The merchant held up a light blue gem for Winston to see. A cold aura seemed to emanate from it, as if it was an ice cube under the grin of a summer sun. Cut to a brilliant and just about the size of a coin, it was made to fit in the hilt of a knight's sword.

"That'll be ten coins for ya. Malagmium." The merchant lifted his other palm.

Winston amusedly shook his head, a smile on his face. "Good price. Doesn't sound like a rip off." The knight slid a pouch of coins onto the merchant's table.

The merchant dropped the gemstone onto Winston's hand and pulled up the pouch to count the coins inside. He simpered and looked up at the knight. "There are twenty in here. It's always a pleasure doing business with you knights."

Winston gave the gem a closer look. The first side he saw showed a distorted version of his white face and silver hair. As he twisted his wrist to look at all other angles, the bright Monday sun created sparkles inside the jewel. Winston moved his glance to the hilt of his sword, and then plunked the stone right into it's gem slot.

A surge of power burst out of the jewel. A light as blue as the sky enfolded the blade. It stayed bright for a good five seconds, and then everything returned to how they were, except for the sword, which would remain enchanted for as long as it had the gemstone.

"Fantastic!" Winston slid the weapon into its sheath. "Can't wait to know what it does."

The merchant chuckled. "The last knight who bought from me wished to never need to use his stone."

"Why?" Winston swung the sack onto his back. "Was he afraid of adventure?"

Adventure. The five year old him merely fantasized of such. To be able to brandish blades and lash them at enemies. To lift a shield against the fangs of beasts. To go on journeys across places never before travelled! As a child, he was led to believe that all those things were just lies of novels. But when Winston had been given the opportunity, to train in the Academy of White Knights, he pounced on the chance faster than a Griffin catching a prey, realizing he'd be able to prove that the tales were not mere myths. Five years he spent with the warriors in the Kingdom of Armor. He'd put every second he could to mastering the art of swords and shields. Until ultimately the War God Animus himself deemed him worthy. Today, and for the rest of his life, his dreams would be fulfilled.

*******

Winston had ridden a cycosphere. An orb-shaped vehicle large enough to fit forty people at full capacity. The bottom half was made completely of steel, and contained an energy tank and plenty of fans and gears arranged to keep the machine flying for a year without recharging. The upper half was encased by tinted glass, allowing passengers to view the outside world without being ignited by the sun. Cycospheres were self-piloted, meaning they were able to drive themselves after receiving passenger instructions. Winston ordered his particular one to bring him to the Court of Morpheus Castle, and he arrived after merely seven minutes, zooming through eighty and six kilometers across the city.

A portion of the cycosphere's glass gasified, allowing for an exit. Then the knight followed a ramp leading to the grassy lawn of Morpheus Castle. Several other cycospheres were also landing, giving out mechanical whistles as they did. Many other knights began to swarm the field. There were also mages. A bunch of them, giving the crowd a variety of colors that were not silver or blue. It wasn't just Winston whose dreams were about to come true.

"Gleen, use your magic. I wanna see myself." A mage in red robes friskily combed her hair, in a futile attempt to make it look better.

"Hurry." The second mage grumbled as a mirror reflecting the first appeared. "If the castle's door closes on us, we might need to wait another season for the next baptism."

"I just wanna make sure I won't be a mess once I'm in front."

"You look fine!"

"Winston!" A knight to the right called. Thomas Pantrem. He was quick to embrace Winston by the neck. His lavender hair brushed against Winston's cheek, and his platinum vambrace chinked as it rested on Winston's silver pauldron. "It's been days! Glad I could find you before we started."

"Glad as you are." Winston chuckled. "How was home?"

Thomas released his friend. "They weren't too sad I was going. In fact they seemed quite glad I could finally be rid of."

A smile forced itself onto Winston's face.

"By the way, have you bought yourself a power stone?" Thomas asked.

"Ten malagmium coins isn't a rip off, is it?"

"Well. By tomorrow, we'll be earning thirty amalgium coins a day. You'll get your money back in about a month."

"Two months."

"Did you give him twenty?"

Together, they began to walk towards the massive doorway into the castle. The grand hall within was calling out to their subconscious. Telling them that the lives they've longed for waited inside. The grand chandeliers above were like beacons to their hopes and dreams, and on the throne hoisted at the end of the room will sit the bestower of their fates.

"I can't decide what I'm feeling. I'm excited and anxious at the same time." Glints of both emotions played in Thomas's eyes.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Find your positions!" A knight of great age bellowed. "The king is arriving!" His white eyes stared straight into nothing, and yet it felt as if he was looking at every single person in the room. "Come on, men. You've been taught of order, have you not?"

"Let's try and stick together." Thomas tapped on Winston's pauldron.

Winston nodded.

In just about a minute, everyone found themselves in dozens of orderly lines. The white-eyed knight stood at the front, facing everyone in such a manner that suggested he was the general. Thomas lined in front of Winston. They were equally tall, but the throne was so high up that Winston had no problem with being able to see it.

Trumpets began blowing from a band at a corner.

"I can't wait to meet him." A brunette mage squealed.

"I've seen him before. Just saying." A knight in blue armor grinned.

"Many have seen, but few know about him." Another blue-armored knight spoke up. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "He rose to throne at the age of fifteen, when his father Astel died. That was only three years ago. Right now he's the only king who isn't a god. Adopted by Astel because of his smarts, he became heir to the throne. He has not a single drop of god blood, and yet he's worshipped as one because of his godly intelligence."

"Kneel!" The white-eyed knight commanded. "His Royal Highness, King Lux, has arrived!"

Metal hitting the floor reverberated as everyone knelt at once.

Up on the throne, Lux gradually appeared. He materialized like a mirage becoming real. His blonde locks shiny as gold flowed in front of his young face. His hazel eyes glittered, shining brighter than even the grand chandelier's flames. His royal robe covered his body, and yet it failed to hide his petite human form.

"King Lux looks...beautiful," mumbled another of the knights. A pink splash painted his face.

Winston had to admit. He found the king the same way.

"Men." One of the mages scoffed. Her eyes as sharp as that of an eagle's shot at the blushing knight. "You look too much outside and often fail to see what's within. I can see the king's anxiety. He's even shaking. Nervous about something."

She can see that? Winston looked back up.

King Lux was too far for the shaking to be confirmed, but Winston did notice the king take a gulp."Greetings, everyone. Please stand."

"I do sense fear." Thomas twisted to see Winston as they stood up.

"Stage fright? Perhaps he's nervous. Why would the king be frightened in a room full of his defenders?" Winston commented.

"To the old members, thank you for facilitating. To those new, I'm glad you could make it." King Lux took in a second gulp. "The Kingdom of Morpheus is a magical place. I say that, knowing full well that all places have magic. That's because this kingdom has magic comparable to nowhere else."

A wide variety of eyes gazed at him. Many teary, many twinkly. Some serious, some anxious.

"It's the place where dreams are born and fulfilled. Where dreamers visit every night that they sleep. Where your loved ones draw your images from whenever they long to be with you. The place where adventures are daily, and the place where..."

"Where everything is possible." Everyone mumbled, including Winston, even though it wasn't ordered or planned. It only meant everyone else ended up at Morpheus for essentially the same reason.

King Lux smiled curtly. "The energy in Morpheus is unlike any other. That being, there are those who vow to consume its power. There are enemies lurking in the dark, and even plentier under broad daylight."

Many foreheads crumpled.

"They will do everything within their abilities to take what's ours. But we too shall do everything in ours to stop them. That 'we' includes you. Because beginning this moment, till the days onward, it shall be your duty to protect the Kingdom of Morpheus, for this place, this kingdom, is now also your home." King Lux raised his hands, like he was patting everyone's heads all at the same time. "I hereby dub every single one of you...Knights of Dreams."

"Yes!!!" Cheers echoed from the lines. The men in metal let out roars, while the mages sent up bursts of energy that shone like fireworks.

The general seemed to be aware of the sudden chaos, but he let them be.

"N-Now." King Lux took a quick pause after hearing himself stutter, to clear a third of the lumps in his throat.

Everyone quieted.

"Pardon me." He continued. "There are some of you that excelled during your training. Lady Cream, Lord Colt, and King Animus, three of your previous masters, endorsed magnificent people to be part of the Royal Circle. These men and women, apart from protecting the kingdom, shall also run my special errands and escort me in times I request. Be proud, for few are the ones who are deemed skilled enough. If I call your name, please proceed in front."

Thomas twisted again to grin at Winston.

"Thomas Pantrem," the king announced.

The man vanished leaving a cloud of smoke where he was. He reappeared in front of the lines, with ghastly smog enfolding him as he raised his sword proudly.

Cheers and whistles resounded.

"Gleen Quith."

A rainbow shot across the room. The end of it struck just beside Thomas, and there appeared Gleen. That mage who created a mirror from earlier. She threw back her long white hair.

"Rin Dobbre."

Gleen snapped to her left. A red light appeared and so did the red-robed mage. Large long laces danced around Rin.

"Layla Edge."

The eagle-eyed lady also disappeared. In her place perched a brown owl. "Hoot. Hoot." It flapped its wings, flew high up, and, as it reached the ceiling, transformed back into the mage. Gravity pulled her down and she landed rather gracefully to the right of Thomas.

"T--" King Lux took his fourth gulp. He paused again. This time it took longer as he let a full minute pass. Sixty seconds of silence whilst everyone waited for him. But ultimately, although stuttering, he said the name, "Winston Hickright-Hedge."

Another minute of silence.

Everyone must have expected another grand entrance. It must have disappointed them, but Winston had nothing like that. He was just a warrior with a sword and he didn't even know what the gemstone's enchantment did.

He made his way out of the formation and to the front. The general regarded him with a proud nod, and Winston nodded back. Then he studied the lines, which were somehow impressively straight still even after all the hurrays and hurrahs.

A knight was pointing one by one at those in front. "There are five new members. That's quite a lot for one ceremony, but is that all?" He moved his eyes up at the king, and cringed at what he saw. "H-Huh?"

Winston followed where he was looking.

King Lux. He was gawping uncomfortably intently at Winston. As the knight looked up, the king flinched and began panicking up at the throne. "Uhh. I uhh. Th-There's one more. It's uhh..."

"My name's Dorias Warimbion." The black haired man sauntered through the hall's aisle. "Sorry. I don't have a fancy entrance either."

King Lux blinked multiple times, getting back to his senses. "Right."

"Hey! Winston. Thomas. I saw neither of you on the way here. Glad we're reunited." A smirk crawled onto Dorias's face.

Thomas returned the expression. "Animus never told me who the third was. I now see why."

King Lux cleared his throat. "Here we have six new members of the Royal Circle. The most powerful of your batch. Do you wish to be like them? Train. Be stronger. Remember that you're in the Kingdom of Dreams. In here, anything may be."

More yells blared.

The general faced the crowd. "For those seeking refreshments, the ballroom has been supplied with delicious meals and drinks. For those seeking rest, follow Mistress Opa and she will assign you to rooms."

Winston looked back up. This time, the king wasn't looking. In fact, he was no longer there.