Oh screw it, I'm on a roll
I wasn't going to post the first chapter until I finished it completely; however, I do have the first few scenes done, and I've been writing and posting consistently, and I figured I might as well get this party started at the beginning already.
I'm actually going to sleep for more than five hours tonight. Promise. @_@
~~*~~
“Nice try,” Terra laughed, parrying the low swing. “Aim a little higher and don’t hesitate so much. I can take a hit, you know.”
“You sure about that?” Ven grinned at him, steadying himself and darting in for another blow, wooden sword swinging. “I’m a pretty hard hitter.”
“Right.” Terra returned the grin, easily sidestepping the swing. He wasn’t exactly supposed to be training his squire in the knight’s workout, but he figured Ven was going to have to start sooner or later and he might as well give the teen a leg up. He was more than ready as it was. “Maybe if you-”
He paused, feeling a presence approaching - a heart full of light, and a strong one. One of the Masters, no doubt. “Wait, Ven, hang on.” He straightened up, preparing to greet whoever was coming.
Ven, per usual, wasn’t listening.
There was a sharp crack and Terra staggered sideways, wincing at the stars popping in front of his eyes as the wooden sword connected hard with the back of his head. Of course, that was exactly when the person Terra had sensed coming came into view atop the hill.
“Master Eraqus!” Terra snapped to attention, ignoring the throbbing in his head and the fact that his eyes were watering. Ven hadn’t been kidding about being a hard hitter.
“Good afternoon, Terra, Ventus.” Eraqus nodded in greeting. “Terra, you are to appear before the princess and her council. Report to the throne room immediately.” Anticipating the knight’s question, he added, “You may clean up first.”
“Yes, Master.” The response was automatic - a good thing, given his brain was occupied elsewhere. A summons to the throne room was either a very good thing or a very bad one; either way, he couldn’t think of what he’d done to merit one. He’d only just finished his training and become a knight himself.
Eraqus nodded again, turning to leave. “Ventus, that blow was indeed impressive. It would have been even more so had your opponent not been entirely distracted.” That wisdom imparted, he left for the castle, leaving Ven and Terra exchanging wide-eyed stares. How long had Eraqus known about Ven’s training?
But Terra didn’t have time to think about it. He shook his head - oh ow, not doing that again - and took off for the castle at a run. Busted and summoned already and it wasn’t even noon. Some day this was turning out to be.
~~*~~
He stopped in front of the ornate double doors, trying to gather his thoughts despite the throbbing in his head. Possibly the most important moment of his life and he was thinking through a headache. Great.
“Sir?” The page standing by the door looked up at him. “Did you want to enter?
He blinked, still completely unaccustomed to people calling him by title. He’d only been a knight for a year - not nearly long enough to get used to having any position of honor, or having people notice it. “Yes,” he replied. “I- yes.”
The page nodded - “Yes, sir.” - and opened the door, announcing his arrival. He stepped aside, and Terra strode in, walking up the long carpet - if the room’s size was supposed to be intimidating, it sure was working - and stopping before the throne. He’d been told what to do in this sort of situation, but he’d never expected to actually be here.
“Your Honors.” He bowed low before the three Masters to the right of the throne - Eraqus, Yen Sid, and Ansem the Wise.
“Your Graces.” He bowed again before the three Councilmen to the left - Braig, Even, and Arlene.
Finally, he stood straight forward, facing the young woman sitting on the throne that was the focal point of the room, and took a knee, head lowered in respect. “Your Majesty.”
“Rise, Sir Terra.” The title sounded a little less jarring coming from Eraqus, the Master who had trained him and pronounced him a knight in the first place. He got to his feet, eyes on his Master. “You have been chosen for a very prestigious position,” Eraqus continued. “As of today, you are charged with Princess Aqua’s safety. You are to guard her at all times and guarantee her safety. In essence, you are her knight.”
Terra’s eyes widened slightly at the pronouncement, and he glanced at the princess. She met his eyes, her gaze piercing, and for that split second Terra had the distinct feeling he was being sized up. Before he could try to read her expression, she looked away, and the moment passed. “Thank you, Master,” he replied, a bit dazed. His life had just been flipped completely upside down. What was he supposed to say to that? “It’s an honor.” He saw his Master nod, his expression also unreadable.
“You will report to the library first thing tomorrow morning.” The princess addressed him, rising to her feet. “For today, you may have your freedom. You are dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Terra bowed again, then turned to leave. That door had never looked further away.
“One more thing, Sir Terra.”
He paused mid-step, turning around to face the princess again. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
She had already made her way to the side of her throne, likely preparing to leave through a different door. “You may want to get some ice for that lump on the back of your head,” she advised him mildly.
He felt his face burn red with embarrassment. She’d noticed. Fantastic. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he replied, turning once again and making for the door. It took a good deal of self-control, but he forced his steps to be calm and measured and not too fast. It wouldn’t do to look like he was running away.
One first impression down, the rest of his life to go.
Once outside the throne room, he leaned heavily against the wall, breathing deeply. He needed to return to the training grounds and inform Ven and the other squires and knights about the change. Much as he hated to admit it, he also did need some ice - his head had begun throbbing again, and that was the last thing he needed today.
He set off down the hall with a purposeful stride. First things first: he had to figure out where the library was.
I'm actually going to sleep for more than five hours tonight. Promise. @_@
~~*~~
“Nice try,” Terra laughed, parrying the low swing. “Aim a little higher and don’t hesitate so much. I can take a hit, you know.”
“You sure about that?” Ven grinned at him, steadying himself and darting in for another blow, wooden sword swinging. “I’m a pretty hard hitter.”
“Right.” Terra returned the grin, easily sidestepping the swing. He wasn’t exactly supposed to be training his squire in the knight’s workout, but he figured Ven was going to have to start sooner or later and he might as well give the teen a leg up. He was more than ready as it was. “Maybe if you-”
He paused, feeling a presence approaching - a heart full of light, and a strong one. One of the Masters, no doubt. “Wait, Ven, hang on.” He straightened up, preparing to greet whoever was coming.
Ven, per usual, wasn’t listening.
There was a sharp crack and Terra staggered sideways, wincing at the stars popping in front of his eyes as the wooden sword connected hard with the back of his head. Of course, that was exactly when the person Terra had sensed coming came into view atop the hill.
“Master Eraqus!” Terra snapped to attention, ignoring the throbbing in his head and the fact that his eyes were watering. Ven hadn’t been kidding about being a hard hitter.
“Good afternoon, Terra, Ventus.” Eraqus nodded in greeting. “Terra, you are to appear before the princess and her council. Report to the throne room immediately.” Anticipating the knight’s question, he added, “You may clean up first.”
“Yes, Master.” The response was automatic - a good thing, given his brain was occupied elsewhere. A summons to the throne room was either a very good thing or a very bad one; either way, he couldn’t think of what he’d done to merit one. He’d only just finished his training and become a knight himself.
Eraqus nodded again, turning to leave. “Ventus, that blow was indeed impressive. It would have been even more so had your opponent not been entirely distracted.” That wisdom imparted, he left for the castle, leaving Ven and Terra exchanging wide-eyed stares. How long had Eraqus known about Ven’s training?
But Terra didn’t have time to think about it. He shook his head - oh ow, not doing that again - and took off for the castle at a run. Busted and summoned already and it wasn’t even noon. Some day this was turning out to be.
~~*~~
He stopped in front of the ornate double doors, trying to gather his thoughts despite the throbbing in his head. Possibly the most important moment of his life and he was thinking through a headache. Great.
“Sir?” The page standing by the door looked up at him. “Did you want to enter?
He blinked, still completely unaccustomed to people calling him by title. He’d only been a knight for a year - not nearly long enough to get used to having any position of honor, or having people notice it. “Yes,” he replied. “I- yes.”
The page nodded - “Yes, sir.” - and opened the door, announcing his arrival. He stepped aside, and Terra strode in, walking up the long carpet - if the room’s size was supposed to be intimidating, it sure was working - and stopping before the throne. He’d been told what to do in this sort of situation, but he’d never expected to actually be here.
“Your Honors.” He bowed low before the three Masters to the right of the throne - Eraqus, Yen Sid, and Ansem the Wise.
“Your Graces.” He bowed again before the three Councilmen to the left - Braig, Even, and Arlene.
Finally, he stood straight forward, facing the young woman sitting on the throne that was the focal point of the room, and took a knee, head lowered in respect. “Your Majesty.”
“Rise, Sir Terra.” The title sounded a little less jarring coming from Eraqus, the Master who had trained him and pronounced him a knight in the first place. He got to his feet, eyes on his Master. “You have been chosen for a very prestigious position,” Eraqus continued. “As of today, you are charged with Princess Aqua’s safety. You are to guard her at all times and guarantee her safety. In essence, you are her knight.”
Terra’s eyes widened slightly at the pronouncement, and he glanced at the princess. She met his eyes, her gaze piercing, and for that split second Terra had the distinct feeling he was being sized up. Before he could try to read her expression, she looked away, and the moment passed. “Thank you, Master,” he replied, a bit dazed. His life had just been flipped completely upside down. What was he supposed to say to that? “It’s an honor.” He saw his Master nod, his expression also unreadable.
“You will report to the library first thing tomorrow morning.” The princess addressed him, rising to her feet. “For today, you may have your freedom. You are dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Terra bowed again, then turned to leave. That door had never looked further away.
“One more thing, Sir Terra.”
He paused mid-step, turning around to face the princess again. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
She had already made her way to the side of her throne, likely preparing to leave through a different door. “You may want to get some ice for that lump on the back of your head,” she advised him mildly.
He felt his face burn red with embarrassment. She’d noticed. Fantastic. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he replied, turning once again and making for the door. It took a good deal of self-control, but he forced his steps to be calm and measured and not too fast. It wouldn’t do to look like he was running away.
One first impression down, the rest of his life to go.
Once outside the throne room, he leaned heavily against the wall, breathing deeply. He needed to return to the training grounds and inform Ven and the other squires and knights about the change. Much as he hated to admit it, he also did need some ice - his head had begun throbbing again, and that was the last thing he needed today.
He set off down the hall with a purposeful stride. First things first: he had to figure out where the library was.