Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Meetings
"The sun had almost set and the streets of Hara and City was now consumed by the night. A tall, heavily-armored man stood atop a building, listening the city below. Suddenly, a piercing scream came from a nearby brothel, He didn't usually involve himself in such matters, but the scream he heard sounded like that of a child, not a man or a woman. He took a step towards the nothingness in front of him and fell to the ground. The fall seemed insignificant to him, it was almost like climbing down a staircase. He ran to the brothel as fast as he could, despite the weight of his armor slowing him down. Upon reaching the door, he paused to listen. He heard a man threatening a woman inside, prompting him to take action. He knocked forcefully, causing a momentary silence from within. A woman's voice soon replied, "We're closed!" but he was determined to investigate further. He slowly pushed open the door, causing the ground theremble beneath his heavy boots. The same voice spoke up again, saying, "We're not serving tonight." The man replied, "I'm not here for your services," as he drew his sword."
The man in the half black, half white tunic examined the heavily armored man before him and muttered, "So it's true." He then turned to Katie and said in a low voice, "You have one day."
After that, he faced the armored man and motioned for him to follow. "Let's deal with you outside," he said calmly.
Without a word, the armored man and the Rogues left the building.
As they left the Brothel, the streets began to empty. Everybody knew what was coming and didn't want to get involved. A man with a white and black tunic stopped walking and said, "I'm Neal, and I believe you are...?"
The other man interrupted him and said, "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what you are going to do."
Neal felt frustrated by the interruption and replied sharply, "It's none of your business."
Heavily-armored man with a cold and sharp voice spoke up and said, "It is if you are going to harm them."
Neal started scratching his head in frustration and said, "I will do whatever the fuck I want."
The armored man took his sword and said firmly, "I will not allow that."
Neal smiled and said " Boys ,Kill this lizard "
One of the Rogues attacked following Neal's execution order, but his sword met with the Armored Man's sword, and a powerful punch from him crushed the his face, knocked him out.
After their friend was defeated, the Rogues attacked the armored man together. They were quick and precise, wielding their weapons from every angle. But the this man was prepared, evading their attacks with ease. His armor protected him from their blows, and even when they landed, he remained focused.
The fight was intense, with swords and daggers clashing in the dim light. Armored man fought with all his might, but the Rogues were too fast and too numerous for him to keep up. Despite this, he refused to give up, his determination evident in his blazing eyes. The Rogues were equally determined, fueled by their hatred for this stranger who had disrespected them.
The two sides clashed repeatedly, with the sound of steel ringing through the night air. Armored man tried to make moves, but the Rogues swarmed around him, striking from all sides. Despite being pushed back, He continued to fight with all his might.
As the armored man tired, A woman had appeared out of nowhere, leaping into the air and landing behind them. Without hesitation, she attacked them from behind, catching them off guard. The armored man took advantage of the distraction and charged forward, swinging his sword with renewed energy. The woman moved like lightning, gracefully striking the Rogues from all angles.
Together, the armored man and the woman fought in perfect harmony. The man stood firm, enduring the Rogues' attacks, while the woman moved quickly, striking with deadly accuracy. The Rogues were caught off guard and unable to anticipate their every move.
The fight was intense, with swords clashing and sparks flying. The armored man and the woman worked together seamlessly, easily taking down one Rogue after another. Despite the Rogues fighting back with all their might, they were no match for the combined strength and skill of their opponents.
Neal watched from afar, his face twisted in anger and frustration. He knew he couldn't win against the formidable duo. He shouted to his men to keep the fight going, then turned and ran away, disappearing into the shadows.
As Neal ran away, the armored man shouted after him, "I will stop you!" But Neal just smirked and disappeared into the shadows. The armored man and the mysterious woman swiftly defeated the remaining rogues, their movements working in perfect harmony. The fight was intense, but the two skilled warriors were able to take down their opponents with ease. When the last rogue fell, the armored man and the woman exchanged a look of mutual respect. They had fought together seamlessly, despite having never met before.
The armored man put away his sword and signaled that he had no intention of fighting. He asked the woman, "Why did you enter?"
The woman also put away her sword and examined the man for a moment before answering, "They were rogues, right? I'm here to stop them."
The man became suspicious and asked, "By whose name?"
The woman took a step closer to the man and replied, "For the people of Shier."
The man looked confused by her answer, but before he could say anything, the woman asked him, "And why are you fighting against rogues? By whose name are you doing this?"
The armored man seemed hesitant to answer and simply said, "I heard a child's scream and I entered, that's all."
The woman took another step towards him and asked, "By whose name did you do that?"
The man took a step back and replied, "No one."
The mysterious woman took a step closer to the armored man and remarked, "That's nice. I wasn't going to give a care about your alliances anyway."
The man turned his back and replied, "Stay away from my path, and I will stay away from yours."
The woman took another step and responded, "But I can't. You see, Dragon-Knight, our paths have to cross at this point."
The man became furious and retorted, "That is not my name." The woman stepped closer and asked, "Then what is it?"
The man turned around and coldly stated, "It is none of your concern."
The woman came closer, able to see his eyes through his intimidating helmet, and said, "I don't care about your past or who you are. I have a duty, and I'm only here to do my job. Whether you like it or not, we are in this together. I believe you want to protect the child who screamed with fear, so let me help you keep this child safe."
Dragon-Knight appeared confused as he gazed into her beautiful eyes. It had been a long time since he had looked into anyone's eyes, and for a moment, he forgot that he was a vigilante whose duty was to protect the innocent. He felt like a lost soul in a cruel world. However, he quickly came back to reality and remembered that he couldn't have that kind of relationship in this world. Despite his desire to continue looking into the woman's eyes, he stopped himself and said what needed to be said. "Fine, you're right. We should work together until we defeat the rogues."
The woman sensed the connection between her and Dragon-Knight, but she knew she couldn't let herself get too close. She was a swordswoman of Shier, and her loyalty was to her homeland.
She remarked, "I wonder why you didn't ask my name."
Dragon-Knight turned to face her, "I know you don't have one."
The Swordswoman responded, "But we have names that are given to us." Dragon-Knight looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"
The Swordswoman explained, "Just like yours, whether you like it or not, they call you Dragon-Knight. In Shier, we leave our past behind and take the names that are given to us."
Dragon-Knight, curious, asked, "So what's yours?" The Swordswoman smiled and replied, "
When people are in need of help and there is no one to save them, they call out for someone. I am that someone."
Dragon-Knight repeated her name, "Someone, that's thoughtful."
The Swordswoman called "Someone," turned her attention to the city and asked, "So, where is that brothel where you heard the scream?"
Dragon-Knight pointed to the end of the road and replied, "It's at the end of the road."
Someone looked in the direction he indicated and said, "We should make a plan." Together, they strategized to defeat the Rogues. Meanwhile, terrible things were happening inside the brothel as innocent boys were locked in the basement of the building.
Katie was seated at the dining table in the great hall, drinking. Silvie approached her and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Katie's voice trembled with sadness as she replied, "We can't do it."
Silvie tried to keep herself composed, came closer to Katie, and held her chin to look into her eyes. She said, "I know. I don't want to do it, but we have to."
Katie began to cry and said, "But they will die."
Silvie held back her own tears and said, "We did everything we could to keep them safe. Now, we have to keep ourselves safe, my love," and gently kissed Katie.
After sharing a heartfelt kiss, Katie wiped her tears and said, "Can you talk to them? I can't do it, not right now."
Silvie smiled at her beloved and said, "Of course, my beautiful. I'll do anything for you."
Silvie got up from beside Katie and left the room. As she left, she started to feel the warmth in her heart fade away, as reality was cruel and cold, more than enough. She knew what she had to do to keep her beloved safe.
As she walked to the door of the small, old basement room, everybody stopped talking because of Silvie's presence. She opened the door and entered. She saw Billy crying and Freddie trying to console his brother. A tear came to her eye, but she couldn't let it fall.
Silvie spoke sharply and coldly, "Listen to me, boys. At first light of day, all of you will leave this place and join the Rogues. Serve them with respect, as they won't be forgiving like us. Don't try to run away from them because they will find you and punish you harshly. And don't try to run away from here. If you do, all of us here will pay the price. That's all I'm going to say."
As Silvie finished her speech, Katie suddenly spoke up, "I have something to say. I've always loved all of you like my own, and I wish I could save you. But I can't, and that fact breaks my heart more than you could know."
Fredie interrupted Katie, "Don't feel sad, master. We are slaves to sell. We won't run away from you or them. We will obey because that's what we are."
Katie's voice trembled as she responded, "No, you're not what they tell you. Be patient and when you find a chance, escape from them. Be free, my children."
Silvie couldn't keep her cold demeanor and said, "Whenever you find a chance, go to Contasia and join the hunters. At least your days will be well-fed and warm, but short."
Billy wiped away his remaining tears and said, "But they kill your kind."
Katie came closer to Billy and gently stroked his cheek, "My kind killed more than your kind did, my child. Don't support one side or the other. Live for yourselves."
Fredie remained emotionless and spoke in a monotone voice, "If you don't mind, we need to rest, master."
Katie got up and said, "Alright, good night, boys."
None of the boys answered her, and Katie and Silvie left the room, leaving these innocent boys behind
The boys kept talking for an hour. Derek wanted to leave before sunrise, but Fredie wanted to find a better chance to escape. As they were talking, a knocking sound came from the window. Wynn heard it and climbed onto wooden boxes to look out the window.
Wynn stuttered, "Fre... Fredie?"
Fredie turned to his brother and said, "Yes..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence because of the shock.
Billy stood up and came closer to open the window. A voice with a grunt spoke, "Hello there."
Billy got excited because of what he was seeing and hearing, "Are you the Dragon-Knight?"
Dragon-Knight hesitated for a second and said, "Yes, I am the Dragon-Knight," because he knew these boys needed hope. Despite his feelings about himself, he had to be the Dragon-Knight for the boys.
Fredie got himself together and stood up to ask, "Why are you here?"
"Because of you," said the Dragon-Knight.
"How?" Fredie asked with confusion.
"I heard your scream of fear, so I came here to save you," said the Dragon-Knight.
Billy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You're that armored man who saved Katie."
"Yes, I am, and I am here to save all of you too," said the Dragon-Knight. He felt kindness towards these kids. Most of the people he saved usually feared him, but these boys were admiring him and seeing him as a hero.
Fredie spoke again with a serious voice, "But how are you going to do it?"
Dragon-Knight turned to the boy and said, "When the sun rises, the rogues will come again to transport all of you to the rest of the kids they have abducted."
Dragon-Knight was interrupted by Billy, who asked, "Are there others?"
"Yes, there are others according to my partner," he replied, smiling gently under his helmet when he mentioned his partner. It had been a long time since he had people to refer to as partners.
Dragon-Knight continued, "When they come, we will follow the transporter that will carry you to the base of the Rogues, and we will save the rest of the kids with the five of you. But you need to promise me that you won't try to escape from the Rogues until we arrive to save you."
Fredie looked directly into Dragon-Knight's eyes and said, "Me and my brothers promise you we won't resist the Rogues."
"I believe you would, young man," said the Dragon-Knight.
Billy wanted reassurance and asked with tears in his eyes, "Do you promise to save us?"
Dragon-Knight took out his knife and held the sharp side in the palm of his hand. "At my home, we give our promises with blood. I promise you, I will save you and your brothers. I give you my word, my knife, and my blood. If I don't keep my promise, return to me my knife and blood to my heart." He passed the knife's handle to Billy.
"What should I do?" asked Billy with confusion.
"Take the knife," said the Dragon-Knight.
As Billy took the knife from Dragon-Knight, his hands bled onto the wooden window of this little basement.
Dragon-Knight stood up and said, "We will meet again. Take care of yourselves."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone