Chapter 1
"Once again, we have to do patrol," a red-haired cavalier said. "Again!" "Cain, stop complaining," said his friend Abel. "Jagen and Prince Marth asked us to walk around the area and report back to them." Cain sighed. This wasn't his day. He didn't want to go, but he had no choice. "Do you want to take a break?" Abel asked, hoping his friend would be open to the idea. "Sure," his friend replied. They stopped at a spot in the forest, got off their horses and sat on the ground. "How long will it be before we're back in Altea?" Abel leaned back. "I don't know. I hope it's soon." A rustling sound came from the bushes, then a horde of armored men came out.
Back at camp, Marth and Jagen waited for Cain and Abel to return. "They've been gone longer than usual," the prince muttered. Jagen sighed. "I bet Cain caused trouble again." "Most likely," Marth commented. Then Malledus, the tactician, came up. "Sire, may I talk to you in private?" The prince nodded and they left, leaving Jagen alone in his thoughts. Cain, Abel. Please come back safe.
The green-haired cavalier fought with all he had. He saw Cain get struck down, his blood splattered everywhere. I need to get help, Abel thought. He tried to get away, but a hand grabbed him by the throat and began to squeeze. "Not so tough, are ya?" a gruff voice sneered. "Altean scum." The man's grip tightened as he said this. Abel struggled to breathe, his vision darkening. He tried to pry his captor's fingers apart, but he didn't have any strength left in him. He let his body go limp and his world went dark.
Jagen grew more worried as each hour passed. Cain and Abel still haven't returned from patrol. What was taking them so long? Something inside the old warrior that something bad had happened, but ignored it. Jagen walked over to Prince Marth, who was talking to Caeda, princess of Talys. "Excuse me for the interruption, sire, but I was wondering if I could talk to you?" Marth nodded and turned to Caeda. "I'll be right back." "Okay." Caeda went to go check on Pegasus. "What is it?" the prince asked. "It's about Cain and Abel," Jagen said. "They haven't returned." Marth looked surprised. "They haven't?" Jagen shook his head. This wasn't good. It wasn't like them to disappear like this. "We need to find them." Marth said. "I'll go right away," Jagen replied and got on his horse and took off into the forest, where he found trails of blood. Jagen dismounted and followed the trails. The farther he went, the more his gut twisted and his heart dropped lower and lower. Then he found the worst kind of litter on the ground: dead bodies. Oh, god. "Cain! Abel!" Jagen called. "If you can hear me, please answer!" No response. Jagen looked around, hoping to find the two cavaliers alive. He noticed one body wasn't near the others. His hands were tied behind his back and a bag over his head. Jagen took out a dagger, cutting the rope and pulled the bag off the knight's head. His eyes widened in shock. He had found Abel with deep cuts all over his body and bruises on his neck. Jagen placed a hand on his throat, finding a weak pulse. Who did this to you? Jagen wondered. And where is Cain? The paladin picked the younger up, carried him to his horse, then rushed back to camp.