wizardseason | The Princess' Dream Citadel

The Princess' Dream Citadel

The Princess' Dream Citadel is a tower surrounded by waterfalls on all sides, surrounded by a spiral staircase that reaches every floor. At the top is a reflective platform below a starry moonlit sky. Within its many floors are any number of amenities that the Princess or the good-allured knights good need.

Each night, the Protector can be found on the roof, stargazing and listening to the sounds of the waterfalls around the tower.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I can defeat them myself? I don't have any weapons, or fighting experience like they all do though."

The Protector nods, thoughtfully. Every year he'd come up with something that fit the Princess' style for that year. Last year had been a really big boxing glove. The year before was literally just a gun. Before that? A sword. None of those really topped the marshmallow launcher from over a decade back, but he could work with anything.

"I can give you a weapon." He pauses, clarifying. "Projectile, perhaps?"

"Mmm," Luka taps his chin. "I know I can sense the direction of the monster and all, but I can't guarantee my aim is on point. Do you think I'd really be helpful wielding a projectile?"

"It could be made to not injure others." His answer comes simply, solving the issue by making it not an issue anymore.

"Only obstacles would prove a problem."

He seems to light up at the suggestion, and claps his hands together as he suddenly gets an idea.

"Oh oh oh! What about a flamethrower? I've always wanted to use one of those."

For once, the Protector pauses. That's quite the request and uh, he could probably do it... He thinks about it for a moment and then nods slowly.

"If you aim it at houses or trees, they'll catch fire." He pauses, considering for a moment. "Knights and people will be fine. Unless they're in the house."

"Is that what you want?"

His excitement seems to wear off a bit.

"Hm... it might be too impractical, as cool as it would look. If we were fighting in close quarters I wouldn't want to burn the whole place down."

Luka pauses in thought. There weren't too many projectile weapons he knew of.

"But I don't know," he rests hand against his face. "A gun is just so passé."

The protector pauses, in disbelief that Luka just casually dismissed something by saying it was passé. What kind of Princess did he land this year?

"No point in helping the Wizard do her work." He agrees, the idea of Luka burning a whole city down sounded... rough.

"You can think on it, if you desire."

"Good idea," he smiles. "I'll come up with something really good. Hopefully soon, I know she's not going to give us much time before she sends another monster our way, and I want to be of good help next time."

The Protector nods, confirming. There isn't long at all, there's never long at all. This process happens so very quickly and then it's all over.

"She'll give you a few hours at best. You can call on me to get what you desire." And he's realizing he'll have to make it pretty or he won't hear the end of it from Luka.

Hours? He was hoping to get the opinion of some of Knights on what might work, since battle wasn't exactly his forte. In that case, he'd have to work faster than would be ideal. Luka could feel his stress levels rising.

"So, you're going to be there to help, yeah?"

No rest in the face of danger, unfortunately. The Protector isn't one to offer much in the way of reassurances, but he can offer the truth.

"I will be with you wherever you go." And that meant potentially offering help, as best he could.

"Well, that's something." He didn't want to admit the impending second battle and the implications of his responsibilities were making him a bit stressed.

"You know, those two other Knights that I had a vision of? Olivia and Rory. Is there any message I should deliver to them or...?"

There was nothing to be stressed over. All Luka had to do was plan to win and not lose. It was that simple. Win. Not lose.

"I would like to meet them." The Protector's answer comes immediately just before he takes another long inhale from his pipe. The smoke smell is hanging heavy around him, and he exhales before he speaks more.

"Let them know I believe in them. I believe in you."

"I'll make sure to tell them so." The comment might have been obvious, but Luka felt himself swell with confidence upon hearing it. Hopefully it would have the same effect for Olivia and Rory.

"And if I think of a weapon, how can I call on you to, you know, get it?"

If it was one thing the Protector was pretty good at, it was save the world speeches and motivational reassurances. The world had to keep spinning.

"Think your request. And so long as you think of me when you do, it will come to you."

"I will," he says. "I'm trying to get the hang of having someone speaking to me in my head still."

The Protector decides he's going to do exactly that, since Luka was bringing it up. A moment after Luka says he's getting used to someone speaking in his head, the Protector's voice is now in his head:

"It is necessary."

He blinks at the sudden change.

"How so? It's not like the animal companions need to hang out in the Knights head all the time. What makes our situation different?"

"She cannot overhear me if I do not show myself." He answers matter-of-factly. His words are, after all, far more important than those of the animal companions.

"That makes sense. I'm kind of surprised she doesn't have some way to breaking into here on her own though. It seems like she can do almost anything."

"She can do many things. I have steeled myself against many of them." He pauses, glancing to the waterfalls beyond.

"She will try to turn your knights against you."

"Well, they're idiots if they do," he says, crossing his arms. "She wants to end the world. What would they get out of that?"

"Even if she doesn't succeed, she can promise them what they need. She can provide it." He answers, taking one last puff from his pipe before tilting it out into the air. The ashes fall out of it and get wisped away in a sudden breeze that rushes past both Luka and the Protector.

"No knight is immune to temptation."

"None? What about the ones you showed me?" Luka pauses.

"That was you who showed me them, right?"

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