"Why...", the man lying helpless on the floor cried out to his attackers

"Like you need to know.", said the one looking down on the man as he plunged his sword into the man's stomach. "Hurry, the princess could escape if we dawdle any longer." the killer said the group of men around him. They were quick to retrieve their blades from the other they had killed and made off into the snowy forest.

The man lying in the snow that had just been stabbed was a twenty six year old knight, by the name of Thomas Aladar. He lay there in the snow, drenched in his own blood, his consciousness slowly fading as he clung to life. Up to this point Thomas had led a virtuous, yet unfortunate life. He'd been born into a family of knights luckily enough, and for that he enjoyed many luxuries as a child that others simply wouldn't. He was an only child which would mean he'd be the one to inherit his fathers title so he was sent to train as an apprentice knight at Toroe castle, in the capital, at the age of fifteen. He trained diligently for many years to eventually become a full fledged knight, but three years before he was set to do so, his father, who had been the sole head of his family, died in mysterious manner. His mother fell ill soon afterwards and joined his father in death. Without his father or mother alive to act as head of their territory, the little land his family possessed was taken by the kingdom. Thomas, without any other course of action continued to study and train to his utmost achieving all that he could and far outshining any who came before him. He quickly became a knight in two years and without a place to return to, was stationed as a guard in Toroe castle.

It was as a guard in Toroe castle that he came into contact with the princess of the Elmire Kingdom. The princess was the unofficial ruler of the Elmire kingdom as the current King, and her father was in a coma and had been for several years. The nobles had harbored some doubt about the princess as a ruler in the beginning, but after coexisting for so long they'd begun to work with the princess as they exercised their rule over the kingdom.

After being stationed at the castle for two years, Thomas was quite familiar with the inner workings of the noble court as well as his fellow guards. In his time at the castle he'd befriended a fellow knight named Alex and the princess' guard, Tristan Haravian.

On a particularly snowy day, Thomas and several other knights that would usually guard the castle, were asked to embark on an reconnaissance mission into the forest surrounding the capital as a diversion. They weren't told why exactly or any detail at all, but none of the knights questioned the order, Thomas included. Of course Thomas thought about it.

'Why are we carrying out such an unusual reconnaissance mission, and what were they supposed to be diverting.', thoughts such as these plagued Thomas' head as he prepared the supplies required for the mission.

Thomas looked in the mirror while he readied himself for the trip in his quarters. What he saw was a young man with short brown hair and the beginnings of a wild beard that he constantly had to keep under control. He stood at an average height of 172 centimeters and donned a basic leather chest covering and woolen clothes. He soon heard a knock at the door as he stood there.

"Thomas, get ready, we're leaving.", Said Alex, one of Thomas' only friends.

"Got it.", Thomas replied as he swiftly picked up his sword from the ground and left through the door.

8 hours later, Thomas was mounted on a horse as him, and several other knights made their way through the snowy forest. On another horse Alex strode up next to him.

"Why do you think we are doing this.", He asked in a dry tone. That was the question on everybody's mind but nobody had actually said it till Alex. It was a fair question, but not one that the knights expected any answer on, including Alex

"I don't know.'' Thomas said gruffly, replying to Alex's question. He had thought about it but for all his brains, he could only come up with hypotheses.

"Ok then.", Alex said, rolling his eyes. Thomas had always been talented and smart so he expected him to have an idea but it was clear enough that he wasn't going to share it if he did have one. It was at that moment that Thomas heard a sound coming from the trees.

"What's there!" He shouted as he looked towards the tree's beside him. In the snowbank there was a dark, crouched figure brandishing a blade. He attempted to turn his horse towards the mysterious figure and draw his blade, but before he could do so, an arrow flew out from the trees and hit his horse in the neck. His horse fell, sending Thomas tumbling into the snow. Suddenly men began to emerge from the trees and ambushed the group of knights.

Many of the knights were killed quickly after losing their horses and the ambushers killed any who survived the initial assault. Thomas attempted to get up from the snow but pain shot up his leg after attempting to do so. As he slowly rose, a man who had come out of the trees slammed his foot into Thomas' chest. He immediately collapsed from the pain of such an impact and slowly looked up at the man who'd brought him down and said what could have been his last words.

After the man had stabbed him, Thomas lay in the snow on the verge of death. 'Who were they, am I going to die, why'd we even go out'. These thoughts flooded Thomas' mind as the pain blurred his senses until he had one simple moment of clarity. 'What can I do?', he thought at this moment. He was about to die, but he wasn't dead yet. Thomas tore open his shirts and reached inside the satchel he always had on him. Moving caused excruciating pain but Thomas managed to pull out a small glass vial filled with orange liquid

The study of alchemy was not exactly popular in the Elmire Kingdom as it was seen as nothing but a con. This was mostly true, however actual potions were known to have existed though their effects varied. It was more a gamble than anything if a so-called potion worked or not. Those who practice alchemy themselves admit that at most, there's a 1 in 10 chance their potion actually works as intended. Because of this, potions are not widely used in the slightest and many have died from the consumption or use of a potion.

Despite this, a few years back, Thomas purchased a potion that he never intended to use and kept it in his satchel for an emergency when he had nothing left to lose. This was that exact moment.

Thomas hurriedly uncorked the potion and poured it on the big hole in his stomach. He heard a hissing noise and waves of pain flooded through his wound. Thomas' eyes rolled to the back of his head and he promptly blacked out

When Thomas awoke he was still lying in the snow, yet he wasn't cold. Maybe it was because he'd been sleeping or maybe it was because of the shock from being run over, but nonetheless, He didn't have time to think about such things. He looked at his wound and where had once been a hole, was now filled with a black, stone like element. He slowly stood up and looked at his surroundings. Around him were all the dead knights who'd been killed in the ambush. Among them he saw Alex lying dead in the snow and a great throb of sadness struck his heart. Thomas knelt next his dead friend

"I'm sorry, Alex.", He said solemnly. His mind switched to the attackers and he thought about why they were there. 'That's right. They said they were after the princess'. It suddenly became apparent why they'd been sent out on this excursion. They were meant to act as a diversion to defeat whoever was after the princess, but they had failed and now the princess was in danger. Thomas quickly turned towards where he'd seen the men go and ran into the trees. Not only did he have the princess to save, but also his only remaining friend, Tristan.

Though it was snowing, Thomas could still see the footprints of the men in the snow and followed them as he ran. After running for a short period of time, Thomas came upon the scene of a wrecked carriage surrounded by several dead knights. He slowly walked towards the carriage. At the front of the carriage he saw Tristan lying dead in the snow. In one day, he had lost both his friends and almost lost his own life. Emotion flooded through him as he felt the death of his comrades wash over him. Finally he composed himself and opened the door to the wrecked carriage.

What he saw inside was the princess, dead, with a metal box beside her. The metal box appeared to have been taken out of a secret compartment in the seats of the carriage. Thomas sat there for a moment taking in the scene before him. Slowly he stepped out of the carriage, his eyes glazed over. He had failed in every possible way. Not one thing has been left alive here. Thomas then noticed a figure appear before him

"Princess?", He said, confused as saw what was before him. It was the exact girl that he'd seen dead in the carriage. Except this girl stood in the snow naked, unwounded, and with a look of bewilderment in her eyes.

"Princess?", The girl repeated the word as if she was unfamiliar with it. Thomas stared confused at the dissociation between what he'd seen and what he was seeing. Suddenly he noticed the princess' arm began to transfigure into a semitransparent blob like shape and then just as suddenly returned to being a regular arm.

This wasn't the princess. Thomas knew that for sure. It was a fake, a mere imitation, and judging by its confusion, a young one at that. What Thomas had encountered was a shapeshifter.