Chapter 1
"Make a wish quick, Princess Ovelia. The Hokuten Knights are here." The old priest said in a kindly voice.
"I will Father Simon. You have been protecting the Royal Family for years now. You deserve a well earned break, Father." Princess Ovelia replied sweetly, but with a hint of remorse. Father Simon smiled, and stroked his beard.
"As long the Hokuten still exist, I shall continue to open the gates of my church to offer a place of protection to the Royal Family." The priest spoke.
"Why father?" Ovelia asked. The priest smiled and spoke with great wisdom.
"Do you not understand? As long as the need for the protection provided by the Hokuten still exists, peace shall never prevail."
Ovelia nodded her head. Her calm demure changed, as a sudden noise rang through the hall they were in.
A female warrior cloaked in the royal colors of the Holy Knight knelt before the duo.
"Father! Princess! The Hokuten Knights have arrived! Please ready yourself for immediate departure!"
"Yes, Agrias. I'll shall only need a while longer." The knight rose to her feet and dashed outside to stand guard.
The princess rose to leave. She turned around and smiled. A sad smile.
"Father. I should be on my way. All things, good or bad alike, must come to an end. Once I return to Igros Castle, I shall send sentries to inform you of my safe return. And rest assured that you and your church would be guarded by Holy Knights."
"Thank you, my Princess, but the only guard I need is God." He smiled and pointed to the heavens. Father Simon reached for a carnation from the vase on the table, and deftly removed one. He carefully inserted it in the Princess hair.
"Farewell Father. I shall be on my way." With that, she stood up, and broke into a run.
"Go in peace, and may God bless you!" The father shouted into the distance. He sighed, and shut the towering gates.
"Identify yourself, stranger!" a knight shouted, his voice straining over the loud raindrops of the thunderstorm. Agrias was undaunted. She just wished the Princess was still at the church. It would be a while before they could safely proceed on heir journey home.
"I am Holy Knight Agrias! Protector of the Princess of Igros! Are you friend or are you foe!" Agrias shouted back, raising the tip of her sword in response. It rained harder. Agrias felt the harsh pelting of rain against her stiff armor.
"Holy Knight. I shall introduce not my name, but the purpose of my visit here. Surrender the princess and I shall let you walk away from this wretched place unscathed!" the knight shouted condescendingly.
"Then face my blade, for your request shall not be met, under order from the King of Igros, King Dycedrieg" Agrias screamed back. She drew her sword from its sheath. Reflected sunlight flitted through the walls of the church. Countless men and women had died under this merciless blade of titanium. But, the sword still was as good as new. Agrias didn't like the stains much and kept her weapon of survival in good condition.
She positioned herself in an angle in between the princess and the knight.
"I shall give you ten seconds to reconsider your decision!"
The knight drew his sword in response, before charging forward. Both knights exchanged blows, and their swords locked. Glares were exchanged, before each knight withdrew their blade, and readied for another attack.
"Sheath your sword before it's too late to regret!" Agrias yelled. The other knight simply smiled.
From the corner of her eye, Agrias could see a young man in the distinct cloak of a dark wizard approaching them. Agrias just hoped that the wizard would not interfere with the duel.
"Flames of Volrath! Raze all that stand in my way!" the young apprentice wizard screamed, waving his hand towards Agrias. His voice echoed through the plains. Shortly following, a fireball streaked across the plains, straight for Agrias. She didn't have time to duck, and the fireball hit her straight in the chest. The bolt of fire flung her far from her challenger.
The knight dashed then forward triumphantly, and grasped the princess's hand. He pulled her roughly away, towards the distant hills. The wizard hurried behind. Agrias tasted blood in her mouth. She was lying on all fours. Her armor had given way and she was in a semi-state of consciousness. She felt dizzy. The rain soaked her thoroughly. She thought she saw a star somewhere in the pitch darkness.
"Agrias? Agrias!" Cynthia spoke gently. She dried Agrias's face with a towel.
"Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?" she said feebly. She tried to sit up, but was promptly forced to lie back down as a sharp pain shot through her spine.
"Hush dear. I'm am a knight. I am Cynthia Beovlue. We are the Hokuten Knights sent to protect the Princess of Igros, under order of King Dycedrieg. When we arrived, we saw you fighting Gafagrion and Mustardo. You were injured by Mustardo's fireball. By the time we reached the plains, they were gone, and the princess was no where in sight." Cynthia explained. She stood up, and rinsed the towel in a basin of water by the bed. She wrung the towel, before replacing it back on Agrias's forehead.
"Rest assured that you will be safe with us. This is The Academy. Your armor and weapons are stored in that corner." Cynthia pointed. Agrias nodded weakly. She felt her head go dizzy. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Cynthia exiting the room.
The colors of dull grey and black stained the atmosphere of the arena. The Hokuten Knights were gathering, and never before, was there such a massive display of the Knights. Cynthia dismounted from her trusty steed, and ran to the Beovlue Residence.
"Father!" she exclaimed. Her brothers turned their heads around sharply. Their father lay motionless, on a bed, decorated by the dull colors of the royal kingdom.
"Brother Cynthia. You have arrived a little too late. Our father…" Montague left his sentence in mid-air. Cynthia slowly walked to her father's side, and knelt down. She spoke softly.
"Father. All that I have known, you have shown me. All the love I have was from you. Now that you are gone, where am I going to find such care and concern? I do not even know what your last wish is! I have led you down, Father. I really have" Cynthia cried. Streams of tears flowed remorsefully down her face. Montague thought he saw a hint of regret. He wondered why that was so.
"Cynthia-" Montague tried to pull Cynthia away from their father, but Cynthia refused to budge an inch.
"Go, my brothers. Leave me in peace so I can be free to spend sometime with Father, before I lose him completely."
Montague took the cue. He turned his head in the direction of the door. The rest of her brothers exited the room. Cynthia rested her head on her father's cold hand, and cried.
"Brother Cynthia. It is time. We should be on our way now." Alma said. Cynthia was seated on the grass plains. Her eye possessed a sparkle of despair, a film of darkness, a gem of love. Her eyes were on the vast blue sky, impossible to plot the boundaries of the heavens.
"Sir Cynthia. It's getting late." Alma persisted gently, nudging Cynthia's side with her toe.
"Where… where are we going?"
Alma relaxed into a smile.
"Since the Princess was kidnapped, we have to go to Igros Castle to report her capture." She said in a despondent tone, looking in Cynthia's direction. Cynthia nodded her head, not taking her eyes away from the sky.
"Alma. Do you often wonder why these wars and stuff must be fought? People die everyday, while the generals just can't care less. Why are they so heartless?" Cynthia cried softly.
Alma sighed. "Cynthia, you're a man. You should know why these wars are fought. Now, you're sounding like a girl. You better snap out of it before one of your brothers question you on your character."
Cynthia nodded her head, sobbing. "Leave me for a while would you? I promise I'll be down in a while. Then we can leave."
Alma bowed and took her leave.
Cynthia picked a leaf from the ground, and put it to her lips. With a soft purr, a melodious tune sounded throughout the plains. With each different note she blew, a different emotion struck her. Love, sadness, grief, angers, fear, and hope. All at the same time. She thought she could see her father's face in the clouds.
"Go, my son. Follow the steps of your destiny. Do what you have to do. I would always love you ,son. Remember my words, and take them throughout your life, till your reunion with me. Go, and god bless" Cynthia stood up. A purpose in mind. A refreshing breeze whirled past. Cynthia nodded her teary face, and ran off.