Choice of foes
Chapter 1

Time has come for the first of the bloodiest battles to pass our ranks. And it is at this time, we are not given the choice of foes.

Elianora watched the young hunter idly feel the feathered ends of her arrows.

"Aelle, are you ready to face them?" the blacksmith spoke and sat beside the huntress.

Aelle shook her head. Tears were evident in her eyes.

"I didn't want this to happen... Why must we fight with them?" the hunter sighed, hugging her knees close to her chest.

They were stationed in one of the halls in their guild castle. They were tasked to defend it. From who? Their friends.

"None of us did. Apparently some of us don't understand what this war is for." Elianor spoke, tightening her grasp on her hammer.

"What IS it for?" she looked up to the older blacksmith.

A grim expression was pasted on the smith's face. Apparently, something was brewing in her head. She rose and listened to the sound thudding of boots on wooden floor.

"Elianor...?" the young hunter spoke, standing and gazing across the hall where they were stationed.

The smith's lips were pressed into a thin narrow line.

"They're coming."

"EVERYONE TO YOUR STATIONS!!!"

Hunters, wizards, knights, assassins and priestesses were in a bustle. Swords were drawn, bows were drawn and qatars were well-brandished. None spoke. Tension sailed through the air as the sound of footsteps grew heavier by the second.

A loud cry emanated through the hall, the sound bringing more pressure to Elianor's pounding heart. Here they come.

A female knight rushed forward on her pecopeco, sword drawn and mouth screaming a battlecry. The knight met the smith head on, blade crossing hammer. Smiles crossed between the two as other troops came to attack the others in defense.

"I accept your challenge, Lady Cynwise." Elianor smirked, putting more force onto their weapons locked.

"Oh so you noticed?" smirk returned beneath the iron cain, Cynwise parried and pulled their weapons apart.

Aelle watched the others locked in serious battle against their former allies. She couldn't get herself to fight her friends. People whom she stood alongside before. People whom she had been with. She could not bring herself to draw an arrow and aim at their hearts. Shifting her visage onto the heated battle between Elianor and Cynwise, she looked on worriedly.

The smith was throwing a heavy cart at the pecopeco, driving it wild in pain. But immensely the pecopeco rode on to its master's desires.

"Elianor! Look out!"

The knight pulled at the the reins of her pecopeco, making the creature rear upwards with a loud screech.

Aelle drew two arrows from her quiver and strung her bow swiftly. Aiming at the knight, she hesitated. I'm not going to hit anyone!

Arrows sailed and caught the pecopeco behind the wing. The creature reared backwards, throwing Cynwise off its back and writhing in pain. As the rider fell on the ground, winded, the pecopeco followed suit over her.

The knight howled in pain as the bird landed on her heavily armored body. She watched the smith loom over her.

Elianor bent over and placed a hand to scoop her opponent's head gently. She opened a white potion with
another hand and poured its contents in the knight's mouth.

Confused, Cynwise opened her mouth to speak but couldn't.

"I'll let you go for the moment. Let us do this again." Elianor smiled and pushed the bird off Cynwise's prone body.

"Till then..." the knight cringed as she gasped for air.

Smiles crossed their lips as both rose again to face each other. With a curt nod, they turned to other opponents.

"Elianor, why did you help her?" Aelle asked as she handed a white potion to the bruised blacksmith.

A small smile crossed the smith's face.

"Aelle, we fight this war for honor. Not to destroy. By defeating them, we give them honor as well."

The hunter's face was twisted in confusion.

"I don't understand."

"Me neither."

R&R please!

XD