A man among many. Throughout the field of reds and blues, throngs of people moved and clattered. Swords and flags clashed and screams echoed throughout the hills. A man, lightly armoured, garbed in green, nimbly made his way through the crowd. In his hand he clutched a bloody dagger, which he used to deftly deflect incoming attacks from friend and foe alike. Unlike all others who paraded around him, who fumbled clumsily to kill one another, this man had a simple goal, yet one infinitely more complex in its execution. He stole a brief glance to the orange tinted horizon, catching a glimpse of his goal; a tall, thin tower.
The song of wind and sword alerted the man of an incoming attack. Gracefully, he darted forward, planting his dagger firmly in the wrist of his would-be assailant. The soldier's sword fell to the soft grass, soon followed by its owner. The man never once broke stride. Soon, the man began to notice a change; fewer footsteps, the metallic clangs became more distant. Soon the sea of combatants began to ebb, and he could at last get a clear view of his surroundings. The man stopped to get his bearings, but was immediately bit with incredibly force. Nearly knocked to his knees, the man turned to see a large arrow shaft jutting from his right pauldron. He quickly moved his arm, deciding that the damage was minimal, he began to move. Swiftly, he reached out and grabbed a nearby soldier, who ended up bearing the next arrow in his place. The man quickly surveyed the landscape before him, identifying nearly a dozen archers, no doubt more in places he could not see. Dropping the now dead soldier, he unhappily reentered the battlefield. He'd have to find a different approach.
Princess Geneviève sat in her room, and sighed. She looked at the massive armies dueling outside the walls of her fathers domain, wishing they would stop. War had always been an inconvenience to her. Friends from other provinces she could never see again, luxury items she had to stop importing, but she had bore the inconvenience to prevent her father from becoming angry. However, this was the first time in her eighteen years that a war had come to her doorstep, and in its wake she found her freedom destroyed. Now secluded to a tall tower of the castle, and forbidden to leave, she was at her breaking point. Her father and minister insisted that she was only being kept there for her safety, that the enemy would attempt to kidnap her and use her as ransom in order to bring his kindgom to its knees. Still Genn seethed, feeling neglected. While she was still well fed, and her clothes were constantly washed by servants, she felt stagnant. She wasn't free to try new foods, to know the latest styles. To chat with her friends. Worse still, she had no know of knowing whether her boyfriend, Prince Trey, was alive. As she angrily paced throughout her lavishly decorated room, she plotted ways she would get revenge on her father once she was let out. She was so distracted with thoughts of revenge that she didn't notice the shadowy figure at her window until he crashed through it.
"Au-" Genn tried to scream, but the man stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth, stifling it.
"Princess." The man muttered, "you're coming with me."
chapter i Soldier's Fortune
A man among many. Throughout the field of reds and blues, throngs of people moved and clattered. Swords and flags clashed and screams echoed throughout the hills. A man, lightly armoured, garbed in green, nimbly made his way through the crowd. In his hand he clutched a bloody dagger, which he used to deftly deflect incoming attacks from friend and foe alike. Unlike all others who paraded around him, who fumbled clumsily to kill one another, this man had a simple goal, yet one infinitely more complex in its execution. He stole a brief glance to the orange tinted horizon, catching a glimpse of his goal; a tall, thin tower.
The song of wind and sword alerted the man of an incoming attack. Gracefully, he darted forward, planting his dagger firmly in the wrist of his would-be assailant. The soldier's sword fell to the soft grass, soon followed by its owner. The man never once broke stride. Soon, the man began to notice a change; fewer footsteps, the metallic clangs became more distant. Soon the sea of combatants began to ebb, and he could at last get a clear view of his surroundings. The man stopped to get his bearings, but was immediately bit with incredibly force. Nearly knocked to his knees, the man turned to see a large arrow shaft jutting from his right pauldron. He quickly moved his arm, deciding that the damage was minimal, he began to move. Swiftly, he reached out and grabbed a nearby soldier, who ended up bearing the next arrow in his place. The man quickly surveyed the landscape before him, identifying nearly a dozen archers, no doubt more in places he could not see. Dropping the now dead soldier, he unhappily reentered the battlefield. He'd have to find a different approach.
Princess Geneviève sat in her room, and sighed. She looked at the massive armies dueling outside the walls of her fathers domain, wishing they would stop. War had always been an inconvenience to her. Friends from other provinces she could never see again, luxury items she had to stop importing, but she had bore the inconvenience to prevent her father from becoming angry. However, this was the first time in her eighteen years that a war had come to her doorstep, and in its wake she found her freedom destroyed. Now secluded to a tall tower of the castle, and forbidden to leave, she was at her breaking point. Her father and minister insisted that she was only being kept there for her safety, that the enemy would attempt to kidnap her and use her as ransom in order to bring his kindgom to its knees. Still Genn seethed, feeling neglected. While she was still well fed, and her clothes were constantly washed by servants, she felt stagnant. She wasn't free to try new foods, to know the latest styles. To chat with her friends. Worse still, she had no know of knowing whether her boyfriend, Prince Trey, was alive. As she angrily paced throughout her lavishly decorated room, she plotted ways she would get revenge on her father once she was let out. She was so distracted with thoughts of revenge that she didn't notice the shadowy figure at her window until he crashed through it.
"Au-" Genn tried to scream, but the man stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth, stifling it.
"Princess." The man muttered, "you're coming with me."
What will happen next? Stay tuned