(Beta: Standard disclaimer applies and from now on, it's disclaimed for this and future chapters so don't go suing us (me and Kuroikabuto) or anything. We don't own it, just played the game.)

Keys: 'blah blah' normal speech
blah blah thoughts
(blah blah) Author's or beta's notes and interruptions

Chapter One: Escape

Tal collapsed under a tree, exhausted after an hour of hard work under the sun on the farm. It wasn't easy, looking after a farm himself, but he was used to it. After all, when his father died three years ago he had to take over the farm or else the family would have nothing to eat, what with the war which was leaving most of Prontera's population starving. The king had declared open war on the Thieves' Guild, citing a recent incident where four Assassins had ambushed a convoy heading home from Morroc.

Since then the king wanted ninety percent of every farmer's yield to be taken from them to sustain the growing Imperial army-the fighting strength of Prontera was boosted by warriors from various Guilds from all over Rune-Midgard. Everyday more and more mercenaries and warriors swelled the ranks of the Imperial army-so much that even the all-mighty Thieves Guild would probably be crushed to oblivion.

Tal was exempted from serving the king as a knight of Prontera solely because he was to provide food for the growing army-almost all his crop was taken from him. He longed to move to another state to live in-like Payon, the city surrounded by forest, home of the Hunter's Guild. But since the war was openly declared no Pronterans were allowed to leave the borders of the capital.

'Tal! Are you done milking the cow? If you are, come here! The landlord's come to collect the rent and the harvest!', Tal's sister Lyn called from inside the house, which was a stone's throw away from where he was resting.

'Coming…',was Tal's lazy reply. Grumbling about the landlord's lousy timing Tal got up and slowly made his way to the house. Who cared if the landlord had to wait? The bastard didn't give a damn about the people he was collecting rent from; he didn't care if they had no food to eat. Technically where they lived was in between Prontera and Geffen, but closer to Geffen; nonetheless the lousy good-for-nothing had sided with the Pronteran king despite Geffen's governor being completely against the war-they had only pledged less than a hundred Wizards to the cause. Although most didn't know it Geffen's Mage Guild were allies with the Thieves Guild; an unlikely alliance but powerful nonetheless. As they were seen by the world as supporters of Prontera, they had no choice.

As Tal was about to open the back door leading into his kitchen a scream tore the silence of the country into shreds.

'LYN!', Tal yelled. He leapt forward, grabbing a heavy wooden stick as he went past the kitchen into the living room-and he received the shock of his life. His sister was being held by two knights, and behind them was the landlord.

'Mr. McNeil, what is the meaning of this? Unhand my sister and give me an explanation!', Tal roared.

The landlord smiled. 'Ah, Tal. The man of the house is finally here. Well, I suppose you want to know what's going on here.'

The man circled around the knights and came face to face with Tal.

'The kings requires…ah, people, in his court. We are taking your sister to him. Simple as that.'

'It bloody well isn't! What in the name of the gods does he want "people" in is court for?'

McNeil's smile widened.

'Sacrifice.'

'Wh…what? Sacrifice?'

'Yes, the king has decided to listen to his advisors and resurrect a certain group of warriors; you may have heard of them. The Slayers?'

Tal froze as he heard the name. The Slayers were a group of mercenaries loyal to none but each other-a team of only ten people. The Slayers were a group of defects-warriors who left their Guilds to form their team.

When the Slayers were alive they were the most skillful-and most feared-team of mercenaries Rune-Midgard had ever seen. Not only were they skilled they were ruthless; if they were sent to assassinate someone they would slay not only the person but the person's family as well, supposedly to prevent anyone from starting a vendetta. But the Slayers were all found dead one afternoon outside Prontera City's walls. Till this day no one knows who were the ones to kill the Slayers, but suspicions were all directed to the Thieves Guild, although there was doubt if they could-the Assassin Guild's most accomplished killer Eremes Guille was a part of the Slayers-he was said to be an unrivalled swordsman and assassin, which raises the idea that there is now someone in the Assassin Guild who was more skilled than Eremes himself-a preposterous idea.

'Well, if you have nothing else to say-let us be off,' the landlord turned and was about to leave-but stopped dead in his tracks. Before anyone knew what was going on the landlord collapsed, an arrow sticking out of his forehead.

'What the…'one of the knights began

Before he could finish his sentence an arrow pierced his neck, the only weak point in his near-impenetrable armor.

'Who's there?! Come out!' yelled the other knight, drawing his sword and looking around frantically.

Tal swung his stick as hard as he could at the knight; not hard enough to kill the man but hard enough to send him reeling. A second blow to the head sent the knight's helmet flying off-and almost immediately an arrow pierced his forehead.

'Lyn! Are you alright?' Tal crouched over his trembling sister.

Before she could answer a shadow blotted out the light from their doorway.

'Tal. Take your sister and leave. The king does not like his subjects disobeying orders; a full battalion of knights will be here by tomorrow.'

'Mallik? Did you kill the knights? How…'

Mallik was their neighbor, a retired hunter who lived alone in his wooden cabin near the border. He often stopped by for dinner and ale, but he always seemed to be a jovial man, not like the stoic Snipers of the Hunter's Guild. But now his face was taut with concentration, listening for anyone who was approaching.

'No time for words now. Make your way as fast as possible to Geffen. You'll be safe there. I have an escort waiting for you, now go! I will meet you at the Silver Horn Tavern in Geffen.'

'But the knights-'

'Just go! NOW!'

Beta: Oh come on! Review people! Review! This beta here commands you all to review! looks at the angry faces of the readers All right, I retract my command and ask you all to just leave a little review. It might make Kuroikabuto write faster. Who knows? Please? Even one word?