Chapter 5: The Butterfly


    Totally exhausted, Ned woke upte in the afternoon.


    So that was me. The entire time, I thought those dreams were fake. It was me after all. Ned thought for a moment before getting up from hisfortable straw bed.


    So what now?


    [It''s all up to you Ned. Remember my program will do everything to ensure your survival.]


    Thanks, ICE. And now you`re calling me Ned.


    [You are wee Ned. It''s only appropriate now that your memories returned.]


    All this time you''re in my head. So, you know everything about my life here? Ned curiously asked.


    [Not entirely. I got activated six years ago. That''s when I started sending you fragments of information or your dreams. Before that, I''m remote. But of course, I know about you. You like meat. Roasted. You were born without magic but still, you trained the way of the Knight. Taught by your Master.]


    [You have nost name. You might likely follow your master''sst name.]


    So you know Master''s name?


    [Sir Othor William Strat.]


    You do know a lot about me. But one thing confuses me. Why am I here, and not on Earth? Also, where is my pod? Can''t you locate it?


    [There is a lot of reason why I can''t locate your pod. First, it''s offline. Second,pletely destroyed, or third, it''s not on this ind.]


    [Your master might know something about it since he''s the one who found you.]


    Looks like there''s no hiding it now. I''m gonna ask him then.


    Ned saw Master Will waiting for him outside the woods where they usually train. His face looked concerned.


    "Master, I''m sorry I didn''t train today."


    "It''s fine kid. You''ve...," Master Will was startled as to how Ned looked to be a new and different person. "You look very different kid. What happened to you?"


    After Ned had his past recovered. His character had changed. For his Master, the innocent kid was only a facade hiding the true beast lurking in the shadow. Ned was now more focused, disciplined, and unmovable.


    "Yes, I''m still... me, Master," Ned exined. "But Master, I have something to ask you."


    "Who am I to you Master?"


    "Looks like you already knew," Master Will sighed. "I just don''t consider you as my apprentice kid. Before I started to live here. I was a Royal Knight of the Griffith Kingdom. One of the best, so to say. But you know...things didn''t really go our own way, so I was here now. Branded a traitor. Cast by the King himself," He further exined. "Loyally served the Kingdom but disgracefully branded as a traitor. My life is in that Kingdom. So, I lost my will to live, until one day. I came across this ind. Built a home out of the dirt. And met you. Fell from the sky with that unprable thing. So, you see, you saved me, kid. Saved from despair. You are my life kid. My child."


    "Master..."


    I''m a clone, so having a father is out of the question. But this time, this is... The feeling of having a father. A real one. Ned thought.


    "Father..."


    "You kid!" Master Will brushed Ned''s hair. "Enough with this,e! Let''s go!"


    "Where to Master?"


    "Well to that un-prable thing of yours! It might help you with something!"


    For some time, Master Will and Ned passed to the woods. Master Will led Ned to a cave not far from their home.


    Master Will found an aged torch hanged on the wall and cast ''ignite'' spell to lit it. Magic in this world worked really differently. Ned thought.


    Not long after, they reached an empty chamber. Ned was confused because he was here more done a dozen and checked that all chambers of the cave were empty. But after a moment Ned was surprised to see that a barrier that looked like a part of the wall of the cave emerged when Master Will picked up stones at the ground.


    "What''s that Master?"


    "Oh, I never taught you about runes, didn''t I? This is a level 4 Barrier rune," Showing the rune on his HAND and pointing another one on the ground. "And that one is a level 2 Illusion rune. Combine them together and they will form a strong barrier that mimics its surrounding."


    So that''s it. Ned pondered.


    After the rune''s effect was worn off. Ned saw what he was after. Inside was a pod big enough to fit one human. At the bottom was a chrome metallic material with a dent that formed a small crater and at the surface was ss, slick enough that it reflects the light from the torch.


    "That''s it, kid," looking at the pod, Master Will then raised his right hand and a fume started to form. Slowly it gets bigger and bigger. "Fireball!"


    Boom!


    "As you can see kid, not even a single scratch. What I draw was a level 2 form of Fireball, enough to incinerate a couple of dozen of goblins. And it won''t open no matter what I do!" Master Will then added. "That''s where I found you, besides that thing you were lying on the ground."


    But as soon as Ned walked near the pod and touched the ss surface. The pod beeped a couple of times then the hatched hissed open.


    "What! What did you do kid, let me see, let me see!" Master Will excitedly approach the pod.


    "Oh, I''m sorry kid," now with a deep and serious voice. "I got carried away, anyway tell me what''s inside,ter on, this is your moment so I''ll leave you here kid. This might help you juggle your memory."


    "Thank you, Master."


    After Ned put his hand on the pod. It read Ned''s DNA and with the help of ICE, it went online. Now connected, ICE then downloads the history log of the pod. There Ned found out that his pod was hit by an energy surged and was forced to shut off and left Ned drifting in space for almost 3000 years. Until a meteoroid hit Ned''s pod and changed its course to its current.


    3000 years! I''m older than the Emperor! Ned assessed. Am I that old?!


    [Not really Ned. Space-time was different from time. 3000 spacetime years is only 300 years'' time. But since suspended-animation was activated inside your pod, you didn''t age during your space travel. So your body is exactly thirteen-years-old.]


    So that''s it! Ned was relieved by that information.


    What Ned found inside the pod was a ring and a chip with some writing on the surface and it read "Earth".


    He put the ring that was given to her by Kamma. And with the help of ICE, Ned transferred the data from the chip to his memory. Now with the Earth''s data, Ned saw his current world differently. He remembered hunting Rabbis which is a bigger version of Rabbit from Earth. Middle Frosts Month is November. The man-made hill they were living was actually called bunker and Pica was called Money. Aside from Magic, almost what Ned saw resembled Earth.


    After a moment of self-reflection. Ned was now determined to fulfill Kamma''s wish. To explore, make friends, and get stronger. Getting stronger is the only way to protect what is precious to him.


    Outside the cave, Master Will was nowhere to be found. So Ned decided to go back to their Bunker. There he saw Master Will holding what appeared to be a sword.


    "What''s that Master Will?"


    "This is mypanion. It was made by a high-elf from a very rare material. Maker only knows what material it was. Anyway, It was given to me as a gift during my Ascension. I named this sword ''The Butterfly''."


    "Why are you showing me this Master?"


    "Well, it''s time Ned. Today I went to town. And I learned that two days from now, Selection will start. Although it sounds fishy, It''s your only chance to leave this ind and be a Knight."


    Ned was always reluctant to leave the ind because of his Master, now dilemma struck him. He can''t leave his master cause he''s getting weak. And no one will take care of him. But at the same time, Ned was determined to leave the ind to fulfill Kamma''s wish.


    "But, Master...."


    "I know, don''t worry about me, I already asked granny L if I could stay with her. Of course, she''s delighted cause she''s always alone and she needspanionship. Plus, she''s the only healer in town. And I happened to know a thing or two about healing magic, so I might be able to help her. So don''t worry about me kid."


    With that, Ned''s throat was now cleared of fish-bones.


    Master Will gave the Butterfly to Ned. Its hilt was wrapped by brown leather, it''s neck was intricately engraved - showing the careful craftsmanship of the elves. But the most distinguishing part was the de itself. The de that extended up to a meter was tinted with a color between jade and forest green.


    As soon as Ned get a hold of the sword, it''s tinted green was slowly turned into a deep shade of obsidian. Ned felt... nothing.


    "The sword resonates with the user kid. So take good care of her." Master Will then grabbed the sword away from Ned and smirked. "But, now is not the time for you to have it. I let you touched it just so you could have the feel and motivation. I''ll give you a task, and after you''ve finished it. I''ll bestow the sword to you."


    "What task Master Will?"


    "To be a knight." He then added. "But in order to be one. You need to have Magic...and a pet."