Jigoku: The Unknown World

Chapter Five - Not Alone

"You gotta be kidding me, a horse? I remember these things!" Not only was it a horse that leaped into our clearing we had been in, but there was a man clad in full armor riding it. The man was strange. He was wearing bright silver armor that shined in the sunlight. It had a blue crest with a lion in gold on his chest. To top it off, he had a lance on his hip and a helmet that only showed his eyes. The man was like nothing i'd ever seen, he looked like a true hero. Looking at his level I could see he was level sixty!

"Woah, calm girl!" The man said in a booming voice as he calmed the horse down. He then took off his helmet and held it in between his arm and his side. "Well met adventurers, I don't believe I've seen you before."

"Uh, we live in our base to the south of here."

"The south? We've never been out that far." We? so there's more than just him?

"M-may I ask where you came from, sir?" Azala was clearly as dumbfounded as I was. After all, we haven't seen another person besides us, and now here was one on a horse at a high level just about an hours walk from the Base.

"You can't be serious, are you saying you don't recognize the crest?"

"It would appear we do not."

"So you're not from Albion then?"

"We are not familiar with it, no." The man's face lit up like a child who just got a new toy.

"You don't say!" He got off of his horse and sat his helmet on the ground. "I've never seen someone who wasn't from the great kingdom of Albion before!"

"Did you say kingdom?"

"Well of coarse! All humans know of the great kingdom of Albion, the first stronghold against the monsters!"

"Stronghold, so there's an entire place with humans in it?"

"Just shy of two thousand humans, yes!"We all looked back and forth at each other. This was just too much. The new information was making me feel light headed.

"This Albion, is it over those mountains?"

"That's right, just over them."

"I knew it! I knew there had to be more than these woods."

"You were right kid."

"It does seem your accusations proved positive."

"But wait, If you're from over the mountains what are you doing way over here?" The man looked over at Azala as she spoke and his eyes lit up once again. He walked over to her and in one swift motion he was on his knee and had her hand in his. Azala's face lit up bright red as the man smiled up at her.

"Forgive me my lady, but I did not notice you until now! You are truly a symbol of all things of beauty, oh how stunning you look as the light glistens on you're magnificent hair!" Azala's face reddened even further as we all were shocked at the man's sudden taking to her. "My name is Alexander, and I am captain of the Knights of Albion, maybe I can give you a ride on my horse sometime." Azala slowly slid her hand out from his right before he could kiss it, and turned away from him. Partly to reject him, partly so no one would see her blushing.

"I-i'm sorry.. but i'll pass." Alexander's world came crashing down as he slumped down to his hands and knees, sulking.

"Aw man.. am I not good looking enough?" There was some awkward silence until I spoke up.

"So.. like Azala said how come you're way out here if you're from over the mountains?" Alexander was back to standing now and seems like his normal self again, which kind of threw us off.