Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Devil May Cry - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Knights of the Realms ❯ Ch 13 - The Power of One ( Chapter 13 )

KNIGHTS OF THE REALMS

 

 

The Power of One

 

 

 

 

“So tell me, Mister Drifter…Where'd ye get that fine big blade ye got there? Looks dwarven made te me, but I don't know why a dwarf'd be makin' a sword that bloody big.”

 

The Drifter stood from his chair and unslung the sword at his left hip. “Its name is Rach't.”

 

It?

 

Hush.

 

The dwarf respectfully took the sword and ran his hands gently over the blade, admiring the craftsmanship. A simple handle with no hilt, the blade was a hands width, extending a good three and a half feet, where it fanned outward, coming together in a crescent; the blade had no stabbing point. Runic characters were etched onto both sides of the blade.

 

“What're these markings for, then?” asked the dwarf.

 

“They dispel magic,” explained the Drifter. “Magic aimed at the wielder is nullified, providing quite a useful shield in combat.”

 

“Aye, that'd be useful indeed…” Bruenor's eyes lit up with the possibilities.

 

“Alas,” said the Drifter, “I know not the proper method for etching the runes, and the smith is long dead.”

 

“Ah. Well then,” said the dwarf King as he handed the sword back.

 

“Back to the subject at hand,” said Drizzt, “I believe you were trying to recruit me for a group of fighters, yes, but to fight what?”

 

The Drifter sat back down. “I believe you know one of the enemies quite personally. A demon by the name of Errtu.”

 

The Companions of the Hall bristled as one. “Errtu…the balor?” asked Cattie-brie.

 

Link, oblivious to the mounting tensions of those at the table, was playing a game of tag with the fairies and Pikel Bouldershoulder, while his brother Ivan looked on disapprovingly. The Bouldershoulder brothers were an odd pair. Ivan was yellow bearded and stuck to traditional dwarf practices. Pikel, on the other hand, was an oddball by anyone's standards. A self proclaimed “Doodad,” or druid, he died his beard green and wore it braided together over his shoulders.

 

“Yes,” said the Drifter.

 

“But Errtu shouldn't be a problem,” said Wulfgar. “We defeated him not long ago, and thus he should be banished from this plane for a century!”

 

The Drifter took a deep breath. “What few people realize is that there are many, many aspects of one plane.” He leaned forward. “Have any of you ever wondered if there might be other worlds out there? Worlds that you don't know about? An alternate reality, perhaps, or a place where the laws that affect you here don't even exist?”

 

The Companions were leaning in now, too. “Yes,” confessed Drizzt, and the others followed suit with somewhat sheepish grins. All except Bruenor. The dwarfs sensibilities were focused on the here and now, sometimes the future, and never in a place that he didn't think existed.

 

“Those worlds exist,” said the Drifter. “All of them, and more. I am from one of them, and Link is from another.”

 

Behind them, Link rolled to the side and Pikel, who had been giving chase, ran face first into the stone wall. Tatl, not knowing the resilience of dwarves, flew over to see if he was okay and got tagged for her effort.

 

“And what do these other worlds have to do with our big ugly friend?” asked Bruenor.

 

“Defeating Errtu banished him from the Material Plane of this world. Up until now, demons have remained, thankfully, unaware of other worlds beyond the one they normally concern themselves with.” The Drifter sighed. “I don't know how it happened, but they have become aware. Errtu is one of the demons out there causing the most damage. I set out to assemble a team of warriors that I believe to stand a chance at finding a way to put the demons back where they belong. You were one of my first considerations, Drizzt Do'Urden.”

 

Drizzt sat back and coolly met the Drifters gaze.

 

Link was dodging just out of Tatl's reach, when Pikel waggled his fingers. The stone floor softened slightly, causing Link's foot to become caught. The hero went down, an easy target for the fairy. Link glared at Pikel, who looked the very picture of injured innocence.

 

“Why me?” asked Drizzt at last.

 

“Because I've been hearing tales of your feats for many years now, and I know many of them to be true. I've even been witness to your battle prowess. In Icewind Dale,” he clarified, seeing the question in the drow ranger's eyes.

 

“But how? I thought you were not of this world.”

 

“I am not originally of this world, but I've been wandering between the worlds for a very long time now. I've been to Faerun multiple times, and there is no one better suited, in my opinion, to champion this world than you, Drizzt.”

 

“Again, why me? If there are as many worlds as you claim, there surely must be others as good—if not better—fighters than I.”

 

“Because few of them would see fit to protect a place they've never heard of, believing that as long as they stay and defend their homeland, they will emerge victorious. When in actuality, they would be letting the enemy build up its strength unhindered. That is why I sought you out.”

 

Drizzt was silent for a moment before pushing back from the table. “In this world we live in…with all that is said and done…it can well overrun the power of one. I will have an answer for you on the morrow, Drifter. Goodnight.” He turned and left the hall, Cattie-brie following shortly.

 

Pikel narrowly dodged Link's grab for him, and the hero tumbled headfirst into Ivan. Link, fortunately for him, disentangled himself quickly and was able to get a head start in running from the irate dwarf. “Ye blasted kid! Ye're no better than me brother!”

 

Ivan was followed out by the fairies and Pikel, sandals flapping wildly and shouting “Me Brudder!”

 

 

“So what are ye going to do?” Cattie-brie asked from her position sitting on the bed.

 

Drizzt stopped pacing the room long enough to answer. “I don't know,” he said, his lavender eyes staring at the floor. “Obould may be dead, but the fact remains that we are still at war.”

 

Cattie-brie sighed, knowing he was right. Obould Many-Arrows, the orc leader that had actually managed to unite the orc tribes, had fallen into the earth during freak earthquake that had interrupted his fight with Drizzt. The same fight that Khazid'hae had been lost in. “Could someone else go instead?” she wondered aloud.

 

“No,” Drizzt said instantly. “Bruenor can't go. Mithral Hall would suffer greatly during battle with the absence of its King. Neither you nor Wulfgar could go; Bruenor needs you by his side, little though he admits it. Regis, while having certainly become bolder in his exploits, is no warrior. If any were to go, it would have to be me.”

 

Cattie-brie frowned. “But so soon after your return…” At the beginning of the orc invasion, Drizzt had been separated from his friends during battle. A ruse that had the enemy thinking them dead also convinced Drizzt of that fact. Believing he had nothing to live for, he recklessly and mercilessly attacked any enemy encampment he came across, with complete disregard for his own life. Thankfully, the drow ranger was reunited with his friends. The emotional reunion prompted Drizzt to finally act on his feelings for Cattie-brie.

 

“Unfortunately, the world doesn't stand still for anyone, under any circumstance,” said Drizzt.

 

Cattie-brie looked at him for a moment before saying, “Ye're going, ain't ye? Yer minds already made up.”

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

She smiled. “Because I be knowin' ye, Drizzt Do'Urden. Here comes a man with offer of an adventure in a land ye've never heard of. Sure, we're at war, but thanks to yerself, it's nothing we can't handle by ourselves.” She stood up and walked over, putting her arms around his neck. “And I know that no matter what happens, ye'll be coming back. Ye always do. And ye can't resist the pull of the road. Neither can I, and honestly, I'm more than a little jealous. But that's besides the point. Ye're going, so let's—“

 

“I haven't decided ye—“ Cattie-brie silenced him with a finger on his lips.

 

“So let's make the most of our time together,” she said before replacing her finger with her own lips.

 

 

The next morning found Link and Pikel staring bleary eyed at the world. Bags were evident under their eyes.

 

Breakfast was a simple affair of oatmeal and biscuits, though it seemed a bit too simple.

 

“What'd ye do different to the oatmeal?” Breunor asked a passing servant. “It seems te be lacking something.”

 

“I'm sorry, Me King, but there was not enough honey to flavor all the oatmeal sufficiently.”

 

Link and Pikel suddenly became more aware of what was going on.

 

“No honey? But we just got a shipment up from Settlestone! Where'd all the blasted honey go?”

 

Link and Pikel both found their bowls very interesting.

 

“Indeed we did, King, but…we don't know where it went. I suppose someone could have snuck in and eaten it all, but why would they do that? I don't think that they'd be enjoying it much afterward, either, that much honey at once.”

 

Link and Pikel were now totally absorbed in their bowls, not looking up at anyone. Across the table, Ivan was staring intently at the two.

 

Drizzt chose that moment to enter the room, putting a temporary damper on the subject of missing honey. He sat down directly across from the Drifter. “I've thought about your proposal, Drifter, and I must say it intrigues me very much.” He paused. “But to be frank, how do I know if I can trust you?”

 

“You can't,” replied the Drifter. “You'll just have to go on instinct.”

 

Drizzt smiled a little. “Very well then. For now, you have my blades.”

 

The other Companions of the Hall looked on, mixed emotions playing on their faces. If what the Drifter said was true, then Drizzt most definitely was needed elsewhere. Even so, they were still surrounded by a massive orc army.

 

“Where do set off to?” asked Drizzt.

 

“We're going back to Link's home to pick up the last member of our little party.”

 

“Why didn't you pick him up when you did Link?”

 

“Because he's not quite there yet. You'll see what I mean,” he said in answer to the question that was already forming in Drizzt's mind.

 

“About that missing honey…” said Ivan, prompting Link and Pikel to quickly extract themselves from the dining area. “No ye bloody don't!” shouted the yellow bearded dwarf as he stormed off after the retreating duo.

 

Drizzt turned back to the Drifter. “I think we should leave as soon as we're ready, if only for Link's safety.”

 

“Agreed,” said the Drifter, turning his attention to his bowl of unsweetened oatmeal.