Chapter 1
Shawn Longsword stood at his master's door, wondering what he wanted. What did I do now? He thought as he brushed his unruly hair out of his dark brown eyes. Finally the door opened to reveal a tall man with golden blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, standing behind a mahogany desk. Shawn entered the room and bowed to the man. "You summoned, sir?" Shawn asked politely as he could. His nerves were eating at him. He was known for his impatience and sharp tongue.
"Please sit, Shawn. Would you like some juice?" His master was stalling, though Shawn couldn't quite figure out why. Shawn shook his head to the offered cup and sat down in the chair facing the desk. "I summoned you here because our magic informed that the town, Shinyo, warrior has reached the age of training. The King and Queen have chosen you to be the mentor and protector."
Shawn nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement, but his years of training and punishments had held in place. "If I may, sir, but why me?" Inside, Shawn was dancing for joy. This is great. I'll become a legend! Shawn thought to himself.
"You are the best of all our warriors." A new voice answered his question. Shawn jumped out of his seat and bowed even deeper to this newcomer. The newcomer was clad in the royal colors of lavender and crimson. His face was stern and gentle with an enchanting set of hazel eyes. Unlike Shawn's brown hair, his hair was a dark brown, almost black, and curled at the ends. He didn't need a crown to show that he was the king; his aura was stronger than Shawn's personal master.
"Your Majesty." Shawn said, quietly and formally. King James was a kind and gentle man. Shawn had became a warrior to serve this man.
"Please sit, Master Shawn." King James invited him. He was a master of martial arts and weaponry. "Shawn, the Queen and I want you to train this warrior. You came from a small town like her."
"Sire, you said her. I thought only men could be warriors of their towns." Shawn asked.
"Our mage has told us that it's a female. You'll be looking for a girl with a crescent moon and star on her neck. You may encounter some troubles on this mission." Shawn's master finally spoke since the king's arrival.
"When do I leave?" Shawn inquired quietly.
"Tomorrow morning." The king said.
"If it pleases My Lord and Your Majesty, may I be excused to begin packing for my trip?" Shawn asked politely.
The king and master nodded. Shawn bowed again to the important men.
Shawn was waiting at the stable doors, talking to the hostler, when a boy with black/brown hair, which was kept short, showed up. He wore a tan tunic and brown breeches; over his clothes, he wore a black cloak. As he approached with a brown and white stallion, he waved to Master Shawn.
"Master Shawn, I'm Louis of Castillo. I'm the mage who is to travel with you." The boy said.
Shawn looked the boy over. He looks to be a year older. He does have the air of a powerful mage. Shawn thought as the hostler bowed first to Shawn and then to the new comer, then left them alone. "Did His Majesty send you to babysit me?"
"No, sir. I asked them to send me with you. She may have questions on why its her and not one of the young men of her town. I can also be helpful in her training and protection." Louis said as he mounted his horse.
Shawn followed suit. "What was the vision precisely?" In truth, he was curious about the vision. He nudged his horse into motion as Louis rode beside him.
"It started out…" Louis started. He talked about the vision. "The only hint of who it may be is the birthmark."
"The crescent moon and star." Shawn said quietly to himself and his partner.
"Yeah." Louis was quiet. He knew to leave Shawn alone for a little while. Shawn's personal master said that Shawn was impatient, but when he was thinking, he liked to be left alone.
Shawn broke the silence after a while of riding. "So what's your magic?" Shawn took a bite from the roll he snagged from one of the kitchen maids.
"I'm an elemental mage. I have control over all the elements." Louis told him.
"Then how come you can have visions?"
"My mother was a seer and my father was a fire mage. I inherited my grandmother's magic, water, earth, and air, and my parents' magic."
Shawn whistled quietly. Powerful indeed. He can help by creating opponents to test the girl. He thought as he asked more questions.
"Your turn." Louis said after answering Shawn's last question. "What was your life like before coming the Master of Martial Arts and Weaponry?"
"Well, my father was the warrior of our town. Everyone was surprised when my younger's brother was chosen to be the successor. My father had hoped it was me. Though I had a knack for martial arts. David, my younger brother, would watch me fight the air in the mornings. He would bug me to teach him. So, ever morning and evening we would spar with each other. Then when I was about ten, I was chosen to attend the palace as an apprentice to the Master of Martial Arts. I received my education and training there at the palace. Often times, my father would come and visit. Last I heard David had taken up the position as Warrior."
"What of your mother?"
"She was killed in a bandit raid when I was three."
"Oh… I'm sorry."
"It's okay. We better make camp. Its starting to get dark." The sky was getting darker as the sun went down behind the vast mountain ranges.
A couple days later, Shawn and Louis arrived at Shinyo to be greeted by the headman of the town and all the women. While Louis greeted the headman, Shawn's well trained eye quickly scanned all the women's neck for the birthmark. She's not here. He thought as he shook his head when Louis glanced at him. He then greeted the headman with a polite, political smile.
"Welcome to our humble town, Master Shawn, Master Louis." The headman greeted them friendly. "You are both welcome to stay at my place. My wife and daughters would love to have guests."
"Thank you." Shawn said for both of them.
The headman directed him to a small house at the back of the town. A woman in her late-thirties, maybe mid-forties, came out of the house; her hair, reaching just above her shoulders, was a soft brown. She was wringing her hands on a greasy apron. "Welcome to our home, Masters Shawn and Louis." She greeted with a curtsied in her cream cotton dress. "Supper will be ready in an hour." She then left them to go back inside. The headman then led Shawn and Louis inside as stable hand came for their horses.
"Lenne!" The headman called. "Lenne is our oldest daughter." He explained as a girl with long brown hair came in. He wore tan breeches instead of a skirt or gown, like most women wore. Shawn's eyes spotted the birthmark on her delicate neck, just above a gold chain. "Lenne will show you to your rooms and give you a tour of the house." The headman then left them with Lenne.
Lenne's eye, well trained when it came to men and horses, looked Louis and Shawn from head to toe. He is handsome, but not my type. She thought as she looked Louis over. And he has a scar from his forehead to this right cheekbone, right between his brown eyes. Lenne thought as she felt his gaze on her neck. "What?" She wasn't use to this. Mainly guys would stare at her chest, not her neck.
"Your birthmark; has it always been there?" Shawn was mentally smacking himself for asking such a stupid question as Louis tried to fix the situation.
Lenne looked at Shawn more carefully as she answered, blankly, "Yeah." What is he doing? She thought to herself. "Come on, I'll show you to your rooms." She then took Shawn's hand to pull him toward the hallway that she came from.
She showed Louis to his room and told him that her younger sister would come for him at supper and show him around the house. After they left Louis' room, there was a very uncomfortable silence.
"I'm sorry for asking such a stupid question. I've just never seen one like it." Shawn said, a blush creeping onto his cheeks as he looked at their hands. Sure, women have touched his hands before, but he never felt like he did at the present. Their warm… What is going on? You are on a mission, not to get distracted by a female's touch. His cooler self thought.
She then left go when she felt his eyes on her hand. "That's all right." She turned and smiled, sending chills down his spine.
Now, Shawn thought he was transported to another land. She then stopped in front of a room. She opened the door and gestured for him to enter. He walked into a room, walls lined with books and a single portrait. At the far end, behind the desk, was a full set of windows, opened to cool the room off and bring in fresh air. "This will be your work room." She then went to another door just opposite of the portrait. "Your bed chamber and privy are just in this room. The closet for your gear and cloaks is right next to your bedchamber." She pointed at the door next to door she was standing in front of. "You're welcome to change and rest before supper. I'll come and get you then to give you a tour of the house." She moved past him and went towards the open door before turning around again. "Would you like a warm bath?"
"Yes, please."
"Then it shall be here in a moment. Anything else?"
"Why do you wear breeches instead of a gown?"
"Because it's fairly hard to ride horseback in a dress." Her brown eyes glittered with amusement. She then shut the door and walked off.
Shawn set his bags on the burgundy wood, gazing along the book filled walls until he came across the single portrait. It was a painting of Lenne and a younger girl. Lenne, dressed in a strapless gown, her eyes were a deep brown. Her hair hung down her back and shoulders. Very little face paint on her eyes only intensified her natural beauty. Her birthmark was just above a gold necklace on a gold chain, like the one she wore earlier. Her gown hugged her curves perfectly and fanned out. The bodice of the stunning gown was a deep but bright purple with gold hemming on the top and lining of the bodice and skirt. The skirt matched the bodice, except for the color was darker than the bodice with gold designs covering it. The girl in front of Lenne looked a lot like her except for the light brown hair and dazzling light brown eyes and the gown. Her gown was a light blue with silver designs. She held Lenne's hand.
"That's was our youngest sister before she left for the local temple to become a priestess." A new feminine voice said from the window. "Her name is Megumi. Hi, I'm Sarah; Lenne's younger sister."
Shawn turned to face Sarah. She didn't look anything like her sisters. She wore her strawberry blonde hair in a French braid, coiled around her head like a headband while the rest hung down her back. Sarah wore a light pink gown, which complimented her bright blue eyes. "You look nothing like Lenne." Shawn said.
"I know; I look more like my aunt than my parents or sisters." Sarah said. "Well I've got some chores to do before dinner, so I'll see you then." She bowed as she left the window.
Shawn shook his head as he heard a knock at the door. A maid carried in some towels and told him that his water was ready. He thanked her and went into the bedchambers to bathe.
Lenne sat in her personal library, reading one of her father's books of history when there was a knock at her door. "Come in." she called from cushioned chair by the window. She looked up just in time to see Sarah dance into the room. "You look happy." It was the truth, Sarah did look happy.
"I saw the Master of Martial Arts and Weaponry in his rooms. He was gazing at the portrait of you and Megumi. He had that look in his eyes." Sarah floated toward her older sister.
"What look?" Lenne knew what look her sister meant. She just didn't want it to be true.
"You know what look. You get it from all the guys." Sarah sat beside her sister on the window cushion. "I think he likes you."
Lenne shook her head. "No, it can't be that."
"What could it be then?"
Lenne sighed, giving up. "Come on, dinner should be ready. You need to change out of that. Remember we have guests visiting, and you're showing Master Louis around the house."
"Only the Master of Martial Arts and Weaponry and the mage."
"Nope. Megumi and the Arch Priest and Priestess are coming to visit us along with Master Shawn and Master Louis. Now shoo! I need to get ready."