1190 Armored Blue Knight
"Order?" Oriole spat out. "The order of a tyrant who twists the future to suit himself? Emma Agard doesn't deserve prison, your king doesn't deserve power, and this 'rebellion' of mine WILL break the chains you glorify."
"You don't understand," the woman countered, weariness creeping into her voice. "There are forces beyond your comprehension – cycles of power, balances that must be maintained. The Yalen dominion exists for a reason. Usurping that order would bring ruin."
"Ruin is all I see," Oriole shot back, the words fueled by years of witnessing the kingdom's decay. His telekinetic hold on Caleb wavered with exhaustion, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward. They had to find cover, a place to rest and regroup.
"Then you're blind," the woman said, her words ringing with a strange sadness. Suddenly, a sense of danger pricked at Oriole's senses. His powers flared, throwing Caleb aside moments before a rune-laced arrow whizzed past. The woman was on the move, but not towards them – she bypassed the prince with chilling precision, her target undeniably him.
He had precious seconds, but instinct took over. Oriole spun, creating a telekinetic shield against another volley of attacks. The woman was skilled, her movements fluid, power woven into every strike. But she was singular, and he was fueled by desperation.
Each parry, each deflection bought them a bit more time. It wouldn't last. Oriole needed an escape, a chance to formulate a strategy while hidden. He glanced around, the dense jungle seeming to close in, an endless labyrinth of green with danger lurking in every shadow. Perhaps it wasn't an escape he needed, but...an advantage.
Oriole deflected another rune-laced arrow, a grunt escaping him as the impact rattled his weary body. He couldn't keep this up forever. The masked woman was a relentless predator, her skill and determination fueled by a purpose he was only starting to grasp. Yet, he was holding on, fueled by a desperate, unwavering resolve.
His eyes locked onto a massive, sprawling tree looming in the distance. A gamble, born of necessity, began to form in his mind. With a forceful shove of his telekinetic power, he flung Caleb further into the jungle, a panicked yell echoing as the prince disappeared amidst the dense foliage.
"Coward!" the woman snarled, her focus shifting for a split second. It was all the opening Oriole needed.
He lunged forward, not in retreat, but in a reckless charge towards his masked adversary. If he could close the distance, his telekinesis might give him an edge her runes couldn't match.
The woman reacted with impressive speed, but she hadn't counted on his suicidal determination. A rune-shield flickered before her, too late - Oriole slammed into it, feeling the shockwave course through him. Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth and extended his control beyond the shield, aiming for the woman herself.
A flicker of surprise crossed her masked face as her movements faltered. It wasn't control, not yet, but enough to disrupt her balance, to deflect her aim. He pressed the advantage, reaching out to restrain her weapon hand, momentarily halting another volley of attacks.
Then, as his strength faltered, the world erupted in a chaos of blue and ice.
A figure materialized out of thin air, clad in shimmering blue armor. A massive ice sword, impossibly large and radiating a chilling aura, swept through the air with deadly grace. The woman, caught off-guard, barely managed to leap back, the sword shattering her rune-shield with a deafening crack.
"Who dares –" she began, but the knight didn't hesitate. Another swing, and the ice sword sliced through the dense vegetation with unnerving ease, creating a path directly towards Oriole and the stunned woman.
"Leave!" the knight boomed, their voice distorted by the helmet, impossibly deep yet clear.
Oriole didn't need to be told twice. With a gasping breath, he gathered the trembling Caleb telekinetically and followed the path the knight was carving, the woman hesitating just a moment too long. A surge of freezing power exploded from the sword, a wall of ice rippling outward, forcing their adversary back and buying them precious seconds.
They raced through the opening, Oriole's heart pounding a frantic rhythm. Who was this mysterious savior? Were they another player in this deadly game? His questions remained unanswered as the knight, with a final, earth-shaking blow, collapsed the path behind them, the reverberations echoing through the jungle.
The armored figure turned, and even through the concealing helmet, Oriole felt the weight of their gaze on him. Then, with a fluidity that belied their size, the knight moved towards the denser foliage, vanishing into the shadows as abruptly as they'd appeared.
Silence descended, punctuated by Caleb's whimpered sobs and Oriole's ragged breathing. He felt weak, dangerously close to collapse, yet a strange sense of elation coursed through him. They were alive, and this unexpected interference had thrown the woman's careful plans into disarray. It seemed even in this intricate web of schemes and secrets, there were forces yet unrevealed.
The jungle was alive with danger. Oriole's dagger flashed, cutting through the armored hide of a giant beast. Its roar echoed through the trees, and Oriole knew he wouldn't have time to celebrate. Grabbing the unconscious Caleb with his mind, he ran.
Every step was a struggle. The masked woman, the mysterious knight in blue armor – those events felt like a lifetime ago. Days had turned into a blur of running, fighting, and watching for pursuers. Caleb lay limp in his telekinetic hold, only stirring to whisper nightmares of blood and darkness.
Oriole's heart pounded with an exhaustion deeper than any monster's claws could inflict. He felt a presence, eyes on him, but nothing attacked. It was something far more unsettling than any creature...simply waiting.
20:37
Finally, a cave. It was small, barely enough room for them both, but it was shelter from the rain. He laid Caleb down, checking his pulse. Weak, but there. Oriole collapsed beside him, too tired even to think. But sleep refused to come. He needed to protect them. With shaking hands, he began carving simple warning runes into the damp ground.
Just as he finished, the ground trembled. Something was coming. Oriole's hand tightened on his dagger. This wasn't a beast's clumsy steps, this was someone walking with purpose. Fear and exhaustion battled inside him, but he was ready to fight.
The figure that emerged from the darkness wasn't a threat. It was the knight in blue armor, the one who had saved him before!
"Who are you?" Oriole demanded, desperate to understand what was happening. "Why help me?"
The helmet came off, and the knight was a woman with familiar blue hair. He recognized her face instantly.
"Knight of Courage?" he breathed. It was the woman from Alka, the one who had helped him and Arthur. But that was impossible. How was she here?
She smiled, a flicker of warmth breaking through her tired expression. "It's good to see you again, Oriole. Your signal reached us. It took time, but I followed it back to this world."
"Us?" Confusion swirled in Oriole's head. "My signal?"
"The objects you made," the Knight of Courage explained. "They reached Alka. You created a world that wants to fight, Oriole. An army formed from your dreams, and they're waiting for your orders." Pride gleamed in her eyes. "I'm just the first to answer, to guide them."
Oriole was speechless. The plan, the temporal fissure…Arthur had done it! He created a world with Oriole's knowledge, and now it was ready to fight back. A rush of hope surged through him, fading quickly as he remembered the impossible question.
"But how did you get here?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
The Knight of Courage hesitated. "There's a fissure here, too. A small one, unstable…it nearly cost me my life to cross."
Oriole's gaze sharpened. So, there were other paths between worlds. It was dangerous, but it was hope.
The woman slumped against the wall, exhaustion finally winning. "I'll guard. Sleep, Oriole, you need it." She began to unbuckle her worn armor, the weight of it shifting with a weary sigh. "There's a war ahead, and we need you at your best."
Oriole watched the woman, unable to process that she would just appear out of thin air. In fact, she not only appeared, but saved his life and plan to save Emma Agard. However, he still had questions.
"Why did you disappear for days?" asked Oriole the Knight of Courage, who paused and turned toward him.
"I had to fight that masked woman who tried to give chase, and lured her away. In the end, she realized that she could not defeat me and disappeared. I can still feel her presence, but at least, she cannot attack with the wounds I have given her."
"I don't think she wanted to kill me, just immobilize me enough to take the prince away," said Oriole with a sigh as he looked at the rainy night. "I feel like I know her."
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