STORY

STORY

KNIGHTS AND LIES
[The Beginning of the Nightmare - arai tasuku]
The Dread Knight was accompanied by a group of poor aliens to small ruin of House Blakk. A family long dead. Known for plaguing the planet with the fey horrors that haunt every living person. As the Dread Knight stepped over rubble she complained. "DO THEY NOT TRUST ME ANYMORE? SENDING ONE OF THEIR FINEST KNIGHTS TO GUARD, WHAT? A PILE OF STONES!"
"This isn't just a pile of stones lady, this is one of the outposts of House Blakk! You know, the big bad of old history for vampwelfs!"
"They got wiped out ages and ages ago but ooooooooh~ Who knows if they all really died out!~"
"You'd have to be an idiot to think they've survived somehow for so long."
"Oh.....would it be like....stupid if they survived?"
"THE STUPIDEST!"
Duchess Lorelei taps on her tablet in thought. "Well...I think it would be cool."
Duchess Lorelei
2025-10-17 14:28:31
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Last edit: 2025-11-17 02:52:51
"What about the rest of you? How spooky would it be if some mad scientists rose from their graves, and were like "Bleck bleck bleck! Ooooh we're back from the dead to commit some crimes!?"
"They weren't mad scientists. They were wizards and sorcerers."
"Oh. Well it'd be cooler if they were mad scientists, just saying."
"Unless it was from some blessing of sorts, I doubt something like that would happen." Sonorous has been pacing along the rubble, keeping on his toes with a hand resting on the pommel of his blade. "And even if nothing seems to be happening here, it would still be good to keep an eye out."
"It would be inconvenient, if they were planning to commit crimes on us specifically."
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 14:33:20
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:33:30
Jackie, who had split off from their compatriot earlier, clicked their pen idly.

"It sure as 'ell would make a bloody good story to report on though, aye?"
Crisp
2025-10-17 14:35:38
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:07:34
Crisp seemed to have been dozed off, looking at their surroundings and fidgeting with whatever they could curl their fingers around. Realizing they should probably be apart of the conversation, they clear their throat.
"Uh– ahem– yes. Bloody scientists. Yes."
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying! It would be the coolest story ever! Imagine this, the Dread Knight is tossed away by her house, but then, she meets a spoooooooky undead member of the Blakk family! A mad scientist who raises the dead!"
"It'd be sooooooo cool. And the Dread Knight can go back home a hero for the day!"
Lumii stumbles towards the group. "Excuse me. Do you guys know which way is the way to the village? I got a little lost after the witching hour."
"It's that way!" Lorelei points.
Lumii
2025-10-17 14:38:57
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:44:15
"Thank you so much, dear!" Lumii says before heading off on his merry way.
Sonorous Sword
2025-10-17 14:38:57
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:39:29
Why is there a homeless man here?, thinks the homeless man.
The Dread Knight scoffs at all that Lorelei says. "There will be no grand tales here. No beasts, no wizards, no scientist! Unless...."
"You want us to beat up the homeless?"
Crisp
2025-10-17 14:41:14
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Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:08:26
"Wait, is that what we’re doing?"
"Well that seems a bit excessive, isn't it?"
Dread Knight
2025-10-17 14:41:14
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:41:39
"Well we're not going to do that! We cannot pretend Lumii is some sort of, evil being!"
Crisp
2025-10-17 14:41:43
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:08:40
"Oh. Okay."
"I mean, I could just write about you in a good smaller article when I go back..."
"Hey, how do you know his name?"
"Uh.......We go to the same parties is all."
"The same parties around this area?"
"YES THE SAME PARTIES! THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO SPEAK ABOUT IT!"
Dread Knight
2025-10-17 14:45:46
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Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:46:06
"ALL OF YOU. YOU SHOULD ALL STOP STANDING AROUND, QUESTIONING ME AND INVENTING STORIES. GO! GO INVESTIGATE THESE RUINS! FIGHT THE DUST BUNNIES OF THIS DEAD OUTPOST!" The Dread Knight orders as she waves her lance.
"I sincerely doubt dust bunnies are capable of combat."
"But that's literally my job..."
Crisp
2025-10-17 14:46:51
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Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:08:53
"Have you seen dust bunnies? They can be vicious."
Crisp
2025-10-17 14:48:04
Crisp Profile
Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:09:10
"Nearly lost my perfect tail sheen to one of 'em, the horror!"
Sonorous Sword
2025-10-17 14:47:49
Sonorous Sword Profile
Posted by ID #65
Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:50:52
"What else do you think I have been pacing around for?" With a huff, he hops off the small bit of rubble that he was perching himself on for the moment and begins searching, without telling the others.
Sonorous Sword rolls a 20 sided die. A 9 is rolled.

Sonorous Sword finds nothing notable. There is a room, barely standing, filled with strange blue corpses.

"Lame....there's no dust bunnies here. Only dead ones."
"Indeed. What a shame."
Dread Knight
2025-10-17 14:53:20
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Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:53:36
"MY FAMILY! MY KINGDOM! COULD NOT EVEN SEND ME TO KILL SWARMS OF LIVING DUST BUNNIES! NO! THEY HAD TO BE DEAD! THEIR DUSTY FUR DECAYED OFF THEIR CORPSES!"
She stabs one of the dust bunny corpses with her lance. "The only upside to this quest was that I would at least be able to take out my anger against a swarm of dust, and even that is stolen from me."
"Do any of you know how it feels to have your honor ripped away from you?"
"Honor you did not even want."
"I'm afraid I don't have much in terms of honor, knight."
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 14:57:56
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Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2025-10-17 14:59:44
Clicking their pen and laying it along the inner spine of the pages, they took a breath and responded with careful precision.

"I've been 'ated on before for some of the things I've written and published, but I'm not exactly the 'onorous type either."
"..." He hesitates a little to answer, simply keeping to where they entered from.
"Somewhat."
The Dread Knight looks to Sonorous Sword. "What is your tale? Are you a knight stolen from another kingdom?" She asks as she leans on her lance, honest in your questions and attempt to listen.
"Ah- me? No, no, that was an- um..."
"...unconscious thing." Yet his fidgety movements and adjustments of his scarf betray his words.
"Your face may be a mask, but your hands show just as much emotion as it could. You look like a knight in training, scared of their first duel."
"You are among failures." The Dread Knight waves her hand, motioning to the others. "You may speak your story. Nothing else to do here, unless you want to stab these corpses to ensure they're dead."
"It is not a mask, actually."
His faceplate lifts to give a glimpse of sharp teeth before sliding back into place.
"But if you want a rambling man... have you heard of the planet Keijuto?"
"There's many planets out there. Tell us more about this one?"
"I live on a dead end planet, where I am unlikely to ever visit any star in the sky. I have heard of no such planet."
"Well, it is a beautiful one, where I can never return to. Despite never being born there, I call it my home. Its inhabitants live underwater due to giant beasts ravaging the surface, yet they found comradery in each other."
Sonorous Sword
2025-10-17 15:08:33
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Posted by ID #65
Last edit: 2025-10-17 15:11:08
"They fought, yes, not out of feuds or grudges, but to strengthen bonds and give their all. Because they never gave up. Ever. It was their philosophy of combat that inspired me long ago to take up the blade."
"Yet as I wield it now, I lost that passion, that spark I once had. Where I go, my blade goes as well, aimless onwards."
"That is as much as I wish to tell, lest my... hound becomes noisier."
"Your hound......?" The Dread Knight had not taken much notice of the animals that followed the group until now.
He points at the burrisk bearing the same golden fur as him.

The burrisk held a dark, firey aura about it. Grass that it touched decaying as if burned.

"Hm." Looking at it just sends shivers down her spine. "Yes, avoid agitating the hound. That's a good idea."
"To fight for bonds sounds like a childhood book. Something a mother would read to her child. Him, unaware that the future, his knighthood would not be to fight for honor, but because one man hates the other."
"I do not care for knighthood. Never had. I've always known the truth of the matter."
"I watched everyone praise my father, but while they sang about how wonderful a man he was, how lucky we should be to have him, I knew the truth of what he was at home."
"To think a man could have so much honor with his peers, and yet act like a monster who needs to be fought against if anything!"
"Sorry. Like you, maybe this isn't a story that needs more explaining. While I wish to know more about what happened to you, and summoned such a terrible hound of trauma, I know that sometimes a person should keep quiet, lest their wounds be opened once again."
"Thank you, for your fortitude to withhold."
With a deep breath that he had no idea he was holding, he looks to the Dread Knight. "Shall we continue searching for threats? That was what you are supposed to be here for, is it not?"
Crisp
2025-10-17 15:21:23
Crisp Profile
Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:09:57
"Oh! Back to exploring? I can take a crack at it."
"Yes. Looking for threats they do not exist! Go on, take a look around, shout if you want! There will be no dangers in this land."
"Some threats prefer staying silent."
"Never say never," she mutters, taking a look around the ruins for anything interesting.
Not heeding the dread knights pessimistic comment, the Qortz goes off to explore.
Crisp rolls a 20 sided die. A 3 is rolled.
Verlaine rolls a 20 sided die. A 2 is rolled.
Sonorous Sword was right. Some threats did prefer staying silent until they could strike.
[Cult of the Lamb OST - The One Who Waits]
2025-10-17 15:36:20
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 15:39:11

The beast had sat in waiting behind rubble. When Crisp and Verlaine trekked forth to seek out danger, they both had walked into a trap. The monster slammed into both of them. It jumped back with a horrible screech. Mouth salivating, it realized that both that it ambushed were made of stone.

"Not food......" The creature grumbled. It turned to Sonorous Sword, the Dread Knight, and Jackie. "Food. Food."
It’s sights were only on the beast for a moment, before it was slammed into a wall just as quickly. They groan, before looking back up to the beast.
Crisp
2025-10-17 15:39:36
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:11:01
"AHH! LARGE THING!"
"Ow, ow, ow. I do think we should run."
The Dread Knight equips her helmet. "A sanguinelp vampwelf? No......its mind is too broken. The sanguinelp aren't so mindless as this." The Dread Knight holds out her lance. "All of you! Behind me! I shall defend you!"
"I do not know what this is, but it will not survive a clash with me!"
Don’t have to tell him twice. This lumbering 8ft stone construct runs with it’s tail between its legs, cowering behind the meat shield.
Oh, that is so much worse. Sonorous grabs his fellow disgraced warrior by the arm and begins backing away. "We need to go."
She scrambles to her feet. "I agree with him. Again, we should run."
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 15:43:28
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Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2025-10-17 15:45:29
Whatever this thing was, they could write about it later; the image and visage of this horrifying mass was already burned into their memory.
Snapping their journal shut with a loud clap, the drakon turned tail and started to retreat back behind those who found themselves more apt to deal with the situation at hand.

"YOU DON' 'AVE T' TELL ME TWICE!"
As the Dread Knight is pulled back, she pauses to think. "Knight from another star, you must let me clash with this beast!"
"SHOULD I BRING BACK ITS HEAD, THE FOOL'S HONOR WILL BE RETURNED TO ME!"
"Risking death for the sake of honor? Not worth it, I don't think."
"Honor to those who barely regarded you with any in the first place? The honorable is not one who throws their life on the line to hope others tell the tale, but to one who lives to tell it themselves!"
"We need to run as far as we can."
"Yes, best to run while you can. I could stall it, if need be. That... thing doesn't seem the least bit interested in mauling me."
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 15:49:24
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 15:49:59
Jackie very much liked the idea Sonorous had proposed: not sticking around for this thing to filet them all alive.

"I'LL BLOODY WRITE YOU AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS LATER BUT I SWEAR WE OUGHTA MOVE NOW!"
"You are right star knight. What worth is honor if it is with those who care not about you?"
"THIS IS WHY I SHALL HOLD BACK THE BEAST IN YOUR NAME INSTEAD!" The Dread Knight yells before charging in.
"Gods fucking damn it-"
IT'S A CLASH!
Dread Knight rolls a 20 sided die with a modifier of +5. A 14 is rolled.
Fey of Ruins rolls a 20 sided die with a modifier of +8. A 15 is rolled.
The beast of the ruins grabs the Dread Knight lance. The Dread Knight pushes back. The two are nearly evenly matched in power......
But the creature tosses her lance aside. Its teeth clatter, ready to bite into Dread Knight after pulling her helmet off.
"Oh, gods have mercy."
Crisp
2025-10-17 15:56:52
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Posted by ID #302
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:11:12
Crisp signals to ANT-9 to go get help.

ANT-9 uses [SOS] !

Crisp's pet runs off, finding the nearest person possible to help.

The qortz grins at Ant-9s successful venture. Well, grins with his eyes. “Good job, lil buddy!!”
Lumii, lead by the pet, stumbles over. "NO! NO! DON'T DO THAT!"
"Errrrrh?" The beast looks up at Lumii.
"VAMPWELF BLOOD IS TOXIC IN LARGE AMOUNTS TO OTHER VAMPWELFS!"
"You'd have to cook her blood first to make it edible!"
"Hhheeerrggggh! NO TIME FOR THAT!" The monster throws Dread Knight away like a worthless piece of trash. Sonorous' pet, Kintsugi, and Verlaine, pick up the knocked out Dread Knight before fleeing back. The beast looks to Lumii, and points to Sonorous Sword. "MMMMMRG....WHAT ABOUT THAT ONEEEE?"
"That is a tailed! Their blood causes indigestion. Sure it tastes good at first, but then the.....well...you know....starts and things aren't as fun as they used to."
While the beast seems to be distracted with Lumii, Sonorous quietly orders Kintsugi to yoink the Dread Knight... as long as it puts the sword down first.
Verlaine
2025-10-17 16:03:00
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Posted by ID #91
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:12:01
Verlaine goes along to help the burrisk free the Dread Knight.
"Are you alright, knight? That thing throws hard."
The monster is quickly becoming frustrated. There's only one person who MIGHT be edible here. "The lizard?" It asks, pointing to Jackie.
"Oh that's a drakon, their blood goes GREAT with beer! Really enhances the tastes!" It turns out Lumii wasn't attempting to protect the group by pretending they were all inedible, he was giving his honest opinion.....
What the fuck, random homeless man???
With approval that the drakon was, not only safe, but a pleasant meal, the monster charges Jackie!
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 16:11:54
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Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:14:00
Clasping the book tight, the drakon's head SNAPPED to the direction of the vampwelf who had effectively just signed their death certificate. Sweat beads and panic were setting in, and their entire body was tense.

"AYE, WHAT THE 'ELL MAN?!"

Shouting a command, they order their Heer, Little Bug, to try to intimidate the fey and cover their expeditious retreat.

"BUG, FUCKIN' SCREAM AT IT OR SOMETHIN'!!"
2025-10-17 16:15:46
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Bug, a tiny heer stands between a rampaging beast and its beloved owner. It does the only thing it can do. The only thing a heer was made to do. [Mimic].

"Oh that's a drakon, their blood goes GREAT with beer!"
"first" "LARGE AMOUNTS" "of" "beer" "to make it edible!"

The monster listens carefully to the mimicked words of the heer. "True........Hold down meal.......will get beer first...." It grunts as it slinks to places unknown.
"No problem!" Lumii says, grabbing Jackie.
"That worked??????"
The Dread Knight slowly returns to the waking world. Her body hurts, and she has not an idea what has happened. "D-Did I gain your honor?" She mumbles, half out of it.
"Enough on honor, we are being assaulted by a homeless man!" Sonorous points at the soon-to-begin tussle between Jackie and Lumii.
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 16:19:04
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Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:20:30
The drakon, obviously not wanting to die, attempts to break out of Lumii's grip.

"AYE, FUCKIN' LET GO OF ME!!"
"Oh. Sorry. I guess I kind of thought you folks wanted to willingly feed the beast. You know, like virgin tribute to keep the village safe?............is that not what you were all doing? I thought this was a gaggle of virgins here to hand out offerings."
Lumii lets go. "I apologize. I would have maybe pretended you were all inedible if I knew."
"We would rather very much not feed it, thank you."
"Why would we willingly feed ourselves?"
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 16:22:14
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Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:25:16
Tearing themself away from Lumii, Jackie straightens their shirt out. It is taking all of their willpower to not try and beat the everloving piss out of this bloke.

"Damn right we aren't feedin' ourselves to that thing! Why in the blue blazes would we do that?! Are you bloody mental?!"
"To protect the town from being attacked by it later? I thought that was the whole point of virgin sacrifices?"
Sonorous Sword
2025-10-17 16:22:23
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Posted by ID #65
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:22:42
Sonorous glares at Lumii disapprovingly.
"Well, let us hope it's too preoccupied on finding beer to remember wanting to eat any of us."
"Hmmmmmm. Yet again, I am sorry. I suggest you all leave this area and never return. Many ageless beasts live around the ruins of House Blakk's land."
"Unless you ever want to sacrifice yourself, of course."
"We are leaving." Sonorous goes to hoist the half-conscious Dread Knight up to lean on his shoulder.
"Probably for the best, yes. Who thought it would be a good idea to visit the ruins, anyways?"
Jackie goes and scoops up their saviour, setting the little guy in the crook of their arm, before nodding in agreement to the other folks they came with.

"Agreed, forget this shit."
As they wait for the others members of the party to head back with them, they mutter curses under their breath directed towards Lumii, still very upsetti spaghetti at him.

"Fuckin' mongrel..."
Crisp
2025-10-17 16:31:17
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:11:55
"I personally thought this was going to be a fun expedition" They dejectedly murmur under their breath, starting to walk off with the party.
"It was no one's idea but the crown." The knight mumbles. "To believe I spoke of how little danger lied here, only for that to not be true. I will have to report this danger. Come back with more men later."
There's a little bit of silence between him and the knight. "Did you think that was worth doing?"
"No. I've made no honor, not even with those I wished to bring honor to."
"I've done nothing but make a fool of myself today."
Crisp
2025-10-17 16:34:42
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:12:17
"Hey, no need to say that! You still got the courage to face a thing like that head on, that’ll count for something, right?"
"If it's any reassurance, it can be a secret kept between us and the woods."
Crisp
2025-10-17 16:36:02
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:12:29
"Oh yeah, that too. We can keep it a secret."
Jackie Daggersby
2025-10-17 16:37:13
Jackie Daggersby Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:37:38
"Aye, Knight. If it weren't for ya, I'd probably be mincemeat paste on the ground right now. You and everyone else here-"

They glare at Lumii for a moment.
"-not you-"

"-saved my life. I'll gladly write you a pager, a headline article even. Even if you don't believe it, you were honorable."
He makes a zipping motion over his actual mouth in solidarity.
"They are right, though. You did save our lives, and is that not something to bring honor to yourself about?"
"If those are the kinds of things you wish to be known about, then whose honor are you fighting for?"
Crisp
2025-10-17 16:40:29
Crisp Profile
Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:12:51
"Deep, man."
"Aye, yeah."
Crisp
2025-10-17 16:41:21
Crisp Profile
Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:13:09
"…Man. Right?"
"Point is, fool or not, you did keep us alive. That's worth something, isn't it?"
"You're right. That is all I wanted from this. I just wish I did not make a fool of myself. Had one of you not called for help, I would have been eaten, and while that would have killed the beast, it would have been at a loss."
"Oh, it wouldn't have killed it! It would have only left it in a deathlike state for a few days while it recovered!"
"But still. A nice attempt, knight!"
"We are leaving." Sonorous picks up the pace.
"You should really consider thinking a little before speaking, homeless man."
"By the way, if you would want to spar sometime later, I would not mind. To train both of our skills." He whispers to the Dread Knight.
Crisp
2025-10-17 16:51:41
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Posted by ID #195
Last edit: 2025-11-17 03:13:26
"My lil ant saved the day! Haha!"
"Oh dear....I didn't think what I was saying was offensive. It was just you know? What happened! Is this one of those situations where reason should not be placed on the table out of politeness?"
Lumii
2025-10-17 16:54:21
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Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:59:38
"I apologize deeply. I have a hard time picking up on such things. Have been so since I was a child. My parents said I was "Stupid" and "likely couldn't climb a rock" and while they were right about the latter, they weren't about the former."
"See I'm quite smart! A scientist really!"
"But I guess that's not obvious with all the lack of electricity, and I have no gizmos right now to show you."
"Sorry, I realize I'm speaking a tad too much. Just....much to think about these days....."
While Lumii is rambling speaking, Sonorous is walking away very, very, very fast.
Lumii
2025-10-17 16:55:51
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Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2025-10-17 16:56:52
"Oh dear.....I've scared your friend away!.....I'll leave before I make this worse! Goodbye! I suppose!!!" Lumii rushes away, before anyone else could speak.
The Dread Knight watches as Lumii's.......Lumi-ism scares off the group. The Dread Knight waves to Sonorous Sword.
"Thank you knight of the stars! May we spar one day, you and me!"
No one is typing.