^^Dunedin, Kit, and the Cobalt Blade^^

I hummed at the choices before me, and leaned back, unable to make a decision. "Why don't we just wear our normal clothes?" I groaned in annoyance.

Papa just turned a page in the book he was reading, studiously ignoring my whining.

Nara hugged me forcefully, laughing. "It's because it's a big day!!! We should celebrate!!! We're gonna become members of the Clan!" She squealed excitedly.

I groaned again. "So what? Our papa is the leader of the Clan, we're already treated like members. What's the difference?"

"You'll be allowed to come with me on expeditions." He rumbled softly, and closed his book, turning his head towards us. "And... you'll be old enough to marry. England has withstood our attempts for 40 long years. A peaceful End to the War would be profitable for us all."

I snorted. "As if I'd marry some weakling prince from England! I'd rather kill them all!"

He smirked and shook his head. "I'd expect no less from my child. And that's not what I meant. Asia has withstood us for almost as long as England, through pure force of will, and their highly skilled militaries. Alliances must be made." He said simply.

I hummed. "I've heard that the princess of India's Sultanate is very pretty."

He raised an eyebrow. "I've heard the same. She is 16, and will be married soon. If you are members of my Clan, it may be your lucky day."

I huffed. "Fine. So what should I wear?"

"It's an induction into a group of Elite Warriors, gathered from around the world for the purpose of better breeding. You tell me." He said simply, and opened his book again.

I grinned and rooted in my Armoire for my Lizard Armor, made from scales of hardened steel, completely covering my body from the chin down, without being heavy at all. Then I laced my sword belt on, and placed my helmet, (won from a Roman Legate in a fist fight,) on my head.

He smirked slightly. "Kitted for war, hmm... good choice. And Nara?"

She twirled, her French dress fanning prettily. "How do I look, papa?" She giggled.

He hummed. "Very pretty. Where are your weapons?"

She hiked up her skirts, and showed us that her boots had blades on the toes and the stiletto heel was an actual stiletto, and then flapped her wide sleeves, revealing more knives inside them. "Tadah!!! I had uncle Damon make them for me." She smirked.

Papa frowned, surprising me. "You didn't make them yourself?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. I couldn't make the shoes right, so he did it for me. I made the Stiletto's, though!"

He sighed. "You mustn't rely on anyone else for your weapons. Now let's go, my children." He strode out, taking his sword off the hooks above the door, and strapping it onto his back.

We followed him closely, and made our way across the gardens to our horses. I noticed papa still had the book he'd been reading, and hummed. "What book is that, papa?" I asked.

He held it up. "War tactics from past Chinese Tacticians. Very interesting. It is called 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, I believe."

I hummed. "Read me some of it. I can't read Chinese yet."

He nodded, and mounted his horse, as we mounted our own, though Nara had difficulties, whilst attempting not to harm her horse.

He cleared his throat while we started riding slowly. "Alright... ah! Here's an interesting one. 'The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man. For the wise man delights in establishing his merit, the brave man likes to show his courage in action, the covetous man is quick at seizing advantages, and the stupid man has no fear of death.' I like that. Very good."

I blinked. "What's that got to do with War?"

He laughed. "True. How about... 'The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.' That's very true as well."

"Yes. 'The enemies mistakes are your opportunities.' You've told us that a million times." Nara nodded.

He blinked. "Have I? A million?"

"Possibly more. More than likely a bit less. Maybe half a million." I teased him, smiling.

He laughed loudly, startling his horse. "I suppose you're right, love. Ah well. It's true. Race you to the woods! Ha!" He kicked his horse gently, and darted off.

I growled and clicked my tongue, scaring a bit of speed out of my gelding. I almost caught him, right before Nara galloped past us, riding her horse like they were the same creature. She whipped past us like the wind, reaching the forest full seconds before us.

She laughed loudly, and proudly puffed out her full chest. "Ha! And that's what you get, trying to Outrace a Mongol on a Horse!" She proclaimed arrogantly.

I growled, momentarily jealous of her assets, but sighed, and got rid of it. 'Breasts won't make her better than me. Men won't like either of us, not for much longer. Once we're taller and stronger, they'll run for the hills, like always...'

She sensed my distress, and hummed. "You alright, sister?"

I shrugged. "Just thinking."

She nodded slowly, suspicious. "Alright... well, where to, papa?!? We're not going into the woods, are we? The forbidden Oasis? Didn't the gods forbid people from entering?"

"Those that weren't given permission. Yes." He grinned and nudged his horse forward.

We followed warily, aware that the trees were watching us, and they weren't happy we were here.

I flinched as I felt the air electrify, as if protecting me and father and Nara from the air itself. "The air-"

"Has spores in it, yes. The forest's natural defenses. The local Earth Goddess was entombed here, possessing the forest." Father nodded.

I hummed softly, and Nara halted her horse. "The forest is going to kill our horses if we don't send them away." She said quietly.

Father dismounted. "So we're here already. Come, children."

I dismounted as well, and the horses trotted away, out of the forest. As soon as my feet touched the ground, the feeling of dread washed away, replaced by a welcoming call, pulling us all towards a clearing.

I started walking, off the path, and father hummed, confused, but followed cautiously.

As I walked, I became aware of a small creature watching me, observing my movements, and keeping pace, as if leading me somewhere.

Usually, something leading you somewhere in a mystical forest wasn't the smartest thing to allow, but as the children of Tyr, we were relatively safe, so I decided I wanted to know what was on the end of this trail.

We exited the forest a few minutes later, and found ourselves in a large clearing, with a lake in the middle.

The edges were made entirely of fruit bushes and trees, through the branches of which sped thousands of dragons, with varying colors, sizes, and breeds.

Normally, I would be absolutely enamored with them, because of my love for dragons, but something else caught my eye. Something out of place, in this massive, colorful place.

A small black dragon, clawing at a male figure in black armor, kneeling by the banks of the lake, an arrow sticking from the gaps in the helmet.

As soon as I looked through the visor, the clearing disappeared, and suddenly I was in a black, craggy place, the trees rotted and frozen, the fruit long gone. The lake was partially frozen, and white ice cut through the bleakness of the vision.

One spot of color was in the Knights hand, as if he'd been clutching it to help himself stand; a Cobalt blade, thrumming with Godly energy that spoke to me of Tyr himself. Of Woden, Frey, Ullr, and all the forest gods, be they Aesir or Vanir.

I could tell the symbolism just fine... that sword had been stolen, and this man had returned it. As I watched, the spring became apparent. Snow melted, the trees turned orange and then green, and finally the splendor of colors I'd seen before.

Everything the same, except the dragons.

I walked across the frozen lake carefully, and touched the armor, smelling the blood on my fingers.

"A Human... how odd..." I hummed.

A small black dragon leaned against his thigh, weeping tears of white flame that turned into diamonds as they left his snout. A pile sat under him, and I noticed that they were littered around the clearing in different colors. Where the sapphires sat, blueberry bushes grew. Rubies-apples, emeralds-watermelon. I snapped my gaze back to the dragon in wonder.

He looked almost exactly the same as the one from before, only this one had no scars, and his left eye was undamaged. The claw-tips in his left wing were still attached, and sharp. His tail wasn't missing a few spines, nor was the end bitten off.

I smiled. "Brave Warrior... you got those wounds protecting your friend's corpse, so I could burn him, didn't you?"

He looked at me slowly, and his tears turned blue, becoming tiny sapphires. 'The burning girl cometh...' he whispered in my mind.

I smiled and shooed him away, then gathered all the Lightning in the sky for a thousand meters. The clouds crystallized, raining shards of glowing Quartz onto the forest, and my vision ended.

Father gripped my shoulder, keeping me from touching the armor. "That armor is cursed, Gunnar."

I looked at the Knights empty hands. "I know. I cursed it."

He stepped away, and I located all the Quartz crystals, which had been collecting lightning for nearly a millennium.

I grinned and pulled on it, connecting it to my body and soul in a fundamental, primeval way. Not even Father had access to this much lightning, not in the biggest lightning storm the world had ever seen. I gathered it to myself, slowly, forcing it to invade my body.

Nara gripped my shoulder, hissing in pain when I burned her, and took the excess, so my cells weren't too stressed. We shared a thousand years' worth of Lightning between us, and then I simply touched the armor, my thumb tapping it in the forehead.

Father flinched when lightning as thick as a house and as hot as the sun slammed into the set of armor, burning the bones inside to ash, but only serving to polish and restore the armor to its previous beauty.

Giant Steel, forged by unknown, lost means, shining a beautiful Obsidian color, and in quantities I never thought to lay eyes on, coated the now-ashen hero.

The arrow which had killed him, made of magic steel of a different kind, fell at my feet, sparking with power.

The tiny, battle-scarred dragon nudged it towards me, hissing venomously at it.

I picked it up slowly, and twirled it. "Long, for an arrow... oddly fletched."

"A crossbow bolt... of dwarvish make, not Giant... the designs, there." Father tapped the wave-like designs on the notch.

I grinned. "Giants and Dwarves... Nara, how'd you like to hunt down a magic sword and kill a few Giants with your older sister?"

She pouted. "Only if you admit I'm older."

"Sorry, luv, she's older." Father patted her head.

"You weren't even there!!!" She complained.

"I impregnated her mother almost a week before yours." He shrugged.

I scrunched up my nose. "Ew."

He laughed heartily, and nodded. "Indeed, I suppose. Now let's get going, girls, ye become women today!" He grinned and bowed to the scarred dragon. "Little warrior, we apologize for trespassing here."

The dragon snorted, and leapt onto my shoulder. It shivered, making me raise an eyebrow, and a scale popped loose, landing in my hand. He leapt back down, and curled up, just as the scale started multiplying, and growing.

Soon, a large cat-sized black dragon wound around my neck, settling on my right shoulder, so his ruined eye was facing me.

I pet his chin gently. "You're coming with me, then?"

He snorted black smoke as an affirmative.

"Alright, then I'll call you Kit! I've always wanted a cat." I nodded and walked next to father. Nara caught up swiftly, despite her ridiculous shoes, and we quickly resumed our trek towards the Hero's campgrounds, which we'd only heard legends of.