Last Promise

Prelude:

The fire and brimstone slowly claimed the lives of many. The smog of destruction choked the life out of those who fought it. Cries of women and children filtered the air, whilst guttural howls of pain flew from the mouths of warriors dying in defense. They rode in on black steeds, shrouded in vestments made of what seemed to be of shadow itself. They cut down any and all who dare test them; for those who groveled like loyal mutts, they were taken from the nightmare. A young man, no older than fourteen stood his ground against one of these riders; behind him lay the injured body of his childhood friend, a young woman.

The rider that towered over the valiant youth did not strike or lunge at him, but merely stared at him. The cloth that masked his entire head; so that only his eyes were visible, peered into the eyes of the child before him. He dismounted from his steed and began to approach the child closer, he then examined the girl that laid behind him. His head raised, and his grimacing eyes painted a vague gold closed. The youth saw this as an opportune time to strike the rider. Charging in full of zeal, clenching the blade that he found by the body of the town guard; he hacked downwards with the blade.

It wasn't until he noticed that his attack had come to a complete halt. He looked up and saw that the rider had stopped the attack completely by grabbing the blade. Gripping the blade in his hand, he flung the battered sword out of the youth's hands and grabbed him by the collar of his worn tunic. The rider stared deep into his eyes, he watched as he struggled in his unmoving grip. Behind him however, the girl began to come to her senses. The rider saw this, and his threw the child in his hands to the ground.

In an instant, the rider snatched the girl from the ground, she yelled and screamed for him to let go. The rider was stoic, none of the girls pleas affected him, nor did he care. Mounting on his steed once again, he looked back and the youth he threw to the ground; who was now getting up. The girl; being held in one of the rider's arms looked back at the boy and called out.

"Roland...! Help... Help me!"

Her plea was heard, but before the young man could get to his feet, the rider and his fellow companions began to take off from the village grounds.

"Selena! I'll find you, I'll protect you! I promise you!" The boy shouted as his childhood friend was being taken away. Not soon after, the boy then collapsed from pure exhaustion. His final thoughts as he plummeted to the ground were questions to himself...

'Was his life truly beginning? Or rather has it just ended?'