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The Sanctuary Dark World sat new and ready for the inevitable arrival of the Heroes of Legend. But it was more of a rush job than typical. The plan had to be accelerated and a lot more time had to be bought. Making two Dark Worlds side-by-side was risky enough, but there was little choice. If that damn dragon chick didn’t find the guitar, it all would have been fine. There would have been hours before anything needed to be done, but now everything was off. Who could’ve guessed that Carol would have left that thing just sitting in the open?
And, as was customary for a new Dark World, it was not quiet nor peaceful.
“Take it eas—” was the last thing the balthizard said before an armored fist slammed into its head and sent it tumbling. The Darkner scrambled to its wide feet and took off in a gallop away from its attacker.
The attacker in question was no other than the Roaring Knight, flaring with power and already changing targets. With a single swing of their blade, the Knight tore through reality and create a thunderous tempest that scattered the two remaining Gueis into nearby pillars. The remaining Darkners ran off, leaving the Knight by their lonesome.
The Knight did not snarl, did not roar, and did not hunt the Darkners down. They didn’t feel a need to do so. Every new Dark World had a short period where the Knight had to beat the fear into its residents until they stopped bothering them, but killing was reserved to when it was truly needed – or when the Knight was truly pissed.
Instead, the Knight straightened to their full height and coasted forward. They passed empty corridors after empty corridors but noticed the creeping total darkness at the edges of the world. It hungered, eager to consume whatever living being entered their territory. They were hardly a threat to the herald of the apocalypse, but the Knight still found their presence curious, if not a little unsettling.
Were they products of the Sanctuary’s unique properties or a sign of the encroaching Roaring? The Knight innately knew the Prophecy, but the damn poem could be so vague at times.
As if on cue, one pane of the Prophecy came into view. It was one of the Knight’s least favorites, of course. “Love Finds its Way to the Girl”. The Knight slowed to a stop to regard it. For a time, the Knight simply floated there, observing the panel. Then, in a sudden outburst of violence, they let out a vicious snarl and fire off a spray of miniature stars at the glass.
The projectiles punctured through the panel and exploded, leaving the glass as nothing more than fine dust. The Knight huffed and moved on – they were getting close to setting the Dark World up for the Heroes. They couldn’t waste too much time at this point, they had to make sure there were no direct paths to the Fountain outside of their control, and nothing too terrible or arduous that it could prove too much trouble for the Heroes.
At a certain point in the Knight’s checks, something piqued their interest. A small, somewhat cylindrical building was nestled in the Dark World, with a warm light flickering within. Compared to the grand but cold general landscape, this building was positively homely.
The Knight flew towards one of the open doors and looked inside. The chamber was filled with books from floor to ceiling, had a cozy fireplace and…
What the hell was Gerson doing here??
The old turtle was writing an elaborate “The” on a piece of paper, as if he wasn’t in a crazy dimension filled with hostile life.
The Knight slipped behind a wall before Gerson spotted them. How did they even miss him? They had checked the whole church before they opened the fountains. The place had been emptied of anyone – so they thought. Where could he have possibly been hiding?
The Knight peeked into the room – of course, there were several doors above that the Knight had to deal with. How the hell were they going to sneak by—
Wait. Where did the old bastard go?
“Who’re we hidin’ from?” Came a gravelly voice directly behind the Knight.
The Roaring Knight – the horrible harbinger of the apocalypse, who instilled both fear and worship by those who confronted them – did not leap ten feet higher, did not bristle their armor on end, and definitely did not scream in terror.
While keeping an extremely badass pose – absolutely not scrunched up in themself as if they had spotted a mouse on the kitchen floor – the Knight’s visor-turned-eye darted down and saw Gerson, looking at them in surprise for just a second before bursting into laughter.
“GEHEHEH! I’m sorry my big shadowy visitor, I didn’t mean to scare ya! Just seemed a lil’ bit lonely sitting out here in the cold and the dark.”
Well, if the Knight was caught, they had to play it cool. They straightened out and faced him directly, not necessarily trying to intimidate him, but not working to negate any intimidation either.
But clearly the ambient intimidation was ineffective, because Gerson just looked more pleased, “Good, ya finally look more relaxed! How ‘bout we head into my Study, and I make you some tea?”
That’s what he asks? What the hell should they even answer? The Knight had no idea. So, the Knight just floated there for an embarrassing amount of time before lamely shaking their head.
“Hmm, I understand – you have important things to do, donchya? Goals to meet, objectives to accomplish?” Gerson contemplated, briefly lost in thought. “I get that, I really do. When you’re driven by somethin’ so important, so overwhelming, that you feel no choice but to pursue that goal to its finish. Am I wrong?”
This was not at all going to plan. The Knight abruptly decided that they should get going. They turned around and started to fly through the Study when the old man called to them, “You know, you remind me of someone!”
Despite their better judgement, the Knight stopped, baring him a glance over their shoulder.
“Yeah, one of my students! A girl, just shy of adulthood, who was a bit rambunctious and definitely had a chip on her shoulder but was brilliant and had a good heart. A natural at almost every instrument and every sport. Most people complained that she was too loud or too unfocused. But I never found any of that to be true. Sure, she might meander, she might take her time, or go on side trips for a bit, but she would always get to where she needed to go.”
The Knight let out a little distorted chuckle of amusement. Gerson could always bring out some warm words that would make them feel better, and they definitely appreciated it here.
But then Gerson continued, his tone becoming sullen, “No, the moments where I got worried for her were th’ times where she got real focused. Y’see, when she got focused, she got scary. All she could do was work to achieve that goal, and nothin’ else in the world mattered. Any collateral damage was either justified or ignored – whether that damaged those she loved or herself.
“Ultimately, she disappeared one day – gone without a trace! Most think that she suffered some accident or general misfortune, or she just ran for the city. But I believe something happened to her; something that she had a good idea would happen and she ignored the consequences. She may have even had a good justification in her mind, truly felt that she had no choice. But in the end, everyone suffered, including herself.”
The Knight regarded the old man silently, flexing their claws. Gerson shook his head. “GEHEHEHEH! Looks like I got a bit off track with that story! I reckon the point of that was just to remember to take some time to look around you, to cherish the things that give you joy. After all, isn’t the journey more important than the ending?”
The Knight, of course, didn’t provide a verbal answer. But their sharpening visor told more than enough. Without another sound, the Knight flew through one of the Study’s open doors, before slamming it shut with a thundering bang.
Gerson’s good eye tracked the Knight as it departed, but he didn’t make any attempt to follow. He let out a sigh and walked back to his desk. He couldn’t help but think he ended up failing that girl. A horrible burden was placed on her shoulders, and she was left alone to carry it. Is it any wonder things went so badly?
But no matter how bad things got, he truly believed things would get better. That everyone could be redeemed. It’s just that it’ll take more than one ramble from the revived dream of her old mentor to bring that about. He was certain his words resonated, even if she didn’t appreciate them.