Arc 2: A vigorous first month -
The headlights followed him to his dreams. When he ate with his parents. Staring toward him through their eyes. Even when the only thing they ever said were words of hatred. Until he heard the smash of his skull under the tire. And in a black flash, he flung up.
Gray: "SHIT!"
He lunged awake in a sweat before screaming out in real pain, finding his entire body wrapped in bandages. He was bruised, and yet when all of the memories of yesterday flooded in, he couldn't help but be amazed by just how quickly he had healed. But when he finally took a second to look around, all he felt was confusion.
Gray: "Huh?"
He sees that he's in a queen-sized bed, wearing a soft robe over a cloth shirt and the pants he was transported in with bandages on his arms and legs. He looks around the room he's in and all that's in it is some paintings, a couple of wide and expensive wardrobes, and a balcony. Gray slowly walks over to the balcony doors opens them and feels the cold wind blowing on his body, he looks around the outside and sees where he is. He is in a large house too small to be a mansion, with a somewhat large yard with a fence going around the estate.
Gray: "Woah this place is nice! The city outside is HUGE! Those houses and shops go on for miles!"
Outside the gate, he sees a road with a big area of people, houses, and shops just outside the gate.
Gray {I guess I got patched up, then got brought here by that… WAIT! Who the hell brought me here, where's Rosemary and the others?}
Gray runs out of the doors of his room, sprinted down the hallway. The home itself wasn't massive, but it was filled with various pieces of natural art from all around the world on the walls. He didn't bother checking any doors or walls though, as he was far too focused on just what was happening to him and his friends. But he finally slid to a halt, turning to see a staircase which he promptly raced down. It was wide, leaning down into the main hall of the manor. And still Gray payed no mind to it's details, dotting toward anywhere he could.
Gray: "ROSEMARY, SOKU!, OPHELIA! ARE YOU HERE, ANYBODY!"
He runs around the house when he hears people speaking behind some big doors. He opens them to see a large table with everybody sitting down, eating breakfast. Finally he took a breathe. To see the crystals and candles lighting the room, the large wide windows letting in the sun, and a massive feast of food. At the table, there are ten seats with Rosemary, Soku, and Ophelia sitting with each other. At the end of the table, there was a young muscular man, and a tall older man in his mid fifties. He had long straight hair tied into a pony tail with dark blue wrappings. With a simple dark suit, white tie, and a golden "W" looking crest over his dark coats right pocket. Musashi, from the night earlier. However alll Gray could feel was of power coming off of him, ruined by his simple and calm mood.
Musashi: " You run around screaming and burst into my dining room! Quite the balls you have, to be rude to me of all people, I like that!"
His attitude changed from angry to calm very quickly, shocking Gray once again. However everyone else quickly noticed him with excitement, aside from Soku, who sighed.
Ophelia: "GRAY! You're ok! Come on, sit down and eat!"
Gray quickly rushes over, his body still aching in pain from the fight the previous night. He sits down beside Rosemary, and across from the younger-looking muscled, tall man with short, pushed back spikey black hair. His eyes were long, his eye brows thick, with a stern build but soft facial features; he stood out, far more than Gray did, which Gray wasn't too happy about.
Gray: "So I'm just saying this now um. I know nothing about history, class systems, or customs, so I'm in the dark about all this."
Musashi: "Yeah your friends told me this when they woke up. I'm Musashi Van Helsing. And this is my nephew, Edward Van Helsing."
Edward: "Hello! I'm glad to eat dinner with you. Its nice to meet such interesting people!"
Everyone was shocked by Edwards kind demeanor, once again throwing Gray off. All he saw was some bulky macho man around the same age as them. More importantly, close to the age Gray and Rosemary were. But his hair was well kempt, his face was thicker, he had massive muscles, and controlled himself far better than Gray. Instantly making him a rival through sheer envy.
Musashi: "Look I'm going to get straight to the point, You all can do three things for me. I dad some healers fix yah up. And I saved you from those sect members, so you can repay me until you figure out what you're gonna do. You seem to have potential, even you brat. So I don't wanna let it go to waste. Stay here for a bit till you can stand on your own two feet, or maybe we can figure out what all that strenght can do."
Everyone looked between each other, shocked and unable to think straight, except for Gray. Who still didn't understand what was happening.
Gray: "What does that mean!?"
Musashi: "Fine I'll be more straight! A GoldenKnight, an Elf, and your massive amount of mana!? I won't let you rot! If the Sect want you then I gotta do everything in my power to make sure you don't fall into their hands either. So let me keep you guys safe for the time being, let me teach you how to take care of yourselves. And if you want, maybe you can participate in this event coming up soon. To test you on bein Knights!"
Soku: "And the catch?"
Ophelia couldn't help but choke on her food, just about ready to smack Soku for takin so rudely to such an important man. But all Musashi did was smile from all of their fire. Rosemary however was silent, unable to eat or speak. Thinking of being a Knight, after getting away from the Goldeknights so recently. It felt like everything she hated, and yet, the look in Grays eyes the second it sparked made her scared. It made her scared Soku might get pulled in.
Rosemary {...helping people, doing something good with my powers sounds great. But that's not how Knights operate. They're not Heroes.}
And yet, if she stayed behind, she may lose her new family too.
Musashi: "No catch, only for the fact you gotta put in a ton of work! But bein honest, you guys are far from the norm. So don't get all sad or whine. You got power, so you should at least learn how to use it. You guys might have potential for the Leviathan army."
Gray: "Sorry to interrupt but what the hell is the " Leviathan army"? And most of this stuff, like Helsing? Walgonia? I'm pretty in the dark about most of your guys stuff."
Edward: "The Leviathan army is just a more powerful league of warriors, the best of the best. Who are usually people that were born into a family who are in the army. We, the Van Helsings, are the main leaders as well as the founders of the Army. I'm really surprised you've never heard of the Van Helsings before! It's just as common as knowing about...i dunno air?"
Musashi seemed lost in thought while staring at Gray. Looking through his chest, to feel his mana. To see what he was thinking, who he was, what kind of person he was. But when Gray and Edward spoke -
Gray: "If I tried to explain where I was my OD was explode out so I try not to get into the details."
Edward: "Um, oh. Sorry about that."
He couldn't help but laugh. However the room got silent for a moment, before Musashi shook his head and pushed forward.
Musashi: "OK now to get to the point, I'll go in a line and you will pick what you want to do. So pick!"
Ophelia: "Well I don't like fighting and I can't use a demi- transformation so I wanna work here until they leave!"
Musashi: "Well yeah I figured you wouldn't be fighting - eh whatever! We gotta stay on track. Stuff around Walgonia is gonna be moving soon and every day counts."
Soku: "Well joining the knights sounds terrible, but it pays good money, and fame wouldn't hurt. But if I get some free lessons? I don't mind getting better."
Rosemary gripped her fists tightly, before taking a long deep breath. Thinking of the war, the flames, the death that came with armies. The pain, the fear of being a soldier. But to stand together, as a force that could save people like them. Not in a Militia, but for something she could stand for?
Rosemary: "I'll stay with you all till the end, and if that means fighting for the safety of Walgonia, I'll do it. But I won't join to fight, not to kill or wage war. It's for the people, for a better life all around."
With that, they all looked to Gray. He thought he couldn't say yes fast enough. But then the idea of it all really hit him. The pain, the fear, how close he was to dying against Jeremiah. Even the thugs in the alley. Could he really face that? Could he really be a Hero?
Gray: "....I'll do it. No matter what."
For once he dropped his face, his regular attitude for just a second, but Musashi instantly vanished across the room with his insane speed without a care in the world. Leaving Gray to spin and fall onto the ground while everyone else quickly followed.
Musashi: "Ok then that settles it, Al! Come in here and help Ophelia, He will help you learn the area, so I hope you're a good maid. Soku you, Rosemary, Gray, and Edward come with and I'll show you to the Training area."
An elderly man comes into the dining room and leaves with Ophelia while Soku, Rosemary, and Gray go with Musashi with Edward following close behind. They leave the room and start walking through the house toward where they keep the swords and Armor. Edward starts talking to Rosemary to Gray's Annoyance which leaves Gray and Soku to talk to each other while they walk.
Soku: "You want to join the Leviathan Army because Rosemary wants to."
Soku looked at Gray with a smug face , trying to egg him on, but Gray was a bit too focused to play along.
Gray: "Possibly, But I do want to join the cooler group of Knights. I don't have anything better to do anyway."
Soku: "Well we did get dealt a, really, REALLY good hand with this bunch of luck. If any other knights caught us we would probably be dead, me and Ophelia are thieves Rosemary is a deserter, and you have a similar mana to A sect member."
Gray: "Yeah you make a good point, hopefully, knock on wood, but I hope we keep this good luck train coming."
While Gray and Soku talk, Rosemary and Edward talk to each other.
Rosemary: "So who are you? Musashi said you were his nephew?"
Edward: "Yeah that's right, he's my uncle, I used to live with my mother but she passed away a couple of years ago so I started living with Musashi."
Rosemary: "Oh I'm sorry for your loss."
Edward: "Oh thank you, no you're fine I have been able to come to an understanding with her passing, I started learning the way of the sword and joining the Van Helsing way of doing things, I hope joining the Army will give you the same ability to cope with what happened to the Golden Knights faction as it did with my mother."
Rosemary: "Why thank you! I hope it does as well, I'm glad you're nice and not one of those jerky knights I'm used to."
Edward: "I'm glad to hear that."
Gray and Soku are both listening to their conversation, Gray is not having it, looking very jealous with them conversing so nicely.
Soku: "Jealous?"
Gray: "Possibly."
Musashi: "Ok everyone we are at the training area!"
They all enter the room and see punching bags, weights, and a variety of weapons and armor, with the Walgonian flag hanging up on the walls, the symbol looking like a very sharp W.
Musashi: "Okay pick out some weapons and armor that fit walk through that door and come outside and I'll be waiting there for you.
Gray looks at some light armor that he can wear, with some boots and arm guards, dawning a slightly long-looking cloak, Grabs one of the various medium-sized swords lying on stands, and walks outside. Soku struggles to find armor that fits her but finds a blocky short sword which is all she seems to want and goes outside, Rosemary takes some slightly heavy armor, and arm and leg guards then leaves to go outside. Leaving Edward to walk and get his things, he grabs his custom-made armor and weapon. With everybody outside except Edward, Musashi starts to talk.
Musashi: "Okay! I saw Rosemary and Soku fight, and I can see that they have some skill, but you Gray, you are the outlier. I want you to try and get a good hit on me and I won't let you stop until you give up or I feel as if you are ready to be taught by me. Now I ask you if you want to be taught the Water Sword style.
Gray: "The water sword style?"
Musashi: "Don't think about it too hard. Easiest to hardest is Fire, Earth, Wind, Water. The best is Water, then Wind, then Earth, then fire."
Gray: "Well since you said you have mastered the water sword style, that one!"
Musashi: "Really? The hardest and strongest one? The one that may take who knows how long to master? The one that'll put you through hell? You're willing to endure it for power?"
Gray: "Yep!"
Musashi: "Either you're insane, stupid, really stupid, or really naïve. But I'll let you onto the road."
Before anything major happens Edward walks outside and is wearing some heavy armor but the most notable thing is the sword on his back, It's what only can be described as a great sword, bigger than a normal person and thicker than ten swords; it looked like a large rectangle of iron with a hilt on it.
Gray: "You use a great sword? You don't have any issues swinging it around?"
Edward: "Well my father used a sword like this and he was a normal person so I figured I would learn to use something similar in length. It was hard to use at first but it has strengthened my body to a level I could not have achieved without it, so it all worked out in the end."
Gray: "Okay then."
Gray tried his best to keep a level face, smiling and rapidly changing his expression and stance to draw attention, while underneath he was quivering with anxiety that Edward may just be that much better than him in every way possible. For a boy without a world, he had nothing in this world. No name, no history. Then came all of that and more. Something Gray couldn't look at for more than a second without smashing his own heart in.
Gray {With his muscles the black hair and the great word he has the build of a rival character or the main character, weird. He belongs in a way too dark fantasy, I wonder if he'd get copyright claimed if he stepped foot in real life.}
Musashi: "Okay enough with the talking you guys sit down over there and Gray when I say go you come at me and I'll see if you're worth it. I'll be using this wooden practice sword."
Gray instantly began to shake with horrid anxious. So much so tears almost welt up in his eyes. But he wiped his face and stepped forward, trying to scream out all the fear.
Gray: "Okay, I'm ready!"
Musashi: "Good. On one."
Gray plants his feet on the ground confident and ready, with his short dark cloak flowing in the wind, his sword out and he starts to think of a plan of attack.
Musashi: "Three, two, GO!"