The wolves chased her through the screeching trees, one nipping at her ankle greedily. Ruby kicked it in the snout before she stumbled over a bush and rolled down the barren hill. The grey chasers slid down after her wake, but stopped when hurrying steps shook the earth and halted in front of her. Concentrated fire blasted out, swaying left to right and Ruby pressed herself to the ground, sweating at the powerful heat radiating right above.

The wolves whimpered and scurried back up.

The dwindling flame swirled away into the night sky and she was left to identify her savior by its remaining light revealing the knightly rusty armor as he shut his helmet's visor. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, extending to her his gauntlet.

She took it carefully. "I didn't break anything so yes. Thank you, stranger." 

He pulled her up as if she weighed just a feather. It made Ruby feel like she really could float off to the moon; what set her rooted to her feet however was the knight's looming height.

"A human shouldn't be walking around the forest in the pit of the dark. Any lone creature is a good midnight meal here." 

"I have no choice. Time is running and I am left to chase it by breathing down its neck."

"Everyone has a reason to rush." He nodded amiably and the metal clinked pleasantly until he kept trying to yank his head back up. The rusted sound screeching rang throughout the trees and Ruby cringed. It seemed like the helmet was so beaten up, it was tight around his neck, limiting his mobility and the ability to keep the armor clean. 

"Let me offer you help for the one you have given me. I am an inventor with a knack for metalwork." Ruby couldn't help but also hope, 'Helping a knight could gain me a strong teammate.' 

He awkwardly turned his torso to look at her. "Really? That would be very much appreciated! Please, I have a campsite with a fire nearby." 

She followed him out of the whispering trees to a clearing with four heavy logs surrounding a stone circled fire. Verdant grass hugged the place with quirky plants peeking out playfully. To her surprise, two more knights were resting on their respective logs: a lean one clad in silver armor and dirty maroon gambeson was sitting with hands gently resting over one another while the second, lankier one, leaned their forearm on their raised knee, a checkers patterned arming doublet lengthily hanging out.

"Well, well, well, you leave to get sticks and come back with a tagalong and a drooping head," said the latter through the smiling mask with slits for eyes. 

"Which she offered to fix! Isn't it great? We know we all need it." 

"What's your name, innocent one?" the girl asked, posture poised.

"Hi, I am Ruby."

"Ah, beautiful name. I am Paige."   

The campfire warmly roared in the middle. Ruby rubbed her hands and sought respite from the cooler night. She sat on the log her helper sat in front of, brushing the soft moss coating the wood with appreciation to the warm green hue appearing from the orange of the flames. 

"I didn't introduce myself and for that I apologize. My name is Ernest and we are the Order of the Aligned Empire. The one who didn't introduce himself yet is Peyton."

"Order of the Aligned Empire? First time hearing the name."

"It's because we are not popular at all," quipped Peyton. "Never will be."

"Shush with your pessimism," hushed Paige. 

The reflection of the campfire capered in Ernest's pauldrons, the curvature stretching it to an exaggerated height. Ruby took out her tools from her wrinkled leather satchel and assessed the outer damage. She started to very carefully loosen the area of the neck.

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"We have to take off the helmet for me to fix the core problem." 

"Oh, no, that's a bad, bad idea."

Ruby blinked. "If you're worried about it, I promise to not look at your face."

"I am fine, thank you! Maybe I can just fix this stubborn thing as always-" Just as Ernest grabbed his helmet and tried to force it back up, Ruby took a hold of it. 

"You shouldn't agitate it further or it will break-!"  

His helmet popped off, slipping off their fingertips to roll onto the ground. Well, it might as well be his head as all Ruby was seeing now was a glowing white oval pulsing inside a cage of pipes streaming down into the chestplate. 

Ernest screamed, Ruby screamed, falling off the log to the side of the dark forest. "What are you- What the heck are you?!"  

"We can explain!" He leaped up to face her, arms waving with panic. 

"He can explain," calmly deflected Paige as Peyton eagerly leaned forward to watch the entertainment.

"Where is your head?!" exclaimed Ruby, her hands tingling in realization that she touched…. touched…. something weird!

Ernest twiddled his fingers. "I don't have a head because you see- We aren't actually alive."

"Not alive? Not alive?! Aha-" Ruby nervously wheezed out, trying to stand up. 

"I mean we are not humans- We were humans! Wait, wait, breathe! We are just pieces of armor bound by a metal skeleton," explained the white-orb-for-a-head man. "And this glowing thing is my brain."    

Peyton picked up Ernest's helmet and imitated a ventriloquist. "Stop freaking out, Ruby. You're a fleshy armor with a well-made, soft cheese textured blob acting as your co-captain. Get over it."  

Ernest snatched it from him and put it back on. "Breathe in and breathe out, Miss Ruby. Please!" 

Strangely enough, Peyton's words calmed her down a little and Ruby switched from hyperventilating to a somewhat regulated breathing. "So you can talk? You are sentient?" 

"I think you should sit down for this explanation." Paige waved downwards. Ruby dropped herself onto the log again. The fire crackled. 

"We are not exactly sentient per se. We make decisions but only based on the memories and personalities of the people installed into us."

Ruby's jaw dropped. "Of whose?" 

"Does it matter to know?" said Peyton. "They are deceased now." 

"Yet you have their personal memories…. How is that possible?"

"Captain," Ernest ushered the name as if wary it would summon them, "is very talented, able to preserve all of our- er, their memories before it was too late."

It sounded so wrong. Ruby pursed her lips. "What twisted mind would do this?" 

Ernest hummed gravelly.  

"So you remember everything?" 

Paige nodded, her voice echoing from her bascinet. "Everything." 

"Wow," whispered Ruby as she glanced down at the campfire. Everyone was solemnly silent except for unfazed Peyton ripping apart some of the herbs near him. "I am sorry." 

He snorted. "For what? There's nothing to feel." 

"Don't you miss your- the family or home? I know I do." Ruby gripped her leather vest over her heart.

Ernest hummed, intertwining his thick fingers, the metal scratching against one another. "I am left to only fondly remember my home, not miss, for it is long gone. Missing would be justified if I hadn't played a part in its departure."

Ruby was surprised at his melancholic yet detached tone. It was strange, to suppose to be feeling but unable to do so. "Where was your home?" 

He turned to her, his visor reminding her of the enclosed fireplace she and her town sister would huddle in front of, making up absurd stories in the glow of its warmth. "Ever heard of the, oh, great Wanao kingdom?" 

Ruby's eyes sparkled. "Yes!" 'That's where Ashby started her independence!' 

Ernest raised his arm towards the stars in the sky, the moon choosing to hide between the clouds for their shine. "Oh, it was so golden and marvelous, pure cleanliness and order! Reminiscent of the brightest star of the darkest night with its lantern lights. Until one day-" He enclosed a star with his fist. "One day it wasn't." 

Ruby nodded grimly. "My condolences, Ernest. I heard of what had happened." 

He slowly lowered his arm before leaning towards her with excitement. "But I doubt you've heard of the inside details. Miss Ruby! Want me to tell you my tale?"

Ashby started this whole goose chase from the Wanao kingdom. This could be the lead she was searching for and Ruby was going to take any crumb of a hint to where she was going to find that missing key.

"Please do!"