My mind snapped back from the confusion.

  "Nura, where did you get this picture?"

  She fiddled with her hands.

  "I ripped it from a book, when the elves came for our parents. It is my st piece of home. Our grandpa fought with him, told us stories. He was a force of nature. When he swung his sword a wave of golden fire would sweep the battlefield, each step causing the earth itself to spread out and capture his enemies. He only saw it from a distance, but the demon king was a monster that towered over dragons, its skull like face. Yet he, the hero, he was cd in golden light. He and his companions fought the demon king for an entire day, eventually killing it, signalling the end to the war. Then he returned to his world."

  I didn't notice a tear running down my cheek, it was my dad. I would recognize those eyes even in pencil sketch, those eyes that told me he knew I had potential. Yet were disappointed in my reality. I missed him and mum so much.

  "I... this is my dad. Alexander Rivers."

  Nuras breath caught in her throat, a ctter rang outside. I turned to see Sven, he had dropped the bundle of weapons he was carrying. The beastfolk were stood looking at me in awe.

  "What did you just say my liege?"

  Sven asked, his voice carried a weight it never had before.

  "Erm, about my dad? Alexander Rivers?"

  I held up my dads picture, Sven immediately dropped to his knee.

  "At first I swore myself to you for as a show of respect, for you giving me a second chance. Now I pledge with renewed vigour. I owe your father everything, he saved me in the war countless times. I was but a child, yet he taught me the sword, the spear. He taught me everything I know. I swear to the gods above, my bloodline will serve yours until this world ends."

  A burst of white light erupts around Sven, as if the gods themselves acknowledged his pledge. I also felt a surge fill my chest. Unlike contract magic, where I felt a weight press me down. I felt a strength that made my back straighten. As if I was filled with the essences of pride and dignity. I saw some of the older beastfolk kneel too, that same light bursting from them. then a burst of golden light burst from me, followed by the sound of metal crashing to the floor. Everyone who had knelt, their colrs had unlocked on their own. It wasn't me, my magic was untouched. Whatever pledge they had done in their hearts it seemed the gods had responded, the colrs were no longer necessary. Whatever that pledge was, it was more powerful than what the sve colr was and far more binding. So much so, the colrs had been overwritten.

  It seemed that my father, he had left a sting footprint on this world. One I now had to fill, it was a different kind of weight. I turned to see Nura, she hadn't knelt. She was stood in awe, a glint in her eyes that reminded me of Mi before I had made her my woman. My dad had been so awesome in his time here, I was getting a charisma bonus. I wasn't my father though, I wasn't a warrior, I wasn't a hero. I was just a lonely guy who wanted to fix things that were broken.

  I pat Nura on the head.

  "I'm not special just because my dad is who he is. I will try to live up to your expectations, and his. Just don't expect me to be my dad."

  She smiles and nods, disappearing into the shadows. I smile and get back to work on getting Leviathan combat ready.

  I wanted to get it ready, just in case. Only a rock lizard had attacked since leaving the city and I wasn't on watch at the time. So I was hoping to be on duty to fight any rge beast that attacks.

  Although I want the opportunity, I don't actually want it to happen. It is a risk. granted, not so much with our unusually rge number of Knights per caravan. Especially with Lei and Nura having their Knights returned to them. Even then according to Sven, we had 4 more potential pilots among the adults. With another 7 among the children. With a potential 11 pilots in the next few years, I was going to be broke after getting those knights. Unless a rge bandit group attacks us or something.

  "Sir Conner?"

  I turn to see a little rabbit girl, she has white hair and red eyes.

  "What is your name little one?"

  She fidgeted with her fingers, then looked up at me.

  "Iris, Iris Cottontail."

  I sat down on the wooden maintenance ptform, Hilda had the bright idea to have these made and then taken down for transport. My power immediately being able to restore them on setting up camp. We only had the 3, but being able to easily access and provide maintenance while camped was priceless.

  "What is a matter little Iris?"

  I said patting the step beside me, she was about 8 years old, and ridiculously adorable. Her adoptive parent was an older hare dy, more a grandma than mother really. I could technically fix that, but not without a discussion.

  "Well... nana Lavender said... men have needs and such and since you were going to free all the children when you get to the new city.. um."

  I stroke her head.

  "The only thing I want from you kids is for you to be kids. Be happy and forget how things used to be. Going forward things will be as they should be, for anyone wanting to stay that is. I won't force the choice. If you want to stay, you can stay. If you want to leave you can leave, if you want to stay while you are a kid and leave when you get older, you can do that too."

  She fidgets a bit more.

  "Nana Lavender says men have to look after their lovers... so..."

  I sigh and hug her from the side.

  "You are too young for that, don't let anyone tell you different. If anyone tries, you tell me and I assure you, they will face consequences. However, where I come from. Adults are responsible for children, I will look after and protect every child in my care."

  She smiles and nods, I ruffle her hair.

  "Now go py with the other children, enjoy your childhood."

  She ran off with a smile on her face, grabbing little Tegus arm as they ran to the training tables.

  A wolf man approached me and knelt, he didn't have a colr, so he was one of the ones who had pledged his life to mine.

  "My lord, me and the other hunters discovered a bandit group up ahead, three knights, 20 men in total."

  I waved over Sven and Chiyun, the two approached.

  "I heard my love."

  Chiyun said as she arrived, standing at my side and looking down at me. It was so strange being over 6'5" and still being looked down on. Tiger women were built different. I looked at the wolf man, who repeated himself.

  "Bandit group camped ahead, we took out their scouts, in around an hour they will know something is wrong. Three knights, 20 remaining men."

  I look at the other 2 experienced in the group.

  "What do you two recommend?"

  Chiyun rubbed her chin.

  "I say attack while they aren't ready."

  Sven nodded.

  "Would be safer."

  I got a wicked idea.

  "Go get Nura, I think we can get odds even more in our favour."

  A head popped out of the shadow to my right.

  "You called?"

  I smile as the pyful girl.

  "Can you take people into shadows and move?"

  She nodded.

  "Yeah, as long as the shadows or darkness are connected."

  I smile, looking at the wolf man.

  "Are the knights in the shadows?"

  He quirks his head and nods.

  "Yes, my lord.."

  "Get 3 pilots, get to the location. Nura, shadow them into the bandits knights. Then once our knights arrive, go on the attack. Six knights versus twenty bandits, caught on the back foot no less. It will be quick."

  A smile spreads on their faces realising what I just did, this pn took it from a knight brawl to pest control.

  "You heard him! Everyone get ready. Get the next guard shift ready and in their knights. Just in case. Get the fighters ready, what knights are we taking?"

  Chiyun bellows. Lei and Emilia raise their hands, this was me and them for the knights. Sven and Chiyun would lead the ground troops.

  I climbed into Leviathan.

  "Okay girl, lets go kick some ass!"

  I stood up and noticed everyone looking at me.

  "What?"

  Sven rubbed his eyes.

  "Erm... Leviathan.. we can barely see it. It is like all the light is being absorbed. It looks like a human size and shaped darkness, but it also is only barely visible in the light."

  I blink at that, I was just intending for a stealth mission and my knight somehow cloaked somewhat to my intent. I changed my thoughts, to wanting to go back to normal.

  "My liege, how are you doing that?"

  I honestly didn't know.

  "I don't know, I just wanted to be stealthy to begin with and now wanted to be normal, I think it Leviathan. I knew it was special, but this..."

  I thought about being stealthy again, again it was hidden.

  "That.... that isn't special its legendary, what the hell was that burnt pte from!?"

  Hilda shouted, I could understand her thoughts. This was beyond anything I learned about knights, this was beyond normal enchantment too. I would have to look into it ter.

  "No time for looking into this yet, we will do it ter. The mission comes first."

  Everyone nodded, we grouped up, me and Nuras group moved into the location needed. We needed to make and fit ignition switches to our knights. Make them integral, maybe have them keyed to our specific mana frequency. I nodded to myself, it was a good idea, but it would likely have drawbacks. Not for me really, I had no intention of ever repcing Leviathan.

  The second the thought of being with Leviathan to the end entered my mind, I felt something click. I couldn't quite pce what had changed, I just felt more connected to Leviathan.

  After close to an hour, we arrived in position. Nura got to work, she moved one pilot after another into each knight. Thankfully the shadows were on our side. I did notice something, two knights footprints beside the stationary Knights. There was a fourth knight. This wasn't going as clean as we thought, I knew Chiyun was watching, so I gesture to the footprints. I don't know what her reaction was, but I sensed movement through Leviathans sensors. I could tell it was Chiyun, from the way she moved. She was likely letting Sven know about the other Knight. I saw the signal from Nura, then a signal from the tree. We were watching all twenty bandits getting drunk and ughing up a storm, all too far gone to be paying attention.

  A whistle.

  A thud.

  An arrow had been loosed, one of the bandits fell dead.

  In an instant our three knights burst from the surrounding forest, they were covered in leaf covered nets to camoufge them. Then the three knight previously belonging to the bandits stood, rounding on the group. They were outnumbered and out gunned. All in total, there were seven knights and 30 men. We only had one job here, kill them all. None of them may leave. The clean up was easy, I mean 7 knights on top of equal numbers on the ground?

  It wasn't a fight, it was pest control.

  Within ten minutes of the battle starting, it was over. I decided now to prep for the missing knight.

  "Everyone in a knight, stay in it. We have a fourth not present. Protective perimeter while the others gather the bandits supplies!"

  I called using the knights voice conduit. It was some kind of rune enchantment, I needed to look into it.

  Everyone did as I asked, then slowly we moved back to camp. We had knights back there on watch, which now we know there was a 4th knight is all the better.

  "Okay, everyone keep your wits about you. As we move prepare for ambush."

  With that we set off, I was back left defence. Lei in her Cyclops was bringing up the rear, which based on the fact her knight could channel her magic was an absolute best choice. As the camp came into view everyone starts to rex. Then I heard the snap of wood behind us, I span. A knight wielding a rge hammer was heading towards Lei.

  "NO!"

  I moved, but the other knight was closer.