Times New Roman

Times New Roman 8 - True New Beginning

​June 2003

Archen 

​

Once again, waking up from a coma was not on my bucket list. The first time was unexpected, and this time I was prepared for some discomfort, but my teacher heavily understated how bad the growing pains would be.

I've been bedridden for almost a week at this point.

Now I can say for certain that it has been a week, since my inner clock started doing its thing once more.

The biggest surprise was finding out that most of the adult staff are part of the magical side of the world. I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was, but I expected it to be much more exclusive.

How did I find that out?

Well, getting kicked out of my teacher's domain left me mildly stunned, if I'm being honest.

Getting frenched by the Scottish witch leaves one hell of an impression.

My return to the material world instantly kick started my body's adaptation, and being as dazed as I was, I didn't move from the spot I was in.

Cue me falling flat on my face, body twitching, and foam leaving my mouth.

As I lay there comparing the mild distress I was feeling to the times I collapsed from exertion during fights with my teacher, I noticed something from the corner of my eye.

Tor practically teleported right next to me. He must have noticed the magical disturbance.

From what I vaguely remember, he was at the top of the castle to have a better view of the eclipse.

For him to appear next to me within a few seconds of my return indicates that he can notice magical phenomena.

While feeling very smart about my astute observations, the mild distress I was feeling spiked massively and subsequently knocked me out.

Waking up not even a few hours later in my own comfy bed, with one of the orphanage nurses standing over me, was another surprise. Her hand glowed faintly green as she muttered some ritualistic mumbo jumbo, which was an even bigger clue.

My awakening apparently startled her, since she stopped chanting and immediately swung a small golden bell to alert other faculty members that I had woken up.

With the distinct chiming of the bell, magic circles lit up all around the room, and from them, a lot of familiar faces stepped out.

Yeah...

They know, or at least confirmed, that I'm part of the supernatural.

Gray also popped up in the room a few moments after the others appeared.

Taking one look at my twitching body, then looking around while pointing at me and just saying, fix him.

It was a balm for my heart.

She gained at least five affection points from me right there.

I tried to raise my arm and wave at her to show I noticed her arrival.

Bad idea.

Moving my limbs seemed to kick the discomfort up a notch, and I started to faint once more.

The next time I woke up was three days after my last involuntary nap, and I found the matron kneeling next to my bed in prayer.

That checks out.

I remember the evil presence following me back from the graveyard stopped when I got close to the chapel. The grounds being consecrated seems like a valid assumption now.

I didn't stay awake long enough for a conversation at that time, but it set the tone for when I woke up next.

Which brings us to now. Huge déjà vu moment for me.

Having to answer questions and get my own uncertainties addressed.

First, the nurse gave me a clean bill of health while explaining that my body aged rapidly until it reached the size of a strong thirteen-year-old.

The only really important thing they mentioned was my height. If I am correct, I should be bigger than a certain someone now.

After that, the nurses and doctors sedately left to give the matron and me some much-needed privacy for our long-overdue talk.

With a soft click, the door closed, leaving me alone with the matron.

A comforting silence hung in the air as she took a moment to gather her thoughts and decide how to approach the drastically changed situation.

Trying to break the ice, I made the first move. Since the spear only points in one direction, after all.

"So... magic's real, eh?"

My unambiguous and silly opening snapped her out of her musings, and she laughed softly at that. Still dignified, but with an undercurrent of warmth.

"Yes, and that's not even scratching the surface of it all," she added quietly at the end.

With the opening salvo completed, the rest of the conversation went off without a hitch. Except for some of the distressing things she said between the lines, most of the other things were good.

"Wait, wait, wait," I stopped her explanation.

"You mean to say that all the other kids around here are potential mages or have a connection to the supernatural?" I asked incredulously.

"This orphanage was never meant for the mundane in the first place. We have been taking care of children who are either victims or have come into contact with the darker side of the supernatural.

All the children found on British soil who have inadvertently been tainted by corrupting influences need a place where they can be protected, where those abominations dare not tread." Her voice was steady, but beneath the calm veneer, I could hear an edge of venom when she talked about the monsters.

"Is that why the chapel scared away the evil thing that followed me once I accidentally came close to the graveyard?"

My question caused her to stiffen and her brow to furrow deeply. She quickly took out a similar bell and swung it decisively.

Within moments of her using the weird summoning artifact, her daughter appeared in a flourish of magic.

She looked around, combat-ready, as if expecting something to have gone wrong. When she noticed no signs of distress, she just looked kind of sheepishly at her mother.

"What can I help you with, Mother?"

The matron barely reacts to her behavior before responding.

"The cult faction has gone too far. They have allowed some of their pests to wander too far from their domain. Remind them about the division lines, if you would."

There is real disdain in her words, as if she could make all the decisions, the group she is talking about would not exist.

Her daughter's face takes on a look that I am extremely familiar with at this point. One of excitement about a battle to come.

She summons an interesting choice of gear and power walks out of the room while saying in a voice that sounds way too happy, "As you wish, Mom, I'll cleanse the unclean!"

I cannot help but blurt out again at seeing this religious zealotry.

"Is it because of your religion that the police agent waited for me to be alone to ask if I had something against the church?"

She stiffens again, apparently blindsided by all my exclamations.

She sighs softly and mutters quietly under her breath, "How do I have no information about all these events? The familiars should have seen everything."

That is not ominous at all, lady.

She steadies herself again, regaining her poise. "My religion is indeed the reason the inspector asked you while out of my sight, but he did not have to," she answers without hesitation.

I try to interject here, but she continues.

"Yes, we are all followers of the Lord. But unlike the other followers, we do not subscribe to the human church. Solus Christus." She intones heavily.

Huh, would you look at that.

As I continue my explanation about what happened to me and the 'awakening' of my sacred gear, she just hums and hems at most of it. Until I start explaining how and why I have suddenly shot up in height so much.

Here she interrupts me to ask for clarification and make sense of my adventure.

In a slightly bewildered tone and looking genuinely flabbergasted at my tale, she asks,

"To summarize your tale, you got attacked by a monster, dragged into the mythical Lands of Shadows, got accepted as a student by a hero from ages past, trained for a few years, got stronger, and came back?"

"Yeppers."

Yeah, I do not think she took that well.

"Want me to formally adopt you into the family?"

She just said the most outrageous thing out of left field.

"Uuuh... No?" I hesitantly reply.

Hopefully, she does not take that as an insult or something.

"Well, he'll probably marry into the family at a later point anyway. No need to rush it." She mutters quietly enough that I cannot fully make out what she actually said.

She claps her hands together, looks back at me, and attempts to finish the conversation with, "You are hereby officially discharged. I would think it prudent if you went and met little Gray as soon as possible. She has been beside herself with worry."

Shit, she is right, but how do I contact her? My eyes snap to the matron, thinking about the instant messaging bells. Before she stands up and leaves, I quickly say.

"Umm... can you send her a message asking if she wants to meet, and if yes, where?"

She just wordlessly casts a magic circle and whispers my words into it.

Aren't all Christians against magic and stuff? Whatever, not my battle and hill to die on.

"Go change into normal clothes. She will send you a message about where to meet." She finalizes.

And with that, she glides out of the room, looking deep in thought about some of the things she has learned.

Time to get ready for some more questioning.

Thirty minutes later.

Jogging swiftly while following the magical owl, I quickly arrive at my destination.

She could not have just told me where to meet up? She had to send her bird as a guide. Talk about theatrics here. I muse.

Yet, two can play at that game.

With decisive movements, I throw the training room doors wide open, causing them to slam against the walls with a loud noise.

The loud sound alerts her, and she looks at me with a worried expression.

With my purpose clear, I power walk to her and stand before her, looking down into her now slightly frowning eyes.

I pat her head and speak soothingly. "No need to worry about me, shortcake. You see, I am all good now."

Her frowny, worried expression goes slack, and her face starts to go blank.

While she is, a bit slowly if you ask me, processing my words and actions, her eyes start to twitch. I see the worry from before completely vanish and change into indignation.

She slaps my hand away from tussling her hair and growls at me, "Who is worried about who, you stupid idiot?"

With my now superior reach, I use my other hand to keep patting her head and try to get an even bigger reaction out of her.

"Do not sweat it, shorty. It was just a tiny complication, and I have made it to the big leagues in exchange."

Heh, I wonder how many I can get in before she snaps.

In one smooth move, she slaps my offending second hand away and leaps back a dozen paces.

"All right, smartass. If you want to be like that, then be like that." She pouts and says.

She picks one of the practice spears off the rack and points it at me.

"You feel strong now? Show it to me."

A joyous feeling blossoms in my chest, and I can feel a grin forming on my face.

This is what I had hoped for. Time to finally start winning.

Since she picked up a practice weapon, it would only be fair for me to do the same.

At a relaxed pace, I pick up my standard loadout and move to the starting position.

"You can say that I have grown considerably. If you do not give it your all, I will make short work of you."

I can feel two sets of unimpressed eyes looking at me. An owl has no right to be making that kind of expression.

"We will see about that." She says and, without warning, goes on the offensive.

Her strikes and stabs happen with way more fluidity than I remember. The speed and strength of her hits are much higher.

She had been holding back all this time, keeping it at civilian level, but now she is starting to let loose.

Her precise attacks and fleet footwork are great, showing a talent for fighting that is probably even beyond me.

Her weaving of attacks and the way she dodges my counters speak of a lot of dedicated training and a high amount of experience.

But I have been trained by a legend.

She is good and will become even better, but right now, she is not my match.

With a quick deflection of my shield, I unbalance her spear just enough to strike the middle of the shaft.

Just hard enough for it to fly out of her hands. With a swift motion, I place my spear tip at her neck, and she freezes.

"That is three hundred sixty-five to one." I say with no small amount of smug in my tone.

She looks at me and surprises me with one of the happiest smiles I have ever seen.

"It is you." She says happily. "Your spirit felt like it had grown a lot. I am happy nothing bad happened to you."

Ouch.

Innocent concern and happiness at my return are my biggest weaknesses.

Yet before I can deflect the sappy mood, her grin turns feral.

"But if you think this was me going all out, you are terribly mistaken."

"Add! To me!" She shouts with glee while dashing backward with even more force than before.

I see the owl rapidly approach her, and mid-flight, he starts to deconstruct and change shape.

Until he, or it, turns into a massive scythe.

What. The. Fuck.

"That is not a spear." I mutter in confusion.

"Do not worry about it." She responds, still smiling that fanged grin. "This is round two. Bring out your staff."

Ooh, they do not know about my other weapon, huh?

My own smile turns sharp as I jump backward, giving us both more space. While throwing the practice weapons to the side, I reach my mind inside the amulet. With a flex of my will, the spear pops out right into my hands.

"I do not have a shield strong enough to pair with it yet, but this will do."

She looks mildly surprised, yet not at the act itself, but more at the fact that I am capable of it.

While taking my stance, I point my hand at her. In the universal sign language, I make the motion for her to come at me.

Her face scrunches in concentration, and she bursts at me with renewed vigor.

Our clashes make much more noise, and her attacks feel significantly more powerful than before.

While the different shape of her weapon throws me off, it does not matter. I have been trained in combat, not just in fighting against other spear users.

With deft precision, I strike her scythe to the side while delivering a kick to her torso, pushing her backward.

Instead of dashing back to fight me in close combat, her scythe mid-flight turns into a bow. As she pulls the string back, an arrow of energy forms.

I instantly go on guard, preparing for what is to come.

She shoots three arrows at me in quick succession and dashes forward while her weapon changes to a halberd.

I try to slow her projectiles with my time magic, but surprisingly, it does not work. This tiny slip-up gives her enough time for the arrows to reach me while she is not far behind.

I hasten myself and take the fight much more seriously, using my magic to even the playing field once again.

Yet, without me going all out, she is able to put me slightly on the back foot with her seamless switching between different weapons.

From a hammer to a sword and even a shield, she keeps switching weapons while showing great proficiency in all.

Still, only her scythe and halberd feel truly dangerous.

Our fight continues haphazardly, with her throwing everything and the kitchen sink at me to knock me down.

Yeah, I have seen enough. She is amazing.

Even with her kickass weapon, I am still ahead.

I throw two bolts of energy at her, and she changes to shield form to absorb or block them. It is at this point that I decide to use my combat teleportation to appear behind her.

She didn't expect or had never seen combat teleportation, unable to predict this kind of move she loses right there and then.

"Aah... That's lame, you are lame." She laments.

As I step back in front of her again, I see her look at the shield and whisper, "Add, can we do the thing?"

Her shield transforms into an owl once more, perching quickly on top of her head while using its beak as a battering ram on her forehead.

"Don't be stupid, you dumbass. Just go do happy things with him and stop escalating." With the voice of a man squawks indignantly.

The stupid ass bird just talked and their short conversation alluded to a final form. Intriguing, I want to fight it.

"Aagh," she tries to push the bird away while protecting her forehead. "You didn't have to say that out loud."

Hehe, still a bit shy.

"It's good to see you two again, it's been a lot longer for me than you though." I muse wistfully.

Her focus snaps back to me, I can see the gears turning in her head, as she is already aware of my growth and strength increase.

"Okay, let's talk." She says with maturity far beyond what her age suggests she should have.

And so we did.

I told her most of what happened and she listened with rapt attention, only interfering in my tale a few times. I could see stars in her eyes at parts of the story.

The real kicker for her was learning I studied under Scáthach.

In this world there are more stories told about her than in my own, and they tell many great tales of her skills as a warrior.

If she had the choice, she would have loved to be trained by her.

"Maybe you can join me when I visit her in the future, with your talent she would probably be interested in checking your mettle." I nod approvingly, my teacher is truly the best.

"I'll have to warn you in advance though, she's incredibly sadistic and rude. Don't expect her to be nice to you in any shape or form." I warn her.

Yet as the words are leaving my mouth, I feel a cold, cold shiver go up my spine. A feeling of future danger.

...I might have made a mistake.

"Of course she's going to be strict, the way to get the best results is through harsh lessons." She passionately defends my teacher.

"Oh, you sweet summer child." I shake my head sadly and look at her with pity.

At the end of my tale, we sit in comfortable silence, me appreciating the relaxed atmosphere and her contemplating my words until she comes to a decision.

She sits up straight and states forthrightly.

"You've told me yours, so I'll tell you mine."

That's not how that quote goes...

"Long, long ago there were two young children. Born from the same parents in the same year at the same time. Twins, a boy and a girl.

They were born to a strong family, a royal one. A joyous occasion one would say, for their birth brought an heir and a princess into the fold.

Yet his birth was foretold by a sorceress bright but never old.

Her prophecy spoken: 'Once again the White Dragon shall rise up and will invite over a daughter of Germany. Our little garden will be stocked again with foreign seed, and the Red Dragon will pine away at the far end of the pool.'"

Yikes, prophecies suck. Please don't tell me there is one about me.

"This prophecy foretold the rise of King Arthur, the host of Albion, The White Dragon Emperor."

...Albion. White dragon.

"It foretold of the battle between the hosts of The White Dragon of Supremacy against the invading host of The Red Dragon of Domination, Y Ddraig Goch."

...Ddraig. Red dragon.

Fuck. I know where I am.

"Yet the sorceress never predicted a twin to be born at the same time, but how could the twin of the promised King ever be anything but extraordinary?

Unlike her twin who was destined for kingship, she sought a different goal, yet noble all the same.

At the far reaches of the world, she encountered something magnificent and she brought it with her back to the isles."

Shit. Fuck. Motherfucker.

I am an idiot.

"With her new weapon, a spear that shined brightly as if made of light, she returned just in time to help her twin in his conquest of Britannia.

With her spear, she managed to help her brother defeat the host of the Red Dragon Emperor and started the golden age of our lands.

Yet, once the throne was secure, she retreated from the court to continue her journey, and on her travels, she saw the devastation the battles had caused."

Never before have I regretted not watching more of a titty anime.

"Thus, she made her choice. She established a small village, one where she would gather all the children bereft of parents and there she would shelter them."

Her words interrupting managing to snap me out of my existential dread, my god. Is she saying what I think she's saying?

"After she established her sanctuary, she continued on, only returning to bring more and more children to be raised by her confidants.

She continued this until she had seen enough, and once she truly returned to settle down, her village had grown to a small town.

In this town, they continued her wishes while safeguarding her will."

Fay's last name is Pendragon. I did think that it was fucking pretentious. But holy shit.

"All the way to the current era."

She stands up.

"Let me re-introduce myself fully."

And with a formal curtsy, she says in a mirror of our first meeting.

"I am Gray Blackmore, Descendant of Artoria Pendragon, Princess Royal of Britannia and spirit inheritor. User of the Independent Avatar Sacred Gear Logos React, Add."

Unlike last time, where our introduction felt forced and unwanted, this time she smiles radiantly.

"Pleased to be good friends."

She finishes happily.

June 2023

? ​​

"Governor, the church seems to be on the move. Our informants from within the church have been sending frantic messages about the unrest some of the top members are showing."

Hmm... That is very interesting. What kind of trouble have the humans caused this time?

"There have been whispers about the emergence of a gate unseen in centuries and the sightings of one of their institution's escapees."

Ah, yeah. Funny how Father's most devout followers desecrate his will the most. You can always count on them to screw the pooch.

"They haven't been able to send their exorcists there due to their agreements with the English block, but the appearance of the gate above the Isle of Skye has them all extremely worried."

That actually causes me to pause. I can only remember one person associated with the gate in the Isles, and if she is part of the upheaval, I better tread carefully.

I still shiver every time I think of her. Got to extra-extra remind the idiots I send there to be very polite in their dealings.

Oh yeah, got to address the messenger. Penemue keeps getting on my ass about ignoring the riff-raff.

"Anything else of note, or can I go back to my research?"

"No, General. Only that the sightings coincided with the eclipse of last month." He salutes and swiftly leaves.

This sounds extremely fascinating. Do I go myself, or can I leave the legwork to some of the useless ones?

Maybe send one of the weaker ones so as not to arouse suspicions about my goals there. But most, if not all, of them are idiots. The chance of them fucking this up is at the very least seventy percent.

What to do. What to do.

Ah!

Penemue has been bugging me a lot lately, and as I remember, she hasn't taken a vacation in a while. I can just dump this on her as a semi-long-term mission where she can also take a look around.

She is also one of the only ones smart and relaxed enough to not cause a diplomatic problem.

Just have to figure out how to get her to agree...