• Chapter 1: A Royal Welcome

    The blazing sound of trumpets greeted Santi as her parade inched through the streets. Returning after several years of fighting abroad, the timid princess barely recognized her beloved city of Shii-Elohim. The roads had been improved and new buildings had sprouted up, but the people looked tired and beaten. People that Santi knew and loved stared at her with desperate, yet hopeful eyes. Embarrassed by the longing stares of her kin, Santi retreated back into her massive carriage.

    “The people seem desperate for a savior,” the Princess asked her advisor, Ashley, “What has Gabriel been doing here?”

    “I asked our spy to find out what has happened, and he said Gabriel changed a year into his rule. He locked himself in the palace, and sent his guard to imprison anyone he accused of treason. Recently he has taken all of the children in the city to the training camp, where he molds them into his own private army. So far he has gotten quite a large number of troops.”

    Santi looked down and sighed. How could Gabriel do such things? When he was left in charge, he was a kind and capable general of the army. “How many troops does he have so far?” Santi asked.

    “Nearly ten thousand. He would be no match for the royal army, but with our troops spread across the land, it’s possible he could gain power before the army could be assembled here. However, it’s also possible that he is not planning a rebellion.”

    Despite the grand music and the shouts of thousands of people, Santi could only focus on her thoughts. This isn’t good. My people have been put down by my own general for years. This would not have happened if I hadn’t left. Why did he change?

    Confetti showered Santi as her caravan reached the palace. Eager to settle things, Santi hopped off of her float with surprising agility. She covered her face from the stares of onlookers who were amazed by the feat, and she and her faithful aid rushed into the palace.



    Santi’s long, brown hair flowed behind her as she furiously pushed open the large doors by herself.

    “Well, well, I didn’t know the princess was so strong!” The voice came from a tall but thick soldier, with dark skin and wearing light armor. A short, thick sword lay by his side. “Greetings, Princess. I’ve eagerly awaited you. My name is Bryan. Ah...” The soldier froze, his eyes stuck on Santi. “I see you also wear the dark skin of Nuestria. It has been a long time since I’ve seen one of my kin.”

    Santi felt uncomfortable with him scanning her, but she replied, “Yes, my mother was a Nuestrian. In fact, she was…” Realizing she was saying too much, Santi stopped. “Never mind, that is a story for another day. Now, where is General Gabriel? I have urgent matters that I must discuss with him.”

    “I’m afraid that is why I am here,” responded Bryan. “The General sent me to be his ambassador to you, as well as your bodyguard for the duration of your trip…”

    “This is NOT a trip, Sir Bryan,” said Santi, her anger beginning to boil. “I am here to return to my throne, once and for all. I am not going on any more campaigns abroad for a while. I order you to bring me to Gabriel, now.”

    “Princess… I’m afraid I cannot.”

    “Why?”

    Bryan walked up to Santi and stood inches away from her. This surprised her, but Bryan quickly whispered, “He’ll kill me. He will come after me and everyone I know, and slay us all. Please Princess, you must leave here before he overtakes your troops. His soldiers are prepared to storm the city and kill you, the royal guard, and probably half of this city along with you.”

    Santi was stunned. What would she do? Should she leave and try to arrange the army? Should she stay and fight him?

    “If I may, Santi?” Ashley spoke up, a fierce look in her eyes. “If we leave and gather the army, the rest of our kingdom will be left defenseless. In the time it took to gather our troops here, Gabriel could easily obliterate a large part of the land. However, if we could defeat him right now, his troops would not have a leader and they would most likely join us or flee. The choice is clear, Princess. We must attack him immediately.”

    Santi was amazed. It was as if Ashley had read her mind. Weighing the options in her head, she shakily asked, “Bryan, where is Gabriel, and how many soldiers does he have guarding him?”

    “He is in the inner chamber. I would say he has about eight hundred troops near him in case he should be attacked. However, he probably has extra security since you’re here.”

    So, a thousand or so soldiers. There are only one hundred royal guard with me now. We would most likely be slaughtered. However, with Bryan and Ashley looking at her with expectant eyes, Princess Santi made her decision.

    “Alright, we shall attack in two hours. Ashley, go inform the Guard.”

    “Yes mam,” said Ashley. She rushed outside.

    “Bryan, can I count you on our side?” Santi looked directly at Bryan.

    “Princess, I would be honored to fight for you. I shall be your loyal bodyguard.”

    “Very good. Well then, prepare yourself! I’ll go put my armor on, and we’ll meet in front of the palace in exactly two hours.” Santi exchanged a nod with Bryan, then rushed off after Ashley.



    Chapter 2: Strength of Will

    The trumpeters outside the tavern bothered Mailie, as she tried to focus on her meditation. Few people noticed the young woman sitting in the corner, and those who did tried to avoid her. The short, spiky black hair and sharp features were not the most welcoming sight. With her long broad sword sitting in her lap, she sat on the floor and concentrated on it. The Master said I must become one with my weapon. But it’s just a hunk of steel! Sure, it’s got some charms to prevent it from rusting or dulling, but it’s still just a sword! Then again, it has saved my life many times over. If I hadn’t had this blade, I probably would’ve died long ago…

    “Have you heard, Joe? The Princess is back! Those trumpets are for her!”

    “Yeah, I can hear them! Maybe with the princess back, things will start to change around here.”

    Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Who cares about some princess? They can see I’m trying to focus, but they just keep talking! As Mailie’s anger flared, her sword began to heat up.

    I came here protecting a trader’s caravan, but now these obnoxious people are making me regret my decision! The sword’s heat had now become noticeable to Mailie. When she looked at it, she found it glowing white, with red runes engraved on its blade.

    What the?…heh. Maybe this is what the Master meant. Hey sword, can you hear me? Why are you glowing? Is it because you’re angry at those jerks? The sword’s light flared in response.

    Mailie gasped. Is my sword… alive? Are you alive?

    Before an answer could come, the warrior noticed several men approaching her. The group consisted of many strong-looking men, and even a few soldiers who had been keeping watch.

    “Hey girly, that’s a nice sword you’ve got there. Why don’t you hand it over, and we won’t have to…harm a pretty little lady, such as yourself.” This remark merited a few chuckles from the crowd of twenty or so men.

    Mailie smirked. “I’ll tell you what. If you leave right now, I won’t have to cut off you’re ugly little head.”

    A couple guys in the back of the crowd backed up as Mailie’s sword flared up again, but most of them were sent into a rage. “Listen here, you little wench, if you don’t gimme that sword, you won’t survive another minute.”

    I was hoping you’d say that.

    In a flash, Mailie jumped onto her feet, grasped her sword, and decapitated the closest man. Another man decided to flee the tavern after witnessing the scene.

    “Do you really think twenty of you could confront me? HA! A HUNDRED MEN COULD NOT DEFEAT ME!”

    The men flung themselves at her, and she readied her sword. A couple of men thrust they’re fists at her head, but with a twitch of her neck she dodged them. Fists and feet fell on her, but she dodged each one with proficient agility. The glint of metal caught Mailie’s eye. She jerked her sword up as a spear bounced off her blade. The pitiful attempts humored Mailie. She began to laugh a full, satisfied laugh as she took the offensive. Her sword dug through a man’s shoulder, then flicked back out and pierced his heart. Another man aimed a punch at her, but she sliced his hand off before he could attack. The cries of the wounded mixed with Mailie’s chilling laughter as the men surrounded her in a circle. The berserk warrior and her glowing blade crouched on the floor and spun in an acrobatic circle, slicing off all of the men’s feet. Before they could fall to the floor, she stood up and swung the awesome sword around her once more, cleaving the men’s chests. Many died at the blow, and the few who survived writhed on the floor. Mailie’s joy and anger slowly began to calm as she realized that her enemies were all defeated. The sword’s glow also diminished with her anger. A lone soldier stood a few feet away from her, his body quaking in fear of the berserker. Mailie gave him a fierce stare, preparing herself for another battle.

    “P-please! I have a wife and children,” the soldier pleaded, “I’m only t-trying to keep the p-peace! I didn’t want to join the army, but the General forced me to! Please, I don’t want to die…”

    “Go,” Mailie told him. As if he didn’t understand, he continued to stand in place, too fearful to move. Mailie sighed, walked over to one man, and removed his wallet. “Here. Take your family and leave this place. A person should not wield a sword unless they truly wish to strengthen themselves.” Mailie tossed the wallet at him. The soldier caught the money and, with a confused look on his face, ran out of the tavern.



    After washing the blood off, Mailie returned the sword to its scabbard on her back and walked out onto the streets of Shii-Elohim. The well kept roads veiled a poor and broken people.

    Well, Mailie thought, I’ve probably got about ten minutes before some soldiers show up. Her sword heated up at the thought.

    Yeah, it might be fun, but I cannot fight without a reason to. Mailie pushed the entertaining thought of another battle out of her head. Walking down the beautiful street, Mailie admired her surroundings. She had traveled to many cities, but few had such great structures. Towering buildings dwarfed everyone walking past, and the golden colored streets reveled in their splendor. One building in particular caught her eye, a grand palace of white marble and gold. The diamond dome twinkled at the top of the structure. The Dome of Elohim was a marvel of the world, attracting thousands of pilgrims, travelers, and adventurers from across the land.

    “I think I found our next destination,” Mailie said, rushing towards the glimmering palace.

    After making her way through multitudes of people, Mailie reached her destination. The grand palace of Shii-Elohim was splendorous and massive, but a ring of guards surrounded it. The berserker noticed a man go up to the soldiers, as if asking what their purpose was. The soldier became frustrated by this, and replied by ramming his knee into the man’s stomach, after which a couple of soldiers dragged the man away. The sword heated up in unison with Mailie’s anger, and Mailie quickly stormed off.

    I think we found our next mission, she thought to herself. Not sure how to continue, Mailie sat down on a bench and tried to think.

    Suddenly, a loud blast from a trumpet rang through Mailie’s ears. Oh, not again! She thought. I’m gonna give that trumpeter a piece of my mind! She stormed into the building where the sound came from, but it wasn’t a trumpeter that she found inside…