Faust Neffiet was the first to step forward. "I want to go first."

"I love your enthusiasm, Sir Neffiet!" Chronus rolled down the slope that led up to the control board and stopped in front of the blonde knight. "However, you will each be taking the plunge together." He motioned to the several tables that lined the walls. "This is your only last chance to back out."

Faust grimaced at the chair-bound man and grumbled. "I won't run away, like my father did." Glaed could hear the emotion in his voice and Chronus held up his hand in protest.

"That's all I needed to hear." He chuckled and grabbed a virtual reality helmet that came down from the ceiling. "Now then, this experiment requires a calm mind and a positive attitude." He spun around and pointed at a large console to which the virtual reality helmet was connected. "What you see there is another invention I created for that exact purpose. Through this virtual reality hub that I call the artificial environment simulator, or AES, you can enter a world of your mind's creation."

"What does that have to do with the surgery?" Faust asked, bluntly.

"Basically-" Behr started, but was quickly interrupted by Chronus, who wheeled closer.

"It's a distraction for your mind while your body undergoes immense and terrible pain." Chronus laughed. "It's a practical anesthesic, in layman's terms."

"Will it be... Extremely painful?" Antha inquired.

"Without the AES, yes, quite painful. Originally, I tested the nanites on lab koobils, with lethal consequences."

"This technology was specifically created to test the limitations of the mind, while still having real world applications." Grigory chimed in.

"Like holo-viewer games?" Glaed asked, enthusiastically.

"You would." Lark stated, coldly. "He means stuff like combat and espionage training."

"Actually, Sir Larendel," The king started, "Recreational activities were also on the list of proposed uses when the tech was introduced. There are many interested game companies awaiting commercial release."

"Whoa, that's actually pretty cool," Lark spoke again, "Allow me to just take my foot out of my mouth." Everyone laughed at his personal jab. Underneath that cocky attitude, there actually seems to be a pretty likable guy, Glaed thought.

"At any rate, you get the idea," He assumed, "You each will be placed into a full-dive virtual scenario while the operation is taking place. It should only take around thirty minutes for each of you, if all goes well."

"Alright, I understand the what, but why?" It was Eolas's turn to ask the questions. "Do the nanites dislike sad or angry emotions? That doesn't make sense. They're only machines."

"Yes, that is true, Sir Verfina." Chronus held up a pointer finger, "However, these are sophisticated machines that respond to your thoughts. And what are emotions but profound thoughts?"

"I... Yeah. That does actually make sense," Eolas conceded, "What happens if our emotions get out of control?"

That was the question weighing on Glaed's mind too, and from the silence in the room, he could tell it was for the others as well. Chronus raised his hand to his face and rubbed the five o'clock shadow that had grown on his chin. His narrow eyes closed and he held his hands together.

"The nanites could tear your body apart." He said, not sugarcoating anything.

This news hit Glaed like a freight speeder. All around him he could feel the tension coming from his fellow knights. They all stayed quiet, and, sensing the uneasiness, Chronus continued.

"Thankfully, as far as I can tell, emotions only affect the initial melding process." Chronus turned once again and wheeled himself over to one of the metal operating tables. "Once your bodies adapt to the nanites, your internal systems should regulate normally."

Behr stepped forward. "However, to ensure the complete success, you will also each be placed into one of eleven bio-fluid tanks in the chamber beside this one, just in case." He said, no longer standing silently in the background.

"Bio-fluid?" Antha asked, curious.

"Yes, my dear." The king answered. "It is a type of healing gel that we've used extensively in the past."

Glaed heard of bio-fluid several times from his father. But he had never actually seen it in action.

"It is created by a pretty simple process, as well." Chronus added. "By combining liquified aélium to purified water, along with whatever medications are tailored to the injury. It creates a very potent healing salve."

"As long as there's a thread of life, the bio-fluid will keep you going," Glaed spoke, almost involuntarily,

"My da used to say that when he talked about bio-fluid. I wish he had some when he..." He lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Antha put her hand on his shoulder and he shook off the unexpected emotion. He smiled at her. "Thanks."

The knights let the information sink in for a long moment. Piercing the silence, Glaed heard whispering from behind them and the door to the operating room quickly slid open as a few technicians, working silently in the background, awkwardly left for the night. A few more in pristine lab coats entered the room afterwards, presumably to start the night shift. "And how, exactly, do we avoid our emotions going out of control?" Quezyl asked, quietly.

"Excellent question, Sir Ohuani. As I mentioned before, you will each need to keep a calm mind and positive attitude during the operation." He motioned to the head-gear in his hands. "This is one of our full-dive, virtual helmets. You will each wear one as the nanites are injected into your bodies."

Glaed thought that his siblings would get a kick out of using that to play games. He imagined their smiling faces and felt a wave of sadness. What if I don't... He shook the thought away before he could finish it.

"The full-dive scenario will be of your own design, so naturally, it will need to be about happy thoughts or memories." Chronus leaned his head back, looking exhausted. "That seems to be the best way to distract your mind from the pain."

"Yes. It is an essential part of the process that each of you have a significantly happy memory that is precious to you to ensure a successful melding." King Grigory added.

It suddenly donned on Glaed that he might get to see his father and hear his voice for the first time in five years. Emotion ran through his mind and he held back tears as he tried to mentally prepare for what he would have to do.

King Agrior stepped out of the way of the scientist as he rolled passed, and spoke. "I'm afraid, with that, I must take my leave. I have several meetings in the morning." Antha turned, as if to say, Don't go, but he continued. "Please, don't fret. I will be back in the morning after my meetings to check on you and observe your progress."

Antha wrapped her arms around her father and bade him farewell. The remaining knights saluted as he walked out of the operating room and back towards the elevator. Antha sighed and turned back to listen.

"But..." Faust started, solemnly. "What if we don't have any happy memories?" He asked. "I have a lot that I would like to forget." His angry demeanor seemed to have dissolved into a deep sadness.

"Faust, I'm sure there is someone in your life that has made you feel extremely happy at some point." Behr placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You must try to hold onto that memory."

He hung his head. "There's not a lot of happy in my life anymore." Glaed saw a tear fall from the angry knight and felt extremely sad for him. "The person that made me truly happy abandoned my family and-" Abruptly, Faust about-faced and rushed out of the room, covering his face.

Chronus stayed quiet for a long time, before his electric wheelchair buzzed to life and he made his way through the knights and out into the hall, after Faust.

"That man hurt him irreparably." Behr spoke first. "Faust is a great kid and will be an excellent knight. But-" The burly man sighed and walked to the edge of the room where he found a bench to sit on.

"Who hurt him, captain?" Glaed followed close behind. "And you mentioned before, why is he jealous of me?"

Behr rubbed his tired eyes and looked at Glaed, sadly. "His father, Hakai, served under my command right before the attack on the wall of Hulluven." He began. "He abandoned us, the morning of the battle and was imprisoned for desertion. After that, he couldn't face the consequences of his actions and ended it all."

"Oh..." Glaed could piece together the rest. He turned and stared at the closed medical-grade doors and made a decision. Before anyone could stop him, Glaed was rushing out after Chronus. He looked around to where they might have disappeared to and heard voices down the hall to the right. At almost a sprint, he made his way around the next corner and saw Faust curled up against the wall next to Chronus, who spoke to him softly.

"Hey Faust!" Glaed shouted as he trotted up to them. Chronus backed his chair to the opposing wall and waited for the young knights to finish. "For as long as I can remember, everyone has looked at me and expected me to be as great as my da." The blonde knight turned his head and looked at him with a sour expression. "I've rode the coattails of that wonderful man and been handed things over and over for absolutely no reason. So, I became a knight to prove to myself that I can be my own man. I'm not defined by my father's heroism or accomplishments and you are not defined by your father's failings."

Shocked, tears filled Faust's eyes and he stared at the floor, overcome with emotion. "I- How do I prove to the kingdom that I'm not a coward like him?"

Glaed shook his head vigorously. "You don't need to prove to the kingdom that you're a better man than your father. You just need to prove that to yourself."

Faust glanced back up at his fellow knight, tears streaming down his face. Glaed held up his hand with his thumb up. "You got this, Faust. You're stronger than you realize and that makes you an invaluable part of the Firebrand Knights and this kingdom."

Chronus looked on in amazement. "You definitely are Glanduil's son. Just as bone-headed and stubborn as he was." He laughed as he wheeled closer. "But also, just as sincere. Thank you, Glaed." He turned back to Faust, who was wiping his face. "Are you ready to prove to everyone that you're nothing like your father, Sir Neffiet?"

Faust grinned at Glaed and copied his thumbs-up. "Yes, sir!"

They each laughed as they made their way back to the nanite-filled room. Chronus waded through the group who had gathered once again and began preparing. "Now, I need you all to choose a table and dress down to your undergarments."

Several scientists in lab coats waited for the signal from outside the room and they began gathering at each of the tables. "Captain, I'm going to need you and Myth to stay here and assist, just in case there's an emergency."

Behr nodded his head. "Of course, we will help in anyway we can."

"Captain, I have a request." Mythanor stood up from where he had sat to listen to Chronus.

"Yes?"

"I know we decided that we would not take part in project nano-knight, but after thinking about it, I would like to change my decision."

Behr placed his hand on Mythanor's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Are you absolutely sure, Sir Evindol?"

"Yes, sir!"

The captain smiled proudly and bellowed, "Chronus, any room for one more?"

Chronus nodded and motioned for one of his technicians. "Veric, would you be so kind as to fill another cannister for Sir Evindol?"

"Of course." Veric hoisted a small container over to a nozzle positioned towards the bottom of the larger one at the center of the room, which held the mass of black goo, and turned the lever. The goo split apart and drained down into a tube and out, landing safely inside the cannister.

He brought the newly filled cannister over to the eighth operating table, where Mythanor was removing his shirt to prepare for the surgery. The technician connected the container to the tubing that was attached to the table and Mythanor watched as the nanites mimicked his every move. "Fascinating. It's like they know what's about to happen."

"They do." Chronus mentioned. "In fact, the way they imitate you is their way of saying they're ready."

Each of the knights watched in awe as their goo was added to the tables. The technicians assigned to their tables positioned themselves behind the knights, each holding a very intimidating device. Glaed eyed it, nervously, noticing three triangle spikes holding onto a tiny, circular object. The spikes were attached to four long, metal arms that finally connected to a wand with several buttons, which presumably held some kind of motor. Chronus began again. "Now I need each of you to bow your heads and lift you hair up to reveal the tops of your spines."

Reluctantly, Glaed obeyed and the whirring sound of saw blades began all around him. "These machines will administer a slight sedative, after which, you're going to feel a big pinch. Then I need each of you to lie down on your stomachs immediately after the implantation of the spinal catheter is complete."

"Yes, sir!" They said in unison.

Suddenly, there was an immense burning sensation in Glaed's neck and he heard yelps of pain all around him. He involuntarily let out a whimper and then the pain was gone as quickly as it came. "Please, take your positions on the table." Chronus ordered.

Glaed took a moment to feel around the back of his neck and stopped at what had caused the searing pain. At the top of his spine was the circular object he had seen on the surgical saw. As he felt the center of the foreign device, he was shocked to find a small hole had been pierced into his skin. "That means you, Sir Balaston."

"Sorry, I was just wondering-" Glaed started as he laid down on his stomach.

"Oh, yes. I understand your concern," Chronus said, "The implant you have all just received has also made a superficial piercing into your spinal cord through which the nanite injector shall pass once you're settled in the virtual scenario. Does that satisfy your curiosity, Sir Balaston?"

"Yes, sir." It didn't really, but Glaed didn't want to waste anymore time. "I'm ready."

"Excellent. The virtual reality helmets shall now be placed on the tops of your heads, along with two nodes placed on your temples."

Glaed felt the cushioned inside of the helmet as it was placed on his head. It nestled comfortably as the technician continued to place two sticker nodes on the sides of his head.

"I will now begin the AES," Chronus said, "Sweet dreams, Firebrand Knights."

Glaed began to feel an extreme dizziness and his mind fought to stay conscious. He soon lost the battle, his eyes slowly closing to the sound of a low hum from somewhere inside his head. He managed to speak one last time before slipping into oblivion. "Good luck, everyone."



Behr Wulfgard watched as all his knights, including his second-in-command, were anesthetized with a virtual reality program. He knew it would help the arduous process by dulling their senses and calming their nerves, but something about being the only two Firebrand Knights, including Chronus, conscious, set him on edge.

He paced the floor, watching as each of the technicians monitored his young knights. Chronus shouted orders here and there to each of them, but otherwise, it was going smoothly.

Suddenly, one of the monitors began blaring. Behr spun around to see which alarm was sounding, and saw Faust beginning to convulse. "Chronus, what's happening to Faust?"

"I'm not quite sure, yet. But I need you to assist Magdalena while I figure out what's happening."

Behr approved the table where the technician, Magdalena, was standing over Faust. "How can I help?"

"I need you to hold his shoulders while I try to sedate him."

Behr nodded and placed his hands on Faust's shoulders. He held down his knight, as he began to shake even more violently. He let out a horrific scream and his legs began to kick against the restraints around his ankles and he pulled his arms up, trying to escape the pain that was obviously coursing through his body.

"Mag, I don't think the sedative is going to work for this." Chronus said, fumbling around the command board, attempting to stabilize the seizing knight.

"Do you know why this is happening, Chronus?" Behr asked again.

"The nanites seem to be rejecting his body, captain. I'm trying to figure out why before he's completely lost."

"Lost?! He's dying, Chronus?!" Behr began to panic. "How do we stop it?"

"I don't know! I'm bringing up the AES viewer to see what he's seeing right now. It has to be a spike in his emotional state."

Chronus rolled to another console and flipped a switch, bringing up the holo-viewer and causing an image to appear, floating in mid-air before him. At first, the scene was chaotic, surrounded by clouds and everything was rushing by. "It seems like he's running from something." Chronus spoke to himself. "We need to try to get ahold of him from out here. Maybe we can change what he's seeing."

The door to the room slid open and two male technicians rushed in. "Sir, what's happening? We heard screaming." One of the techs asked, looking down at Faust, who was still shaking. "What can we do?"

"Help the captain as much as you can while we try to recover Sir Neffiet's mind."

They nodded and rushed to Faust's table. Behr was thankful to have more help and motioned them over to Faust. "I need you both to hold him down while I try to speak to him. If I can get through to his subconscious mind, maybe we can stop his seizure."

"Yes, sir." They took over, each taking a shoulder, while Behr positioned himself behind the table, closer to Faust's head. He leaned down to whisper in his ear. He thought about what to say, but he couldn't think of anything.

"Chronus, could this be because of his father?" Behr knew that Hakai was what Faust was most concerned about.

"It's a possibility. Maybe his subconscious has taken control and filled his mind with fear." Chronus grabbed a joystick protruding from the console and began altering the holo-viewer. "Hopefully this will allow me to see what he's running from."

The scene on the holo-viewer spun around uncontrollably, before settling on a very disturbing scene. It showed a hollow-eyed and zombie-like Hakai Neffiet slowly hobbling towards Faust while he tried desperately to get away. "Oh my stars..." Behr knelt down beside him and his eyes welled. "Faust, your father is gone. He can't hurt you anymore."

The scene changed to show Hakai jumping from the wall of Hulluven and running into the distance. Faust's fear turned to anger on screen as he began chasing his father. "You don't have to be afraid or angry any longer, Faust," Behr continued, "The Firebrand Knights are your family now."

The scene shifted completely to show the new line-up of knights, led by Behr, standing and smiling. They held out their hands and called to Faust. The visage of Glaed walked up and put his hand out in front of him. "You're not defined by your father, Faust." Glaed's infectious smile broke through the veil of Faust's mind and light began to pour in.

Faust stopped shaking and the warning messages flashing on all the screens ceased. The technicians let go of him and stood, looking at Behr. "You did it, captain."

Behr was relieved, but he shook his head knowing the real hero was Glaed. "Glaed has that effect on people," he said, pointing at the monitor, "They're going to be great friends after all this is done."

"C-cap-tain..." Faust regained consciousness, as Chronus rolled down to unhook the tube connected to the back of his neck. "T-tell Glaed... Thank you."

Behr smiled, "Of course I will, Sir Neffiet. You did outstanding."

Chronus held up his hand when Faust tried to speak again. "Enough talking, Faust. You need to rest."

Behr looked around at each of his knights, who also began to stir. Their surgeries completed a few minutes before and the technicians began to place them on the gurnies that would take them to the bio-fluid tank chamber to continue the healing process. He let out a sigh of relief. The hard part is over. He thought, as a tech wheeled Glaed Balaston by. The squire opened his eyes to a squint and smiled softly at the captian. He held his thumb up as he passed, and they exited the room through the double doors.

Behr smiled and turned back to Faust, who had fallen asleep. "I gave him the sedative, just in case he experiences anymore pain." The technician, Magdalena, said. "Now he needs to be taken to the bio-fluid as soon as possible."

Behr nodded to her as the two male technicians from before helped him lift Faust onto his wheeled stretcher and they stood, waiting to cart him out of the room. Each of the knights passed by, and Behr looked to see any of their reactions, but they were each already asleep. Finally, the last knight, Eolas, was carted out and the techs followed closely behind, pushing Faust to the bio-fluid chamber.

Behr followed them down the hall and came to the doors of the healing room where they had been taken. They slid open and he looked around the room, still in awe at all of the vats. Eleven of them lined the walls of the dreary chamber, one for each of the Firebrand Knights. He knew they would be used if the knights suffered any serious injuries in the field of battle later, but right now, they were used for a much more benign purpose. He watched as they slipped Faust into a tube marked with his name on the outside and glanced around at the others, who had already been added to theirs. At the bottom of the glass containers was a panel covered in buttons Behr didn't know how to control. A technician walked to the console and flipped a switch that caused the tube to begin raising and slowly fill with a green liquid. "Is Faust going to be okay after his ordeal?"

The technician in charge of the bio-vats turned and nodded, "Yes, sir. It shouldn't take very long for him to heal from his trauma. The nanites are already adjusting as we speak."

"Right, thank you." Behr glanced at Faust one last time before turning to leave. "Stars, please give them strength." He walked down the hall, passed the infirmary, and returned to the operating room to discuss the event with Chronus, and, hopefully, finally get some rest for the night.



Suddenly, Glaed's eyes shot open, but he wasn't in the laboratory anymore. Instead, he was standing in an open field, dotted by a few trees and surrounded by miles of tall grass and flowers. He turned his head slowly, but it felt as if it was going to spin off his body. He closed his eyes for a second and he heard the sound of trickling water. His eyes opened again to see a large stream at his feet, beside which was a set of fishing poles. At that moment, he knew exactly where he was. His eyes filled with tears as a voice came from behind him.

"Heya, son." Glanduil's voice was a soft as ever and tears fell heavily from Glaed's eyes. A smile formed on his face as he spun around and hugged his father.

Glanduil laughed and looked down at his son. "What's gotten into you, Glaed? You're face is covered in tears."

Glaed looked up at his dad, and met his piercing blue eyes. "I've missed you so much. You've been gone for so long."

"What're you talking about? I've been here the whole time." Glanduil laughed and turned back to the poles. "Are we gonna fish or what?

Glaed sighed and followed him. "Da, you're only a figment of my-"

Glanduil held up Glaed's fishing pole and hit his head, playfully. "Fishin's real good, right now. Better get it while it's goin'.

Glaed hesitate, but obliged. They sat by the stream and each cast their lines. They sat for what felt like hours in Glaed's mind, although he knew it couldn't have been. After awhile, Glanduil turned to Glaed. "How's your ma?"

Glaed paused a moment and thought. This was the first time his father asked about anything specifically about Glaed's life. "She misses you a ton, da."

Glanduil smiled softly. "I know she does. What about your brother and sisters?"

The sound of the river trickled as the sun started setting. Glaed spied a single tear fall from his dad's eye before he answered. "They're doing okay. Brayder is super headstrong and Elmyra is a handful. But Twilley's gotten so big since you-"

Glaed's voice trailed off. "Since I died?" Glanduil stated, bluntly. Heavy storm clouds began to form in the sky and Glaed began to sense an immense sadness growing in the air. He knew that if he didn't keep his emotions in check, it would be very bad. He closed his eyes and began to imagine a better scenario.

"Looks like time is almost up, son." Glaed opened his eyes and saw his father in the full Firebrand uniform. They were standing in the courtyard of the Firebrand Knights building in the middle of Saesha. "That looks real good on you, by the way." He motioned up and down his body.

Glaed looked down and realized he was also in his full uniform and smiled proudly at his dad. He told him about how he became a knight and that he had befriended the princess. About how the proving tournament went and even the knighting ceremony. Suddenly, the world around them went white and they stood alone, in an empty void. "No! There's so much more I have to tell you!"

"I know there is, son." Glanduil held up his arms for a hug. "But you know that I'm always watching, from the stars."

They hugged for a long while as the world rushed away from Glaed. He shook his head and held his dad tighter. "I'm not ready."

Glanduil pulled Glaed away and his piercing blue eyes looked into Glaed's and he smiled. "Yes. You are. I'm more proud of you than you can ever know, my son. Now go, make your mark on this world."



Glaed was abruptly aware of the cold metal underneath him, and tears began welling in his eyes. He felt the air began moving around him and he squinted his eyes to see. He saw Behr standing over him and he smiled what felt like the biggest smile. He tried to talk, but couldn't muster the strength to open his mouth. All he could do was signal a thumbs-up, before slipping back into sleep.