Flames spread around the palace at an alarming rate. A girl cloaked in red ran through the long corridor, dodging fallen debris and charred corpses along the way. Tears fell from her eyes as she passed her fallen comrades and family members, but now wasn't the time to mourn. If she didn't escape, then their sacrifices would have been for naught.
"I won't ask you again, princess! Stop or we'll shoot!" shouted an enemy soldier from behind her.
She ignored his warning and ran faster instead. Her heart pounded as she neared the stairwell. She was so close that she could smell the salty air of the ocean among the fire and brimstone.
"Ah!" she cried as she slipped and hit the marble floor with a loud thud. Sitting up, she caught a sickening glimpse of what caused her to fall, a pool of blood. It soaked through the folds in her dress and saturated her undergarments.
"Remember what His Majesty said! You're to capture her alive!"
An arrow flew from an archer's bowstring and hummed through the air, whizzing right at her. Fear paralyzed her and she could do naught but sit there, knowing full well that she failed.
"Guardian of the Holy Light, heed my call…" a voice echoed around the hall. "Radiant Barrage!"
The girl squeezed her eyes shut and a volley of flashing orbs crashed into the enemy soldiers. Their shrieks traveled around the great hall as the knight's spell pierced their bodies. Blood and body parts slapped against the walls. As the smoke cleared, a lone man stood amid the carnage. His eyes were as clear as a winter's sky and his hair the color of sea foam.
He looked over his shoulder and smiled back at the girl. "Are you all right, my lady?" He offered his hand to her and helped her stand.
"Thank you, Ai! I-I thought they killed you along with Grandma…" murmured the girl.
Ai held his hand up to silence her. "We can talk later. Right now we need to get you to a safer place. At least, outside of the city…"
Nanami Haruka was the sixtieth Crown Princess of Beldonne. Now that the queen, her grandmother, was dead, she was the rightful heir to the throne. That's precisely why the enemy wanted her so badly. Beldonne's violent neighbor, Manna, attacked the city without warning, but they seriously underestimated the royal family's magical prowess. Many of their soldiers were lost in the first ambush.
"We'll escape through the eastern aqueduct. That should take us to the northern trade road," Ai said hurriedly as he knelt and lifted the princess into his arms.
Mikaze Ai was the youngest and strongest of the Aegis Knights, protectors of the Royal Family. He was an artificial construct, animated with ancient, archaic magic. He looked like a human, felt like a human, and even talked like one. His emotions and reasoning were also very human. But because he was a knight, he tended to put his own feelings aside for the sake of his ward.
"Over there! He's got the princess!"
Ai skidded to a halt and spotted another platoon of soldiers behind them. Grunting, he put Haruka down and drew his sword. "Stay behind me," he said and held his arm in front of her.
A soldier armed with a broad axe rushed forward and swung at Ai. He dodged to the left, Haruka following his movements from behind. Sparks flew as Ai's blade clashed against the axe handle. He kicked the soldier in the chest and cleaved his head from his body with a single swing.
Two more soldiers came at him from either side. Ai forced Haruka into the wall and silently bid her to stay put. He met both enemies head-on, his sword gracefully arcing through the air and slicing one of their hands off. A third soldier caught him off-guard and struck him in the arm.
"Argh!" screamed the knight as he spun on his heel and brought his blade down on the enemy's head, slicing him in two. His good arm, the one he held his weapon with, glowed a violet hue as he shouted, "I won't let you touch the princess!"
Energy flared as his sword slashed through the two remaining soldiers, burning their flesh right off their bones. Ai disregarded his own wound and sheathed his weapon, turning to the princess.
"B-But your arm…!" Haruka protested as he hoisted her off the floor again.
"It's only a scratch," Ai interjected and took off down the hallway. Once they cleared the palace and arrived in the outer garden, they spotted the aqueduct, their only escape route. A handful of soldiers marched about the garden also. Ai grit his teeth and muttered, "Almost there…"
"What're you doing?" asked the redhead as he put her down and took her by the hand. She looked down the stairs and then back at her knight, who had just drawn his blade again. His voice raced along the wind as he charged straight ahead, pulling her along.
"Keeper of the Stars, act as my blade and strike my enemies from above…."
The enemy soldiers yelled to one another and headed for the base of the grand staircase. Archers aimed their arrows for the pair racing toward them.
Ai's vivid, blue eyes opened wide as he raised his sword and shouted, "Orion's Arrow!"
His adversaries ran right into the spell; electricity crackled above them and struck the earth below with incredible force, charring them to a crisp. Ai rushed past the remaining soldiers, cutting them down with his blade.
"Ai, look out!" Haruka cried suddenly.
Her warning came too late. A violent blast of energy rocketed into the ground nearby, effectively separating the princess and her beloved protector. Ai shook his head and stood up, looking around for Haruka. He caught a glimpse of his cloaked enemy high atop a spire, holding a metal rod.
"Now then, princess," spoke the fiend as he descended the spire and landed before Haruka, "you will accompany me back to the throne room."
Without a second thought, Ai rushed the mage. His sword clanged off an invisible barrier and the force knocked him back.
"Hmph. What a foolish little boy," chided the mage as he turned and faced Ai. He stretched his arms over his head and grinned beneath his hood. "If you have a death wish then I'd be more than happy to oblige you."
Behind him, a brilliant light flashed. The mage glanced over his shoulder and barely saw Haruka as she tackled him into the dirt, shattering his protective barrier. The light surrounding her slowly faded as she staggered away from the mage.
Ai walked past and beheaded his foe in one fluid motion. He wore an extremely displeased expression as he helped the princess off the ground. "Why did you take such an unnecessary risk? You know what kind of harmful effects that spell has on your body…"
"I-I was worried about you…I'm sorry…" Haruka said in a whisper.
"Your safety is more important than the life of an expendable guardian. Don't forget it," Ai gently scolded her and lifted her chin. He heard shouts in the distance and grabbed Haruka's hand. "We'll discuss this later."
They disappeared from the palace grounds and from the eyes of their pursuers as they fled into the ancient waterway below the city. It was a dark, dank series of tunnels filled with rats and all sorts of unpleasant beasts. Still, it was preferable to the chaos that reigned above ground.
Ai knelt by the water's edge and dipped his hand in. "This should take us outside the city walls. Hm, it leads somewhere near the spring by the northern road…"
Haruka grimaced as he slid off the walkway into the murky water. He turned and held his arms out, motioning for her to follow. She reluctantly hopped off the platform and into his arms, submerged waist deep in filth.
"Here, put your arms around my neck…" Ai said as he moved her into place. "We're going under, so hold your breath and don't let go of me."
Ai could hardly see a thing as he dove beneath the water and swam through a large pipe. It was difficult to carry Haruka and swim at the same time, but a fast current aided his movement. They emerged on the other side of the wall, in a spring commonly used for watering horses and other animals.
"Come on," said the knight as he pulled Haruka out of the water. A gasp escaped him as he heard several wagons and horses approaching up ahead. He grabbed the princess and dove into a row of bushes near the spring. He held Haruka close and whispered to her, "Don't move…"
"A-Ah, Your Majesty, you're a bit early!" stammered one of the guards posted at the city gate.
Mounted atop the lead horse was Ohtori Eichii, Crown Prince and ruler of the invading kingdom, Manna. He glanced down at the soldier and huffed, "Is the city secure?"
"Y-Yes, my lord," answered his subordinate. "But the princess…"
Eichii slowed his steed to a halt and glared at the armored man. "What about her? For your sake, I hope she's safe and within the palace walls."
Another soldier spoke up, "It was that Aegis Knight! T-they escaped through the outer garden!"
"He's terribly powerful; wiped out two platoons and a mage, all on his own!" said another soldier.
"ENOUGH!" roared the prince.
The soldiers shuddered and backed away as Eichii dismounted and drew his saber. He wagged his finger to the commanding officer, beckoning him closer.
"B-B-but, Your Majesty…I-I…"
Eichii rolled his eyes and severed the man's head from his body. The other soldiers looked on with fear and reverence as he sheathed his sword and bid them, "If anyone else wants to make a mistake then you'll end up like him. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes sir!" they all chimed.
"Now move! Find the princess and kill that damned Aegis Knight!" Eichii commanded and strode through the gates.
Once Eichii and his company of goon were well within the city walls, Haruka let out a sigh. Her knight didn't seem that relieved, though, and he quickly pulled her into a nearby grove of trees.
"We still have some daylight left, so we'll move through the forest and cross the border at Mabure. Then we can – "
He stopped abruptly as Haruka ripped her dress and tied it around his injured arm. She couldn't suppress her sorrow any longer; tears fell from her golden eyes and she held Ai's arm, shaking.
"I'm sorry, my lady," Ai mumbled and brought her into his embrace. "Your grandmother and everyone else…I failed to protect them."
Haruka shook her head and sniffled. "You did the best you could, Ai. For that, I'm grateful."
The Aegis Knight frowned and pulled away from her, saying in a tired voice, "We should go now. It won't be long before they start searching outside the city."
Haruka nodded and breathed deep, trying to regain her composure. She looped her arm around Ai's and staggered forward with him, into the heart of the forest. There was no telling what awaited them on the road ahead, or at the lawless border town of Mabure. Only one thing remained certain: The deaths of her people were not in vain, and they would be avenged.
Notes: This is my first UtaPri story, so if you noticed any errors concerning the characterization then give me a shout! I've played the games and have seen both seasons of the anime; I have to say that Ai and Camus are my faves among the guys. See ya!