And here we are, with my first story. I don't really know from where this has come out, but it didn't leave alone and I had to write it. I hope is good enough.

About how this story come to be, it's heavily inspired by The Night Unfurls, a crossover between Bloodborn and Kuroinu from StaffSergeant. I really recommend it if you haven't read yet, much better than this story, I assure you XD

With nothing more to say, read, review and I hope you can enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodborne, Kuroinu.

Fire.

That was the only thing that had filled his mind for eons.

Orange and red flames, dancing around him with an everlasting passion. He was captivated by them, had been for more time that he could remember. Mesmerized by the beauty and danger those flames held. Because it didn't matter how beautiful they were, flames were destruction incarnated, ready to consume anything in their path.

Except him, it seemed.

He didn't know why, but the powerful flames didn't destroy him, neither the supposed unbearable heat burned him. For him, it was just a warm sensation, like a comfortable blanket in a Winter night. He chuckled at the thought. It was funny how he remembered things like 'blankets' and 'Winter', but he couldn't remember his life.

When he said that Fire was the only thing filling his mind, it wasn't just a form of speech.

He didn't know even if he had had a life. It was a very hard to describe feeling. He knew objects, descriptions, sensations... but no how he had learnt those. He had the feeling he had indeed lived at some point, especially when he had some flashes of places and persons, but they were very blurry and he forgot them every time. Like a dream, he knew he had dreamed, but not what it had been about.

As the time passed, he pondered all these thoughts. After all, he couldn't do anything else. The flames didn't hurt him, but for some reason he couldn't move, forever kneeled among the sea of flames. Maybe he was chained? It was hard to tell. He couldn't move his head to look, and even then, his vision was limited by some kind of helmet. So he supposed all his body was covered by... an... t-that thing, the metal contraption that protecte-

Armor!

Yes, of course. It was an armor. So even if he was chained, he wouldn't feel it.

...

Had he forgotten for a second what an armor was?

...

Probably.

With time, he had realized he was forgetting more and more things. Maybe, at some point, he had felt his memories disappearing and panicked about it, but if he had, he couldn't remember it. Maybe it was a good thing. He didn't know if he was or had been alive, so losing his mind wasn't the terrifying thing it should be. He didn't remember what he would lose, so he would really lose something? It sounded very fatalistic, but it was the truth.

He would miss the flames, though. Even if they were probably the cause of his problems.

After all, even if he didn't remember anything he still had a clear sensation. A feeling that told him he had to be here, between the flames. That he had chosen to be here, to sacrifice himself for something or someone. And that same feeling told him he should have died then, so if the Fire wasn't burning his body, maybe it was burning his mind.

It made sense, and it would explain why he had lost his memories and was still losing more and more. That should probably worry him a little more, but he couldn't move, couldn't do anything, so why did it matter? Even time was a hard thing to feel in his state. He knew he had being here for an eternity, but maybe he had forgotten even more time of this situation.

In the end, it didn't matter. Someday, he would finally forget everything and all these thoughts would disappear. Would that mean his death? It was hard to say. Could he really die if his mind wasn't there anymore? He suppose he wouldn't know it, so it was a useless thought. With a mental sigh, he focused in the flames once again, observing the same unchanging sight he had always seen. The same unchanging sight he would see for the rest of his time.

So he had every right to be surprised when a black form appeared before him.

It was little, almost nothing. A tiny, black sprite that just floated there, shaking and moving like only a flame could do. Before he could began to really question the strange sight, the sprite grew, creating a black surface just as big as his kneeled form. Or at least, close to it. It was hard to know your own size when you couldn't look at yourself.

But it was strange. He almost... recognized the black thing. He-he had seen it before. He-

trees... water... a lake... her mark isn't where it should been... where is she... a black form... a pendant... a hand

Even knowing it would do nothing, he tried to shake his head as the flash of memory ended. It was the first time he had recalled something with such force... at least the first he could remember. It was because he had a visual aid, or it was something else?

The Age of Fire must end and the Age of Dark rise

He paused. Had he really hear a voice? It seemed like it, but he didn't think he had heard it. More like... a feeling. He had felt it.

The First Flame must fade, so you must disappear

That... didn't sound good. He didn't know if disappearing was the same as forgetting everything or if it was different. Was it better? Was it worse? He didn't care very much about himself, but he had already accepted the Fire burning his mind, now he had to accept another end?

This will not be your world anymore

Then, the black began to move, getting closer to him. He panicked a little. It was the first time something like this happened, so he didn't know what to expect or do. But when the dark finally reached him and... it didn't feel so bad. It was a little alike the flames, but different at the same time. As if he belonged to them, something inside him resounding with the darkness.

Good luck, Child of Dark

He didn't know what was going to happen, but maybe it wasn't another end. The Fire had been the only thing filling his mind for eons, but for the first time something else was beginning to fight for being there, as if the dark was awakening some lost part of him. And if that was the case, he would accept this change. Because maybe, with this he would remember his life, remember why was here and why he had sacrificed himself.

It was a only a slim chance, an almost impossible objective... but it was the first goal he had had from what he could remember. And that had to mean something.

With that last thought, he closed his eyes as the black form engulfed him completely. And for the first time since the beginning of the Fire, he felt his consciousness leaving him.

When he finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was that everything was dark. After an eternity surrounded by bright flames, darkness was something very strange for him. And depressing. The strange voice had said he had to disappeared, so he had supposed it would carry him somewhere else, but it seems he had just been consumed by the dark surface. What a sudden end for his new hopes...

...

... Then he realized he still had his eyes closed and suppressed the impulse of hitting himself for being stupid.

Even knowing this, it wasn't a easy problem to solve. His eyelids didn't obey him, no matter how hard he tried to open his eyes. It was a bit frustrating. Maybe he hadn't been able to move his body in all those centuries, but at least he had been able to open and close his eyes!

...

Hadn't he?

Well, he didn't remember to actually open or close his eyes, but with his memory gaps that didn't mean much. However, there was a chance than when the dark surface had enveloped him, he had closed his eyes for the first time ever. So maybe... he had forgotten how to open his eyes? It was such a silly theory, but at the same time it seemed very plausible.

With a mental nod, he tried to move his body, any part of it. Trying with all his might to move some muscle, but he achieved the same results than in the Fire: nothing. It was a sobering thought, but maybe this silly theory was the correct one. After all, he had forgotten so much already, why his motor function would be different?

But if that was the case, how had he closed his eyes? Did he still know how to close his eyes but not how to open them? No, it couldn't be that. He hadn't known how to close them, but he had done it. It had seemed the natural thing to do, it had been... instinctive.

Maybe that was the answer. If he didn't remember how to do it, maybe his body still did. He had to try it, but how? He needed an instinctive movement of the eyes, something so automatic that his body could do it on its own. And he remember something like that. It was th-that thing, opening and closing the eyes, bla... ble... bli-blinking! Blinking, that was it.

Now, he had just to focus on it. It was something simple, just closing and opening his eyes. Closing and opening, opening and closing... open and close... open and close... open and close...

Close...

AND OPEN!

With a monumental effort, his eyelids finally moved. He wanted to shout in joy, but it seemed talking was another thing he had forgotten how to do. Well, baby steps, for now he would focus in his achievement and in what he could see now.

He couldn't move his head and the helmet still limited his vision, but just the little he could see showed him he really had traveled to another place. Everything was different. Instead of the reds and orange from the flames, now he saw greens, browns and even blues. He could see dirt in the ground, plants and trees growing from it, and even some trace of the sky between the leafs of said trees. It was beautiful...

...

Ok, why he remembered what all these things were, but not how to move his bloody body? It wasn't fair.

Leaving the selectiveness of his memory aside, the reality of what had happened hit him again. He really had left the Fire, the flames would no longer burn his mind. It was... relieving. He had accepted his end, but it felt good to know he wouldn't forget anything more. Now, he could think freely, not worrying about what he would or wouldn't remember the next time. Now, he could focus on learning new things and remembering everything he had forgotten!

Especially how to move his body. That was a must.

However, he would have time for all that. For now, he could relax and appreciate the new sight before him. The vivid colors and the moving forms were more that what he could have ever imagined. He could hear the sound of the nature, the birds singing, the wind moving the trees...

And steps.

Now that he could, he blinked. It was definitive the sound of steps, light and faint, but he could hear them nonetheless. It could be an animal, but something told him it wasn't. He... he remembered what humans were, at least the gist of it. Maybe it was a human? He couldn't move, so a human with unknown motivations could be very dangerous. His imagination ran wild, creating every type of scenario as the steps sounded closer and closer, the bush around him moving and then-!

He saw a little girl who was looking at him with curiosity.

She was small, no older than five or six years old. The girl wore a simple, blue dress and a basket with what seemed fruits. Blond hair that reached her shoulders and big, green eyes, fixated at him as she tilted her head with a cute movement. They were almost eye to eye, confirming his suspicions of him being kneeled or seated. As the kept their visual scan, another sound of steps got closer to them.

"Anna! I have told you a thousand times that you can't wander on your own while we are collecting fru-" the voice stopped as its owner got through the bush and noticed the scene.

It was a woman, and not very old for what he could see. She wore a long, green dress and a basket very alike at the girl's, but bigger. She was tall and buxom, the word 'beautiful' coming to his mind almost instantaneously. She had the same green eyes and the same blonde hair than the child, but hers was long enough to reach her hips and her eyes had grown wide. The woman and girl were very similar, maybe they were related?

Any further question was forgotten as the woman suddenly move, putting the girl behind her and raising her basket as if it was some kind of shield. He blinked again, this time in confusion. He didn't know what was happening, but then he noticed the woman's eyes, pointed at him with some traces of... fear?

Ah, she was afraid of him.

He didn't know how he looked, after all he couldn't move his neck, but he knew he was inside some kind of armor. And for what he could see now, it wasn't a comforting sight. He wanted to say something, explain he wasn't dangerous, but his mouth didn't move. Now that he thought about it, could he talk? He had understood the woman's words, so probably he knew enough of the language, but until he could control his tongue again, it wouldn't matter.

His train of thought was interrupted as the woman relaxed, giving a little sigh as she released the girl's arm. Maybe not moving was enough to show he was harmless?

"What happened, Mommy?" the girl said, looking alternatively between him and the woman.

Ah, so she was her mother. He felt a little better knowing he had been right.

"Ah, don't worry honey." she replied with a calm and light voice, "It's just... for a second I thought there was something inside the armor."

Well... of course there was something. He was inside of it.

The girl, Anna if remembered right, looked again at him with curiosity, "What is it?"

Her mother smiled and caressed the girl's head, "It's just an old armor. Probably a knight left it here many years ago. That's why the plants have grown over it."

Wha-no-wait a-what?

The girl smiled and nodded, but he was too shocked to notice anything more. Plants had grown over him? He knew it happened when something remained in a forest for years, but he had just arrived! He had needed a little while to open his eyes, but surely not so many years. He thought about it as the woman and child talked at his side. The only plausible theory he could think about, was he had arrived many years ago but only awaken minutes ago.

It was strange, but he didn't knew who or what had taken from the Fire, nor how, so it was normal if strange things were related to it.

"Well, that's enough idle chatter. We have to return with the fruits. And tell Rowan about the armor, he probably will want to have a look at it."

With that said, the woman began to leave. The girl nodded and followed her, but just before going through the bush, she stopped and turned back, looking at him with a smile.

"Bye, bye, Sir Knight!"

And then she left, leaving him with many questions. Did the girl knew about him, or it was just a childish nickname for a strange object? Whichever it was, it didn't matter. He couldn't talk or move, so he was captive inside his own armor. The bright side was, these people didn't seemed bad. Maybe with time they would realize he was alive and help him. Or at least, not kill him while he tried to remember how the heck a person moved.

He remained lost in thought for some time. It was hard to know how much time had passed, but he could see how the sunlight moved, so probably it had been just a few hours- Wait. He remembered how the Sun moved until it disappeared and day turned night, but another memory told him the Sun never moved, always static in the sky. It seemed this world was like the first memory, but then, why he had the other one?

As he pondered the different memories, the sound of steps got closer again. This time, it was the woman from before the one who entered first, but she wasn't alone. Behind her, a big man followed her. He was tall and muscular, and even if he still looked active, there were signs of age. Like the grey traces in his dark hair or the wrinkles in his face. He wore simples clothes, but were covered by a strange looking apron, as if it was made of leather.

The man then looked at him and gave a surprised whistle, "You were right, Eli. That's a strange piece of armor all right."

After that, the man approached him and kneeled beside him. For what he could see at the edge of his vision, the man was inspecting him with an expert eye. Well, not inspecting him, but his armor, as if he wasn't inside. He had to admit it was a strange feeling.

"Right?" the woman replied with a nod, "I told Anna it was just an armor, but it was strange. I didn't want to look inside with her near."

"It was the right decision." the man confirmed while he gave little taps to the metal, "This is very good made and with a strong metal, not the kind of armor you leave in the middle of nowhere. The poor fellow probably died here more than a decade ago, it can't be more than a skeleton inside there."

The next second, the man's head was just in front of him, looking through the gaps of the helmet. It was so sudden that he was sure he would have yelped if he had the capacity. The good thing was, now the man would see him and know there was someone alive inside. He expected many reactions when the man realize it, but clicking his tongue in frustration wasn't one of them.

"Damn. I can't see a thing. It's like the helmet is enchanted to hide its interior."

He blinked. He really hadn't expected that. But it seemed the woman was even more surprised.

"A enchanted armor?" she repeated, amazed, "But that would be..."

"Very rare and very valuable, yes." the man grunted and began to touch the armor again, trying to move his arms or neck without any result, "And not only that. The metal is very strange. It looks like it has been burned or something, but still perfectly fine. I have never seen something like this, not to mention I, for the life of me, can't find how to take the armor off."

He and the woman blinked in unison, but only her could voice the question, "What?"

The man stood up and shook his head, "Every armor had a way to put it and take it off. Like straps of leather or something like that. But this one hasn't any opening for it. Hell, I can't even take off the helmet, at least not without removing the pectoral part first. It could be that the gaps are hidden as he is seated in that posture, but if that's the case it doesn't help."

The woman approached him as well, looking at him with a curiosity not so different than the one of her daughter, "Yes, it's a strange posture to die, seated and with the arms resting on the knees, but why it wouldn't help?"

The man laughed a little at that and scratched his chin, "Because no matter how much strength I use, I can't move a damn finger of the thing. Normally, I would say the joints are rusted beyond salvation, but beside the plants, the armor is in pristine condition." he shook his head again, "It's the fucking weirdest thing I have ever seen."

The woman gave him an absent nod, still inspecting him with her own eyes and thinking about the whole situation. Finally, she turned to the man, "Then, what should we do?"

The man sighed, "Honestly? Probably nothing. I going to take it back to the town and see if I can do something to take the body and give him some peace. But if that thing is really enchanted, I don't want to mess too much with it." he took of his arm, ready to pull of him and laughed, "Besides, as soon as the local noble hear of it, they will fight for it like rabid dogs!"

After that, he pulled with all his strength. At first, it didn't do anything, but little by little, he heard little snaps as the plants around him broke, not resilient enough to stop the man strength. Finally, he felt how the man started to move him, dragging him along the ground by his arm. It was embarrassing to be manhandled like some kind of sack, but he could do very little to avoid it.

"Uff!" the man grunted with the effort, the veins in his arms bulging, "I knew you would be heavy, but this is stupid!"

"Are you all right?" asked the woman with some worry, "Should I go for some help?"

"Nonsense!" the man shook his head, still dragging the armor, "It's heavy, but if I couldn't drag something like this, I would lose my pride as blacksmith! Hahaha!"

And with said, the three continued their way, even if two of them didn't knew about the third one.

The town, if it could be called that, was very small. From what he could see, it was just several houses around a big square and very close to the limit of the forest. The buildings were all made of wood except one, which was half wood and half stone. And strange enough, he recognized the stone part: it was a forge.

It made sense. After all, the man who was dragging him -Rowan, he believed- had pointed himself as a blacksmith. But… it was strange. Something inside him told him the man didn't look as a blacksmith. That he should be taller, more muscular, with white hair and… a long beard?

Need anything forged?... Be careful out there

He closed his eyes as the memory assaulted him. It seemed he had met another smith in his past life. It was a little unfair to compare both craftsmen when he didn't know one and didn't remember the other, but he had the feeling Rowan couldn't hope to imitate the other man's craft.

Leaving the strange feeling aside, he focused in the town. Now that they were getting close to the forge, several persons came out from the houses. It seemed he was the new attraction, as all of them began to study him and whisper. And again, he felt as an exotic animal or something similar. He knew why the townspeople were curious about him, but to attract the attention of so many people...

Well, maybe not some many people. From his disadvantaged place, he could only count ten or so, mostly women and some men. Not enough considering the number of houses, but still, something inside him felt that more than two or three persons were a lot of people.

Eventually, they reached the forge and Rowan left it there with a heavy breath. He didn't know if it was intentional or not, but the man had left him looking at the square and the near trees. He wasn't sure how much time he would need to relearn how to move, but not spending it all looking at a wall was a relieve. He would thank the man when he recovered the ability to talk.

It seemed the curiosity grew too much and as soon as Rowan regained his breath, one of the women approached them. She was young, probably more than the mother -Eli, wasn't it?- and had bright, red hair that reached her shoulders. Blue eyes and a perfect face, maybe not as developed in certain areas as Eli, but very beautiful none the less.

Looking at him with clear curiosity, she finally talked, "Woah, Rowan, where have you found it? It sure looks like a mean piece of armor!"

She ended with a laugh and Rowan replied with one on his own, "Hello to you as well, Karen." the woman stuck out her tongue and the man shook his head, "Actually, it were Eli and the little Anna the ones who found it. After that, she call me so I could have a look."

The redhead nodded and kneeled on front of him, looking at his helmet too close in his opinion, "I see, and what are you going to do with it?"

This time, it was Eli who answered, "The last owner is probably still inside, so Rowan wants to open it and give them a proper burial. But maybe it's enchanted, so we don't know if it's actually possible."

Karen eyes widened, obviously amazed by the enchanted part, but Rowan talked before she could ask anything, "Besides, the armor is good, too good. The fellow was someone important, I am sure of it. It's better that we report it to someone to avoid troubles." he began to take tools from the forge and shook his head, "Hell, for what I have seen, even the Princesses would be interested."

At the mention of the Princesses, the redhead mood dropped, "Oh?" her voice turned cold and with laced with some venom, "Well, they already took half the town for their war, what's an armor to that?"

He blinked. It seemed there was a reason why the town was under-habited after all. These 'Princesses' must have taken anyone who could fight. But if that was the case, calling it 'their war' wouldn't be correct. He didn't remembered any war in his past, but something told him it wasn't so simple. And it seemed the others shared his opinion, Eli sighing and Rowan shaking his head.

"We have already talked about this, Karen." the man started, "This war affect us as well. The battalion they saw was close to us and very big, filled with imps, orcs and even some ogres. The Kuroinu are great, but they can't be everywhere. The Knight Princess asked for people who could fight and everyone who wanted to protect their home, answered. I wanted too, but sadly I am in no condition to fight."

He thought that was debatable, considering he had dragged him from the forest with just pure strength, but maybe he didn't know all the details.

"Even still..." the redhead pouted and looked at her side, her coldness placated by the logic, but resisting to be convinced.

Eli put and hand in her shoulder and smiled at her, "We know you are worried for your father, but you know him better than us. Something like this isn't enough to stop him, he will come back with more stories, you will see."

Karen smiled a little at that and relaxed. After that, the three began to talk about more things. The weather, the wood they would have to gather or how much meat remained from the last hunts. He heard it all, but was more focused in his own thoughts. Imps, orcs, ogres... he didn't recognized those names. For the context, it was obvious they were enemies, but what kind? Another kingdom? Another race? Monsters?

He didn't have an answer, and without the ability to talk, he couldn't ask for them.

However, the conversation had given him new information. From what he had gathered, this new world had its own conflicts and battles. He didn't know how that would affect him, but now this was his world too. Probably he would have to act in the future, for one reason or another.

But first, he had to move again. Now that he could see people moving, his immobility had begun to be very frustrating. Even a little humiliating.

Some days had passed.

The first one had been interesting. Along the afternoon, Rowan had tried several times to open his armor, grunting every time it hadn't work. From different tools to strange liquids, he had tried a lot. He hadn't mind the first type, but the second had been annoying. The man had poured some kind of oil in his arms and legs before trying to move them. Of course, it hadn't worked, but the problem was the liquid had penetrated the armor between some gaps and drenched him.

It hadn't been a nice experience.

Finally, when the night had come, Rowan had swore very loud and given up. After that, he had gone to his home, ready to sleep. That was a curious think too. He knew what sleeping was and why it was necessary, but he couldn't remember a time when he had slept... or ate. It was these thing that reminded he wasn't normal. That he had burned in an everlasting Fire for more time that he could remember. But if he wasn't human, what was he?

He had passed the night thinking about it. The atmosphere had been very relaxing, and if he couldn't move his neck, he had been able to see a little of the starry sky. With just that little, he had been fascinated by it, and had promised that as soon as he could move, he would past the night looking at all that beautiful sky.

The second day had been very quiet. Rowan had really given up, so he had been in the forge behind him all day, the sound of metal against metal filling the time. He had spent that time trying to regain some kind of motor function, but very unsuccessfully. It hadn't mattered what he tried or felt, his body had refused to move. It had been frustrating, but he already knew it was going to be a long process.

Between tries, he had observed the town and its residents. Even if they were few, they work and voices had filled the surroundings with life, something very new to him. It had been very interesting to see, how the town had woken up and every person had known what to do and where to go. And it had evoked a... relaxing, feeling on him. But he didn't know why.

The only interruption had happened when the first human he had seen in this world had come to him. The little girl -pretty sure her name was Anna- had looked at him with a smile and run to him. After that, Anna had told him about her day, how awesome was that he was now in the town and many stories about it. Behind them, Rowan had laugh with some of the stories, especially when the girl had called him 'Sir Knight', probably thinking she was cute.

It wasn't the first time she had called him that, but now that he had thought about it, it had left very confused. He wasn't a knight, even if he didn't remember his life something told him that was the truth. But... another feeling told him he had wanted to be one. He didn't know the reason why, but it was a clear feeling nonetheless.

But it had been strange. She had talked and looked at him as if she had known he was there, that he was more than a empty armor. But had she really known it, or had been just the imagination of a child? He didn't know, but he had enjoyed the talk nonetheless. It had been very refreshing that someone talked to him and not about him.

Besides, he thought the girl had talked to him because her mother had been busy and she hadn't had anyone else. Because Anna was the only kid he had seen in the town, so she probably had felt a little alone.

The next day had been very similar, Rowan working, the town moving and Anna talking to him. He had started to appreciate it. Having so many thing to see, to learn, when before he only had had the flames and nothing more. He was really liking the change, and had thought, that he wouldn't mind to spend some years just looking at this new world in movement, breathing with life.

But now was a new day, and something was very wrong.

He didn't know what, but he could feel something in the air, in his soul. Something bad was about to happen, but given his current condition, he couldn't do anything to avoid it. The worst part, it seemed he was the only one who could feel it. The town woke up as usually, and everyone went to their task without any worry.

But it didn't last, and he hated to be right.

From the line of tress, some shout began to sound. Everyone stopped to look, even the sound of hammer against metal in the forge behind him disappeared. Then, Karen came out from the forest, running. Even from his position he could see the fear and panic in her eyes. As soon as she saw the people looking at her, she shouted with all her strength.

"IMPS!"

Not a second later, several red creatures came out from the forest as well, howling and laughing like mad men. He didn't recognized them, but for the cries of fear from the townspeople, he assumed they were those 'imps'. They were little, taller than Anna but not for much. Red skin with long ears and a long nose. For clothing, they didn't wear more than tattered rags, but in their hands they had daggers and clubs. It was easy to see they hadn't come in peace.

Behind him, he heard Rowan stood up and moved around. Soon, he heard his voice as well, "EVERYONE, RUN! WE CAN'T FIGHT THEM! JUST RUN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF TH-"

A heavy sound interrupted the man's shouts, and not because it was louder. He didn't know how he knew it, but that had been a blow, something big and powerful hitting something that it wasn't. The next second, he saw the flying form of the blacksmith soaring over him.

"ROWAN!"

He didn't know who had shouted, but he shared the feeling. The man flew a little more and then hit the ground, coughing out blood as he grabbed his chest. He was worried about the man, but it was forgotten when he saw the terror appearing in the people's eyes when they looked behind. him. Karen was there and fell to the ground, bringing her hands to her mouth.

"Orc..."

He couldn't turn around to see, but it wasn't necessary. The next second, a heavy monster walked around him. It was big, bigger than a normal human. A pig-like face, green skin and bulging muscles. The orc carried a battered axe in his back, tied to some kind of leather armor. It was clear he was stronger than the little imps, and probably some kind of leader. He was proved correct when as soon as the orc grunted, the red creatures moved.

In less than a minute, it was over. There were more than twenty imps, and frozen by the fear, the townspeople had been surrounded before they could escape. The little monsters grouped them in the square, just at the limit of his vision. He could see everyone there, even Anna and Eli, who was hugging the terrified child.

The imps cheered as the orc approached them, and he knew he had to do something. He liked this place, he liked its people, and something inside him shout at him he had to protect them. He wanted to be a knight? That was what a knight would do. He had to move. He closed his eyes and focused, giving on order to his body with all his willpower.

Move.

Move!

MOVE!

But it was useless. He had forgotten how to do it. No matter how much he shouted inside his mind, that would change nothing. It was like trying to open his eyes, he needed something instinctive. But what was more instinctive than moving your own body! He had seen it. The girl, the woman, all those people moved without effort. They just wanted to move and their bodies obeyed. But not his. He had forgotten how, he had lost that road between desire and action.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

Another shout stopped his train of thought. The orc had caught Eli by her arm and then threw her to the ground. She cried with the impact, but the next second, the thing was over her, trapping both her arms over her head with one of his hands. The other hand took a grip of her clothes, and with a strong move, ripped apart half of them, showing the flesh of her belly and legs. Several cries sounded with the act, but one was stronger than the rest.

"MOMMY!"

Even with his limited vision, he could see how Anna was shouting and trashing against imps. But soon enough, one of them hit her in the head and she fell to the ground. The one who hit her looked at the girl and then smiled with a cruel grin. Before any of the humans could do anything, the monster sat on the girl's back and caught her hair, pulling on it until she cried in pain and looked up, just to where her mother was.

"Anna, No! Release her! Leave her alone!" the woman shouted, rebelling against the orc's hand with all her strength, but to no avail. The thing just grunted and tore the rest of her clothes, exposing her breasts and her nether region.

"Mommy..."

The rest of the humans whimpered and avoided their eyes for a second, knowing very well what was going to happen. The imps knew it as well, but they cheered instead, enjoying the show and anticipating the time for their turn. Maybe the girl was the only one who didn't knew what was going to happen, but she knew the monster was hurting her mother and that was enough to make her cry.

Inside his armor, he just could see as the events happened. How the woman shivered as the orc licked the side of her face, how the thing grinned at her reaction and took his member with his free hand, ready to defile her. And he couldn't do anything, just watch as disgust and anger filled his mind. Because even with his fractured memory, he understood what was going to happen. No matter how much he wanted to not knowing it.

If there were things he would have wanted to forget, rape was one of them.

He had to stop this. He had to do something, anything! He just needed an instinctive action, something that allowed him to move. After that... he... he would do something. Even if he had forgotten everything, he would charge at the monster, punch him, bite him, anything! He wasn't useless! He could help! He could fight-

A electric feeling traveled through his whole body, tensing it and preparing it for something he couldn't understand. A phantom sensation grew in every part of his being. This... this was familiar, he had felt it before. Time and time again, his body had reacted when... when an enemy had appeared before him.

Thousands of flashes invaded his mind, showing more beings than what he thought possible. Humans, dogs, rats, birds, insects, drakes, monsters, demons, ghosts, dragons, giants, knights, snakes, crystals, skeletons, trees, statues, legends… gods. And with every one of them, he had the same feeling, he did the same thing.

He fought.

Attack, move, defend, roll, charge, fall, raise, drink and repeat. He saw himself doing the impossible again and again. Moving and acting with a energy he had forgotten, with a knowledge that had been burned away from his mind. Something he had learnt with a lifetime of fights that had been wiped out of his mind.

But his body remembered.

HIs body remembered every battle, every hit, every death. Because sometimes, the fall would be too great to recover from it and the body would die. However, that never stopped him, just raising again to fight again. He didn't understand it, but right now it didn't matter. Each death gave him more experience, more drive to win his battles.

Every death, was a scar in his soul reminding him he had been too slow, too careless, too weak. And every scar taught him something, about his enemies, about his weapons and about himself. That life had trained him, integrating every bit of information in his very bones and muscles, to the point that it didn't matter if he remembered how to fight or not.

His body would never forget, could never forget.

Move? Just moving wouldn't save the people in front of him. Just moving wouldn't defeat the monsters that were threatening the place that was his new world. He didn't need to move.

He

Needed

To

Fight!

Something happened, and he needed a second to process it. His fingers had contracted, trying to curl around the handles of a sword and shield that weren't there. It wasn't very much, but it was the first movement he had achieved in eons. This was the answer, for him fighting was more instinctive than just moving. There would be time to think about the implications of this, but for now it was just what he needed.

He focused again in the world around him. The humans shouted, the monster cheered and Anna cried. Eli was still looking at her daughter, trying to reassure her with a smile, but even for him it was clear the girl wasn't buying it. The monster above the woman move again, forcing her legs open and getting ready to finish what he had started.

He wouldn't allow it.

Fight.

"No... mom..." the girl sobbed as she was forced to look at what was happening, the imp's grip in her hair still painful.

Fight!

"E-everything is going to be a-all right. Just... just close your eyes, honey. P-please..." Eli said with a broken voice. Even if she wanted to smile, tears began to fall from her eyes. She was doing her very best to barely ignore the monster over her, laughing with a cruel sound as he got in position.

FIGHT!

"MOMMY!" Anna cried again, the other human shouting in desperation as well. The women hugged themselves, knowing they were going to watch their near future.

FIGHT!

"I-I love you, Anna..." the woman closed her eyes.

The little girl raised her hand, trying to reach her mother as the monster began to move. "MOOOOOOOOOMY!"

'CRACK'

A loud sound silenced the whole town. Monster and human alike froze, quickly looking at the source of the sound with a myriad of different feelings. However, they found nothing, just the old armor, still sitting on the ground and looking at the scene with the darkness that filled the helmet. The monsters just ignored it, laughing and forgetting it. The orc scoffed, angry for being interrupted for nothing and just got ready again. But the townspeople keep looking, eyes fixed in the armor.

Because they knew something was different, they knew something had happened. Because the armor's left arm, the one which had rested over its leg, immovable for days, was now on the ground, grabbing the earth with such force that its finger had sunk into it, cracking the zone.

Still frozen by the impossibility, their eyes widened as the other arm moved, falling to the ground as well. Its fingers tried to take a hold of the ground, exerting such strength that the earth broke and the fingers sank into the ground again.

'CRACK'

This time, the monster really tensed at the sound, looking with nervous glances and grabbing their weapons. The leader stood up, forgetting the shivering woman under him as he looked at the armor, his instincts shouting at him to be careful. That was why he saw it moving, just the tiniest vibration of its arms as they took a good hold of the ground. Then, before the frightened eyes of the imps, the armor began to really move, forcing its legs under it until it took a kneeling position.

The humans gasped, finally realizing that the apparently empty armor hadn't been so empty. The red monsters cried in alarm and uneasiness, running to hide behind their leader as their instincts told them the moving thing was dangerous. As the armor finally began to stand, everyone felt some kind of dread at the apparently living piece of metal. Everyone except two: the orc who just saw a new soldier to kill, and Anna, who looked at it with wide eyes and a tiny light of hope shining in them.

With the sudden event, the monster that had been holding her had jumped in fear and had went with the rest of them, trying to find comfort in numbers. Thank to that, Anna was now free. She wanted to run to her mother, but the big monster was still there, and he wouldn't let her come close. However, for now her mother was safe, so she looked at the only glimmer of hope she could find: the black armor that she had affectionately named Sir Knight.

Every bed story her mother had told her came to her mind. Maybe it wasn't white, but the black metal still shined with an impossible gleam. And he hadn't arrived in a imposing horse, but he had confronted the evil just in their hour of need, like every hero she had heard off. A larger-than-life hero who brought hope to the people and fear to the monsters.

And for a scared, little girl, right now a hero was exactly what she needed.

"P-PLEASE!" she shouted. Everyone looked at her, but she was too focused on the black figure to notice it, "PLEASE, HELP US! S-SAVE US FROM THE MONSTERS! Please Sir Knight…" she choked and sobbed with new tears, but finally regained her strength, "PLEASE! SAVE MY MOMMY!"

The townspeople looked at her with pity. Even with the sudden movement of the armor, they still thought they were doomed, but could understand the hope of a little girl who wanted to be with her mother. The imps sneered at her, but none of them was brave enough to go to her with the unknown threat still there. The orc didn't even look at her, not taking his eyes from the new soldier.

The black armor didn't react. It didn't look at her nor said anything. It just stood there, as if it had become a statue again. But Anna didn't doubt, didn't take her eyes from her hero. And then, after the longest second of her life, the black armor began to move again. Slowly walking towards the big monster and her mother, the clanking of metal overpowering every other sound in the town.

He had wanted to nod, had wanted to say something to reassure the crying girl, but he was doing his very best to just move... no, not move. He was approaching the enemy, slowly and careful, as he had always done. He had to constantly remember he was in a fight or his body would stop answering him. This was the only way he could do something. Ready to fight a new enemy, left arm holding a shield that wasn't there and right arm preparing a strike with what he supposed it should have been a sword.

It wasn't ideal, but it would have to be enough.

As he kept approaching him, the monster grunted at him with a deep and almost animal voice, "Who are you? You don't smell like a human, just smell like metal and ashes."

This surprised him. The only enemies that talked to him had been humans, but it seemed this new world had still more differences to show him. However, it didn't matter. He couldn't speak, so if the orc wanted an answer, he would be severely disappointed. They had attacked, and now he would defeat them, protect the ones who can't protect themselves, that was his duty as knight. He would protect his new little piece of world and the people that lived in it.

After some seconds, the orc understood he wasn't going to answer and grunted again, moving his obese body to intercept him with his bare fists. He could see an axe behind the enemy, but it seemed a simple armored human wasn't worthy of it. That, or the monster was more stupid that he had thought.

When they were just some meters afar, the pig-like being roared a battle cry and charged at him, arm raised to deliver a crippling blow. The humans gasped and cried as the imps cheered their leader. The steps of the orc shook the ground, but he wasn't worried. He had seen stronger and bigger enemies charging at him -an armored boar coming to his mind- and he had defeated them all. With that thought, his body reacted. He bent his knees, lowered his center of mass and raised his shield to-

Oh right. He hadn't a shield.

The fist struck him in the chest, the impact forcing him to take a step back. The humans winced, knowing very well what that fist could to the fragile human body. The monster grinned, the power behind that blow had been enough to break stones. Luckily for him, his armor was stronger than simple stones. An unknown to him, so was his body.

The next instant, he recovered from the impact and resumed his stance, just a little worse for wear. This was getting complex. If he tried to fight the orc using a sword without actually having a sword, he would never connect a hit. He needed a weapon to finish him, but the only one he could see was the axe in the monster's back. If he wanted it, he first needed to stun or knock down him. But how...?

A sudden memory assaulted him, and had he been able to control his facial muscles, he would have grinned. With a quick movement, he 'took' the big shield with two hands and got ready. The orc was still, probably dumbfounded when his fist had failed to make him a bloody pulp. But that was a mistake, he shouldn't be astonished for something so simple.

He had felt worse.

He could do worse.

When he moved again, the monster reacted, but it was too late. With a powerful step, he got close and 'bashed' him with his great shield. It probably would have been more impressive if he really had had a shield, but the hit of his arms was enough to make him fly. The enemy cried in pain and fell to the ground, rolling several times before stopping upside down, holding his chest in pain. It was his chance and he wasn't going to let it pass.

With a heavy sprint, he ran to the fallen orc and took the axe before he could react. Luckily for him, it seemed he had needed to change weapons in the past in the middle of a fight. That, and he apparently knew how to use an axe, his arm and hand changing position automatically to the new style of combat. Now he just needed a shield and he wouldn't seem so strange with the empty arm holding nothing.

The enemy finally regained his breath and looked at him, hate and anger filling his eyes. With another beastly roar, he charged again while standing up, ignoring any sense of defense as he only wanted to crush the armored soldier. But for said armored soldier, the movement was clumsy and predictable. Another image of the armored boar flashed in his mind and with a sudden step he moved to her left, avoiding the wild monster at the same time he raised the axe to slash him.

The orc saw it, and even in maddened state, he raised his right arm to defend himself. He wasn't worried. He had lived for a while, fought many battles, and every scar in his body showed that puny humans hadn't the strength to cut through his hard skin, no with an old axe at least.

So when the rusty weapon not only cut his skin, but muscle and bone as well until severing his arm, the following shock wasn't entirely caused by the pain and blood lose.

All the witnesses froze, not believing what had happened. The first disbeliever was the orc, who fell to his knees while looking at his severed limb, too shocked to react. And he wouldn't give him time. If he had learnt something for those flashes, it was he couldn't stop until every enemy was dead. So with a swift move, he attacked again, a quick and powerful horizontal slash that beheaded his enemy before he could even grunt.

The silence returned to the town while everyone tried to process what had happened. Then, little by little, the townspeople began to look at the scene with a cautious expression. Too afraid to really hope, but at the same time, desiring with all their soul that the moving armor could really save them.

The remaining monsters were in the other end of the spectrum, beginning to feel the terror grow as the head of their leader fell to the ground with a thud. Because they had run and hidden behind the orc, now they were isolated against the armor, the woman and the other humans behind the strange thing that had killed a powerful orc with disturbing ease. To recapture the women, they would have to get through him, and obviously, none of them wanted to be the first to try.

They were more and they were fast, but they weren't very brave.

However, he didn't give them time to plan. When he was confident the corpse wouldn't move and attack him -it seemed it wouldn't be the first time it happened to him-, he began to approach the red creatures, ready to finish the fight while his body still obeyed him. The metal of his armor clanked as he kept walking, slowly, axe and 'shield' ready.

But the imps saw something very different.

For them, the figure approaching was little by little turning into a nightmare. The black armor who had slew a powerful orc as if it was a normal task, who had received a killing blow and just had shrugged it off as if it was nothing. In their eyes filled of fear, the black metal turned even darker, every edge of the armor getting sharper. The smell of ashes invaded their noses and they could almost feel the flames behind the nightmare. Then, they looked at the helmet, stared at the Abyss that dwelled inside...

And the Abyss stared back.

"Re-retreat!" one of them shouted, his voice filled with panic.

The one who had shouted the order wasn't a leader nor had the respect of the others, but he had said just what everyone of them wanted to hear. With fearful cries, all the imps ran away, leaving behind daggers and clubs that would only slow them down.

For him, it was the strangest sight he had ever seen. Never a enemy had run away from him, at least not really. Sometimes they had run, but always to take a better position or to lead him to a trap. This was the first time he saw the back of enemies as they ran for their lives, filled with fear. It was strange, but useful nonetheless. He was confident in his power, but not in his body. As the little monsters disappeared between the trees, not a sign that they would come back, he relaxed.

When they had run away far enough, their cries got muffled until completely disappearing and the silence returned once again to the town. It kept like this for a little while, the humans still trying to process what had happened, how they had been saved. But when they did, all hell broke loose. Cheers and shouts of happiness erupted behind him, interrupted by the occasional sob and the sound of steps and movement. At least, until the voice that had given the drive to move, sounded again.

"MOMMY!"

Focusing again, he turned back, forcing himself to believe he was doing it to making sure the sounds weren't a new enemy. It even had been easier than before, as he remembered some sensations from when he had fought. Maybe, now that he had felt his muscles move on their own, he would be able to do it himself. It was a interesting theory, but there would be time to experiment. Now, he just wanted to see what was in front of him.

Because Anna had run to his mother, hugging her with all the force a child could muster as tears kept falling from her eyes. Eli was no better, returning the hug and the tears, whispering shooting and comforting words to her daughter. Both had tears and they were still affected by what had happened, but now, little smiles appeared in their faces as they reassured each other with their presence.

The two weren't the only ones he could see. Behind them, the whole town was moving, hugging each other and making sure everyone was all right. An old man he didn't know the name of, approached the laying figure of Rowan, and after some seconds he shouted, asking for help to move him. Another man came to help and when they move him, the blacksmith complained, not entirely conscious, but not dead. As the old man began to treat his wounds, he hoped for the better.

Finally, Karen came to the mother a daughter before him, giving a blanket to the older so she could cover herself. Eli thank her and they exchange tentative smiles, but with the movement they finally noticed him. Both women looked at him with an unreadable emotion, not knowing what to say or do. But the little girl didn't have that problem.

Getting up with some difficulty, Anna looked at him and then bowed a little, "Thank you! Thank you, Sir Knight! Thank you for helping us, thank you for saving us!" then she looked up, a bright smile in her face despite the tears, "Thank you for saving my Mommy. I-I knew you were a real hero!"

She left him astounded. He wasn't a hero, he knew that. A heavy feeling in his chest told him he had never been able to really save someone in the past. But the child's words resonated inside him. The heavy feeling got a little lighter and he felt... warm. It was a wonderful feeling, and even if he didn't share the child's view of him, he could enjoy the feeling for a little while.

With every ounce of willpower he had in his body, remembering every sensation from the fight, he focused in just one thing. And then, with a titanic effort, his neck moved, giving the girl a nod. Trying to convey all he wanted to say with that little gesture. If the growing smile in Anna's face was anything to go by, he achieved it a little.

He noticed the two adults looked at scene with fascination, but he hadn't the strength to move anymore. It was amazing how much effort he needed to just move his neck, but it was a promising start. Soon, he would be able to move freely, and with that freedom he could do anything. He was no longer chained to the flames, burning for an unknown reason. Now, he in a new place, a new world, and thanks to that he could live again.

He had burned, but it seemed he had some embers left.

And he wouldn't waste this chance, he wouldn't waste his new opportunity. He didn't know what was his future in this new land, but he didn't care.

He had the freedom and the time to see it happen, and for now, that was enough.