Thank you to Tevokkia for the great contest

Chapter the 1 – The Hidden Chamber

It had been while photographing her dearest friend and mate, Lionheart, that the Dragon Princess discovered the secret chamber in the Throne Room of Seerus. Set behind a false wall and covered by a hanging tapestry, it was well hidden. The Dragon Princess unsheathed her side blade and used it to carefully move the tapestry aside so that they could peer inside. For a hidden room, it was quite large, lit only by the phosphorous glow of weapons and vials. They moved inside for a closer of examination of the amazing weaponry inside. The weapons consisted mainly of a variety of bombs and missiles, the likes of which they had never seen.

Their presence in the room must have set off some kind of alarm, for Seerus himself soon appeared with a phalanx of guards who were wearing a variety of masks. Seerus, twice the size of the next biggest gremlin, was wearing a white Tengu mask with a red pattern, behind which glowed maniacal spirally red eyes. He was garbed in a heavy leather armor laced with a red glowing material they had never seen before

Lionheart and the Dragon Princess were quickly surrounded and completely outnumbered by gremlins warriors.

“Perfect!” Seerus exclaimed with a gravelly voice and evil snicker, muffled by his Tengu mask. “Caught like two rats in a trap! Couldn’t resist my bait, could ya? I been a waitin’ for a few knights clever enough to find this room and brave or foolish enough to explore it. Well, your theivin’ ways have done ya in, vermin. And with the Season of Pyromance nearly upon us, the timing couldn’ be better.”

“We’re no thieves, “ scoffed the Dragon Princess, “and if I’m not mistaken, gremlins are the vermin, not knights.”

“Watch your tongue, little missy, or I’ll have it out now,” growled Seerus as he took a heavy step forward.

“Enough of this! We know nothing of this Season of Pyromance of which you speak,” Lionheart spoke in a voice of deadly calm. “We recognize you, though, Seerus. Your hammer-swords and bombs are particularly powerful and effective in our battles.”

“Yes, yes, my weapons always are, my new-found furry friend, but you’ll pay dearly for your raids on my weapons cache. I’m a Weapons Master with far more powerful bombs than the ones your likes have stolen as booty. I’ve got a very special bomb for a very special occasion. And you two scum are going to be the ones to use it.”

The Dragon Princess spat a smoky fireball in Seerus’s direction. “I am the Dragon Princess and this is Lionheart the Brave. We’ll strike no bargains with the likes of you!” she hissed.

At the mention of their names, jeers and arguments broke out amongst the gathered gremlins. These were no two ordinary knights they were facing, but rather highly decorated Vanguard knights of royal bearing, weaponry and skill.

The very tall Lionheart had on a shadowy Snarbolax Coat which had been alchemized with triple max unique variants. Attached to the back were Shadow Valkyrie wings, giving him the appearance of an angel of death. His Twilight Aura and glowing red eyes further accented his imposing and deadly presence. He tightened his grip on his exceptionally powerful Glacius.

His companion, the Dragon Princess, stood in poised contrast. Lionheart with his very tall height stood a full head above the shorter Princess. Where he was darkness and ice, she was bright shining and fiery. Her Sunshine Aura sparkled off her golden Radiant Silvermail with her Regal Wings. She was crowned with a Golden Wreath and Volcanic Halo. Her maximum charged Combuster sword glowed red hot in anticipation of battle.

“Bahhhaahah,” laughed Seerus. “I grant you, you two might be difficult to subdue under normal circumstances, but we be wearin’ these masks for a reason, thieves. They’re more than merely costumed helms; they’re also filtered gas masks, which neither of you had the smarts to be packin’. You’ll be droppin’ unconscious quite soon, me merry knights. I’d wish ya sweet dreams, but I’ve a feeling they’re gonna be quite nasty.”

At his joke, a roar of howling laughter broke out. That was the last sound they heard before falling unconscious to the floor.



Chapter 2 – The Mission Given

The Dragon Princess returned to consciousness to find herself in a dungeon where they were bound in heavy in chains. When the guards noticed that they were both awake, they sent word to Seerus.

When the hulking weapons master appeared at the cell door, the Dragon Princess hissed at him and pulled at her chains.

“It’s no use, Princess. I’ve been pulling at them quite a bit already, and there is no give in them” Lionheart said with anger and discouragement in his voice.

“How were those dreams, knights?” asked Seerus, and his gremlin guards laughed with delight at their helpless plight. “Unpleasant, no doubt, and things aren’t going to get any pleasanter for ya. It’s time for your mission, but I’ll only be needin’ one of you to carry it out.”

“Very well,” spoke Lionheart as he rose to his feet. “What is this mission you’d have me do?”

“Very noble ‘n all of you to volunteer like that, Lionheart the Brave,” Seerus said sarcastically, “but your extra tall height makes you too difficult to disguise. The petite Princess is much better suited for what we got in mind. You’ll be remaining behind as our hostage to make sure the Princess cooperates like we want.”

The Princess snorted heavily through her nostrils twice, and exchanged a long meaningful look with Lionheart. “Fine,” she spoke, “Where is this bomb, and who am I supposed to blow up with it?”

“That’s more like it, my pretty little one. Now, iffen ya don’t know the Season of Pyromance, I’ll explain it simply ‘n’ all so even the likes of you can grog it. The Season of Pyromance is a summer Pyromantic Festival held by those busy-body fiends. During the summer season which be upon us, the thermal activity in the core causes the planet to reach its hottest temperatures. During this time, most of the fiends on the planet’ll gather to find mates and celebrate their new unions with a grand display of fireworks, many of which I create, I thank thee. Ya gettin’ all that, Princess?”

“I follow you just fine, demon-gremlin. Have on with it,” she retorted.

“Good, ‘n fair enough. Well, you’ll be attendin’ this festival disguised as one of my workers, the difference bein’ you’ll have a special firework bomb attached to your back and affixed to your knight’s life-energy at the wrist along with a switch. You’ll use this spectacularly destructive bomb I’ve created against the fiends during the peak of their festival. This bomb, when ignited by you, will end the miserable existence of every one of those fiends in attendance.” Seerus laughed with evil humor.

“I don’t suppose you bothered to put a timer on this bomb?” inquired the Dragon Princess.

“Oh, I’m afraid not, my dear scaly knight.” He smiled delightedly and added, “You’ll have to trigger the switch yourself directly, and there’ll be one less royal dragon to plague us when you do.”

The gremlin horde laughed loudly and cheered the Dragon Princess’s upcoming demise.

“No!” exclaimed Lionheart. “Find a way to send me instead.”

“Not gonna happen, my feline friend. It’ll be the royal dragon doin’ the deed for us.”

“So it’s a suicide mission, is it? And if I refuse?” snorted the Dragon Princess with a puff of fire and smoke, baring her teeth and twitching her tail menacingly.

“Simple, Deary. Cooperate, and I’ll let your mate Lionheart live; refuse, and I’ll have both of you slain here and now.”

“Blast you, Seerus! Use me instead!” shouted Lionheart. “Just let her go.”

“No, no,” Seerus responded. “Not blast me – blast her,” he chuckled. “She’ll be the one goin’ ‘Boom’, and it’ll be many a gremlin who thanks me for ridding the planet of her once and for all.”

“How do I know you won’t just slay Lionheart anyway?” asked the Dragon Princess.

“Why, you have my word as the Weapons Master that I’ll release him unharmed. What you don’t have, Sweets, is a choice.” At this, Seerus and his gremlin guards roared with mirthless pleasure.


Chapter 3 – The Pyromantic Festival

A week later the Dragon Princess disguised as a gremlin worker, was in attendance at the Pyromantic Festival. The suicide bomb was strapped to her back like a shield in a way she could not reach or remove, with a wire leading to a switch around her wrist. The whole design was especially attuned to a knight’s life-energy so that only a knight could set it off, not a gremlin or fiend.

She had not seen Lionheart since they had said a brief and final farewell in Seerus’s dungeon. She deeply regretted that they would have no more time together, but took some comfort in knowing that in giving her life, she would spare his and inflict huge casualties on their enemies while doing so.

The fiends were at the height of their celebrations, with fireworks filling the skies and drunken revelry going on all around her. Some had already found mates and wandered off from the celebrations. Most, however, were still gathered around the main events.

The best time to use the bomb in order to inflict maximum casualties was now. With her death only minutes away, the Dragon Princess said a final prayer of spiritual peace as she moved toward the center of the festivities. In these final moments she thought once more of Lionheart and hoped that Seerus would keep his word to spare his life.

Just then she was seized around the waist, lifted off her feet and carried off behind some crates. Before she knew what was happening, the bomb was stripped from her back without breaking the bomb-to-knight life-energy connection and transferred to her abductor. As soon as she was released, she immediately reached for her dagger, but her wrist was caught in a firm and somehow familiar grip. It was then that she finally got a look at who it was.

“Lionheart!” His face was cut and bruised. “How came you here, my love?”

She looked at his armor and could see that he had been in a fierce battle and was badly wounded. His Snarbolax Coat, which allowed him to blend in so well with the shadows, had been heavily shredded and bloodstained, and his Shadowy Valkyrie wings were beyond any hope of repair.

“Heh,” he laughed and winced, “no little group of gremlins could hold me for long. Come, this way quickly.”

The Dragon Princess had lost her bearings in the swiftness of events and followed Lionheart’s lead to an elevator and possible escape route. He collapsed heavily beside it and she sat next to him.

“Lionheart, you’re amazing. Let’s get that bomb off you and get you to a healing center right away!” the Dragon Princess said excitedly, and took him by the arm to get him up.

“If only we could, but that’s just not possible,” said Lionheart with a voice so low it could barely be heard over the partying around them, yet the Dragon Princess could detect more than physical pain behind his words.

“The bomb will explode as soon as it becomes disconnected from a knight’s life-energy. I’m afraid only one of us is getting out of here alive, dearest one.”

“Lionheart, NO! There must be some way!” argued the Dragon Princess. “We’ve always found a way to survive the dangers of this planet together, and that’s not going to change now.”

“My wounds are, mmph, too severe this time, precious one.” Lionheart was breathing heavily as he lay beside the elevator. “With all my heart, I wish we had more time together, but it is not to be. And now, before you are caught . . .” He rose up and drew her to himself and kissed her for what would be the final time, taking her breath away with his passion and the fierceness of his hug. Before she could recover, he gave her a gentle but firm push onto the elevator and hit the “up” button, sealing her inside it.

“Lionheart! Lionheart!,” she screamed. She reached for him through the elevator gates, and their gloved fingers brushed as it began to take her upward. Tears blurred her eyes and she wiped them away so that she could get a clear last look at the one who meant so much to her. His glowing red eyes and upraised hand were the last sights she ever saw of him.

She reached the planet surface and moments later a tremendous blast shook the ground. She knew what it was and what it signified, and she collapsed to the ground weeping. In those moments of unbearable grief, she swore that Lionheart’s sacrifice would be known and remembered forever.

The loss of Lionheart was felt far and wide amongst the Spiral Knights. All agreed that Lionheart’s sacrifice should be appropriately honored. Many of the foremost knights gathered in a special council to decide how best to do this.

Although many good suggestions were made, the gathered knights of the Spiral Realm finally settled upon three things. First, the Dragon Princess would, after a suitable time of mourning and preparation, establish a new guild named after Lionheart in order to honor his legacy - a guild dedicated to helping other knights as Lionheart had, by mentoring and guiding a healthy blend of veteran and newer knights in how best to advance both in the game and mature as honorable knights. Secondly, the Lionheart Honor Blade - a new honorary sword of exquisite design and beauty – was fashioned and awarded to all knights of the highest rank– Vanguard. The Dragon Princess proudly wore this blade when socializing in her guild’s hall or around haven. And finally, the Spiral community would also celebrate the annual Season of Pyromance as its own Pyromantic time of socializing and celebrating. (Seerus would NOT be allowed to supply the fireworks!)

During this emotional time for the Dragon Princess, she always made sure to set off some memorial Pyromantic fireworks in Lionheart’s name. And each time she gazed into the sky at their fiery beauty, she made sure to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the knight she had loved and who had forever changed her life and the lives of so many others in Spiral Knights.

Great story for the origins of the Lionheart guild! I was thinking, should it be added to the guild wiki page? Oh yeah, congrats for winning in the competition!