Attack on Ashmere
Two years have passed since my first Ball of Awakening and I spend most of my time preparing to take up my father's mantle. Sparring with the men has led me to become a fine warrior, behind only the praetors and my father. The men blame it on my blood rather than my effort.
In my free time, I write letters to Lady Lucille and I believe there might be something more between us, despite our disparate upbringings and the expectations placed upon us by society.
However, amidst the backdrop of blossoming affection and personal growth, a shadow looms on the horizon. Reports of increased demonic activity near the borders of Ashmere have become increasingly frequent, signaling a potential threat to the stability of the realm. The eclipses, as my mother calls them, have become far more common, averaging one every nine days this year.
I sit in the garrison waiting for Marcus to finish his patrol so he can teach me the best way to parry a halberd. As I wait, I meditate and try to focus on the divine magic in my blood. A golden aura surrounds me, brightening the room and I feel some connection form.
"Outside!" A hurried voice speaks to me in my mind, stirring me out of my meditative state. Opening my eyes I hear the roar of flames, not the crackle from the fireplace but that of an inferno. Stepping outside I see why the voice has ordered me outside.
Flames spread across the rooftops. Rocks fly over the parapets smashing an innocent civilian running away. And as I track the rock I see it. An eclipse but unlike any I have seen in the past four years. Rather than the normal orange hue it is a deep crimson.
The world is dark except for the light caused by the flames. I grab my blade and make my way up the ramparts trying to see what now attacks my city.
Rather than the demonic and monstrous bodies I expect to see, I see an army of humans. Their banners are blue with a golden blade surrounded by a golden aura. Not from any nation or mercenary group that I know of.
Then I heard the sound I was hoping to hear the least. Wood breaking. Looking over to where it was coming from I saw the gate toppled over and the army pouring in. Grabbing my blade I do the best I can to fight my way to the city center, where my father and the rear guard will be preparing for a counter assault.
I cut one down with a swipe of my sword cutting into his neck. A second charges me as I remove my blade from the man's throat. Yanking as hard as I can I get the blade free and stab it into the second man's unprotected leg. He collapses, blood pouring profusely from his inner thigh.
Finally, I make it to the center where I see my father ordering soldiers around and my mother casting spells at the enemy. A water elemental pours out of the summoning circle she drew and goes towards the burning building in an attempt to put the fire out.
"Caius! Get in the castle and find your sister! Then take the passageway out of the castle and into the woods. They are camped on the opposite side of the city, I doubt they will have stationed troops there. Go!" my father orders.
I obey without a second thought, running towards the castle, up the stairs, and into my sister's room. She isn't there. "Priscilla!" I scream hoping to hear her.
No response. I run to the master bedroom hoping she's there. As I enter the door the smell of iron and rock seeps into my nose. The bricks are spread across the floor and a gaping hole in the wall has been created from the impact of a trebuchet. Underneath the rubble, I saw the last thing I wanted to see.
I picked up the tiara of Priscilla and continued looking around until I saw a pool of blood under the rubble. Digging, I find her, or what's left of her.
My sweet little sister is nothing but a pile of crushed bones and meat, only recognizable by the house Bellona ring, pressed by the rubble to look like a coin.
"Run," The mysterious voice says again. "You must live. You are the last Bellona. You must survive."
"My father lives, he will live. He will save us," I say between gasps for breath.
"Look out the hole, boy." Following the order I went to look out from where the catapult hit the wall, carefully stepping over my sister's corpse so as to not disturb her final resting place to see what the voice was talking about.
And there I see it, a ring of soldiers, and in the center my father and a man who I presume to be the leader of this army preparing for a duel. My mother's body is lifeless, cast aside by the enemy soldiers to create the ring. The last of my father's army is on their knees watching the situation unfold and with them is Marcus York, missing a hand and being held down by two men as he tries to resist.