Chapter One

A Beginning

“Death comes for me,” Alaric said while holding his wife who sobbed into his shoulder. Their daughter, unknowing to them, was watching from a doorway covered by shadow. Adeline was fifteen and she stood in a dress that was too short for her. She had black hair that grew to her shoulders and a small scar that ran from the center of her forehead, between her eyes then to a rest under her right eye. Alaric kissed his wife on the forehead before a booming knock at the door rang through the house.

“Kings guards have come for Alaric, we await your presence.” A deep voice came from outside and Silence fell upon them all, except for Fay's gentle sobs. Fay wrapped her arms around Alaric.

“Don't go, don't go,” She continued while Alaric pulled her off him. Fay continued holding onto Alaric's shoulders as streams of tears streaked down her face. Alaric stood and walked to the end of the room where all Adeline could see was her fathers back. Her mother stayed on the ground crying while Alaric began saying strange words. All Adeline could see were small puffs of smoke as he chanted words she couldn't understand. Adeline, who went by Ade, watched closely feeling completely confused.

Bang, Bang, Bang

More loud knocks rang through their small house and before she knew it her Smaller brother was behind her. 

“What's going on?” Benjamin asked seeing Ade hiding in a dark doorway. Benjamin went by Ben and he had short blonde hair, he was tall for his age, only half a foot smaller than Ade. He wore loose nighttime clothes. He is too loud! Ade covered his mouth and pinned him on the wall separating them and their parents.

“Shhhh,”

She let him go after he nodded. There were tears in his eyes as more loud bangs made their way through the house. Ade continued watching her father. She felt the cowardly symptoms of fear that she chose to ignore and before she knew it she was in her parent's room with Ben now hiding in the shadows watching them. 

“What's going on,” Ade demanded and her father stopped for only a second before he continued speaking with his back facing her.

“Your father,” Fay started but stopped as she began sobbing into her hands. Ade watched her mother with a broken heart. Atticus stopped chanting and turned around, he was the only one tearless. He held a small wooden bowl that smoked slightly, the hand holding it was blackened. He knelt in front of Fay and set the bowl down, he gently lifted her head with his hands, one on each cheek, and kissed her passionately. 

“I'm sorry my beloved, it's time we protected the kids.” Atticus grabbed something from the bowl, Ade couldn't see past the smoke coming from the substance. He threw it into Fay's face and Ade watched as Fay breathed the smoke in through her nose and like a light switch she stopped crying and looked at Atticus who did the same. 

“Wha-What did you do,” Ade finally spoke taking a glance at the doorway to make sure Ben was still watching, he wasn't.

I'm sorry, my sweet darling, there is little time to explain.” Atticus said looking at Ade now. Atticus walked over to his grand Black chest and pulled out three swords; one he gave to Fay and one he placed in his sheath. The other was his finest sword which he held in his left hand, “You will remain a hollow home for the two, binded.” Atticus said this while running two of his fingers down up the blade. Streams of blood ran down the blade the disappeared as if absorbed by the sword. He then sheathed the sword and handed it to Ade, “This is for Ben.” her mother walked up from behind Atticus, her finger bleeding like her Husbands, and she handed another sword to Ade.

“This one is for you.” Fay handed her a sheathed sword, “Whatever happens tonight, trust us, do not fight.” Fay looked into Ades eyes, who was now crying, and stood next to Atticus. 

BANG

They heard footsteps made from metal boots on wood followed by Ben’s yells. Ade rushed forward but was stopped by her father who stood there blocking her from her brother. “THEY HAVE HIM, THEY HAVE BEN!” Ade yelled at him. He is your son, do something, Ade thought. She had both her fists balled in anger until three heavily armored guards walked into the room, the leading soldier was holding Ben by his hair. Ade’s fist weakened and she hid behind her father feeling fear now. Were they all going to die? 

“Set my son free Williams, or you too, will die.” Atticus held his sword straight out aiming it at The leading Soldier, Williams. 

“Me too?” Williams asked still holding Ben by the hair. Ben thrashed and punched at the armor making a pathetic thud every time he made contact. Williams stood unbothered by it. 

“You brought two soldiers, there are two of us. A life for a life.” Atticus simply said, still holding the sword straight out, pointed at Williams. Williams slashed his sword hitting Atticuses away.

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“Do you think we could lose to the likes of you? Armorless and lack of organized training. You would be lucky to knick our leather!” The soldiers broke out in raging laughter. Ade started inching her way back; she kept repeating the words her mother spoke to her. Trust us, do not fight,” words that ring like a bell in her head. Her head throbbed with every ring, how could she not do anything while her brother stood there with a look on his face Ade couldn't stand seeing. 

She bumped into a cluttered workbench and without taking her eyes from the confrontation ahead of her she blindly searched for the mini crossbow she knew was there. Williams put a sword to Ben’s throat, his teeth showing like that of a rabid dog, “Atticus you have been drafted by King Calvin, you will come or your family will suffer.”  Williams pulls Ben's hair and tightens the hold on his sword’s hilt while his two bodyguards lean forward, ready to defend him while he stood vulnerable. Ade’s hand finally hit the familiar feeling wooden handle and she took aim, she had ignorantly left it loaded and she fired with her eyes closed.

Thuk

Ade opened her eyes after hearing Williams scream and the clashing of swords. Her parents stood with their blades horizontal at eye level fending off an overhead swing. Fay was holding a dagger Ade had not seen her use before. Ben stood in a corner of the room closest to their mother completely alone and she was thankful for that. The arrow Ade fired was lodged in William's forearm. He held it while blood dripped onto the floor, “That little Bitch shot me,” Williams started walking towards Ade and the sheathed swords that her parents had given her started buzzing slightly. 

Atticus grabbed the guard by the wrist in a quick movement and slashed his arm off while he held it mid-air, the man fell to his knees holding his new nub which bled profusely. The man stared at it in shock. Atticus then threw the arm at Williams, spraying blood on him and the wall he strode next to. Atticus was still holding his sword while Williams pulled out a dagger with the uninjured arm. 

“Honosha,” Fay spoke and what looked like sparkling dust came from her mouth and into the man's mouth who instantly began choking. He relaxed his sword and stood hunched over frantically punching the metal armor that covered his chest. Fay lifted her dagger and thrust it into the hunched man's back who then fell over with blood oozing from his mouth, the knife still in his back. 

Williams threw a lit oil lamp at the ground which burst open sending flames to various parts of the room. Smoke began to fill the room quickly, “I'll leave your kids as shitlings and dump you in a shallow grave,” Williams yelled before the crashing of swords rang out, but Ade and Ben were distracted by a Click from the window just above the workbench. It was their older brother, Felix, reaching a hand in to pull them from the home. 

“Stay here both of you,” Felix finally pulled Ade out and told her before running to the home's entrance. He was fully geared but in leather, not iron. 

“What's going to happen to them?” Ben was sobbing and ran into Ade for a hug. 

“I'm not sure,” Ade’s response was only half the truth. She felt they would be orphaned and slowly handed Ben the sword their father wanted to pass down to him. “Father wanted to pass this to you.” She knelt only slightly, her brother was not that much shorter than she was.

“It's three against one,” Ben was looking up and smiling at her now, though he still had tears streaked down his face. “There is no way they would lose to that!” Ben unsheathed his sword minimally so he could see the shine of the weapon.

They heard heavy footsteps and looked around, they saw no one around them but they heard maybe one, two, no… they heard footsteps of what sounded like four men approaching their burning home. “They must be around the front,” Ade whispered and they both drew their swords.

Trust us, don't fight

Her mother's words chimed again and she held her arm out to stop Ben from rushing over. She wanted nothing more than to help but she didn't want to disobey her mother's, possibly, final words. Ben looked at her with wide eyes while she held him back, “Mother told us not to,” But Ben pushed past her and made his way towards the entrance to their burning home. Ade followed holding her sword in front of her, “Keep on your defense and do not attack, only defend yourself.” They could see the door to their home, which was busted in, and the four soldiers stood outside surrounding Fay, Atticus, and Felix. Their mother, Fay, stood with her hands out in front of her in a defensive position. She had no weapon and Ade wondered if she couldn't pull it out of the soldier's back. Felix and Atticus stood in front of their mother with Williams standing in front of them, the arrow still in his forearm. 

Thuk

An arrow from somewhere unknown struck Fay in her chest; Fay stumbled forward, then back as she tried to keep her balance but, after only seconds, she fell to the ground. “Mother!” Felix exclaimed and moved towards her but a soldier grabbed him and pulled him away before the clashing of swords rang out like violent chimes on a windy day; Their father fought against four of them in a battle that disturbed the dust on the ground until the clattering of swords hitting the ground ceased the fighting. Ade held Ben back who squirmed to get free.

“You are going to get us killed,” Ade hissed but she felt her sword vibrating in her hand and slowly her sword turned a golden color. She stared at it bewildered before she heard her mother's voice.

“Run.”

The voice came from nowhere but somehow sounded like it came from everywhere. She looked up and her mother lay lifeless on the ground and her father sat on his knees with a sword to his throat. Ade quickly grabbed Ben and turned him away but she was unlucky to have seen the blade run across their father's kneck spilling blood on the ground to their feet. Ben's sword turned a bright green.

“No, Father? FATHER,” Felix went to stand but was slashed by a guard's sword and fell to his back whimpering words those around him couldn't understand.

“Run, take Ben, and run.” 

This time the voice she heard was both her mother's and father's voice she heard echoing all around her. Ade could move as her feet felt frozen to the dirt she stood on. Her mind was racing while she looked at her parents, who lay lifeless, to her brother gasping for air, and the five soldiers that stood facing them. 

“We will take this one instead,” Williams said pulling Felix over his shoulder, who whimpered. Ade felt the blood rushing back into her legs and she grabbed Ben's hand and they ran into the woods next to their home. They hid in the trees while they watched their home, along with their lives, burn to the ground.