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Apparently it’s a big deal. A lot of things seem to be becoming a big deal. Even though I made the armor for Mongo specifically, he didn’t think he could wear it. Plate armor is reserved for knights, nobility, or people who spend a fortune and buy a special permit. It’s a sign of status, which he didn’t claim to have. The fact that it was “Heartstone Crafted” armor, made it somehow even more above his status.

Like the dead give a damn about that! He was our shield, and I simply wanted him protected as well as he could be, so that he could protect the rest of us! Status, wealth, and other such things didn’t matter one damn lick when in a tomb, surrounded by the dead, and fighting for one’s life – and even their very soul!

Finally, completely at a loss for patience, I summoned my magic and strengthened my voice. “KNEEL!!” My voice echoed throughout the room, and everyone went to their knees – most holding their ears from the reverberations bouncing off the small chamber walls. (Honestly, I may have amplified the air and boosted my voice a bit too loudly, considering where we were. I work air, but not the most. Sometimes I have a few issues with fine tuning my control over it.)

Striding over to where Mongo knelt, holding his ears like everyone else, I pointed the plain stone sword which I’d crafted first for myself at him. And then I waited for everyone to actually be able to hear me once. Everyone was staring at me all curious what I was going to do with my sword, and it was Dino who finally broke the silence. “Michael, I know you’re frustrated with Mongo not wanting to wear the armor you made, but that’s no reason to chop off his head or anything. If he’s caught in plate armor without the proper permissions, he could be forced into slavery or even die!”

Good old Dino; always able to see every action of mine in the worst possible light! I’d grown so used to it, I didn’t even bother to sigh in frustration this time. Honestly, I’d be surprised if he saw it any other way. Some people see the world through rose-colored glasses; Dino sees the world through a veil of stupidity. Definitely, I’m moving out when we get back to town! A little of him, I can tolerate, but after all this time on the task together? I’m about ready to ‘accidently’ melt him sometime.

“Mongo, you have been judged!” Trying to sound as deeply serious, calm, and collected as possible, I kept the tip of my blade pointed towards Mongo’s face. “You have been judged,” I repeated. “Judged and found worthy!” Lifting my blade, I moved it over and tapped him on the left shoulder with it.

“By my authority, as Young Lord Mik’hail of the House of Dancing Flames; High Champion of The First Daughter of Andor, Protector and Guardian of the Heir to the Throne of the Shining Star; do hereby dub thee Sir Mongo, Knight Protector of The People!” I went to raise my blade to tap him on the other shoulder...

“You can’t do that!” Dino jumped up and yelled in denial. “You’ll get us all killed, pretending such bull shit! You’ve went too…”

And he was down on the ground, doubled over, holding his gut in pain. Crystal had slammed the pommel of Heartblade into his chest hard enough we could hear ribs crack and break. “My Lord,” the anger in her voice was palpable, but held tightly under control, “this one refuses to acknowledge the authority of The Heir’s Champion and Protector. Should I end him?”

The promise in her voice was obvious; all I needed was but to think it, and Dino’s head would find itself separated from his body. Keeping my voice calm, I tried to defuse the situation, “Dino, I speak nothing but the truth. My mother is the High Lady of The House of Dancing Flames, and the First Princess, Lady De’Nara, Heir to the Throne of the Shining Star, took me as her Champion. I have every right to perform such rights.” Well, I hoped I did at least. Technically, we were in Gondor and not Andor, and I really didn’t know how much authority the Heir’s Champion carried. I think De’Nara once told me it was a ceremonial title or something?

“Fuck you, you lying bastard.” Dino wheezed in pain, but managed to spit in my direction. “You..”

Whatever else he was going to say was cut short as a SHINKK sounded, Heartblade descended, and his head rolled across the floor. Turning, Crystal held Heartblade’s tip up in a salute towards me, and simply nodded. “The worm has been dealt with,” she replied calmly and coldly. “To impugn the authority of The Heir’s Champion, to dispute his parentage and lineage – I could allow no more. If my actions were wrong, I shall accept judgment later for them. I regret nothing.”

The room was deathly silent, with only the sound of blood slowly leaking from Dino’s corpse, and the incessant scratching and shuffling of the dead in the hall echoing around. I hadn’t liked Dino. I’d begun to think of him as a complete nuisance, and more of a liability for the group than an asset. I’d even been tempted to melt him a few times.

But, I can honestly say, I never expected for him to actually be killed by his own group!

Slowly, taking a timeless moment to breathe deeply, catch my breath and reorder my thoughts; I finally shook my head from side to side when I slowly exhaled my doubts away. “If there has to be judgement, it’ll come from others when we reach town – if we reach town,” I told Crystal, and the others. “If we die in here, it’ll be up to the Gods to be the final judge of both your actions and my own. I won’t even pretend to offer judgement, as I must excuse myself on grounds that any judgment I render might be seen with bias or nepotism from my affections towards you.

“You’ll turn yourself over to the Knights in Gondor, when we get there, Crystal. No,” I clarified, shaking my head slightly, “we’ll both turn ourselves in for judgement. Until then, allow me to begin anew.” Taking another deep breath, I tried to keep the tears from the corners of my eyes. Mongo was still kneeling, with my blade hovering above his head, where the ceremony was interrupted. Jess was wide-eyed and staring at Dino’s corpse in shock, watching the blood drain and puddle around it. Crystal was still calm and composed, and Tiffany…

Tiffany had the strangest expression of all. Her eyes were alight, the corners of her mouth keep twitching up and down as if she was ready to burst out in laughter at any moment, and she never took her gaze from the tip of my sword. Bewildered by her reaction, I moved the tip of my blade an inch or so to the right, in the same motion as I had moved it in before Dino’s interruption and death, and she half bounced and wrung her hands together in anticipation.

If she’d even noticed Dino’s death, she didn’t show the slightest sign of it! Tiffany’s whole attention was simply focused on the tip of my sword. I was going to simply start the whole ceremony over from scratch again, to undo the interruption, but from her expression, I didn’t feel like that was the right thing to do. Sighing deeply, I finally moved the tip of my blade the rest of the way to the right and tapped Mongo gently on his shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly.

With another sigh, I lifted the tip of the blade and tapped him on the left shoulder again, and then I slowly turned the blade to hold the hilt out towards him. “Arise Sir Mongo, Protector of The People!”

I don’t have a clue if what I’d did was a valid ritual in these lands. I don’t know if I really have the authority to even perform such ceremonies. I certainly don’t know if we had the right to make Dino dead! Hell – I don’t think I know anything, anymore!

But Tiffany didn’t seem to have any doubts. The moment I told Mongo to arise, she bounced forward like a jackrabbit on drugs, leapt across the short distance separating her from Mongo, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she plastered herself to his back and covered his head and shoulders in kisses. She was laughing, and crying, and trying to say something completely unintelligible, all while squeezing and kissing him endlessly. The only thing I actually managed to understand was a single, “Cong…ations”, from her whole hyper burst.

Mongo looked almost as bewildered as I felt, as he slowly reached to take the hilt with a trembling hand. “I… I’ll… I…” Whatever he was trying to say was drowned out completely by the endless affection Tiffany was lavishing upon him at the moment.

“Crystal. Jess.” Wearily, I turned my attention to the two of them. Jess glanced up, eyes still huge and unblinking, making me fear that she might be in shock. Slowly and gently, I walked over and held out a hand towards her. “Come. Let’s head to the other room and leave these two to celebrate on their own for a short while. We don’t have much time to spare, but I don’t think we’d be able to tell that to Tiffany right now.”

Nodding blankly, Jess took my hand and let me pull her slowly up. As the three of us went into the other room, Tiffany’s healer robe arced across our path and the sound of wildly passionate laughter and kissing pushed us to walk faster without looking back.

Today had been one hell of a day already. One teammate knighted. Maybe. Or maybe not. One teammate definitely dead. Another in shock – poor Jess! And another lost in her own excitement and joy.

The darkness doesn’t need to corrupt and destroy us. We seem to be able to do that well enough, all by ourselves.