*Aldrick Easton*
The winter day was cold as Aldrick got out of bed and made his way to window to look out at the snow falling on the streets below. His mind wandered remembering the day he stood in the crowd of humans who looked up at their King who was laying bare, stripped of his dignity and thrown on the ground. It was the day hordes of orcs came crashing down upon the Kingdom with such great force no human could withstand the great war hammers of doom. They buckled and broke within a week and the world was left to ruin. I cry, I yearn, I bleed these were the last words of the King of Aenartil, Gulwin Dartanian.
"Alysanne" Aldrick looked back over his shoulder. Alysanne a distant cousin of the royal line and two years the elder of Aldrick, pushed herself up and back against the back board of the bed. The sheets fell away to reveal the expanse of her torso, two scars stood out, one running from her right shoulder to the left side of her hip and the second from the left shoulder to the right side of her hip. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up, now completely naked and walked over to Aldrick, with her arms crossed under her chest, her white as snow hair swayed behind her and she also peered out the window, she wasn't that much shorter than Aldrick and if she wore heels she might even be tall than him. "Winter has arrived...at last" she said slightly optimistically. "It doesn't better our position" Aldrick said looking at her. She walked a few steps back to the bed and started to put on her tunic "it doesn't worsen it either". "Your right.... Figelion was last seen ten miles north of here, the snow will make it harder to travel but will also make us harder to track for orc search party's" Aldrick said gnashing his teeth together. "What's wrong?, I know you Aldrick, better than you sometimes do, and you always grind your teeth when something is wrong" she said whilst buttoning up her tunic. "Please, nothing is wrong I'm only worried, Figelion is still being hunted by hordes of orcs and he's a lot more powerful than I am not to least mention you, so I'm worried I won't be able to protect you" he says looking out the window. She scoughs. Aldrick moves to before her and gently peels back her collar. To look down at her scabby flesh "your wound hasn't healed fully" he stared at her. "So" she replied, looking back at him "I'm still strong". "Not against orcs, they'll rip you limb from limb and especially not when you're injured, your mother was powerful but your only a dormant, Eamar will inherit your mother's power as our son, and I want you to be there for him" he stood defiant. She laughs bitterly "Eamar is four, a child from a mistake when we were teenagers and I guess you still are a teenager." She sounded annoyed. "He has never seen us before, and he wouldn't want to" her voice had softened and a hint guilt crept in. "It wasn't your fault" Aldrick said. "Yes it was, I was sixteen and you fourteen, I feel horrible for making do that with me, people hated me for it, but they're all gone now just like everyone else". She looked up at him remorseful and sorrowful with warm tears streaming down her face. "Who said I didn't enjoy it, and I've said I love you too, even if our son never will" he smiled down at her."I'm your sworn protector and sword, I have to deal with you even if I didn't want to" he said. His lips met her's in a soft delicate kiss.
*Figelion Dartanian*
Figelion rushed through the brush and trees of the oak forest, leaping over anything that got in his path. An enchanted arrow made from dragon tooth had already pierced his side, making his movements more sluggish, black blood was leaking from around the tip, it was fatal. Damnit where is Xavier Hallows when you need him he thought to himself, his breathing becoming more desperate and weak.
He heard the loud roars and snarling from orcs hot on his tail through the thick snow. Must be at least fifty or sixty he thought. He knew his time was coming but he wouldn't go down like his father or anyone else for that matter. He slashed through a tree letting it fall behind him with a thud, snow flaring up to cover his footprints. Hoping this would slow down his pursuers. He pulled the ointment or what was left of it from his pocket, he ripped the lid off with his mouth spitting it away, he wouldn't need it again. He let his sword fall from his other hand as gripped the arrow firmly and yanked it out. He peeled back his clothes to reveal the wound. Shoving the bottle of ointment into the wound, flinching at the sting the followed. Before tossing it away, there wasn't time to be resting.
The pain was still prominent but he didn't care he gripped the blade that he had dropped and stood up tall, he almost immediately picked up the scent of the orcs.The smell of death and blood from the large green beasts. They were upon him like thunder and lightning.
The snarling orcs appeared through the snowy trees like a bear awakening from it's slumber. He drew back his sword and fell into a defensive stance. They're not all here, but still I can't kill them all with just my sword. I'll have to use my enchantments. Figelion was a level four enchanter which for his age was very impressive. Yet still, he knew skills and techniques far beyond his years like 'Angel's Bind'. He opened the palm of his free hand and mana began to form in an almost halo like ring above it, showcasing his adept link with mana having to use no hand seals. The white mana coming from a mix of himself and nature began to turn into a gold colour. Then with a flick of his wrist the mana circle disappeared from his palm and elevated above the orcs, expanding outwards to engulf them fully. The orcs snarling grew louder and then with a click of Figelion's fingers the circle closed in around them, slicing each one in half. In a blink of an eye they were all dead their green blood covered the snow, which had now stopped falling. The forest grew silent once more too silent, Figelion sheathed his sword then pressed his middle and index finger to the snow to feel for any tremors of movement, but he felt none. He stood back up and looked over his shoulder at the corpse's of orcs just laying there, clicking his tongue they're going to leave a smell, I guess that's someone else's problem. He began walking away towards the village that he was told Aldrick and Alysanne were staying in.
A slow mathodical clapping followed "Good show, brat, you really are the prodigy everyone talks about, being so formidable at ten". The man lept from the tree he sat in landing with a thud, snow flew up around like a barrier of tiny little ice crystals, they were quite beautiful. "Magnificent aren't they, you really should try and learn some elemental mana, I mean your affinity is for enchanting but still you should be compatible with at least another mana type" Figelion had been so mesmorised by the spectacle he hadn't realised the man had taken his sword and was swinging it nonchalantly in his hand, smirking at him. "That's mine" Figelion snapped. "Oh really silly old me, hadn't realised I took it I guess you're a bit too slow, huh? The man was unamused. "The name's Asahi Hyldar, remember it if you live" the man's tone was undercut and menacing. Figelion didn't realise what he ment until it was too late, he felt the cold blood trickle down his back first then he let his gaze fall to where the man had impaled Figelion on his own sword. He felt himself weaken, as he tried to pull himself off the blade. But the man pushed the sword deeper as Figelion tried but failed. Is this the end, no it can't be, I have so much left to fight for. Who the hell is this guy? Is he with the orcs? No he isn't, he must have killed the other ones that's why I didn't hear anything when I touched the ground. And he's fast, way too fast I mean I can run the length of the castle in under three seconds but still, I didn't even feel him take my sword. "You're probably wondering, who I am right now? but all you need to know is I'm 'The Fallen Prophet' Asahi Hyldar" his voice was loud and projecting to anything that would here Damn I think he's crazy "okay?, now be a good boy and don't die. You're friends should be here in a few hours, think you can hold on that long?" He said sarcasticly, laughing slightly then patted Figelion' back. Figelion felt Asahi' fingers let go and he was relieved for a moment before realising he now lay gently against the snow. "Au revoir" Asahi said before disappearing into the snowy depths. Figelion felt a slow flicker in his chest just before everything around him started to fade into nothing. He was Figelion no more.
*Xavier Hallows*
Xavier stood atop a mound of corpse', his friends, his allies the one's he swore to protect all dead beneath his feet. The smell was so potent it could have knocked out a dragon. His face was covered in blood and grime, his white hair was much darker, but the wolf fur that covered his shoulders was still there, only a touch darker.
The snarling blood covered face's of orcs were on the horizon, making their way for him. "Thousands if not ten's of thousands" he said. But Xavier would not grieve, his time was running out he needed to get to his prince, the last hope of his Kingdom, the last remnants of the one's he swore to protect, to be the Guardian of. The prince, I need to get to the prince he thought. But that would have to wait, he readied himself and gripped his sword tight before he lept from the high mound hundred then two hundred and three hundred, his fur cloak fluttered behind him. He was a level one physical type mana manipulator, the highest level before level S. Physical type allowed him to harness the mana naturally stored inside himself to increase his speed, strength, durability and more.
After making up the distance he landed in the centre of the horde with a crash, creating a crater from his sheer ferocity and vengeance, scattering orcs that were too close. "YOU BASTARDS, TRY ME" he screamed. Of course the orcs couldn't understand what he was saying, but they understood his body language and they screamed right back at him. "On this day, I will kill every last foe on my path for vengeance and to get to my prince" he pointed his sword in the direction of the orcs "Stain my sword with your blood and filth" he said before lunging forward with his mana infused body and cut down the first wave of orcs, in a cold merciless manner. As they hadn't realised their comrades had fallen, due to them not being able to comprehend Xavier's speed, an orc swung down with his axe in hand aiming to split Xavier open. With his tusk's bared the orc roared, before the brutal hand of Xavier caught his chin and slammed it shut so hard that his tusk's broke off, and with his free hand Xavier ripped the axe from the orc. The orc squirmed and squealed trying to loosen Xavier's hold as Xavier sunk the axe into the orc. The orc was then tossed aside by Xavier getting trampled by his own brethren. Xavier slightly amused by the scenario jokingly said "is that what'll happen to me if I faulter?" "Too bad you didn't bring another ten thousand, ye might have stood a chance then" he said falling into an offensive stance."I am Hollow".