, the sight of the approaching barbarians filled you with determination and focus.

Your eyes narrowed at the fiends, rushing towards them with force. Cocking your weapon in hand, you aimed precisely at the enemy's head, leaving a crimson mess in its wake. Cyrus smirked at your precise skill, joining in on the fight as well.

The fire knight aimed his hand out, a large fireball fired out of his hands, burning the rest of the enemies into a crisp. “I can’t believe that the barbarians are back. Where did they even come from?” grumbled Raidon, earning an agreeing hum from the ice knight.

“We haven’t seen them in years; it must be the works of the evil wizard.” Jokul added, charging his ice magic in hand. As Cyrus and Raidon took care of the rest of the foes, Aconite and Jokul noticed your facial depression.

It was cold and darker from before, baring hatred in your eyes as you gripped your weapon in hand. Did you have some sort of hatred you had with them in the past? That would make sense, but it caught their eyes since you were the first to charge with quickness.

Continuing to push forward, your fellow team of knights continued cutting down any barbarians that dared stand in their path. You all fought with a single-minded purpose, determined to eliminate any threat in your way.

The onslaught of barbarians continued, but you didn't falter. You utilized your rainbow magic to stun the barbarians, disabling them one by one. Taking the opportunity, Aconite used his poison magic, watching the deadly fumes being consumed by the foes.

They tried to gargle the poison out, collapsing to their knees as they spewed blood from their mouths before going limp. “Good job, you two!” congratulated Raidon, earning proud smirks from you and Aconite.

You both gave each other small, thankful nods, knowing that words could barely be heard through the sounds of the battle. As you continued your fight, your energy and determination remained unwavering.

As you cleared the last of the barbarians, you all rushed up the large flight of stairs, making sure not to trip and fall in the process. Reaching the top, you saw a scene that filled you with anger and frustration.

Four princesses, who were the king's daughters, were being forcefully escorted by a group of barbarians, presumably taken captive. Their cries for help echoed in everyone's head. Seeing the princesses in danger filled everyone with fierce protectiveness.

You all promised the king that you would save his daughters, ready to save them from any dangers that will try to stop you all in your path. Before you all could rush towards them, another group of barbarians approached the group of colorful knights.

“Damn it, they just keep sending more bargains.” sneered the red knight, using his lightning magic to rain lightning strikes at the foes, watching their bodies be enveloped with a burning crisp. With quickness, Jokul swung his sword to down the enemies.

As the wave of enemies were gone, you all made sure that everyone was alright. Aconite noticed a bit of crimson splattered on your face, your eyes held a dark, bloodthirsty glaze. He couldn’t help but chuckled lowly at your appearance. “You feelin alright, [Name]?”

A hum escaped your lips, giving the poison knight a nod as a small smile stretched on your face. “Yeah, it’s just been a while since I felt the rush of battle.” you reassured, swinging your lollipop weapon forcefully, watching the blood fall off of your weapon.

Aconite gave you a nod as you all moved forward, finally making it out of the range of the castle and village. A miserable sigh escaped the fire knights' lips, the sight of the lifeless bodies of gray knights and barbarians lying on the ground was disheartening.

The once-thriving kingdom now looked like a battlefield, with destruction and carnage everywhere you looked. The gravity of the situation and the scale of the damage caused by the evil wizard and his minions weighed heavily on your minds.

“It’s been quite some time since the village was seen like this.” Jokul started, earning nods from his teammates. “If we could do the same that happened a while back, we can do it again.” he added with a promising tone before he turned his gaze towards you.

“And we have a new teammate that will help us get through this faster than before.” he gave you a grateful smile, watching a charmed smile grace your lips.

“I will happily join this group of knights. We can get through this together.” you responded, earning proud smiles from everyone. Suddenly, you caught sight of a familiar face among the gray knights, Ferron.

“Ferron? Ferron!” You called out his name with urgency, determination in your voice. Seeing him in the middle of the fray filled you with a mix of relief and concern. The blacksmith turned his gaze towards the voice to see you.

He recognized you instantly and wasted no time and rushed towards you, surprised that you were in the midst of battle as well. “[Name]! I’m glad that you’re okay! Why are the barbarians attacking again? I thought we dealt with them years ago.”

Your lips formed a line as you felt yourself relax. “Erebus has struck again, and it’s been years since he tried to take over.” you explained, not noticing the questioning eyes from the other knights.

The blacksmith stood before you, a mixture of weariness and relief on his face. Hearing your concern, he managed a small smile on his lips. They noticed how your cold and tense exterior from battle was washed away from meeting this ‘purple knight’.

Raidon was surprised that there was another knight that they’ve never heard of or seen before. “Well, I think we’re lucky to find two new knights for the past few days.” he announced getting your and Ferron’s attention.

A mix of curiosity and wonder was plastered on Cyrus's face, he couldn't believe that there was a purple knight. Would it be dark magic? 

The knights looked back and forth between you two, clearly wondering who this newcomer was and why you were so familiar and casually talking with them. Red was the first to speak up, his voice held a curious tone. 

“Hey, [Name]. Who's this?” he questioned, but he also apologized for interrupting the conversation. You turned towards them, a small “Oh” escaped your lips.

"This is Ferron, my childhood best friend. He used to be a knight just like us, but he retired and became a blacksmith.” you informed, watching Ferron greet them with a firm nod with a small grin.

“Also, I’m the one that made your guys weapons.” he added with a prideful smile, chuckling at the surprised expressions that were thrown at him. There were rumors of a knight that retired and became a blacksmith, but they took time to see who it was.

“Wait, so you’re the one who made that lollipop weapon?” inquired Aconite, earning a nod from the blacksmith. “I still can’t believe that I thought it was a giant lollipop. How did you even make it?” he questioned once more, earning chuckles Raidon and Jokul.

“Well, since [Name] discovered their magic, I went to find the best material and created something that would match with them.” he explained, watching a small, toothy grin stretch on your face.

Cyrus couldn’t help but beam at the information, joining in on the conversation as well. "Ah, so you're the guy who made our weapons. Impressive work, they're holding up well!” he praised before asking another question. “So what type of magic do you have?”

Ferron couldn’t help but smile as he placed his hand out, a purple fireball floated above his hand. Cyrus stared at the magic in shock before a bright grin stretched on his face. “Another fire user!? This is awesome! I bet that your magic is better than mine.”

The blacksmith chuckled at the orange knight, telling him that he was a bit rusty for not using his magic in a while. As you and Ferron quickly conversed, the knights couldn’t help but feel curious and a little envious about your familiarity with each other. But they pushed it aside for now.

“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Ferron.” started Jokul with a faint grin. “But would it be okay for you to join us? Your strength will add to the group.” he insists. The blacksmith quickly accepted the proposal; he was ready to play his part of bringing the wizard down.

With the group now consisting of six members, the mood turned determined. Raidon, as the leader, spoke up with a firm tone. "Alright, let's move! Erebus won't stop until we make him."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

As the group continued to move further away from the castle, they suddenly spotted something huge and menacing in their path. You easily identified it, a large machine that was constructed by the barbarians. To be specific, it was a war machine.

Its head resembles a ram, its purpose clear; to mow down the enemies in its way. Knowing they had no choice but to face the threat, you and the other knights stood ready, preparing to battle the mechanical monstrosity.

As the giant machine darted its way towards the knights, wanting to at least hit them with a brutal force, but everyone dodged the giant foe with ease. With quickness, Cyrus and Ferron used their fire magic to set the wheels ablaze, watching it slowly crumble to the ground.

A large cannon then emerged from the side of the machine, aiming it at Aconite. The poison knight quickly covered himself with his shield, feeling the powerful force of the cannonball that was fired at him. “Raidon! Cover for me!”

The leader gave him a nod as he used his lightning magic to immobilize the cannon. Aconite built up enough momentum to swing his axe through the cannon, breaking it apart. There was now a hole that showed the barbarians inside that controlled the machine.

Before they could escape and make an attempt to attack, the poison knight used the advantage to emit poisonous fumes from his hand, watching the enemies try to breathe in for air as they fell limp inside. “Aconite! Stand back!”

The green knight turned his gaze to see a fireball in Cyrus’s hand, letting him know that he needed to back away from his range. The orange knight cocked his hand back and threw the fireball at the machine.

Everyone watched as the machine was engulfed in the bright flames, destroying what was left with significant damage. Jokul gave his best friends a thumbs up, feeling a bright grin stretch on his face.

Raidon led the group forward, occasionally glancing back to check on the others and ensure they were alright. Jokul and Aconite were okay, chuckling at their victorious grins. Aconite and Ferron were feeling alright as well, seeing that they’ve started a conversation with each other.

Eventually, his eyes fell upon you, taking in your appearance. Your lollipop weapon was caked in crimson, and your face held a cold, focused expression. He couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation in his chest, feeling his cheeks slightly warm up.

As you noticed the leader's gaze lingering on you and checking on your wellbeing, you gave him a gentle smile, assuring him that you were fine. He felt a small wave of relief wash over him as he saw your smile, knowing that amidst the chaos and bloodshed, you were still holding your own and remaining unharmed.

The colorful group of knights approached the enemy's fortified battlegrounds. The large, wooden door loomed in front of them, a formidable obstacle that stood in their path. Undeterred, you all attacked the door simultaneously, wanting to save your magic.

With combined effort, the door eventually succumbed to the onslaught and was broken down, allowing the group to enter the fort. The smaller battlefield was soon filled with cheering barbarian fighters.

The atmosphere was tense, as they could not understand why the barbarians were so excited. Suddenly, a larger barbarian emerged, bellowing instructions at the group. However, their speech was cut short as a huge door crushed them, clearing the path.

Then, the imposing figure of the barbarian boss appeared, their large stature towering over the group. Hearing the cheers and seeing the size of the barbarian boss, the group quickly readied their weapons.

“So much for a relaxing day…” muttered Ferron, earning an amused huff from Jokul.

“I know, right? We were just relaxing and now we have to rescue the princesses. At least we’re all in this together.” encouraged the ice knight, earning a smile from Ferron. The heavy stomps from the barbarian boss interrupted their conversation.

Its white eyes stared at the knights, feeling confident that he was at the advantage in height. Cracking his knuckles, he charged towards the knights but immediately felt a wave of purple flames in his face. The giant barbarian roared from the burning pain as it covered his face.

“Let’s split up! It’ll tire him out!” insists Ferron, getting a nod from the knights. Cyrus practically beamed at the action, never seeing how purple flames were so much more powerful with his. Now that gives him a reason to train more.

Jokul used his ice magic to lay a sheet of ice under the barbarian, causing it to slip to its knees, making the ground slightly shake. The large enemy aimed his fist into the ground, causing everyone to stumble on their movement. It then aimed his large hand towards Aconite, but he used his shield to protect himself.

As it was distracted, you used your rainbow magic to aim it at its arm, watching it explode on impact. Black fumes flowed from the burning mark; patches of his skin were burnt into a crisp. The explosive attack angered the barbarian, causing him to jump with great height.

You watched in shock as it pulled out a large plank that was bigger than him, aiming it directly towards the ground. “Step back!” you hurriedly announced as everyone hugged the walls that were a few feet away.

As it landed on the ground, a loud boom echoed in the small arena, the wind from the force pushed everyone harshly against the wall. Your body tensed from the sudden attack, falling to your legs. “Is everyone alright?!” you announced.

The sounds of reassures lightly echoed in the fight, clutching your weapon in hand. You and Aconite glanced at each other, seeing that you two had an idea in mind. “Cyrus! Ferron! You guys distract him with your fire magic.” the green knight instructed.

The two fire users nodded, shooting small fireballs at the large enemy, making sure to dodge its giant hands that threatened to send them flying across the arena.

“What plan did you guys have in mind?” muttered Jokul, who took a defensive stance next to you, charging his ice magic in one hand.

“While Ferron and Cyrus distract it with their fire magic, Aconite can charge some of his poison and form it into a ball and throw it at its face. Since this is a giant foe, it’s going to take time until the poison settles in,” you informed.

“You can then use your ice magic to freeze him in place. Me and Raidon will immobilize him.” you added, getting an affirming nod from the blue knight. He likes how you think, he was glad that you and Ferron had joined the team.

“I’ll go tell Raidon about the plan.” he insists, quickly dashing towards the leader. Charging up your rainbow magic, you emit a flow of colors from your hand, putting the barbarians' arms into a paralysis state.

Aconite held a large ball of poisonous gas in his hand, slowly sneaking behind the large enemy. Burnt marks littered everyone on his body, seeing that he was nearly finished. Finding an opening, he threw the gas ball at the barbarians face, causing it to start coughing.

The boss fought desperately, swinging his weapon aggressively but he continued to miss poorly. Nevertheless, the knights pressed on, determined to bring him down. Jokul surrounded its body in ice, freezing him in place.

You all stood back, watching the giant foe struggle in the thick layer of ice. The poison slowly settled in his system, watching spit and drool stream out of its mouth. Its body slowly went limp, its body twitching from the fumes.

The knights celebrated the victory, causing most of the smaller barbarians that watched the fight to run away from the scene, knowing that they’ll be next if they don’t book it. Suddenly, a massive treasure chest appeared out of thin air and plummeted upon the boss, transforming him into a flat, squished mess.

“What is that?” questioned Cyrus.

“Where did it even come from?” Raidon added. 

The treasure chest then burst open, releasing a waterfall of gold, jewels, and healing food. Surprised expressions plastered everyone's faces as they gathered food, jewels, and healing items.

With the treasure chest's contents collected, Raidon approached the red princess and delicately untied her from her bonds. She graciously thanked the group for rescuing her, her expression one of relief and gratitude. As she ran back to the castle to reunite with the king.

“So what do we do now?” questioned the blacksmith, regrouping with the knights. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, making your shoulders touch. “How are you feeling?” he questioned in a gentle tone.

A tired huff escaped your lips, turning your gaze slightly upwards to give him a lazy smile. “I’m doing fine. It’s been a while since I dealt with those things…” you muttered. The blacksmith gave you a reassured pat on the back, telling you that everything was going to be okay.

Raidon hummed at Ferron’s question, watching the sky slowly turn darker as the night was slowly setting soon. “Maybe we should set up camp somewhere, it’s going to be a while when we return back to the castle with the princesses.”

The knights eventually agreed with the plan as they started to find a place to settle for the night.

Chapter Text

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Everyone was settled at the campfire, conversing with each other and talking about how they did in battle. The sound of the fire cracking was one of the noises in the area, having some warmth so nobody wouldn’t get cold.

Aconite and Raidon talked about how they can improve their magic and weaponry during the long adventure. Cyrus and Jokul lightly joked around the group, light chuckles were emitted from his teammates. The fire knight took a glance towards you and Ferron.

He noticed the closeness of you two, light smiles were evident on your faces. Him, being the most sociable and inquisitive one, chimed in with a playful tone in his voice. "So, Ferron, how do you and [Name] know about each other? You seem pretty close."

You both turned towards him, your small grin grew slightly wider at the question. "I think I already told you guys, but I don’t mind telling it again.” you replied, turning your body to face the other knights.

The blacksmith couldn’t help but chuckle at the other knights, seeing how they paid close attention to your story. This time, you could go into full detail since you didn’t have time when they had to evacuate the village.

“Ferron is my childhood friend. Our parents were good friends with each other, and they decided to introduce us when we were kids. We would always talk about being knights when we grew older, and our wish came true." You explained with a grin.

Aconite couldn’t help but smile at the story, he remembered when he asked his parents about being a knight. “Who was the first to discover their magic?” the green knight questioned. Ferron raised his hand with a proud smile.

“I was the first who discovered mines. While I was training with some other knights, a fireball shot out of my hand, and it shocked everyone around me.” he chuckled, watching Cyrus beam at his story.

The fire knight chimed in, saying that it was similar to how he discovered his magic. “When you both trained together, was it difficult for [Name] since you discovered your magic?”

Ferron couldn’t help but let out a huff of amusement. “Nope, that didn’t stop them. Even when I first discovered my magic, they were still able to kick my butt.” his response earned him a chuckle from you, remembering the moment.

The lightning knight smiles at your expression, seeing how proud you were during your young age. “So when did [Name] discover their magic? When they were training with us, I saw that they conserved their energy for it.”

You directed your gaze towards the red knight. “I’m used to hand-to-hand combat, I use my magic as some sort of defensive mechanism before using it to attack. I discovered my magic a few years ago.” you explained.

Jokul, who stayed quiet during the story telling, his light smile stretched on his face. He had not expected you and Ferron to have such a deep and long-standing connection. Everyone could see the clear affection and warmth in your expressions.

He couldn't resist a cheeky remark, a hint of playful teasing in his voice. "Aww, look at that. You two are like a pair of old pals, huh?" Small pink tints dusted on yours and Ferron’s cheeks, chuckling at the ice knight.

They continued to listen carefully as you both shared more about the past. “Were they still shy when it came to training?” the ice knight questioned. The blacksmith couldn’t help but chuckle.

“[Name] was shy when we first met as kids, but they came around. They still have that demeanor now, but when it comes to sparring, they’re like a different person.” he explained. An embarrassed blush was present on your cheeks.

“It happens when I’m in the zone, I can’t help it.” you joined in with a sheepish smile.

As the night continued to settle, your shadows from the campfire loomed in the distance. Everyone could feel the friendship grow within the conversation. You then find yourself growing tired, the exhausted feeling washed over you.

“I’m gonna retire for the night, I’ll see you guys in the morning.” you hummed, making your way towards your respective tent. A while ago, Aconite and Ferron had some materials to set up tents for each of them in the campsite.

The others bid you goodnight, offering warm farewells before turning their attention back to each other. Conversations continued around the campfire as the night deepened, and the stars sparkled above.

Raidon looked at the blacksmith with a firm, serious expression on his face. His voice held a sense of concern and curiosity as he leaned in and posed his question, "Ferron, if you’re okay with this, can you tell us more about [Name]?"

Ferron, who wore a firm expression as well, watched as everyone had their eyes on him. The once joyful Cyrus became slightly serious. His eyes showed hesitation, but there was a feeling that they would question him during the long adventure.

They all remembered how you were more violent against the barbarians a while ago, recalling how Aconite watched how you eliminated them swiftly with anger that lightly fumed from you.

He took a moment, his gaze shifting between the red knight and the others. He breathed in deeply, preparing to explain the truth behind your transformation during combat, your personality, really.

Ferron’s words painted a vivid picture of the traumatic event that had taken place. He explained how the barbarians had mocked, bullied, and taunted you and him about their parents' deaths during the war.

He recounted how he had come searching for you, only to be shocked by what he saw upon reaching the top of the hill, the sudden smell of iron was present in the air, remembering how he hurried to the hill with a horrible feeling.

He described the image of your younger self, covered in blood, holding a small, bloody knife, standing motionless like a statue. Your face was devoid of any emotion, your coldness and emptiness staring intently into his soul.

When he inched closer to you, his movements slow and calculated so as not to startle you, he noticed the lifeless bodies of the barbarians surrounding you. The area was drenched in a crimson color, a grim testament to the violence that had just unfolded.

He cautiously reached out and gently took the knife from your grip, discarding it on the ground as he used his fire magic to burn the weapon. With a delicate touch, he carefully took hold of your hands and guided you slowly back toward his house.

As he gently guided you, he squeezed your hand firmly, intending to soothe and reassure you. To his surprise, you responded by squeezing back, though your grip was so tender and subtle that he barely noticed the movement.

He continued to hold your hand firmly, silently comforted by the fact that you were still present and responsive to his touch, even in your traumatized state.

Ferron’s story came to an end, and he fell silent, wiping away a single tear before looking up at the other knights. A pensive, heavy atmosphere had settled over the group.

Raidon wore a grim expression, his jaw clenched as he absorbed the details of the tragic story. Jokul and Cyrus were both visibly perturbed, their eyes wide with shock and sympathy. Aconite, who seemed to be the most affected, wore a somber frown.

The green knight remembered how his mother died in the war that happened years ago. His father had comforted him throughout his childhood, feeling a shell overwhelm him and hide his emotions from him.

They were plagued with unease. The revelation of the trauma you experienced at such a young age left them reeling, a mix of shock and concern churning within.

It all suddenly made sense now; the cold, detached demeanor during sparring, the raging glint in your eyes when you battle against the barbarians.

Ferron now had his head down; he didn’t even need to look up at the reactions of his team. He had anticipated this response and understood the profound impact the story would have on their perception of you.

He softly spoke, his voice gentle yet encouraging, "Feel free to ask the questions that are on your mind. I understand that this is a lot to take in, but I'll do my best to answer them honestly."

As the other knights nodded in agreement, they took a moment to gather their thoughts before posing their questions. The air was thick with tension, each one of them grappling with a mixture of curiosity, concern, and uncertainty about the situation.

Their leader, Raidon, was the first to speak up, his voice serious and measured. "How many... did they kill that day?" he inquired.

With a sober expression, Ferron replied to the lightning knight's question, his voice steady despite the gravity of the answer he was about to give. He stated matter-of-factly, "Four." The number hung in the air, leaving the others in stunned silence.

Raidon’s face paled as he absorbed the implications of Ferron's answer. Four lives taken at such a young age...

He couldn't begin to imagine the emotional toll that would take on a child, let alone the psychological impact it would have on shaping their future actions and demeanor.

As the others continued to grapple with the revelation, Aconite spoke up, his tone hesitant yet filled with genuine concern. His words were laced with curiosity and a hint of trepidation. "Do you know... if they ever did it again?"

The blacksmith shook his head in response, his expression steady and certain. He then explained that he had taken it upon himself to keep a watchful eye on you ever since that fateful day.

"As far as I know, they haven't taken another life since then. I've made sure to keep an eye on them all these years..."

The green knight’s shoulders visibly relaxed as from the reassurance. He secretly felt a small measure of relief, grateful that you hadn't had to cross that line again.

Cyrus, his expression somewhat subdued, now found the courage to speak up, his voice steady yet laced with hesitation.

He finally lifted his gaze towards Ferron, his expression solemn as he posed his question. "How have they’ve been since then? Mentally, I mean?" The question caused the retired knight to sigh deeply as he attempted to explain your mental state after that day.

He confessed that, for the most part, you seemed to be coping well. However, he also admitted that there were occasions where he would find you spacing out, your face vacant and soulless.

He continued, his voice filled with a mix of concern and tenderness. "When I find them like that, I gently shake them to bring them back to reality. Sometimes, they look as if they're reliving that traumatic event in their mind."

The knights listened as he continued. "When they were younger, they were often reserved and guarded. They masked their feelings and often seemed shy. But as they grew older, they stopped masking their emotions, but they still maintained a somewhat shy demeanor."

The fire knight listened intently to his words, a look of understanding crossing his face. He seemed to be processing the information, trying to imagine your younger self hiding your emotions and maintaining a shy demeanor.

His expression was a mix of sympathy and a slight hint of sadness. It was clear that these revelations were causing him to view you in a new, more compassionate light.

Then it was Jokul’s turn, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, now spoke up. His voice was firm yet tinged with comfort. "Is there anything specific that triggers them? We want to make sure they don’t freeze during battle."

Ferron nodded solemnly as the question was posed, pausing for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. He began by sharing a crucial piece of information. "Never mention their parents. Anything related to them is a trigger, and it's best to avoid those topics entirely."

He then explained, his voice becoming more serious, "If they encounter enemies or situations that remind them of their past...it's like a sudden switch. They become a different person, almost like an automaton, cold and emotionless..."

The other knights took in the information, absorbing his words with a sense of understanding and gravity. They nodded in unison, silently acknowledging the importance of this knowledge and how it could potentially impact their interactions with you in the future.

He shared how you had become comfortable with and even welcomed emotional support after battles, a stark contrast to your younger self who had been closed off and distant.

"Over time, they've become more receptive to comfort and support, especially after battles. They're willing to accept it now. I've been doing it for them since we were kids, and it seems to help them feel grounded and somewhat better."

The memories he shared of how you had become comfortable with and even welcomed emotional support after battles, a stark contrast to your younger self who had been closed off and distant.

He then inquired, his tone open and inviting, "Are there any other questions or concerns that any of you have?"

The others fell silent, their brows furrowed in thought as they carefully considered the question. They took a moment to sift through the new information they had just learned. The blacksmith patiently waited, giving them the time they needed to process everything.

They shook their heads slightly in response to his question, indicating that they had no more immediate questions or concerns. He nodded understandingly, noting the thoughtful expressions on their faces as they continued to digest the conversation.

As the evening wore on, fatigue started to set in for the group. One by one, they bid each other goodnight and retreated to their individual tents for some well-deserved rest.

They each disappeared into the privacy of their respective tents, settling into their assigned sleeping spaces, their bodies craving the respite that a good night's sleep can bring. The campsite slowly quieted until the only sounds were the soft rustling of the wind and the faint crackling of the dying campfire.

Chapter Text

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As dawn began to break, you trudged out your tent, stretching your limbs and taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air. You had dressed in comfortable clothing, your hand scratched your leg and arm.

Still half-asleep, you slowly made your way towards a nearby lake that shimmered in the early morning light. The soft sounds of chirping birds and the gentle lapping of water against the shore accompanied your quiet steps.

You reached the edge of the lake, the tranquil water reflecting your tired expression back at you. With gentle movement, you began to splash some of the cool water onto your face, washing away any remnants of the previous day's battle.

As you wiped the water from your skin, you removed any stubborn flecks of blood, trying to cleanse your exterior of the evidence of your inner turmoil. 'I wonder where we're traveling to...' you thought.

Once you were satisfied with your freshened appearance, you stood up and took a moment to gaze at the lake. Its tranquil waters glimmered, reflecting the sunlight and the surrounding nature on its surface.

As you drank in the beauty of the scenery, you reluctantly turned away and began to make your way back towards the campsite, your footsteps quiet on the soft grass.

At the edge of the campsite, the other knights were slowly stirring from their sleep. One by one, they began to emerge from their tents, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and yawning as they took in their surroundings.

Raidon, who was always an early riser, was the first one to exit his tent, followed shortly after by Jokul and Aconite. They both held grumpy expressions, waiting for the fire knight to emerge out of his tent. He was usually the last one to wake up

He called out, his voice still raspy from sleeping. "Good morning, sleepyheads. About the time you woke up." Raidon chuckled at the groggy greetings from the other knights, amused by their obvious exhaustion from the previous day's battle.

The sound of quiet footsteps became present, slowly directing their gaze to see that you were already awake. "Well you're up early, you woke up before me." the red knight chuckled, earning a sleepy hum from you.

"I usually hate getting up in the mornings." you responded with a groggy tone. Sitting on one of the logs, Cyrus finally woke up, stretching his limbs. Stifling a yawn as he utilized his magic to ignite the campfire. The flames rose to life, providing a warm and inviting aura to the campsite.

Raidon commented jokingly. "Looks like you fellas still need your beauty rest." You and Cyrus lightly chuckled at his words, hearing Ferron finally step out of his tent. His eyes still half-closed from sleep, having matched grumpy expressions with Aconite.

He yawned widely, blinking in the morning sunlight as his vision adjusted. He heard the lightning knights greeting and the others' mumbled responses, and he grunted a greeting of his own in return.

He stretched his arms over his head, still working out the kinks from sleep, and made his way over to join the others by the fire. "How'd you guys sleep?" he grumbled.

"I slept alright. I thought I was the first one awake," Raidon started before pointing his head over to you. "Until [Name] emerged out of the woods."

You lightly chuckled at the explanation, saying that you didn't know why you woke up early. "How about you, Ferron?" you questioned lightly, earning a light huff from the blacksmith.

"Not long enough, it went by so quickly." the other knights chuckled at his response, enjoying some fruit that was in their bags. Taking a bite out of your favorite fruit, you lightly hummed at the flavor.

The fire knight lightly crisped his fruit, enjoying the sweet and yet savory item. "Does he usually set his food on fire?" Ferron muttered in confusion, earning a nod from the poison knight.

"Whenever he gets the chance, he will lightly crisp it or nearly set it on fire." he replied, grinning at the offended expression he got from Cyrus. The conversation was light-hearted and friendly, filled with banter and laughter.

Jokul and Aconite were discussing training routines and strategizing for any future battles. Raidon, meanwhile, regaled the group with a few amusing anecdotes of his past adventures. Cyrus had shared some of his fruit with you and Ferron, liking the cooked fruit.

Some of the knights had stolen some glances at you and Ferron, seeing that you two were able to lighten up the group more than before. The memory of the conversation they had while you were asleep was somewhat still on their mind.

Ferron had caught their glances, slightly grinning, as if he read their minds on what they talked about last night.

Once breakfast was finished, the group began to prepare for the journey ahead. Jokul tended to the campfire, extinguishing the flames to ensure safety. Soon enough, everyone was fully geared up and ready to set off on the next leg of their adventure.

As the group walked, each knight had your story from the previous night lingering in their minds. Knowing the hardships you had endured and the weight you carried on your shoulders, they couldn't help but be concerned for your wellbeing.

They tried to remain focused on their surroundings, keeping a watchful eye out for any possible threats. But at the same time, they conversed with one another, light banter was present in the air.

The group carefully entered the forest, their senses heightened and their bodies tense. This area was infamous for its inhabitants - thieves lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting travelers. With caution, they moved through the dense foliage.

Each knight stayed vigilant, eyes scanning the surroundings, ears listening for any unusual sounds. Ferron and Raidon were especially mindful of their surroundings, knowing that this place required extra caution. You, Jokul, and Aconite kept your guard up too, clutching their weapons in hand.

Ferron stole a glance at you from the corner of his eye, taking in the lightly determined expression on your face. He felt a sense of relief wash over him, his mind wandered back to the times when he saw you with a cold and distant look, like you were disconnected from the world around you.

As you and the others were keeping watch, sudden movement caught your eye. Thieves appeared from the shadows, charging directly towards the group with deadly intent. Worse still, some were holding bows and arrows, taking aim at the knights from the back.

Without a moment's hesitation, the group leaped into action, drawing their weapons and charging towards the thieves. The clash of steel echoed through the forest as the knights engaged the enemies in fierce combat.

You swiftly released your magic, creating a colorful shockwave that stunned the thieves in front of you. Seizing the opportunity, you swiftly swung your weapon, dealing precise blows that quickly took down your opponents.

"Ferron! Let's try and combine our magic!" Cyrus beamed, earning a wide grin from the blacksmith. Working together, they unleashed their fire magic, setting the archers ablaze. The scorching flames caused the archers to run around in panic.

With quick reflexes, you then activated your rainbow magic, stunning the fleeing archers further. Seeing your cue, Jokul promptly used his ice magic, aiming his attack to pierce sharp icicles at the disoriented and frantic archers.

As the chaos subsided and the thieves lay defeated around you, the group took a moment to catch their breath and regroup. Everyone thanked each other for the effective teamwork during the fight, their spirits lifted by the successful collaboration.

In another part of the clearing, Aconite was carefully applying his poison to his enemies, while Raidon combined his electric magic with the poison knight, creating a deadly combo that quickly put down the rest of the thieves.

"Let's move forward. We don't know what can come up in these parts." the lightning knight instructed, earning firm nods from the other knights. As they pushed further into the woods, the group stumbled upon a peculiar sight.

A massive thief, towering above the others, was engaged in conversation with what looked like a royal figure. As the royal figure glanced towards your group, their eyes widened in surprise. Quickly, they grabbed a large sack filled with gold and fled the scene, disappearing into the foliage.

Not far from there, the knights spotted several princesses being captured and carried away by the other thieves.

The chaos of the battlefield slowly subsided as the group successfully dispatched the latest wave of thieves. As they made their way through the aftermath, your gaze was drawn to something extraordinary - a small, green dinosaur, its back adorned with a saddle, stood nearby.

Carefully, you approached the dinosaur, raising your hand gently towards its nose. It sniffed your hand curiously, then started to happily sniff you, its tail lifting you gently and placing you on its back.

A surprised chuckle escaped your lips as you sat atop the dinosaur, its friendly and affectionate nature evident in its gestures. "I didn't know there were any dinosaurs here." you hummed.

"I've heard some stories about there being some small dinosaurs that lived in this area." Jokul chimed in, petting the green animal's head. The other knights observed you with warm smiles on their faces as they watched you tame the mini dinosaur with ease.

As the knights continued their journey through the woods, something caught your eye; a suspicious shadow, moving quietly, trying to sneak up on the group. Quick as lightning, you retrieved a small knife from under your armor, and with flawless precision, you hurled it towards the shadow.

Everyone, but Ferron, was taken aback when they saw the thief fall, having been thwarted by your keen senses. You calmly approached the defeated thief, retrieving your small knife before continuing on your way.

"So how long were you two training for?" Aconite questioned, impressed by what just happened.

"From what I can remember, we were at least five years old. The first thing we trained with were small knives, and [Name] had mastered it." he replied. You turned towards the group with a toothy grin, saying that he was telling the truth.

You lightly valued the praise and compliments, a light pink tint dusted your cheeks. Inside, you felt a warm, fuzzy feeling, a sense of belonging and acceptance, despite your quiet and reserved nature.

Aconite hummed at the explanation, remembering how he trained with knives with his father. The other knights were left in awed silence, impressed by your sharp eyes and reflexes in spotting the sneak attack.

Venturing deeper into the forest, the atmosphere thickened with tension. Suddenly, you heard booming footsteps in the distance, the sound reverberating through the dense foliage. Your group exchanged glances, their eyes widening slightly in alarm as they collectively tried to identify the source of the noise that had disturbed the tranquil surroundings.

Turning towards the source of the booming footsteps, you were met with a rather unlikely sight.

An owl was perched on a nearby branch, flapping its wings frantically. It was positioned behind a bush, obscured from view, and the mysterious booms were actually coming from the bird as it did its business.

Your hand tried in vain to contain your laughter as laughter escaped your lips, the sight of the owl falling into its own droppings were too much for you to handle. The others were equally amused, trying to maintain their composure but failing miserably.

The scene was simply too comical to resist, bursting into uproarious laughter, the image was too much for them to handle. The air was filled with the sound of laughter as the group struggled to compose themselves, their sides aching from the force of their mirth.

Laughter slowly subsided as everyone tried to catch their breath. After a moment, the group managed to compose themselves, their faces still flushed and their hearts lighter. With lingering smiles on their faces, they resumed their journey, the memory of the owl's awkward mishap still fresh in their minds.

"There's no way that just happened! What are the chances!" Cyrus chuckled.

As the booming footsteps continued, you all caught sight of a deer darting through the forest. Its wide eyes betrayed a mix of fear and surprise, and hilariously enough, it was using its own droppings to propel itself further into the woods.

The sight was too much for everyone to handle, and they found themselves convulsed with laughter once again, tears streaming down their faces. "Why does this keep happening?!'' Raidon howled while clutching his stomach, starting to hurt from the laughter.

"We need to get out of here, we'll probably be here for hours if it continues." you commented with a wide grin at the broken humor, hearing Aconite hummed with agreement.

The others nodded in agreement, their laughter faded away gradually, replaced by heavy gasps and breaths as everyone tried to regain control of their breathing. With a final few chuckles and grins, they resumed their journey through the forest, bracing themselves for whatever other surprises might lie ahead.

Looking ahead, the sight of an enemy's campsite caught Ferron's eye. Surprisingly, it was eerily empty except for a large wooden door that had been left open. Suddenly, a large black, fuzzy monster, the mother troll, emerged from the open door, surrounded by her tiny troll offspring.

Some of the knights shivered in disgust at how the small enemies moved with frantic motion. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the group quickly launched an attack on the trolls, striking them down relentlessly one by one.

"Jokul, help me take out the mother. The others will handle her babies." Raidon quickly instructed as the two dashed towards the large enemy. The ice knight froze the large being, making it stand still.

Sparks of lightning crackled around the red knight's hand, pushing his hand out and making his magic surround the uncanny beast. It roared with pain and anger, causing its babies to make an attempt to save their mother.

With quickness, you used your magic to stun them, Cyrus then followed up with a fiery blaze. The sound of the tiny enemies shrieked with pain as they burned into a crisp, disappearing with black fumes.

The mother troll was quickly dispatched, her defeat a testament to your team's effective coordination. "We should move along, I think we're coming close to getting out of here." you insisted.

However, before the knights could move forward, a loud rumbling sound shook the air, signaling the appearance of an even larger threat, a troll giant. It loomed over the knights, its colossal statue dwarfing that of the mother troll by comparison.

Quickly looking around, the poison knight pointed towards some dear that were nearby. "We'll use those to escape!" With no other options, you and the others swiftly mounted the nearby deer, riding it as it galloped away in a bid to escape the wrath of the troll giant.

The troll's relentless pursuit keeps you all on edge. Ferron and Cyrus tried to throw fireballs at it, but it did little damage by burning some of its hair off. Raidon insists that they shouldn't use all their magic, not wanting them to tire themselves out.

Finally, an opening came into view, a brief glimmer of hope amongst the chaos. "We're gonna have to jump!" you quickly announced. One by one, as the group came close to the edge, you and the others made a leap of faith into the nearby river.

Quickly rising from the water, everyone managed to secure a log to stand on, a momentary respite from the relentless pursuit. "Guys, look up ahead." Jokul pointed towards the distance, spotting the king's ship in the distance.

'When did the king leave?' you thought as a smile laced your lips, the king had arrived to join the battle.

''Hello, my knights! I'm here with the gray knights as well! We need to get across this river, it's starting to get dangerous out there." he spoke with urgency.

Just as you turned your attention towards the water, an ominous bubbling sound caught your ears, immediately raising alarm. ''Guy's, somethings in the water!'' You yelled out a warning to the group, causing them all to turn their gazes in the same direction.

What you saw was a giant catfish emerging from the depths of the river, its massive form casting a menacing presence in the water. It widely opened its mouth, threatening to chomp down at the king's boat.

Ferron quickly shot a fireball at its face, distracting the ugly beast. The catfish's ferocious roar echoed through the air as it began to spurt out hairballs, creating an immediate threat as you and the group frantically dodged its attacks in the water.

Aconite was grossed out by the choice outfits attacks, but that didn't matter, they needed to hurry and defeat the aquatic enemy. Fighting in the water made it even more challenging, but you all pressed on.

An idea then formed in the lighting knight's head, a quick huff escaped his lips. "We need to get on the boat! I have a plan." he announced. Nodding, you all climbed onto the large boat, some of you greeting the gray knights.

Raidon quickly charged up his magic, lightning crackling around his right arm. Quickly getting on the boat, you reassured him that everyone was on board. Getting the signal, he placed his hand in the water, using his magic.

Lightning began to crackle the water, rushed bubbles surfaced in the water as the giant catfish was stunned by the large attack. It let out a pained screech, its body reacting to the shock caused smoke to fume off its body.

A few seconds passed and the catfish finally sinked into the water, making the red knight retract his handout of the water. He slumped onto the floor, exhausted from using so much magic. "How're you feeling?"

The red knight directed his gaze towards the king, giving him a thumbs up. "I'm alright, but I think I'm done for today," he managed to huff out. "Is It okay for you to drop us off somewhere? We didn't mean to hop onto your boat."

The king waved him off, a light grin slowly stretched on his wrinkled face. "Sure, I don't mind. It'going to take a while, so why don't you guys rest up?" he insisted kindly. The group was soaked and wet from head to toe.

Thanking the king, you all sat down and conversed with the gray knights, seeing that they were going on a couple of missions that will help them progress their skills to become a seasoned knight.

Lifting your gaze upwards, you see that the sun slowly setting, the sky was starting to turn into a light color of orange. 'Time seems to be going by quickly on this mission' you thought, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing in the water.

Chapter Text

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The king's boat managed to find an island where he could drop his brave knights off to. "I'll probably see you all later. Me and the gray knights are making our way to another area to find my daughters." he hummed.

Each of the colorful knights nodded, waving goodbye to the king and the gray knights that waved back. "We'll see you soon, sir." the lightning knight replied, watching the boat stream away from them.

The colorful group of knights scanned the area, seeing that it was a decent spot to settle down until the next day. They then get out their towels in their bags, drying themselves off from the water they were in earlier.

"I'll go gather some wood that's nearby." the fire knight suggests, getting nods from the poison knight as he strides his way into the woods, hearing his footsteps go quiet. You all sat around a large dirt spot, seeing that it was perfect to have the campsite.

Everyone took off their upper armor, revealing their undershirts. Aconite had stolen some glances towards you, noticing your toned muscles and healed scars on them. He takes a look at his arms, they had more muscle but less healed scars than you.

He remembered that you trained at a young age, guessing that's how you were able to get those scars. Glancing over to Ferron, he sees that he had a good amount of scars like you. There was a weird feeling inside him, like he watched to lightly trace them, which was odd, he thought.

You both probably had trained a few years earlier than him. "Aconite." He emitted a quick hum before glancing towards the voice, seeing that it belonged to Jokul. "You alright? You've been staring at the two of them for a bit." he informed with an amused chuckle.

The green knight grumbled something under his breath before crossing his arms against his chest. "Just getting a look, it's the first time I've seen their physique without the armor." he replied truthfully. The ice knight couldn't help but hum at his answer, asking him if he had a thing for scars. "Maybe. It shows how much work they've been through to achieve their goals."

He noticed a few pairs of eyes on him, seeing that everyone but the fire knight was smiling at the conversation, making him avert his gaze downwards. The lightning knight chuckled, patting him on the back. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Aconite. I think that's a good example."

The rest of the knights agreed, watching a ghost of a grin become present on the green knight's face. The sound of a pair of footsteps became present, seeing that Cyrus was back with a pile of wood in hand.

Placing the wood down on the center of the dirt, he used his magic to start the campfire. The warm glow danced around the area as you all sat around it, engaging in conversation. Ferron then turned to you, his expression filled with concern.

''You alright, [Name]? I can tell that you're about to fall asleep." he uttered, watching you blink a couple of times before a lazy grin stretched on your lips.

"Yeah. Swimming in the water made me work all my muscles, that's probably why I'm tired." you replied, covering your mouth when you yawned. The action caused you to slightly flex, catching some of the other knights' attention.

"How about you guys?" the blacksmith questioned the other knights, hearing as they said a similar answer to yours. He then began to reminisce about his childhood. ''I remembered when I hated training in the water when I was becoming a knight.''

The leader couldn't help but chuckle, seeing that he had a familiar story. "Yeah, I remember when I was scared to even go into the water." he chimed in. He then glances over to the ice knight, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But this one right here, he used to be one of the best swimmers in our group." Jokul tried to hide himself from the conversations, but that didn't stop his leader from lightly embarrassing him. "But I remember when he first got his powers, he was practicing how to ice-skate."

"You ice-skate, Jokul?" Ferron questioned, feeling interested in the story.

The ice knight finally held a light grin on his face, feeling a bit relaxed now that everyone was interested in his story. "Yeah, I do it when I have free time though... It's been awhile since I skated." he stated, placing a hand under his chin.

"Maybe you could teach us how to skate," the fire knight chimed in. "That way, when we have something that deals with an icy area, we could use that to our advantage." Jokul couldn't help but chuckle at his best friend, patting his head.

As the night continued to become darker, the knights said their goodnights as they trudged their way towards their respective tents. Right now, it was just you and your childhood friend. The quiet whispers of your conversations gradually faded into a comfortable silence.

"I think I'm gonna head to bed, Ferron." you groaned, getting up from the ground as you stretched your limbs. Before you parted ways, the blacksmith suddenly pulled you into a warm embrace, his arms encircling you in a comforting hug.

You instinctively returned the gesture, holding him close as you understood his unspoken words. You knew he was worried about you, seeing that he remembers some of the scars that you've got before you became an official knight.

Ferron gently pulled away, his black eyes holding a mixture of gentleness and sleepiness. With a gentle voice, he urged you to get some rest. "Good night, [Name]."

You managed a tired response through your exhaustion, your voice tinged with tiredness. "Good night, Ferron." you murmured, your eyelids growing heavier by the second before trudging your way to your tent, taking your armored shoes off before entering.

The blacksmith glanced over at you, taking a moment to watch you peacefully resting in your tent. His gaze softened as he thought about your shared memories, the happy moments of your childhood now forever etched in his mind.

With a mixture of fondness, he also liked the moments of the other knights, feeling a faint grin stretch on his lips. Sighing, he walked over to his own tent, settling down for the night. As he lay there, his thoughts were preoccupied with both the past and the present.

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Morning time came around. Raidon, as the natural early riser and unofficial leader of the group, was the first one to awaken in the morning. He stretched his limbs and took a moment to enjoy the tranquility of the early morning, the sunlight slowly filtering through the trees.

Once he had sufficiently woken himself up, he waited patiently for the other knights to stir from their restless slumber, knowing that they would eventually rise and start their day. As a few minutes passed, the ice knight was the second to wake up, emitting a groggy groan.

"As usual, you're already the first one up." he uttered, rubbing his eyes, already familiar with the routine of their leader rising the earliest. He stretched his arms and took a moment to gather his bearings, slowly shaking off the last remnants of sleep and preparing himself.

''Well good morning to you too, Jokul. How'd you sleep?' the red knight teased, smiling brightly. The ice knight mumbled his answer, stating that the battle from yesterday had worn him out. He was also glad that his team was safe from the water as well.

Within the next few minutes, the blacksmith started to emerge out of his tent, followed by you, Cyrus, then Aconite. Ferron grumbled a tired greeting, shielding his eyes from the bright golden rays of the sun.

"I want to go back to sleep," you mumbled, your eyelids still heavy with exhaustion. Aconite hummed in agreement, hearing the rest of his team chuckle. Glancing over at the fire knight, he basically wore a sleepy grin on his face, guessing that he was trying to wake himself up.

"C'mon, Cyrus. You need to open your eyes." Jokul reminded, earning a hum from the fire knight as his eyes slowly opened. You headed towards the river to freshen up, Jokul decided to do the same as well, needing to freshen himself up.

Crouching down near the water, you scooped the water in your hands and splashed it in your face. You smiled at the coolness, feeling the dry cracks of your skin wash away from the water. The river helped you come to your senses, letting the gentle sounds of the water soothe your drowsy mind.

You finished washing your face with the river water, shaking off the excess drops and standing back up. As your eyes darted around, they settled on the water's surface, just standing in silence. Without realizing it, you found yourself staring at the water, your gaze fixed and unwavering.

The tired yet small light in your eyes faded into a vacant and soulless stare. It was as if your mind had gone elsewhere, leaving your body standing there, motionless and lost in thought. The ice knight noticed that you weren't going back to camp, glancing at your still figure.

"[Name]?" he uttered, trying to get your attention, but you didn't reply or move. As you stood there for a few seconds, he then remembers how you zone out sometimes, making him act quickly yet carefully.

He cautiously approached you, moving slowly to avoid startling you. When he reached you, he gently tapped your shoulder, "[Name]? [Name], snap out of it." he uttered with a light yet firm tone.

The ice knight continued to poke or gently nudge you out of your trance, watching your fingers lightly twitch. He took a step back to give you some room, watching you slowly come back to reality. Blinking for a few seconds, you turf your gaze towards Jokul, seeing that he was the one that was trying to wake you back up.

Your expression then turned somber, scratching your arm. "I'm sorry if I startled you, Jokul. I haven't zoned out in a while." you uttered, causing the ice knight to feel a pang within him. He wanted to say that your best friend already told him, but he didn't want you to be upset at Ferron.

He patted you on your shoulder, feeling the coolness on his hands. "It's alright, I'll make sure to let the others know." he replied with a reassured expression. Your body lightly shook from the emotional turmoil you were going through.

You looked up in the sky, trying to get the tears out of your eyes before you both walked away from the water. Coming back to the campsite, they were already getting concerned expressions from the other knights.

"You guys alright? You've been gone for a bit." the poison knight inquired. The ice knight's lips formed into a firm line before a huff escaped his lips.

"While we were washing our faces, they zoned out. They were just staring at the water with a blank expression." he informed. Some of the knight's breath hitched, especially Ferron's. They quickly glance over to you, seeing that you nodded in agreement.

At least you weren't denying it, that would've made it worse. They hoped that you were alright, but they were especially worried about your well-being, given the history of how you started to zone out in your past.

Aconite and Ferron watched you both make your way back to the campsite, their eyes lingered on your downtrodden expression, noticing the faint redness in your eyes, speaking of low volumes about the emotional turmoil.

The red knight's face was etched with a slight frown, the sight of your expression made him let out a low hum. Cyrus had sat next to you, patting your back with an expression with a mixture of worry and sympathy.

Your lips then stretched to a shaky, small grin. "Thank you, guys. I'm sorry if I startled you guys this morning." you uttered, tracing the faint scars on your arm.

"It's fine, [Name]." Raidon replied, giving you a thumbs up. "We hope that it doesn't happen again, we don't want you to get hurt if it happens when we're in battle." the other knights hummed in agreement, watching your smile slowly brighten.

The leader then sat up from the ground, clapping his hands together. "Alright, let's get ourselves ready together and move forward!" he beamed, chuckling at the poison knights grumbling. The knights make their way towards their respective tents, putting on their armor and gathering their weapons.

The knights looked up as you emerged from your tent, your armor was secured as you held your weapon in hand. A wave of relief washed over them as they saw the sight of you looking okay, the worry and tension lifting from their shoulders.

"So where are we going?" Cyrus questioned, realizing that they were dropped off in a random area. They've been moving forward for quite some time, and they don't know where to begin again.

"Maybe we should go the direction the king went?" you chimed in. "That way, we'll probably find some of the gray knight's footprints that traveled on land." The leader smiled brightly at your plan, agreeing to it.

Aconite gave a nod of acknowledgment, seeing that it was the best thing that they could do before following the right track. With preparations complete, you all set off. The journey was filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.

The sudden sounds of the wind blowing against you all tense up, sensing that danger was up ahead as the new area of your journey started to come to view.

Chapter Text

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Continuing forward, you see another part of the island, the sound of footsteps can be heard. “I can see a few gray knights.” you informed, making the others look for the king. Arriving at the island, your eyes were greeted by the sight of the king in the distance.

“Did you find anything?” Ferron inquired, getting a nod from the elder. He explained that they found another part of an island that had bear-like enemies.

“I need you all to be careful, my knights. I wish you all luck on this part of the area.” you gave him thankful nods before continuing forwards, waving to the gray knights as well. Arriving near what it seems to be an abandoned campsite, your path was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of white bears.

Despite their adorable appearance, they had donned armor and wielded clubs and fish as weapons, charging at your group with surprising ferocity. “Aww, they look so cute.” Cyrus hummed, nearly making you chuckle at his words.

“They may appear cute, but by the looks of their teeth, I don’t think they’re friendly.” Raidon hummed, clutching his sword in hand with his shield in the other. Without wasting a moment, you all responded to the bears' charge by charging right back at them.

The air was filled with a sense of determination and urgency as the clash began, the sound of armor and clubs colliding echoing through the area. The green knight let out poisonous fumes from his hands, making the bears falter their movement.

You helped finish the job, throwing out a rainbow towards the small group and exploding on impact, bits and pieces of them flew in the air. Once the wave of bears had been dealt with, you noticed a white flag with a distinct paw symbol in the center, presumably representing the bears' symbol.

“I think that’s their leader, or some type of general.” Jokul hummed, shooting a few ice shards towards the incoming enemies. Your gaze shifted to their campsite, where several bags of caught fish were visibly displayed.

Continuing your trek, a bear with a flag attached to its armor approached and began calling for more reinforcements, signifying that it was their leader. Sensing the potential threat, you all readied yourselves for an incoming attack from the additional bears, preparing to counter any onslaught with strategic prowess.

Ferron and Cyrus unleashed a burning wave of fire, hearing shrieks of pain from the enemy, watching their bodies fall to the ground in a crisp. You managed to land a few strikes on the leader bear, only for it to begin charging its magic. To your surprise and concern, the bear unleashed a spinning tornado attack, its swirling movements resembling a deadly vortex.

“You guys need to move!” Ferron quickly suggested, watching Raidon and Aconite barely escape the winds of the attack, taking a some hit but quickly recovering. Cyrus attempted to use his fire magic, but it was rendered ineffective as his flames were blown away by the tornado's powerful winds.

Acting quickly, you used your magic to stun the leader, its limbs struggling to move in place. Jokul took the advantage to also freeze the leader, adding to your magic to make it unmovable. However, the other bears sought to intervene by launching snowballs with their magic.

“Snowballs…? They’re attacking us with snowballs?” Ferron uttered with a deadpanned expression, causing the red and orange knight to chuckle. Swiftly, the fire knight swiftly countered their attack with his own fire magic, effectively neutralizing the incoming snowballs and maintaining the momentum of the assault on the leader.

The leader, feeling the pressure of your combined attacks, employed its signature tornado move once again, forcibly shoving you all back and creating a brief respite. Aconite grumbled with evidence of annoyance, shooting a ball of poison towards the large tornado.

The poison was able to stop the leader from its tornado attacks, hearing it hack up its lungs before stuttering its way down to his knees. “I’ll hold him down!” the ice knight exclaimed, shooting a large icicle through the bear's chest, holding it there.

As the leader was now held down by the attacks, you and Raidon saw an opportunity to strike. Charging towards the immobilized bear, you both combined your magic together, shooting out an explosive rainbow while lightning strikes surrounded it.

Launching a well-timed attack, it impacted the bear, watching burnt limbs fly to the water, black fumes emerged from the ground. You both shot each other wide grins, fist bumping. “Nice work, [Name]!”

“You too as well, Raidon!” you replied back as you all regrouped with the other knights. Reassuring that everyone was okay, they move forward, feeling pellets of water dropping down on them.

You liked the feeling of the rain, it was calming, remembering the times it helped you when you were training outside as a kid. The knights were suddenly stopped when the blacksmith held his hand up. “We got trouble up ahead.” he uttered quietly.

In front of the colorful knights, some intimidating buff bears with large arms and bodies were roaming the area, barring their sharp teeth. They presented a considerable challenge, requiring careful and strategic attacks to avoid their massive fists.

“We’ll have to split up into groups, we don’t want to be knocked around if they surround us.” Aconite planned out, getting agreeing nods from his teammates. Once the large enemies noticed the colorful knights, they decided to pounce, making the knights split up.

You all worked together, making precise movements and strikes, carefully timing your attacks to avoid getting hit by their powerful blows. Jokul froze some of the ground to make them fall flat on their backs.

The bear aimed its fist to your gut, eliciting a groan from you. With a quick counter, you grabbed its arm and threw the enemy over your shoulder, slamming it to the ground. Finishing it off by thrusting your weapon into its head, you make your way to the others.

The fellow knights were combining and timing their attacks together, finishing the job with quickness. Once the buff bears had been dealt with, you all faced a simple task; climbing a large hill. To make it more manageable, you left your weapons behind and started the ascent.

The rain made the climb more difficult, its constant presence attempting to hinder your progress. But you persisted, pushing through the rain and eventually reaching the summit of the hill, triumphant in your endeavor.

Making it to the top, you continued running. You see two familiar figures up ahead, making you point forwards as you alerted your team. “I see the princesses!” you exclaimed, accelerating towards the enemies that were taking them away.

They were being abducted by the thieves and handed over to cloaked figures. The tall, cloaked figure magically flew away with the blue princess, while the short and buff one carried the green princess into a nearby dark cave. It seemed that the thieves were strategically separating the princesses, perhaps to make rescuing them more challenging for any potential pursuers.

With quick and decisive action, you swiftly dealt with the thieves and wasted no time in entering the dark cave. The cave loomed ahead, its depths shrouded in mystery and the unknown awaiting you within.

“It’s too dark in here…” Ferron unfettered, making a small fireball float above his hand, lightning the area. Cyrus was in awe by the flame, the color was different from his, watching the slightly purplish flame gently flick. The blacksmith noticed it, chuckling at the fire knight.

As you venture deeper into the cave, a chilling sight greets your eyes. “Is that blood?” you inquired quietly. The knights watched as tiny droplets of blood trickled down from the cave's ceiling, accompanied by a morbid carpet of skeletons and bones scattered across the ground.

“Well that’s a disturbing sight, some of these must be fresh.” the poison night hummed, making sure that everyone stepped away from the small pools of crimson on the ground. The presence of such grim evidence hinted at the cave's dark history and the potential dangers that lay ahead.

Suddenly, something slimy dropped from the ceiling, lightly jiggling from landing on the ground. “What the hell was that…?” the ice knight uttered, his gaze pointing at the thing that dropped in front of them.

It was silent for a moment, until it revealed its beady, black eyes, making the colorful group of knights shiver at it. “Nope. Not dealing with that.” Ferron then shot a fireball at the slime, incinerating it. Before you all could move forwards, more slimes began to drop to the ground.

“Ferron… I think you angered them.” you whispered stiffly, watching a flash of comedic regret form in his eyes. With quickness, you all bolted away from them slimes. “Did you have to set them on fire?!”

“I don’t know! That thing stared at me for a few seconds, and I was immediately uncomfortable and needed to leave!” he exclaimed truthfully. Cyrus and Raidon nearly busted out of laughter at the both of you yelling.

As you approached what seemed to be the exit from the cave, a giant bat suddenly emerged, its enormous size dwarfing the tiny bats you had encountered before. To everyone’s disgust and surprise, the giant bat started floating and began attacking by... pooping.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Aconite muttered with frustration, fighting hard not to gag at the revolting onslaught and deftly dodged the flying fecal matter. The situation was both challenging and grossly unexpected.

Suddenly, a small group of bats flew overhead of the knights, their small yet sharp teeth threatening to bite onto your skin. You swung your weapon with precision, swatting them away as they hit the wall before going limp.

However, as you were distracted, a tiny bat managed to bite you on your arm, causing you to let out a stifled hiss. “You alright, [Name]?” the lightning knight inquired, watching you take out a small bandage.

“Yeah, these things are starting to get on my nerves.” you replied, reassuring the rest of them that you were fine. The knights were finally able to move forward, the giant bat still on their trail, but they were able to get rid of the smaller bats.

Cyrus and Ferron shot fireballs behind them, Aconite assisted them in the process, watching the bat slowly twitch from the green fumes. “Raidon, strike it down!” the green knight instructs. Nodding, the leader summoned a large lightning strike, piercing through the bat as it let out a loud screech.

You all stood there silently, just in case the giant bat tried to make a move. Its wings trudged off the ground to make an attempt to move, but it dropped back to the ground, causing sighs of relief to escape the knight's lips.

“Finally! We got rid of it. I did not want to be pooped on.” Cyrus cheered, directing his gaze towards the end of the cave to hopefully escape. As you all began to relax, your attention was suddenly drawn to the sight of the king on a horse, trailed by a group of gray knights.

“My knights! I need you all to get out of this cave! The fumes of this cave are not good for you all.” he also instructed you all to evacuate the cave before any further threats could arise. With a sense of urgency, you all hurriedly made your way out of the treacherous cave, grateful for the warning and the chance to escape.

“You think we could catch a break with monsters using the feces for attacks?” Jokul sneered, hoping to not deal with them in the future.

“I hope not.” the blacksmith replied with disgust, shivering at the enemies they dealt with in the cave. The others nodded in agreement, echoing his sentiment and expressing their collective disgust at the repulsive choice of attack.

With grimaces and muttered complaints, you all tried to shake off the lingering odor and mentally prepare for whatever challenges lay ahead. In the midst of a small break, the orange knight sees something in the distance.

“Is that a factory?” he uttered, getting some of the knights' attention. Gazing into the distance, your eyes catch sight of a looming factory in the distance.

“I think it is… But what would a factory be doing here?” You remembered how the king never ordered his knights to build a factory here, so who didn’t follow his orders? The red knight suggests that they should check it out.

Sensing its significance, you all make your way towards the building, watching black smoke fume from the large pips on top of the building, polluting the air. Some of the knights were ready to confront who made the building, while some of them weren't worried about it for now.

As you continued your journey toward the factory, the lightning knight briefly paused to make sure everyone was alright from the last battle. His team ensured him with faint grins, chuckles were emitted from his protectiveness.

With a sense of determination, making sure that everyone was in tip-top shape to face whatever challenges the factory might hold in store, you all moved forward, the factory growing closer with every step you took.

Chapter Text

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As you approached the factory, the scene before you revealed the gruesome sight of fallen gray knight bodies, some still bearing the unmistakable marks of battle. The air was filled with a sense of unease as you tried to make sense of the events that had unfolded here.

The presence of the gray knight bodies suggested that there had been a recent confrontation, and the ominous atmosphere made it clear that the factory held more secrets waiting to be uncovered.

As you scanned the wall of the factory, your eyes landed on a shocking discovery; wanted posters featuring your entire group, with your own face prominently displayed, adorned with a significant reward.

But to your surprise, your own wanted notice stood out from the rest, with the triple gold reward and the chilling word "Alive" written in bold. "Why does mine say 'only alive' for me?" You voiced your question, perplexed as to why your wanted notice specified "alive" for your reward.

The others looked at you with confusion, just as curious as you are. Ferron's expression firmed, needing to know why someone needed you alive. Jokul spoke up, breaking the silence. "Yeah, that is weird. Why is there such a big incentive for you to stay alive?"

Your mind is filled with questions, pondering who could have such a specific interest in keeping you alive. The others' expressions reflect their own confusion as well. The blacksmith gently patted your back, reassuring you that you were going to be okay.

The sound of crying captured your group's attention, and you looked up to see the orange princess sobbing, her face hidden behind her hands. Standing beside her was the regal figure you had spotted before, his laughter echoing through the area.

It was clear that he was enjoying the spectacle before him, taking pleasure in your stunned faces. Raidon, speaking up, inquired about the identity of the regal figure. ''Who are you?'' he questioned. The figure laughed again, the knights felt their annoyance rise.

''Well... I am the prince of this land! Y'all aren't beefy enough to break down this door!'' he yelled dramatically at the knights. Beefy? The colorful knights stared at the young man in confusion once more, pondering.

"We had a prince?" The fire knight uttered, earning shrugs from Jokul and Aconite. He remembered someone being casted away from their home a few years ago, could this be him? The lightning stared at the entrance that was blocked off by a thick metal door.

"[Name]," Raidon uttered, getting your attention. "See if your magic can take this door down." he instructed. Giving him a nod, the other knights stood back, not wanting to get blasted away by your explosive magic.

Slightly pushing your hand out, a faint coat of different colors surrounded your hand, aiming it directly at the door. Once the magic landed, a small explosion went off, a gust of wind blew against you.

As the smoke cleared up, the metal door remained the same, causing you to blink. Striding towards the metal, you gave it a knock, the sound made a low, muffled noise. Humming, you turn towards your friends.

"Looks like we gotta find something or go into another area." you stated, ignoring the annoying laughter from the prince. Aconite and Ferron hummed at the statement, turning back around to see a small river.

"I need to freshen up..." the blacksmith muttered, getting agreeing hums from the rest of the knights. The group then set off towards the nearby river where they could clean themselves and freshen up.

As they made their way, the stench of the previous encounter with the bat still clung to them, serving as a constant reminder of their recent challenge. "I'm so glad that we never have to encounter that cave again."

Cyrus chuckled at his words. "I know, I'm glad that we didn't get hit by the bat's attacks. Like, what is with enemies and their attacks being feces?" he lightly exclaimed, taking his arm plates off to wash his arms.

The ice knight hummed at his words, guessing that he was questioning about it too. Forming your hands into a bowl, you splashed some water on your face, humming at the coldness. The fire knight took a glance towards you, noticing the faint bags under your eyes.

"I'm sorry to ask this, [Name]. But did you get any sleep last night?" he inquired, watching you blink a couple of times in response. The other knights glanced towards you, making you feel a bit itchy at the stares.

"No, you're fine, Cyrus." you gently reassured him with a faint smile. "Sometimes it takes me a little bit to fall asleep. My mind can be tired, but my body is the opposite." Raidon and Aconite glanced towards Ferron, watching him silently nod, seeing that it was true.

"Is it insomnia?" the poison knight inquired with a light, gruff tone, watching you shrug at the question. You explained to him that it doesn't happen all the time, maybe once or twice a month.

The red knight shot you a small, comforting grin. "Well we're glad that you told us about it, I want to make sure that my team is feeling in the right place in mind." he hummed, earning a chuckle from you.

Aconite hummed faintly, ruffling his locks, earning a heartfelt chuckle from the leader. The knights each checked their gear, ensuring everything was in good condition. You finished putting your armor back on, making sure it fit snug and comfortable.

Feeling ready to tackle whatever came next, you gave yourself a final check over before turning your attention back to the others. They were all suited up and ready to go, the last few rays of sunlight beginning to fade away as night settled in.

The group continued on their journey and eventually came upon a breathtaking sight of a vast field filled with an assortment of flowers. The colorful petals danced gently in the breeze, and the sweet fragrance filled the air, creating a serene atmosphere.

The group took a moment to admire the beautiful scene before them, taking in the various colors of the flowers that stretched out before their eyes. As you all took in the beauty of the flower field, a sudden feeling began to rise as you heard a buzzing sound.

"Guys... do you hear that?" you whispered when suddenly, a large swarm of enormous bees suddenly zoomed towards you. In a split second, your instincts kicked in, and you raised your weapons to defend against the attack.

"Why do normal animals have to be huge?!" the fire knight exclaimed, shooting fireballs at the enemies. The bees were impressively big, but your quick reflexes and strong fighting skills were up to the challenge.

Quickly dealing with the bee swarm, you continued along. Looking ahead, Jokul pointed forward to get the other knight's attention; the king was accompanied by a group of gray knights, accompanied by several huge catapults.

The fire knight's eyes shined with excitement, a wide grin present on his face as he came up with a fun idea! "Guys! We gotta launch ourselves with those catapults!" he stated, his voice evident with joy.

The ice knight couldn't help but chuckle at his idea, seeing that it was the only way to get to the next location. Cyrus excitedly zoomed ahead, clearly eager to be launched from the catapult. "Does he always come up with insane ideas?" you chuckled, watching a small smile land on the ice knight's lips.

"Yes, he does. Ever since we were kids, he wouldn't stay out of trouble." he informed. He truly was a wild knight, full of energy and unpredictability. Jokul knew that it would never be a dull moment with him around.

Aconite emitted a grumble, looks like they're going to launch themselves. Following the knight, you all stepped into the catapults and launched yourselves towards the castle. A wide smile was present on your lips, a feeling of adrenaline began to flow within you.

Once you regrouped with the gray knights, you pressed on, the castle looming closer with each step you took. Making an attempt to go inside, you were unexpectedly ambushed by a group of enemies, their dark coned heads giving them an ominous appearance.

'Coneheads...?' the green knight thought. Swiftly dodging their surprise assault, he thrusts his hand out to emit a large poisonous cloud, watching them struggle to stand up. Combining your attacks, you shoot out a rainbow from your hand, exploding the enemies.

The group expressed gratitude for the teamwork, the enemies took a bit of time to defeat because of their metal armor, but you all were able to pass through. With each wave of coneheads successfully defeated, the group moved steadily forward.

As you came across a window, Raidon took the initiative and shattered it, allowing you all to jump through and proceed deeper into the castle. Suddenly, you all landed on a soft yet thick surface, a sweet smell was present in the air.

It seems that you all landed on a giant wedding cake. Your mouth slightly watered as you couldn't resist taking a bite. The other knights couldn't help but chuckle as they took a piece of cake as well. "Mmmm, vanilla..." the fire knight uttered in delight.

However, before long, your peace was disrupted as you spotted the white princess being forced to hold hands with a conehead dressed in a suit, presumably the groom. "I think we crashed the wedding..." the red knight uttered, trying to keep a laugh down.

But to your dismay, as soon as the groom took notice of your group, he swiftly grabbed the princess and fled. As you all stood back up, shaking off the bits of cake on your armor, you quickly took on the remaining coneheads in the dining room, determined to stop the groom from taking the princess further away.

The colorful knights quickly chased after them, eager to rescue the princess that was being forced into marriage. Continuing down the dining hall, you saw the princess standing there with the conehead groom. In front of them, a piano with giant cannons floated menacingly.

"I hope all of you stretched before this." the ice knight hummed, watching the cannons slowly activate. The groom glared at your group, ready to attack. The princess, realizing the situation, quickly moved to the side, her cheers filling the air as she supported you and your group in the battle to come.

The cone headed groom charged towards your group, his movements swift and aggressive. You quickly held up your shield, the combined impacts caused a loud bang to echo in the halls. The groom slowly pushed you back from its rapid attacks, but you were quick to push him back.

Jokul took the advantage to freeze the fast-paced enemy, but it didn't make it in time. The groom swiftly moved towards a nearby piano, and when he touched the keys, the cannons mounted on the piano began to fire at you and the others.

"Take cover!" Raidon altered as you all scrambled to spread out, trying to avoid being caught in the cannon fire. Covering your heads with your shields, particles of the attacks landed on your arms, slowly seeping through as you emitted a hiss.

Once his rapid-fire attacks came to a stop, you all entered back into the battle. The groom then turned his attention to you, a smirk visible under his helmet. His deep voice resonated as he addressed you, "Ah, the infamous pink knight; [Name]. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

Stopping in your tracks, you locked eyes with the groom, a note of confusion and curiosity in your gaze. Your firm question hung in the air, demanding an answer. ''How do you know me? I've never seen you before...''

As you looked at him with curiosity and determination, he responded, his answer clear and concise. ''Someone wants you alive and well, someone that you will meet soon.'' The colorful knights glared at the enemy, silently listening to the conversation.

However, before you could further question him or inquire about his mysterious knowledge and intentions, your attention was temporarily diverted by the lingering threat posed by the piano and cannons.

You and the groom engaged in a fierce clash, your respective weapons striking with power and purpose. You skillfully matched his speed and meticulously timed your attacks and dodges to land critical hits while sidestepping his own.

'Who is this guy? Something's not right...' you thought with frustration, using your magic to coat your fist and landed a hard blow to his chest, a loud clank echoed in the air. The knights admired your strength, watching the groom being sent crashing into the piano.

He was immobilized for a bit, Ferron took the advantage to summon a semi-large fire ball, cocking his hand back and throwing it with all his might. The groom barely escaped, emitting a muffled groan of pain that landed on his ankles.

The groom was determined, hopping his way towards the piano and started to play. Since Ferron's attack was able to hit the piano, it deactivated some of the cannons, black smoke slowly fumed from it.

Aconite blocked most of the cannon balls that were aimed at the ground, slowly denting his shield in the process. Finding an opening, he threw a ball of poison that landed on the groom's back. He smirked when he saw the enemy struggling, but he was still determined to fight.

One of the cannon balls nearly landed on Raidon, making him fall to the ground to dodge it, nearly knocking the air out of himself. "C'mon, we got this!" Cyrus was quick to sit up the red knight, getting a thankful grin.

The groom got off the piano, gripping his sword in hand and rushed towards the leader. His attacks still held force, but it was slowly faltering with the poison slowly flowing through his veins. Slamming an elbow against the groom's chest, he made electricity surround his hand and grasped his opponent's neck.

Crackling energy surrounded him, making his body twitch as he tried to escape his hold. The groom still had his weapon in hand, making a sloppy attempt to behead the red knight. The tip of his sword sliced the electric knight's cheek, making him drop the groom while clutching his cheek.

The green knight was quick to run towards Raidon, helping him up so he wouldn't get caught in another attack. Quickly, Jokul used his magic to freeze the groom in place, covering his entire body with ice but his head.

You all trudged your way in front, firm expressions bore at the conehead groom. You were the first one to speak, your voice was firm with a hint of exhaustion. "Who is the person you were talking about earlier... about wanting me alive?"

The groom's voice was blocked from the poison, hacking up blood as he tried to speak. The poison must be taking full effect, his movement slowly stopped as he emitted a choked breath before falling limp.

A tired sigh escaped your lips, thinking about the tense conversation from earlier. You felt a hand on your shoulder, seeing that it belonged to Ferron. "You alright?" he uttered in a low yet gentle tone, hearing you emit a faint hum.

"I'm fine, just pondering on what happened a few moments ago... Why would somebody want me alive?" you scratched your arm, the healed burn spots started to slowly itch. You glanced towards the red knight, watching Aconite place a bandage on his cheek.

Raidon beat you before you could ask him a question, reassuring his team that he was okay. You turned back around, seeing the damaged wedding cake was still there. 'I wanna stuff my face in that cake...'

As everyone was bandaging their small cuts, a sudden commotion caught your attention, quickly glancing towards the noise. In front was a buff Conehead emerging from a room, revealing a cyclops-like appearance with one eye-hole open.

The buff Coneheads grief overcame him as he rushed to the lifeless groom, smashing the ice and grabbing him, along with the princess as he swiftly made his escape from the castle with the bodies in tow.

"What the- Hey!" Aconite shouted, running after him, followed by the rest of you. With urgency and determination, the colorful knights quickly gathered their weapons and rushed towards the cannons that had been present in the previous battle against the groom.

In a coordinated effort, you all climbed into a cannon and launched yourselves out the window, determined to catch up to the escaping Conehead-Cyclops. The wind whipped past as you propelled forward, the pursuit now underway.

Chapter Text

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The colorful group of knights fell from the sky and landed on the wedding carriage, the Conehead Cyclops attempted to increase its speed, hoping to shake you off. However, your group quickly regained its balance, maintaining stability despite the desperate attempts of the Cyclops to make you fall off.

With determination and resilience, you held on firmly, refusing to let the escape be successful. As you rode on the carriage, you noticed a group of coneheads on horses attempting to remove you from your position.

But Cyrus and Ferron, in a quick display of their skills, managed to throw fireballs at them. The impact caused the coneheads to fall off their horses and subsequently burn to a crisp on the ground.

The carriage picked up speed, you remained firmly in place on top, holding on tightly. Suddenly, you noticed the giant troll monster from earlier, having caught up to you. “Great, just great…” you muttered.

Realizing that your normal weapons were ineffective against such a massive creature, the best course of action became clear: The group began to charge your magic, preparing to use your combined powers to confront the troll.

Jokul and Cyrus unleashed a rapid barrage of magic, chipping away at the giant troll's defense. Meanwhile, you combined your rainbow magic with Raidon's lightning magic, stunning the troll with a powerful jolt.

“We need to hurry, we’ve weakened it.” the blacksmith reminded. Together, he and Cyrus charged a large fire ball within their hands, aiming it directly at the enemy's face. Upon impact, the combined force of the fireballs resulted in a tremendous explosion, enveloping the troll in a roaring blaze, leaving it utterly defeated.

With the troll defeated once more, you scanned the surroundings and spotted an approaching tunnel. Quickly realizing the imminent danger, ''C'mon, we have to get down!'' you urgently signaled to your group to jump off the carriage before they were hit.

As you and your group entered the tunnel, the hot and humid atmosphere pressed down upon you. You quickly noticed a throng of coneheads and the familiar gray slimes blocking your way, an unexpected obstacle in your path.

Quickly abandoning the wedding carriage, with thieves hastily rummaging through it. Their footsteps echoed within the cave, signaling the approach of more coneheads. “Split up!” Raidon quickly instructed. In a coordinated response, you, Ferron, and Aconite confronted the advancing coneheads, while Raidon, Jokul, and Cyrus took on the thieves.

With precision and deadly resolve, you and your companions swung your weapons with devastating accuracy, ensuring that the enemies were thoroughly subdued. Meanwhile, the others skillfully employed their magic to further ease the battle, quickly turning the tide in your favor.

With your portion of the tunnel secured and the enemies vanquished, you regrouped with the rest of your team, the adrenaline from the battle still coursing through your veins.

With determination yet gentleness in your voice, you addressed the group. "Let's all take a moment to regroup and heal up. We don't know what could be waiting for us at the end of this tunnel."

Your comrades nodded in agreement, acknowledging the wisdom in your words. With a sense of unified determination, they began to tend to their injuries, bandaging wounds, and restoring their energy for whatever lay ahead.

The poison knight wrapped a bandage around his arm, wanting to stop a cut from slowly bleeding. Glancing at the red knight, he gently soothed the band aid that was on his face, the place where he was cut by the groom.

Raidon chuckled, patting the green knight’s arm. “I’m alright, big guy. I’ve had worse.” he reassured him with a light grin, feeling his cheeks heat up. You gently smiled at the moment, placing a small band aid on your shoulder.

Making sure everyone was okay to continue, the knights pressed onward through the tunnel, the heat radiating from the molten lava below intensified. ‘Why did it have to be so hot in here…’ the ice knight thought to himself.

The humid air clung to you all, but you remained laser-focused on the task at hand. You carefully navigated the path, timing your moves strategically to avoid the intermittent bursts of lava shooting up from the ground.

“We need to be careful, I feel like this ground could crumble any second.” the blacksmith muttered. Each dodge and leap required absolute precision, as the tiniest misstep could lead to a disastrous fall into the fiery depths.

As you continued onward, you stumbled upon a lone Conehead, engrossed in reading a newspaper. Recognizing the need for stealth, you quietly pulled out the miniature knife from your pocket. With a swift and precise throw, the knife found its mark, penetrating the Coneheads head.

But at the same time, two fireballs were aimed at the poor conehead. Blinking, you turned towards Cyrus and Ferron, who chuckled in unison. “My bad.” the orange knight hummed with a wide grin.

Continuing on through the tunnel, your eyes fell upon a portrait on the wall. It depicted the Conehead groom and the Cyclops Conehead, their features etched into the canvas. The knights stopped to observe the painting, the sight of the Conehead groom and Cyclops stirring memories of the confrontation earlier.

“So far, he’s the only one that was actually giving us a fight.” Jokul hummed, earning silent nods in agreement. During the journey, the groom was able to land hits on everyone. “I feel like we're gonna have to deal with the Cyclops as well…”

Humming, you navigated through the tunnel, more coneheads attempted to hinder your progress, only to meet their fate at your hands. Along the way, you noticed more portraits of the Conehead groom and the Cyclops, further emphasizing their recurring presence.

Suddenly, a fireball hurtled towards you, signaling the appearance of a new enemy; a fire demon. It launched fireballs in your direction, but Jokul quickly took charge with his ice magic, countering the demon's attacks and gaining an advantage over the fiery foe.

“You okay?” the ice knight questioned, earning a small yet thankful nod from you. Following the tunnel's path, the end came into view. There, sitting upon a throne, was the Cyclops, tears streaming down his face.

Above him, the white princess was imprisoned in a cage, suspended from the ceiling. Sensing your approach, the Cyclops turned and let out a powerful roar, his anger resonating through the air. With two knives clutched in his hands, he charged towards your group with a furious determination.

The Cyclops lunged forward, attempting to slice at you with his knife. You narrowly evaded the attack and retaliated with a rainbow-charged bomb, repelling the colossal creature backwards. Although the Cyclops moved quickly, you noted that he was a bit slower than the groom conehead you had encountered previously.

Raidon tried to stun him with his lightning magic, but the Cyclops stepped back and began hurling knives at him all with incredible speed. Quickly raising his shield, he blocked the incoming projectiles, while the rest of your team followed suit.

Aconite threw out a cloud of poison, hoping that some of it was able to hit the large enemy. Although they managed to fend off the attack, some of your comrades were grazed by the flying knives, but thankfully, their injuries seemed minor.

The massive Cyclops lunged at you, raising both knives high in the air, seeking a direct hit. With quick reflexes, you evaded the attack just in time. Jokul was quick to freeze the enemy, raining down giant icicles to pierce him. It managed to hit the cyclops, but it was determined to not stop.

They had to strike together, the enemy was still quick, but not as quick as the groom. Releasing your rainbow magic, you were able to stun him in place. Ferron was quick to throw a large fireball he was saving, aiming it directly at the cyclops back.

The sound of a pained groan escaped from the enemy, instantly throwing his knives, making you all back away. During this momentary distraction, your group seized the opportunity to strike at the colossal creature with their magic, knowing that standard attacks had little effect against his bulky frame.

The Cyclops resumed his assault, flinging knives at the colorful group of knights. You managed to dodge most of the projectiles, but one of the knives managed to nick your side, grumbling down a hiss.

The adrenaline coursing through your veins masked the pain of the wound, your mind solely focused on defeating the colossal adversary before you. The battle had taken its toll on both you and the Cyclops. His movements became increasingly sluggish with each hit exchanged.

The green knight quickly unleashed a large, acidic ball of magic, aiming it at the ground, creating a large, deadly puddle. Quickly, Raidon dashed towards the enemy, kicking him with all his might so he could land in the puddle.

One side of his body was able to impact the acid, hearing him screech with pain as he quickly hopped away from it. Half of his body was melting, his movement slowly went down. Taking advantage of his weakened state, you used your charged magic to land a decisive blow, knocking him backwards into a pit of bubbling lava.

The Cyclops screamed and fought to escape the molten depths, but he continued to sink deeper until he raised his hand in a final thumbs-up, signaling his defeat. You and your companions stood panting, drained by the intense fight and the stifling heat.

You suddenly felt a calloused hand on your side, making you emit a light hiss. “You’re hurt.” The low yet comforting voice belonged to Ferron, making a faint smile land on your lips. You reassured him that you were fine, but you knew that it wouldn’t work.

Lifting up your armor, feeling the humid atmosphere surrounding your stomach and sides, the blacksmith took out some bandages. He carefully placed a large bandage on the cut, wiping the blood away with a clean cloth.

Before you could place your armor back down, you noticed that his hand hadn't moved from that spot, feeling a soft, reassuring smile land on your lips. “I’m fine, Ferron.” you whispered softly, gently placing your hand on his.

You chuckled when you heard him emit a low hum, before lightly pinching your stomach. “Just wanted to make sure.” he replied, placing an arm around your shoulder. You both watched Jokul help the princess out of her cage, thanking the colorful knights before running out.

From behind, there were some gray knights that quickly escorted her away, exchanging waves to you all before retreating. “Alright, let’s get out here. If I stand here any longer, I might pass out due to the heat.” the ice knight muttered, earning chuckles from Cyrus.

Finally emerged from the oppressively hot tunnel, you were relieved to have escaped without succumbing to the risk of a heatstroke. Once everyone was away from the heated area, they decided to find a place to camp at, watching the sun slowly set.

Sitting down on the grass, you watched Jokul slowly charging up his magic, his hands were coated with a misty blue. Raidon noticed your slightly confused expression, gently tapping your shoulder.

“He’s gonna cool us off with his magic. He does it when we used to have missions that were dealt around heated areas.” he explained. Nodding, you all took off your armor, wearing white shirts with some shorts under it.

As the ice knight clapped his hands, an icy cloud surrounded the group, feeling a trail of goosebumps on your arms. They relaxed around it, some sitting down on the grass while some laid on their backs.

A comforting silence was present in the air, some light banter here and there. They all felt a wave of exhaustion, a feeling where they might just relax or even sleep on the grass.

Chapter Text

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Dawn eventually arrived, the sun slowly rose in the background. As always, Raidon is the first one awake, emitting a yawn as he stretches his back. Looking around, he carefully puts out the fire as he hears one of his teammates stirring awake.

Turning around, he sees Aconite waking up, his usual grumpy expression present on his face. "Morning, sleepyhead..." the red knight hummed with a small grin, earning a mumble from the poison knight.

As he stood up, the poison knight strides his way towards the leader, placing his face into Raidon's hair. "How're you feelin'?" he muttered, hearing the lightning knight chuckle at his gesture.

"I'm doing alright." he replied, gently patting his calloused hand on Aconite's shoulder, comforting him. It earned him a low hum, feeling his lips faintly press against the bandage that was on his cheek.

He reassures him that he's fine, remembering how the green knight always wanted to make sure he was okay while growing up, slightly blushing at the memory. Eventually, the other knights were starting to wake up.

Cyrus was somewhat already to take on the next mission, his orange eyes glowing in the sunlight. Jokul woke up after him, sitting there on the grass as he patiently waited for the last two knights to wake up.

The fire knight chuckled at you and Ferron. "No wonder those two are alike, they look like they can sleep through anything." the others chuckled in agreement as their stomachs grumbled.

"Once they're awake, we'll find a shop to get something to eat." Raidon hummed, watching the blacksmith slowly wake up, hearing him emit a tired groan. His eyes were barely open, but he gave everyone a small wave.

Glancing towards you, you were laying on your side with a calm expression. A faint smile laced his lips, noticing the eyebags under your eyes were slowly disappearing, but they were still present.

The other knights noticed his expression towards you, like he was glad that you were getting some sleep. One of them decided to break the silence. "Do they not get much sleep back at home?"

The blacksmith turned towards the ice knight, his faint smile faltering a bit. "They do... But sometimes they get nightmares and I have to wake them up before it'll get worse."

As they took in the information, they held comforting expressions towards the two, now knowing some information about how you and Ferron were there for each other. As a few moments passed, you finally woke up.

A groggy hum stuttered from your lips, wiping your eyes. You noticed that you were the last one to wake up again, feeling a chuckle emit from you. "Morning..." you uttered, hearing everyone reply.

Trudging your way to stand up, your arms rose to stretch, hearing your joints softly pop. "I'm hungry." you hummed, hearing a chuckle emit from your best friend as he ruffled your hair.

"We all are, we'll see if we can find a shop out here." he stated, slowly gathering his things. Once everyone was set, you all moved forward towards the next location. The usual banter flowed within the colorful group, talking about what supplies they needed.

Continuing your journey, the group stumbled upon a small shop. "Finally, I'm starving!" the fire knight exclaimed, watching him dash towards the shop. Some of the knights chuckled while Jokul rolled his eyes, but chuckled with the others.

Sensing the opportunity to stock up on necessary supplies, everyone quickly ducked inside to browse the available items. "They have candied apples! Can we get some?" Cyrus beamed with excitement like a small child.

"You want sugar? For breakfast?" you quirked up a brow with amusement as he rapidly nodded his head with a bright grin. "You know, maybe that's not so-" your sentence was cut off as you received a faint glare from Ferron that held no heat, making you chuckle.

Throughout the store, each member carefully selects the provisions and equipment they need to assist them on their upcoming endeavors. Raidon and Jokul had gathered some fruit while Aconite got some cleaning stuff for his weapon.

And Cyrus was able to get his candied apple, watching him cheer with excitement. Armed with a collection of healing potions, small bombs, and food items, they proceeded to pay for the items and exited the shop.

"I think we got everything." the lightning knight hummed as they continued their trek. Slowly, you noticed the grass was starting to turn into bark, feeling the shift of temperature in the air. 'Why did it suddenly get hot out here?' you thought, feeling yourself slowly become itchy.

Suddenly, you all unexpectedly came across a towering volcano. "You can't be serious..." the ice knight mumbled with a narrowed expression. The terrain was nothing but charred bark, and molten lava encircled the entire area.

The humidity in the air was intense due to the close proximity of the fiery lava. "It'll be fine, Jokul. We'll just be careful where we're stepping," the red knight hum, glancing towards the fire knight with a tight smile. "Right, Cyrus?"

As the fire knight took his final bite of the candied apple, he gave everyone a big thumbs up, watching Aconite rub his face with his free hand. "I'm not getting him if he trips near the lava." Aconite stated with a flat look, ignoring the offended look he received from Cyrus.

"Let's just get this over with, I don't want to sweat like a pig." the ice knight hummed, followed by you and Ferron humming in agreement. Despite the treacherous surroundings, you and your companions remained steadfast in determination, knowing that you had to press on.

Pushing forward, you were met with a group of fiery demons, their wings slicing through the air as they surged in your direction. "Stay on guard." Raidon stated firmly. Seeing the imminent threat, Jokul quickly channeled his magic and unleashed a barrage of ice spikes from above.

The ice spikes descended from the sky and effectively skewered the demons, neutralizing the danger and pinning them to the ground. Once the enemies were pinned down by Jokul's ice spikes, you swiftly decimated them with your explosive magic.

As your party moved forward, you encountered a peculiar sight: a golden metal door adorned with a strangely placed sandwich print. The team stopped and exchanged puzzled glances, utterly bewildered by the inexplicable presence of a sandwich design on the otherwise imposing door.

"Don't tell me we actually have to find a sandwich to get passed here..." you uttered with a deadpanned expression. From behind, Cyrus launched a fireball towards a demon that tried to sneak attack the colorful group.

As the enemy burned, leaving it in a pile of ashes, a perfect sandwich mysteriously popped up. "I think we just found it. Welp, more food for us!" Cyrus jogged his way towards the sandwich, but he was stopped by the poison knight.

"Before you even think about eating it, we need to see what this door does with it." His dark green eyes then narrowed. "Let's see if more will pop up if we kill more enemies." The explanation seemed to puzzle the group, but they decided to go with the green knight's plan.

United in purpose, they diligently fought against the emerging demons. With each vanquished enemy, a sandwich materialized, the knights gathering them in their hands. They continued to fight, ensuring they had a sufficient stock of sandwiches.

"I think that should be enough." Ferron hummed, seeing that he couldn't fit anymore of the sandwiches in his bag. As everyone held a sandwich in their hands, Cyrus decided to be the first to take a bite.

Initially, nothing seemed to transpire, but then suddenly, you began to hover slightly above the ground. Confusion washed over the fire knight, attempting to make sense of the strange effect the sandwich was having on him.

"Guys... something's happening." he uttered, his voice octave suddenly went low. You all watched with wide-eyed expression as his body underwent a transformation, arms began to enlarge as muscles formed.

His stature increased, his body becoming more colossal and brawnier, reminiscent of the hulking buff enemies you had encountered. His clothing, however, struggled to accommodate your newfound bulk, tearing and unraveling at the seams.

But the white undershirt he wore remained intact as everyone stared in bewilderment at the drastic change in his physique. "Woah... I'm ripped!" he exclaimed with a wide grin, posing to flex his muscles.

"What the..." you uttered with a faint tone, glancing towards Jokul to see his cheeks flushed with pink. Raidon and Aconite chuckled at his sudden flustered expression, watching him turn around.

"Now, let's see if we can get this door open." The fire knight chuckled as he strides his way towards the door in his new body. As he reached out with your massive hands and grasped the door, the other knights noticed a visible strain on the metal as he began to pull.

The door groaned in protest, slowly giving way to your colossal efforts. Clearly, the sandwich had endowed him with incredible power. After successfully wrenching the heavy metal door from its hinges, Cyrus tossed it aside.

Once it was cleared to enter, the orange knight's muscular build slowly reverted back to normal. "I reckon the sandwich power does indeed bestow us with strength, but only for a limited time." the lightning knight hummed.

"We'd best save some for later, just in case we find ourselves up against a formidable opponent." you added, hearing the group hum with agreement.

Continuing their journey, the group pushed onward, their path now lined with a fresh wave of demons. However, undeterred, the group stood their ground and unleashed a barrage of attacks upon the approaching foes.

A coat of sweat was present on everyone's skin, the heated atmosphere taking charge from all the lava. Working in unison, they swiftly dispatched the demons one after another, their coordinated strikes and strategic teamwork ensuring that the threat was dealt with efficiently.

They then caught sight of a massive wooden sign that read 'Volcano Town.' The town appeared desolate, its buildings blackened and scorched by the dry lava. A deep sense of sympathy washed over you as you took in the sight of the devastation.

"This place is like a ghost town..." the blacksmith muttered, gripping his weapon in hand as he kept his guard up. The thought that lives had been claimed by the relentless force of the volcano only served to heighten your sense of empathy for those who had once called this place home.

"I feel bad for the people that decided to live here, it must've been hard for them in this heat..." you chimed in with a faint tone.

With determination, the group pressed onward through the charred remains of the town, their path littered with demons that dared to obstruct their progress. Swiftly and methodically, they dispatched each demon that crossed their path, their fighting skills sharp and precise.

Periodically, they paused to check on each other's well-being, ensuring that none of them had sustained any injuries during the brief skirmishes. As your eyes scanned the surroundings, they settled on the sight of the evil wizard standing on top of a floating, red crystal.

"There he is!" Aconite alerted, making everyone take guard. Alongside the evil wizard stood a menacing figure clad in black, shiny armor. Its red glowing eyes fixating on you.

The wizard swiftly moved away, but the other figure remained still. An inexplicable feeling of discomfort washed over you as you wondered why this mysterious being was staring intently in your direction.

Ferron was quick to notice it, a protective feeling washed over him as he stood in front of you, making you slightly relax. The imposing figure began to descend, its wings continuing to flap in the air while lightning shot out from its hands, striking the lifeless bodies of the fallen.

To your horror, the corpses twitched and jerked, rising from the ground, now transformed into skeletons, armed with swords and wearing armor that mirrored the gray knights. "He's a necromancer!?" Cyrus exclaimed in bewilderment.

After casting one last icy gaze in your direction, the figure took flight, swiftly catching up with the evil wizard and departing from the scene, leaving you and your companions facing the newly reanimated skeletal army.

As the skeletons began their slow approach, your group swiftly jumped into action, employing a combination of magic and tactical maneuvers to take them down. You noticed how these enemies were somewhat difficult to kill, seeing that their endurance was effective when they were revived.

Aconite couldn't use his poison magic, so he had to fend him off with his sword. Using your rainbow magic to stun them, Raidon followed the attack with lightning strikes, burning them into a crip.

Despite the undead army's resilience, your coordinated efforts and strategic partnerships allowed you to gradually neutralize the threat. As you cautiously approached a small volcano, its eyes suddenly opened and began firing fiery balls at your group.

"What the-!"Startled, you all quickly dispersed, dodging the attacks. Seeing Raidon and Aconite charge headfirst at the volcano, only to find their efforts ineffective, Jokul unleashed his magic onto the target, only to have the same result; no damage was dealt.

The ice knight blurted out a frustrated expression, wiping the heavy coat of sweat off his forehead. "How are we supposed to defeat it? None of our magic or weapons seem to work against it!"

As the group tirelessly dodged the fiery projectiles launched by the volcano, you suddenly had an epiphany. Retrieving a sandwich from your bag, you consumed it and transformed into a buff physic like Cyrus was like a few moments ago.

With a determined punch, you inflicted noticeable pain on the volcano, causing it to groan in distress. Realizing the revelation, you turned to your companions. "Guys, eat the sandwiches! It's the only way we can defeat it!"

The group's cheeks were flushed with pink for a quick moment before understanding the necessity as they consumed the sandwiches and transformed into their own buff forms. Ferron's face flushed with bright red, his gaze couldn't look away from your buff appearance.

"Hey, now's not the time!" Raidon shouted, making the blacksmith snap out of his. United in purpose, you all then charged at the volcano, your attacks were determined to bring it down. With each blow, the volcano groaned in agony until, finally, it deflated and collapsed to the ground.

"That had to be the weirdest enemy we fought so far." Cyrus chuckled, hearing the green knight grumble in agreement. As your body returned to its normal state, you couldn't help but notice that the buff transformation had rendered the group into their undershirts.

Suddenly, everyone froze for a quick second at the group's appearance before shaking their heads. Approaching a towering, cone-shaped mountain featured a metal door entrance, your words were cut short as the door suddenly closed shut.

Unnaturally, a giant sock monster then emerged from behind the mountain, sporting red skin and several holes in its body. A piercing roar echoed closely behind you, and upon turning around, you faced a fearsome dragon, spitting a stream of fire from its mouth.

"I take it back. This is one of the weirdest enemies we've ever fought!" the orange knights exclaimed. Instinctively, you and your companions raised your shields, doing your best to deflect the fiery barrage unleashed by the dragon.

With the sock puppet flinging colossal, molten boulders in your direction, your group hurriedly evaded the scorching projectiles, their movements frenzied and harried.

The prospect of making contact with the searing projectiles was enough to incite terror, as a mere touch could leave you burned to a crisp. "We need to be careful, make sure to grip your shield!" Raidon stated firmly.

Charging towards the menacing dragon, your group unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, but to your dismay, their impact was minimal. Even the power of magic seemed to make little difference, as your spells did nothing to the beast.

Aconite was able to poison the large enemy, but it wasn't enough. The sock puppet continued to lob boulders at you, the scorching debris causing burn marks on your group's skin as sparks hit you as well.

Wincing in pain, you all pressed on, wiping away the small burning rocks on your skin. As you observed the dragon's chin, you noticed a tiny bandage, which piqued your curiosity. 'Was this the weak point you had been searching for?'

With newfound determination, you aimed a small rainbow beam from your hand, focusing the attack on the dragon's chin. As the beam connected, the dragon roared in pain, confirming that this was indeed its weak spot.

"His chin... His weak spot is the chin!" Hearing your cry of realization, the group redirected their efforts, aiming for the dragon's chin. Jokul and Cyrus used sandwiches to enhance their attacks, while the others fired their magic from a distance.

The combined might of both physical and magical assaults began to take a toll on the dragon. The enemy, growling more frustrated, unleashed a wave of fire in your direction, but your group agilely dodged the attack, their focus unwavering as they continued targeting the weak spot.

The burning ash from the fiery attacks lightly sizzled on your skin, making you faintly tense at the touch. The dragon lets out another pained roar, its head crashing to the ground in defeat as the colorful knights paused to catch their breaths, panting heavily from the overheated battle.

Noticing the small burn marks scattered across everyone's skin, you all felt the stinging pain that came with them. Just then, the metal door rose, revealing a golden wheel that you swiftly stored in your bag.

You all hoped to find a lake of some sort away from the volcano, needing to wash up from all the sweat. 'I need a cold shower...' Jokul thought with an exhausted expression. Urgency filling the air, the group recognized the need to escape the oppressive heat before it overwhelmed you.

Fleeting away from the volcanic area, you all were unaware that the Necromancer stood over the spot where the Cyclops Conehead had met its demise in the lava that was far from the knights.

With a commanding gesture, the Necromancer directed bolts of lightning at the molten substance. In response, a massive, buff arm surged from the lava, followed by the emergence of additional coneheads.

The once ordinary monster was now transformed, bearing an orange glowing eye and portions of its attire and flesh burned away. Skeletons could be glimpsed through its charred flesh, and a noticeable limp was evident in its step.

The Necromancer's voice echoed with an ominous, deep tone as he issued his command to the resurrected cyclops. "If you encounter the knights again, I only require the pink knight to be taken alive. I don't care about the others, just make sure [Name] is alive. Do you understand?"

The undead cyclops nodded silently in agreement, indicating that it understood the order. He obediently followed the evil wizard and the Necromancer, its movements sluggish due to its injuries, yet steadfast in its loyalty.

'Just you wait, [Name]. Once I have you, you won't be able to turn away from the wish I will give to you'

Chapter Text

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Exhausted and drained, the knights eventually came across a spot surrounded by greenery. Everyone was panting heavily, their skin glistening with perspiration, and tiny burn marks had formed on parts of their body, a reminder of the challenging battle against the dragon.

"Never... again." the ice knight huffed out, an icy breath escaped his lips, hearing the other tired knight agree as well. Fortunately, everyone carried spare clothes to change into. As you all sat down to take a breather, your eyes were drawn to a nearby body of water in the distance.

After the intense battle, washing up seemed like a necessity.

Raidon suggested taking a dip in the water to cool off, and the others quickly agreed, still panting heavily. With a shared consensus, everyone got up and headed towards the water, ready for a cleansing bath.

Each group member donned shorts and made their way to the water's edge. As they submerged themselves in the refreshing waters, a collective sigh of relief escaped them, the coolness and tranquility of the water enveloping their bodies, washing away the lingering stress from the strenuous battle.

"This is so much better." Aconite mumbled, earning a low hum from the blacksmith. They basked in the soothing and rejuvenating sensation, their spirits uplifted by the simple pleasure of a relaxing soak.

Everyone pondered on the mission with the dragon. "I'm still trying to process how a sock nearly killed us with a volcano..." Cyrus hummed, hearing Raidon chuckle.

"At least we're still alive, we even left with more battle marks." the leader uttered. Their journey was getting harder as they continued. But with their bonds together, all could accomplish anything.

"I'm just hoping we can go to another area where we wouldn't nearly sweat ourselves to death..." you chimed in with a tired tone, watching them nod in agreement.

In the meantime, everyone thought about the status relationship within the group. He was glad to have you on the team, everyone was. The main four were glad that you and Ferron had joined their team.

"So, how do you two feel about our group?" the red knight questioned, getting everyone's attention. You and Ferron glanced at each other, seeing that they were talking about you two as small smiles laced your faces.

"It's refreshing," the blacksmith started, slowly sitting up. "It's been a while since I've been on a very long mission. Ever since I became a blacksmith, I've just been fixing weapons while [Name] was either training or relaxing."

A soft chuckle was emitted from you, feeling your cheeks slowly warm up. "I've never worked in a group of knights, I was either trained by myself or with Ferron. And I like working with you guys, it's more fun."

The four knights smiled at both of you, Raidon and Cyrus blushed bashfully while Aconite and Jokul hummed faintly. The banter continued as you all cleaned yourself, laughter lightly filled the air.

As the night grew deeper, the group began to feel weary. One by one, they each got out of the cool pond, they began to dry off and placed on some warm clothing. Bidding each other goodnight one by one as they retreated to their tents.

The air was filled with the sound of crackling fire and the soft sounds of tents zipping shut. The night slowly went by slowly, the gentle breeze outside flowed as the campfire went out.

As the morning sunlight streamed in, Raidon emerged from the tent, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. He let out a contented sigh, stretching his muscles and feeling the satisfying pops and cracks of his joints.

Before long, Ferron stumbled out of his tent, his face adorned with a grumpy expression that looked familiar with yours. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, noticing a common trait between you and him, a shared disdain for waking up.

"You had a good night's rest, Ferron?" he hummed, earning a groggy hum from the blacksmith. He heard him mutter something about coffee. "Ah, coffee. The essential morning ritual for those challenged by waking up," he joked. "Don't worry, we'll make sure you get your caffeine fix soon enough."

He patted Ferron on the back reassuringly, feeling him slightly relax at the touch. As a few minutes passed, Aconite emerged from his tent, stretching as well. The fire knight then stumbled out, his sleepy eyes looking groggy as they pouted at the leader's early rising.

''Why do we always have to wake up early...?'' Cyrus lightly whined, earning an agreeing hum from the poison knight. The leader feigned innocently at their whining, a playful smirk on his face.

To their surprise, you woke up before Jokul. You were still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, a feeling of wanting to go back into your tent and sleep more. "Good morning, sleepyhead." Raidon teased affectionately, his tone dripping with fondness. "Rough night sleep?''

You emitted a grumpy hum, which nearly matched the blacksmith's. Looking around, you noticed that Jokul wasn't awake. "You think he's feeling alright?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine." Cyrus reassured, shooting a small fireball towards the campfire. "Sometimes when he uses too much of his magic, he'll sleep longer than usual." Taking in the information, you all gathered around the campfire.

Eating the packed food from their bags, they heard the ice knight slowly emerge from his tent. "You okay, Jokul?" the fire knight uttered, getting a slow nod from his best friend. Reaching into his bag, he joined you all and began eating.

The banter within the colorful group was light, everyone fully waking themselves up as they ate their meal. Jokul was starting to feel better, feeling the familiar coolness within him, meaning that his magic was returning.

Once breakfast was done, everyone stood up and went to change into their armor.

"Alright, guys, we've got work to do," the leader announced, a determined look in his eyes. "We need to head back to the industrial castle so we can break through that metal door with these sandwiches."

Following his directive, everyone quickly gathered their weapons and prepared to leave. Blue extinguished the campfire with a flick of his wrist, ensuring it was completely out. With their gear in hand and a sense of purpose, they all made their way towards the industrial castle, ready to tackle the task ahead.

As the group traveled through familiar yet dangerous lands, they navigated carefully, mindful of their past battles in those areas. "I think we found it." Aconite uttered firmly, pointing ahead. The industrial castle came into view, its brick and metal structure standing tall in the distance.

Seeing the metal door blocking their path, Jokul and Aconite ate the magical sandwiches, transforming into their buff forms and effortlessly taking down the hefty door. The group entered the industrial castle, their weapons at the ready.

As expected, they encountered some industrialists, but they were swiftly handled. Using your rainbow magic, you stunned the few enemies that tried to attack the group. The poison knight used his magic to poison the stunned enemies, watching them collapse to the ground as they struggled to breath.

Heading inside, you all looked up at the portrait of the prince, its magnitude reflecting the prince's influence over the whole industry. "How can this guy even be called a prince? We rarely see him." you uttered.

"There were some rumors that he was banished from the kingdom, or he's just someone that's trying to act like a prince..." the ice knight explained, shrugging. The group continued their path through the castle, encountering more industrialists who charged their magic, sending buzzsaws flying towards them.

Suddenly, blades went flying near the colorful knights, but they agilely dodged the blades, avoiding any accidents as they maneuvered through the onslaught. "We need to be careful, I don't want a limb to be cut off." Cyrus hummed, earning a chuckle from Raidon.

Seeing an opportunity, you used your rainbow magic to stun the enemies, which was immediately followed by a powerful attack from Raidon, raining lightning strikes towards their enemies.

You and Raidon smirked from their combining magic, giving each other a fist bump. As the group continued through the castle, a barrage of toxic balls were hurled at them. Acting fast, everyone raised their shields.

"Aconite! Can you use the toxic attacks?" the red knight inquired. The green knight shook his head, stating that the projectiles were different from his. The air shifted around them, watching green fumes from a few feet away.

"Cover your noses, this is a different kind of toxic." Aconite stated firmly, making everyone cover their noses with their arms while still using their shields. After making it past the attacks, the group came across a vast pool of toxic waste, separated by a small bridge.

''We have to cross this slowly. We can't risk any of us falling into that pool of toxic waste." Your voice was muffled by your arm, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. With meticulous caution, they began to cross the bridge.

Every step was deliberate and calculated, ensuring that nobody rushed or slipped. There was no telling what it could do to your bodies. Following the bridge, the group came across numerous walls of electricity, flashes of energy alternating on and off.

Realizing the hazardous situation, everyone made precise movements, carefully navigating through the electric walls. Ferron noticed that the electric sparks didn't affect Raidon. "Don't worry, it doesn't bother me." he reassured the blacksmith.

The group was cautious and focused, avoiding any potential electrocution as they continued their journey through the castle. "Do you think the prince will put up a fight?" Cyrus chuckled.

"He better. He's making us fight our way into this factory." you replied, clutching your giant lollipop of a weapon. "If he fights cheaply, we might as well don't even fight him. But let's get this over with..."

As the group reached a brick wall, they were met with a dead end, leaving everyone baffled. Confusion crept across their faces as they searched for a solution. "What the...?" Suddenly, the sound of a rumble filled the air, and the floor beneath them started moving, pulling them up along the wall.

Enemies tried to ambush the group, but you reacted quickly, throwing them off, sending them falling to their demise. "Push 'em off! If we fight them, we'll waste our magic!" you stated. Nodding, the knights began to push the enemies to their demise, their bodies sinking into the large pool of toxic.

The platform then came to a halt on the upper level, and the group continued onward, engaging and defeating the enemies who came their way. However, they noticed that the foes were becoming increasingly difficult to handle.

Despite the challenges, they remained unwaveringly steadfast in their determination to press on. Ferron and Cyrus charged up their fire magic and unleashed multiple fireballs, burning the large group of enemies.

After disposing of the latest wave of enemies, everyone noticed the presence of minor cuts and injuries on themselves. Pressing forward, the group found themselves between two heated fire walls. Suddenly, the prince appeared behind a glass window, his maniacal laughter filling the air.

"You gotta be kidding me... We're supposed to fight this?" Aconite sneered, clutching his weapon while slowly charging his magic. A colossal metal hand and a flamethrower came to life, controlled by his commands.

Everyone had split up to take cover, making sure to shield themselves from the giant metal hand. The hand tried to swat you away, but your rainbow magic was able to strengthen your shield.

Jokul used his magic to freeze the giant hand, raining down sharp icicles to damage the machine. You spotted a pillar nearby that seemed to be powering the machines, realizing it might be the key to stopping them.

"We need to hit the pillars, it'll probably stop the machines." Everyone listened intently and nodded in agreement. With a shared mission, they began moving towards the pillar, strategizing on how to take it down.

Without wasting a moment, everyone in the group swung their weapons with all their might, determined to quickly take down the first pillar. After successfully destroying it, a second pillar emerged from the floor.

Without any hesitation, the group promptly shifted their focus to the new target. With the second pillar destroyed, the group split into smaller teams and took on the third and fourth pillars together.

Working in perfect synchronization, they quickly dispatched the remaining obstacles. However, as they finished off the last pillar, a massive flamethrower emerged, spewing a blazing inferno in their direction.

Cursing under your breath, you moved yourself away from the fiery blaze, not wanting to get burned. The others managed to avoid the flames, narrowly dodging the deadly attack and preventing themselves from being engulfed in fire.

"How many attacks does this thing have?!" Cyrus shouted, shooting a large fireball towards the giant hand.

"I don't know, but we have to keep going!" the lightning knight replied. Jokul couldn't use his ice magic, knowing that the machine would just melt before it could even touch it.

Using their shields, you and the others blocked the incoming projectiles while the two fire magic users unleashed their fiery magic, shattering the icy attacks that were aimed at everyone. The machine transformed once again, switching from the flamethrower to the giant metal hand.

With the metal hand making swift kicking motions with its digits, everyone dodged the attacks, carefully evading the sharp fingers. Meanwhile, Raidon unleashed his electric powers, incapacitating the machine with a stunning shock.

Seizing the opportunity, you and Acconite moved in and began assaulting it with your weapons. As the group tirelessly continued to press the onslaught, the machine kept switching its attacks to wear them down. As they continued to push, the machine was ultimately defeated.

Just as the fight came to an end, everyone took a moment to catch their breath. "I think... This is," you huffed out, wiping the coat of sweat from your forehead. "This is one of the most tiring missions we've done."

The knights nodded in agreement. "I think this was on par with the dragon sock we faced..." the ice knight uttered, patching up some of the cuts on his arm. As everyone recuperated, the evil wizard appeared with the jewel, snatching the princess away before disappearing.

"Please! Take me with you!" The prince made a vain attempt to go after the wizard, but was forcefully pushed away, leaving him powerless. The colorful group of knights then glanced towards the cowardly prince.

"What should we do with him...?" you muttered, taking a bite of a fruit that was in your bag. The knights stared at each other for a second before sudden grins slowly stretched on their lips. Slowly, you all walked towards the scared prince.

"No, please! I'll give you anything! Just don't kill me!" He tried to reason with the ruthless yet colorful knights, stepping away from them with sloppy movement. Sweat practically drenched his purple and gray outfit, feeling the back of his legs hit the edge of the balcony.

The knights stopped a foot away from him. Using your rainbow magic, you trapped him where he stood. "Anything, huh?" Raidon hummed with a sly smirk, placing an arm around the stunned prince. "Then you should know the whereabouts of the evil wizard, right?"

The prince's eyes widened, shaking his head. "I-I can't! If I told you, the Necromancer would kill me!" he stuttered with a screech, trying to wiggle out of the powerful rainbow attack, but it was no use.

"Do you think he cares about you?" Ferron questioned as you hummed in agreement. "If he really cared, where is he?" the prince tried to stutter out an answer, but nothing came out. As the knights interrogated him, you spotted a golden telescope near the edge of the castle and took a look through it.

Your eyes widened when you witnessed the blue princess crying out for help, only to be roughly dragged away by a blue-skinned figure. Looking in a different area, it seemed like the next place to go were the docks.

"We should head to the docks, that's where one of the princesses went before disappearing." you stated, getting their attention. Nodding, everyone patched up their small wounds and ate some fruit.

Jokul noticed a few faint burns on your neck. He approached you with a faint smile, using some of his magic to cool down the spots. "Thanks..." you uttered faintly with a small smile, earning a nod from him as he went to do the same to the others.

Placing your weapons behind your backs, the fire knight glanced towards the trapped prince. "What are we gonna do about him?" Raidon glanced at the prince, smirking as he placed a hand on Aconite's shoulder.

"We'll smoke him out..." he chuckled. The green knight chuckled darkly, slowly approaching the scared prince and began to fume poison gas out of his hand, forcing the enemy to consume it, hearing him wheeze from the fumes.

Aconite walked away, joining the rest of his teammates to go to the docks as the sound of the prince coughing his lungs out can be heard. The prince then fell limp as crimson slowly poured from his mouth.

"Should we destroy this place?" you uttered, stating that you had some magic that you could use. Cyrus nodded gleefully towards Raidon, hoping to blow up the place with you.

"Nah, it'll take too much of our magic." the red knight replied, hearing a whine come from the oranged-eyed knight. You chuckled, patting Cyrus's back as you all made way towards the docks.

Chapter Text

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As the group reached the docks, they encountered a man standing guard in front of the ship. With a stern voice, he declared that they needed possession of three distinct golden relics: a compass, a steering wheel, and a telescope.

“We have those in hand.” Raidon stated, pulling out the steering wheel while you and Jokul had the telescope and compass. Giving the man the requested items and handing them over to him, who nodded in approval, granting them passage onto the waiting ship.

With the necessary items in hand, they all proceeded to board the vessel, preparing themselves for the journey ahead. “None of you guys have motion sickness, right?” the red knight inquired for reassurance.

“Nah, I'm fine.” you replied, giving him a reassured wave as the others nodded in agreement. With everyone safely aboard the ship, the gentle sound of waves filled the air, creating a soothing atmosphere.

You took a moment to gaze out at the beautiful blue water, finding the sight calming and rejuvenating. The poison knight couldn’t help but glanced over to you, who was quietly staring at the water.

A calm expression was present on your face, feeling his cheeks warm up a bit. He wished he was calm like that, but with everything that's been happening, how can he stay calm? Humming, you glanced towards your right, noticing the small frown on Aconite’s face.

“You okay? You seemed to be stuck in your thoughts.” you uttered, watching his obsidian eyes meet yours. His shoulders slightly tensed up, his lips formed into a firm line.

“How do you… stay calm? During this entire situation?” he questioned slowly, hearing a faint chuckle emit from you. Leaning against the wooden rails of the ship, you begin to speak in a gentle tone.

“I can’t help but be calm… I’ve been through many dangerous situations.” you replied, fiddling with your fingers. “My parents always tell me when I’m in a dangerous situation, they tell me to stay calm.”

The green knight listened carefully, leaning against the wooden walls behind him with his arms crossed. You explained that your best friend tells you the same thing, especially since he was the only person you’ve been with ever since yours and his parents died in the war.

He felt himself relax throughout your explanation, he hadn’t felt like this in awhile. He finds himself replying to the conversation, watching you listen carefully to him. “When I was growing up, I always felt… tense. Even before I became a knight.”

“How long did you have that feeling?” you questioned. He was silent for a moment, trying to remember when it first started. Slowly, he told you that he felt like this when he met Raidon, his first ever friend.

Your eyes slightly widened, noticing his cheeks flourished a faint color of pink. “I was always… protective of him. He was a wild kid.” A faint chuckle uttered from his lips, saying how they wanted to become knights when they grew up.

A light smile stretched on your lips, his story reminded of when you and Ferron were back then when you two were kids, only having each other and wanting to become knights. Aconite glanced over towards the red knight, seeing that he was sparking a conversation with Ferron.

The green knight then sighed, feeling his shoulders relax. He really needed that conversation, feeling a faint smile form on his lips. “Thank you… for this conversation.” he uttered, watching your smile slowly grow while nodding.

As knights continued to engage in lively conversation, feeling the boat slowly sway in the water, a distant explosion suddenly filled the air. “What the-?!” Cyrus was the first to exclaim. As you and the others turned to the left side of the ship, you spotted another vessel rapidly approaching, its cannons now firing in your direction.

“Don’t tell me we’re gonna be fighting pirates.” the fire knight uttered, grabbing his weapon that he placed down next to him.

“I don’t think we’re fighting pirates…” Jokul commented, slowly charging his ice magic. Everyone quickly sprang into action, dodging the incoming barrage of cannon fire as the attacking ship closed the distance.

As the enemy ship closed in, the sight of ninjas on the deck came into focus, charging directly at the knights with lightning speed. “Ninjas?” the blacksmith uttered with puzzlement, blocking a shuriken with the hilt of his sledge hammer.

Everyone responded with swift reflexes, drawing their weapons and meeting the ninjas head-on with determined force. You swung your weapon with incredible power, intent on rapidly dispatching the ninjas.

However, the elusive nature of the ninja combatants made the task difficult, as they kept vanishing and reappearing, seeking to exploit any moment of distraction for a surprise attack.

Raidon summoned a few lightning strikes to stun them in place as Cyrus and Ferron took the advantage to unleash multiple fireballs, burning their enemies to the ground.

Your team remained steadfast and resolute, maintaining their focus and refusing to let the ninjas gain an upper hand. Aconite unleashed a poison gas, faltering the enemies movement as you bashed them down with your giant lollipop.

Once the last of the ninjas were defeated, their seemingly elusive forms turning into logs and disappearing, everyone took a brief moment to breathe. “Everyone okay?” Raidon inquired, getting nods and different answers from everyone.

However, the respite was short-lived as the enemy ship continued its assault, firing off more cannon rounds in your direction. Cyrus was quick to pull you away from the up-coming attack, quickly thanking him in the process.

Despite the danger, the tide shifted as your ship retaliated with cannons of its own, each shot connecting with great force and ultimately sending the enemy vessel to its watery grave. “We need to be careful. We don’t want to fall off the boat.” the blacksmith warned.

Slowly, with a collective sigh of relief, everyone took a moment to assess their well-being, each individual ensuring that they had dodged the enemy's canons unscathed. Once the immediate danger had passed, the ship came to a halt. Stepping out of the vessel and onto the hot sand, your eyes caught sight of several shovels lying nearby.

“You think these shovels will come in handy?” you questioned, picking one of them out of the sand.

“Yeah! Maybe we can find treasure in this deserted area.” the orange knight beamed with a grin.

Jokul and Raidon couldn’t help but chuckle at the fire knight, guessing that it wouldn’t be too bad to have them along. Without wasting a moment, everyone picked up a shovel and stored it safely in their bag, preparing for whatever lay ahead in the vast desert.

As you all trekked through the scorching desert sands, you spotted strange ‘X’ marks scattered across the terrain. Curiously, you began to dig them up, unearthing healing items and shiny gold coins in the process.

You mutter to yourself in awe, seeing that there were more spots with an ‘X’ symbol on the sandy ground. “See! I told you!” Cyrus chuckled, digging up more spots to find healing items and even food.

“Cyrus, I don’t think you should-” the ice knight couldn't finish his sentence as his best friend placed a sandy apple in his mouth, watching him slowly cringe at the sandy bits in his mouth. He quickly spits it out of his mouth, going over to more spots to find more treasure.

However, the tranquility of the moment was shattered as giant sandworms popped out from underground, their sharp pinchers seeking to snatch Cyrus. Luckily, he quickly evaded them with his fire magic.

Aconite then unleashed some of his poison magic, weakening the worms and allowing Ferron to burn them away with his fiery attacks, sending them scurrying back beneath the sand. “I think we should stop digging for a while. There’s no telling what else could be under this sand.”

Everyone nodded at your statement before moving forward. The sun was practically beaming down on the colorful group, wiping away the sweat that formed on your forehead.

As you and the knights continued your journey through the arid wasteland, you spotted a group of colossal scorpions scurrying across the scorching sands. Despite their intimidating size, the scorpions exhibited a surprising lack of aggression, seemingly ignoring your presence.

“They look… weirdly adorable.” you find yourself muttering.

“[Name], don’t.” the blacksmith chimed in, earring a chuckle from you.

Recognizing the wisdom in not instigating a fight, everyone navigated the desert carefully, ensuring they didn't provoke the massive arachnids as they cautiously moved ahead.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound echoed from deep within the sand. Looking up, you saw several large objects rolling towards you, their true identity remaining obscured until they got closer. Soon, the sand shifted and heaved, and colossal beetles emerged from beneath the surface, their antennae twitching menacingly.

The beatles wasted no time in launching their assaults, their powerful mandibles clashing against your shields. “Why do we have to fight giant bugs?! Can’t we just fight a normal enemy?”

Jokul rolled his eyes at his best friend’s whining, knowing how much he was grossed out by bugs. Using his ice magic, he rained down large icicles, stabbing the bugs in place as Ferron and Aconite bashed them down until the bugs weren’t moving.

Catching your breath while wiping the coat of sweat slowly dripping down your forehead, the colorful knights continued on the hazing desert, finding hidden treasures throughout the way and placing them in your bags.

“If we keep this up, we’ll have enough money to buy more supplies when we come across another shop.” you hummed.

The red knight nodded in agreement. “Maybe we’ll find some food as well, I’m starving.” comically on cue, his stomach rumbled, followed by everyone else, electing chuckles in the air.

As you and your companions walked, a peculiar sight caught your eye in the distance, a UFO, hovering in the air. “What’s a ufo doing all the way over here…?” the green knight muttered to himself.

Suddenly, the ship dropped several odd-looking yellow alien creatures onto the ground. They held small magic wands, shooting out small balls of light. Cyrus shot a single fire ball towards them, and surprisingly, he perplexed at the ease of the battle.

“They’re dead after one hit…” he uttered.

Before anyone could fully process what had happened, the alien ship returned, heading straight for the group. Undeterred, everyone took to the air, lunging at the ship and launching powerful aerial attacks that quickly obliterated it.

Following the destruction of the alien ship, the group stood in shock and confusion. Everyone looked at each other, wondering why the battle had been so surprisingly easy. In a moment of disbelief, you voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"What just happened?" The air was filled with bewildered silence as the team struggled to make sense of the odd encounter.

Ferron spoke up, expressing the collective perplexity. "I have no idea either. That was entirely unexpected. I thought it was going to be tougher than I thought."

Just as the group began to regain their composure after the series of easy battles, a sudden rumble was heard, followed by a colossal shadow appearing on the ground below. Looking up, you and your companions noticed another massive UFO hovering above, its bottom hatch opening, revealing a powerful blue beam aimed directly at them.

“Uh… G-guys?” the fire knight stuttered with confusion. Despite their efforts to resist, everyone found themselves lifted off the ground and drawn into the UFO, helplessly entering its interior against their will.

In a matter of seconds, the knights find themselves confined within a cage, surrounded by a menacing ring of shimmering green lasers. The team searched urgently for any means of escape. However, their eyes soon locked onto a button station just outside the cage.

“Anyone brought a bow with leftover arrows?” Raidon asked, watching Jokul pull out his bow with some arrows he still had. Precisely, he carefully aimed and fired at the control panel with pinpoint accuracy.

The cage then vanished, liberating everyone. The team's gazes wandered around the inside of the UFO, observing the assortment of machines scattered about. As the group searched further, they noticed several individuals suspended in large incubators, their forms stirring gently behind the glass.

“Do you think these guys are still alive?” Aconite questioned, watching the closed-eyed individuals float in the green substance.

“I doubt it…” Ferron murmured lowly, crossing his arms. Suddenly, the people trapped within the machines waved at the team, causing everyone to hesitantly wave back. “Never mind then…”

The group ventured deeper into the UFO, their eyes soon fell upon three aliens manning the ship's controls. Then, a blaring alarm sounded, and a horde of alien figures converged on your position, their numbers seemingly endless.

Frustration mounted as each member of the team unleashed their magic, targeting multiple aliens with every strike, aiming to eliminate them swiftly. Yet, the sheer number of adversaries continued to wear on everyone's nerves, making it clear that the battle was far from over.

“I think I'd rather take the slimes than these!” you exclaimed with annoyance, hearing an agreeing hum from the ice knight. Finally disposing of the last of the alien hoard, you and the team were met with another obstruction, a laser wall blocking your path forward.

However, it was destroyed effortlessly, clearing the way. But then, an incredibly muscular alien emerged, his arms wrapped around massive weights. With surprising speed, the buff alien charged straight for the control panel and began systematically destroying the controls. Then, without a moment's hesitation, the alien launched himself out of the ship, vanishing from view.

Panic surged through the group as the blare of an alarm filled the air, accompanied by a flashing red light that filled the room. Suddenly, a robotic voice announced, "T-1 minute," causing everyone to exchange alarmed glances.

“We need to go! Now!” the blacksmith shouted. Racing against time, you quickly destroyed the laser wall that blocked the way, clearing the path ahead. The ground beneath you began to explode forcefully, air blasting from below.

Desperately hugging the walls, you managed to continue moving without being swept away. Their heartbeats rang in their ear, hoping that they’ll escape in time. “I think we can escape with these!”

You spotted the escape pods from a few feet away, their doors opened invitingly, allowing multiple groups to board them. The pods then flew out of the UFO, relief washing over them as you heard the distant explosion of the flying object.

Surviving the ordeal felt like a stroke of luck, and the escape pods gently landed back on solid ground. Raidon was the first to emerge out of the pod, his expression held urgency. “Is everyone alright?”

“I think so…” the orange knight huffed, feeling a bit dehydrated. They decided to take a small break, hydrating themselves with water they had stored in their bags. Some of them were still in disbelief that they actually destroyed a UFO.

‘I really hope we can get out of here… We’re practically sweating my butt off’ you thought, feeling a bit grimy from the sweat. Once fully rejuvenated, the group prepared to press forward once more, their journey into the unforgiving desert continuing on.

Chapter Text

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As the team trekked deeper into the scorching and sandy desert, they soon encountered three camels, each bearing formidable looking foes. Caught off guard by the unexpected charge, some of the knights narrowly avoided being struck.

“When did these guys get here?” you muttered, unleashing out a long rainbow to stun the enemies off the camels.

Making sure not to hurt the animals, Ferron unleashed a large fireball, watching the heat consume the foes. As the battle finished, the knights managed to unhorse the Saracens, claiming one camel each to use as mounts.

The animals coats were surprisingly soft as you ran your fingers through their fur, a sense of calm washed over you. “I wish I could fall asleep on these…” the fire knight whined, hearing you chuckle in agreement.

With the camels providing swift transportation, you and the team continued your way through the sprawling desert. As you journeyed further, groups of scorpions came into view, their ominous forms scattered across the sand.

Knowing that any misstep could startle these creatures, everyone moved with caution, ensuring they didn't provoke the scorpions.

As your group continued through the treacherous terrain on your newly acquired camels, another group of Saracens charged towards you armed with their weapons, aiming to dislodge you from your mounts.

“This is getting ridiculous…” Jokul muttered, using his magic to rain down large icicles to trap them. You follow an attack with your rainbow magic, aiming an explosive rainbow to blow them up.

The knights were frustrated and annoyed, having to fight in the blistering heat as they felt themselves sweating even more. The danger was apparent, and the knights responded accordingly, skillfully maneuvering their own weapons to repel the attackers.

‘I hope we find a lake somewhere nearby…’ the blacksmith thought, grumbling under his breath as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. Maintaining balance while engaging in combat was a delicate task, everyone strained to avoid falling off their camels while defending against the onslaught.

Following the successful defeat of the latest wave of attackers, the group continued onward on their camels, but soon came upon a vast area riddled with sinkholes. "C'mon, let's get rid of these camels. We don't want them to get hurt by the scorpions." Raidon suggested.

The knights nodded, dismounting their camels and proceeding cautiously through the treacherous terrain, mindful of the sinkholes that lay ahead. You all wished to take a break, but the heat beaming down on you all wasn’t worth it.

As you journeyed onward, more foes approached, attempting to engage in combat. Using your magic to defend yourself, you managed to stun them in place, followed by Raidon shocking them with lighting strikes his hands.

Suddenly, Aconite sees a few sinkholes nearby, getting an idea. "Push them off into the sinkholes! We can get through them faster!" Understanding his strategy, the team skillfully pushed the attacking enemies towards the sinkholes, clearing the path ahead with each successful maneuverer.

“What are we even looking for anyway…?” Cyrus whined, his hand drenched with sweat as he held his weapon to his side.

“We’re looking for the next area where the princess has been taken…” you huffed a reply, wanting to get out of this desert heat. Moments slowly passed as they continued to traverse through the sandy terrain.

Eventually, Raidon pointed ahead, seeing a castle that was built in the middle of nowhere, which was weird to them. But they really just wanted to get out of this heat. The colorful group of knights arrived at the castle made entirely of sandy rocks.

“The way this place is built… I wonder how long this must’ve taken them.” you muttered, feeling yourself cooldown. Entering the castle, the temperature felt cool and the interior was soothing, offering a welcome respite from the scorching outside.

“We have to be careful though, there’s no telling how many enemies are littered in this place.” the ice knight lightly warned. On cue, a pair of powerfully built Saracens approached. Facing the challenge posed by the two formidable Saracens, the team quickly split into smaller groups.

You, Aconite, and Cyrus took on the first one as while Raidon, Jokul, and Ferron focused on the other. Working together, you combined your magic and skills, creating a powerful synergy that made swift work of the enemies.

Once the enemies were cleared away, you all exit the cool haven of the castle, the oppressive heat of the desert hits you once again, making your group long for a return to the refreshing air-conditioning within.

“Can we just stay in the castle for a bit?” you smiled lightly with hope. “It’s too hot out there.” the knights chuckled, agreeing with you. Heading back towards the exit, some of you sat down while the others leaned against the sandy wall.

Taking some fruit out, the group of colorful knights ate and shared with each other. “Do you think the next place we’ll travel to will be better than this place?” Cyrus hummed, eating an orange slice.

“I hope so. Maybe we’ll find a lake nearby to cool off in.” Ferron replied, taking a bit out of a pear as you hummed in agreement while eating your favorite fruit. The sweet and savory fruit helped the knights rejuvenate a bit of their energy as they stood up.

“C’mon. The faster we can make it out, the longer time we’ll cool off when we find the next area.” nodding at the red knight’s words, the group made their way out. The air filled with swirling grains, creating a temporary sandstorm.

“If we get trapped in a sandstorm…” the green knight muttered as the lightning knight reassured him while patting him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” He then smiled with his usual charm. “We’ve survived worse than this.”

Slowly but surely, you and your group navigated through the swirling sand, pushing forward. Despite the harsh grains scratching against your faces, you and your comrades managed to persevere, sticking together.

While surveying your surroundings, there were some sandy structures that surrounded the group, seeing that they’re entering another area. “Another castle…? Maybe a princess is in here.” the fire knight hummed.

Everything now appeared to be crafted entirely from sand, but it was solid like a rock. It was a strange and awe-inspiring sight, showcasing the ingenuity of the creatures that had constructed this unique environment.

Aconite wondered how long the people here took to make this, knowing that making sand into a stone-like texture would be very hard to construct. “What the…?” the ice knight uttered, pointing ahead.

Looking ahead, you seemed to have come across a group of Saracens engaged in a game of beach ball volleyball. Upon catching sight of you and your companions, they offered a challenge. "For you to continue, you must play and win a game of volleyball."

Initially taken aback by the unexpected challenge, a shared look of perplexed amusement passed between you and your companions. “A game of volleyball?” Cyrus chuckled, watching the other knights grin at the idea. “Finally! We can have some fun!” 

With a sense of excitement, you and the team made your way across to the other side of the Saracens, ready to accept their game of beach ball volleyball. This was an unexpected yet fun way to enter through.

The group was somewhat eager to engage in this game of volleyball, knowing it would offer a refreshing change of pace from their previous battles. Aconite can feel himself slowly relaxing, not minding himself enjoying the game.

Spirits were high and soaring. You all spoke among yourselves, discussing strategies, positions, and ways to win this match. As everyone took their positions based on the plan discussed, a sense of teamwork and cohesiveness formed between the group.

Raidon and Ferron stood sturdy at the front, you and Cyrus took your place in the middle while at the rear, Jokul and Aconite had strategically positioned themselves. “Stay focused, everyone.” Raidon smirked, getting himself ready.

With the Saracens initiating the game, a well-aimed hit from their side sent the ball soaring towards your team, prompting a response from the group.

As the ball came hurtling in your direction, you quickly reacted, sending it towards the front. Ferron seized the opportunity and executed a strong spike, sending the ball flying across the net. Everyone watched as the ball landed on the opposing side, earning your team a much-needed point.

With the score now showing one point apiece, the saracens stated that they needed ten points to win. Starting the next round, the enemy countered with a well-aimed hit, sending the ball hurtling towards Jokul’s direction.

The ice knight managed to barely hit the ball, watching it go up as he fell to the ground. As Aconite helped him up, Cyrus swiftly stepped in and landed a powerful strike which sent the ball flying back across the net.

Amid the fast-paced play, the saracens managed to land a few points of their own, increasing the tension in the air. The score was close, and the pressure was mounting. As the game neared its climax, everyone on your team sensed that the next few points would be crucial.

With everything on the line, the final match had the tension at its peak. Both sides were neck to neck, needing just a single point to claim victory. Everyone's eyes were fixed and focused, the anticipation palpable in the air.

With your turn to serve, you tossed the ball up high into the air, striking it across to the opposing side. The team eagerly watched, hopeful that this would be the point that secured their win.

As the opposing team scrambled to return the ball, a fierce exchange of hits ensued, with the ball constantly volleying back and forth. Seeing an opportunity to take the lead, Aconite launched a precise hit, setting up Raidon perfectly for a supporting strike.

The enemy swiftly countered, sending the ball hurtling back. With quick reflexes, you prepared yourself, meeting the incoming ball with a well-aimed hit that lifted it high into the air. Sensing the opportunity, Cyrus used some of his magic, needing this last point to win.

Gritting his teeth, you launched a powerful spike, unleashing a mighty strike that sent the ball hurtling towards the other side. Upon impact, a deafening sound filled the air as the ball created a sizable dent in the sand, marking the end of a hard-fought and nail-biting game.

The knights stared in awe at the lightly charred volleyball, watching black fumes slowly flow in the air. Everyone cheered and celebrated for the orange knight. Meanwhile, the enemy, though defeated, graciously clapped with good sportsmanlike spirits.

“That was awesome, Cyrus! I didn’t know you were so great in sports.” Raidon patted him on the back as the fire knight felt his cheeks heat up from the praise that were given to him by his teammates.

“Thanks. I should be thanking Jokul though,” he replied, placing a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “He’s the one that taught me to play when we were kids.” Jokul gave him a light grin while ruffling his hair.

One of the players from the opposing team came towards your side and gave you a map. It had a secret trail near the sandy kingdom. “Finally, we can see where we’re going.” As you accepted the map and thanked him, the other knights followed and did the same.

Gathering your things, you all waved goodbye to the enemy, reliving the fun moment. With the sandy kingdom behind you, the group began discussing ways to get rid of the sand that now glittered their bodies.

“Now that we have a map, maybe we can find a lake to wash off in.” Ferron muttered, taking a look at the map that you held in. Finding a source of water for a quick wash and cool-down would be the best course of action.

“Yes, we can finally wash the sweat off. I smell like a pig… I think I got some sand in my mouth as well.” the fire knight whined, earning chuckles from everyone. The knights began searching for a suitable location to freshen up and rid yourselves of the clinging grains and dried up sweat.

Chapter Text

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

After finally emerging out of the desert terrain, you pointed towards a certain direction. The relief was instant and palpable as the knights arrived at a body of water. The clean, cool touch of the water soothing against your sandy, sweaty skin.

One by one, everyone took off their armor, leaving them with undershirts and shorts as they rinsed off the clinging bits of sand and grime. The experience was like a gentle caress; washing away the trials and struggles you had faced in the sandy kingdom and rejuvenating you for the journey ahead.

The knights sparked up some banter, continuing to wash themselves and relaxing in the cool water. “You think the next place we’ll go will be better than the dessert?” Raidon questioned, sitting on the edge of the lake with his feet in the water.

You glanced at the map on the grass next to your discarded armor, skimming through it. “It looks like the next area seemed to be some sort of cemetery…” you informed, washing the rest of the sand off you before sitting on the edge of the lake with Ferron.

Aconite and Jokul glanced over to you with slightly narrowed expressions. “The cemetery?” the green knight uttered with puzzlement. “Of all places, why there?”

“I don’t even know when was the last time anyone has been there,” Cyrus chimed in, stretching a bit. “I thought it was abandoned at first.”

The blacksmith emitted a low hum, eating an apple that he had on his bag. “At least we’ll protect each other from there. There’s no telling what enemies we’ll be fighting there.” You and the rest of the knights smiled at Ferron’s words.

The group's spirits seemed to be lifted, and a sense of companionship seemed to flow through the air. With everyone refreshed and cleaned off, Raidon took the initiative as always, addressing the group.

"Alright, everyone," he called out, a hint of eagerness in his voice. "Are you all ready to continue onward?"

"Yeah! Let's continue on." The orange knight beamed with excitement, wanting to get the next area out of the way. Everyone else nodded, gathering their belongings and prepared for the journey ahead.

With the map in hand, you studied it for a brief moment before pointing out the new path. "It looks like we're supposed to head this way," you announced, your finger tracing the marked trail leading in the indicated direction.

As the group neared the ominous surroundings, a dark aura seemed to envelope the area. However, their progress was halted by the unsettling scene unfolding before them. Two skeletons had cornered a terrified villager, mercilessly attacking and beating him.

‘We have to fight skeletons? Great…’ Jokul grumbled in thought.

You swiftly harnessed your rainbow magic, stunning the skeletons with a burst of vibrant energy. In the next instant, Cyrus joined the battle, unleashing his fire magic, infusing the magic together to burn the skeletons to ashen dust.

“Keep on a lookout. There’s probably more up ahead.” Ferron huffed, gripping his weapon in hand. Approaching the unfortunate scene, you noticed that the villager's lifeless body lay motionless on the ground.

A pang of sadness tugged at your heart, and you knelt down, gently closing the lifeless eyes of the villager. Just then, two other villagers emerged, expressing their desire to aid you and the group. They stepped forward, offering assistance in any way they could.

“If you don’t mind, we’ll be able to help you here. We’ve been attacked by the skeletons for days.” a man with brown hair spoke with a hopeful tone while the other nodded in silence.

Raidon and Jokul exchanged a silent glance, a momentary understanding passing between them. After a brief pause, they both nodded in agreement, signaling their acceptance of the villagers' offer to join them.

“Do you know how the attacks started?” you inquired as the group moved forward, keeping a lookout. The other man, who had black hair, stated that a menacing individual was making the bodies in the graveyard come to life.

As the group pressed on, the eerie atmosphere deepened, the air heavy with an unsettling quiet. Ancient tombs were scattered across the area, their decaying stones bearing the names of the departed. Some of the gravestones were broken, seemingly left to erode and crumble in the relentless passage of time.

Suddenly, the stillness was shattered as a few skeletons burst from the ground, their bony forms lurching forward to attack. Everyone instantly tensed up, prepared to defend themselves. The air grew heavy with anticipation, swords drawn and magic at the ready, as the group steeled themselves for the impending clash.

You noticed how it was difficult to destroy the skeletons, meaning you had to use your explosive magic. Aiming a large rainbow at the group of undead beings, it managed to get a good half of them as the rest continued to trudge their way over to the group.

“Make sure to preserve your magic!” Raidon alerted, clashing with an one-armed skeleton. “There’s no telling how much we have to go through.” Putting forth every ounce of effort and energy to vanquish the bone-clad adversaries, the skeletons were finally gone. For now.

As the group moved through the cemetery, your gaze was drawn to the sight in the distance. “Oh no…” you muttered, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“What? What’s wrong?” Ferron quickly questioned, following your gaze to see a foe with large wings while standing on the crystal you all have been looking for.

The Necromancer, brandishing the crystal and the evil wizard.

The foe’s red eyes shined menacingly, unleashed bolts of lightning upon the gravestones, infusing them with an unholy life force, animating more skeletons. They both flew away from the cemetery.

Some of the reanimated skeletons were far more impressive in size and strength compared to the others, making it slightly more difficult to dispatch them as swiftly. “Oh, for fu-” Cyrus was cut off as a large skeleton charged towards him with unnerving speed.

The red knight acted first, releasing a burst of electric energy, catching the buff skeletons off guard and rendering them immobile. “We need to act fast before there’s too much to handle.” you uttered with urgency.

Using your magic, the explosive rainbow managed to destroy the large undead foe, earning a quick ‘thank you’ from the fire knight. The blacksmith was charging up a large fireball, the purple flames forming a few inches above his hand.

“Ferron!” Aconite’s voice cuts through the air, getting his attention. Pushing his hand out, poisonous fumes surrounded the fireball, combining the two magics. Grins spread on their lips, watching the blacksmith cock his hand back.

“Step back!” he shouted, making sure the rest of his team stood back as he threw the combined attack towards the large group of skeletons, feeling the ground slightly rumble as the attack impacted.

The area flourished with heat from it, hiding behind large decaying trees. Peeking over, the area was surrounded with speckles of purple flames on the ground, followed by the misty dark green fumes that roamed the area.

“Okay, that was awesome.” the fire knight chuckled. “But is it safe to walk though this poisonous gas?”

The green knight gave him a dismissive wave, reassuring that it was safe. “Just don’t breathe in too much of it.” slowly nodding, you all covered your noses, slowly traversing through the semi-destroyed cemetery.

Continuing on, slowly uncovering your noses when passed the poisonous mist. The group found themselves facing a sprawling corn maze, its winding paths and tall stalks creating a labyrinthine barrier before them.

“Looks like we’re in a maze.” Jokul muttered, but he noticed a red structure near the end of the maze. The group continued forward, making sure to keep guard in case a foe would ambush you all in the maze.

Eventually, a barn came into view in the distance, its presence adding another landmark to the ever-evolving landscape. “What’s a barn doing here…?” you muttered with a hint of puzzlement.

“In a cemetery of all places…” Aconite chimed in lowly, lightning tightening his grip on his weapon. Emerging from the confines of the corn maze, the group was confronted by a sight that proved more comical than threatening.

A giant corn monster, complete with glowing red eyes, loomed before them, but instead of eliciting fear, the creature provoked a collective bout of laughter amongst the group members.

Cyrus was the first to explode with laughter, wheezing in the process. Raidon covered his mouth to try and hide his chuckles while Jokul held a deadpanned expression. Aconite and Ferron held somewhat smug expressions, guessing that this will be an easy boss to defeat as you emitted a wheeze before laughing a bit.

“You’re joking…! We have to fight a corn monster?!” Cyrus exclaimed with a humorous grin, wiping away a few tears.” The corn monster, its patience worn thin by the group's uncontrollable mirth, lashed out with its husks, attempting to strike in retaliation.

The quick attacks almost connected, forcing you and the others to dodge hastily, laughter subsiding as you regain your composure in the face of the corn monster's unexpected assault. “Okay…” you uttered with a broken chuckle. “Let’s get this over with.”

As the group gathered their bearings, everyone prepared to counter the corny adversary. With a simultaneous strike, your weapon struck first, and to everyone's surprise, popcorn burst from the monster on impact.

The fire knight, curious at the unexpected outcome, collected a few kernels and observed them. With a cheeky grin, he ate them, seeing that it was good to eat. "Guys, it's perfectly alright to eat it!"

‘This just keeps getting better and better!’ you thought with a grin, using your magic to stun the giant vegetable. This time, each strike against the creature yielded a fresh supply of popcorn. You popped a few kernels into your mouth, savoring the buttery flavor.

Raidon rained down thunder, striking the monster multiple times as bits of popcorn littered the ground. In a swift and unexpected move, the creature resurfaced, revealing its sharp tusks which it used to push you back.

Quick on their feet, Jokul froze the corn’s leaves, immobilizing him as the other knights rain down their own attacks. The corn monster managed to break away from the ice attacks, displaying a surprising level of agility and began spinning rapidly, its sharp tusks whirling around like scythes as it tried to deliver powerful blows to everyone.

“Get down!” the lightning knight shouted, making the rest of you rush to the ground, holding your shields above you. The impact from the relentless and forceful attacks tested your defenses, pushing you to maintain your guard and avoid being struck by the rapidly spinning tusks.

After a dizzying display of spinning, the corn monster stumbled, presenting a valuable opportunity for you and the others to capitalize. Ferron and Cyrus hung back, gathering their respective fire magic and preparing for a powerful strike.

Just as victory seemed within reach, the corn monster resorted to a new tactic, rapidly vanishing and reappearing from the ground, creating a challenging target for your attacks.

The knights grumbled in frustration from not being able to get any hits on the monster, but they took the chance to charge up some of their magic. Finally, the corn monster showed signs of exhaustion, slowing down and providing a fleeting window of opportunity.

Quickly, you used your rainbow magic, stunning it in place as a large rainbow wrapped itself around the giant vegetable. Taking advantage of the moment, Raidon’s voice rang out towards the orange knight and the blacksmith.

"Cyrus! Ferron! Fire your magic now!"

As the combined force of the two fire users was fired with a giant fireball, it struck the corn monster, bursting apart in a spectacular shower of flying corn. The group was caught in the midst of the explosion, enveloped in a shower of the delicious snack.

Laughing and covered in popcorn, everyone found themselves in a comical situation. The fire knight hummed with a lazy grin. “We should just stay here… Just eating popcorn and not worrying about-”

“Absolutely not.” Jokul cuts him off by stuffing popcorn in his mouth, which somewhat flustered his best friend by the gesture. He tasted the food himself, humming at the flavor. “It’s actually not bad…”

You chuckled at the blue knight, consuming some of the popcorn while Raidon threw some in Aconite’s mouth, catching it with ease. As everyone happily indulged in the popcorn, savoring the tasty snack, a villager stepped into the farm, emerging a moment later with a horn in hand.

The villager approached the group, holding the horn. "Here, we want you all to have this. You'll need it when you're on your journey." The colorful group accepted the gift with gratitude, thanking the villager.

While everyone continued to finish the rest of the popcorn, Ferron had tapped on your shoulder. Turning towards him, your mouth slightly opened to speak, but he beat you to it as he placed a piece of popcorn in your mouth before gently closing it.

You stared at the blacksmith with a wide-eyed expression, your cheeks warmed up from the sudden gesture. He just chuckled with a light smirk before ruffling your hair as his cheeks warmed up slightly as well.

The other knights chuckled at the moment as you all gathered your gear, full from the large helping of popcorn before traversing ahead.