Chapter 1 Part 2
When Rolan opened his eyes, the moon is reflected on a large
bladed edge that suddenly jutted through the black figure's neck. An upward
stab from behind the assailant, through the unprotected collarbone area,
severed the skull from the body. The neck muscles and skin kept it from falling
but with the bones severed the head hung in a weird way.
The body convulsed for a few seconds before it fell forward
towards Rolan, the blade still sheathed on the assailant's neck.
A smaller silhouette of a boy now stands where the assailant
once was. He looks somewhat Rolan's age; his hair glinted with a darker auburn
color wherever the moon hits on his head. All the details were lost when Rolan
saw the boy's eyes. With the moon behind his savior Rolan cannot see the boy's face
but the eyes shone bright white. Rolan felt shivers through his spine; they are
like cat's eyes. Though, the boy's stance gives off the feeling of royalty than
viciousness.
"Orcen forerunner."
The boy's white eyes look down the fallen orc as he pulled
his sword free from its dead sheath. His eyes shone in the darkness as if
illuminated from the inside.
"That means an entire army should be flowing through
the twin cliff's valley."
He took a quick look below the cliff as if nothing happened.
"… massive"
If he was ever surprised, it did not show. He calmly scanned
the huge expanse below.
"Orcs, Goblins, Giants, Minotaur... even undead. Not
simply a marauding horde, they are organized... there is a touch of a tactician
here... they did not raise their torches until they know they have eyes on the
cliffs..."
Rolan knew the white-eyed boy was talking to no one but
himself. He has never seen the boy before, but he knows who he is. There is
only one family whose male line had those creepy night-eyes; The Alexander
royal family. From the battle-grizzled father-king to his 14 year old son. They
normally have grey irises but in the light of the moon, it shows a reflective
white. To honor the prince, Rolan's father named him closely after the royal heir. He
then flinched when he noticed that the prince looked directly at him.
"Are you two alright?"
The prince scanned Rolan and his sister. Without waiting for
an answer, he raised a single eyebrow as he asked the next question
sarcastically.
"What are you doing here? Are you the kingdom's scouts
who were assigned to these mountains? Are you not too young?"
"We are only months apart, prince." Rolan thought,
but would not dare open his mouth. He knows better than be flippant in his
answers to a person who can probably scare a ghost at night.
"I felt the light rumbling of the earth, my prince. I
went here to see what it was." He saw the prince looking at the scared
little girl in his arms and felt foolish.
"....It was unknown to me that my sister followed
me."
"You should have been more careful. You had her in a
terribly dangerous position."
Rolan felt the words stab through him as his face reddened
with shame. "This person can probably scare an experienced courtier into
submission just by staring at him", He thought.
"What is your name, friend?" The prince asked with
a smile and an outstretched hand. Rolan was quite surprised with his sudden
change of tone not to mention that the prince's smile betrays his entire
attire.
Iron vambraces and iron chest plate over fur-lined hard
leather pieces. The iron plates on the chest piece and vambraces are ornately
etched with inscriptions and embossed with a large face of a lion. With just
those pieces in metal and the rest in leather and cloth, the prince can
silently and quickly move around. "Quite unlike the guy running after
him." Roan thought to himself, sighed and looked at the direction the
clanking sound is coming from.
"I am Rolan Vincent Galder my lord, and this is my
sister Libertine Johanna Galder. My apologies, but your companion is making too
much noise."
The prince gave a quick smile as he said a quicker
"Well met." He then turned to meet the coming knight. When the
knight's and the prince's eyes met, the prince gave a signal to stay silent.
The knight slowed down a bit but was noisy none-the-less.
The plate-over-scale mail armor, not to mention the open visor helmet looked
too bulky and heavy compared to what the prince is wearing. He also carries a modified
lantern shield behind him. On a closer look, the knight is probably close to
their age give a few years, his features are young yet he is as tall as the adults.
“I told you to lose the armor if you are going following
me.” The prince crossed his arms and kicked the orc carcass to bring the
knight’s attention to it.
“You will alert the entire invading army to my location.”
Rolan noticed a smile forming on the prince’s lips. “Not that
I would mind.”
Instead of answering, the knight dove to his knees and
pulled the prince towards Rolan and Libertine. He covered them all with the shield. They heard two arrows, one after another hit
the shield.
“I don’t have to my lord; your cocky voice is loud enough.”
The knight smirked as he checked for another volley.
“You…” The prince started to laugh but stopped short and
straightened his face. “Where are the king and the rest of the reconnaissance
group?”
“They are at the foot of the twin peaks to the northwest in
a farming village.” The knight replied.
“Good, we are going to need to report this… after the
fight.” The prince smiled and pulled his sword free again.
“Ugh, why do you always drag me into trouble.” The knight
replied with a smile on his face.
“Rolan, Libertine, please hide yourselves but get ready to
run. After the first wave, we will start running for the village.” The prince
said. Libertine was looking at the prince at an angle where she sees that the
prince’s unnerving glowing eyes.
“uwuuuuu..” Libertine started to sob, Rolan held her tighter
and whispered; “We will be alright.”
He looked at the prince’s eyes looking for assurance. All he
saw was the bloodthirst of a lion.
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