Scales and Swords ✓

15: Who Are You

I sat across from the young knight whose name I still didn't know. "What's your name?"

He was a timid young man. Reminded me much of who I actually was. "Lance, sir."

My eyes widened. No wonder he looked so familiar, he was the young Lance. The Lance without grey hair and wrinkles. The Lance without his confidence and experience. I couldn't believe that I had been speaking to the young Lance for two days now and still didn't know who he was.

I wasn't a very bright kid. I was always more hands on than imaginative. But when I set my mind to something it runs wild with scenarios, I go over all of them, one by one till I'm close to losing my mind. I waste so much time and effort thinking it through that I don't notice the answer right in front me. I don't realize what I'm doing till I fail or find the solution.

"Is there something wrong?" Young Lance asked.

I leaned forward towards him. His eyes expanded in fright. "Who's closest to the King?"

Lance swallowed. "What do you mean sir?"

"I mean who does he trust the most, who is his right hand man?"

Lance tilted his head. The fear had shifted to bewilderment. "Sir, are you not feeling well?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're his right hand man, you're his guard of course."

The pieces fell into place. The face of the culprit suddenly became known. The person who took the King was me.

I stood and walked over to Lance who had stood as well. I grabbed him by the shoulders and made him look into my eyes. "Tell me all you know about me."

Lance leaned back, concern filling his gaze. "Are you alright sir?"

"Perfectly fine, now tell me, who am I?"

"You're Alphonse Hynes, Head Mage of Kreatier, Guard of King Daniel."

"Is there anything else. Where do I live? Where do I work?"

"Are you sure you are alright sir; I'm worried about you."

I may have looked a bit mad, grinning as I asked who I was. "I'm quite alright Lance, if you ask me that one more time I might just become cross with you, now you don't want that do you?"

He shook his head like a little child. "You work in your chambers of course, the Head Mage's chamber. The tallest tower in the castle."

I nodded excitedly. Finally, this could be over and I'd make it back to the real world. "Lance I have an assignment for you, I trust you won't fail me."

"I won't sir, what is it?"

"The next time you see me and I don't recite these words, 'sunflowers follow the sun' I need you to arrest me."

His jaw dropped. "Sir, that I cannot do."

"Lance," I boomed. He flinched. I stared into his eyes with all the sternness I could muster. "Trust me, I need you to trust me. The me right now, because I won't be the me right now later. Arrest me, I promise it will make sense when you do."

He nodded firmly, the hesitancy gone. "I will sir."

I turned to hurry off then turned to Lance again. "One more thing Lance, am I a good man?"

Lance squirmed, avoiding my eyes. "You're my superior sir, I don't think I can answer that question."

"Well, I, uh, I give permission. Go on, tell me."

"These past few days, you've been acting a little different. Kinder, more sympathetic."

"And I wasn't before?"

"You were harder. Colder, I'd say."

"I'm sorry if I ever treated you badly. Forgive me."

And with that I ran out the pub door and towards the castle. I didn't bother to stop to greet anyone. I mean I would have if there weren't such pressing matters at hand. I did have to stop however, to ask a maid for directions to my chamber. Which of course, baffled the young woman. Nonetheless she relayed directions and I raced towards the tower as quickly as I could. I climbed two stairs at a time, falling more than once as I hurried. Finally, after what felt too long to be two days I opened the door to find the King tied to a chair, nodding off to sleep weakly.

Just before I could take a step towards him, I transported to the other side of the room. I was standing face to face with the person I was a second ago. I was me again. And I was in the chambers of the man who had kidnapped the king.

"Who are you?" Alphonse sneered.

I lifted my hand which was now holding a sword. I wanted to drop the sword but the look in the mage's eyes only made my grip tighten. "You kidnapped the King."

His lips stretched into a smile. Man, was that terrifying. He raised his hand and with the flick of the wrist I shot back into the wall. The sword clattered to the floor. I was defenseless and stuck in the same room as a very powerful mage.

"We don't have to fight, just let the king go," I said as I stood and inched towards him with raised hands.

But my plea fell upon deaf ears. "I don't see how that benefits me."

I picked up the sword in one quick motion, bringing it down on the mage only to have my sword be deflected. Alphonse was now holding his own sword. "Alright, I'll entertain you. These are of course your last breaths."

He swung. I blocked. He swung again, swinging for my shoulders I leaned back just in time. He took that opportunity to attack again when I raised my own sword to block in the split second. His control of his sword was clean, evidence of years of practice. I could hardly attack him. He was quick and conscious. I parried and parried, and that was the only thing I seemed able to do.

Doubt filled my mind. Which only seemed to slow me down. Though fear always seemed to jolt me awake. But that was all that I could go by, doubt and fear.

Philip's voice was probably the only thing that kept me focused, "use every opportunity to your advantage. You might not get another later."

I watched and waited as we fought. He came in for another attack when I blocked, lifted my foot and kicked him in the groin. His face contorted in discomfort only for a moment before he swiped his sword again. I parried and used my strength to turn that block into an attack. I scraped his arm and forced the sword out of his hands. By pure, pure luck I had gained the upper hand. He hissed as hatred burned in his eyes.

I stepped back. Though, that was futile. My back hit the wall and half of that wall was an open window. The ground looked so far away, it would take a few seconds to reach it. And the crash, if it didn't kill me would hurt like hell.

I pointed my sword at him, hoping he'd give in. But the man did the unthinkable and took the blade of my sword in his hand, staring me down like he knew he'd win, even as his hands dripped with his own blood.

"I could easily stop your heart with magic," he said, a maniacal grin stretched across his face. "But I've come to realize that it isn't as satisfying as slowly draining one's life force by my bare hands."

With his free hand he grabbed me by the throat and thrusted my head into the wall. Goosebumps rose at the sudden pain and I lost grip of my sword. But just as quickly as it came, the pain disappeared. He tipped me over by my shoulder in my moment of disorientation and I fell. Not before seizing hold of his wrist. His surprised self, fell with me, only for a second before we froze mid-air.

"You can fight, I'll give you that," he told me as I dangled from his arm. He kicked me in the face and I dropped.

Before I let go completely though, I gave him a little gift of fire. When I hit the ground, the last thing I saw was a screaming-falling-burning-Alphonse.

A/n: ehehe lil plot twist right there. Expect more to come, in the actual story of course.