Once upon a time there was a kingdom, old and dying. At the top of this slumbering kingdom sat the King. He had known of the kingdom’s decay for decades and at last he had finished his solution. The Princess, his pride and joy- a culmination of his achievements, was to take the throne now that the kingdom was too old for him.
The day drew near when the King would finally step down from his obligations. However that morning, when the King went to rouse the Princess from her slumbers, he discovered she had vanished. Her chambers were empty.
The King was in a panic. He called his Guard immediately and directed him to search the kingdom, but the scans showed up negative. The Princess had simply vanished. The King was distraught, the kingdom would not survive for long without the guidance of the Princess. She had to be located or they were surely doomed.
The King was miserably contemplating his woes when with a poof, a young witch suddenly appeared, her sharp red hair a startling contrast to the dull gray of the room. This was highly irregular. The King’s security was the best in his kingdom, capable of detecting a speck of dust out of place within a 1000 km radius.
And yet here she was. The King, rather perturbed by this sudden development, wondered perhaps his many years in isolation had taken a toll on his sanity. Then the witch spoke.
She had taken the Princess hostage. If the King wished to see her safe return, he was to present up to three valiant heroes who could each survive her three challenges and rescue the Princess. He had one day to find them. If he did not, his Princess would be lost to him forever.
The King was furious. He ordered his Guard to capture the Witch. However, before the Guard’s numerous metal arms could reach her, she vanished, leaving only the faintest trace of tinkling laughter.
For the next few hours, the King was restless. He kept checking with the Guard to confirm that he was not perhaps losing his mind and the whole event actually happened. But the truth was undeniable: his Princess was still missing.
Finally after hours of deliberation, consultation with his Guard, and yet more deliberation, he made up his mind.
The White Knight was known for his many feats during the days of old. He had been employed by many different factions before the great unification, and he played a key role in the current King’s predecessor’s rise to power. Despite the violent nature of his occupation, the man known as the “White Knight” was a benevolent man. He dedicated much time to helping those in need and took special care not to do harm on his assignments unless it was absolutely necessary. He was a textbook hero: brave, kind, with a strong sense of morality- not to mention a calm confident demeanor that put others at ease.
For his first champion, the King presented a sword. It was the most powerful in the kingdom, capable of shooting forth flames seven times. These concentrated flames could reach up to a distance of 10 meters, lasted a full 10 seconds with each use, and were powerful enough to cut through stone.
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The Crimson Knight was a general from before the King’s time. His cold calculating nature helped him win many engagements. He was willing to make the necessary sacrifices, but his actions weighed upon him heavily. Despite his stern pessimistic exterior, he believed in the good in humanity, but he eventually succumbed to the weight of his actions and retired indefinitely. Until today.
For his second champion, the King presented a shield. The shield was the most advanced of its class and could create a powerful spherical barrier three times. The barrier could not be breached by any known weapon and could extend large enough to protect a small village.
For these two knights he bestowed the newest most advanced sets of armor the kingdom could offer. Both lightweight and protective, they enabled a full range of movement while providing protection from both close range and projectile weapons; not to mention they also enhanced the strength of the user.
The final knight, the Black Knight, was an anomaly. Although his skills were untested and experience was nonexistent, he was incredibly loyal to the king and would prioritize the king’s will above all else.
For this final knight, the king bestowed a set of armor. New, uncertain and unproven just like the knight, it could teleport the user anywhere he had line of sight of. But only once.
They were briefed about the situation as well as they could be. Some were reluctant, skeptical, but they owed their loyalty to the king and so acquiesced to his request.
Eventually, the time grew near and they waited for the witch to appear. The stillness of the kingdom loomed.
Then…
With a pop, she appeared. Almost casually even. The White Knight moved to draw his sword, but the Guard moved first. Automatically with inhuman precision, its multitude of arms reached from all directions only to vanish abruptly. It was as if they had all been cut simultaneously into nothingness.
The Witch paused for but a moment before addressing the King; as if this was all perfectly ordinary, she confirmed that the Knights were to be the champions she requested. The King responded with the affirmative, looking uneasily at the dismembered ends of the Guard’s arms while the knights tried to process these most recent events. The Witch then looked at the knights and asked if they were ready. She repeated her challenge: they would be faced with three great perils. They were to survive them and climb the white tower to find the Princess. Bring her home and the quest would be complete. Then, as a bonus, she added abruptly, she would grant a wish to the first knight to succeed.
A wish?
The White Knight asked.
Yes, a wish.
The others were silent.
The White Knight looked at the Witch. He noticed that she was surprisingly lovely with short cropped red hair and dark eyes. She had an almost fascinated expression on her face as she stared into him. Though she looked young, her eyes, a deep black, betrayed her many years of age.
He took a moment gather his thoughts then said.
I’m ready.
The Black Knight nodded.
After a pause, the Crimson Knight nodded too.