Young Writers Society

Plot

This is a Knights of the Green Room fanbook and will follow the adventures of Knight Rydia and any other Knights, Squires or Civilians who wish to join her in slaying damsels and saving dragons in distress.

The adventures will take place in the fair lands of Sanctum where one of the knights' headquarters is based. Sanctum is a beautiful city, if a little behind the times. They have no guns and outsiders who visit are always surprised to find that any technology they bring with them stops working as soon as they cross the magic vale. This vale stretches across the farmlands, river-lands, mountains, plains and even as far as the temple ruins and as such, the only mode of transportation is horse and cart or your own two feet. That is, unless you're lucky enough to tame one of the famed unicorns.

Tournaments are regularly held in the courtyard of the Sanctum Castle and here Knights gather to claim boons or recount the tales of their dangerous adventures. Then they set off again, sometimes alone but often with friends, to fight back the strange creatures which lurk beyond the torchlight of our fair city.

Rules

You don't have to be a Knight of the Green Room to join this storybook or to know anything about them. If you're not a knight, simply fill out the civilian template below or the squire one if you think you'd like to one day earn your sword and shield. If you're already a knight then fill out the knight template.

But if you haven't completed enough green room reviews to have a sword then you don't have a sword. You can have a dagger or a bow and arrows instead but swords, shields, helmets and anything else which can be earned as a knightly badge is off limits until you've earned them. See the spoiler for the full list.



In terms of world building, there are few rules. This is a mystical, medieval kingdom and technology is basic/ doesn't work here but you're free to invent any kinds of beasts which need to be slain (or saved) and the names of nearby villages/ towns are yours to make up.

Where Orders are concerned, you may create fake Orders to be a part of for the sake of the storybook, or if you're part of real Orders then you may roleplay them. If an Order exists, such as The After Watch, and you are not a part of it, you may not say that you are.

Anything which is true in the Knights of the Green Room forum is also true here.

I also ask that you link to a Green Room review written since your last post if you want to make a heroic boast about a recent deed.

Character Templates

Knight



Squire/ Page



Civilian

Knight Rydia: The First Order of Business

The Tavern was almost empty, which would have been unusual if it weren't that time of day when it was too late for adventurers to be grabbing a quick pint (of apple juice) before setting off to save the world and yet too early for them to be home and celebrating.

Knight Rydia sat at a table in a darkened corner, her hands wrapped around a mug of steaming hot chocolate and her eyes downcast. She was joined by Knight @Hannah who seemed determined to fix everything wrong in the world, starting with her companion's unusually glum expression.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad. I'm sure they didn't actually throw you out of their hall."

"Yes they did, but I suppose it was only after I turned their tea into hot chocolate."

"You did what?!"

"Well, I borrowed a spell from @TheMaieuticMesmerist. It should wear off in a week. Or two. But that was only after they wouldn't let me join."

Hannah rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Why would you want to join The Order of the Teacup anyway?"

Rydia shrugged and buried her head in her cup, which resulted in a creamy beard when she finally set it down again. "I don't know, I just- I just feel like I should be in one. I've been a knight for three years now and it seems like only the people in Orders get invited to all the cool parties."

"Alright, let's work out which one would suit you. What have you done recently?"

"Oh, I don't know. Not much I guess. This morning I rescued @LadyLizzLovelace from a stampeding horse. It was my stampeding horse mind, but you know how Bubbles gets when she's been in the city for too long."

Hannah looked thoughtful for a moment and tapped her finger against her cup. Then her face burst into a smile as she hit upon a perfect solution: "Maybe you can ask her if you can join the Order of the Ravens?"

Rydia's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. "Oh no, not that Order. They're far too hard working."

Hannah let out a soft sigh. "Well why don't you make your own then?"

"Make... my... own? I can do that?"

Hannah nodded. "Sure anyone can make their own order, though I suppose it's not really an order until you find people to join it, but I'm sure you could."

Rydia slowly raised her cup to her mouth and drank the rest of the chocolately goodness, then licked the beard of cream and marshmallows off her lips and chin. "You know what, I think I will."

And with those famous words, the Order of Chaos was born and Rydia set about looking for people who might like to join, or who were at least looking to go on a new adventure and keep Bubbles the horse from rampaging all across Sanctum.

Knight Kayla: Birth of a New Order

Word spread quickly to Knight Kayla, who was said to have actually lived on the battlefield, that @Rydia birthed a new Order. Kayla overheard the information from a pair of Squires making conversation near her. One she immediately identified as Squire @Sheyren. She slammed her fist on one of the sandbags that Sheyren happened to be leaning on, "Tell me about this Order."

Sheyren muttered something underneath his breath, and then spoke, "The Order of Chaos, lead by Rydia herself. I hear she's looking for recruits. Are you thinking about joining?"

She nodded. "It's a possibility." While levelheaded on the outside, Kayla's curiosity burned in her, similar to how a stick of dynamite would. From behind the two Squires, Kayla recognized a familiar and throaty rumble. "Stay down." she instructed.

Knight Kayla drew her sword from its scabbard, shining in all its majesty. Long and to be held with two hands. Not meant for someone who couldn't carry the weight. Her shield usually stayed dormant on her back, and this battle ended up being no exception.

"Pity you won't come out of the shadows. There's no use hiding behind some bushes if I've already seen you." Kayla said, taking a step forward.

A growl came from the creature as it emerged from the shadows, the sun shedding light on the large serpent. Kayla heaved her sword over her shoulder and ran right of the beast, hoping to throw it off. The serpent whipped its tail at Kayla, tripping her to the ground. It didn't take long for the aides to act. A dagger flew past her ear from behind into the eye of the serpent. Kayla watched in awe for a moment before shaking her head to take advantage of the situation.

The creature cried out in pain, as its attempts to shake the dagger from its left eye only drove the knife deeper. She drew closer while avoiding the notice of her enemy. Kayla held her sword over her head and maybe even over the sun, some might say, and swung downward. The gash went deep into its skin, bleeding out onto the grass. She put a foot on the serpent, pulling the sword out from the snake's flesh to do this once more.

And once more just to be sure. The ophidian lay unmoving in the verdant grass. Kayla didn't expect the enemy to be so strong, and she cursed at herself for stepping so close to death. That's how she tiptoed when working on a solo mission, never knowing if she would ever come back.

"Thank you both." Kayla turned to the two Squires.

"It's no issue." Sheyren said. The other nodded.

"Tell me--where is Rydia now?"

"Well I suppose she's not too far from here. Where is your horse?"

Knight Kayla whistled loudly, and before long, her horse Pancake came trotting along. "Here."

"Well then, if we want to catch Rydia, we best get travelling." the Squire said.

"I forgot. I have to be home for dinner," Sheyren said, "We'll just show you the way."

The other Squire pointed to a bridge not too far away. "Cross there, and you should be on your way."

"I appreciate it, though I know how to get around. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction." Kayla said, riding off to find Rydia on her horse, Pancake.

Squire Sheyren: Going Where One Should Not

Watching Knight @Nikayla ride off into the distance, Sheyren immediately regretted not going with her. It could have been his chance to be a knight! And even if it was only for a short while – until she reached her destination – it would have felt real, like he himself was a knight, riding beside another knight.

Shey stared as she rode off, dust billowing behind the treading of her horse. Being a knight was his dream, getting to fight for and save others, defeating monsters, wielding a sword. Deep down, however, he knew it wasn't the life for him. He was meant to stay in this horse stable, tending to the ponies so that novice knights could drop by and learn to ride.

He glanced at the small white pony in the stable he stood by. “Could you refill the water for her?” Asked the other squire politely, but he was clearly fed up with Shey's deep contemplation. “This heat is probably getting to her, and is likely quite thirsty.” Shey snapped out of a trance and hopped the fence to the pen.

“Yeah, I got it,” He said as he dumped the water into the drain, then grabbed the hose. As he did so, the horse stared at him, watching his every move. When he looked back it her, she turned her attention to the path which Knight Kayla had just rode down.

Sheyren shook his head, ignoring her and continuing to fill the trough. She came up behind him and nudged him in the back with her nose, before nodding to the gate left slightly ajar. Then she again glanced at where Kayla had been. Shey still ignored her.

Suddenly he heard a crash, the sound of something falling. Shey turned to see the pony standing in front of an empty shelf, and anger bubbled up inside him. He angrily approached, fists clenched, and was about to yell at her when he saw what she had knocked down and was now staring at.

It was a saddle.

She looked at Shey again, then at the open gate, then at where Kayla had gone. Shey groaned, knowing what she wanted. He facepalmed, but as he did so, he was already placing the saddle on her back. “If I get arrested for this, it's your fault.” He leapt onto her back, kicked her in the side, and grinned as she charged at the gate, knocking it clean off its hinges.

They rode right out the stables, leaving the other squire with an gaping open mouth as he watched them. Sheyren kicked her harder, and she ran faster down the path. But he knew that Kayla's horse was faster, so he turned her to take a shortcut through the woods.

It was short, but pleasurable. The adrenaline flooded through Sheyren, and as he and his pony charged out of the woods into town, he saw Knight Kayla riding to the castle gates not too far away. He galloped after her.

By the time he had caught up, she was trotting inside the headquarters of the Knights of the Green Room, a place that a squire like Sheyren could never enter. But he did something stupid in the moments that the castle gate closed, and he did it without thinking.

He hopped off his horse, telling her to stay, threw on the hood of his cloak, and slipped through the closing gates.

Knight Ruby: An Intruder

While pacing the Green Room, Knight Ruby contemplated why she had even qualified to join the Order of Chaos.

What must Rydia think of my lack of conquests? I'm not worthy of my title! I've trained for this moment for so long, to join an order as a knight and make my parents proud, but all I do is guard the castle ga-- ...

"WAIT! I've been walking around wondering way too long! I've forgotten about my post! I'll surely lose my title for this!"

Scrambling back to the castle gates, Ruby pulled out her sword ready to defend the gate as she saw the draw bridge close.

"Ah, there he is!!!" she yelled rushing towards Kay and raising her sword without knowing who it was. Once Kay got closer, Ruby realized her mistake and lowered her sword with a sigh.

"Oh, Kay, it's just you... my, you gave me a fright! I thought there was an intruder... forgive me for pulling my sword on you. I hope I didn't scare you."

"How presumptuous of you, Ruby. I wasn't scared at all, but thought you might have lost your mind. Don't you know a fellow comrade when you see one?" Kayla replied looking at Ruby with a dazed look on her face.

With another sigh she replied, "Well, I assume since you're here that you came to see Rydia... oh please don't tell her about this incident I beg you... this is so embarrassing..." she said the last part under her breath.

"Well, I'll think about it. Can you point me to where she is?"

"Last I saw she was recruiting knights for the Order of Chaos... ummm, maybe try the tavern?" she scratched her head.

"Well, if that's the best you can do I suppose I'll start there, thank you for your... help."

And with that Kayla was off, and Ruby left at the castle gates. She was thinking how stupid the situation was when she saw a cloaked figure near the entrance of the gate.

"Aha! You thought you could sneak in? How about a taste of my blade fiend?!" she charged.

@Sheyren not knowing how to react in such a short time pulled out his sword to block Ruby's strike.

"Nice moves, intruder, but you'll have to do better than that!" she yelled taunting him.

Shey continued to block her hits, and tried to speak up and explain himself, but Ruby didn't close her mouth for long enough for him to do so.

"Hiya!!!" she yelled knocking the weapon out of his hands and holding the tip of her blade to his throat, "I have you now! Let's see how you fancy the dungeons..."

Knight Rydia: Seven Days and Seven Knights

In her haste to get the news out quickly about her new Order, Rydia returned to the Tavern as soon as she'd filed the paperwork and got her shiny seal of approval. It had been surprisingly easy to set up the new Order and the only thing she had to do now was to find at least five knights to join it, find a quest to go on and come back (mostly) alive within seven days of establishing the Order. Totally easy, right?

Wrong. It had been seven whole minutes already and there was still nobody who wanted to join her Order! The tavern was filling up with hungry people but apparently they were hungry for dinner and not fame or adventure.

"It sounds like a great Order, but I'm only a squire so I can't actually join," ForeverASquire sighed as he finished off a meal so challengingly huge that Rydia had been sure he must be a knight! "I'm heading back to the dorms now and I'll tell the other squires about it. They're sure to gossip where the knights will hear."

"Well that's something I suppose," Rydia agreed and she flopped back on to her chair with a deep sigh. The tired knight closed her eyes for a moment and wondered if she was cut out for being Captain of an Order.

"Can I join you?" a familiar voice asked a moment later and Rydia opened her eyes and waved vaguely at the seat opposite her.

"Sure @Dino, I could use some company."

"Great, thanks, where do I sign?" Dino brandished a very fancy red fountain pen and looked expectantly at the sheet of paper on the table between them. Rydia looked at it as well and then back at Dino.

"You're a knight?"

"Sure am!"

"Have you got a horse?"

"Well I'd prefer a dinosaur but she'll do until I find one."

"You're in! Sign your name right here!" Rydia pointed excitedly at the second line on the piece of parchment and then they were two.

Suddenly the doors at the back of the tavern were thrown open and @Auxiira began to play a dramatic entrance music on the tavern piano. A knight not like any other knight strode into the tavern, the feather on his circlet brushing the post of the tavern door as he flipped a badge to Auxiira in recognition of her excellent timing.

"What's this I hear about you starting an Order, Captain?" the knight's voice bellowed out as civilians scrambled to get in his way so they could have the honour of being pushed aside.

"Oh, well, I- I thought we could stand up for the dragons and trolls - just the nice ones, of course. And I like being called Captain and they never invite us to any of their fancy parties so..."

Knight @Lumi held up a hand and in it he held another very fancy red fountain pen.

I have to find out where those come from, Rydia decided.

"Does this make you my Captain Captain, Captain?" Lumi asked as he added his name to the third line.

Before she had a chance to respond, another knight sprang forward, red fountain pen already in hand and Tim the raven circling around her head. Knight Lizz needed no introductions and Rydia really hoped she was here to join and not because Bubbles was causing trouble again.

"I need to pledge too!" @LadyLizzLovelace declared and Rydia breathed a soft sigh of relief and indicated the fourth line on the parchment. The fourth; things were really heating up now!

"Great, I'm in the first five!" LadyLizzLovelace cheered as she signed her name.

"We only need one more!" Rydia realised. "Then we can be a real Order!"

There were loud cheers around the tavern and a group of civilians chipped in for a round of chocolate milks for the brave adventurers but after a few moments, the atmosphere quietened down. The seconds seemed to stretch into days until finally a girl with a long, blonde plait and a red tailed hawk cruising on her shoulder approached them.

"Well, uh- since you only need one more, maybe I could help?" Knight Feather suggested. Rydia was about to ask if she had a horse and then realised that she was wearing full armour so of course she had a horse.

"That would be great, thanks @FalconryGirl9086! Alright, I want you all to go pack a bag and meet me at the stables while I find us our first quest!"

The group began to disband while FalconryGirl9086 signed her name with a green fountain pen that was no less fancy than the slew of red ones.

Then who should come in but @RubyRed with her pet owl Luna sitting on her gauntlet and looking very much ready for a fight.

"I've earned my horse now!" Knight Ruby declared as she strode across the tavern. "I was going to be here earlier but someone said I needed a horse so I got one and now I'm here."

Rydia blinked in confusion but then RubyRed brought out a very fancy red fountain pen and everything in the world made sense again.

"Go ahead and sign," Rydia said and she pointed to the sixth line.

"I've got to get back to guard duty," RubyRed explained as she signed her name very quickly. "But I have a bag packed already. What time do we leave?"

"In a couple of hours," Rydia said. "I've got to find us a quest still and pack my own bag but I'll send someone to relieve you of duty before then."

RubyRed nodded and left the tavern then Rydia started asking around after a quest. One of the civilians suggested they could go on a long and dangerous hunt for his missing socks but Rydia quickly declined and explained that they needed something a little easier for their first one. That was when the tavern keeper himself said he might have just the job for them. Apparently there was a town not far away where he usually sourced his best apple juice since they had the most beautiful orchard but lately a group of goblins had moved in and now the townspeople were too scared to go and pick any apples.

"That sounds perfect!" Rydia decided. "I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding and we won't even have to fight anyone!"

The tavern keeper grunted uncertainly and went back to serving customers. Rydia went back to her table and picked up her sheet of parchment and then headed back to Storybook tower to pack a few saddlebags. Of course, being the frequent adventurer, they were mostly packed already so she only had to throw in some clean clothes and fresh supplies. While there, she instructed @TheSilverFox to take over Ruby's guard post in one hour. Then she headed back to the tavern to get the details of the whereabouts of the town and any extra information the tavern keeper might know about the roads leading to it.

"Rydia!" Knight Kayla called out as she rode her horse up to the tavern and dismounted in front of her.

"I'm here to pledge my loyalty! I'm not too late am I?" @Nikayla said.

"Not at all! I've picked an easy quest for us but it's probably best to have a few extras in case some don't make it back," Rydia mused aloud and she got the piece of parchment out and Nikayla signed with her red fountain pen.

Then Rydia entered the tavern and got the rest of the quest details from the tavern keeper while Nikayla ordered a drink to pass the time.

"Rydia! Captain! I've got a prisoner" Knight Ruby called out loudly as the tavern doors once again flew open and the flaming haired knight hurried over. "I caught him trying to sneak through the castle gates so I put him in the dungeons. I also found a horse just outside which I think he must have stolen."

"Are you sure he was an intruder?" Knight Kayla asked, one eyebrow raised. "Afterall, you tried to stop-"

Knight Ruby glared at her and crossed her arms. "I'm sure. He's not carrying a shield or anything so he's definitely not a knight."

Rydia sighed. Dealing with prisoners was far too much paperwork and she had an adventure to be going on!

"We'll have to bring him with us. Go get him and the horse and meet us at the castle stables. I've told Fox to guard the gates while you're away so just give the keys to him."

That was how a short time later there were seven knights, one squire and eight horses at the Castle Stables, ready for an adventure to begin.

Knight Kayla: Bonded By Friendship, Not By Handcuffs

Knight Kayla sat down at a table in middle of the tavern across from the prisoner, "Where are you from, buddy?" her hands danced over the hilt of her sword.

"We don't have time for this. I said we're bringing him along." @Rydia said, pulling him by the arm.

Kayla nodded and shot him a dirty look. She could've filled out the paperwork in two minutes if she were given the time! What if the prisoner got away on the quest? No, that wouldn't happen. That prisoner held the eyes of Knight Rydia, highly esteemed for her work. He couldn't escape if she kept a careful watch on him.

"Should a prisoner and a Squire really be going on this quest?" Kayla whispered into Rydia's ear, pointing a thumb to who followed behind them out the doors of the pub.

"He's as good as any to go on this quest. Might not be a Knight yet, though he has the determination of one." she responded.

Knight Kayla nodded. She'd always seen that part of him. She called Pancake with a whistle, and it wasn't long before he came trodding along the dirt trail. He's learned how to unbolt his own stable at the sound of her call. The catch is that Pancake had been hard of hearing out of his right ear out of the womb. Kayla remembered when one of the local horses became pregnant. Ms. Edwards who owned that horse gave the little colt to Kayla on her birthday.

Kayla kept him in her stables until she learned how to take care of him herself. Those were the people she pursued Knighthood for. To keep them safe, and usually the tiny village she hailed from wasn't bothered by Green Room beasts or bandits. She liked to think because they all knew she'd get revenge on them if they laid a finger on her hometown.

"We ride surrounding him." Rydia gestured to the prisoner. "Kayla. I trust you to be the one to keep an eye on this boy. Handle the back and look out for any signs of danger. If you see or hear anything, be sure to holler.

"Yes Ma'am." Kayla slowed on Pancake, pulling up behind Sheyren.

She rode behind the prisoner, keeping her eyes on him. Kayla admitted she wanted to be at the front of the pack where Rydia drove them forward.

"So, Shey, why were you trying to intrude? Might as well fess up while nobody else is around. What'd you get yourself into this time?" she asked.

He facepalmed. "@RubyRed never gave me any time to explain, and I pulled my sword on her out of reflex. I wasn't intruding. I meant to go find Rydia to join the Order of Chaos. Seems like the world wanted me here for one reason or another."

Kayla ignored that last part that drifted off into space and relaxed her shoulders a little, "Huh. I had a similar situation happen to me when I was a young Squire?"

"Really?"

"Yup. Let me get you out of this mess, kid, and maybe you can go back home still. We've only been riding for twenty minutes."

"No! I mean, yes. No, I mean--I want to be clear of charges and I don't want to be seen as a prisoner but I also don't want to go home because I'm pretty sure it was my destiny."

"Sure, destiny." Kayla stopped believing in destiny a long time ago. Whatever occurred around her occurred for what could be explained with reasoning. She pulled up to the rest of the group where Rydia and Ruby rode. She explained what happened was a misunderstanding.

"And what do you suppose we do with him?" Ruby asked.

"We let him stay. Shey's a Squire and we always need an archer or distance fighter to keep an eye on us. It isn't babysitting him if he's able to fare for himself. I'm sure he is." that's the only explanation Kayla was able to think of that could convince both of them for Shey to stay. She'd hate to see him have to go back alone too, especially since they were already starting to leave the outskirts where only a few lived on the countryside.

"All right then. Give him his pack back, Ruby." Rydia pointed to the bag she slung over a shoulder, brushing a wisp of hair out of her face.

"Catch." she tossed it to him and he caught it with a single hand, balancing his other on the horse.

"So the Squire is a comrade now, yes?" @LadyLizzLovelace asked.

"Always has been," @FalconryGirl9086 said fondly, "All a misunderstanding."

"If so, then it'd only be courtesy to sing him a little song for this misunderstanding." @Lumi took his ukulele from his pack and started strumming a song.

In unison, they all began to sing and circle their horses around him, "Sheyren, oh Sheyren, we're so sorry that we crossed you..." the song trailed off and marked the first bonding activity on their adventure. A first of many to come.

Squire Sheyren: An Unconventional Weapon for an Unconventional Knight

Knight @Nikayla stood beside Squire Sheyren, guiding him through the process of shooting a bow. “Pull the arrow's nock onto the drawstring. Now, lift the bow so the arrow is pointing at the target, and as you do so, pull the string back slowly. Once it reaches your ear, stop pulling back and carefully aim it so when you release, it should hit the target where you desire. Then, let go!” With that, Shey released the string from the curve of his fingers The arrow sliced through the air, whizzing right past the hay pile being used as a makeshift target.

Shey sighed. “I can't use a bow. It requires too much patience. I'd rather be up on the front lines, fighting with a blade in hand.”

Kayla shook her head. “But you aren't trained with a blade. An enemy would tear you to shreds. Besides, I was able to convince Knight @Rydia to keep you, since we needed an archer. So you better learn to shoot a bow!”

Dejected, Shey grabbed a stick from beside him and pretended it was a sword, slashing at nothing in particular. Kayla shook her head disapprovingly. “No, your form is all wrong. Never cross your legs. And where are your eyes, on the blade? Stare down your enemy, to intimidate them!” Again she shook her head. “This is why you couldn't fight on the front lines with a sword.” She crossed over and lifted the “sword” out from Sheyren's hands. Then she began demonstrating proper sword wielding etiquette.

Watching her wield the stick with such familiarity, like a sword was just another limb, gave Shey an idea. Telling Kayla to wait there, he ran out of the clearing in the woods they were training at and grabbed something from the package of stuff he brought with him, hanging beside his pony.

Returning, he held the item. It looked like a bundle of sticks with something fuzzy on the end. Kayla looked at him in confusion, so he unfolded the sticks into a rod shape, and on the end was a tuft of fabric-like hair.

Kayla laughed heartily. “You brought a mop with you?!”

Shey smiled. “A little piece of home. Anyway, I'd like to spar with you. You use the stick, and I'll use this.” Kayla opened her mouth to object, but Shey immediately interjected. “Trust me.”

Nodding, they faced off. Kayla stood in the proper stance for a one handed sword without a shield, leaving little of her body open. Shey held up his mop like a spear, or a lance. They faced off without movement for a few seconds, before Kayla rushed him. He sidestepped her, swiping the ground in front of her feet with his makeshift weapon. She hadn't anticipated the move, and stumbled over it. As she regained her footing, Sheyren jabbed it at her torso, causing her to focus on blocking and lose balance.

She fell, and as she hit the ground, she pushed up with her feet, doing a flip and getting out of Sheyren's range. There was a branch behind her, and so she threw it onto the sandy floor of the clearing. A cloud of sand billowed into the air between them, and she used the opportunity to jump through at him and catch him off guard.

He hopped backwards, deflecting the sword, but in the same moment Kayla had kicked the branch on the ground between his legs, causing him to get tangled. She slammed her body into him, knocking him over. She angled the end of her stick at his throat, and he lifted his legs so that his knees could grab a hold of the stick. Wrenching it out of her hands, he used the opportunity of her being without protection to leap up and jab the end of his mop into her stomach. She grabbed a hold of the handle and pushed off it, sliding between Shey's legs and grabbing the stick. Poking him in the back, he fell over, and she stood victorious.

By then, the rest of the Order had all gathered in the clearing to watch the fight. “Shey, that was pretty impressive fighting!” Kayla exclaimed, genuinely surprised at how well he did.

“You taught yourself to wield a mop like a shield?” Knight Rydia asked curiously, emerging from the small but dense crowd around the two combatants.

Sheyren nodded, blushing a little. “Well... It's kind of embarrassing, but I used to dream to be a knight, so while cleaning the horse stables, I taught myself to fight like one.”

“Wait, so you used that to clean horse stables? And then brought it with you?” Knight @Lumi asked, just a little disgusted. Sheyren nodded in response, followed by a long silence.

“Well, someone get this boy a spare spear!” Rydia exclaimed, and Knight @FalconryGirl9086 went off to fetch one. “I never thought the day would come when I'd see a warrior wield a mop,” she said as though she still couldn't believe it.

“I can't I say I did either.” Sheyren said, laughing. He looked at the mop in his hands, and for the first time on the journey, he felt like he belonged beside those knights.

Knight Rydia: Random Item Generators are a Bad Idea

After @Sheyren's magnificent display with his mop, the adventurers' spirits were high and they rose even further when Knight Rydia announced she would take the first turn at cooking. Her baking was well renowned throughout all of Sanctum and it was expected that her cooking skills must be legendary as well.

She carried her saddlebags to the fire and brought out a vast cooking pot, a ladle and a small, black stone.

"What's the stone for?" @Lumi asked as he sharpened the blade of his sword nearby.

"I'm making Stone Stew," Rydia explained. "I need to do a few things to prepare the stone first - it's really important I get this right so the stew tastes amazing. Do you mind chopping the vegetables to save time?"

"I can do that, totally. No vegetable has ever defeated me, just call me the vegetable killer!" Lumi stood up and swiped at the air with his sword but after eyeing the veggies for a moment, he sheathed it and brought out a short dagger instead. Then he set about his work.

Rydia in the meantime went back to her saddlebags and brought out an old, ornate cuckoo clock. She wound up a small key at the back and set it on the grass.

"What's that for?" @RubyRed asked as she approached with Luna the owl on her gauntlet. She stroked the bird's snowy feathers and eyed the clock curiously.

"I'm timing something," Rydia explained. "Say, do you mind searching for some water to fill the pot? I'm sure with Luna's eyes you'll find it much quicker than I can."

"I'll go with you," @FalconryGirl9086 volunteered. "We'll find it faster with two birds and two people."

"What a good idea!" Rydia agreed.

"Well okay, I guess we can," RubyRed decided, though she sounded hesitant. "But you will tell me after what the clock's for, right?"

Rydia nodded and the red haired girl walked away, talking softly in her owl's ear and Knight Feather and her hawk followed close behind.

The next to approach were @Nikayla and @Sheyren, still energised from their training session.

"I think it would still be good for Shey to see a real shooter in action," Rydia said casually. "Why don't you take him into the trees a way and show him how it's done? If you bring down a rabbit then we can add it to the pot."

"Oh I'll definitely get us a rabbit," Nikayla boasted. "But Sheyren's doing the skinning. We can't let the squire get away with doing nothing afterall."

Rydia nodded in agreement and Shey sighed but followed after Knight Kayla without any argument.

Carrying the stone with her and rubbing it gently with her hands, Rydia approached @LadyLizzLovelace and @Dino who had just finished setting up a hammock between two trees.

"Hey, do you two mind collecting some herbs and spices for the pot? I'd go myself but I've such a lot still to do and I'd hate our first meal together to taste bland." Rydia smiled warmly and the two knights quickly agreed that it would be a terrible shame for their first meal together to be anything less than perfect.

A short time later, RubyRed and FalconryGirl9086 returned with the water and not finding Rydia anywhere in sight, they filled the pot and suspended it carefully over the fire. Lumi had already finished chopping the vegetables and upon watching the girls' kind deed, he gathered them up and dropped them all into the pot. Afterall, Rydia was working so hard to get the stone right.

Then who should come walking back into the camp but Nikayla and Sheyren with two skinned rabbits between them and finding the pot already half filled, they decided to cut up the rabbit and add it in.

The last two adventurers returned to the camp with their spices and they too added these to the pot and then settled down to wait for Rydia.

A couple of hours passed and the adventurers had grown worried and went in search of their wonderful and tireless leader. It wasn't long later when the soft squawk of the cuckoo clock woke the brave Knight Rydia from her slumber and she promptly fell out of the hammock. The knight landed on the ground with the magic stone next to her and a circle of annoyed faces looking down.

"Oh, hey everyone, how's the dinner looking?" Rydia asked. "I guess it should be done about now."

Knight Kayla: The Chimera Part One

Knight Kayla awoke to find herself in the next morning, the ground trembling. An earthquake? No. An earthquake doesn't cast a shadow. An earthquake doesn't leave giant three-toed footprints in the ground. An earthquake doesn't give off the essence of pure bloodlust and impending danger to all those around. She crawled out of her sleeping bag, scanning the scene. Knight @Rydia drew her weapon as soon as her eyes opened while @Sheytato the Squire brushed a hand through his hair. "What's going on?"

Kayla watched his eyes widened as he realized the situation.

"Shey, wake up the others and get them out of here. We'll take care of this," Rydia said, picking up her shield. A colossal shadow drew nearer with eash step. He began to open his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. "That's an order."

Sheytato nodded, shaking the others awake while Kayla tossed her shield aside and drew her sword. "If that beast takes a swing at us, a shield isn't going to change anything." She grimaced, holding the blade in front of her.

"I'll try my luck." Rydia smiled.

Kayla didn't know how she did that. How she smiled in the face of death. A flurry of quacks echoed throughout the air. She looked up to see a beast with eleven heads and twenty-two eyes. There wasn't an eye not fixated on the two of them.

Rydia glanced behind her shoulder. "They're gone. Now we can do this without fear of anyone being hurt but ourselves."

"Right."

The figure became distinct as it came into view. A Quackmera. A rare creature that grew duck heads to equal the amount of humans they'd consumed.

Her head whipped around as the sound of galloping came from behind her. Pancake held a note in his mouth. The Knight skimmed the message and shoved the piece of parchment paper into her pocket.

Kayla chanted a series of ancient words underneath her breath. The note came from the Commander. She'd almost forgotten about her 500th Green Room beast being slain. The color of Pancake's mane changed to the color of bubblegum pink and his coat turned white. A horn sprouted out of his head and an aura of light surrounded him. An aura of hope.

The Knight climbed onto her horse and rode towards the beast while clinging to him with both legs. The Quackmera fluttered its wings, sending a gust of wind towards them. Pancake staggered, shaking his head as he pushed through.

Once the wind calmed and the two got closer, Rydia threw a tomahawk at the creature but the edge didn't leave a scratch on the beast. At least, not a noticeable one. "Go for the legs!" She shouted to the other Knight.

Kayla raised her sword in response and drove towards the pocket of empty space between the beast's legs. The sheer size of the chimera didn't occur to her at first. It wasn't until a pang of trepidation and fear hit her when Pancake galloped underneath the Quackmera. The strength that Kayla felt before began to fade and a second later, she already watched Rydia execute her own attack as she took careful aim. With a throwaway lance, she broke skin.

The Green Room beast turned to Kayla in confusion and the earth quivered. Pancake neighed and threw her off, sprinting away to safety. For the first time in years even her steed felt his life threatened.

Kayla couldn't blame him.

The puncture wound in the Quackmera's leg inspired her. The puncture wound showed her that the Quackmera wasn't invulnerable, and that's what she needed to know. Now on foot, Kayla charged at the creature with her sword and hacked away at the wounded area, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do a mass amount of damage with just a sword.

The Quackmera screeched in frustration, slashing Kayla with a squall of wind, sending her flying. Rydia stabbed into the ankle of the monster with her blade and swung back around to see the fallen Knight.

Kayla kneeled on her hands and knees, her face red; the chimera knocked the wind out of her. "Watch out!" She cried, but her voice gave out before she could warn Rydia of the hand that loomed behind her. She began to rush to Kayla but before that, the Quackmera lifted her off of the ground. The other Knight stumbled, using her sword as a walking stick in an attempt to reach Rydia before she became another head on the Quackmera, but it wasn't long before she fell to the ground again.

An arrow shot through the air, piercing through the scaly hand of the Green Room beast. The Quackmera quacked in retaliation and dropped Knight Rydia to the ground. That arrow came from Sheytato's bow and only a few seconds later, a band of Knights led by a fourteen year old boy came charging onto the scene.

Those Knights were the Order of Chaos.

Knight Rydia: Chaos is a Girl's Best Friend

Despite tucking and rolling as soon as she hit the ground, Knight Rydia felt the reverberation of the fall in every joint of her armour and a distinct pop suggested her shoulder was likely dislocated. Nevertheless, she bravely regained her feet and stumbled in the direction of the charging knights.

The Quackmera lunged after her but @Kays had found her feet again and, leaning on her sword for support, she loaded her sling and launched a rounded stone at the Quackmera's large, vulnerable eyes - afterall there were 22 to aim for. The stone hit one eye and ricocheted into another and the beast let out a rattling hiss as it tried to turn in every direction at once. The Quackmera flared its wings and tossed its heads, all eleven of them.

"I'm very sure I told you to get out of here, but I'm even more glad that you didn't," Rydia declared as she reached her companions. It could be said of Knight Rydia that she was foolishly brave but it should never be said that she was bravely foolish. No, Knight Rydia knew when to accept the help that was offered, even when it came from unusual places.

"What's the plan, Captain?" Knight @Lumi asked as he readied his jousting lance at the beast. @LadyLizzLovelace gathered on his flank and drew her sword as @Sheytato notched another arrow.

"Not to get killed, obviously."

"Obviously. And that's a great plan, and a very fine example you were setting, errr-" Knight Lumi's statement was almost put on hold by a warning glare from Knight Rydia. "What I meant is, shouldn't we have another plan too. Just in case?"

"You want another plan?" Knight Rydia drew her mace and looked almost ready to use it on her companion, then realised in her disorientation that she was facing the wrong way. She spun around on her heel and readied her weapon vaguely in the direction of the Quackmera instead. "Kill the Quackmera, how's that for a backup plan?"

"Sure, beautiful," Lumi muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, spurred on by Knight Kayla's success, Sheytato aimed his next arrow into the Quackmera's eyes and @RubyRed flicked a throwing knife toward another. There were so many eyes to aim for that even as the beast moved one head out of the way, it left another in the crossfire. Knight Feather took aim with her lance, even as the two birds of prey descended in a rain of sharp claws and even sharper beaks.

"We're aiming for the eyes. That's the plan, isn't it?" Lumi realised as Knight Kayla fitted another pebble into her sling.

Contrary to the others' tactics, Knight Rydia ambled forward and used the distraction created by the other members of the Order to dart between the Quackmera's legs and stab down hard at the webbing between its toes.

She told herself that this was because she didn't have a throwing weapon and not because she was feeling bravely foolish but sometimes a knight had to do some crazy things.

There was a time for her bow, and then there was a time for something with a lot more force - her lance. Cornyx broke into a gallop as the others rained arrows and attacks upon it, raising her lance and charging forwards.

How was this for a joy ride? "Fahrvergnügen!" she yells as her hawk begins to divebomb the Quackmera's many heads, going for the eyes with its long, sharp talons.

Distracted by the bird and her many allies, she comes close, going right under it and running her lance through its left legs. It makes a terrifying scream-quack of agony and stumbles back, flapping its wings and tossing its eleven heads.

She lets go of the lance as she gallops past, unable to yank it back out as she ducks under the Quackmera, Rydia speeding out from under it as it stumbles and screeches. Shey fired shot after shot at the mighty beast and RubyRed threw knife after knife as Feather took hold of her sword with the rest of the knights and fell upon its underbelly, wings, and legs with ferocity, slicing and slashing and hacking. Crimson blood stained the green earth red as the mighty monster finally fell, the combatants racing out from under it lest they suffocate in its feathered mass or are crushed.

They circle up to make sure everyone has escaped relatively unscathed, as well as to review the battle and make sure they learned from their mistakes - they were the knights of the Green Room, after all, and that was what they did best!

"We did it!" Feather beams and they all share high-fives as Lumi takes out his ukulele and starts singing about their victory, all of them basking in the schadenfreude.

Somehow, Rydia's Stone Soup survived the hard-won battle, and they circle up around the fire to share tales of past exploits and eat the stew, all enjoying one another's company and relieved that they slayed the Quackmera.

Knight Rydia

With the Quackmera defeated and a full night of rest behind them, the party set out the next morning (considerably later than dawn) and continued their journey to rid the goblins from the tavern keeper's orchard.

"Okay so we lost some time but we still have six days left to get to the orchard, throw the goblins out and get back to Sanctum and legalise my Order."

A few heads turned and eyebrows raised at the use of the possessive but the travelers supposed it was her Order since she was the Captain and all. They just didn't like the way it sounded out loud.

"Well according to the directions you gave us, which the tavern keeper gave you, which were probably given to him by his apple supplier, the orchard should be just over this hill," Knight @Lumi declared in a cheerful voice.

"That's a lot of people giving other people directions," @FalconerGal9086 noted less certainly.

The knights rounded the hill and dismounted from their horses and of course because Knight Feather had cast doubt on what had previously been a certainty, when they rounded the hill there was not a tree in sight.

"Maybe the goblins cut them all down and dragged them away?" @Kays suggested helpfully.

There were also no goblins.

But there were other, taller hills in the distance. There was also a swarm of giant codling moths - the kind of bugs who enjoyed feasting on tasty apples - heading toward one of the hills.

"Hey, look at all those other hills." @Sheytato pointed out into the distance.

"Don't say it," Knight Rydia warned. "Nobody say it!"

"I wonder if the orchard's that way?"

Knight Rydia turned around to search for the speaker-of-words-which-should-not-have-been-said but the voice didn't come from any of the group. Standing behind them and pointing in the direction of the giant codling moths was a small, goblin shaped creature. Or perhaps it was a creature shaped like a goblin?

"It's a goblin!" @LadyLizz declared and in true spirit of her need to defeat all things green, she surged forward with her sword, faster than any of the others could stop her. They weren't sure if they wanted to stop her, but if they had been sure, they would have been too slow.

The Knight's blade pierced the goblin's arm as it dropped to the ground and tried to shield its face.

"Please, please-" the goblin blubbered and then it really opened its mouth and let out the most horrific sound the group had ever heard. It was louder than a fog horn and more piercing than a bird's trill as the goblin bawled and big, wet tears dripped down its small face. This show of pitiful strength was enough to stop the hardest Knight's heart and LadyLizz backed down.

"Please stop crying," @RubyRed begged, covering her ears with her hands.

The goblin sniffed and blew its nose on its arm, not seeming to notice that blood from the wound smeered all over its face. But the noise died down and the goblin looked at them with a tearful uncertainty.

What are you doing here?" @ThemagicalEbonyFox asked.

"I... I'm just trying to find my family."