As the boy hit the ground, sliding to a stop right in the path of one of the large knights. Time seemed to slow as Lan watched, sure they would stop as the knights closed the distance. Instead, the knight heading for the child moved their shield in front of them and made no attempt to slow.

They are going to keep going… Lan thought, even as he realised he had grabbed the boy’s arm and pulled him out of the way just as the knight’s foot landed where the boy had been. He really didn’t stop. Lan thought, horrified, just as the sun disappeared. Looking up, Lan found that it hadn’t; it was hiding behind the giant knight who had finally stopped and turned to face him.

The knight looked down at them a moment before his helmet jolted as he spotted Lan’s sword.

‘You dare draw a sword at the Prince!’ a deep resonating voice rattled from the helmet as the knight slowly raised his sword. ‘This will not go unanswered!’ of everything that had happened, this above all took Lan by surprise. Anyone could see that his hands were nowhere near his weapons.

First, not stopping for the boy and now this… it was like they were looking for any excuse to attack. Even as the word hit Lan, the knight’s sword reached its apex. But before it could fall, Lan’s body moved.

Grabbing the boy, Lan kicked off the ground as the knight’s massive sword fell, blasting chunks from the stone street as the people screamed and fled.

Lan heard the boy’s mother call for him as the crowd pulled her away. Looking up at the man he now knew was a prince, Lan found the man casually picking his nails with his armoured gauntlet. It was only then, as the knight raised his sword again, did Lan realise what was going on.

Although anyone in the Kingdom would have heard of them, this was the first time Lan had seen the symbol of the Bane Wolf with his own eyes.

The Principality of Lecaea, Crowngard’s oldest and most bitter enemy. Which had only been quelled by a peace treaty forced on them by The Court of Crowns. Even still, it had not stopped the Lecaean antagonism. Despite the treaty having stopped the last King from wiping their country off the map, the Principality acted as if they had not only spared Crowngard but were still in a position to destroy the Kingdom whenever it wanted.

They were trying to set an example, Lan realised bitterly just as he saw the sword fall again.

With the people moving behind him forming a wall, Lan had nowhere to go. Turning to shield the boy with his body Lan raised his hand and activated the Shield Arm. He didn’t know the Knights level, but if he could just catch the sword on the shield, even if he lost the use of his arm, it was better than being hit.

Lan braced himself for the blow, but a voice reached him first before the sword found its mark.

‘Prince Caerleon!’ the voice was clear and commanding and resonated with will and authority enough to make the sword freeze in the air.

Looking over, Lan was greeted by a figure that almost made him gasp in surprise. Standing with one hand resting on one of Crowngard’s treasures, The Sword of the Lion and adorned in white and gold Skyileon steel plate. With pauldrons of two large sculpted lion-heads joined by a red cloak and a mane of silver fur. Although the last time Lan saw the man, he didn’t have the trimmed beard, there was no mistaking the War Master for anyone else.

Lord Oscar Colwell was one of the few living to hold the title of hero; the man was a living legend on top of his reputation for being undefeated in battle.

Beside the War Master were two knights, one a wild-looking woman with blood-red hair and dressed in similar armour to the War Master with the cloak and pauldrons removed. While the other, a blonde man, was dressed in a simplified version of the War Master’s armour.

Unsure of what to do, the knight stood there with his sword inches from Lan’s head as Lord Oscar Colwell glanced at Lan and the crying boy before turning to face the Prince again.

‘You were told to use the northern entrance.’ the Lord said, making the prince frown. Which only lasted a moment before he waved his hand. As if awakened from the dead, waves of men rushed from behind the procession and formed a human staircase.

After a moment more indulgence, the Prince started down the stairs, digging his heels into the backs of the men in order to elicit a muffled sound which seemed to brighten his mood.

‘Ah, good of your Duke to send such an illustrious welcome party.’ The Prince gushed.

‘The welcome envoy is waiting for you at the northern entrance. More importantly, harming any of Crowngard’s people will be answered in kind. I worry about the consequences of reckless action on the Princes or the one that caused it.’ Lord Colwell’s words serve to do two things, carrying the warning that it was meant to. But for all the people that had been in panic after the knight’s attacks. The War Master’s words were a reassuring wave of resolve that said: “This was Crowngard.” And no one would be allowed to forget it.

Something that didn’t pass the Prince unnoticed as he frowned at the crowd before smiling again.

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‘Oh, come now. Although I will admit my man may have been somewhat enthusiastic, can you blame my knight for doing his duty to protect me even if his methods were a little extreme?’

‘Are you endorsing his actions?’ the War Master asked as if the answer alone would determine what the three Crowngard Knights would do against the literal army before them.

Instead of looking worried, the Prince looked over the crowd once again before taking on a sadistic edge to his smile.

‘Well, of course not. Actions must have consequences after all.’ The Prince sighed before looking at the knight, who jolted. Even in his armour, Lan could see the man’s surprise in his sudden rigidity before the knight stifled his words and looked to the other knights.

Finding no sanctuary in the other knights, the knight raised his sword to his neck.

Lan watched in horror as the knight stretched, his hand shaking as he aimed the sword's point at the gap in his armour’s neck. Looking at the others with the Prince, all of those whose faces Lan could see looked amused. They were just going to do nothing. No, it was worse… They were going to enjoy the show. Worst yet was the fact that they all had taken a mere look from the Prince to mean the ending of the knight's life.

Despite the knight's actions, which were no doubt ordered by the Prince, the man he had served was now grinning at him as he played out the Prince's newest attempt to instil fear in the mind of the people around him or just to get one over on the War Master.

Before the repulsive display could go on, The War Master Looked to the woman, who acknowledged the look and vanished, appearing in front of the knight, before she lept up, grabbing his arm and twisting as she climbed into the air so she could bring her heel down on the knights head, shaking the ground as she dropped the mountain of a man as if subduing a child.

‘I am glad that we have an understanding,’ The War Master said. ‘We will be sure to deal with him appropriately.’

‘As you see fit,’ the Prince shrugged as if they had been discussing where to have tea, not the lives he had put in danger. Before he started back up the staircase of the bodies, making sure to grind his heel in the head of one of them as he climbed.

As the procession started to move again. The feeling of fear and panic that had taken the people just moments ago had been wiped away, and instead, a distaste and resentment had taken their place. Along with a renewal in the undying admiration the people, including Lan, had for the War Master and the Kingdom’s Knights.

As the male knight followed the procession, and the female knight led the Lecaean Knight away. Lord Colwell watched them go before turning to Lan and the boy.

He blinked at Lan for a moment before shaking his head and looking at the boy.

‘Is he alright?’

‘Uh! Yes, my Lord. I think he is just a little shocked,’ Lan said, looking down. From the moment he had jumped out of the way of the knight's attack, the boy had buried his head into Lan's shoulder and had yet to resurface.

This changed when the boy’s mother cried out his name, and the boy burst into tears. Setting the boy on his feet. Lan watched him run into his mother's arms, happy that he had moved when he had.

‘Well done, adventurer.’ The War Master nodded to Lan and started back towards the Duke’s palace.

Lan just stood there. Had… had one of the Kingdom’s hero’s just praised him? Lord Colwell. Unlike the fool who used his title to push people around. Lord Colwell was the kind of noble that gave the title power and not the other way around. Lan had always looked up to him. A few years back, during a parade, he had managed to catch the eye of a younger Colwell as he passed. Only back then, he had looked at Lan with a mix of pain and sadness.

If he remembered Lan or not, he didn’t know, but Lan couldn’t help but feel a small amount of redemption. But the feeling was fleeting compared to the embarrassment of almost being bowled over by the very grateful mother of the boy, who seemed ready to drag Lan off for a meal to show her gratitude until he explained he had a job to do. Even then, that only seemed to buy him some time as the woman made him promise to let her treat him to a meal at some point before she would let him go.

Heading to the gate, Lan found two guards on watch, one a young red-haired man with what would have been an easy-going face if not for the worried frown, and the other was a seasoned man whose hair had been bleached by his time as a soldier, along the man’s left temple were a long, deep-looking scar and a fresh bruise on his cheek.

As Lan closed in on the checkpoint, the two guards perked up.

‘Hey you, what happened up there with those Bane Assholes?’ the older of the two asked.

‘Something similar to here, I take it.’ Lan said, making the younger guard laugh.

‘This idiot tried to stand in the way of those giant black armoured Knights,’ he said, sounding a little proud. At which the older tsked. ‘At least he bought me enough time to get the word to the guard house.’

‘So I have you to thank for my life then.’ Lan smiled, getting a quizzical look from the two, to which Lan explained what had happened.

‘Basterds.’ The older guard spat.

‘Hmm, well, it’s good that the War Master made it in time. We were told that the Lecaeans might try something like this. But we didn’t think they would really pick one of the small gates.

‘Hmm, any idea what they are doing here?’ Lan asked. Although he had always tried to keep up with the goings on of the world, he didn’t have those information channels anymore, but if that was going to be hazardous to his health, Lan thought he better start again.

‘Ah, just another meeting of representatives of the Court of Crowns. It seems like the Principality is trying to get accepted as a member, and Delathon demanded that they be allowed to attend.’ The smiling guard said.

‘Of course, even after making the demand, they still wouldn’t host the filthy mutts, pushing the honour onto Duke Galleyard.’ The older finished. ‘I don’t know if I should thank you or curse you out.’ He added, looking at Lan.

‘What, why?’

‘Because of you, I don’t have to live knowing I let a child get hurt on my watch. But that idiot prince’s attempt to show strength might have been what Crownguard needed to end the treaty.’ The idea that Lan might have prevented another war was not pleasant, or more so, that doing nothing might have started another one.

‘Yeah, and what if that’s just what they were trying to do,’ the younger guard asked. ‘No, it’s a good thing you stepped in.’ he nodded at Lan. ‘Although that is as close to noble dealings as I wish to come to ever again,’ he shrugged. ‘Anyway, you’re heading out, right?’

‘Uh… yeah.’ Lan said, pulling his tag free. Seeing this, the younger guard smiled while the older huffed and retrieved a keystone.

‘Mark the time of leaving.’ He said as Lan touched the keystone.

‘Off to save the kingdom from war again already?’ the younger joked as he rested on his spear.

‘Light, I hope not,’ Lan smiled weakly as he headed through the gate.