A Struggle of Power

Prince of darkness

Dietrich hadn't slept in days. His worry about his daughter rushing through him at all times. He had arranged for a ship to take him back home. He kept his distance from Asterin since. He couldn't hurt her with his own pain. He couldn't risk pushing her to her own limits. Though when he laid next to her at night, sleepless, he would watch her. He would smile as she slowly breathed.
    The morning his ship arrived he got ready. His clothes thrown into a bag, and his sword at his hip. He looked at the teddy bear that haunted him. He felt anger, sadness, and happiness wash over him in waves. How could he let her get taken? Is she ok? Did they hurt her, feed her?
    "Dietrich." Asterin's voice whispered into the still air. "Please talk to me." He kept quiet. "I know you're leaving but you don't have to." She spoke.
    "I do." He said. "She's in Beleras, and this is all my fault." He didn't look back to see her.
    "You can't blame yourself for others' actions." Asterin's hand gripped his shoulder.
    "This is one of the few times I can." He spoke.
    "I'm coming with you then." She responded.
    "No." He looked at her. "I won't let you. It's too dangerous."
    "Dietrich this is our daughter." She said. He looked at her. That was the first time either of them had openly said who she was to them. "You can tell me what happened to cause this on the way there."
    He didn't get the chance to protest. He found himself on the boat with his wife standing next to him. "Years ago I hurt one of their members."

The cold rain blurred everyone's vision. Dietrich's clothes stuck to his skin as if holding on for dear life. The rain poorer gallons in a minute, and the streets would be flooded. Houses will be torn. The storm was heavy and hard. When he found his sister had disappeared he quickly raced after her. She was a bastard, but damn him if something happened to her.
He raced on his horse into town. The word of others told him the Legion took her. The rumors of who the Legion was blanketed the land of Beleras. He never believed them until he saw the mark for himself. The one that told him the Legion did indeed take his young sister. She was a kid. A small young girl with so much hope for the world.
He pushed through the piercing rain and found his way into a large building. The stone wall wrapped around it told him it was a lord's house. The moss on the walls of the cabin like home told him it'd been there for some time.
Throwing a leg over the horse and lowering himself to the muddy ground he grabbed his sword. He walked into the building cautiously. The house smelt dirty, and dusty. The mildew filled his senses as he walked in. Was it mildew? Yes, but there was also another smell. An iron-like one. He peered around until he saw the symbol again. It was placed on the wall. The giant triangle that was upside down and crossed through the pinpoint of the peak, only to go down and curl. An 'L' crossing through the curls together, and an 'X' going through the middle of the triangle. He held his breath as he approached it. It was written in red, but it was deep, and heavy, and the closer he got the more he saw, it was blood.
Panic rose in Dietrich at the new revelation. He began to turn around looking for the source of the blood. It was dripping and still wet. It showed it was recent. Whoever did this could still be here.
He began to walk around the large floor and upon noticing a staircase that was covered in more blood he clenched his fists.
He raced up the stairs and pushed through the door. His sister laid there in her dress, a light pink now blasting red. Her breath was shallow as she struggled. Dropping to her side he found himself sobbing. His little sister was dying. He placed his hand on her wound attempting to stop the bleeding. Something the doctor had done to him thousands of times.
"Dietrich?" Her soft whisper met his ears. "Dietrich what's happening?"
"Nothing. It's ok. It's all going to be ok." He spoke. Her small body overwhelmed by the wound she was numb.
"Dietrich a man," she whispered. She pointed to a small closet.
"It's ok. No one is here." Clearly knowing what she meant he didn't want to leave her side. If the man wanted her dead he would have already attacked.
As his sister's eyes closed, and her breath halted he felt his world shatter. His head came to rest on the forehead that was now becoming cold. He placed her down as he looked at his hands. Covered in blood, covered in blame for not being fast enough to save her.
"A royal family who can't protect their own, can't rule." The man, the one she pointed to with no doubt, spoke.
"A man who kills a young girl to make a point is no man at all." Dietrich growled. He recognized the voice. Lord Albrecht. He had challenged the royals on more than one occasion. This time his challenge increased. He was forcing him to make a room.
"No more of a man of one who sons over a bastard."
Dietrich gripped his sword and swung. He killed the man instantly. Taking his head off and letting the body bleed. "More of a man than one without a head." He spit.