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THE CITY OF FREEDOM: It's not finished, but tell me what you think!
-Sirmed2
Part one:
The last kingdom
















Chapter one:
A Traitor among us

It had been tough going for all three kingdoms, particularly in the east, but after a failed conquest of the east, Angerâs legions spread like wildfire into the north, and into the west. The western people of TâKeth were proud, mysterious people who were known for their mastery with horses. They were known also for their War-Knights,, or the Western Knight. They were feared by Angerâs Troops, but they were eager for invasion. The people of TâKeth were being invadedâ¦

A large army of Western horsemen went to rest by a grove of trees. The captain, Bastidil, was eying the hill sharply, for he thought he heard a noiseâ¦
âWhat are you looking at, sir?â a big warrior said huskily as he walked up. He war carrying his helmet, and wore steel mail, and had a long, blonde beard.
âI heard something,â Bastidil said, keeping his eyes on the distant hills. âThe sound came from over the hills.â Bastidil wore a silver plate body over steel ring mail. He had long dark brown hair and a rough beard. He had his sword by his side, his hand on the hilt, ready to draw it. He was very broad, but slightly short, but very strong. He had proven what he could do on the battlefield against Angerâs legions.
He looked back to his men, sitting down to eat and drink, most of them had their spears and swords drawn and in their hands. TâKeth was hostile territory now, Angerâs men patrolling the land.
But we are patrolling this land just the same, Bastidil thought. This is OUR soil. Angerâs men wonât defeat us on Western soil.
The sound came again- a loud, hoarse shout. Many men heard it, picking up their spears and swords and running to the hills. The rest of the men did so too.
A man walked on top of the hill- he was cloaked, and carried a long sword with a golden hilt.
âWho are you?â Bastidil yelled.
The man threw down his cloak, revealing his tall, silver armor, and his helmet with a T shaped visor.
The men gasped and dropped their weapons as the War-Knight walked down the hill, followed by about twenty other West Knights.
âWhat are you doing here, Knight?â Bastidil asked, dumbfounded. He had never seen so many Knights together before.
âThe King sent me here,â The Knight said. âHe told me that any kind of aid to you helps-â He stopped mid-sentence.
âWhat?â Bastidil asked, still amazed at how many Knights there were.
âThe Kingâs other armies have been destroyed,â The Knight said. âThe garrisons he sent out had been caught in an ambush.â
âSo we are the only people out here-â Bastidil gasped at the thought- they could be ambushed any minute. He looked at the Knight. âWhat is your name?â he asked.
The Knight took his helmet off. âKasdid,â he said.
Bastidil stared at awe. âYou mean the Kasdid, the man who almost single handedly defended Vandieiâs castle from a Troop invasion and held them all back?â
âLast time I checked,â the man smiled grimly. âThere is a Troop army, three times the size of this one. They know where you are, somehow, and there is no way of out-running them.â
Bastidil opened his eyes wide. âWe havenât even fought or came into contact with the Troops,â he breathed, âThere is a traitor among us.â
An uneasy murmur spread through the crowd.
Bastidil sighed. âWell, what shall we do now?â he looked at Kasdid.
He put his helmet on. âWell,â He said, âWe have no choice but to stand our ground.â
âHow long do we have?â Bastidil asked.
âI would say about two or three hours,â The Knight said grimly.
âWell, that leaves enough time for a last meal!â Bastidil shouted. All cheered.
âAnd one more thing,â Kasdid said. âThe Troop lord Seftis is with them.â
The cheering stopped.


The army spent a whole hour preparing for battle. They ate their food, and set up for battle. They were to use the hills as their advantage, but the Troops could come from anywhere. They went into the open and stood, watching all sides.
The army stood in the open, trying to think of a battle strategy as the red banner of Anger came into the distance.
The Troop army was huge, but it looked as if it was disorganized. They formed up an even line, a row of archers and crossbowmen in the back of the swordsmen, and the horsemen in the back.
But they wonât be a problem, Bastidil thought. And they donât know about the Knights that we have. They have hidden the Knights so they could use them in the art of surprise.
âArchers, FIRE!â The Troop captain cried.
A volley of arrows flew into the front line of Bastidilâs lines. The arrows went, piercing feet and necks, bouncing harmlessly off helmets and plate bodies.
âFIRE!â the archer commander bellowed.
âTroops ADVANCE!â The enemy lines slowly went forward, ignoring the archerâs volleys of arrows.
The Troops knew that skirmishing didnât do anything, Bastidil thought. They are advancing to get this over with.
âTroops HALT!â The Troop captain ordered. The Troops were about twenty feet away.
Bastidil could hear everything- the heavy breathing of his men, the steady heartbeat of his horseâ¦
âTroops, CHARGE!â The enemies put their swords in front of them, and ran-
The Troops hitting the Westâs warriorsâ¦
Instant chaos! All lines were broken. Every man for himself! All Bastidil saw on the battlefield was chaos- He looked at his cavalry and drew his sword- âCHARGE!â he bellowed and rode into battle.
There, he saw, getting off his horse was the Troop lord Seftis. He drew his sword and ran into battle. The Troops were pushing them back, and they only had one last hopeâ¦
Bastidil kicked a Troop and stabbed him. âKasdid, ATTACK!â
The Knights advanced forward. On sight the Troops shrank back. Kasdid drew his sword. âFOR THE KING! FOR TâKETH!â and attacked, using expert moves, taking down any Troop in his path.
Seftis attacked. Kasdid blocked, and countered with a series of combinations that would spin anybodyâs mind. Seftis was thrown back. He backed away, and two Troops took his place.
Bastidil rode away after defeating another Troop. He rode away with his armor bearer, Chuck. âWe are driving them back! We are winning!â He cried. He knew that heâd get a juicy promotion at the least, defeating a Troop army three times the size of his, and even defeating Seftis would give him even a reward, let alone his capture.
Bastidil was deep in thought as his armor bearer swung his sword at him, narrowly missing his head. Bastidil was shocked. He parried another slash. âYou are the traitor?â He cried in disbelief.
âI am no traitor. I am not from the west.â Chuck said.
âYou are a Troop spy,â Bastidilâs shock was immediately replaced by anger. He unknowingly leapt off his horse and tackled Chuck off his. He hit the ground and started striking him repeatedly. Chuck drew his dagger and swung it, slicing his cheek. Bastidil was stronger than him, and had it to his advantage. He put his elbow to Chuckâs neck, and used his other hand to hold of Chuckâs dagger.
Chuck had surprising strength, and threw Bastidil back and jumped onto him, but Bastidil was quick, and Chuck fell onto his dagger. Chuck fell off, stood up, and tried removing the knife in his neck. He spat out blood and fell over on his back.
Bastidil was dumbfounded, for Chuck was so loyal, it seemed.
Bastidil retrieved his knife. âSorry, Chuck,â he said grimly. He went and picked up his sword.
Kasdid was surrounded and ganged up by Troops, including Seftis.
Kasdid was hit in the neck by a Troop with a sling. Troops surrounded him. Seftis knocked him out with the butt of his sword. They needed him prisoner.
âRetreat! We will fight another day!â
Bastidil made a sigh of relief, which quickly became a shout of victory.
The Troops retreated.
âWhere is Kasdid?â Bastidil asked to a Knight.
âHe disappeared. I do not know.â He said grimly.
Little did Bastidil know that Kasdid was not dead, but a prisoner.
Victory has shined upon the people of the west. They have won. For nowâ¦











Chapter two:
Daniel


Two days later
The people of the east, Grethinites, had the most, tough time of all three kingdoms. Angerâs invasion started inside the Eastern Kingdom of Greth, and they are still being invaded. Luckily, the Grethinites are stone workers, and have walls of stone.
But stone is no match for Angerâs Troopsâ¦

Daniel, chief general and commander of Grethâs armies stared at the Troop army advancing into the city of Kioda. He drew his sword, and cried âCHARGE!!!â drew his sword and plunged into battle. He was an excellent warrior, but the Troop army was enormous. He had never fought such a force in his life. His spearmen were advancing on the Troopâs sides, and successfully outflanked them. The Troops only advanced forward faster. A unit of cavalry charged the Troops and pushed them back. The Troops still advanced forward, not caring about how many casualties their side lost. The Grethinites, however, couldnât take the casualties that were happening to them.
Daniel plunged his sword through another Troop and made a low slash killing two Troops at the same time.
The swordsmen and the cavalry were taking the Troopâs front while spearmen went to their sides. Archers and crossbowmen fired frantically at the surging army, spreading like a contagious disease. Daniel ducked from a Troopâs swing of his sword. He stabbed him and kicked him.
âThere are too many!â A swordsman screamed.
Daniel felled another Troop and shouted âFall back! There are too many!â But the warriors bravely fought on. âTHAT IS AN ORDER!â Daniel roared. A horseman rode to Daniel. âThe city is surrounded,â he said. âWe have nowhere to run.â
Daniel looked at him sadly. He then reared into a battle stance, and charged.
They couldnât hold them for much longer. All was lost, untilâ¦
A trumpet sound filled everyoneâs ears. âThat is no Troop horn,â Daniel said to himself in amazement.
A huge army of Voranites charged the back of the Troop army. Battle cries roared louder than the clang of swords and the boom of war drums. Voranites wore paint on their faces and charged with spears and war hammers and swords in their hands. The Troops sent their sights to the new enemy. The Troops retreated from the city to finish the new barbarian-like forces and then finish the others off.
But the Grethinites were no fools. They charged the retreating Troops. The Troopâs lines were destroyed. They had no orders. They were too disorganized to come together as a unit. Some ran, few stayed. Soon the Troop army was destroyed and routed.
The Voranite army approached the Grethinites.
âA little late, are you not?â Daniel laughed, walking to them, wiping the sweat from his forehead. âWe thought you might have been destroyed on the way.
The Voraniteâs lines opened up, and a tall, strong man with a grey beard walked up. âAs if,â he laughed. âWe were delayed to go back to Vorai. A Troop army was spotted by our borders. We were busy with them for a while.â
âWell, at least you showed up at all, or we would have been destroyed.â Daniel waved a hand at the small garrison inside the city. âWe were waiting for more Grethinite reinforcements when they attacked.â
The bearded man looked at him strangely. âIt seems that they know just the right time to attack, have not you noticed?â he said. âThey seem to know about when or where to attack.â
Daniel nodded. âAnd we know why,â he said. âThe people of TâKeth told us that they caught a spy giving away the location of their secret reinforcements.â
âThey seem to have more people than what they seem to have, too.â The man said, stroking his beard. âThey must have some powerful magic in their hands.â
Daniel nodded. âAnger was and still is a sorcerer and a magician. But I had no idea he had this much power- he could only do tricks that amazes a crowd, like the tricks a performer has.â
âI must see your king,â The man said.

After an hour or so, Grethâs reinforcements came. They had, like the Voranites, been delayed. They were up against some powerful magic, but not as much as the thoughtâ¦
Daniel was sent with an army to clean up the rest of the Troops.


Daniel led a long army behind him. They were patrolling northwest, for there was an army spotted there by a scout.
Daniel scanned the rocky land. There was not a bird in sight. They decided to rest by a line of trees. Daniel didnât eat. He ran his hand through his short black hair. He saw something inside the trees- a quick red blur.
âWhat is that?â he looked closely. An arrow suddenly whizzed past his forehead. âA Troop ambush,â he said to himself, and then aloud.
âThe Troops are attacking!â People dropped their food and cutlery and grabbing weapons as Troops attacked them, most carrying crossbows, shooting the defenseless crowd.
Daniel drew his sword and charged, but no matter how many Troops died, they seemed to be replaced by new ones. The scout is a traitor, he thought. He got us to think there was an army, only to walk into an ambush. He was angry. He swung his sword swiftly, and never hesitated once. Ten Troops were dead in a flash. Daniel was surging with energy. He charged again, slicing quickly and efficiently, charging and killing ruthlessly. By now, his army was ready and fighting back. But there were simply too many Troops. They were surrounded. Daniel was shot out of bloodlust as a crossbow flew into his back. He gasped, but fought on. He cursed for a second, for he was one of the last people left. He was shot again, this time in the heart, and the rest of the Troops fired at him.
All were dead. There was silence, except for one last man, an arrow piercing his shoulder.
The Troop lines opened up, and Seftis looked at the man. He then looked at his men. âTake him. He will be of good use. I will interrogate him later.â
The man still had strength. He picked up a sword and took his own life with it.
The Troop lord sighed, and then looked at his men. âVery well,â he said. âWe shall go back to Anger, for his plan was a success.â The Troops raised their fists in triumph.
Anger had won a decisive battle, and the Grethinites had no idea.
The End has begun.
Welcome to the end.
















CHAPTER THREE:
The quote


Voranites, the war-like people of the north, are all but weak and feeble. They are well known for their work with spearmen and anti-horse warriors. The Voranites were caught in the middle of the war, and Anger is sending all he can to rid himself of the war like people.
But the Voranites will never give up their land without a fight. Anger must have the perfect warriors to do the trick- Troop swordsmen are easy targets for cavalry, and his cavalry are perfect shots for spearmen. He has but one chance to battle the Voranites nowâ¦

Seftis and his army stormed into the city of Yestock. The people were rebel Voranites, disgraced by the throne- all have ran away being accused of treason, attempted assassination, armed assault to a superior, and worst of all- running away from battle. Even those who have a taint of disloyalty will be banished. Many have escaped prisons and away from death, torture, and execution.
They all had daggers and bows, and sometimes spears and swords.
At first sight of the Troops, they picked up their bows and took aim.
Seftis waived his hand, signaling he meant no harm. A man with a thin sword and a ragged old greenish grey cloak pushed his way through the crowd. âWho are you?â he rasped. His nose was crooked and long, and walked with a slight limp. His back sagged.
âWe are Troops; we serve the great king Anger.â Seftis said, trying to be polite.
âAnger- yes, we have heard of Anger.â The man said. He looked down.
âWell, if you have not known, he is at war with the Voranites, the people who banished and sent away you people.â Seftis said.
âThey banished us,â the man said blankly, obviously thinking. âWe have wanted their destruction for since this city was built.â
âWell, you can see them be destroyed, and you could help.â The Troop said.
âHow?â the man was now alertly interested now.
âWe now you used to be Voranites,â Seftis said, his head to one side. âAnd at least some of you may know some secrets and weaknesses that they still have.â
The man smiled. âA pleasure,â he said.
âBut there is one thing you must do,â Seftis smiled solemnly. âYou must pledge allegiance to King Anger, and you shall inherit all of Vorai as your own. All you have to do is say you will die for him.â
The man smiled, revealing a long line of crooked yellow teeth. âYes! We will do anything to destroy the Voranites. Weâ¦â he turned to the people. âWill fight and die for Anger!â he raised his arm. All cheered.
The Troop smiled, and turned to his men. âThis will be easier than expectedâ¦â

The Voranites were the only people who had a wooden wall guarding their capital. But if you would say âWhy do you not have a stone wall like the east and the west?â and the Voranite would raise his head high and say âWe do not need any wall. We face the enemy with swords in our hands, we donât hide behind anything.â
The Voranite capital, Kania was besieged, and they had to give up their old tradition. The Troops suddenly withdrew, giving them time to call in reinforcements. The king met with the generalâ¦
âWe were outnumbered, but managed to keep them out of the city,â King Eraz said.
General Kizas snorted. âSo much for old tradition.â He then looked at the king and said âWord has it that Angerâs forces are patrolling OUR land.â
Eraz pounded the stone table with his fist, shaking it. âThey will NOT get away with this! Send out your army, and CRUSH it. Those little ⦠will not get away with this!â He was surging with anger.
âAnd one more thing,â Kizas said grimly, âAn army of Voranite exiles are with them.â
A vein popped up on Erazâs forehead. âThat ⦠Anger is tampering with the dishonorable; disloyal ⦠that had their pleasure snaking through my palace! They are probably giving them our secrets!â
âThey are headed for this city,â Kizas said calmly. âWe are preparing our defenses.â He started to leave when Eraz held him back.
âOne more thing,â he said, his fury stilled.
âAnything for you, oh king.â Kizas said.
âReady my horse,â he said. âNothing will pleasure me more than to see one of these cowards dead at my foot, granted they do not flee first.â
Kizas grinned. âIt would be my pleasure.â

The army of Troops and exiles came into view almost right after the king was on his horse. He smiled evilly as he drew his sword.
The Voranite spearmen cheered as he rode past. âOpen the gates!â he roared. The warriors cheered even louder. The gates opened, and the army came out. He rode by his army, shouting loudly so all could hear. âToday we face exiles and cowards,â he yelled. âThey are people who have been charged with cowardice and disloyalty. Are you going to flee and run as they did?â
The army exclaimed in disgust. âThey have all been banished for a reason,â he cried. âThey have shown poor skill and have mocked the Voranite ways. Today they think they will defeat us in battle. Now, my friends show them what it is like to be a true Voranite!â The army roared and cheered.
Then, a Troop army came behind the exiles. The cheering died down into taunting and mocking voices.
The spearmen were in front, followed by the archers and crossbowmen, to the horsemen.
The exiles charged, all had spears and shields.
Of course, the exiles could not take down the Voranites in a frontal assault. The spearmen backed away, but then they were supported by cavalry, charging the Voraniteâs flanks.
The archers fired at them, but it didnât stop them, and then the Troop army and the exile warriors.
The king cried âFor Vorai!â and charged. Two Troops and an Exile were crushed by the horseâs feet. Eraz made slashes and cuts, precisely taking down one person at a time. He was outnumbered, but not outclassed, and he used that to his advantage. He charged a one exile, which hid behind his spear, and hit the horse, taking Eraz off his mount.
He got up, cursing. He charged the man who took his horse. He liked that horse.
With a single slash, the exile was cut in half. âFOR VORAI!â he cried again, raising his sword.
A Troop archer fired his bow, narrowly missing his heart. It somehow got through his armor, piercing his skin. But it wasnât deep enough for it to cause any lethal pain. He grabbed it out. Blood stained the tip. He held it high for the Troop to see, throwing it down, and charging, the impact killing the archer immediately.
His men were being pushed back. âFall back!â he roared. âFall back into the city!â
The men did as he ordered. He had to break the old tradition again, closing the gates.
He scanned the army, frantically searching for his lead General.
Where was Kizas? Was he dead? Or worseâ¦
The archers fired their bows, frantically trying to hold the enemy back- but it was no use. They were pushing in too hard.
Kizas rode to the king. His helmet was gone, and his black hair was in tangles. His armor was stained with blood. âWe can not hold them back, let alone defeat them!â he cried. âIf they get inside, they will kill all of the woman and children.â
King Eraz lowered his head. âWe have one last thing to do, I guess,â he said shamefully. âWe must get them and as many people out of the city as fast as we can before we are surrounded.â Saying this, he knew that he had tainted and disrupted the reputation of his fathers, of his people, but if his people were to surviveâ¦
Kizas nodded. âI understand,â he said. He turned and ran to give the orders.

Kizas gave the orders- the people were defeated, and all knew that the rest of Voranite resistance would be or probably already was crushed. The people who once were the proud war-like people of the north were finished. They called the King of TâKeth and Greth to the capital of the east. Sadly, there were many disputesâ¦

The three kings sat in the stone room of the castle of Grethâs capital, Kioda.
Eraz was furious with Grethâs king, Sref.
âIt is YOUR fault my land is gone, your fault that we are in flight!â
Sref looked angry. âHow is this MY fault?â he roared.
âIt was YOUR ⦠servant that went mad. It is YOUR fault!â Eraz roared.
âYou are wasting my time, for you are not the only one who is having problems!â Sref growled.
âBut we have been hurt worst, for we have lost all of our land! We are being forced to flee into the hills with the wolves and the dogs!â Eraz cried.
âIt is not my fault that you have been defeated. It is YOURS.â
âDo you not see?â Eraz lowered his head. âWe are done for!â
âWe are not, but you are,â Sref yelled.
âYou have destroyed us all!â Eraz snarled, drawing his sword.
âThatâs ENOUGH.â The western king, WiâTor spoke up for the first time since he has gotten there.
They looked at him as if he were mad. âWe are all having a problem, which is true.â He got up from his chair. âBut fighting and pointing fingers will not stop Anger, let alone help the problem. We will help you, Eraz, and give you a home.â
âWe do not need your help!â Eraz snarled again.
âHelp?â WiâTor snorted. âThe reason we are all being defeated is that we do not ask for help. We were prosperous when we were together. And now, Anger is winning because we are too proud for any help.â
âWe could have beaten Anger without problem together. But apart, we are weak. Think of how many lives we could have saved just by helping eachother.â
The two kings lowered their heads. âDaniel was a close friend of mine-â Sref started, and then lifted his head. âWiâTor-â
He stopped and looked down. âIt is too late,â he said. âWe are finished as well. The news came to this city this morning. This is our last city.â He said.
WiâTor sighed. âI have only one city as well,â he said. âAnd TâKeth is overrun with Troops. My people and I- are destined to die, But as an old Voranite saying goes-â
He paused, and said âFreedom is my right, if death be the toll, then so be it.â
There was silence as he was off.
















CHAPTER four:
The last of the east


The eastâs capital was surrounded. The last of resistance was failing- they were being destroyedâ¦

Sref sighed as the Troops poured into the city, destroying the last resistance. He knew that this glorious city was finished. He was dressed in poor clothes, along with his wife. He had to pass as a peasant, or the kingdom would fall. His people were being defeated. Cavalry charged the Troops, but it only held them back. Archers fired volley after volley to at least hold them back- but it was no use. The Troops were advancing, however slowly. The cavalry fled, along with the rest of the army. They began looting the place. The east was done for- at least the king and queen were safeâ¦




























Chapter five:
TâKethâs last stand

WiâTor reached Tigerâs Eye city or TâKeth about a month later. The people were besieged. He was back home- but home can be a dangerous place sometimesâ¦

âGreat King, there is a Troop army in the distance coming this way!â a scout cried to WiâTor.
This was cold news for the king. âHow many are there?â he asked.
âThey come from as far as I could see.â The scout squeaked.
The king sighed. âPrepare my sonâs and my horses.â Get my son out of the city and out of the war with as many people you can sneak through the passage. The last of my men and I will hold them off.â
The scout sighed. âYes, great king.â

âWHAT?â Prince Richard roared in anger. âYou want ME to leave the city and have my people die while I am riding safely away from the city?â
Prince Richard was not too happy about the fact that he could not fight. They were in the stables. Three people were there- the scout, a soldier, and a blacksmith.
âThey are not your people yet, young prince,â the blacksmith said as he got Richard onto his horse.
âWatch your tongue, or you may have it cut off!â Richard said angrily.
âI may not have time,â he said sadly. âI must stay with the king. I am guarding my house. At least I know my wife and children are safe.â
Richard was really angry. âWhy can I not die with my father?â
âIt is because you are only a boy, sir.â The soldier said, chuckling. âAnd we need the kingâs blood so that at least the west would still live.â
Richard sighed. âSomeday, I will fight for my people. Someday, I will be a hero like my father.â


WiâTor drew his sword as the Troops broke into the city. He had gotten the news earlier that the east was finished as well.
He raised his sword high and cried âFor TâKeth! For the west!â and charged. He had four knights beside him as chaos erupted.
He charged into battle, slashing and stabbing and cutting continuously, falling Troops by the minute. The city was surrounded, but at least his son, few soldiers, and the woman and children would be safe as he and his men died- but most of the people would rather die or be slaves then leave the city. The woman took up knives and pitchforks and barricaded their homes.
The Troops broke in on the other side of the city. âWell,â he said to himself. âThis is it.â He was badly bruised. His leg was bleeding. He couldnât do anythingâ¦
He was ganged by three Troops. He was badly wounded. He attacked, and killed the first, but was stabbed by the second Troop. In his last breath, he made a defiant cry, and stabbed the second Troop. And it came to pass that the west was finishedâ¦

The king of the east passed as a peasant in Tigerâs Eye city for thirteen more years, but was soon betrayed by a friend, and was executed. The Three Kingdoms, the once powerful empire, was crushedâ¦
Everything was hopelessâ¦
























PART TWO: THE VAULT














CHAPTER 5:
THE STRANGERs


Clack! Jamesâ wooden sword clashed onto Charlesâ.
âTake this!â James laughed.
It was evening, the two tramp kids playing âSwordfightâ with some sticks they found lying around. They were hiding in some barren old broken down house. Signs of a fire had been there, because ashes littered the place, and some parts of the house looked like it was demolished with a hammer. The house was destroyed last year when some man hit a Troop with a rock, screaming at the top of his lungs. He was then immediately killed and his house was burned almost to the ground. The twin brothers knew that not even the Troops came here anymore.
Tigerâs Eye city was the last city to be conquered by Anger, the last city of the West. It was very hard to take, since this was the only western city to have a stone wall, and a stone wall enforced with West warriors, they would have lots of trouble taking it, but after the other cities were taken, Tigerâs Eye was then surrounded. Nobody knows where the kings and heirs to the throne are, but most, preferably everybody, are told and now think of them to be dead.
James and Charles were two twelve year old boys who didnât like to think so. They are twin tramp kids who, as boys, their parents were taken from them and they have to make a living on the streets. Unlike many siblings, they thought of themselves more as friends than brothers. They were identical twins, each have brown, slightly curled hair. They each had blue eyes, and were very (obviously, being starved) thin. But, being identical on the outside, they were very different on the inside. James, was very athletic and acted boldly, loved playing practical jokes, and got bored real quick if he had to sit down, and always decided to express his feelings openly, and acted like he didnât care. Charles, however, was a quiet type of person, who was very clever and nice, he was not as athletic as his brother, but heâs saved James as much as James saved him. Each were good climbers and would do that every chance theyâd get. James loves practical jokes, and once he had played many jokes that would have gotten him killed.

âCome on, Charles! Itâll be funny.â James said to Charles, but his brother shook his head.
âThis is stupid, James, and how is dying funny?â
They had both climbed a tree. James was eying a Troop who was eating a meal. He was like most any other Troop, tall, broad, always wears a red helmet unless theyâre eating, or something, they wear red armor with yellow stripes on their helmet to their waste. They donât carry any concealed weapons, (They doing this out of pride) and always have a knife that the twins figured out that it could be easily be thrown, (They had seen people fall to their throwing knives) and a long, thick sword. It was made of fine steel, and everyone had seen what it could do. It is practically a copy of the Westâs swords.
James gave Charles a rock. âYou throw this; we both know Iâm faster than you.â Charles bit his lip angrily, hating the fact that he told him that almost every day, but, as always he got over it and calmly said âFine. Just donât die.â
James grinned. âI wonât.â The plan was for Charles (In the tree) to throw a rock at the Troop. Heâll get up, and look for the person who threw it, but Charles would be concealed by the treeâs thick branches and leaves. James will sneak by, steal the Troopâs food (The Troop always eats enough for five people to feast upon, and they always eat fast, so they had to act fast) and have a feast. Well, Charles threw the rock, hitting the Troop square in the chin. He dropped his knife after making a loud grunt and fell over. He might have been knocked out. Maybe he had seen him throw it and is faking it. Either way, James came and took the food just as two Troops walked by. They each saw a boy taking food from a friend with a bleeding jaw. They each drew their swords, cursing loudly, and shouting as James ran away, as swiftly as his skinny but powerful legs could carry him.
Charles knew that Troops donât grow tired for a long time, and after James will have to stop, and would be sliced into hundreds of pieces before he could even think straight. He had four backup rocks, and he decided to take the fall for him, so he took his rocks, and threw one at a Troop. It hit him in the neck, and the Troop was furious, then Charles threw another rock, this time hitting the other Troop by the ear. They each forgot about James (They didnât compromise about one chasing James and another attacking the new enemy.) and ran to Charles, which was now easily seen. Charles threw a third rock. It struck home, right on the Troops nose. He was trying to climb the tree, and fell onto his Troop friend, each falling onto the ground. The Troop pulled his friend off him, only to be hit in the head with another rock.
James came running to Charles, who climbed down. James came and got the food, running away with it, as new Troops came by angrily, with nothing to see but a bunch of knocked out friends.

That was one of many adventures that James and Charles had together. Others James saved Charles.
Now, they had been sword fighting for almost an hour and the day was fading and the common signs of night began to arouse. The sun set and the moon began to show its brilliant blue glow. James made a long slash at Charlesâs right side, but he blocked it and met with a combination of a thrust, a slash, another slash, and a cut to the legs. James blocked them all, but was being pushed back, and he was fully aware of it, because he then jumped to the side to avoid being cornered. He then slashed at Charlesâs leg. Charles blocked it and made a powerful diagonal slash made to go through Jamesâs left shoulder to his right hip, but he blocked, and with all of his might, he slashed for Charlesâs head. Charles quickly moved his weapon to guard his head, and as the two weapons collided, it was if they were really fighting- and then Charlesâs weapon snapped in half.
âAw, no,â James said angrily. âThis sucks.â
Charles nodded in agreement. âIf only we had real swords, then they probably wouldnât break so easily.â He then picked up some stick, and hit it against the brick wall that was concealing them. The stick broke, but moved the brick a little bit.
The brick fell, and they saw a Troop standing by the place.
James covered Charles mouth to suppress a scream of terror boiling up inside him. The two boys saw him standing there-
âTroops donât come here,â Charles whispered as James lifted his hand off his mouth. âWhat is he doing?â
âI donât know, but we need to get out of here fast,â said James quietly. They sneaked away like thieves. Most of the Troops are gone out of the city, every month they give their reports to Anger. What was ironic about that is that the Troops travel in âTroopsâ of about thirty to one hundred. There is a Troop captain in each one. An army of Troops are called âLegionsâ of about ten thousand men. All are lead by the Troop Chieftain, the present one called Seftis, the boys have only seen him once before. If Seftis dies, another Troop takes his place. Seftis is fabled to be the most powerful swordsman in the world.
They snuck past the Troop and into the town square, where they decided to go to the temple of Anger.
âWhy there?â James asked.
âThere might not be any Troops there. Just come on!â Charles ran to the Temple of Anger, James following closely behind him.
The Temple of Anger is a large white building dedicated to King Anger.
One Troop was sitting by. They thought they were alone with him as they hid, but he didnât see them; he was .looking at a gang coming up. There were about twenty of them, each wearing cloaks, and had daggers in their belts and each carried torches.
The Troop got up and said âWhat are you do-â before he finished his sentence, one of the people lifted up a bow and arrow and shot the Troop in the neck, the only place he didnât have armor.
The leader of the group drew a gleaming sword. âFor the King! For the Resistance!â and threw his torch inside the shrine. The others did the same. The inside of the shrine was destroyed, and smoke and fire seeped through the shrine, and the gang was coming, throwing rocks and things at them, and after a second they ran away.
Charles and James decided it was their time to escape, but James went and took the dead Troopâs dagger.
Shouts came and a whole Troop of Angerâs soldiers (Troops) came and saw two kids, one with a knife, a dead guard, and a flaming shrine. They drew their swords. âCaptain is dead! KILL THEM!!!â
Two Troops ran after the twins as the rest of the Troops tried to bail out the shrine.
Thankfully, the gates are always open. The children escaped from the city to an old cottage and started banging on the door frantically- they had only seconds before the Troops would see them!
The door swung openâ¦


























CHAPTER six:
CRIAN


TWENTY YEARS AGO

The city is besieged- the reinforcements were destroyed- The king is dead- and Tigerâs Eye city was the last western city left.
Crian, the Kingâs blacksmith, barricaded the door. Earlier he sent his wife and children to hide, away from the Troops.
Anger has broken into the city and Troops poured in.
Crian drew his sword. The door was destroyed by a fallen tree trunk. Two Troops came in, swords drawn. Crian immediately attacked, viciously slashing, thrusting and cutting. The first Troop had fallen, and two more poured in. He felled the other Troop with a cut through the chest. They all backed off, and Seftis, Angerâs chief general came in, and cut his knee. Crian still battled on, until a Troop felled him with a sling. It hit him square in the head, and darkness covered himâ¦

Crian awoke still in his home, but his sword had been taken from him. (It wasnât his actual sword, just something he made.) Seftis walked up, grabbing his arm and lifting him up until they were eye to eye. âLucky you,â Seftis growled, âyou are going to live,â
âLucky,â Crian hissed. He struck him, but it seemed he probably had been drugged in his sleep, because it didnât hurt him that much. But Seftisâs blow to his head certainly was.
âAnger is your king now,â Seftis chuckled. âYour little king has shown his true virtue, and has fled. You must obey Anger now, and he is letting you keep you blacksmith job.â The Troop waved a hand at Crianâs anvil and hammer. There was an empty spot that a bundle of swords had been. âBut if you make any swords or weapons, even a dagger, you will be killed.â
âWhy not kill me?â Crian spat at the Troop.
âBecause it is not my choice to make,â the Troop put his face to his so they could see eye to eye. Crian did not look away. âIf it were my choice I would kill you myself right here, right now.â
Seftis stood up, and waved to his men. âWe must be leaving now.â He looked at Crian. âIâd suggest you get to work within the hour, slave,â he hissed. And with that, he and his men left.
Crian fell to his knees in his destroyed old cottage and buried his face in his hands. Hopeless, he thought bitterly. Hopelessâ¦

Mans-Telwar: twenty years later

Crian finished his work on the anvil. âAnother fine horseshoe,â he said dryly. He dropped it on the floor and sighed. It was the time of month where the Troops inspect his home. He went and sat down on his old bed. âHopeless,â he said to himself.
There came a knock on the door. âMust be the Troops,â he said to himself. He opened it to a man. He was tall, and his face was invisible in his hood and long cloak.
âWho are you?â Crian growled.
âA friend,â the hooded figure said, walking in.
âAnd what kind of a friend might you be?â Crian said angrily.
The hooded figure walked inside the little cottage. âYou do know who Anger is, do you not?â he asked.
After a moment, Crian said âYes.â
âYou DO know that he conquered the Three Kingdoms?â he asked.
âYeah- listen, Iâm just about to put up a sign that will say âNO TRESPASSERS,â so I would quite like it if you left.â
The hooded figure ignored him and said âIt seems you do let trespassers in quite a lot, it seems, you having Troops inside searching the place every month, CRIAN.â
Crian froze- âI havenât heard that name in twenty years,â he said, quietly after a pause.
The hooded figure didnât look surprised and said âWell, what if there were to be a resistance?â He lifted his hands up. âWhat if there are more free men out there?â
Crian looked at him. âAnger is invincible,â he said. âNobody can defeat him. It is-â he paused, lowered his head. âHopeless,â he said after a long pause.
âIs it?â The man threw down his cloak and drew a long, gleaming sword. Under the ragged cloak was golden grey armor and fine clothes. He had dark black hair and a beard, and sharp hawk-like eyes.
âYou are a War Prince,â Crian gaped in awe. âYou are a Knight of the west.â
âYes, and there is a resistance.â The man said. âIn the east, the King of the North and the west are in a city they call âThe Vaultâ.â
âWhat about the king of the east?â Crian asked.
The manâs face darkened. âThe king had two children when he was taken and executed. They are probably dead.â
âHow do you keep secret?â Crian asked.
âWe travel in gangs, carrying daggers, axes and bows, and maybe swords, and wear ragged clothes and travel in gangs to look more like outlaws than resistance fighters.â
âWhat about the Troops?â
âThe Vault is by a forest, and is guarded by magic- but if they DO come, the Resistance doesnât take prisoners.â He sheathed his sword. âWe want you to come too.â
âWhy me? I am just a poor old blacksmith.â
The man smiled. âI chose you.â
Crian raised an eyebrow. âWhy?â
The man ignored him and picked up his cloak. He tossed him something. âThisâll help you.â Paused, then added âNo matter how impossible it seems to be, donât repeat DONâT cross the bridge, or get into the sight of- of him.â
âWho?â Crian asked.
âAnd never, repeats NEVER eat the fruit- it seems tempting, but it is fabled that many have been drawn to their deaths by one taste.â
After an hour of talking and planning, Crian agreed. The man was about to leave when Crian searched the map and asked âWhat is your name?â
The man looked back. âDiâamor,â he said. And with that, he left.
Crian sat down and looked at the map. He could see it was hand drawn.
The Vault was surrounded by forest; it seemed that Diâamor was talking about the river. He even drew where he should go- yet Crianâs been to the river before, it was a long chasm with a river at the bottom. Thereâs one bridge- other than that, you canât pass unless you can fly.
Crian studied the map grimly, and went to get ready. He got his supplies- some food, his dagger, (Concealed) a pair of thick boots, some gloves, some warm clothes (It gets very cold at night in Mans-Telwar, whether it is summer or winter) two water bottles, a lantern, two torches and for the last- he by his bed. He moved his bed away, and his rug, and with his dagger he removed the floorboards, and there it was- a secret door. He went down and hidden by a bunch of old maps was- a case- he went upstairs and removed a picture of his wife, and took a key by the back of it, went downstairs, and opened the chest with the key-
There lay a fine sword, hidden in its sheath- he picked it up and drew it. It was his fatherâs long ago, and it is time for it to be used again.
Crian made a battle stance. âPerfect.â
He drove it deep into a thick wooden pole. A word appeared on the hilt, but he couldnât make out the letters.
He went to have the last meal at his home, but he heard something- he came to the door, opening it quicklyâ¦


The door swung open. A large man stood there. He was tall, and very broad. He had to be in his late forties, at least. He wore a grim face, and dark brown hair. He was holding something behind his back.
âWhat do you want?â the old man growled. He then added as if talking to himself, âI really should make that âno trespassersâ sign.â
âWe need a little help, sir-â James said. âWe need a place to hide.â
âHide?â the man lifted an eyebrow.
âItâs a long story, just-â Charles began, and then he turned and saw the two Troops lumbering after them, and both of them darted in before the man could protest.
He would have come searching for them, but the two Troops came after them.
âWhy hello, sirs.â The man said, saying sirs spitefully. âWhat can I help you with?â
âDonât give me any of that, Blacksmith,â the Troop said, saying blacksmith the way the man said sirs. âWe saw two kids come inside. If you do not give them to us now, or you will be executed for harboring one or more outlaws.â
âAnd what could two children do to you? Steal your ale?â the man asked, still emotionless.
The Troop spit on the manâs shoe and said âThey destroyed the shrine of King Anger and killed a Troop captain.â
The man snickered, unsmiling. âTwo kids killed a Troop captain?â The two children saw a look of defiance in his eyes. The Troop noticed it too, because he spat on his boot again. âAre you going anywhere, Blacksmith? You are sure dressed for it.
The two children, hiding under a table, looked at what the man had behind his back, and gasped.
The Troop began aware of the man with his hands behind his back. âWhat are you holding behind your back?â
âNothing,â the man lied.
The Troop drew his sword and placed it to his neck. âShow me your hands, BOTH of them.â
The man sighed. âVery well then.â He then revealed a sword and slashed the Troop sword away and stabbed him, and kicked him away, and slashed at the other Troop, who parried with his sword and slashed at his belly, aiming to cut him in half. He was then met with a block and a thrust straight through his chest.
The Troop was kicked onto the ground. The man put the sword away and looked at the children. âYouâre in plain sight,â he said, followed by âGet out.â The children walked out of the house, and watched as the man walked out of the house and into the night.
They watched as he walked away.
âLetâs go home,â sighed James. âItâs been a rough day.â
âWhat home?â Charles said dryly. âWe have no home. We have nothing, just the clothes on our backs. We have nothing to live by- besides; the Troops already know who we are.â
âThen where will we go, then?â James asked, grimly.
They looked in the direction of the man, whose silhouette had faded in the distance.


Walking in the shadows, they followed the man, closely but quietly.
The big man was muttering to himself, looking at some kind of map. His cloak flew behind him in the night breeze. They came to a road, with a long line of trees on either side. The man came to a halt, and looked behind him, scanning the place, but saw nothing. The two kids hid just in time. The man started walking again.
After an hour of walking, James tripped and fell on the ground, and the man, swift as lighting, was upon him, and a dagger was pressed it to his throat. âI knew you were following me,â he said, and then the moonlight shone on Jamesâs face. His eyes widened. âYou,â he said. He then put him down and concealed his dagger. âGet out of here,â he said, âGo home.â
âThe Troops,â said James, âYou killed them.â
âYes, but it seems you did that too,â he said.
âNo, we arenât the people who killed the Troop,â Charles said as he walked towards them both.
The man groaned, and then looked at them. âWould you like it for me to take you partially the way home?â
âWe have no home,â said James, still trying to recover from the shocking experience.
The man lowered his head. âI canât take you with me; you are too much a burden.â He said.
âWe wonât be a burden,â said James. âWe could help you. We are experienced in hiding and hunting.â
The man gave a loud, low groan. âI donât want anybody to follow me,â he said at last, âI can only take care of myself.â
âWe can take care of ourselves,â said James, lifting his head high.
The man sighed, and after a moment of him thinking, he said âI might drop you off at some place, so I guess I could take you for a little while, but I have some rules.â
âOh, thank you sir, oh, thank you!â the twins yelled.
âNO TALKING!â The man snapped.
âOkay.â They squeaked quietly.
The man began to continue walking, and James ran after him, and, trying to keep to the manâs pace, he asked âWhat is your name, sir?â
After a moment of silence, only the sound of their footsteps and the breeze, he said âCrian.â
âI am James. My brother is Charles.â
Crian stopped abruptly. âWe shall rest here,â he announced, âBut after a while we need to keep walking. Perhaps I shall talk about my rulesâ¦




MEANWHILE

The Troop captain walked up to a golden door. It was tall, and had a hand print marked on it. Two Troops guarded it.
âI must go in,â he said.
âFine.â One of the Troops said and opened the door.
A long, dark bridge leading into darkness was there. Mist swirled over the Troopâs knees. He walked past a bridge to a narrow walkway, and there, shrouded in dark mist came a dark, whispering voice. âTroop, why have you awakened me?â
The Troop bowed. âI have bad news,â he said. âTigerâs Eye city has had two incidents: one, a captain was killed and the shrine to you was burned down-â
âWho was responsible for these crimes?â the voice hissed.
âTwo kids, if you will believe it.â
âYou Troops have a reputation to uphold, and must not soil it.â
âThere was another thing- the old blacksmith is missing, and two Troops lay dead there.â
There was a long pause. Then, the voice answered. âSend a Full Troop, and get them ready- and one more thing-â
âAnything for you, great king,â the Troop said, still bowing.
âBring me the Troop lord Seftisâ¦â
















CHAPTER seven:
Forbidden fruit

The two children groaned as their legs weakened. They had been walking all night and now it was the middle of the day. âCan we not stop just for something to eat?â James said stoutly.
âNot for a while, it seems,â said Crian, grimly.
âBut I am so hungry!â James cried.
âIt was your choice you would follow me,â Crian said, âAnd I told you no complaining.â
âBut I am hungry!â
âI donât care,â Crian grumbled. âWe need to make it to the mountains as soon as possible.â
âWhy?â Asked Charles, and each Crian and James glanced at him strangely, for he hadnât talked for hours.
âThey say there are things more ancient and more powerful than Troops here.â Crian said quietly.
âWhere are you actually going?â James asked.
âI do not think I should tell you that yet,â Crian said grimly.
âWhy not?â James grumbled.
âJust keep walking! We will eat later!â
They were walking down a long, straight road. The sun was rising, the air was cool, and all was quiet. The road led to a hill. There were no signs of Troops being here. Crian wondered why.
They got to the hill, and James was still complaining.
âI have not eaten in days! Why can we not eat now?â
âWe are not eating until we reach the end of the road. Now stop complaining, since I will not feed you until then.â
âBut-â James began.
âIf you do not stop complaining, I will make it longer.â Crian was really tired now, and couldnât take Jamesâs complaining for much longer.
They reached the top of the hill, where they saw a grove of trees. âHey! Maybe there might be food somewhere over there!â James shouted, and charged off the path.
âHey-!â Crian cried. âDo not go off the path!â
But it was too late. James was staring in awe at a tree that bore his most favorite fruit. âApples!â he cried.
Crian was charging after him. âDo NOT eat any apples off the path,â DiâAmor had warned.
âStop! Those apples do not belong to you! DONâT-â
James grabbed an apple from the tree and took a huge bite out of it.
â-Eat it.â Crian said dumbly.
The trees started to rumble as Crian and James got to James, happily feasting on the apple. The land parted and they fell into a twenty foot tall chasm. The top closed. We are in a room, Crian realized. The place was alight with candles.
âWHO DARES TO EAT MY SACRED FRUIT?â A powerful voice roared. A creature stood in the middle of the chasm. It had powerful body of a man, with wolf-like legs and the head of a vicious dog.
âI am sorry! It was an accident; I did not know that just one apple could hurtâ
âSILENCE!â The beast roared. James shrunk back.
The beast slowly advanced onto James when Crian went to guard him. His glowering sword was in his hand. âLet us all go, and nobody gets hurt.â He growled.
The beast laughed an evil throaty laugh. âWhy should I care if anyone gets hurt?â he lifted his hand, and a light shone on the ground- human bones scattered the ground. âI have dealt with your kind before and I can do it again!â He roared.
Crian swung his sword, but it was too late- the beast dodged and hit Crian on his chest.
He grunted, but was still on his feet. He lifted up his sword, but the beast lifted his arm and the sword flew out of his grasp. âNO WEAPONS!â he snarled and charged. Crian was ready. He jumped out of the way and pounded on the beastâs back. It groaned, but after a second it jumped up, knocking Crian off the ground.
Crian was still fighting, but the creature was too fast and too strong. It attacked with a series of kicks and punches, and then shrunk back when Crian had a chance to fight. But Crian was still on his feet. All he needed was another blow to the creatureâs head and it was down.
The creature lunged for the final blow, and, like lightning, Crian dodged and struck the creature in its head. It fell over with a grunt. Crian lifted his fist in the air. The creature got up and was facing him in a flash. âDO YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ME?â it growled. âI am the Great Ekogodne`, Lord of the Mountains! King Anger has given me possession of this land and all that goes with it! He gives me the trees which fruit are forbidden to everyone but me!â
âWhat does it do?â James whimpered.
âIt preserves my immortality!â the beast roared. âBut it is almost immune to mortals. I cannot let anyone know about this!â
âI wonât tell, I promise!â James cried.
Ekogodne` then lashed out, hitting his opponent on the head, and Crian fell to the ground, motionless. He lifted his arm and some rope came and bound around the two brothers. They all cried out as the creature walked towards James. âW-what are you going to do to me?â he stammered.
âYou will make an excellent meal,â Ekogodne` said ignoring him.
His hands clasped around Jamesâs throat and started to squeeze.
Then, he cried out. He fell over, a dagger in his back. Crian got up, staggering. His head was bleeding badly. He went to untie the kids.
Ekogodne` roared in fury, grabbing Crianâs leg, tripping him. He fell onto the rock hard floor. He went to James.
âLET US GO!â James screamed. The creature hesitated.
âYou have ONE chance to leave,â the creature said blankly. âA riddle. And if you answer it correctly, I will let you and your friends go. If you get it wrong, I will devour you and your companions.â
James nodded. âOkay. Tell me the riddle.â
The beast nodded back and began to speak: âThere is a barrel, full of water. What do you add to it to make it half full?â
James thought for a moment. What do you add to a full barrel of water?
âYou have TEN seconds!â Ekogodne` droned.
What do you do?
âNine, eight, seven, sixâ¦â
Then it came to him.
âFive, four, three, two-â
âA hole!â James blurted out.
The beastâs dog-like ears rose. âWhat is your answer?â he asked.
âThe answer is a hole,â he repeated.
The beast twitched. Then it roared in fury, shocked that someone has answered one of his riddles. Then he spoke. âYou have answered well. You may leave. But if you tell anyone about anything about what you have seen-â
The chasm opened and sunlight poured in. Crian wearily got up. Blood was dripping from his forehead. He groaned. Ekogodne` waved his arm. His sword flew into his arms. He groaned even louder. âInsane noble.â He said feebly.
Stairs appeared leading out of the chasm. Charles went to Crian and helped him up.
When they were out of the hole, James heard a dark laugh. âSafe travels.â Ekogodne` sneered, and the hole closed up again.
Crian groaned, clutching the wound in his head. Then he half fell down onto the grass.
âWhat are you doing?â James asked.
Crian smiled at him weakly. âTime to eat,â he said.





























CHAPTER EIGHT:
Questions on the road


After a small meal of bread and water,