Ch. 2 : Wind
The wind had died off, leaving behind a small breeze. The group of friends happily walked home, ignoring the occasional blast of wind. Standing several yards ahead of them, a tall slim shadow cautiously slid behind a large tree. A long black trench coat flapped with the light breeze, revealing a rather short, silver blade. The grip on the handle tightened as the group drew closer. A pair of dark emerald eyes shot through the slight density of the figure's hiding place, disappearing within a second.
The wind began to pick up again, and the party of friends decided it'd be best to stay indoors until the gusts of harsh air calmed. "We can go stay in that old house on West Avenue!" Shouted Tye, nodding his head down the road. "Ok, but we should hurry up! The wind's getting worse!" Tilting their heads down, the six friends ran towards the old shack. It had once belonged to an old mayor, but once he passed on, the house slowly fell apart. Reaching it, they ran inside; ignoring the "No Trespassing" sign on the front door.
Once inside and out of the wind's strong grip; the group relaxed a bit and took the opportunity to explore the abandoned place. "You know, I've never been in here." "Yeah, neither have I." Rumbling around his backpack, Alex pulled out a flashlight, which he flicked on and examined the large living room. "You keep a flashlight in your backpack?" "Well, ya never know what's gonna happen." Eying Alex with a dumbfounded look, Tye shook it off before he turned to the girls standing in the corner. All three of them had huddled together, eyes wide and mouths a jaw. "What's with all of you?" Brissa's arm slowly raised up towards the ceiling. Glancing up, Tye's eyes narrowed a bit. "Alex, let me see that flashlight." "Sure." The oldest boy tossed the flashlight to Tye, who aimed it towards the ceiling. "..What the fuck.."
It had been only been about an hour since Seth returned to the castle of Galma. His muscles ached and all he wanted was to crawl into his bed. But instead, the young Knight had been called to the King's chambers to report on the recent fights breaking out across the White Desert's border. Standing in front of the large wooden door, Seth eyed the work of art for a few seconds. The red paint looked old, slightly antique, but brandished a majestic feeling. it was simple, yet elegant. Seth took in the sheer awe of something so typical, losing track of time. "Commander! The King is waiting for you." "Ah!" Jumping back a bit, Seth was knocked out of his daze by the giant that had called him. "Oscar, don't scare me like that." "I'm sorry Sir, but his majesty is waiting." Oscar, one of the King's Royal Knights, stood at barely 7 feet. He was dressed in shining black armor that fell down to his ankles; which were covered with a pair of steel boots. The giant's red hair was brushed back, yet some loose hairs had fallen over his ridged face. He had light blue eyes, which stood out the most. In one hand, the Royal Knight held a large diamond-shaped shield with the Kingdom's crest on the front. In his other hand was one of the most beautifully crafted spears any Knight had seen.
"Thank you Oscar." Nodding towards the King, the giant returned to his place next to the throne. The King of Galma was an elder man. He had dark gray hair that curled back against his head. His mustache and arm length beard matched his hair color, and his elder face looked restless. The King wore a white robe that drenched his entire body, including his feet. A golden sash was tied tightly around his waist, and the sleeves hung easily at the King's wrists. "Commander Seth! What have you found out?" Walking into the large throne room, Seth kneeled and bowed slightly before he spoke. "Your Majesty, I traveled to the outpost at the base of Mt. Blackthorn, and I'm afraid I have stressing news." The young Commander stood and adjusted his belt while he cleared his throat.
"It appears that the source of the fights along the desert's borders are, in fact, coming from the Kingdom in the Desert. So far, several other outposts have been attacked. Casualties are rising rapidly, already peeking three hundred. Even the outpost at Mt. Blackthorn has been raided. Currently, we do not know the reasons behind these violent outbreaks, nor do we see them stopping. With your permission Sire, I'd like to take one of my battalions to the current battle in Signa." The King remained silent for several minutes before he spoke. "Very well Seth. Take a battalion of your best men to Signa. I will send a messenger to Tellius and inform them I am sending aid. Also, while you're there. I'd like to identify the reasons for these outbreaks. Try and capture the commanding officer alive. Understood?" Nodding, Seth bowed once more. Turning on his heel, he walked out of the throne room, and down the hallway, hearing the large door shut. Walking past one of his men, Seth motioned for the soldier to follow. "Bert, ready the men. We leave for Signa tomorrow morning."
"What is it?" Standing up, Alex walked over to Tye; who was still staring at the wall. "What the hell?" Hanging above them was a large chandelier. The gold design was rusted in some spots, while others had completely disintegrated. Hanging right below the chandelier, with a noose around his neck, the former resident swayed slowly back and forth. His clothes were faded and torn. The body itself was decaying with bones poking out the skin. The corpse's hair was gray, and almost gone. Covering her mouth to stop herself from screaming, Kyrie closed her eyes as a set of tears streamed down her face. "Well, it looks like we know what happened to the old mayor.." "Yeah..I wonder how long he's been here." Looking to each other, Alex and Tye turned towards the girls. "Hey, girls. Go back outside. We're going to cut him down." "You're joking right?" Shaking his head, Tye motioned towards the door. "We can't leave the poor guy like this. So go outside and wait. Shawn you can go wi-...Shawn?" Looking around, Tye realized that one of them was missing. "Oh this is just great!" "Shawn!" Shouted Alex, walking back to his backpack and pulling out another flashlight. "Do you think he's still outside?" "No," whispered Brissa. "..I was hanging onto him when we came in here." "Great, so he went and got himself lost." Tye sighed a bit as he shook his head. "Girls, go wait outside. We'll go find Shawn and then cut this poor bastard down. Alex, please tell me you have some type of weapon in that thing." The twenty year old smirked, digging once again in his backpack. "Like I said, ya never know what's gonna happen." Pulling out a pair of steel daggers, he tossed them to Tye. He then returned to the pack, eventually pulling out a 9mm.
"Why are you two getting out weapons?" "Welp," Alex heaved, pulling the backpack onto his back. "This guy has been hanging here for about three years now. So in those past three years, I'd guess at least one gang or criminal of some kind has run through here." Nodding, Tye hooked the daggers onto his belt, continuing for his friend. "And one or more of those could still be lurking around in here. So it's best that we have something to defend ourselves." "But you both have black belts in Martial Arts..Why the daggers and gun?" Alex laughed a bit, while he checked to make sure the gun's magazine was loaded. "It's always better to have some type of weapon rather then just your fists." The girls quickly glanced around the dark room before they nodded. "Ok..But if you guys aren't back in twenty minutes, we're coming to look for you." The two boys smiled, giving the girls a small sense of reassurance. The girls returned the smiles with a grin of their own, soon turning towards the door.
Before any of them could take a single step, the room erupted with light. Blinded and confused, the girls stumbled back into their corner. Alex & Tye, however, ducked behind the old furniture, their eyes quickly adjusting to the sudden flash of white. "Tye! The body's gone!" "What?" Looking towards the ceiling, the old chandelier and hanging corpse had disappeared, leaving behind a large mirror. "It's an illusion!" Shouted Tye, unsheathing the daggers from their resting spots. The five friends were soon met with a loud ring that enveloped the entire building. The high pitched, almost shrieking noise, blasted across the room. The only thing any of the teens could do was cover their ears as another flash of white erupted in front of them. This light though was more intense, more hot. It seemed to be coming from the mirror, slowly engulfing the entire house in it's glow. The high pitched ringing had begun to quite down, and was replaced with shouting. Another burst of light, followed by more shouting. Soon all any of them could hear was the screaming of hundreds of men. The ground shook beneath their feet, and a large gust of wind knocked Tye & Alex out of their hiding places. The gust slowly turned into a typhoon, sweeping the two boys up into the air; the girls being pulled up right behind them. Their bodies were like feathers in this violent twister. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" "I DON'T KNOW!" The shouting grew louder while the tornado pulled the group higher into the air. The abandoned shack had vanished. The streets and sidewalks had been replaced by dirt paths and dense forests. The five were now being thrown around somewhere they had never been. It grew hot, and the twister merely continued its rampage, dragging the group along this new area. Gasping for a breath of air, Brissa closed her eyes and tried to clear her head. What in the world is going on?
Dawn had come. A harsh wind blew along the rows of soldiers. The Galman Crest could be seen on the front of hundreds of suits of armor. Standing in front of this massive crowd, Seth heaved a sigh of relief. All had gone according to plan, and now all he had to was march to Signa and confront the dwindling enemy. He might not even have to fight. "Commander! The men are ready and awaiting your orders!" A smirk played it's way across Seth's face. The Knight grabbed the hilt of his sword and shouted to his men as he drew his blade. "Onwards! To Signa, and to the enemy!" A boom of cheers erupted from the crowd. Weapons were thrust into the air in celebration of the upcoming battle. "March to victory!"
The grand city of Signa. It's marble buildings and vast markets were famous within the Kingdoms. The city itself was incredibly large, far bigger than any of the other cities. But, the thing that gave Signa it's nickname, the "Silver City", was the large silver sculpture placed in the center of town. A large silver blade, decorated with ruby, emerald, and sapphire gems. A single diamond sat atop the hilt. It's clarity resembled the crisp clear waters of the Western Ocean. This monument was the reason hundreds, if not thousands, flocked to this grand city every day. But on this peculiar day, the streets weren't bustling with the noise of eager shoppers and the occasional group of solders. No, on this day, the people remained shut up in their homes, while the solders were cut down in the streets. Bodies littered the granite pavement, blood stained the white walls. Like flies, the soldiers fell. Reinforcements were dwindling. Commander Augustine, of the Royal Army of Tellius, stood in front of the statue in the center of Signa. "What's the situation?" "Another battalion has fallen near the eastern gate, and the two battalions near the northern gate are being cut off." The Commander heaved a sigh of grief. "Any news from Galma or Rolburr?" "Yes Sir. It appears Galma is sending a Commander and an army of approximately five hundred men." A small smile curved on Augustine's drenched face. The Commander was well known throughout the three Kingdoms for his incredible skill with the Axe, earning him the nickname: "The Bull of Tellius." His heavy, dark blue armor seemed rather bright in the city. His hair matched the color of his armor, and was tied back with a short ponytail falling down to his upper back. Augustine's light blue eyes studied the scene around him. The Commander looked quite young for being in his late 40s. "Alright! Call the men back. We'll hold this position until Galman reinforcements arrive!"
Ow..My head..What in the world happened.. Aubrey opened her eyes, soon shutting them again due to the bright sun. "Oww.." The girl rubbed her head and sat up. Slowly reopening her eyes, she looked around. "Where...am I.." Her eyes caught something that looked all too familiar. Lieing a few yards away, Kyrie's body slowly rolled over. "Kyrie!" "Ugh..B five more minutes.." Aubrey stood and walked over to her friend. "Hey, Kyrie. Are you ok?" The pink haired girl opened one eye. "Aubrey? What are you doing in my room?" Giggling, Aubrey sat down next to her. "Ky, we aren't in your room." "We aren't?" Sitting up, Kyrie opened her other eye. After glancing around, a frown snuck onto her face. "Well then, where are we?" "I don't know." The two girls sat in the dirt, both taking in the scenery around them. They were in a large field. The soil beneath them was almost as hard as the rocks that scattered the ground. Several small trees perked up from the earth, and the withered grass swayed with the slow winds. "Hey, look!" Kyrie shouted, pointing to another familiar person. "B! Hey sis, wake up!" The two stood and ran over to Brissa, who was face down in a small patch of green grass. "Oww..Ky, don't yell." "Sorry." The third friend carefully sat up, looking around before her gaze fixated on the others. "Where are we?" The other two merely shrugged. "We don't know. But it's not the city." "Obviously." Rubbing her head, Brissa brushed a little dirt off her shoulder before standing. "Well, what are we gonna do?"
"You're gonna come with us!"
Turning around, the three girls came face to face with a small group of men. All of them swung an axe around, snickering as they examined the girls. One of the members of the group, a rather short, plump man, chuckled. "Looky here boys! It seems a couple of the local whores have gotten lost!" "What did you call us!" Taking a step forward, Aubrey clenched her fists. "You heard me! Whores! Sluts! In other words, our fun for the day!" Aubrey took another step forward, shoving one of the thugs. "We aren't a couple sluts you can take advantage of!" Letting out a loud laugh, the group quickly surrounded the girls. "Um..Aubrey. I don't think you should've done that.." Kyrie grabbed a hold of Brissa's and Aubrey's arm, pulling them closer to her. "What are we going to do?" "You're gonna bend over little bitch!" The group inched closer to the girls. One of the men reached out and groped Brissa, who immediately smacked the hand away. "Bahaha! So you like it rough, huh? Come on boys, let's have some fun!"