Chapter 3

"So what is your name?" Adrianna asked, "And how did you find out about Tridosios?"

"Well first of all, my name is Daniel and I used to live in the kingdom of Westmarch. Horrible things have happened there too. I discovered that the source of the evil is here and I want to put an end to the evil." Adrianna was confused. She couldn't figure out why she would forgive this man. He had insulted her and every woman warrior. Even worse he had insulted her very clan. She could not figure out any explanation.

He lived in the capital city of Westmarch and strangely their king had died as well; so all the evil was happening everywhere. Supposedly the source of the evil was Tridosios. Hmmm. She wondered if Cain would know something about this.

"Hey, what do ya know about that cathedral at the end of town?" The muscular and rather too confident warrior jarred Adrianna out of her thoughts.

"Wha-? Oh, it's been desecrated" she responded.

"Perhaps we should check it out. Ya know see if it is the source of the evil" he devised looking at her. She looked back at him, narrowing her eyes.

"Ok I will work with you on one condition. You do not make any attempts on my life and I won't make any on yours".

"Deal" he said as they shook hands on it. They grabbed each other's arms in a warrior welcome.

"Well come on, we must go see if our weapons are repaired" she said getting up and beckoning him to follow. He got up with a grunt and followed her.

"Well I see you both managed to live. That really surprises me", Derek said sarcastically and then chuckled.

"Yeah well you can't get rid of me that easily", she said annoyingly. She picked up her weapon and strung an arrow from her quiver and aimed it first at Daniel then at Derek and then quickly turned and fired the post of the door. The arrow hit its target dead on. She smirked in satisfaction, walked over pulled out the arrow and put it back in her quiver. The men just stood there with a surprised look upon their faces.

"Perfect, good as new. Looks like you're almost as good as your father. Speaking of which where is he?" she said looking around. The look on Derek's face changed. At first he seemed sad and then angered.

"Where are your parents? Dead right? Well so is my father. You had the pleasure of not watching your parents die. I saw my father die right in front of me. Ever since then I have been alone! Now both of you leave. I wish to be alone", Derek, said with sheer hatred in his voice. All Adrianna could do was to leave and let him get over it. She had hit him in a soft spot.

Once outside, walking towards the cathedral, Daniel asked her a question,

"What happened between you two"?

She sat in her house on one of the kitchen chairs as her parents sat before her. Why had they called her? She had been playing tag with Agden and Laura and she was itching to go back.

"Honey we have a surprise for you. We have talked with Derek's father and we decided that you and Derek shall one day marry. We have it all arranged" her mother said. Adrianna shook her head.

"No he is but a friend, I would never marry him"

"Excuse me? Yes you will marry him and that is that. Do you understand?" Adrianna shook her head and went to her room to think. Thinking was more useful than crying, she had discovered sometime earlier, when Cain was teaching them to be bold and to use their minds. She thought quite sometime and then made her decision. It was time to fulfill her dream to become a warrior.

Coming back to reality Adrianna shrugged,

"It's a long story maybe sometime I will tell you, but right now we have more important things to worry about". Daniel nodded looking a little disappointed but continued walking.

Adrianna could see the highest tower as they approached the church. The trees around the church were dead, their leaves long ago lost to the dark swirling mists. The grass was brown, deprived of water. The grey, stony walls surrounding the cemetery were practically crumbling. They rose to about her waist. The church it self loomed overhead like a tall eerie gravestone, tall, desolate and evil. An evil feeling drifted around this place like a blanket. An eerie red light shone from the windows and doors of the cathedral and shone through parts of the roof that had collapsed. She could hear moans and screams from within and it made Adrianna shudder. Just what lay beyond those old crumbling walls? As they approached the front they saw a movement. It was an injured townsman. They ran over to the man who was heavily bleeding from multiple wounds on his chest and arms. He had been stabbed multiple times by a weapon unknown to Adrianna as she had never seen such a wound.

"Don't worry we'll get you to Lithious" she said reassuringly as she lifted the man's head onto her lap. The man feebly shook his head.

"Please listen to me. The Archbishop Lazarus...he led us down here to find the lost prince...the bastard led us into a trap...now everyone is dead...killed by a demon he called the Butcher...find this monster and slay him so that our souls may finally rest..." With that last word the man died in Adrianna's arms.

"Sir?" she checked his pulse...there was none. "He's dead".

"Let's get his body back to Lithious" Daniel said quickly. With that word Daniel bent down and picked up the man as if he was a rag doll. Adrianna followed glimpsing back at the abandoned cathedral. Who or what creature could kill an army of men?

Lithious could not answer her question, for he himself had never been inside the cathedral. All he could say was

"Truly a demonic evil is the root of this man's death. There was no possible way to save him".

An hour later Daniel and Adrianna were sitting on Lithious' doorstep analysing the situation.

"A butcher? Is he human or beast? Why does he reside in that cathedral she said half to Daniel half to herself? Daniel could only shake his head as he pondered the question. It was incredible how such a headstrong man could actually use his brain instead of his sword to answer this question. Judging from his armour, Adrianna guessed that he had once been part of the army that fought for the King. She remembered that the Rogue Elders constantly sent scouts up to the King to learn the latest news. The scout that had returned bloody and almost dead had said nothing about a Butcher. She could only say that she had been attacked by a small group of animals wielding knives. She decided that the only wise thing to do would be to investigate and find out more information about this "Butcher".

"Perhaps it would be wise to ask people within the town to answer our questions. Surely someone has seen this Butcher", she said getting up from the ground. Daniel rose up behind her and followed her. She rather avoided the Blacksmith shop, as she did not want to be badgered by Derek's hate-filled words.

Agden was their first stop. He also could not answer their questions, but he could answer how her parents died. She got up the courage to ask if the Butcher had taken her parents lives.

"Only your father…your mother died shortly after though when the dark riders came. She was in the fray and was stabbed by a pole arm that one of the riders had equipped. Anger tore through her veins, chaos was about to take over when Agden placed a calm hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. They were pleading as if feeling her pain. She remembered why he had been her best friend. He was always there for her.

She stood beneath his window, throwing small pebbles to awaken her dearest friend. Moments later, Agden appeared quietly rubbing his eyes.

"What is it Anna that would force you to come at my window this late. My father will kill me if he finds me out here", Agden mumbled to her. Anna was her nickname as her name "Adrianna" was a long name.

"I am leaving town to become a warrior", she said in a whisper. Agden came fully awake and almost yelled,

"What? Why?"

"You know I want to be a warrior, and not marry some boy and do housework all my life. Besides I want to be able to protect my parents in times of need" she said. Agden seemed sad, but he looked at her with a reassuring smile.

"Ok you must do what your heart tells you, but promise me one thing"

"What's that", she asked.

"Promise me that you will return one day, just to visit". Adrianna winced knowing that returning was definitely out of the question, but nevertheless she promised Agden anyways. It might be possible. They hugged and then Adrianna turned and fled into the night…

Adrianna now wondered if he had kept her secret or had told the town. Thanking Agden, the two warriors turned to visit another person. Daniel was rather interested in seeing what the drunkard had to say; therefore they visited Tyrone who happened to be sitting outside his door with a bottle of Ale in his hand.

"Big! Big cleaver killing all my friends...couldn't stop him...had to get away...couldn't save them... trapped in a room with soo many bodies...soo many ...friends...no...nooo...nooooooooooooooooo!". Tyrone seemed truly distressed and both warriors slipped away quietly to let him grieve. Adrianna bore her eyes into Daniel's as she glared at him and turned towards the bridge. Adrianna's goal was to talk to Alyssia. Surely a witch could answer her question.

"The Butcher is a sadistic creature that delights in the torture and pain of others. His destruction will do much to ensure the safety of this village" was all Alyssia could say.

"We will destroy him", Adrianna said as they left Alyssia to her spells and concoctions. Adrianna looked back; the witch was watching her with her silver coloured eyes. Adrianna shivered as the two warriors crossed the bridge to town. Once there they picked up potions of healing that were the colour red from Lithious. As they were leaving they talked to Cain who said that the Butcher should be destroyed. He motioned to say something but then changed his mind and wished them good luck. What was he hiding? She knew it had something to do with this cathedral. Adrianna vowed to find out what Cain was hiding. As they left Cain, Derek came out of his shop.

"Wait I'm coming with you"!