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"All hail Odin, black knight" the king roared out over the crowd. Everyone erupted in cheers, their voices tumbling out over the hills. Odin stood there covered in blood, his chest rising and falling with each breath. His hand was still curled tight around his blade, his gaze on his wounded beaten opponent.

"Gilgamesh" someone called rushing forward to help the fallen night. The mod of observers split some running to the injured, others running to the winner. The crowd lifted Odin on their shoulders and carried him back to the castle. Odin grinned hoisting his bloody sword over his head in a victory salute.

They dumped him unceremoniously before the Queen who stood beside her thrown. She looked regally down at him no emotion appearing on her chiseled face. Her pale hand rested on the arm of her throne, the sapphire gem matching her blue gown.

Hastily Odin slid into a perfect bow, his forehead practically touching the floor. He looked up at her through his eyelashes awaiting her next order.

"So you will be the one fetching my daughter?" The Queen asked her voice rather cold. Odin stiffened slightly, the muscles in his arms tensing of their own volition.

"I will be going to rescue her, yes" Odin retorted angered that she would refer to the princess in such a way. He reminded himself that this was Eden's mother. Maybe she was hiding her feelings behind a mask of cold.

"It must be a covert operation, Odin" the king said walking up from behind him. The large man headed up the stairs to stand beside his wife. They were a statuesque couple of course befitting the right to hold the highest position in all of Centra.

"That is why we are sending only you, you must get in get Eden and get out," the Queen said. Odin nodded glancing back over to the king. As always he was waiting for his next order, such was the life of a knight.

"Your boat to the Esthar continent will leave right away. You can wash up on the boat," The king said ending the conversation quickly. Just as quickly Odin hopped to his feet and strode out of the throne room. He headed for the stable to ready his horse.

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A few hours later he found himself on the brow of a large boat. His black gauntlet hand was curled around the reins holding Sleipner. He was amazed at the horse's endurance over water. The wind blew his slightly wet hair, his skin clean of all the blood spilt in the duel. His blade was clean of blood

The Esthar shoreline was inside just on the horizon. In the distance he could see the bright light of the city. They were far more advanced then Centra, which was why they were winning the war. Odin sighed as the captain started to tell the sailors to prepare the ship for docking.

Odin couldn't help but be nervous. His heart was flitting frantically in his chest. This was finally his chance to make his name as a knight. To actually have people look at him as a man, instead of a boy. He would finally surpass Gilgamesh in his deeds.

He led his horse down the gangplank, stepping into knee deep water. Placing a foot in the stirrup he hoisted himself into the saddle. It creaked beneath his as he situated him self. With one hand on the saddle horn and the other holding tight on the reins he kicked the horse into motion. The white horse charged through the ocean, his hooves crashing upon the sand in time with the waves.

They were a streak of white and black moving across the Esthar planes. Before Odin knew it he was in on the outskirts of Esthar. The city loomed before him in all its glistening lights, a monument to technology. The place was huge, with glistening buildings.

He slid off Sleipner and set him to graze in a huge pasture.

"Stay here" Odin whispered to the white horse patting his ear a bit. Somehow he knew the horse would be there when he returned. It would be his constant companion for the rest of his years. He turned and walked into town with a grin on his face. Hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to scout around a bit, he was all ready making a story up in his mind as he walked along the street.

He was a traveling mercenary from Balamb, and he had come here looking for work. Odin was certain they would be keeping Eden in the sorceress palace. The gaudy red monstrosity sat on a tall hill over looking the city. Rumor was that sorceress Adel lived there as she ruled of the people. Esthar always fought valiantly in battle screaming the name of their Queen, their sorceress.

He stared up at it trying to figure a way in, places like that always had back ways didn't they? The people on the street were hardly looking at him. They all looked tired and hungry, poor. Why did they fight for the sorceress if she left them to starve?

"Sir, buy a map of the city?" a tiny boy asked him. Odin looked down at the thin boy in his threadbare clothes. Pity over took him, and his heart filled with sorrow. He kneeled beside the dirty boy to look into his shadowed blue eyes.

He reached into his pocket and gave the boy all the Gil he had, taking one of the maps. It wasn't badly drawn, but a little confusing. He traced his fingers over the lines of the buildings, and the names of the streets.

"Ok so we are here, and the palace is here?" Odin said pointing to two places on the map. The boy nodded turning the map slightly to give them both a better view of it. He nodded a little looking from the map and back up to Odin.

"You aren't going to the palace are you?" the boy asked stuffing the Gil he had just received into his inner pocket. His tiny hands were shaky as he forked one through his hair.

"Why?" Odin asked paranoia overcoming him. He couldn't trust anyone on this mission. He just needed to rescue Eden and get as far from Esthar as possible.

"Sorceress Adel took my pa there, and left me and my sick ma all alone" the boy responded. His voice was soft, heartbreaking. Odin frowned his eyes narrowing.

"Your father is working there?" Odin asked.

"No, he is jail there" the boy said softly looking down at the ground. He traced a pattern in the street with his shoeless foot.

"Can you help me get in there with out anyone knowing?" Odin asked softly, looking around to see if anyone could hear him. The boy looked up a fire in his eyes.

"I can" the boy said with a firm nod.

"Lead the way then" Odin said a grin spreading across his face.

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"Why are you doing this to me" Eden screamed her voice echoing off the circular prison she was in. It was a deep wall with enough water in the bottom to reach her knees. A huge grate covered the opening, allowing only a slit of light to shine down upon the girl standing in the water.

They had stripped her naked before lowering her into her prison. She couldn't sit without the water covering well over half her body. It was so cold her body couldn't stop shivering. Eden tangled her fingers in her long black hair trying to keep from crying. All she knew was that she must not lose her cool in this place.

Eden placed a hand against the mossy wet wall and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to think. There had to be some way out of this. She opened her eyes to stare at the dull jewel imbedded in the skin of her hand. It winked at her with a promise of blue magic if she needed it.

There had to be someway that she could use it to get out of here. It had been hours since they had put her in the stupid hole. Her toes were beginning to become numb from the icy water. She let lose another scream, it tore from her throat before she was able to stop it.

A shadow fell across the grid of bars holding her in.

"The sorceress will see you now" a heavy voice said from above her.