The Renegade and the Girl
Chapter 1 Broken flute
The air was hot, dry, and it left his mouth dry. He reached for his water pouch that he had around his side and took a small drink from it. He looked around the desolated land and guessed that he was probably about half a block away from the ruins of Ashford and what remained of his home.
He pushed his long black hair out the way of his hazel eyes as he scanned the area. He heard something behind. He spun his blade drawn and his shield ready to face whatever it was that was behind him. There was no monster, but instead there was a girl. She had long red hair that was tied into two buns. She was wearing black amour and held a staff in her hand. She had bright blue eyes that stared at him.
"If it isn't Melissa the Necromancer." He greeted sheathing his sword.
"A normal greeting from Mathew the Warrior." Melissa greeted chuckling a bit.
"It's Matt." Mathew said giving her glare that would make any normal person wet themselves.
"Right." Melissa sarcastically remarked
"What are you doing here?" Mathew asked tapping his foot impatiently.
"I can ask you the same thing." Melissa answered crossing her arms putting a grin on her face.
"I asked you first." Mathew said growing more impatient with her.
"I came here to find you." Melissa said as her grin turn into a huge smile.
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because?" Mathew asked with a confused expression.
"Just because." Melissa said kicking the dirt while looking down.
"Okay." Mathew said turning around.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"But home is that way." She said pointing behind her.
"No it isn't." he said walking away from her.
"What?" she asked confused.
He didn't answer her.
"Oh that's right you use to live in Ashford." She said to herself more than him.
"Hey can I come with you?" She asked and he stopped.
He turned to look at her and they stared at each other for a moment or two.
"Sure just don't get in the way." He said turning back around.
About ten minutes later they reached the ruins of Ashford. There was two Grawls who happen to wonder to close to Mathew. Blade drawn Mathew charged, catching the first one by surprise. He slashed a deep line across its back making it scream out in pain. The other Grawl turned around as its companion fell to it's knee's. The Grawl lifted his hammer up just as Mathew sword drove through it's partners kidney.
Mathew pulled out his blade and jumped back just as the Grawl hammer came crashing in. The Grawl hammer hit the ground and Mathew slashed a deep line across the right arm of the Grawl. The Grawl roared in pain as it tried to lift its hammer, but Mathew was there slashing a line across the Grawl chest. The Grawl decided as a last ditch effort to bull rush the warrior, but Mathew saw through and used his shield to push off and spin around the Grawl. The dazed and confused Grawl ran into the hill side and collapsed dead.
Mathew blade dripped of Grawl blood as he turned to look at Melissa. For a few second she had a look of shock on her face, but it then turned into a grin.
"Wow you were able to take them out before I even was able to lift my weapon!" Melissa shouted with complete shock in her voice.
"I mean business." Mathew said turning around.
"I guess you do." Melissa said smiling at him.
They moved a bit farther down the road and Mathew spun his blade ready to strike at the next creature who dared to attack him. He held back his swing when he saw it was a Bone horror. One of Melissa disgusting looking creatures.
"I keep on forgetting that you make these things." Mathew said he turned back around.
"What you don't like my little friends?" Melissa asked chuckling a bit.
Mathew didn't answer he was too busy picking out his next target. There was a Grawl and a Grawl Ulodyte. He charged running past the dumb and slow Grawl with a hammer, aiming for the Ulodyte. The Ulodyte turn to run, but Mathew was already there using his shield hand to grab the Ulodyte. His sword went through the Ulodyte right kidney dropping it to knees. He pulled the blade out and the Ulodyte screamed in pain.
Mathew turned as the Ulodyte companion charged at Mathew. Melissa two bone horror's were there scratching at his back. Mathew grinned and met the charge easily dodging the swing of his hammer. He countered by slashing the short creature across the face. The Grawl dropped his hammer and put his hands to his face. He soon realized his mistake as Mathew sword pierced his chest.
"If I stick with you I'm pretty sure that I'll always have ample bodies for my minions." Melissa joked as she caught up with the warrior.
Mathew didn't respond to her joke, but just ran ahead. He ran into a clearing where a couple of houses use to be. A couple feet ahead of them behind a broken wall of a house that was still standing was a Grawl with a bow, an Ulodyte and three more Grawl. He didn't rush them like before, but just stood there.
"What too much for you?" Melissa asked with a bit joking tone in her voice.
It wasn't that nothing scared Mathew when it came to fighting. Yeah he was sure of it this was her house. This was Gwen's house a long time ago. Gwen's house….
*****
He slumped down against the wall pretty tired. He just finished through his training with Captain Orsic and it was an hard one today. He unbuckled his shield and let it fall to the ground and sheath his sword. He let out a long sigh as a couple of farmers walked past. They were whispering, but loud enough for him to hear.
"Hey isn't that the boy from Kyrta?" One of the farmers asked.
"Yeah, he an orphan." The other farmer said.
"Yeah I heard he join the army."
"They let him join?"
"Yeah, but he's no good."
"Sounds like Mathew the Unwanted."
"Shut up!" Mathew shouted clenching his fist at them.
"I'm going to be a hero, and I'm going to prove you wrong. I'll be so good that you'll beg for me just to be in this village!" Mathew shouted at the two farmers.
"Dream on Mathew….the Unwanted." One of the farmers said before leaving.
"Rargg!" Mathew shouted slamming his fist into the wall. He screamed again slamming his fist into the wall.
"You keep doing that you'll break your hand." A voice said behind him.
"Huh?" Mathew asked turning around surprise that someone was talking to him.
It was a girl with short black hair going down to her chin. On her head was a circle of tied flowers. She had dark eyes that were staring at him. She was wearing a light blue shirt with a light blue skirt.
"Silly, you can't punch through the wall." The girl said with a smile on her face.
"Yeah I know." He answered her and a puzzled looked appeared on her face.
"Then why do it?"
"I'm angry."
"At what?" She asked and Mathew looked at her and realized that this girl hadn't taste the harshness of this world yet and for some reason he wanted it to stay like that.
"Everybody."
"Why?"
"Because they don't want me." He said looking down.
"Why wouldn't they want you?" She asked deeply confused.
"I'm from Kyrta…"
"Really?! I never met anybody from Kyrta before!" She shouted jumping up in joy.
"What's your name boy from Kyrta?" She asked putting her hands together in front of her.
"It's Mathew." He said holding out his hand.
"Gwen!" She said shaking his hand and he smile at her.
*****
"Mathew?" Melissa asked touching his shoulder.
He snapped out of it and stared down at the Grawl's who now lived in what was her house.
"Gwen…" He said barley a whisper.
"Are you okay?" Melissa asked deeply concern about her friend's well being.
His hand clenched around the handle of his blade. His teeth clenched at the thought of these foul creatures occupying her home. Even though all that was left was a wall. He charged startling Melissa gaining speed as he got closer. The Grawl's were startled as Mathew jumped over the wall.
His blade found the shoulder of the Grawl ranger. His shield blocked a hammer blow as his blade slashed the Grawl neck. He turned to face the three Grawl. A hammer aimed for his left leg and he quick stepped out of the way as his shield stopped a blow and his shield arm stopped a blow. He grimaced in pain as slashed across the Grawl's chest who aimed for his leg. The Grawl was most likely dead as he turned to face the other two. Dodging a swing and blocking another with his shield that hurt like hell. He ducked under a blow and slashed at the creature's legs crippling it.
He blocked another blow as Melissa minions came to his aid. They overwhelmed the Grawl slashing and poking all over its body. Mathew slashed at it just for good measure. The Ulodyte looked at him and he looked at it. It had some sense in it because it turn and ran. Mathew gave chase easily gaining ground over the smaller creature.
He caught up to it slashing its back. It fell down and he stabbed at it again and again. He hacked away at it blood gore and everything flew, onto the ground and onto him.
"Mathew!" Melissa shouted, but he didn't hear her.
"Mathew!" Melissa shouted again, but he didn't hear her.
"Mathew Stop!" Melissa shouted and he finally stopped.
"Are you okay?" She asked stepping closer to him.
He backed away from the mess tripping over a rock in the process. He fell over in a heap dropping his sword in the process.
"Mathew!" Melissa shouted running over to him.
"Are you okay?" Melissa asked helping him up.
"Yeah…" He said spotted something over by what look like the foundation of an building.
"What's that?" He asked walking over to it.
"What?" Melissa asked confused.
He slowly bended down and picked up to pieces of what was a flute.
"It could be anybody's flute." He rationalized with himself.
"Huh?" Melissa asked still confused.
He turned over one the piece of the flute and in the rough hand writing of a thirteen year old girl was the name Gwen.