Year 1402

Gabriel a knight of only 25 years of age was standing at six feet tall, broad shoulders with the metal chiseled armor shining in the dimming light. He took over his father's estate a year ago, assigned by the king to defend the castle against any foreign or even domestic invasion. He always wished that the day would never come. Never been the one to face battle, he wished he could keep it that way, but now the war drums has brought that one simple dream to death.

The English were threatening his French strong hold, the sun starting to slowly come down, being eclipsed by the vast and beautiful French country side. Peering over on top of the walls, he could see the men on the opposing side waving red flags, his own castle only defended by about a hundred men; he could feel that his first battle may very well be his last.

"Men to arms!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Instantly the guards in the castle gathered there weapons that they were so well trained in, running towards the gates, towers and the castle walls. Gabriel looked behind him, towards his beloved keep, his own 5 year old daughter running up towards him.

"Maryse, get to your mother and head towards the hall." Maryse was a small girl had blonde hair just like her mother, a round face with eccentric blue eyes that could warm the heart of just about everyone that would look upon her. She has gotten that from her mother Gabriel concluded, him being of dark hair, and brown eyes it was fairly easy to see why the comparisons were made. Everyone that has known their family has said as much, yet it was his personality that she taken for her own.

"Papa, I'm scared." Maryse barely squeaked out. The men were charging now, the war horn was blowing loudly, as it shuddered fear not only into his little girl, but to Gabriel and his men as well. This was not a battle the French had any reason to hope to win, nor was it one that Gabriel had the mind to do so. While he was an average tactician, he knew the banners across the field, it was one that struck fear into people at first sight.

"I love you Maryse, remember this." Gabriel spoken with soft words leaning his metal helmet against his daughter's head he gave her a kiss on the forehead and looked her into the beautiful eyes that reminded him of the love of his life. The young peasant girl that he took for a wife, against all arguments brought before him against the idea by his own parents. Now looking back, that could be considered the only decision he has ever done that he would do again in a moment's notice.

"Now Go!" He commanded, leaving no tone in his voice that could ever be questioned. The little, his little girl with tears down her face did exactly as her father had told.

The English started to barge on the gates, ladders were slung up against the walls and Gabriel drew his sword waiting for the moment when everything would go to hell. His courage instantly renewed, his life, his whole life threatened by the invaders sparked an anger in him that his own men needed.

"These men mean not only to take the castle, they mean to take your food, your gold. They want your women! They will kill everything that you hold dear here and laugh while they feast in our kitchens. We fight today for no King, no country, we fight for our families. Tonight men, we will give them exactly what they don't mean to have, their deaths!" Loud cheers erupted across the castle walls, some of them cut shortly as the fighting had already started. Gabriel withdrew his sword and started to slice down the first man to breach the walls. A second one slashed at him, grabbing the man by his wrists he elbowed him with his metal clad armor surrounding his arm, smashing him across the face and pushing him down to his death outside of the castle.

The Battle lasted longer than initially expected, more and more English pressed on into the castle, time and time against Gabriel led his men up front. His sword was now no longer the shiny metallic blade that he was used to seeing, instead it was drenched in red, English blood. Now he was on the ground, by the gates, the walls were taken. His men now only down to about 40. Still they fought bravely, hoping for way out of this. Thousands of English men surrounded his castle, many of them littered the ground that he was now stepping on them.

"BOOM." The door gates budged, yet it held, it was only a matter of time before they broke open. A swordsmen ran towards him, and Gabriel instantly blocked his with a sword of his own. Parrying the attack, he brought the sword to the ground and drove his blade in a motion upward, stabbing him through his neck and head. Blood now covered his once elegant armor.

"To the halls men!" Yelling, his men heard and started to withdraw, the captain of his guards feel before his feet with a blade sticking through his stomach. Without even thinking, Gabriel kicked his former captain with all of his strength causing him to fall upon the man that killed him. Instantly he using the sword that was passed down from generation to generation in his family he killed the English swordsmen by stabbing him in the face. His men stuck close together, killing anyone that rose a sword against him as he withdrew back towards the hall. Locking the door behind them, the men were only attacked from behind.

The English had crept into the castle during the attack, fear and rage had now consumed Gabriel. His soldiers battled hard within the keep, slaughtering the intruders, yet more and more his men dwindled down now to half of what it was before. A thought had crossed his mind, the thought of Maryse and Christelle his wife, worry now consumed him.

"Oh my god, please…."

"Sir, what are your orders?" One of his men asked, also who was covered in blood. His men had fought bravely today, better than what ever could be expected. They were well trained, but they fought with something that only the best fight with, passion. This was their home as well, the women here and the children, these were their families. They fought for them.

"Kill them!" The man just looked at his former commander, and the rage he possessed, but he felt it as well, they all did. Turning around he could see the door of the keep getting busted down by every swing by that blasted log. Turning around he looked at the other men at arms, some older than others, some just Stewards for knights so that they could hope to one day be named one. They were all going to die today, but he was damned if they were going to be the only ones.

"Fuck the English!" He screamed, the men enraged all returned with their own chant. "Fuck the English!"

Gabriel looked onwards to see the stair case at the end of the hall, his daughter and wife nowhere to be found. He could only hope they were still alive, hiding in one of the rooms above. Running up stairs, he came across a couple of English swordsmen and easily put them to their deaths. Running inside his room, what he saw just caused him to be blinded with hatred. Both his wife and his 5 year old daughter were both beaten and being raped. The man on top of his wife reacted first, and got up and immediately charged. With a well skilled precision he side stepped the man's swing and stabbed him in the stomach, causing him to fall to his death. The Second man that was on top of his daughter went after him, this time parrying his initial swing, causing him to return the favor and block the man's return swing. Both of them backed up a step and the man swung again, this time Gabriel stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and aimed his sword down ward and stabbed through the man's groin. His screams were almost enough to pierce a normal man's ears, though seeing his daughter and wife laying there helpless, the screams of pain from his victim was the last thing on his mind.

"Maryse, Christelle." Gabriel muttered, dropping his sword in defeat. He was done fighting, everything that he deemed necessary to fight for, was now gone. There last moments of life would pass before his eyes.

Hearing something spill, he felt something wet come through the cracks of his body armor making him wet. He turned around, with the fight leaving him, he was ready to die with his family, in his own room. Instead there stood a man, pale yet about his own age. No weapon, no armor, he was not a man that fought today. The man was tall standing at a full six and a half feet tall. He looked thin by nature, yet seemed very composed for being literally in a battle field that Gabriel once called home.

"They don't have to die." The man muttered as he looked upon his family.

"I can heal them."

"How?" Gabriel asked, the man said nothing but within a moment was across his room, kneeling down to his wife, looking at her eyes. He moved so fast that Gabriel could hardly keep his eyes on him when he moved.

"Please, whatever you are, if you can, then do it! I beg of you!"

"It is not so simple Gabriel, some people are meant to die, that is their whole purpose in life. Is to die, I cannot change that. A life costs a life. Though some lives cost's more than others. Yours perhaps, would be sufficient for two."

Gabriel walked towards the man, withdrew his dagger and handed him the hilt.

"Then take it." He said, he then knelt down and looked at his wife, with a stab wound on her stomach. The man that took the dagger sliced open his wrist and smeared his blood on the wound, and to Gabriel's amazement caused it to close up in a hurry. Turning around the man in all his composure ran towards the little girl and forced her to drink his blood.

"Gabriel…" Christelle spoke, looking up at his husbands eyes. Gabriel having a hard time suppressing his tears just buried his head in his wife's breasts.

"You remember when we first met?"

"How could I forget."

"I was amazed how someone so beautiful could be dressed in those awful rags, getting water like that. I remember thinking, how can an angel be possible doing normal human chores. I didn't understand it, I still don't."

"And I'm a lady now Gabriel, much to your parents distress I may add. What is going on Gabriel?" Gabriel leaned in and kissed his wife hard on her lips, with tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry."

"Gabriel you're scaring me." Gabriel instead of answering looked around the room and noticed the man had left; he immediately went over to his daughter.

"How are you feeling little one?" Maryse just blinked and looked up at her father.

"Papa what happened? I was talking with mom one minute and I wake up on the floor."

"You're safe now." Gabriel replied, and kissed his young daughter on her head.

"Promise me something." He simply stated.

"What is it Papa? Maryse asked, in her cute but tiny voice.

"Remember that I will always love you little one, and no matter where you go in your life I will always be there with you." The emotion now chocking up Gabriel to the point where he had a hard time breathing. Noticing her father's distress Maryse too started to cry.

"I promise!" She exclaimed loudly and immediately wrapped her arms around her father.

The man returned to the room, this time walking as if he didn't have the super powers that he earlier showed that he possessed. Instead he simply looked at Gabriel.

"It is time to go."

"No, not here, not in front of them."

"A promise is a promise Gabriel, but yes it will not be done here. Come with me now. I have done my part. Your Castle is safe, word has been sent to the king about the invasion. Your people will remember you as a hero. "

Gabriel simply nodded, looking one last time at his daughter and wife, he then left with the stranger.