"Many many years ago, when magic ravaged the lands, a group of battle-ready knights were backed up against a mountainside in a valley defending themselves against the relentless onslaught. The sky would stay dark in an almost uncanny neverending storm, surrounded by mountains on all sides. This struggle continued for longer than anyone seems to recall, but the knights never wavered in their resolve. Over the years, even while defending themselves, they began to make this valley their home, slowly driving back the magic forces that pushed their way inward until one day, the sun broke through the sky. The chaos stopped, and from the darkness, Glydra arose," A female voice reads to herself in a candlelit bedroom before letting out a long sigh. "That didn't give me a lot to go on. Could they have been involved?" she thinks to herself as she closes the book and tosses it aside on the bed. "I reallyyy hate reading," she says to herself under her breath as she blows the candle out and leaves the room closing the door behind her.
Elsewhere, the sound of swords clashing echoes throughout a courtyard as the sun begins to rise over The Kingdom of Gyldra. Two swords, in particular, seem to be just a step ahead of the rest; these swords belong to Knight-Apprentice Zaine. Just under six feet tall with short messy blonde hair and green eyes, Zaine stands out amongst his peers for choosing to neglect the traditional teachings of combat amongst knights. In Gyldra, the knights are all equipped with a shield for defense. However, Zaine chooses to wield a sword in each hand and moves in a more unorthodox manner as if his body just moves to the rhythm of combat. His reflexes are well above average even among Gyldra's Royal Guard, but his biggest weakness is his lack of experience. At twenty-one years old, he is the youngest Knight Apprentice in Gyldra's long esteemed history. Outsiders refer to Gyldra as Blades Rest; this is because, over the last five hundred years, they have been known to produce the best knights anywhere in the realm. Zaine's opponent, however, is no stranger to combat. Standing slightly taller with shorter black hair, the forty-nine-year-old Knight-Captain Gorzo had seen many battles through his brown battle-weary eyes and killed even more men. His most memorable feat came ten years ago when the king commanded him to lead the Royal Knight Corps against renegade mages that plagued the realm. Gorzo deflects Zaine's attack with his shield and quickly steps forward, bridging the distance gap Zaine's extra blade had created early in the encounter. Zaine jumps back momentarily before charging with both swords at the ready. Gorzo prepares his shield and swings to attack the incoming apprentice, but Zaine quickly slaps Gorzo's attack aside with the blade in his left hand as he leaps from the ground. Zaine quickly plants his right foot on the top of Gorzo's shield and somersaults over him faster than Gorzo can react. Upon landing, he raises the sword in his right hand to the back of Gorzo's neck while the left remains down at his side.
"Are you going easy on me, old man?" Zaine asks through a triumphant grin.
Gorzo, the best captain in the training unit, laughs before responding with, "If I don't let you win once in a while, you won't keep playing now, would you?"
Zaine lowers his sword, placing both blades into their sheaths, and quickly notices that everyone in the courtyard has stopped training and has been watching their training match. "What are you guys looking at?!" Zaine yells as everyone quickly returns to their training.
"Relax, not every day these useless meat bags get to see skilled sparring, let alone something as unpredictable as your movements," Gorzo states with a hearty chuckle.
"I just do what my body tells me, nothing more and nothing less," Zaine explains.
"That's what makes you different, boy! Most men tell their bodies what to do, not the other way around," the captain replies.
Zaine notices a man dressed in black robes approaching him and the captain giving Zaine an uneasy feeling. He can't quite place the feeling, but he gets the same one around anyone involved with the council.
"Captain, they request your presence," the robed man states from underneath his hood.
"Wonderful, I wonder which ass I'll get to wipe this time?!" Gorzo asks through a thunderous laugh.
"Careful captain, you never know who's listening in the shadows," Zaine replies, staring daggers through the man in robes.
"Bah to hell with shadows! Only a child is afraid of such things," Gorzo confidently replies. Zaine takes this reply with a grain of salt as he has come to realize that sometimes danger lies in places out of sight or reach throughout his life.
"I shall take my leave," the robed man whispers before disappearing into the crowd of soldiers training.
"Probably shouldn't keep them waiting, captain. Remember what happened last time?" Zaine asks, fully aware of the answer.
"No booze for an entire forsaken month! How in the gods could I ever forget that misery," Gorzo replies jokingly. However, Zaine knows he is deathly serious, and he should never come between the captain and his alcohol.
"If my memory serves correct, you didn't even go a single day without a drink," Zaine remarks.
"Right you are, boy! Kept vials of ale on me, told them they were potions for when I injure one of the new recruits they keep sending me," Gorzo states while winking in Zaine's direction as he begins to walk away.
"Good luck Captain," Zaine thinks to himself before returning to his training.
The city is mostly quiet in the morning, aside from the knights' training. As Gorzo furthers himself from the courtyard, the clashing swords begin to fade in the distance, and he is left with his thoughts as he pulls a flask from his belt and takes a long drink. "Nothing good ever comes from these visits," he thinks to himself before returning the flask to his belt and continuing on his way.