"The day the rebels came, I hid between the weeds. The nettles stung every inch of my body I could feel the burn in my skin, my nose each time I took a breath of air, and ears . . . that feeling shall forever remain with me."
* * *
On the morning of Ash Wednesday in the Catholic calendar, a fancy carriage drawn by two horses with a horseman at the helm moved between the trees along the rough road. In the distance, the silhouette of a man standing on the branch of a baobab tree could be seen.
The silhouette allowed itself to drop from a very high distance from the baobab tree and disappear into the branches. As it did the carriage was seen hitting a small rock and shaking violently, the people in the carriage sighed a brief feeling of trepidation swelling in every one of them.
"I thank you once again Miss Helmsman for agreeing to accompany us on this journey your presence alone is reassuring," said an old lady addressing Jhanna Helmsman.
The old lady was the Baroness of Saint Louisiana district she together with her son and daughter were traveling back after a banquet at her Majesty's ball. She wore fancy clothes fit for a Baron class and her makeup, thick as it was, only did little to mask her saggy face.
"It is nothing to fret about, as it is my duty," Jhana said although it was quite a contrast, she hated the duty as it was forcefully pushed on her.
She pushed back her silver-whitish hair and sat comfortably on her seat. One of her legs went over the other and she noticed the Young Lord staring at her thighs. It was to be expected, she was young just twenty years old, beautiful, and unengaged. She put her leg down and looked sternly into the man's eyes. In a brief second, he recoiled in fear. What an intense gaze!
"Simpleton," Jhana thought as she lazily leaned on her hand a bored expression on her face.
The man was still seen throwing glances at her cleavage. His mind was distracted by her ample breasts. Jhana was used to this, men throwing glances at her. Marriage proposals, all that was very annoying to her.
"Nay!" Came the horseman's voice, "Nay! I say," the horses came to an abrupt stop.
"Nay in the name of the Queen, remove yourself, peasant, or you shall suffer the wrath of the empire."
There was a brief moment of silence, then two guards who had been in the carriage disembarked to see the situation. The next thing that followed was uncontrollable noises of the horses and heavy grants of the men. Then a pin drop silence once again.
"I had a feeling this would happen," remarked Jhana as she stepped out.
"Are we going to be, OK?" asked the Baroness in fear as she and her family moved closer together.
Jhana ignored her and closed the door. She walked to the front and stared at the man in the path. Unsheathing a broad gladius, she held it firmly in her hand and addressed the man.
"You shall not move further, I am the Grandmaster Jhanna Helmsman, flee unless you wish to die" she declared.
Her eyes briefly left the man's to scrutinize the unconscious but not dead soldiers, horses, and the horseman. She could sense an evil presence from the man, the thick smell of blood and death, regardless, no one was dead. He was certainly a professional.
"You . . . are not my target."
He spoke his voice hoarse between his masks. His eyes looked dead and unlike most assassins, he only carried a twin sword on his belt. He had a long-hooded cloak and leather armor.
"Move," he added impatiently.
"I shall not," she said. She had initially hoped her title would scare him but seeing he was unfazed he had more reason to grip her gladius tighter.
Instantly, the man charged and unsheathed his twin's swords and held one of each pair. A reverse followed by a lateral swing. She easily blocked both attacks and pushed him back slightly. She then brought down several rapid strikes, which he easily evaded and blocked. All the while sounds of clanking of metal resonated in the air.
He was about to take another step when the blade of her gladius glowed with numerous ancient ruins.
"Be warned, assassin, I am a Holy knight and a scholar of the arcane," she then brought it down with a mighty swing. The assassin leaped back barely evading it but his mask broke in the process, his long hair in disarray as his hood was pushed back.
Jhana was getting prepared to begin the second phase of her attacks but abruptly stopped when she saw his face, the face of a young man.
"Eric," she called out.
The man looked up surprised to hear a name he had long buried.
"Eric is that you?" she asked his silent reply ascertained it.
"Eric! I can't believe it, It's me It's Jhana. Don't you remember me?"
She said those words as the gladius on her hand dropped. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes she was about to take a step when the man changed his direction and leaped up to the trees running away.
"Jhana," he said as he recalled.
"Eric wait! Don't leave," she said. As she watched him running, she added silently "Please don't leave me again."
* * *
Thursday Jhana pushed open a door forcefully and found an old man sitting cross-legged on a mat. He was muscular and from his Yukata robe, a few scars were visible on his neck and chest.
She knelt on a mat behind him her hands on her lap. Her head bowed.
"Father, you said Eric was dead. Why did you lie to me?" she demanded.
"Such insolence from one of my daughters, I swear, the older I get the harder it is to get the ones given respect."
"Eric is alive he will be coming home; however, he may not be the boy who left home all those years ago."
After a brief moment of silence, the man spoke again, "It may take some persuasion to bring him back."
"What are you implying. . . what do you mean father?" she asked.
"Go Jhana, bring back my son."
"With all due respect Father, I am not doing this for you," she said bowing slightly and walking out.
"After the rebels came, everything changed for me."
(The events in this book are in no way related to the current History. Names titles and all that, are works of fiction. The setting is a time of transition. Items like guns(muskets) and magic are in use. But also, swords play a big role. Some religious conspiracy you may find is relatable but not intended to be rude to you dear viewer. Simply put this is a society built from fantasy. Read with an open mind.)