Opening Moves (The Lion Knight Book 1)

by Aurelius L. Zero

  She had decided to watch over him but at some point earlier the princess had fallen asleep and was now resting her head on top of his covers.

  A small smile floated across his face as he beheld her serene countenance as she slept.

  Unwilling to wake her just yet, Leon simply lay back down and rested, using the time to put his thoughts in order, the smile never once leaving his face.

  For a time the two remained like that, one lost in slumber, the other in his thoughts.

  Eventually though Noire began to stir as well, the sun’s rays rousing her just as they had Leon.

  Giving a small yawn as she stretched, she took a moment to rub at her eyes, wiping away the last vestiges of sleep.

  “Good morning milady.”

  Noire’s half-shut eyes snapped open completely and any drowsiness she had was wiped away in an instant. Swivelling round to look at Leon, she immediately threw her arms round his neck and gave him a hug.

  “Squire Leon, you’re awake!”

  “Ahahaha, that I am milady, what did I miss?”

  Giving Leon one last squeeze before pulling back, Noire started to fill him in on what he had missed.

  He had been in a deep sleep for a long while now.

  The tower incident had occurred two days ago and he’d been asleep ever since.

  Initially escorted from the tower by the remaining Iron Wolves along with Arno, she had made it a ways from the tower before witnessing the beam of flux stretching away from the balcony.

  Worry for Leon blossomed in her as something in her screamed that things had taken a turn for the worse and Leon was now in danger.

  She turned back to offer whatever aid she could to her two valiant protectors.

  She refused to lose them, not without giving everything she could to help them first.

  From where she was, events only got bleaker with each passing moment.

  Shortly after the beam faded, a strange feeling had swept through her, one that she didn’t know how to place. Elation and the urge to cry in sadness afflicted her at the same time.

  And then of course, there was the lightshow that turned night to day.

  Needless to say, she had been worried out of her mind and went charging up the stairs, the mercenary commander in hot pursuit.

  Noire arrived at the tenth floor just in time to watch Leon collapse into his puppet’s arms.

  “LEON!”

  “Relax Lady Noire, he’s perfectly fine, just exhausted, a good night’s rest will fix him up.”

  “Are… are you sure?”

  “Yes milady, he’s just depleted his flux reserves and he needs time to recover.”

  “I… I see. He is in no danger then? A-and what about the Revenant?”

  “The… lord… damn it… girl… did you… have… to run… so fast?”

  An out of breath Denzel burst through the veil, pistols at the ready.

  The events of the day had taken their toll on him. Having to endure another sprint back to the tower and up ten flights of stairs in full combat gear was a lot more draining than he would have liked.

  “Ah mercenary, weren’t you supposed to escort Lady Noire away from danger? Why. Is. She. Here.”

  Geahart was tearing into Denzel virtually the second he stepped through the veil in a nonplussed tone.

  “Tch she got it into her head to rush to your aid after that lightshow. Where is the beast anyway? I have a few bullets with its name on em.”

  “My squire has already taken care of the Revenant. And the mastermind is long gone… if he was even here in person to begin with. We should leave before any more unwanted surprises show up.”

  “I… you… WHAT! I RAN UP TEN FLOORS TO HELP JUST TO FIND OUT I DIDN’T HAVE TO COME ALL THIS WAY?”

  “Your well wishes are most appreciated but ultimately unnecessary. Next time, just ensure your ward doesn’t escape you. Come Lady Noire, we should leave now.”

  Geahart finished as he slung his comatose master onto his back with one arm.

  Without a second glance back, he strode towards the veil, Denzel and Noire following behind.

  On their way out, Denzel continuously grumbled about ungrateful knights and spoiled brats but he was secretly pleased not to have to deal with that abomination again.

  It terrified him more than anything else in his life, it was as though the monsters from the ghost stories of his youth had blended together into a single living nightmare.

  As for Noire, her eyes never left Leon’s back as she still fretted over his conditions, despite whatever Geahart might say.

  She was less afraid of the beast than she was of losing Leon.

  Enough people had been sacrificed for her, she didn’t need another. Especially not one of the very few friends she ever managed to make… and her heart ached far more at the mere thought that the squire might never open his eyes again then she thought it would.

  She wasn’t clueless as to what she was feeling. She just never expected he would be able to endear himself to her so quickly, his position in her heart was already firmly entrenched.

  A part of her, the part that was still just a young girl squealed at the thought, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t pleased about it.

  But as much as it hurt her to do so, she would not act on it anytime soon, with her uncle’s shadow looming over her, it was too risky to start something now.

  As she continued mulling over her situation, they had exited the tower and were once more under the stars.

  The group making parted ways once they hit the main road.

  Denzel and his band of men departed on their own journey, reasoning that despite everything that had gone down in the tower, they were still mercenaries.

  Their less than legal profession aside, they greatly doubted their welcome in Albri.

  A village screwed over by Allant lord knows how many times would hardly be welcoming to men formerly in his employ, whatever the circumstances of their parting.

  Biding the rest farewell, they made for the Federation border, best to cross into lands where the Duke had no jurisdiction and thus could not inflict his retribution.

  Denzel did express his wish to meet Leon and Geahart again on better terms in the future and gave his name before leaving with the rest.

  And thus, it was only Professor Arno, Noire, Valor, Geahart and the comatose Leon who made it back through the village gates in the dead of the night.

  Absorbing everything he just heard, Leon looked out the window at the bustling village below.

  It didn’t outwardly show but his mind was a whirl of conflicting thoughts.

  Trying to bring order to his thoughts, he pushed aside everything else and decided to deal with it all one thing at a time.

  “Well princess Esmelas, I’m just glad you’re alright. As long as I still draw breath, I won’t allow the duke to get his hands on you.”

  Noire didn’t know what to feel at the puppeteer’s statement.

  On the one hand, his declaration of protection filled her with… something.

  On the other, he had found out about her identity.

  Fear clutched at her heart at whether he would turn his back on her for her deception. If that happened, she didn’t know if she would be able to take the blow.

  “I… I… I….”

  “Relax milady, I may not know the full reason behind you hiding your identity but I can understand the reasoning behind it. It’s just, your identity isn’t so secret anymore. The man behind the Revenant, he’s in your uncle’s employ and fully aware of it. In fact, he’s the one who informed Sir Geahart and I. If he knows, then I’m guessing most of Gaspard’s inner circle knows as well.”

  “I, I’m sorry for hiding it. I didn’t want you to treat me any different, I-I just wanted a friend.”

  “Hmmph, and how did Sir Geahart treat you on the way back?”

  “Just the same as usual why?”

  “That should prove it shouldn’t it? No offense, but your status means n
othing to us. You are Lady Noire and our liege lord. Whether you’re the queen herself or just another commoner won’t affect how we see or treat you.”

  Upon hearing Leon’s thoughts on the matter, Noire embraced Leon once more in a tight hug as tears of relief ran down her cheeks.

  Her fear of losing him allayed, a large burden left her shoulders.

  The moment ended soon enough once she realised what she was doing and she pulled back quickly.

  Neither were able to meet the other’s eyes and both were noticeably a shade pinker than usual.

  Seeking to dispel the awkward atmosphere between them, Leon sought to change the subject.

  “Ah um milady! Has Elder Regis been informed about the situation?”

  “Ye-yes squire, Professor Arno and I have given our accounts to him, we’re just waiting on you and Sir Geahart now. The good Knight has left on a hunting request and will be back later today.”

  Catching on to what he was trying to do, she shot him a grateful look before playing along.

  “Umm, I’ll try not to keep anymore large secrets from you, uhh if I recall any more important ones, I’ll let you know right away.”

  Her piece having been said, Noire rose to leave.

  “It is good to see you awake again Leon, I’ll leave you to your thoughts now. And um, if you need anything just ask alright? It is the least I can do.”

  “Its fine milady, that won’t be necessary. I am sorry for worrying you again and many thanks for your concern over my well-being.”

  Noire’s face seemed to visibly deflate at his rejection of her offer to help, she accepted it nonetheless and gave a small curtsy before leaving the room.

  Watching her go, the puppeteer’s head thudded back onto the pillow as he let out a long sigh.

  Yup. I’m a dead man.

  Out of your league boy, out of your league.

  Pushing such depressing thought away for the moment, his face turned darker as he ran through the rest of the information Noire had dumped on him.

  Geahart can now move and act on his own?

  That’s not possible… I was out of flux, I know I was.

  Geahart should be inanimate, how is it still active. And to take a hunting request?

  Back in the tower… no it can’t be… he couldn’t have developed actual sentience.

  Could he?

  With a second deep sigh, he slid off the bed before going into a range of light exercises, just to ascertain his condition.

  No point in just wasting the day worrying about something he had no control over.

  Starting with a basic series of stretches, he marvelled at the state he was in.

  He felt okay… no he felt better than okay.

  Besides the hunger that plagued him, his last meal was two days ago after all, all his ails had disappeared.

  It was as though he was born again, every one of his old wounds that still troubled him had gone.

  A quick survey revealed that all of his scars and injuries had vanished, as though they were never there to begin with.

  This is incredible, even with Loewe’s time magic I couldn’t erase my old wounds, but now everything is perfectly healed.

  Just what happened in the Vitae tower after I… after I died.

  That voice, it said something about upgrades and recovery?

  The tower must have healed all my wounds and done something to Geahart.

  But why?

  And, there’s my sagent, tch I hate it when Loewe comes out, memories always going spotty. But the sagent was different, I remember that bit.

  Finishing his stretches he launched a series of rapid fire kicks and punches, testing the full range of his motion. Nothing out of place there, if nothing else his movements were a little smoother now.

  Giving a satisfied nod, he lowered his outstretched foot and walked over to the coffee table by the window where his control glove lay.

  Picking it up, he didn’t notice anything different about it. Even upon donning it, it still felt like the same worn glove that had served him through the years.

  Shrugging his shoulders, he fed in a little flux to activate it.

  Once he was through cycling flux in the system, he more or less understood what changed with the glove.

  Okay, the crystals I broke were completely restored, but these ones are far purer than anything I’ve ever laid my hands on.

  Somehow the impurities in the minerals were purged completely, and unless I’m mistaken the flux weave wiring inside has also been modified.

  It feels easier to feed flux in now, more efficient I would say.

  Spells should cost less to cast now and I don’t have resort to the nine crystal array and risk frying the system anymore for higher level spells, huh. Excellent.

  Letting his hand drop, he cut power to the glove and gave a short sigh.

  He had more questions than answers and the unknown was eating at him. Although given their nature it might be a long while before anything even came close to shedding light on them.

  “First my dreams, they’re a right mess but they mean something. What that something is I don’t know. Second, the Zeonite ruins and my reaction to them, if the professor’s words are anything to go by they don’t just react or turn over their defence systems to anyone. So why me?”

  He questioned in an undertone as he sat down for a meal. Noire had been kind enough to leave some food on the table and his stomach was ever grateful for the sustenance.

  Next, there’s the issue with Libra being Equinox. I… I need to hear the truth from him, even if he doesn’t remember it.

  Lastly, there’s the man who would be king.

  I’m going up against the next in line for the throne of all things, if half of what I’ve heard about him in past is true, he has ties to just about every aspect of the criminal underworld.

  For him to be utilising mercenaries so openly, either he has law enforcement and the other nobles in his pay… or there are no higher-ups. Just him.

  Either way, this isn’t going to be an easy fight.

  Gulping down the last morsels of his food, he wiped his mouth with a napkin as his sagent made a beeping noise.

  “Oh Geahart is back is he? Good, I can get down to looking into his systems now.”

  The words were barely out of his mouth before Gearhart’s fingers closed around the banister of his balcony. Pulling himself up, the puppet did a flip and landed on his feet in front of his master.

  “Faster than I expected, let’s get down to business.”

  Syncing up with Geahart, Leon remotely shut it down with his control glove. Locking the door and lowering the blinds, he reached for his trusty tool box and settled in to open up his puppet.

  -*-

  Nothing much has changed with the puppets inner mechanisms other than the same with my sagent, crystals have been refined and the flux weave improved.

  The thing’s somehow generating its own flux now, how that’s possible I don’t know. But something’s missing from it, it feels incomplete to me.

  Software’s also undergone a change. None of the programming even makes sense to me anymore. I can see some of my old codes in there but nearly everything’s different now.

  “Graaaghh!”

  I built the damned thing, why does it feel like I’m looking at something straight out of the Doctor’s lab? This is madness, I barely even recognize my masterpiece anymore.

  Even when I sync with it, the memory feedback is weird.

  Haaah, it’s evidently autonomous now, if I just knew why and could replicate it, my dreams of a puppet legion would become reality.

  Shit, the answer is right there but I can’t understand it, let alone put it into use.

  “Hello! Is someone here- ah I thought it was your voice I heard. Nice to have you back on your feet Squire. But ahhhh… are you sure you’re alright to be up and about so fast and uhhhh drinking at this hour? I don’t mean to judge of course and uhhhh….”

  Any further ruminati
on on Leon’s part was cut off as Professor Arno came bumbling into the bar, a cheery smile on his face.

  It took the puppeteer a moment to realise what Arno was referring to and he smiled wryly at the misunderstanding.

  “It is good to be up again professor, I am quite alright thank you. And no, this isn’t beer I’m drinking, it’s just more of Albri’s fine apple juice again. Besides, I’m underage so no alcohol for me.”

  “Oh! Oh, my bad. Where is the little miss, and the knight?”

  “Both are out at the moment. Is something the matter?”

  Arno’s shoulders slumped and he gave an exaggerated sigh. It was then Leon noticed the large pack slung behind his back.

  “Aieee, I wanted to say goodbye to them at least. With all the excitement of the last few days, I am really behind schedule now. I have three more towers to investigate and I really can’t tarry any longer. Hopefully next time won’t be as… eventful as this, I don’t think my heart could take it.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short professor, you were a big help this time round, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. It’s just a shame I can’t explain to you what happened with the Raynaxes, I don’t understand it myself.”

  Sheepish laughter came from the professor as he accepted Leon’s heartfelt praise.

  “Well I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like that ever happening in the past. I’ll be in Albion for the next three months at least, investigating the other towers. Mayhap our paths will cross again, if you do figure it out, I’ll appreciate it if you could tell me. But I guess this is farewell for now, pass on my greetings to the rest would you.”

  “Will do professor. Goodbye and fair winds at your back.”

  A large smile and a cheerful wave later, the professor was gone. Leon downed his drink and wished the man success in his endeavours. Few would willingly put themselves into danger just to increase the understanding of the ancient Zeonite civilisation.

  Paying his tab, Leon put on his jacket and walked out into the bright sunshine of the village proper.

  -*-

  “As I live and breathe… the princess of Albion here, in my home, I am not worthy, I am not worthy.”

  Elder Regis was on the ground prostrating himself before Noire who was understandably panicking and trying to get him to rise to his feet.