Knights and Ladies

The Order of Titledom

*Huff *Huff

I can hear huffed and hurried breathing about me. What is going on, I ask myself.

I am clammy and sweaty all over. Best time to take a bath is now, you know.

Damn!

Where exactly am I?

Oh, right, remember the last place you remember, Sam.

Yes, yes...

I bought that game.

Shop attendant was hesitant about me buying it.

And what?

A dull resounding ache throbs painfully in the back of my head causing me to reel over as it becomes sharp before pulling out again.

I feel a tight grip on me and hear a soothing voice as the grip loosens.

"My lady, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to!" A masculine voice says to me.

I turn my head to see who is speaking. But strange enough, all I see is just black.

Black?

"Aaarh! My head!" I moan and almost jump out of my body.

why? my voice sounds very strange and feminine.

Huff!

Huff!! Huff!!

Who's breathing that way?

Is that person sick? I sigh as the hurried breathing comes again.

There is a general hurrying of boots around me and the air is very hot. Very very hot as liquids sizzle past my face.

Wait? Did I say boots? it's more of metal on granite sort of. Surely regular boots cannot give that feel.

CLANG!

A sharp sound of steel ringing against steel cuts into my ear drums acutely and I reel over in pain, grasping my ears.

Wait... Why do I have long sort hair suddenly?

"Protect the Lady!"

CLANG!! CLANG!!!

"Protect Lady Samantha to your last breath!" A chant exploded from behind me and suddenly the air goes twice the heat.

There is a sound of crackling of electricity arcing about and screams of people getting hurt. Some substance splatter on my face and I feel for it.

It's very sticky.

Just then, I get shoved and my back hits against the wall and down, I fall down on concrete floor which happens to be filled with more of the sticky stuff.

And, I...still... can't... see...

Ah!

Hurts bad!

Gee...

Remember Sam, what happened next?

Yes, yes... but why the f**k can't I see what is going on?

Seriously, forget that I'm trying to remember anything. I can't see a damn thing.

Ah, I remember, Knights and Ladies... That game.

I think I fainted after starting it.

Oh! That must have been it. But. .

CLANG!!! CLANG!

I am interrupted by sudden clash of metal again and screams. This time, the air goes very chilly and I feel goosebumps crawling on my skin on the ground.

Instinctively, I hug myself and my hands feel two perky towers from my chest?

"Boobs?" I ask uncertainly.

Yes, certainly, this has to be boobs. And just to be sure, I feel for the towers again until I'm perfectly sure what it is.

What? Wait...

How did I get to have boobs suddenly and the. long hair? Not that I'm complaining but hey, being a man does have it's a perks especially when you get to see your surroundings unlike the state I am now?

Wait.. I am blind?

No... no...

Think, Sam.

Where are you?

Yes, the game. Knights and Ladies. I fainted after playing the game.

Or did I really faint?

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!!

Another clang of steels and heated air wash about me. And it's seriously becoming a hindrance to my thought process.

BANNNNNNNNNNGGG!

BANNNNG!!!

Something crashes against metal and it echoes continuously as muffled yells and orders fly about. Maybe I should try to listen.

"Where is our lady? Lady Samantha?" A voice calls out and strangely I feel a connection to the voice.

Weird!

Metallic fingers curl around my wrist and shoulders and I twitch away.

"My lady, it's me. Sir David." The fingers loosen as they hoist me up to my feet,very gently.

"Are you hurt? Is anything wrong with your eyes, My Lady?" The voice comes again, with worry hidden in them.

"Lady Samantha, you're safe!" Another voice interrupts coming from my front.

Soon enough,the light filtering through eyelids go out as I feel the presence of more people around me.

"Why do we bother ourselves with this sickler? We should flee the castle. " Another voice interjects.

"No!" The voice of the person closest to me yell out and a following clang of metal resounds.

"What do you mean No? Sir Galahead's dark kinights has encumbered us and defeated our last line of defence. We fight a lost battle and yet we want to be encumbered by this bag of flesh? "

Wait...

Sir Galahead? Dark Knights? Wait you don't mean it?

I'm in the game?

"Quiet you! I am the Marshal of the Knights after the Order of Titledom and I give the orders, NOT YOU!"

Well, this confirms it.

Somehow, I fainted and awoke in the game and I'm Lady Samantha.

Shit!

This is weird but I feel excited as well. Wait... Does this mean, I won't be able to return back home?

No... I mean, it's just a game and sooner or later I'll wake up.

Maybe I just fainted and my subconscious is making all this up. In that case, I'd enjoy myself to the fullest then.

I resolve in my heart but to be honest, my heart is pounding. Whether it's fear or not,I cannot tell!

DINGGGGG...

Fuck... My head...

I double over, holding my head as a blue notification opens up within my mind. How do I know? I still cannot see so , this definitely has to be my mind, right?

[ System has identified Gamer XX65 readiness to delve into the World of Hearth.

-System is preparing Sir Galahead attack on Lady Samantha, please stand by.]

Wait... What?

No.. System don't prepare any thing. Quit.. Abort. Stop!

God, this is exhausting.

Like, come on, man, I didn't ask you to prepare anything. At least, let me just see my surroundings first.

"You shameful Knight. Knights stand tall to fight. Knights defend the weak and Lady Samantha is weakand it is our duty to defend her to our last breath!" That voice comes again from the person who is assume is the Marshal of the Knights, Sir David.

And apparently, the Marshal is like a boss or general or something. I mean, Sir David appears to be so commanding.

"You deceive yourself, David. You only were knighted as Marshal by emergency protocols of the battle to replace the fallen Sir Dangas. By skill, I am more qualified for that position than..."

"Then, prove it and fight for the order of Titledom." David explodes in rage, his hands that clasp my shoulders shaking as well.

"He who fights and runs away, leaves to fight another day. We've have been thinned out, like wheat sifted through fine sieve and yet, you fight for the Order?"

"Knights, come with me. We will survive if we leave this moment but if you stay with your so called Marshal... You... All... Will... Die..."

"QUIEEEEEEEEEETTTTT..." A gust of wind explodes from behind me as David's hands leave my shoulders, my frail body slumping once again.

CLANG!

CLANG!!

CLANNNGG!!!

"My lady..." A new voice whispers as metallic hands catch me by the waist and shoulder up.

Infront of me, I feel intense heat again as steel clangs again steel. And by now, I assume those steels should be swords...

Oh Sweet! Stupid system... Just let me see, please...

DING...

Fuck.. my head! Can't you be a little quieter?

[System has acknowledged Gamer's request. System requires gamer to await as the game's intro plays out.]

Oh... All these is just an intro? An intro where I can't participate but only watch?

[Affirmative]

Well, at least, open my eyes so I can watch!

[System does not...]

Shut Up! I yell at the text dialog box and to my surprise, the text stops writing, only to have three blinking dots in front of it.

[...]

The previous text clears out and three dots keep blinking on the dialog box.

Well? I ask, raising my imaginary eyebrow.

Aww...The light that hits my eyes is bright, making me blink continuously as images begin to filter into my vision.

Yippee... I'm so happy right now. Well, thank you system.

I look around immediately and notice that I'm in an enclosed corridor of some sort with windows high up in the walls and fire torches mounted into the walls in uniform lines.

The torches are on, reflecting light on to the silver sheen of the metal armoured figures around me. The knights, I suppose.

They are encased within thick armor that covers their body and all but the armor is not perfect as I see their clothings where the armor joins to each other by very tiny leather straps at the inner sides of their arms, legs and torso sides.

As for the Knights themselves, they appear to be a sort of ring around two knights. One is fallen to the ground while the other places his sword at his neck, his helmet absent.

"Knights, if they stand behind you, give them protection." The standing Knight says and looks back at me, a determined glint in the little of his eyes the helmet allows me to see.

" If they stand beside you, give them respect. " He throws his free hand up and the other knights follow suit, grunting and nodding.

"And if they stand against you, show no mercy!"

"Yeaahhhh..." A chroue erupts as some Knight with shields bang their swords and shield together.

"For... TITLEDOM..." David yells, his weapon raised.

And like a flash of lightning,his long silvery blade arcs down in a swift motion, separating the helmet-less Knight's head from his body as blood splutters out.

"CHARGEEEE!!!"

The Knight beside me erupts just as David replaces him, supporting me. In one thunderous din, the knights burst out of the wooden doors, exiting the corridor as they charge in into the open.

"Break Their Ranks!" David yells as the dozen handful of Knights pour out into an open field filled with fallen bodies of Knights in sliver armor while knights in dark armor shoot arrows and lances and magic at a black dragon spewing fire at them.