Contract Of Chaos

Chapter 1

Bright as a star. That's what Asterin Delcour's mother said to her. She was often referred to as a star, even her name meant star. She had no idea why though, there was nothing about her out of them ordinary. She had long brunette hair that fell past her shoulders in loose waves, pale green eyes, and was fairly tall for her age. Her father had once said that she didn't have it in her to be ordinary, that she had sharp mind and good instincts that could make her into something extra-ordinary. She hoped so.
It was a normal day in the small village of Malich. And it will stay that way, always being the same day after day, week after week. Asterin often thought about life outside the confinement of the village and what it would be like to explore the mysterious outside world. Although, when she voiced these thoughts it only resulted in scolding from her mother. "A girl like you shouldn't be concerned with the rest of the world, you should be concerned with caring for your future family." Those words made her blood boil. Who cares about her "future family" when she has a perfectly fine one right now, and she didn't plan on getting a new one any time soon thank you very much. Her little brother would always beg her to make stories about what she thought was beyond their territory, she was always happy to oblige. She told him of mythical creatures with powerful gifts, of huge castles and courts that would spend their days socializing and dancing, and of dark secrets that no one knew about.
But those were only stories, and in real life you need to be practical. And according to her mother, that included finding a husband. Which Asterin thought was absolutely ridiculous considering she was only thirteen and the only "suitors" her age in town, were little weasels that she had the misfortune of living near.
Asterin Delcour was prepared to continue to brood when she saw something in the horizon, flags. But not just any flags, these flags were instantly distinctive with their black background and knife covered in blood crest. The Rousseau flag. Panic swept through her as she recalled the stories her father had told her about the ruthless, murderous Lord that those flags belonged to. Lord Denzel Rousseau was known for forcing young men to conscript to his army and help him win the seemingly endless war he had against the king. This war had been raging on for years now and it seems it will continue until the two opposing sides eventually end each other. She runs over to warn her father, but he had already realised and was barking orders at people to evacuate while they still could. Women clutching babies to their chests hurried out of their houses and men prepared weapons. Asterin saw her younger brother being swept up in the crowd and rush over to him, grabbing his hand and leading him away. The two follow along at the back of the swarm of people running for their lives. The people in front of her stop abruptly and she peer over the shoulders of people to see what caused the immediate halt. A man perched on an impressive black stallion stood in their way, Lord Rousseau. And behind him were soldiers, dozens of them, all in their ominous black armour. The armour looked as if it had been crafted out of the essence of night itself. Rousseau smiled slightly, as if savouring the panic in the people's eyes. His voice was almost a purr as he said, "Now now, is that how you all greet guests?" The silence that followed was eery. The lord just nodded to one of his soldiers and said, "Take the conscripts." The soldiers immediately went into action, grabbing boys and throwing them into the wagons they bought with them. Mothers screamed as their sons were ripped from the grip and it occurred to Asterin that her brother would be next. She grabbed him by the hand and tried to lead him away discreetly. She backed away from the unfolding chaos, she took a step and felt herself hit something solid. Not a wall, a person. She looked up and dread coiled in her gut as she beheld Lord Denzel smiling down at her. "You know we are going to take your brother either way, don't make it difficult."
She shakes her head viciously as she stammers, "N-no you w-wont, I won't let you." He ignores her and starts walking towards her brother. Asterin didn't think, she just acted. That's another thing her mother didn't approve of, acting before thinking. But this particular moment didn't warrant any thinking, it was a matter of her brother's freedom. She unsheathed the knife at her side, lifted it, and with a flick of her wrist, sent it flying into Denzel's outstretched arm. He screamed in pain at the impact and whipped his head round, surprise contorting his features. She uses his distraction and whisper to her brother, "run". He does and only when Asterin sees him disappear into the forest, does she turn around and face the lord that now towered above her. He grabs her with his uninjured hand and drags her to the wagons. Asterin tries to get out of his grip but despite her feeble attempts, his hand remains firmly on her arm. He throws her in with ease and she lands with a thud. The door is slammed shut and darkness consumes the wagon.  She scrambles to her feet and looks through the small, barred window. The horrific scene that lay before the young girl would surely stay with her until the day she dies. Bodies. So many bodies were piled up. But there was one person that remained standing, fighting with the skill and strength of a true warrior. Her father. He gritted his teeth as he took down soldier after soldier, cut them down one at a time. He was going strong until his body suddenly jolted as a long sword ripped through his chest. Blood soaked his shirt as he fell to the ground, eyes wide and mouth still open in a silent scream.
Asterin vowed to never forget that face, nor would she ever forget the face of Lord Rousseau as he cleaned his sword of her father's blood.