The Masked General

Fyrgebræc

Thunderous footsteps followed, soon Harwen's armies were charging towards them.

Avira glowered at Marc, "You liar! You were just trying to distract us!" She swung her sword, Marc barely dodged. She looked at her horse, writhing in pain. "How could you!"

He yelped, "No, I'm telling the truth! I told them not to attack! You have to listen, I only faked being the bad guy. Samuel tried to kill my sisters, I had to get them to safety, and faking it was the only way." He shook his head and bit his lip. He looked around and spotted Samuel riding up from within Wayollen's army.

"We've been led into a trap!" Avira whistled, Sylvia came running through the crowd of knights. She jumped onto the wolf's back, charging towards Harwen's army.

"Watch out!" Marc jumped in front of Avira. Samuel's arrow pierced Marc's side. Avira hadn't noticed, she was already long gone, riding to the front lines.

She rode quickly ahead, and yelled at her troops. She fumbled with her locket as she charged. As she watched the knights clashed, her heart was filled with sorrow. They were her people. Every knight here, she had come to know, both Wayollen's and Harwen's. She hated the fighting. She hated the sound of her sword clashing against her enemy's blade. She began to realize, she hated war. She didn't want to lead a war, she wanted to stop it. She looked around frantically, realizing she had lost sight of both Hiroshi and Marc. Even worse, they were in the middle of the capital now, and heading right towards the palace.

She realized that Harwen's knights assumed she was dead, maybe they would listen to her if they knew she was alive.

She took off her mask, and tossed it aside. "Stop!" She cried. "Stop your fighting!"

Maybe there could be peace between their kingdoms, if only they would listen. Harwen had been a peaceful kingdom with all except for Wayollen, but if they could just set aside their differences. 

Claude looked at her curiously, but when the knight he was fighting saw the princess, he dropped his sword. Avira continued her shouting, as she ran frantically through the alleyways and streets, separating the fighting soldiers. She looked at the town homes. She looked at the palace, smoke rose from the building. Fire? How?

"Stop!" She screamed above the crashing swords. "Stop," She begged against the sound of arrows flying.

Claude joined in her cries, followed by Kal, followed by the knights from Harwen they had been fighting. The cry for peace carried throughout the army. Slowly, the fighting stopped, everyone stood around looking confused.

"Why did the general say stop? Where is Samuel and Marc?"

"Stop fighting the enemy? We don't stop until there is a winner."

Stubborn whispers rose from the crowd, the fighting began once more.

Avira groaned as she looked around for Marc and Hiroshi, they were nowhere to be found, then she looked back at the burning castle. No, they wouldn't be there. They couldn't be.

She reached in her pocket, she felt some sort of cloth. It was Hiroshi's handkerchief. "Sylvia, can you use this to track Hiroshi?" Sylvia began sniffing around.

"Claude! I need to find Hiroshi and my brothers, can you take care of things here?" Avira looked around at the knights, some still fought, others just stared at her. She knew that nobody really wanted this war, but they were confused. Dark clouds covered the sky.

"Sure thing, General!" Claude nodded. He raised his sword in assurance.

 Samuel had set fire to try and block off the fire, but it got out of control. The fire burned brighter. Marc didn't bother to take out the arrow that Samuel had shot, it stuck out of his shoulder like a sore thumb. The fire spread to the palace walls, it was being consumed. The war had been forgotten, and knights from both kingdoms were trying desperately to put out the fire. There was a chance of it spreading into the town. The air was hazy, Avira could hardly see through the smoke. She ordered Sylvia to go out of the palace gates. There was no hope for her home now.