"Quite a strange creature, isn't he?"
"Ozelba, please do all you can to save him!"
"Well my dear, there isn't much I can do. After all one should never touch an unknown creature without inquiring his permission first."
"Oh act all polite all you want but the moment he wakes I'll bet you'll be off taking 'samples', won't you?"
"Oh but my dear..."
Through the crack in my eyes I can just barely make out two indistinct figures. Their conversation flows over my semi consciousness while I only partially comprehend their words. Suddenly, I am interrupted by the pounding head ache I wasn't aware of.
Taking in a deep breath I put myself in a game mindset, ignoring all the distractions around me and narrowing my vision of focus on the task at hand. I force open my eyes, attempting to comprehend my surroundings.
The first thing I see is black lines. My helmet, why is it still on? Ignoring my head and every other part of my body screaming in pain I push myself up.
The most eye catching thing, which my eyes are immediately drawn to, happens to be a queer old woman. Her wrinkled face is framed by ringlets of gray that would give her the impression of a benign grandmother, save for the sparkle of almost predatory curiosity within her large violet eyes.
The second most eye catching thing in the hut, for I have found we are not in a modern house's neat and furnished room but rather a thatched hut, is the girl from yesterday, still in her vibrant cloak of coral.
Seeing her, the events of yesterday return to me with a bang. Game. Save. Win. Forest. Black dude. Running. Oh my god, I shut my eyes, the hysteria hitting me now.
"Thank you sir knight, for saving me from my peril." The girl performs a flawless curtsy, but I'm too caught up in my freak out to notice.
"If not for your interference I surely would have suffered a fate worse than death."
AGGGGHHHHHH. WHAT IS GOING ON!!! I'm really, really, really, really confused. Why is everything so weird?! I was literally in the middle of my game!! That was the championship game tooo!!!! Wait-let me calm down.
"Therefore, I'd like to offer you the honor of being my personal knight." The girl holds out her palm and something gold glows within it but I'm too stuck screaming internally to notice.
So, what now? I'm literally in some weird place, I'm clearly not dreaming. Wait-am I? Maybe I should hit my helmet against the wall to check.
"Henceforth we shall be bound by-"
The girl is interrupted by a loud bang as I, without warning, slam my helmet against the wall. Sensing no change, I attempt a second time before I am grabbed by the old woman and girl.
"Well, if you didn't want to be her knight that bad suicide isn't the way to go." The old woman clicks her tongue.
"Stop, let me go-no-I need to go back! No, no! This is a dream! It has to be!! Let me go!!!" I scream.
I proceed to throw the worst tantrum in my life. Serious, I think it even trumps my second grade birthday party when our local bakery had a mix up and I got a My Little Ponies cake instead of the Ninja-go one I wanted.
I kick and scream myself hoarse. As expected, one frail little girl and old woman aren't able to hold me for long, although the old woman has surprising strength, and I am back to attacking the wall.
This clearly isn't succeeding so I run outside. Not a forest...a swamp instead. Nooooooooo. Please tell me this isn't like one of those weird Asian light novels or fantasy stories my friend reads where the main character is whisked into some magical land. And it was right in the end of the championship game too!
There's more pressing issues than that I know but currently, if I don't focus on that I'll fall apart, not that I'm not already.
The girl and the old woman come out sometime later. They were peeping at me through the now busted door, courtesy of a fully padded me in full fury but now they seem to deem it safe enough to come out since I'm pretty much on my knees, dead to the world.
They still approach me with caution though. Finally the older woman lets out an exasperated sigh and walks right up to me despite the girl's warning for her to stop.
"Well?" She asks me.
I give her a silent look.
"You done with your temper tantrum?"
For a second the tears rise up again, her commanding, blunt, task oriented words distinctly remind me of my dad, but I blink them back.
I give a tired laugh. "I'm done". My voice is rather husky from all the yelling.
I hear a gasp. I turn towards the girl. Her face is bright red.
"No I-that-that was just the first time I heard you talk." She stammers out.
I laugh bitterly, yeah, cause the rest of the time I was screaming myself hoarse.
Her blush spreads, even reaching the tip of her ears. I watch her curiously, wondering how a girl can blush so easily, my darker chocolate brown skin doesn't allow for such.
"Ahem!" The old woman coughs. "Sorry to break your special moment there, but we've got more pressing issues.
I crinkle my eyebrows, special moment?
By now the girl's blush has spread to her neck. Dam! If I was into girls I'd totally think she was cute, not that I don't now.
The old woman continues, ignoring my confusion and the girl's obvious embarrassment.
"Princess Fiorine Kyarta, you cannot stay in my territory for long. I have my powers to conceal it for a time but they will know. They always know."
I blink at the seemingly out of nowhere bizarre words.
"But-isn't there anything you can do?"
"As I said Highness, for a time, but for longer than that I fear not."
"But-but then, whatever shall I do?"
"Well, you have your knight with you do you not?"
"That's right! But...we didn't get to finish the ceremony earlier."
"Well, he's here now isn't he?"
They both turn to me simultaneously.
"...What?"
"Sir Knight will you stay by my side and protect me dutifully?"
"...By Sir Knight do you mean me?"
"Of course, who else? After all you did courageously defeat that fiend."
"Listen lady, I'm really confused right now. I have no clue where I am or what is going on, the one thing I do know is that I'm not a Knight."
"Oh, well then I suppose you haven't had your official knighting yet but all things can be arranged in due time. You already display the qualities of a virtuous knight. In fact, I assure you, if you follow me I will allow you to have the grandest, most well known knighting in Elusia-"
"Hold it-where am I?"
The girl looks surprised by my question halting her lecture but answers anyway.
"The kingdom of Eriteria-well, we were. Now, we're in the Magician's swamp."
I take a moment to digest her words. "So, I take it this isn't earth?"
"Huh?"
"Okay, never mind." I can deal, at least now that I've gotten most of the hysteria out. I should be able to rationally think this through, or at least deny the parts I can't accept and somehow cope.
"So, who are you? Who were those guys back there? Why are we here and why were you there?"
She seems startled by my rapid firing of questions but at least gratified that I'm not bursting into screaming and howling. I allow for a sheepish smile, yeah, not my best moment.
"Well...as I said this is the Magician's Swamp. We're here because, I am a princess and I'm fleeing my kingdom...from my uncle."
Okay, I'm coping. Pretty cliche plot, although it's usually a stepmother right? Whatever, the only familiarity I have is my unhealthy obsession with cheesy fantasy romance novels. Oops. Did I say mine? I meant my friend's. Because I wouldn't read such silly things...ha, ha, ha (nervous chuckle).
"So, um...why are you telling me all this? And why do you keep calling me your knight?" Alright, I need to figure out what she expects of me because clearly she has some delusions about me.
"You are my knight, who will follow me to the abyss of hell and back."
...wait, what? Please tell me she didn't say all that with a straight face.
"..."
"What do you mean...?" I ask, warily.
She gives me a bright smile. "Like I said I am a princess and you are my knight. I have already half completed the bond, you are now bound by my magic to remain by my side and assist me in recapturing my throne."
"...Bound by magic?" I'm really scared for what she's going to say next.
"Yes, so until my throne is reclaimed if you break your end of the contract all I need to do is utter a word and you'll..."
I stop hearing her words as my headache intensifies into a splitting pain, so excruciating that I'm surprised my head doesn't just combust."
Suddenly, all at once the pain disappears. And all that's left is the initial dull ache that brings me immense relief.
I slowly look up at the girl, more like she-devil, and she is still beaming.
"Do as I say and you won't feel the pain. Actually the contract's only half complete, you only need to follow me until I regain my throne rather than for the rest of my life. The second half requires your cooperation. If you do so though, the lesser pain I'm sure you're feeling now will go away. How about it? It's not a bad deal, personal knight of the queen of the most powerful country."
"Ahem" The old woman who has been quietly standing coughs. "Not yet queen might I add."
"Present, future, what difference does it make?" The girl indifferently shrugs. Then she turns back to me.
"So, how about it?"
I stare at her in horror. What stuttering, frail girl? All I see is a wolf in sheep's clothing.