Chapter 1

I ran for what felt like miles, until I came upon my awaiting horse, Tug. He lifts his head up in alarm as I jumped none too easy onto his back. Without a moment to wait, I nudged his side with my boot. We rode as fast as we could up to the castle walls. Thankfully the drawbridge was down so I could cross.

The inside of the walls were just as bad as the forest.

Fires sprung from left to right. I saw people screaming, either on fire or dead. Robbers that escaped from the castle prison were taking whatever they could use from the market stalls. I didn't have time to catch them all. I ran through the crowds toward the castle doors. I pushed on them but it didn't budge an inch.

I backed away and leaped onto the walls. It was easy to climb because of all the practice I had when I was a kid. I climbed swiftly and accurately to avoid falling to my instant death.

Finally, I reached an open window and leaped inside. Fortunately this part of the castle wasn't on fire yet.

I ran down the corridor, hoping to find someone I knew alive. But that wasn't going to be easy.

All this hell happened only today.

Like usual me and Halt were having our daily training session when we heard screams all the way from the castle. We didn't waste any time just sitting there frozen with fear. We dashed to the stable that Halt had me build for the horses and retrieved our horses.

We dashed through the field, ignoring the pleasant view of the newly sprung flowers. Halt motioned me to slow down. We got off our horses and hid behind a group of bushes staring in horror of what was in front of us. A whole army of Wargals were attacking the kingdom!

There were more then I could ever imagine! They surrounded the whole fief, maybe a million or so. I never knew there were this many in existence.

They easily broke through the walls like they were nothing and started laying siege.

We got back onto our horses and snuck past them, it was actually quiet easy since they were interested in the siege instead of their surroundings.

We ran toward the town square where Halt stopped me for a moment.

He told me to go and find all of my ward mates and to see if they were ok. He was going to find King Duncan and find out what was going on.

I didn't get a chance to argue with him because he was already off toward the front lines. That was the last time I ever saw him.

I first looked for Jenny at the castle kitchen. Nobody was there.

Then I looked for Horace at the battle school. Again no soul was there for me to see.

That was when I really got to start worrying. I then looked for George at the Scribe school. That was when everything turned toward the worst. I burst through the doors and yelled out for his name.

"George! Are you here George?" I screamed.

I then stood in horror as I looked at the unmoving bodies of all my closest friends.

All of them scattered in piles or in individual groups on the floor. Blood splattered on the walls.

There was Horace, Jenny, and George and all of their mentors. All stone cold dead on the spot.

My legs wobbled as I fell to the floor, tears already falling from my face. I sobbed over the forsaken bodies of my loved ones.

I already started to miss them. Never again will I taste Jenny's delicious pies. Or hear George's heartfelt speeches. And never again will I ever get to spend time with my best friend Horace.

I felt as if the whole world was gone. I lay on the floor crying my eyes out, pleading to the skies to bring them back. I sat there for an hour sulking and babbling to myself.

Then I couldn't cry anymore, it was as if I dried up all of my tears. I wanted to cry but I couldn't.

Then I remembered one person who I didn't see. My angel on this hell of an earth. My loved one who I always have and will adore. The one who I would kill and die for with no hesitation.

Alyss…

A seed of hope was sown in my barren land of a soul. Maybe she wasn't dead at all!

I snapped back to attention, remembering the siege. I glanced to my friends and made a promise to them.

"I will avenge you…" I whispered to myself.

I then slowly walked out of the castle without looking back…