Never done a fanfic before, just putting that out there
NOTE: The haiku at the beginning, while I will try my best, will probably not continue for lack of poetry skill..
Useless blurb (MINIMAL SPOILERS): “We’re all running from something, whether memories, a pyromania complex, or something more sinister. But we are all running from one thing in common that keeps us all here, the Spiral Order. So, stop sobbing and grab something that looks dangerous. And above all, remember, this isn’t for revenge, we’re doing this for Cradle, we’re doing this for It. – Gentleman Swift.
CHAPTER 1: Swiftly now
An unconscious Knight
Arrived with no name attached.
Something Sinister
They say they found me the day we left Isora. I was unconscious and strapped to the captain’s chair of the Skylark with bonds so strong that in the end Captain Ozlo had the chair removed and a new one put in, placing his old chair next to Intel Officer Kora in defeat. Almost as soon as a medical officer declared that I was in a coma and shouldn't be moved for safety reasons, the crew apparently adopted me as the unofficial mascot of the Bridge, adorning me with trinkets ranging from Jelly bands to a Megalodon helmet that someone had snagged out of Archives on the way out. During their decorating me as one would a Winterfest tree, one of the knights noticed something tucked under the jerkin of my cobalt armor. It resembled the badge of the Recon Rangers, but instead of the normal muted yellow and white color scheme, this crest was atmittedly confusing to the Recon Rangers heraldry officer Garen, with the yellow of a darker hue and having swapped positions with the black on the crown motif, and the white was covered in what one of Captain Ozlo's 'pet nerds' confirmed as etched binary. Even Desna herself came up from the training simulator she was normally glued to and took a look over me. "I checked the records Captain, this knight is not one of ours" she said in her vaguely Germanic voice. "Well then, we'll just have to ask him when he decides to join us" Ozlo decided, and left the matter at that, for after all, he had a Spiral Order to run. Of course, I was completely unaware of all of the attention being laid upon me, but even If was, I don't think I would have cared that much, for I was having some rather strange dreams.
I was in a maze. I wandered the jet black corridors for what seemed to me like months, but in reality was more like a day or two. The only landmark (if one could call them that) to break the monotony of the complex was the occasional spattering of what I could only assume was blood on the obsidian walls. Strangely, I wasn’t at all reviled by these grotesque displays, in fact I seemed strangely attracted to them. Only then did I realize what they really were. Blocks of crimson ice, each encasing a small form; that of a knight. But something was wrong with them, I just couldn't put my finger on it... was it the lack of a face? No, that's normal for one of our species...was it...oh no. I had come to a staggering conclusion. I recognized these knights. They were me. strangely enough, even as I knew these knights and I were the same, I had to ask myself that simple question that we all must ask ourselves. I was only half surprised when I didn't know the answer. "Who am I? No Idea" In reply, the maze exploded. Now I was in a field. Empty but for the endless tallgrass swaying in the wind. “Come to think of it though” I murmured to no one in particular while looking down at the loose pieces of fabric on my armor; “There is no wind” I glanced around, and a glint of light from an invisible sun caught my eye. A small lake steamed in the now intense heat as the tallgrass was swallowed by the sand that poured down from above. I attempted to make sense of it all, but quickly gave up. I stared intently at the water. A Knight carved from obsidian stared back at me. I blinked. The Knight also blinked, then raised an arm and stabbed me in the eye with a spear similarly carved from black stone. I made to say something but by then the sand was filling my mouth. I mentally screamed.
“-our mystery Knight awakens” someone said from what seemed a million miles away. “Indeed, right, someone get a medical officer up here!” replied a different voice, this time from a thousand miles away. “Doctor Ceman on deck sir!” barked yet another voice. A hundred miles away. Something bright and painful stabbed at my eyes. I opened them. A crowd of Knights, their badges revealing them to be from the lowly recruits to not a few Vanguards shuffled to get a better view. I was a not a knight. I was a novelty. “Strange” I whispered, for that was the only speech I felt capable of. “That I remember everything about the Order, and yet… Oh, I’m forgetting my manners, my name is… actually, what is my name? All I remember is…Swift…yes my name had something to do with Swift.” “We were about to ask you that question youngster" said a voice from above and behind me "We couldn’t find any records of you in the Archives and… before that, can someone please get this man some proper armor? We don’t even manufacture that helmet anymore and really? Jelly bands?” A small cough alerted Feron (for that was who it was) to a small knight towards the back of the crowd. “Sorry to interrupt Mr. Feron sir, but may I find this…erm Gentleman Swift fellow an outfit? It would be an honour.” “Ah, yes Bechamel, of course. Mr. Swift, this…erm Miss? Will get you someth-“ Bechamel stared hard at Feron. Feron blushed “Erm, I mean Sir…sorry.” Bechamel rolled his eyes. As my new tailor led me away, I caught a glimpse of my face in the reflective surface of the floor. One eye was normal, while the other was locked in a permanent glare. I shuddered. Dream my ecto drops.
That was really interesting, and I liked reading it.
I found it a little funny (and kind of heartless) when the Knights made Swift the Bridge mascot, especially when I looked up a picture of the Megalodon helm. XP
The dream was pretty intriguing, and your...half...reason (which you were talking about earlier) for the one Determined eye... *shudder* That was real creepy.
I don't know much about how poem quality works, but the haiku looked great to me!
I noted was that you didn't put periods at the end of some of the dialogue. It felt a little weird to not see those there, which is the only reason I'm pointing it out.
*thumbs up* Overall, that was a pretty good first chapter! Nice!