The village burned. Alric raced through the streets, each house he passed consumed by fire. Bodies littered the ground, a grim reminder of the massacre that was unfolding.
"Delilah! Where are you?!"
He kept running, calling for his childhood friend. She'd said she was helping the mayor in the harvest hall, located at the far end of the village. That's where he would find her.
"Alric! Thank the gods you're alive!"
Liora, the woman who lived next to the mayor's house, stopped him. She was running with her family—two young boys and her eldest daughter.
"Liora?" Alric halted, checking her over. "You're covered in blood, what's happening?"
"It's not mine," she sobbed, clutching his shirt. "They're killing everyone, Alric. The emperor's Executors—they're here! Edric stayed back with the men to fight. Please, you have to help him!"
"Executors?" Alric's mind spun. "Why would they attack a small village like ours…?"
But Liora had no answers. She was shaking, eyes filled with terror.
"Did you see Delilah or the old mayor?"
"No, we fled as soon as Edric picked up his sword."
Alric pressed a comforting hand to her shoulder. "Go. Take your family. I'll find Edric."
He gave her a light push to encourage her, then turned to the children. "Take care of your mother and sister, alright? Go with the others."
As Liora joined a group of fleeing villagers, her daughter hesitated.
"Go!" Alric urged.
"Papa won't make it, will he?" The girl's voice was calm, but her eyes brimmed with tears. She knew. Everyone knew. The Executors—elite knights of the empire—were death incarnate.
Alric couldn't lie. He just nodded, and the girl ran after her family.
He resumed his sprint, the weight of everything heavy in his chest. Executors? In their small village? It made no sense. They only acted on orders from the emperor himself. No one here was important enough to warrant such brutality.
Soon, he reached the heart of the village. Executors surrounded the remaining men, backs against each other, desperately trying to hold the line. The knights, clad in black armor, laughed as they toyed with their prey. Limbs lay scattered. Blood stained the ground.
One Executor ripped a sword from a villager's hand. "These fools think they can fight us with this junk?"
Alric clenched his fists. He had to do something.
Before he could act, a voice cut through the chaos.
"Enough playing! I found the girl. We just need the bastard prince now. Finish this!"
A figure emerged from the smoke. His armor was different—marked by a white crest and the imperial insignia engraved in gold. Dragging Delilah by her hair, the leader of the Executors approached, his steps slow and deliberate.
The other Executors straightened at his command, drawing their swords. The killing began in earnest. Heads rolled, the villagers' defense crumbling like dry leaves.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Delilah screamed, kicking and punching, but the leader barely noticed her. He flung her to the ground, silencing her with a single blow.
"Delilah!" Alric yelled, his heart pounding as he grabbed a fallen sword.
Everyone froze at the sound of his voice. The Executors turned, and the leader laughed.
"Well, well. The bastard prince comes to us willingly."
Alric's blood ran cold. **Prince?** What was this madman talking about?
"I don't know what you're talking about!" he shouted, gripping the sword tighter. "I'm just a villager. My parents died before I was born!"
The leader chuckled darkly, removing his helmet to reveal a scarred face and a missing eye. "Oh, boy, if only you knew. The emperor spared you at your mother's begging. But you're not a nobody. You are the rightful heir—born of fire, destined to end it all."
The prophecy… the one recited by the Daughters of Echo.
He took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. "You'll learn the truth soon enough. But tonight, you die."
Before Alric could react, the leader closed the distance, his fist slamming into Alric's ribs with the force of a hammer. The pain was instant, dropping him to the ground, gasping for air.
"To think, the emperor's own blood is this weak." The leader sneered, drawing his sword.
But before the finishing blow could land, a shadow moved behind the Executors. The leader stiffened, eyes darting toward the smoke.
"Enemies! Hold your ground!" he barked.
Yet, no answer came. One by one, the heads of the Executors fell to the ground in silence.
Alric watched in disbelief as the dark figures that haunted his village vanished before his eyes.
The shadow flitted through the smoke, teasing the Master Executor and driving him into frustration.
"Come on, coward! Can't face an Executor head-on? Hiding in the shadows like a damned rat!" The Executor slashed at the shadow with his sword, but it moved too quickly for him to land a blow.
"Damn it, show yourself or I'll kill the bastard!" The Master grabbed Alric by the hair, forcing him upright and pressing his blade to Alric's throat.
"A hostage, really? How original for an Executor." The shadow halted, stepping out of the smoke to reveal a woman clad head to toe in golden armor, her face fully concealed beneath her helmet. Her armor bore an unfamiliar insignia—neither from the Empire nor any neighboring kingdoms.
"It's the only way to get a Guardian of the Eclipse to fight without skulking in the shadows." The Master sneered, seeing his opportunity. Tossing Alric aside, he lunged at the Guardian. Their blades clashed, the Executor's strikes heavy and forceful, while the Guardian relied on nimble movements, evading and countering with quick, precise blows.
The Guardian swept low, knocking the Executor's legs out from under him just as he launched another attack, sending him crashing to the ground. Alric swore he saw her blade shift into a rapier as she aimed for the Executor's head, but before she could land the strike, he rolled away and scrambled to his feet.
"Witch."
"For a simple trick? Executors… always too stupid to believe there are gods other than the one who lights your Empire."
They resumed their duel, the Executor more aggressive now, but his recklessness left him wide open.
"Oh, the emperor's dog is angry?"
"Damn whore! I'll cut your head off and offer it to the emper—"
Before he could finish his threat, the Guardian's sword transformed into a massive axe. She swung it down, cleaving the Executor's head cleanly in two.
"Rot in hell, filthy dog." She withdrew the axe and shifted it back into the sword. Her helmet turned toward Alric, who hadn't uttered a word during the fight.
"You alright, prince?"
"Pri—just stop, please. This has to be some nightmare, right?"
The Guardian approached and knelt beside him, removing her helmet. Her face was covered in tattoos, her shaved head lined with inscriptions that trailed into the depths of her armor. She studied Alric with brown eyes and gave him a small, reassuring smile.
"Sorry to disappoint, your highness, but this isn't a nightmare. It's real. But you're safe now." Noticing his hand clutching his ribs, she leaned in to examine him, gently moving his hand aside to lift his shirt.
"A few fractured ribs, nothing life-threatening. You'll be fine."
She stood and glanced over at Delilah, who was still unconscious.
"Your friend? Don't worry, she's just out cold."
Alric cursed himself under his breath, realizing he had forgotten about Delilah. He forced himself to his feet.
"Ouch—your highness, don't move so fast." The Guardian helped him walk over to Delilah. Kneeling beside her, Alric gently brushed her hair from her face. She had a bruise around her right eye and several scrapes across her body.
"At least you're alive. Almost got yourself killed with that tongue of yours." He stroked her face, causing her to let out a soft groan of complaint.
"Your highness, we should move. It's not safe here. Executors don't attack without backup plans."
"Can you stop with the 'your highness'? Please... I'm not a prince. If you want to help, carry Delilah and let's meet with the villagers who managed to escape."
The Guardian remained silent as she hoisted Delilah up, following Alric as he led the way through the burning village toward the survivors.
After a few minutes, they reached the far side of the village, where the surviving villagers were gathered. The first thing Alric noticed was the presence of others dressed like the Guardian, all in golden armor with visors covering their faces. One of them spotted Alric and approached.
"Sister Selene, your highness." The soldier knelt before Alric, drawing the attention of the villagers. Soon, all the Guardians followed suit, kneeling before him.
"Stand up! Don't kneel to me, get up!" Alric covered his face with his hand, overwhelmed by everything happening.
"Alric?" Liora emerged from the crowd of villagers, her eyes already brimming with tears. "Where's Edric?" Her voice trembled, and her gaze searched behind him.
"Liora… Edric… he fought to his last breath, but…" Alric's voice trailed off as Liora broke into sobs, collapsing against him. She clung to him, crying into his chest, causing a fresh wave of pain through his fractured ribs.
"I'm sorry, Liora… I'm so sorry. I couldn't save him."
He knew how deeply Liora had loved her husband. They were inseparable, always seen walking through the village with their children. They had been the embodiment of an ideal family. The faces of the remaining villagers reflected their shared grief; Liora wasn't the only one who had lost a husband that night, and her children weren't the only ones who had lost a father.
After what felt like hours, Liora passed out from the intensity of her sorrow. With the help of a Guardian, they laid her down on a makeshift bed of straw while her daughter stayed by her side.
Alric called for Selene and the Guardian who had knelt before him.
"We need a safe place, for all of them… please."
"Of course, your highness. We'll take everyone to our temple. They'll be safe there, I promise." Selene bowed slightly before addressing the rest of the Guardians. Soon, the group was on the move. Selene returned to Alric's side, pulling a small totem from around her neck. The symbol on the totem matched the one on her armor. She tossed it to the ground, and from it, a stone doorway rose, opening slowly to reveal… nothing. It looked like an ordinary door.
"What is this? A joke?"
"No, your highness. Just watch."
Before Alric could respond, the lead Guardian guided the villagers through the doorway, disappearing in an instant. One by one, the villagers followed, vanishing as they passed through.
"How…? Is this magic?"
"Something like that. Now it's our turn, your highness."
Alric watched as Selene carried the unconscious Delilah through the door. He hesitated, reaching out toward the entrance, watching his hand disappear.
"Damn it. I hope I don't regret this."
He stepped through the door and vanished.