It was the middle of the night that the knight Dianna woke Sonya up to inform her she had urgent business with the king. Sonya nodded and barred the door behind the Dame before going back to sleep. It was a few hours later that Sonya heard a knocking on the door. Still sleepy Sonya dragged herself out of bed. " Who... *yawn* Who is it?" Sonya asked. No answer. She went back to bed. Not a moment before she covered herself with a blanket did someone burst through the door. Sonya threw the covers off. She stood crouched seeing a man with a knife looking at her with an intent she knew too well. She had a weapon though. She concentrated on the shield. She couldn't panic. The shield would protect her, right?

The man ran at her his free hand grasping at the collar of her nightdress. She tried to push him away but she couldn't. She tried to kick him, but he blocked it and ripped the front of her dress.

"Shield Rush!" Sonya yelled and the next thing she heard was a sickening crunch and the sound of a coin striking the hard surface of the floor. Sonya covered the front of her chest with her free arm and tried to keep her night gown from revealing her chest. She backed away from the man she had slammed into the thick wooden wall. He slid down spitting blood before struggling onto his feet and staggering into the hallway. He collapsed not far away. Sonya looked around her. A few people were poking their heads out of their rooms to see what the commotion was.

They saw a woman with a torn dress on and a blood speckled shield on her arm standing at a doorway with a door knocked off its hinges behind her. Some knew all to well what happened. But then the blond girl from yesterday was there. She looked at the body and then was pointing her finger at Sonya.

"MURDERER!" She screeched. Sonya stared at her then the body down the hall. Something dawned on her.

"If you are going to send an assassin, send a better one." Sonya muttered before she walked back into her room. Leaving the shocked and confused woman behind and placing the door in the way so she could get dressed into her armor.

City guards soon came in to see Sonya sitting in her chimera armor adjusting her hair in a mirror. She was obviously shaken but her face was very plane, even calm. In walked Lady Dianna. She picked up the coin on the floor and handed it to Sonya. " I should not have left. " The dame said. Sonya shrugged.
"What has happened has happened. Is word spreading that I was assaulted or that I'm a murderer?" Sonya asked surprising herself with the calmness of her voice despite how she really felt. This has happened before. Except the last guy was pushed out a window. She sat on the bed and hugged her knees close to her chest. The knight looked at her.

" I'll vouch that you defended yourself. It is obvious that the man forced his way in." The guards were looking at the man's body. " He was crushed..." One whispered.

Sonya closed her eyes. She didn't see the face of her attacker. She didn't want to see his eyes. She didn't want to know.

It was the same as last time. The time she had killed her attacker. She didn't intend to, but it happened. The King and his officials did not even bother to give her a trial. Or charge her. It was clear she could not be charged for murder. Still, an investigation was in order. Why was a person attacking the shield hero? Legally, Sonya was in the right. But that didn't stop the rumors from spreading. Sonya was a killer as far as some were concerned. A murderer, a monster. A Hero that killed people. She could see it in some of their eyes. This felt all too familiar. She and her father moved to another city because of this. Now the same thing.

"Lady Brint!" The cat knight called out after they were dismissed. After Sonya had left the castle and made her way through the market. Sonya considered ignoring her but decided not to. She wasn't sure where the knight stood with her killing a human but it wouldn't do to alienate someone whom might still stand up for her. She did say she would vouch for her.

"I'm sorry, I stormed off. Can we go and have breakfast?" Sonya asked trying to calm herself. The cat knight nodded. Soon they were at a tavern and seated, all the while the cat knight looked concerned.

Sonya sighed. " Yes?" Sonya asked trying to prompt the other woman to say something. To speak her mind.

"It is just. Has this happened to you before?" Lady Dianna asked. Sonya closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Yes. I was alone at home studying for my final exams when a man who had been stalking me for a while forced his way into my home. I didn't know how to defend myself at the time, but I still fought back anyways. He ended up getting pushed out of my window and we lived on the second floor. He hit the ground the wrong way and snapped his neck. I refused to ever look at his face because I always heard that if you kill someone their dying face will haunt you... It was the people in my neighborhood that made things worse though."

"They all felt like I was a murderer. Some thought I should have just let him have his way with me. I won't bother asking how this one managed to break the bar that held the door back." Sonya said calmly and drank some tea once it was brought to them.

The dame looked at her with what must have been a mixture of awe and disbelief. Sonya Shrugged. " How can you be so calm?" The knight finally asked.

Sonya frowned. " Practice. Especially with the debt collectors that always seemed to hound me because of my dad... As I said, my life wasn't exactly the easiest before coming here." She replied and sipped her tea as she tried to calm her nerves. She wasn't going to tell the dame she was really shaken right now. That she couldn't believe she was in a place that was like this. Even though she should have expected it. She was happy that her hands weren't trembling like an earthquake.

The knight sighed. She looked at Sonya and then thought about what they would do. " Well, you should be fine going to a place called Rock Valley. Even if rumors travel there they will probably side with you. Besides, those there would think highly of you. It was the previous shield hero that founded the kingdom there." The knight said trying to feign a casual air.

Sonya saw right through it and gave her an annoyed look. " Just tell me you want me to go there because of whatever reason." Sonya said and took another sip of her tea.

The dame looked at the shield heroine with an open mouth, caught off guard. Then the cat knight giggled. " Very well then. If such a case that events like this was to unfold for the next shield hero it was agreed between the Queens that the Shield hero would receive support from Rock Valley." The knight said.

Sonya took another sip with her eyes now closed as she thought it over. " And you are a knight belonging to the court of Rock Valley's Queen?" She asked. The cat knight could not stay composed. She had thought she had cleverly hid that fact from all but the royalty of Melromark.

"Yes." The Dame answered now fidgeting. Sonya opened her eyes. " Okay then." She said and ordered her food. The knight looked surprised. Was she just accepting it all? Sonya looked at her with a difficult expression to read. If one could call what her face wore, an expression. The cat knight fidgeted nervously and Sonya simply smirked arrogantly.

" I suppose it would be best to head that way. I have no objections." Sonya said with a slight grin. 'She should have just came out and said her intentions in the first place.' She thought before saying her thanks when the food arrived and began to eat.

Sioc was a young wolf demi-human, as race called the Volki. He had the ears and tail of a wolf and the body of a ten year old boy. His hair was gray, his eyes were an icy blue, and he had a bored face as he watched the 'adults' as they relayed news that he and the other children were selected to be candidates of being the new shield hero's companion. They explained that one of them would be chosen to fight along side and serve the hero. They would fight the calamity together. Sioc imagined some greasy guy who would be a total creep. He wasn't going to be chosen. Otherwise the children were to go about their daily activities as they always have. It was the next day a human in a gray dress carrying a strange shield on her back walked among them followed by a the royal knight Dianna.

Sioc paid the lady little mind until he caught a gimps of her eyes. She had blue eyes too. Maybe this human was interesting after all. She was whispering something something to the knight who was reassuring her about something. That's when one of the adults waved to the woman in gray. "Hail, shield hero!" A dog demi-human of a race called the Nui, hollered. The royal knight face palmed herself. It must have hurt considering she was wearing metal gauntlets.

Sioc then realized, the maiden in the gray dress that was now looking annoyed at the nui was in fact the shield hero. People started to swarm her. Some offering her praise others if she would be interested in their wares among other... things... Sioc simply watched her from a wall surrounding a raised garden planter with a tree in the center.

"Please, praise me more..." the woman said very sarcastically as people continued to try and flatter her. Her face betrayed just how uncomfortable she was. "No, Seriously. Please stop. Look, I'm nothing to sing tales about just yet. I appreciate the kindness. Really, I do. But enough with the flattery. I'm nothing so special. " She said calmly hoping she wasn't being too harsh. The cat knight was giggling.

The people of Rock Valley Kingdom looked at her. One such person approached her. He was an old bear like human, more beast than man. " You have come to fight the Calamity?" He asked gruffly as he towered over her. She nodded. " Yes I will." She answered.

The people of Rock Valley were all silent. The beast man before her sighed. " Many of us have lost sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. Family and friends, neighbors and strangers alike. Please fight well Shield Hero." The old bear man said. "You aren't something to flatter and sing about yet. So fight well and live Shield Maiden." And with that the old bear man lumbered off. It was like he had cast a spell with his presence alone. Everyone was silent and unsure.

Sonya sighed. She was still surrounded by confused half animal half human people called 'demi-humans collectively. She looked at them all wondering what would happen next until a large woman with strange markings on her body showed up. She was followed by two men just as equally large and covered in similar markings. Sonya would later learn that they were what was called the Sakamata and acted as peace keepers in Rock Valley. The female was busy shooing the crowd away while one of the males asked if there was any trouble to an older looking neko lady. The lady answered that everything was fine and that they were just in the middle of selection orientation for the new shield hero.

The Sakamata's reaction was... Unexpected, but pleasant. " Oh, this lass is the new Shield Hero? Well good luck to you." The female Sakamata said as she rapt a male nui in the rump with the butt of her harpoon that she carried for lingering too long. The two males bowed and left promptly after their leader. Sonya felt a little jealous. The harpoon carrying woman was gorgeous and obviously very strong! She wanted to be like that. The chick could probably bench boulders!

"Excuse me shield hero. The children are ready." The old cat woman said as she walked cane in hand to the group of children waiting not to far from her. She looked at them all. Why was she having to choose from children again? Lady Dianna informed her that demi-human children mature very quickly to match their level but she felt like children should enjoy being children. She suppressed a sigh of aggravation and looked at them all.

This wasn't going to do. None of them really stood out from the other. Oh sure, they were all unique but... That didn't help. " Do any of you have any skills. Fighting wise? Maybe someone who is really fast or has been studying towards learning magic?" She asked feeling stupid for it. But maybe they started training at a young age? Which was not the case. Instead the children all pointed to one individual who was not in their group, pretending he wasn't watching.

A Volki boy who tried to not nervously fidget when the tall woman in a gray dress came over to him. " So, you know how to fight it seems?" She asked. Sioc glared at her then away.

" Better then any of them, anyways." He said crossing his arms. " It isn't like the adults are going to be able to protect us forever."

Sonya cocked her head. " I choose this one." She said pointing at Sioc. Sioc stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, what?" He asked the woman who patted his head.

" Well, you are the only one seriously trying to train right? You WANT to fight the Calamity, right?" She asked smiling kindly. " If that is so, come with me."

Sioc looked at her mystified. She offered her hand which he took before looking away. What was he doing?

" Are you sure Shield Hero?" Asked the old cat woman. Sonya nodded. " Then lets begin the ritual." She said and beckoned a puzzled Sonya to follow with the Volki boy's hand still grasping her's.

They went inside a house where the boy was sat down and asked to remove his shirt. He complied looking bitterly at the plate of black inky liquid that was waiting on the table. " A bit of your blood please." The old lady prompted as she handed Sonya a knife. Sonya looked at them not understanding what exactly was going on. Why were they doing a ritual? Why did they need her blood? Lady Dianna walked in to assure her that everything was okay and that she would fully explain it later.

Sonya sighed and pricked her finger, adding it to the plate of blood. She felt like she was being scammed. The blood was mixed with the ink and the old neko lady began to write some kind of strange intricate symbol on the volki boy's chest chest.

Sonya lunged forward to stop the lady when she saw it was hurting Sioc but Lady Dianna stopped her. The boy was grimacing in pain. Sonya looked at the cat knight with disbelief. Lady Dianna tried to reassure her though. Soon the ritual was finished and what was called a slave crest was tattooed to Sioc's chest. The cat lady offered the rest of the liquid to Sonya's shield. Surprisingly, or maybe it should be unsurprising at this point? It reacted. The slave shield series has been unlocked, however the series required her to be level twenty before any could be unlocked. Sonya waited until they were in an INN before she turned on the cat knight. She saw Slave A as a member of her party.

" Explain!" She commanded feeling she had every right to know and be angry about it.

Lady Dianna held her hands up defensively. " Other than complete obedience it has been passed down in history that the previous shield hero owned slaves. Human, demi-human and monster alike. All of whom legend says, were far stronger than any who were not." The cat knight said. " Do not fret. Slavery is not a widely practiced institution anymore. Only for criminals and the heavily indebted... Or those who volunteer. Both Melromarc and Rock Valley has seen to that." The cat knight explained.

Sioc had his arms crossed as he looked down at his feet. " Are you saying you don't want me?" He asked before looking up at Sonya. Sonya was taken back at first then sighed.. " Fine, fine. Yes, I want you... Umm, your name please?" She began but realized she was never told her new companion's name.

Sioc forced a smile. " My name is Sioc." The boy said. Sonya smiled and held out her hand. " My name is Sonya Brint." Sonya said shaking the boys hand when he finally grasped it. "I look forward to fighting along side you." Sioc smiled slightly for real. So this was the Hero he would be fighting the Calamity against? Her hands were a bit strong... But soft and warm.