Army of the Damned

VOLUME 5 Chapter 2

"My Lord. What kind of Knight are you?"

"I... don't know."

"For those born with such privilege, they must still earn the hopes of the people. The armor you don rivals that of my Honor Guard yet I've never seen your Squires or Servants. Do you own a Manor? Have women? Horses?"

"Best I can do is a cozy late medieval homestead made out of daub."

"I see... yet you are My Lord now. You bested me in combat and now I owe my life and essence to you. What an interesting learning session this will be for me."

Moving his fingers, the gurney underneath him creaked as he adjusted his body. Feeling the prickly body of Bahamut on top of him. "Haaaah... I feel so tired." leather then stretched next to him as clacks of heels touching the porcelain tiles moved from his right to left.

"I used to watch the night sky like this in my garden. Thinking of my people, country, and King. What about you, My Lord? Are you like the many would-be Knights of Man, foolhardy and shortsighted for glory?"

"I just want to go home. Kiss my mom and dad, hug my grandma and pa. Tell my little brother everything is going to be alright and help my friends."

"Hmph. Then you shall not last long here. You wield a sword and don armor yet not seek glory? You shant even be named a Squire. Nay, a mere Peasant with luxuries most will never afford. A poser if words of your language would fit."

"I am technically a Squire though... My leader. Hassan was Knighted by King James."

"Yet he is not here? What good is a Knight who cannot teach his Squire of battle and life?"

Breathing in heavily, Jackson could feel the cold night air enter his lungs. The healing of Bahamut giving relief to his badly damaged internals. "I live... in a different world. A world where there's no Knights or Kings. That stuff is done and dusted." More clacks echo in the large room as it moves to the right of his body.

"Just how much of a threat are your kind that even the King of James would be willing to give such an important title to mere foreigners? I wonder if his Nobles are causing a ruckus now knowing the virtue of that country."

"... When you said I wouldn't last long here without seeking glory, what do you mean?" Unable to open his heavy eyelid, Jackson ops to just humbly keep his eyes closed. "Lady Minuit has spoken to me of your achievements. I find it hard to believe for someone who has only been here for a few months, but fighting you firsthand tells me she is not exaggerating your capabilities."

Weight then fills the right handrails of his gurney. Slightly tilting the bed to the other side as he feels the hot breath of the Queen reach his face. Her sweet flowery aroma embracing his senses, replacing the sanitized air of the hospital room. "Men of your stature have the tendency to get themselves into trouble. Maybe not as much in your pissant modern world, but men like you are one in hundreds of thousands." Squinting with his closed eyes, he tilts his head towards her. Unknowingly almost hitting her nose with his.

"If you do not wish to seek glory and only wish to survive, then hide your weapon and armor. Never don them and live in your homestead. I will gladly act as your maid till a way for you to return is found if you wish..." she then slowly retracts her head. Looking down on the man inside the dark room. "But that's not what you've done now, have you? You waged war, traveled the lands, met with people and helped the Commonfolk to Nobility."

She turns around, facing the large window that shows the city still well lit even at night. Cars and buses are still driving around the streets as many are still out and about buying and eating. "Continue down this path and when the time comes and you accept your glory. I shall even potentially Knight you seeing as you protected Lady Minuit and I believe you will do the same to me, hearing of your... exploits."