Inhale. Feel life fill your lungs. The world overflows within you. Experience and memories pass through your fingers like sand. So much to take in; so much to learn.

Exhale. Feel the shackles fall off your wrists. Let your heart guide your tongue, not the burdens in your lungs. You are more than the weights you carry.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Awake.

The knight felt a pounding sensation, as if his heart throbbed in his head. His tongue caught itself wrapped tightly around words that no longer belonged to him. Words almost escaped him, distant expressions of a love that challenged the sun in all its glory, and yet had no right to be called his. Clouds drifted from his eyes, allowing them to fixate upon every detail. Where was he? His body began to move as if it knew. His eyes understood with a single scan, yet his mind had not caught on. What had happened to him?

The questions prodded at his mind, demanding attention. However, just like all things, his memory had eluded sanctuary. All he remembered was golden hair. Hair that danced around memories of a sunset, but mirrored that of a sunrise. The old images perplexed his memory as it intertwined with the new, imbuing feelings into a dead heart. Ba-dum. His soul felt a burst of color, accompanied by the renewing of the senses. Concern and love poured like a river, overfilling the cup of his heart. However, with them was brought waves of pain. He snapped upwards, his entire body throbbing in a burning blaze. He examined himself; his armor had been removed and the majority of his left side was wrapped in cloth.

His wounds must have been serious, and yet his hands moved to unwrap the bandages without a second thought. White cloth stained in the crimson hue of life fell to the ground, revealing a body covered in scars. Though the gashes from the bear were prevalent, they barely overshadowed the thousands he carried alongside them along his pale, chiseled skin. He sighed, as if disappointed. Death stood next to him, the sigh intoxicating to its ears. However, duty established itself as the knight grabbed for his armor, and the wind produced an impatient groan as Death reclined to waiting.

After the final piece snapped onto his body, rooting itself into his being, he made his way out of the tiny room he found himself in. The knight pushed through the wooden door. The oak within let out a creak, speaking of worlds lost to time. The knight dismissed his feelings. He could not remember how he had arrived in that place, but he knew he had to begin marching onwards. He had to search for that purpose which danced around him, taunting his very soul with the presence of his iniquity.

He took one step forward, and then stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes locked onto the golden hair before him. His mind throbbed, his heart quickened. His breathing became erratic, his fingers rubbed together. His teeth clenched, his muscles tightened. His gaze softened, his lips quivered. Finally, his mind snapped, and the veil tore open. A disarray of light broke forth, illuminating everything in a blinding warmth. He fell to his knees, and his arms embraced her. It was warm. It was so warm.

"Anastasia. . ."

Tears intertwine themselves to smiles,

playing cupid's curse to love.

To laugh is to cry; to love is to lose.

The day he was late when

the moon took away his warmth,

love was mocked by sorrow

who slew hope in its own house.

That day he was powerless.

"M-mister?" The child was stiff as a board. Tears ran through the slits of his helmet and trickled onto the child. She looked up at her hero with pity, and in her tiny heart she found love to share. "I-uh, don't know who Anastasia is, but it's okay, mister. You can cry if you need to. My mother always said that people who don't cry end up being bad people." She patted his helmet, a meaningful but ineffective gesture, and he regained his composure. He slowly stood up, and he straightened his helmet.

"Apologies, I do not know what came over me. After all, she is much taller than you. All I saw was hair, and I lost myself in delusions. I must still be recovering from waking up. Yes, that must be it. Why am I here?" His mouth talked as if untethered from his mind. As he talked, a thick fog encroached upon him once more and fizzled out his senses. He tried to salvage the image he had regained, that image which sparkled like a diamond with upmost clarity, but before he could even repeat it to himself it was lost to the stronghold of his mind.

"You got really hurt trying to protect me. O-oh! My apologies mister, my mama would be furious if she found out that I had not introduced myself. My name is Delilah. Thank you for saving me yesterday, mister. Oh- er, may I call you something other than mister?"

"Call me as you please."

"A-anything?" The girl looked up, innocent yet mischievous eyes spoke thousands of words directly to the knight's soul. The shame that had kept his tongue alive now faded. His body relaxed, and he gave a slow, reassuring nod.

"Whatever you please, Delilah. Speak it, and I will answer to it. I trust you." Slowly, memories crept on the borders of his reality, dancing between knowledge and speculation. It was a bear, was it not? Why was she there again? His bombardment of questions to himself abruptly ceased as a singular word pierced through his inner-voice.

"Rusty!"

"R-rusty?" The knight stared blankly at Delilah.

"Mhm! You're a knight made of rust, so Rusty is a perfect name!" The girl looked up with eyes that mimicked a schemer, but were tempered by childish imagination. The knight sighed, and the trees marveled as the knight's power, and pride, was zapped away by a child which he was powerless against. Her smile echoed pure sunlight, and it grew even wider as she turned around and grabbed a tray that was on the nearest table. "I was going to knock to give you this, but then you opened the door! Here!" She raised the tray towards the knight. A big stew was before him, filled with pieces of chopped meats and vegetables. An unescapable grin grew underneath his helmet as he grabbed the tray.

"Thank you, I'll make sure to enjoy it."

"You're right you will, so go back to bed! Papa says you need time to recover still." The girl began pushing him forward, though if not for his allowance she would not move him an inch. He made his way back to the bed and sat upon it. "I'll go get papa. You make sure to eat lots!" Delilah looked towards him with a laughable sternness, and then marched off like a soldier who had just received orders. Reluctantly, the knight removed his helmet and ate the stew. In the brief quaintness his thoughts returned to him, and in deep thought he did not even notice he had finished the stew until he bit an empty spoon. He stared at it for a second, and a slight chuckle escaped his lips. What had he become? At the sound of approaching footsteps, he let his helmet fall into its natural position. It clicked into place, lines of rust and grime rubbing against it.

A young man walked into the room. His complexion mimicked sandstone, but his hair fizzled upwards into mad points without rhyme or reason. He fixed his glasses as he looked up from his papers. He was taken aback when seeing the knight adorned in his armor, but he steeled himself quickly and walked forwards.

"I am Viktor Schmerda. Er- firstly," The man came to the knight's side and lowered himself to one knee. The man's body rattled from its core. "Thank you so much... I do not know what I would have done if you had not been there to save my daughter..."

The knight slowly let his body slide off the bed, and as Viktor slowly stood up, the knight placed his hand on Viktor's shoulder. "Your gratitude is wasted on me. Please, be thankful to the forest that she found me. All that matters is that the girl is safe. It would be a tragedy had the heavens taken her so soon. She is a nice girl; you should cherish her." Viktor smiled, and then his face quickly shifted to shock.

"Oh my, I got so caught up in my emotions- why on Bremediah's name are you wearing your armor? You are seriously wounded, let me check to make sure the was no infection." Viktor reached for the knight's armor, but the knight stopped him.

"It has scarred up already, quite nicely in fact. I'm sure your treatment helped."

"Impossible, a wound like that would not so suddenly turn to a scar-"

"The world often takes pleasure in making the impossible happen, Viktor. Instead of worrying about such trivial things..." The knight reached over, and suddenly an empty bowl was put against Viktor's breast. "I enjoy warm meals."

Viktor looked at the knight for a moment, his eyes trailing with no discernable destination. Then, like dandelion fuzz falling to the ground at the sudden ceasing of the wind, he found a conclusion within himself. His body relaxed, his shoulders drooped, and a smirk set itself upon his face. "Coming right up."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Viktor left the room, and, shortly there after, Delilah came bouncing in with a wooden tray in her tiny hands. She handed the tray to the knight, and the knight resolved himself to satiate this hunger which had finally made its own ferocity known to him. He grabbed at the edges of his helmet, his hands imprinting themselves onto the grime. Miraculously, he found that his helmet slid off, allowing him the ability to eat- allowing him to see.

He devoured the food once more, all mannerisms having escaped him. Delilah chuckled, and he felt a similar sound escape him. He wiped his face and put the tray down, and then he turned towards Delilah. "Say, Delilah,"

"Yeah?"

"When I was recovering here, did you notice anything?"

"What do you mean?" Delilah looked at him with curious eyes, and the knight pondered his question. His mouth had once again spoken on its own, a far too frequent event.

"I suppose I do not know."

"Well," Delilah chimed in, looking out the nearby window. Her brow furrowed as she looked intently. "I remember seeing green lights coming from around here last night, but I did not investigate it. Papa and Mama did not let me leave my room last night." With the end of her vocals she turned back to him, her posture reclining. "Does that help?"

"Certainly." The knight paused. A web of thoughts ran through his head, but his consciousness was unable to pin a single thread down. With a pinch of frustration he gave up, and stood with his helmet in hand. "Well, I suppose I should be heading out now."

"What!? No, you cannot leave!" Delilah ran over and blocked the door with her body, though even the flowers lining the nearby vase could see the knight's ability to simply step over her.

"Delilah..."

"You still need to recover!"

"Delilah."

"Please." The knight and the little girl locked eyes. He felt something swell inside of him. The color of her hair burned into his eyes, and once again visions returned to him. Like the breakage of a dam, memories fell upon him in a painful avalanche. He fell to his knees and threw his helmet off. He dug his teeth into his gloved hand, stifling a scream. It was as if there was something inside his head pounding against it, trying to break free. His eyes watered, silhouettes of someone from long ago scarred his mind. He yearned for the searing embrace of fire. He yearned to join the figures in his dreams.

Two tiny hands placed themselves on his cheeks. He returned to himself, his thoughts calming. His breathing slowed, and he looked up at the tiny child who showed him such compassion. What had happened to him? He was an utter mess, he had scared her beyond belief. His thoughts, however, were contradicted with the innocent giggle of youth.

"Your face is really cold, mister. It feels, and frankly looks, like snow." The girl shone her pearly teeth as she laughed. The knight slowly leaned backwards, wiping his own tears. He sighed, and put his helmet back on as he stood up.

"I am sorry if I worried you. I'll stay in this city for a bit longer, but I cannot stay too long, nor can I live on the generosity of your folks." With this, he pushed his body forward. Every movement was cumbersome and awkward, but with effort he found his stride once more, and his body began to kick alive, responding to his mind. "I shall look around for a place to stay, then we can do whatever you'd like."

This answer seemed to satisfy Delilah, and she puffed out her body triumphantly as she nodded in agreement. At this, underneath the concealment of his rusting helmet, a smirk grew upon the knight's face, and subsequently relaxed his entire body.

The knight walked down the hallway, Delilah following like a mirror image. As he lowered himself through the doorway into the kitchen, he saw a beautiful woman leaned over a large canvas. Her crimson red dress was splattered with the rainbow, and it spilled onto her skin. She wore a white, wool cap, which somehow stayed pure of any stains. She bit on the edge of a brush, seemingly deep in thought. Immediately, Delilah ran past the knight and hugged onto the leg of the woman. The woman's body twitched and the brush fell from her lips onto the table as she was broken from her trance, but soon a smile was painted on her face as she looked at the tiny girl hugging her.

"Oh, Delilah, don't spook me like that. You're lucky I was only thinking! Despite that, hello my angel!" The woman picked up Delilah and raised her into the air before hugging her. Then, she let her upon her lap. "What can I do for you?" Delilah giggled.

"I wanted you to meet my friend, Rusty!" She pointed back towards the knight. Somehow, the woman seemed to have never noticed the knight's presence, despite his immense size. This, at first, seemed to shock even her, but her body quickly resolved itself. She set Delilah down and stood up, approaching the knight before giving him a sudden hug. Her arms barely managed to wrap around his armor.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for saving Delilah. As a mother, I truly cannot repay you." The mother's voice seemed to escape her. The knight's eyes shifted to the painting; it was a beautiful field of flowers, with a singular tree defying the sun. Then, the knight's eyes returned to the painting's creator.

"You need not repay me." His voice was low and quiet; his heart stung. He felt dirty- incredibly dirty. Muck soaked into his skin; the sun baked the scars onto his skin. Rust glued his armor to his body; his hands were stained. His sword was colored red.

"I simply cannot do that." The mother's voice snapped his consciousness from its snare. "Please, there must be something I can do for you." She let him go, staring through his helmet. The knight stood still for a second; he was incredibly exhausted. Listening alone caused him great weariness. He strained himself to stay in the moment.

"W-where can I... Go to rest." His speech began to slur together, and his body began to lean in on itself. He needed to go; he could not rely on these people any longer. No, that was not it. It was dangerous to stay with these people- he was dangerous. His mind could not sustain itself around them; they brought forth too many emotions. However, his body failed him, and he felt himself falling. He heard noises around him, but they were undistinguishable through the fog. All he could make out was one melody. Her song was crystal clear, and echoed in his darkness.

What is that song the birds sing

which makes the flowers bloom at dawn?

What is the word the sun speaks

that turns the dark into light?

What is the call which the ocean uses

to bring all its water home to it?

Oh, my dear, what can I say

to make your heart burn with mine?

It is one simple word, an ancient one,

a silent one spoken through all of time.

The birds know it, the sun knows it, the ocean knows it,

and, my dear, you and I know it.

The knight felt the sun's warmth call him forth from slumber. He slowly raised his head, and his eyes broke the seal upon them. He looked around and found himself bathing in sunlight. His armor was still on him, but his helmet had been removed and sat upon a nearby stump. The knight sat up and saw the family eating together at the bottom of the hill, surrounded by flowers. They talked and laughed, and upon seeing the knight up Delilah laughed and waved. Immediately, Viktor stood up and ran over to the knight.

"By heaven, I did not think it would work! Haha, what would you know?" The knight did not fully understand, but instinctually grabbed his helmet and attached it to himself. With this his voice returned.

"What do you mean?" By now the rest of the family had made their way up the hill. The child quickly ran over and wrapped herself around the knight's arm. It was rare that the knight was not towering over her, and though he was still bigger than her, she took full advantage of this opportunity.

"You suddenly collapsed in the kitchen shortly after waking up. I assumed that your body was still recovering, but then you didn't wake up. Rather, you were unconscious for three whole days! In desperation, I attempted to consult a friend of mine. When he saw you, he immediately told me to let you rest in sunlight by the forest, and- lo and behold- you're up!" Viktor wiped his brow with his handkerchief as the woman beside him stepped forth.

"I was not able to properly greet you last time, my apologies. I am Elizabeth Schmerda. Please, call me Liza." The knight gave a nod.

"Call me as you please. Now, who might this friend of yours be?" The knight's mind lingered on Viktor's previous statement, combing through every syllable which escaped his mouth. Like clockwork, a voice called out from behind him.

"I am Lazith," the knight turned towards the voice, and found it belonged to an elf. The elf stood over the knight, examining him intently. "Pleased to meet you." Their eyes locked, and silence overtook the hill for an eerie length. The knight slowly stood up, not letting his eyes leave Lazith for even a moment.

"How did you know that this would work?" The knight found his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His entire body was tense but not with fear. Another brief of silence grasped the hill. Lazith turned to the family.

"There is much that I must discuss with him, so please, continue to enjoy your food. We will be with you shortly." Viktor and Liza both seemed troubled by this, but Viktor gave a simple nod and led his family back down the hill. Once they were all sat down, and the chirping of birds broke what little silence remained, Lazith sighed. "Please, calm yourself."

The knight felt his hand twitch, but he managed to pull it away from his sword. "Answer my question." The knight's voice was firm and every syllable concise.

"You smell immensely of the forest, yet you reek a repulsive odor of death. How can it be? You are human, yet you glow like an elf. Who are you?"

"You may imagine to be whoever you wish, and I am him." Lazith looked into the knight's emerald eyes as if he was peering down a well.

"What happened to you?" Lazith spoke abruptly. To this, the knight let out no answer. Lazith frowned as he looked the knight up and down once more. "Come."

"Why?"

"I shall take you somewhere special, a place I would never take a normal human. I will not be satisfied with your complacent and vague answers. So, I have decided to bring the sick to his doctor. Your body longs for the life of the forest, it is dependent on it. Perhaps the forest will speak the story your tongue cannot." The knight's body moved on its own volition as he pondered over Lazith's words. One thing was clear, this elf understood something that the knight was unaware of.

The knight of rust followed Lazith through thicket and past tree, delving deeper and deeper as the forest consumed him. As he walked, he felt his body lighten. His armor began to loosen, and his eyes began to shift into focus. A feeling buzzed through the knight's body, causing his hands to shake. What was this? As the knight stepped out of the cover of the forest, he beheld a strange sight. A massive tree loomed over him, having rooted itself in the middle of a pond. The thundering roar of a waterfall could be heard, but was unseen. The knight stepped forth instinctually, and felt himself descend into the water. A cry escaped his soul. "Oh merciful water, wash away this stain."

He was swallowed by the water, and his consciousness drifted with the water's flow.

Oh, child o' mine,

listen to my cry. Do not fear

the dusk, for it will fall

to the dawn. Do not fear

the deep, for it will

rise to great heights in time.

Oh, do not fear the fire,

for it will cleanse like water.

Oh, child o' mine,

remember my cry. Who will

speak love into death?