Chapter 2

The sun shone dimly into Adrianna's room the next morning. Today she would explore the cathedral and try to find the evil source that held this town in an iron grip. She got up and brushed her long brown, shiny hair and pulled it into a high ponytail. Though she was a warrior, she did take good care of herself. A quick look in the mirror showed her that there were no dark circles under her beautiful brown eyes. She was tall and was a strong girl, trained in the many ways of the bow. She had fought many battles and had even helped fight in the Eastern Wars. Her battle scars were the only physical flaws on her body. She looked out at the grim horizon. The dark black clouds blocked out most of the light, which was the reason the room was so dim. The weather was always the same day after day, season after season. The world had certain paleness to it and all looked grey. It looked like it was held in an iron grip by some sinister evil. The once beautiful forests had now been reduced to a dead wasteland. Adrianna turned her attention to getting dressed in her brown leather armour. She wore good boots and held a good bow though it needed to be repaired. She realized that she might need better armour for her quest. She would visit Derek and get her bow repaired. She was not looking forward to meeting Derek as he had changed a lot.

She quickly dressed and headed over to Derek's. Derek was at the blacksmith shop when she arrived. He had never gotten married and Adrianna felt that she was responsible for that. Being with Derek wasn't her destiny and she wouldn't let guilt change that. She swallowed the nervousness she felt and stepped into the grungy old shop. The place was pretty old with the basic tools needed to make and repair weapons. It had not changed a bit. Derek looked up as she walked in. He seemed to recognize her for he gave her a grim but slightly angered look. She hadn't talked to him since she arrived and now he looked at her and she saw great pain mixed in with the anger. She could feel that guilt creeping back. She willed it back and walked towards Derek.

"Hello Derek" she heard herself say. He replied in an angered yet surprised tone,

"Well well, the spontaneous little girl returns. But what does she return to one must wonder?"

"I returned only because my order wished it to be. I am here only to investigate this evil and complete a personal quest. I must avenge the deaths of my parents". He looked at her with malice in his eyes.

"I am sure you care about your parents, just like when you left them so long ago", he said in a sarcastic tone. Adrianna shook with rage, but managed to contain it as she said,

"I left because I love them"

"That is not what they thought" he said as he turned to the weapon he had pulled from the forge still red-hot, causing sweat to pour down his forehead, she watched as he hammered, the muscles rippling through his shirt.

"Why did you come back? There is no place for you now. You gave that up when you broke your parent's hearts. They never recovered. I pray their tortured souls rest peacefully" he said. Tears swelled up in her eyes hearing this for the first time, she could do nothing to diminish his rage. He continued,

"It was your choice you were the one who left. You ran away from your destiny! You hurt us all. My father had planned the biggest wedding for us. He had it down to the very party afterwards. Then you left and his hopes and dreams were slashed to pieces" his deeply Irish accent seemed to be getting angrier with every word he spoke and she wondered if she should leave. Her bow needed to be fixed in the worst way. This was necessary.

"Bringing up the past will not change the present, which brings me to the reason I am here".

"Why are you here?" Derek asked. Adrianna presented her bow as she said,

"My bow needs to be repaired". Derek sharply took the bow from her and placed it on his workbench. There was an uncomfortable silence that followed only to be broken by a rough looking man wielding a beat up, war torn war hammer. He walked gruffly up to the counter shoving Adrianna aside with a well-shaped arm.

"Move over wench" he said. Adrianna fumed at being shoved aside as if she was nothing but dirt. Speaking annoyingly she said,

"I do not take well to men calling me such cruel names", she said narrowing her eyes at this strange new man. "I demand to know why such a rude man as yourself would bother such a quiet town".

"Um…excuse me woman but I have no need to answer to you, but if you must know I am here to eliminate the evil lurking beneath this town".

"You needn't bother. I am here to stop it!" she yelled. He looked at her and began to laugh hysterically.

"You defeat those evil demons ha. You better let a strong powerful man like me take care of it and you go tend to your housework", he laughed. Now the anger had boiled over and with an enraged roar to be envied by even the greatest of warriors she leaped up and tackled him to the ground.

"TEEEEEEEEEYAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"Whoa shit! What are you a madwoman?". Derek tried to pull her off the frenzied warrior. But it was no use. She grabbed the warrior's dagger from its hidden sheath on his forearm under the wrist plate and pointed it menacingly at his throat in a manner that could only say "move and you die".

"You take that back or I will show you what this woman can do!" she yelled. Due to his strong body he was able to heave her off him. She quickly leaped to her feet as he got up and pulled a dagger from a secret space in his leather boot. He lumbered towards her and she just barely managed to dodge his attack. She bent her arm and elbowed him in the small of the back as he moved past her. He fell to one knee as if in pain and he with a speed that she never imagined he could have, hit her in the back of the knee with his free hand. She fell and he moved to hold her down but she shoved the dagger up towards his throat as he pointed his dagger at her throat. He ruefully said,

"If your sword goes up, my sword goes down". She menacingly told him her view,

"If your sword goes down, my sword goes up". She realized that they were in a stand off. Neither of them could win. He must have realized this as well, as he pulled his dagger away and placed it back in his boot. He thrust his hand towards her. She menacingly took his offer and got up. She flipped the dagger she had in her hand so that she was holding the blade. She offered the dagger to him. He took it roughly, sheathing it in its sheath.

"I am a rogue for your information and we fought in the wars of the East so we know how to apprehend enemies."

"Oh crap. I'm so sorry I didn't realize that" he said sarcastically.

"I'll forgive you...this time" she narrowed her eyes menacingly.

"I like your style of fighting woman. I propose we make an alliance".

"Well I don't think the female demons will like your anti-femine ways. I'd hate to see you killed because you're sexist." She smiled evilly.

"May I cut in? I will not tolerate fighting in my blacksmith shop. I ask you to take it outside".

"Very well. I have no further business with you until my weapon is repaired" she proclaimed turning on her heel and leaving the shop. The warrior nodded to Derek as he gave his weapon to Derek and stepped after the hot-tempered Rogue. Derek could only but shake his head as they walked away.