Everything started when the Celestial Being manifested its powers, giving them physical form. That majestic, golden monarch who descended to the barren planet as soon as it came into existence created four life forms: one couple carrying the spirits of the cosmos, the other consisting of simple, fragile infants . The ancient scriptures refer to the blessed children as the Lunari, while the infants are referred to as Humans.
Each couple gave birth to its own descendants as both lived together in harmony, shaping the planet into their paradise. That was until the great battle between both sides erupted and tore the land apart. Now it is common law to notice the differences between each species, rather than the similarities.
All were as envious as they were proud.
Only three continents emerged when the planet was formed. But only one is called the home of the humans nowadays: Cinedime, the largest of the three. Because of its size, Cinedime is occupied by separate kingdoms, each with their own community. From the misty valleys of Xeradon, to the scorching deserts of Morlana, every region of this great landmass forms a beautiful portrait when unified as one.
Romencia occupies the southern region, with its rolling fields of greens and numerous patches of wildflowers. It has been said that the clouds gather there most of all, as there is nowhere else in the world with grass so bright or colors so enticing. The people of Romencia are confident and strong, and unify together to establish peace in their nation.
Theoton is the proudest nation of them all. Small in size but strong in magnitude. It is said to be the gathering of the most courageous of men. The armies of this plain looking rally together and clash with even the largest of enemies.
The day came when Theoton declared war on its neighbor to the south. It came in the form of a sudden attack, with Theoton's soldiers of black armor ambushing the defending Romencian military. On the eve of that day, the battlefield was littered with hundreds of corpses. Both of Theoton's men and the white and gold armor of Romencian knights. All had spilled the same crimson blood.
Since that day, King Damon of the Cherished Land has fought with the dreaded Dorian Despereaux, both protected by legions of devoted warriors shielding their walls.
However, because of the growing conflict between both armies, the guards and justice system has begun to grow ignorant of their role in the kingdom. Instead of being protectors and guardians of the innocent civilians, they are simply seen as pawns in the game of war between two kingdoms. Theoton's police force has grown small, now that most of its soldiers stay on the battlefields.
And thus, an age of fearless crime has begun.
Deep in the forests of Theoton, there lies the farm of the Ronchere household. It is a simple little business, mostly providing crops for the local small villages. They grow only small fields of vegetables, and make the most of their money buying and raising mammals to then sell for slaughter.
Only now, the stables are barren with the gates having been broken down. Small traces of foot and hoof prints on the grass and muddy soil lead deeper into the woods. And against the small planks of wood of the stables, there lies a young man layered with blood from a wound in his throat. His blonde hair is even stained with the same fluid.
"Colin..." one remaining voice says, her just hobbling into the stables with her walking stick holding her steady.
The head of the household, Kiara Ronchere. A beautiful middle aged woman of tanned skin and hair black as night, with eyes as red as the blood on her newly deceased ranch hand. She limps her way to the young man, her battle wound in the calf of her right leg slightly stinging when she kneels to feel his neck.
Kiara bows her eyebrows before looking at the trail leading into the forest. She rushes towards her home, the small cottage amid the small farm. She barges into her home and could nearly faint from the pleasure of its natural warmth, but she continues to race for her chamber to find her horn. She stumbles out of the door, inhales and blows the horn, allowing it to hum low and loudly to echo throughout the forest.
Only one ear understands the meaning of this call, and he immediately puts down his axe next to a pile of freshly chopped wood.
"Bandits..." Triton says before racing towards his home.
"Look at all this loot, boys! Isn't it lovely?" says the nasty bandit leader as he hears the jingling dali beads in his clutched leather sack.
A small despicable guild of thieves and murderers celebrate their earnings in their equally small camp, a bonfire in the center of their tents searing freshly killed cattle. They laugh heartily, either from the stench of victory or from the vast amounts of ale they pour into their vile throats. Each wears shoddy, tattered clothes of brown leather. A weapon lies near each of their hips.
Theoton's forests are as dense as they are wide. No guards would be able to find their camp if they were not so loud and rambunctious.
"Can you believe it?" another bandit says, drinking from his half empty ale bottle. "Now that ol' Dorian's busy with that other king, no guards are around to stop us from doing anything we want! It's a free country!"
"Exactly!" the bandit leader says. "Which means from here on out, boys, all this land and everything in it... nobody's gonna stop us from taking it all! Just like that old hag's place where we got all that meat from. And did you see how easy that one lad went down! Vlad here took him down in less than a minute! And look at him!"
He points at the one called Vlad, whose notably missing hand strikes interest, especially for a murderer. "He only got one hand!"
"Guess I only need one!" Vlad says. "Who says two are better?"
He laughs with his criminal brothers as they clank their ale bottles and drink away to appease cold hearts. Even the birds in the trees around them refuse to stand the smell they reek of. However, a slight sound is in the air that feels uncommon to one of the bandits. He looks over his shoulder to find, on their way over, a traveler on a lone white horse.
Those striking red eyes of hers stab at the shade from the tall trees.
"Hey!" that same bandit says. "Can't you see this is private property? Piss off!"
The woman on the horse heaves herself down, groaning from her wound. She slightly winces when her foot reaches the ground. She pulls out her walking stick from the saddle of the horse.
"Hey..." that same bandit says. "It's her! The old hag!"
"Old hag... hmm...," Kiara says, limping herself closer to the camp with her companion following closely. "You must be the brave men that stole all my cattle... and killed my ranch hand."
"Oh..." one bandit says with a smile, him being the first to get to his feet. "The only brave one here is you, lady. You made a mistake following us. We're dangerous."
"And there's nobody to protect you from dangerous people like us," the bandit leader says. "Didn't you hear? All the guards are off fighting in the war."
"Oh are they, now?" Kiara says. "Well, all the best to them. Unfortunately , I don't need their protection. I may be old, but I'm far from weak."
She reaches down at the long end of her walking stick. She seperates it into two pieces, revealing within its hollow center is the blade of a sword. She clutches supports in both hands.
"Ohoho..." the leader says. "The lady wants to have some fun!"
"You stole my cattle... but what's worse, you killed a good man," Kiara says. "I'm giving you only one chance. Give me all your ale... and all your money. To repay for the things you've taken from me. Then I will spare you all. But if not... I will have you all killed, in a way you can't even imagine."
She is only met with doubtful laughter.
"Is that supposed to be a threat? Coming from you?" the bandit says. "Please continue, I'm in need of having a good laugh!"
"So... that's a no?" Kiara says, raising an eyebrow.
"How about we give you only one chance to get out of here?!" the leader says. "Before we slaughter you as well!"
Now every bandit in the camp has drawn their weapon, all against this one frail old woman. And she stands unafraid. For all she needs to do is deliver that one message she has taught her young companion who hides in the trees, one bandit already in his sight.
She gives a slight whistle, loud enough to cause confusion among the murderers. That is until one suddenly falls dead, his head falling off his shoulders after being sliced cleanly. His brothers look in horror at the sight of the dead man, and they look to see the culprit that emerges from the shadows so gracefully, yet so eerily.
His green eyes are as bright as hers.
"Wha... what's going on-" one bandit is met with the tip of Kiara's rapier in his back.
Triton swipes at the air and reveals to the world the power of his clan. That blue sword of blistering flame, looking so unnatural that it strikes fear in the leader's heart.
"What is that?!" he says, readying his stance.
Triton and Kiara begin slashing and cutting at every bandit they see. She moves gracefully, even on her one leg, using her walking stick as a surrogate for the dead limb. She had trained herself to accompany her knowledge of the sword passed down to her, years prior, with the unwelcome burden of her battle wound.
Glide Step. A technique that allows the body to move freely even in the worst of conditions. She had spent most of her life mastering this technique and now even her age cannot restrain her movements.
The bandits may be rough, but they lack discipline in their technique, something that these two warriors have already noticed and have easily exploited.
It is only the two of them, and yet the bandit leader watches his men fall, one by one. He is stricken with the sight of the blue sword in Triton's hand, like it stares at him with menacing eyes.
It's... it's them... he thinks to himself. It's the Netherbane!
Soon though, Kiara thrusts her sword through the chest of one of the last remaining bandits alive, while Triton does the same with another. They both simultaneously look at the leader, the only remaining bandit.
"You..." he says, staring at the blue swordsman. "You're one of them! A Netherbane!"
"Oh, so you know of them," Triton says. "Then this is the worst mistake you have ever made."
"Triton..." Kiara says. "Allow me the satisfaction."
He nods and relaxes his fist. The sword disappears as the blue embers fade from its form. The bandit leader begins to shake softly, as he clutches his battle axe. The embarrassment he would receive if one were to see a masculine warrior fearful of such a frail looking old woman.
"Is something wrong?" Kiara says to the bandit. "Where's that confidence you were displaying moments ago?"
"How... how did you tame a Netherbane?" he says.
"Tame?" Triton says. "I'm not an animal."
"He's a demon!" the bandit says. "Lady, don't you know of the Netherbanes?!"
"Of course I do," Kiara says. "And I also know that I can't waste any more of my time on you!"
He spites the bandit with a stab in the top of his foot, making the meaty scoundrel fall to the ground. He raises his arms up to shield his face, but Kiara stomps his chest with her lively boot.
"What was it that you said? That there's nobody to protect us from dangerous men like you?"
The bandit leader cowers with a cold shiver racing throughout his body.
"Don't worry..." she says. "The Netherbanes won't find you where you're going."
And she raises her sword with the tip pointed at the heart of the bandit, who closes his eyes in anticipation. Triton watches the execution, hearing the sound of the leader's dying breath. Kiara gets up to her feet and stumbles, just slightly, before she puts together the two halves of her walking stick.
"Well..." Kiara says. "That settles it. We're done here, Triton."
"Yeah..." Triton says.
After looting the bodies of the fallen criminals, he hoists himself on Kiara's horse before helping her raise herself behind him. The two take a final look at the mess they have made out of the once treacherous bandit camp, and they ride off together, both of them thinking about the last words they will say to Colin.
"He was a good fellow. Brave and hardworking since the day he came here, looking for work to feed his poor mother. But now he joins her in eternal rest, and with this, we honor his sacrifice to our ranch. Thank you, Colin, for all you've done for me and my family."
Kiara raises her lit torch and places the flame onto a pile of dried wood, near the cottage of their farm but far enough to shield the leaves of the trees. And on top of the wood, there lies the body of the poor young man found earlier, now being engulfed by the merciful fire.
Triton watches with downtrodden eyes.
"Don't blame yourself," she says standing at his side. "You would've been too late anyway."
"Yeah... I know..." he replies. "It's just... He didn't deserve it. Nobody deserves to die like that."
Kiara nods her head. "It was an honorable death, Triton. Protecting a household that wasn't his own will give him glory in the afterlife. He died a hero."
Triton nods, looking away. "Do you remember...?"
Kiara looks away as well, thinking deeply that her heart starts to burn.
"Yes... it's quite similar to the day Papa passed... but this isn't about him, Triton. This is the day we honor Colin's life instead."
Triton nods and stares back into the fire. Seeing the young man he had known only for so long be consumed by the flames, it starts to seep lamentable memories within the confines of his mind. On the day he lost an important person, as did Kiara. The person that risked far too much of his own worth to give him, once a common peasant, a lively future.
That man was Modares Ronchere. His body lies beneath a bed of abrupt soil behind his hand built cottage, where it will remain.
Delicious... Triton thinks to himself before having another spoonful of Kiara's stew.
When the evening comes, the Ronchere household becomes heaven for any in need of comfort, and of nourishment. Kiara is a fine chef, even now in her predicament. She only uses meat that either she or Triton hunts that same day, and only vegetables they grow in their fields. No wares of any merchant in any neighboring village can match the fresh food accompanying her beloved cauldron.
Kiara ladles a bowl for herself and limps over to join Triton at the dinner table.
"It's good," he says to her.
Kiara nods her head with a sincere smile.
"Thank you, dear," she says as she herself takes a small nibble. "Oh, silly me. I should've added a bit more salt."
"I don't mind," he says. "It's still good."
She takes another spoonful.
"So," she says. "There is something I should have told you earlier, when we dealt with those bandits."
He raises his eyes.
"I didn't want to say anything at the time, since you did it before I even had a chance to stop you. But I thought we had agreed that you will keep your magic concealed."
"Yes..." he says. "I got carried away. It's just... Colin... it made me so mad, I wanted to punish them in the best way I know how."
"And I understand that," she says, placing her aged hand on his across the table. "But didn't you feel the fear in his voice? Imagine if he was someone higher in the spectrum. Just think of what would happen if Dorian himself were to discover there is a Netherbane in his kingdom."
She shakes her head in uncertainty. "The consequences would be dire."
"Yeah, I realize that..." Triton says before allowing his spoon to dip into the stew. "I'll be using my regular sword from now on. I promise."
"No no...," she says. "Don't make that promise, Triton. I know it's within your blood to use your gift when time calls for it. All I ask of you is to be cautious, especially now."
Triton thinks a moment, and he nods in approval. However, they both jolt ever so slightly when a knock is heard at their door. He gets up, Kiara staying in her seat, and he slowly begins to creep towards the door. He grabs the hilt of his sword, propped against the front wall, and he unsheathes it silently.
"Who's there?" he shouts before opening the door.
There he is met with a figure dressed in a dark cloak that blends so naturally within the shadows of the night. But his face is shown from the warm glow of the fireplace, and he nods his head.
"Good evening," he says. "I'm sorry to bother you, but... I'm awfully hungry. And what you have smells wonderful. Could you spare some?"
"This is private property!" Triton says. "Go bother someone else for food!"
"Now, Triton," he hears Kiara say as she gets up. "Where are your manners?"
She hobbles over, her wound seething in pain. She surprises the two men when, very slowly, she courtesies her dress. Quite uncommon a woman such as her would provide such respect to a common peasant.
"It would be our pleasure to serve you..." she says. "Prince Duncan."
Duncan pulls back his hood before he welcomes himself into the small cottage.
"Thank you," he says. "I was afraid you wouldn't remember me, Lady Kiara."
Triton raises an eyebrow at the thought, but Kiara smiles and gently takes the prince's hand in her own. She allows him to sit in her vacant chair, and she prepares him a bowl of her delicious stew. Triton shuts the door slowly, never taking his eyes off the visitor.
"You almost had me confused," Kiara says while placing the bowl on the table. "The last I had seen you, you were shorter. And rounder. What was it... about ten years?"
"I think so," Duncan says before taking a spoonful of stew. He hums in pleasure. "Lovely."
Kiara smiles from the compliment before sitting in her rocking chair. With a quick clearing of her throat and a stern glance at Triton, he blinks from understanding. He sticks out his hand to meet with the Prince's.
"And I'm Triton," he says. "Charmed."
"Ah yes," Duncan says with a mouthful of stew. "I've heard about you. One of the only students taught by Sir Modares himself. Am I right?"
"You... you know about that?" Triton says as Duncan shakes his hand.
"Of course! Why, that's exactly what I came here for, you see! I was hoping to meet with Sir Modares, as desired by my father. Where is he?"
Triton looks away, his face shrouded in grief. Duncan drops his enthusiastic smile before looking over at Kiara. She bows her head as well. Duncan shakes his head.
"Oh my..." he says. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't hear. How did he pass?"
"Naturally," Kiara says. "T'was about... 2 years ago, I believe."
He looks at Triton, who looks back with an unwelcoming glare.
"What could you possibly want with Modares, anyway? He retired years before his death."
"O-Oh, I know that, honestly," Duncan says. "I was just hoping... well..."
The prince finally stands up and looks out the window, both Kiara and Triton staring at him as he emits a menacing silence.
"Triton, was it?" he asks. "I'm afraid we need your help."
"What?" Kiara says. "What do you need him for?"
"My father... King Dorian...," he says. "He has requested service from any available household. The kingdom of Romencia is starting to grow in numbers from the amount of civilians migrating from other nations. And he's a proud, stubborn man. He refuses to stand down, even at the cost of innocent lives, as you can tell. Oh- You won't be left untreated, either, he has agreed to reward any new recruit with insurance, plenty to provide you while you're gone."
He walks over to Triton.
"My father has decided to make it a law. So now... I have to bring you to Theoton."
Triton thinks for a moment, then he looks back at Kiara. She stares at him assuredly.
"I'm afraid I can't," Triton says. "I have a responsibility here, to work and provide for both myself and for her. And I can't just leave her alone out here, there are bandits that have already terrorized our home."
He points at the prince with a cold stare.
"And besides, you expect me to serve the king? For what?" he asks. "He's forced us to defend ourselves with this ridiculous war and now we can't even do that without being punished even further!"
"Well..." Duncan says. "I can't really defend my father, but his word is absolute. If you must stay here, then another must come with me. "
There is a soft chillness in the air, as all three remain silent. That is, until Kiara sighs and slowly gets up to her feet. She limps over to her walking stick leaning against the west wall, and she takes it with pride.
"I'll join you," she says. "I still have some fight left in these old bones."
"What?" Triton says. "Kiara, you can't be serious! Look at you, you can barely even walk by yourself!"
"All I need is my staff, Triton," she says before slightly shifting herself towards the door. "You may stay here, as you wish. I, however, must honor my king for his gratitude towards my family."
Duncan smiles at her. "That's noble of you, Lady Kiara, but... I can't take you. Not in your condition."
"My condition?" Kiara says with a laugh. "Your highness, I am a Ronchere! The very daughter of the great Modares! And he fought with all the strength in his heart until the very day he left my life. It would disappoint him if I were to fail to serve the king."
She looks to Triton, who still stands motionless at the very sight of her at the door.
"Just... allow me a moment..." she says to the Prince, who nods in agreement.
Kiara slowly shuffles herself over to Triton. He can see the frail woman she truly is with how she wearily moves towards him, but in her face and in her beating heart is the feeling of a true soldier, a knight raised by a knight.
She places her hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know how long it will be until I get back..." she says. "But... promise you'll take care of the farm while I'm gone."
"Kiara..." he says. "Why are you doing this? You know you won't survive out on the battlefield."
"And why not?" Kiara says. "Because I'm old? Or because I have a weak leg? Are you being judgemental of who I am, or what I show?"
"Kiara, I..."
"This isn't the way I was taught, Triton. My kingdom needs me..."
She turns away from him, and starts hobbling her way to the door.
"I promise to write to you as soon as I can."
Duncan awaits her with a sturdy elbow for her to latch onto, and she nods at his courtesy. But she stops when she hears Triton's voice again.
"Wait! I... I'll go."
Kiara smiles while her back is still turned, and Duncan peers over her shoulder to see her son reaching for his sword.
"But what of your responsibilities?" Duncan asks, mockingly.
"I... I still have them, but now..." he stands near Kiara and shares a smile with her. "I have other responsibilities to attend to."
And at that, Kiara starts to daydream about the rambunctious little boy she had met all those years ago. That same child that looks exactly like this strong man in front of her, how he refused to abide by her and her father's wants and needs. Such a fussy little demon, as she can remember. Now she no longer sees such a person, but a truly noble one instead.
She is on the verge of tears. She too has raised a knight.
"Well... if that's what you want..." Duncan says. "We should be going. Steelgrave is miles away."
He bows slightly before Kiara.
"Thank you for the meal, Lady Kiara. It was delicious."
"You're welcome, Prince Duncan. And please... watch over him. Don't let him get into trouble."
Duncan nods and walks over to his black mount, which blends in the dark night as well as his cloak. Triton hesitates to leave from the doorway, and is once again standing next to the kind woman that has decided to join him again, before she regrets his leaving.
Their hearts seem connected by a limited chain.
"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Triton asks.
"Of course I will. As I've said... I still have some fight left in me."
"Well, don't be so hasty. If you need me to come back, ever, you just blow the horn. I'll race right back to you."
Kiara chuckles. "Triton... please. I'll be fine. Now then, I believe you have a meeting with King Dorian to attend to."
"Yeah... I'll write you," he says, and he attempts to leave.
Yet, her gentle hand grasps onto his. And he can hear the sudden clang of her staff slamming against the wooden floor. With a supportive smile, she slowly embraces him, to which he returns the hug. A softness washes over the two, as if the ghost of Modares himself was joining in their moment.
He finally lets her go, and he keeps his smile before turning his back to her. He climbs onto his noble steed, a strong animal he has named Bastion, as Duncan awaits to lead him away. Triton gives one last wave to Kiara, and she nods again before watching the two horses trot away into the deep woods.
When they are gone, Kiara excuses herself into her home. Alone.
With the house to herself, and the only warmth being the cozy fireplace, all Kiara can do is limp back over to her rocking chair. She doesn't even look at her staff still lying on the floor. When she is seated, she starts to think. Hundreds of concerns flood her mind.
She places her hand over her heart.
'Be strong, my son.'
Seven hours into the night and the sun has begun to rise. A groggy Triton has already fallen asleep with his head against his loyal steed's back. And Duncan, still leading the way while keeping a slow pace, notices a patch of low hanging branches above his head.
After picking a branch, he pokes Triton's face. He stammers awake.
"Wha- hey! Get that outta my face!" Triton says, raising his body up.
"Oh good, you're awake," Duncan says with a nonchalant smile. "Get ready, we're almost there."
"Really? Already?" Triton says, rubbing his eyes. "Wait... how long have we been riding?"
"Most of the night, occasionally stopping to allow the horses to drink from streams. And you slept so heavily throughout the whole journey."
"Well..." Triton says. "I needed rest. I'm sure you could use some as well."
Duncan shakes his head. "Oh that's fine. I haven't slept in days."
"You... you haven't?" Triton asks.
"Oh, enough about me," Duncan says. "Look over there! Steelgrave, in all its glory!"
Triton looks to where the Prince points, forward towards the horizon. And there, slightly faded from the morning fog, is the silhouette of the majestic capital of Theoton. Almost built as a large fortress, Steelgrave stands tall among rolling hills of grass.
Triton blinks repeatedly, before Duncan gently kicks his stallion.
"Come on! Follow me!" he says before his horse starts racing into the plains.
Triton does the same, and his own steed follows the prince across the waves of green. They race over the fields, a slight breeze in the air clashing against the momentum of the horses' speed. Triton looks around the scenery to see other wild game, going about and pecking at the feed around them. There are trees around, though there is a noticeable amount of stumps from Steelgrave's lumber company's previous days of work. A flowing river cuts through the land and leads into the city's large walls, through a large water wheel.
A long cobblestone road awaits them when they find themselves at the front gates. Black iron grating, surrounded by large walls of grey bricks. Two large, flowing flags of Theoton's symbol are mounted on brass poles jutting out symmetrically on both sides of the gate.
Two guards await atop the tall wall.
"It's Prince Duncan!" a guard shouts. "Raise the gate!"
He pounds his lance against the floor of the stone wall, and from the other side another guard slowly cranks the handle. The winches that draw in the two chains holding the gate clatter against each other, as a loud squeal accompanies the movement.
After allowing the loud thump of the gigantic gate to subside, Duncan smiles at his companion.
"Shall we?"