Knights and Dreamers

Chapter 3

A sense of relief floods my mind as Juliet wholeheartedly acknowledges me. I’d been more than a little worried that if I didn’t just fade like the doctor said, that I’d be a source of discomfort for my partner. 

“I still can’t fathom how this is possible,” she sighs as her expression mellows out from the hopeful joy of moments prior. “Which is going to be an issue when it comes to proving your continued existence,” she adds. “I did some research since we last spoke, about echos and if anything like what we have has happened before.” She must be able to feel some of my emotions, because she winces a bit. I’m worried about how long I’ve been out for. “It’s been…” she hesitates a moment, clearly nervous about whatever she intends to reveal. “It’s been a few weeks.” Her admission rattles me greatly. The medicine was able to suppress me that whole time? Maybe I am just an echo. “No! It’s not the same. Like I said, the research I’ve done describes what an echo feels like and it’s obvious you’re not one!”

“O - Okay, but most people will think like the doctor and make assumptions.” Our work is certainly cut out for us. If it’s so easy to even make me doubt my own existence, it’s going to be an uphill battle to convince anyone else. “Did you find anything about how we can prove I’m not an echo?” 

She shakes her head slowly, her eyes downturn. “Only that an echo will allow a Dreamer to pilot their Knight long enough to finish a fight or retreat, but not awaken their knight after that. The strain of just maintaining the connection is enough to nearly cause soulburn, but trying to wake them up would be guaranteed.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to wake her up,” I state as if the matter is as simple as flipping a light switch. 

“They’re already planning to decommission her though,” Juliet counters. I can tell her keen mind is already working through the problem as the look on her face shifts between several different expressions. “We might be able to get in if I call in a few favors. I’ll say I just want to say goodbye. We’ll have to be quick though, the moment they realize what I’m trying, they’ll attempt to stop me.”

“If they think that you’re going to wind up hurting yourself, it makes sense,” I admit. “But once they see we’ve got her up and running without any problems, they’ll have to believe us!”

With our plan in place, Juliet makes her way to her bed. She pointedly doesn’t look at the spot next to hers, likely not wanting to upset me by showing me my things. And then she just starts to strip.

“Woah! What are you doing?” I demand, trying and failing to cut off my view of her naked body. 

“Getting changed for bed,” she says as if it’s that simple. “You’re probably stuck with me, so you’ll need to get used to it,” she points out. “It’s just pragmatism.” She snickers before adding, “Besides, I know you were incredibly uncomfortable with your own appearance, but I’m quite proud of mine.” 

She doesn’t wait for me to acknowledge her point before continuing to get changed into her sleepwear. She’d always prefer a silken shirt and pants and being privy to how it feels against her skin, I fully understand why now. 

Once changed, she climbs under her covers and turns off the light with the switch next to her headboard. “Gordon,” she whispers softly. 

“Yeah?”

“Please be here in the morning.” 

I do my best to project a comforting smile to her before replying, “Of course. Goodnight Juliet. I lo-” I cut myself off, unwilling to make things more complicated than they already are. Fortunately, Juliet seems to have drifted off before she could have heard my aborted confession. 

With nothing but my own thoughts to occupy me, I find myself reminiscing about the early days once more. The stark contrast between tonight and our first night together will never cease to amaze me. 

****

We’d been given a room within the Archmage’s tower itself. The man had already become obsessed with us, though neither Juliet or I were willing to say no to him. Plus, it had its perks, like the room we were put in.

Dreamers would have two rooms over the course of their career usually. The first were a series of small quarters with bunk beds, a closet and little else. Once they completed their training, they’d be transferred to a more complete room with a small kitchenette, an en suite bathroom, and a single bed. It’d been a long established trend that bonded Dreamers would fall deeply in love with each other. It was just the nature of the criteria of bonding in the first place. 

The room Juliet and I were assigned to had two full beds from the start in a dedicated bedroom. It was like a medium sized one bedroom apartment with big bay windows overlooking the capital. 

Juliet made a token effort to point out that giving us such special treatment would breed resentment with our fellow Dreamers, but the Archmage planned to have us still take our meals with the rest of the new recruits. When I pointed out how long it’d take us to respond to alerts from here, he just snapped his fingers and created a door out of nothing. Said door was a portal leading straight to the hangar where the Knights were kept. 

With our concerns addressed, we had no choice but to get settled and accustomed to our new living arrangements. We’d been told to change into our uniforms and make our way to the mess hall for dinner. 

Juliet glared daggers at me as I stood stock still. I was reeling from the whirlwind of events of the day. When I didn’t move, Juliet let out an annoyed huff.

“Go into the bathroom and change there. I don’t need you seeing me naked,” she snapped at me, knocking me out of my dazed state. 

I nodded and shuffled out of the room and closed the bathroom door behind me. The long mirror along the wall practically seemed to mock me. I pointedly looked away from the reflective surface and began to get changed. Once done, I waited a few more minutes before approaching the door.

“Juliet? Are you done?” I called out.

No reply. 

I called her name a few more times before hesitantly creaking the door open. I covered my eyes and stepped out before calling her name again. 

Still no reply.

Opening my eyes, I looked around the room and there was no Juliet to be found. She’d ditched me without telling me she was done. I mentally kicked myself for not expecting the treatment. Nobody actually liked me except maybe my parents. But they were obligated to form some sort of attachment to me. It was just human nature after all. 

With a hanged head, I follow the directions we’d been given and make my way to the mess hall. Upon entering the larger than probably needed space, I feel all eyes turn to me, almost immediately causing me to turn and run out of the room. 

Slowly and hesitantly, I followed the smell of food to the server and got myself a tray of delicious looking roast beef and root vegetables. 

Food in hand, I shuffled over to an empty table and picked at my food in silence. Well, mostly silence. I could fully hear the not so quiet mutters of everyone around me.

“I bet there’s something wrong with him that messed up the ceremony,” a masculine voice suggested. Their posh accent labeled them clearly as one of the boys from the capital. I think one had been a noble and the other a commoner. 

“Did you see Juliet? She’s gorgeous. No way she deserves to be saddled with a pudgy little weirdo like him.” That was clearly one of the girls from the far reaches of the kingdom. The way she said gorgeous was more like ‘garjuss’. I’d met a few people from that area that had been touring my home town. They’d really liked the flower garden in the middle of the central plaza.

“I’m being forced to share a room with him,” Juliet complained, her voice ringing clearer than all the others. “He kept spacing out around me. He’ll probably get me killed.” It hurt beyond belief to hear all the gossip floating around me. I was used to it. It seemed that even after having my dreams come true, I was doomed to be a social pariah for the rest of my life.

After picking at my food that I’d barely touched, I decided to just call it an early night. I didn’t even bother cleaning up after myself. What was the point? Maybe if they got tired of me and realized I was actually a mistake they’d send me home. At least there I’d have my parents. 

I quickly got ready to bed and hid under my covers. I was still awake when Juliet returned and grumbled loudly the entire time she performed her own nightly routine. She’d been gone for several hours past dinner time, likely hanging out with the other Dreamers in training. 

A soft thump signaled that she had climbed into bed just before the lights went out. After several long, agonizing moments of silence, Juliet spoke up. “You best not screw things up tomorrow. This opportunity means the world to me. I’m not going to give up just because I got saddled with some guy.”

I cringed at being called ‘some guy’. It hurt to hear her call me that. She’d said it with such vitriol that I could practically feel her hatred for me. It also pissed me off. She was acting like I was ruining her dream as if I wasn’t just as confused and upset about the strange situation as she was. She at least had the support of the other Dreamers, while I would have to survive training alone.

Formed mostly out of spite, a new resolve took form. I wouldn’t quit, I wouldn’t let them kick me out, I wouldn’t give in to the cajoling and the hatred. I’d become the best Dreamer that ever lived and prove that I wasn’t a mistake. My hardened resolve made it easy to fall into a deep sleep with a modicum of hope for the future.

The next several weeks were agonizing. Passive aggressive torment at the hands of my fellow Dreamers and even the support staff. I was considered a freak accident that Juliet was forced to endure.

Our training, unlike the others, was being handled by the archmage. He was determined to figure out what made us tick. He would have us use the Heartstone over and over and over again while making notes about everything and anything. He even accelerated the construction of our Squire so we could see how we interacted with it. 

So a full month before the other trainees would get their chance to do the same, Juliet and I found ourselves suited up and harnessed into our Squire. Juliet wanted to name the nondescript magical machine immediately, but was told to wait until they’d fully grown into a Knight.

As excited as I was for the moment, I was also a little nervous. With each test that the Archmage had performed, it became harder and harder to keep myself from being pulled almost fully into Juliet. And while the sensation was beyond amazing for me, making me more and more eager for each experiment, Juliet had to experience the distinctly unpleasant feelings of my own form. Fortunately, the closer we bonded, the less either of us had to feel my disgusting body. By the time we were in our Squire, ready for the first awakening to begin, we finally had two things we both agreed on: that my body sucks and that the stronger our bond the better. 

“Preparing awakening runes in T-minus thirty seconds,” announced the High Smith. She’d been rather surly with the Archmage over the change in tradition, but when he wasn’t looking, she seemed to be just as curious about the outcome. 

Juliet glanced at me and for once, smiled at me. “This is it,” she whispered softly. “Are you ready?” she asked. 

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, my voice failing to convey how excited I was. She shook her head and rolled her eyes before looking at the glowing countdown before us.

The arcane clock reached zero and an initial jolt of magic was pushed into our Squire, kick starting the awakening. While bonded Dreamers can wake up their Knight on their own, the first awakening requires a bit of help as they start with nothing. After that though, the magic lingers in their Heartstone while they sleep between missions. 

All of the experiments and all of the tests couldn’t have prepared me or Juliet for what we experienced in that moment. My soul was nearly completely pulled into my partner. Only a thin strand kept me tethered to my own body. By far, it was the strongest bond we’d ever made. 

We blinked our eyes as our perspective shifted and we saw the hangar around us from the point of view of our Squire. Lifting our hands, we saw metal fingers that radiated a sense of strength and power. We were one.

“I know we’re not supposed to name them until after they are fully grown. What with the strange nature of our bond and wanting to make sure the name fits their final form… but…” Juliet’s voice comes from around me. It fully envelops me and feels like I spoke alongside her. “I think I know what her name should be.”

Her. She was already sure that despite the fact that I was a man, that our Squire would blossom into a woman. The thing was, that I couldn’t disagree. It was as clear to me as it was to her. And a name came to my mind as I looked at the hard silver like fingers in front of me.

“Sylvia,” we both said at once, the synchronicity of the moment causing our Squire to speak the name as well. That moment changed everything. The two of us finally understood each other. The tests had been leading up to that point where we all but completely merged into one being.

After the awakening was complete, we put Sylvia to bed and were quickly hustled into a meeting room with both the High Smith and the Archmage. While the High Smith was worried about the name for some reason, the Arch Mage was positively brimming with excitement about something that only he seemed to understand. 

When we got back to our room that night, Juliet offered me another smile as she wrung her shirt between her hands. “I uh - I’m sorry.” Of everything she could say, I had not been expecting that. “For how I’ve been treating you. I thought something was wrong about our bond, even as we grew closer and closer during the experiments.” She lets go of her shirt and hangs her head. “I was wrong though. We are a true bond. You felt it too right?” I smiled and nodded. I was feeling a little caught off guard by the whole turn of events. She beamed back at me before wrapping me in a hug out of nowhere. “You have a nice smile,” she admitted before quickly letting me go, a blush on her face.

We quickly got ready for bed and actually wished each other a goodnight for once. The Archmage had told us that we’d begin training in our Squire the next day, so we needed plenty of rest. I basked in the warm feelings that were filling my soul that night. For the first time since I could remember, I was actually looking forward to waking up.

****

We wake up together after a brief moment of worry on Juliet’s part that I’ve disappeared. A quick assurance on my part eases her concern. While my partner busies herself with getting ready and calling in that favor, I’m left to just observe.

“I hope that I’ll feel more like an active participant once we’ve woken up Sylvia. It’s admittedly a little boring just watching you do everything,” I admit. Juliet giggles and pats the side of her cheek like she used to do to me. 

“Maybe we can figure out how to let you do things for me. We could take turns,” she suggests with a warm smile on our shared face. “I wouldn’t mind letting you take the wheel so to speak.”

The offer fills me with warmth as it really shows how much Juliet trusts me. It also leaves me a little excited in ways that confuse me more than anything. 

I don’t get much time to examine my own feelings as once Juliet is ready, we immediately head to the recycling center. Her contact revealed that Sylvia would be broken down into her base parts in an hour. Juliet convinced them to give her more time, but an extra hour still leaves us cutting it close.

We find ourselves standing before our beautiful Knight. She stands tall and proud. Her red armor is accented by beautiful silver filigree. Her sword and shield are as imposing as ever, and even asleep, she just exudes power.

It takes a little convincing and bribing, but Juliet’s friend finally lets us enter our Knight for what he assumes is one last time. We’ll show him, that’s for sure.

Our gaze lingers on where the hole in Sylvia’s head once was. So long as the Heartstone remains intact, a Knight can recover from any injury, so we’re not surprised by the lack of damage. What does catch us off guard is that Sylvia didn’t regrow my harness, but just moved Juliet’s into the middle. 

“That’s a little odd, isn’t it?” I point out while my partner gets herself hooked up. 

“Yeah, but we can figure it out later,” Juliet counters as she finishes getting locked in. “Moment of truth,” she whispers. I know she believes I’m real, but there’s still a chance, however small, that this kills both of us. It’s a risk we had discussed on the way here, but we both agree it’s necessary. 

As our Knight shudders to life, alarms begin to blare in the surrounding building. We don’t care though as that oh so familiar and comforting feeling of merging into one being quickly confirms that I’m more than just an echo. 

The technicians try to get us to power down, but we know what we need to do next. To ensure that this doesn’t get swept under the rug, we need to make it clear that we’re still together and that this isn’t a fluke. 

With a quick slash of our sword, we open the large doors before us and step out into the workyard of the recycling facility. People scatter everywhere as we start making our way towards the capital. 

We’ve done it. We’ve woken up Sylvia. Everything feels even better than before as there’s no distractingly awful sensations from my own body. It’s just us and our knight. Something feels different about Sylvia though. It’s as if she’s contributing more to the bond than normal. I get the vague feeling of the massive war machine smiling for just a split second before their expression becomes one of determination once more. 

What the hell was that?

End Chapter 3