Here's to a good story, this is a completely alternate storyline so bear with me. And some of the names and titles of certain areas and things have been changed for literary purposes and because there is VERY little information on the net. And come to think of it, NNN is not a very popular game, much less as a source of fiction but still.
Prologue
It had been a long and bloody struggle, these past few years. The Goblins, and their allies had grown more and more bold, attacking isolated farmlands and villages. Recently in the never ending war, the previous respite earned by the humans was waning, the Goblins were going farther in their attacks just as they had been doing for the past millennia.
As far as to attack a few small cities, the humans had to do something, just as they, had been forced to do for the past millennia.
The new war for the shards had grown steeply in price as time trickled away.
The King hadn't much to look forward to these days. The war had been tenuous and quiet at best, but the enemy was moving.
Fortunately, so were the soldiers and warriors of the Kingdom.
He had watched with pride as two of his favored Temple Knights, in only five short years became weapons of righteousness. Tireless, deadly and monumentally powerful weapons.
Heroes to the Cause.
Aspharr and Inphyy
Fine knights, and fine leaders. The King had plans for them, good plans, they were destined for great things, especially that Aspharr.
The King smiled, as he finished contemplating the same, a steward let him know that Aspharr and his company of knights, not to mention commanders were coming any minute from a dozen skirmishes in the nearby farms.
The two imperious doors of his lavish throne room opened and two prominent figures strode through followed by a gaggle of retinue personnel.
The King rose from his golden throne and smiled at the Temple Knight, he gestured for the same to approach.
"Aspharr" he said with the charisma that had so many times moved his people to great things and unlikely victories.
"Milord" said the young knight bowing his head.
The king placed both of his coarse, ring adorned, hands on the knight's shoulders and looked deep into his blue eyes.
"I've been told everything, about your heroism, your sister's courage and of the perfect victories you carved out of the battlefield. Your actions in the field two days ago will keep our forces well supplied and in great spirits" said the King.
The knight shrugged and glanced back at the black figure standing behind his sister quietly and patiently as he had been forced to learn to do.
"Milord, those battles should have been lost" he said
"But they were not, for your actions and the actions of your sister, they were not"
"But, Sesh-"
"What about him? Did he endanger the outcome of the battle?" asked the King irritably, not once setting his eyes on the hooded figure, who's own were downcast.
"No lord, he was the one who won the battles. By his tactical skills and his directions we managed by. It was by his leadership that we were led to victory" answered Aspharr as eloquently as he could.
This position always made him uncomfortable.
"Oh truly? It takes more than simply sitting on a hill dispatching runners to tell your warriors what to do. It takes courage, it takes blood and honor, and a sword in your hand to do what must be-"
"He was not on a hill my lord. He led the troops with us, if not ahead of us"
Aspharr glanced back at Sesh whom he could tell was smiling internally for Aspharr's kindness.
"I am not so certain he should be standing here now. He received several wounds, one of which was an arrow that pierced his chestplate, luckily his armor saved his life, but I would feel more confident about his safety if he was requisitioned a suit of Temple armor" he half whispered to the King.
The King finally looked at Sesh and stepped around Aspharr, he nodded approvingly at Inphyy after stroking her hair then looked at the young man.
Anyone who was watching could see he was looking at Sesh like a leper.
Like an insect.
The King looked the young man over and then looked back at Aspharr, then back at Sesh.
"How soon will you all be dispatched to the east?" he asked the cloaked boy.
Only now did the kind notice how slightly hunched over he was, like he was tired and bearing his own body weight was becoming an increasingly laborious task.
"We will be dispatched in exactly three days my lord, then we are to take the canyons before reaching Fort Wyandeek" answered Sesh with a light and quiet voice, a voice that would seem almost elvish if one knew the tone.
The King looked at Sesh one more time, then turned on his heel.
"You are dismissed, do not fail Aspharr" said the King before Sesh bowed and limped out of the room.
Aspharr looked at Sesh exit the room, unassisted and almost unnoticed save for Gabriel Athan, Sesh's companion and friend.
"My King, Sesh is-"
"Of no consequence my child" said the King.
"You and I have had this conversation before; a leader must know where his subordinates lie, Sesh is your subordinate, you must treat him as such. He is your servant, and you must be comfortable with him serving you as such. What is a leader who serves his servants more than they serve him?"
Aspharr listened to the King's words like he would bear salt in a wound.
"Besides, you know his…..condition" he added.
"A condition he never asked for, but bears none the less" retorted the young knight as carefully as he dared.
"I know that but the boy is-"
"He is your son. All he wants is your approval"
The King looked at Aspharr quietly, his wrinkled brow stretched a little as he squinted at the knight in thought.
Aspharr bowed his head and left, Inphyy and his retinue of sergeants and commanders at his heels.
He absolutely hated to be in that position, it always left him with a bad taste in his mouth.
The King sighed, they had fared very well in these territorial battles by Sesh's hand, but he wished the boy had never come at all.
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Inphyy walked next to Aspharr angrily, glaring at her brother as hard as she could in order to get his attention, but wise to this, he ignored her.
"Aspharr, why do you keep standing up for him?" she asked, her words like venom.
He didn't answer right away, but rather thought about it, then spoke.
"Because he is doesn't deserve any of the treatment he gets from the King"
"Brother! If he is not brave enough to stand up to him then he deserves everything he gets" she quickly shot back protesting.
"You aren't helping yourself at all standing up for that coward" she added.
"Inphyy that's enough" he said firmly.
She hesitated to say anything more and quieted down.
"I don't understand you. You are his friend in private and he is an object of disgust for you in public, that makes you a hypocrite"
"It does not" she said quietly but bitterly.
"It does, fine friend you are. You know better than to mislead him like that"
"I am not misleading him, I just wish"
She shrugged and slowed down her pace.
"It's just, he is so, weak. And because of that, I don't think he should be with us in the war"
"Inphyy" said Aspharr looking at her neutrally.
"He is not weak. He's a gentle spirit is all"
"Too gentle if you ask me" she stated thoughtfully.
As they passed the corner she noticed a red smear of blood on the side, the kind of which comes from a bloodstained hand, three fingers smeared on the wall.
Both of the Temple Knights looked at each other and thought the same thing.
Assassins in the palace.
As both nearly broke out into a run they passed the corner and noticed a black hooded figure slouching as it sat on the floor.
Inphyy and Aspharr's minds both connected again and both thought that Sesh was probably bleeding to death.
The girl in the crimson armor ran to the boy's side and palmed his face nervously.
"Sesh, Sesh!"
She was surprised when Sesh looked at her instantly and almost asked her if they were under attack. But the look on the Temple Knight's faces told him, they were concerned for him, they were not in danger.
"Oh, hello Inphyy" he said with his usual sleepy smile.
"Can you get up?" she asked, almost a whisper.
"I-I can, yes. I'm just so drained"
"I'll tuck you in then" she said sweetly.
She glanced at Aspharr as both of them put one of his arms around their shoulders.
He looked at her with a certain look.
Hypocrite
She looked away as she and he both shuffled him away.
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Aspharr opened the door to Sesh's modest living quarters, quarters that would be fit for a life-bound servant rather than the blood heir to the kingdom.
A room without windows, a cold room, a stone room as opposed to the brightly lit halls of the rest of the alabaster palace, it was a quiet, depressing little thing.
They both laid Sesh down into his lumpy but rest worn bed and pulled off his hood.
His pale face was paler than usual, paler than Inphyy's skin.
"Will you be alright Sesh?" asked Inphyy who was sitting next to him on the bed.
He nodded without eye contact.
She hesitated, then stroked the side of his face. His eyes wandered to hers as her palm started and finished its little go.
"Get better, we need you" she said, barely a whisper and mustered a smiled.
He smiled his sleepy smile and looked away.
Obviously a little embarrassed.
Or bashful, the latter was more in his nature.
As Aspharr gently shut the door he looked at Inphyy who avoided looking directly at her brother.
"What you are doing is cruel"
"It's not cruel brother. I just- I"
"You are giving him the wrong impression. And mark my words, one day, it will come back to haunt you"
"Brother, I am not doing anything wrong!"
"Yes you are, you are leading him on whenever you know it or not. Who is he to you huh? A toy? Or just a sounding board for your problems?"
Inphyy stepped away from Aspharr and walked down the halls to the outside, some fresh air would calm her down. She was red in the face and a few more seconds and she was going to have a fit.
She stepped outside into the light and sighed.
Who was Sesh to her really?
He was the bastard half-breed son of the King, he wanted the lord's approval but Aspharr even if it was an unwilling recipient, received all of it.
However, Sesh and Aspharr were inseparable friends, the only tension in their friendship came when they set foot on the palace.
But to her, he was…….well……Sesh.
"I'll be nicer to him from now on" she told herself for the hundredth time but never really resolving to do it.
"I meant it this time. After the King's decision, he is going to need all the support he can get"
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Sesh laid on his bed in the dark with nothing of any true importance on his mind. He was tired, he was stressed from his visiting father and he was as always, none at all pleased with any of his efforts.
Why?
What was it he was doing wrong?
He could never be as skilled as Aspharr with a blade, but he tried, what Aspharr might have lacked for in hesitation. He more than made up for in courage.
Although he could never command the love and devotion of his troops as Aspharr did. He did have their unconditional trust. His tactics and strategies had always pulled them through, although, that was going to be put to the test.
It was going to be a gory year, he could taste the blood already.
Not metaphorically speaking, that small cut above his lips hadn't healed yet and he was tasting his own blood.
He smiled drowsily.
Blood was red. Red was Inphyy's favorite color, it was her hair color as well. It was the crimson shade of her garments and sword when she went into battle.
She was so lovely.
And he loved her so, damn, much.
He idolized her in his own way.
He always strove to suggest another course, rather than disagree with her when she lost her temper or did something impulsive.
He always looked after her emotional well being and was happy to be her confidant.
Sesh adored her beyond words.
He wanted her to want him. He wanted above all things for her to care about him the way he wanted her to. But she was always aloof to his little involuntary signs. And he was much too bashful to tell her how he felt. It was the one thing he lacked the courage to do.
He resolved to do it however, after the war or near the end of it. He was going to tell her how he felt.
He frowned slightly.
Sure, he was the ways that he was with his condition. But he saw no reason why she shouldn't give him a chance.
In Sesh's mind, he could indeed carve out a happily ever after for himself even with all the little things that didn't go the way he wanted.
His condition
Father
His own shortcomings
But he was sure, as sky to earth, that Inphyy could love him.
It was the deepest desire his heart was capable of bearing. He could turn his back on the world, father, kingdom and all.
If she would only say three words.
I Love You
As he nodded off, his head wandered to his fondest memory; It was on a sunny day where both of them were hiding in the sunflower fields, sharing secrets and whispering that she gave him a kiss on the cheek when he told her he was going to marry her when they were older.
He still had the little necklace she gave him then as children. Their so called, engagement necklaces.
It was all so lovely.