Dark Light

Chapter 3: Suzaku's Siege

Year 1872

Haruna was woken up by an explosion in the middle of the night. As she jumped from her large bed in shock, first she thought it was something from her imagination or some dream that she just forgot about, but it wasn't. Another explosion followed, this time sounding closer to the castle, its waves reverberating through the place and cracking her window.

She moved to said window in careful steps, and heard people screaming, and running steps from the corridors. Looking outside, she could see the bright flames far into the city, and a strange blue light coming from just behind the walls that surrounded the castle. She froze for a second, but the screams and the sight of those flames made her move again. She ran to the opposite side of her large chambers, her heart pounding, and stripped off her white pajamas on the way.

In a couple of minutes she was already into her blood-red warrior vests, the bird crest of her family large and black on her chest. She quickly slid into her armor that was also marked by a large royal family crest, presuming by the mayhem that the city was under attack.

Her long and heavy sword and her sturdy shield were the last items she picked up after putting on her helmet, and just as she was about to walk out of her room, someone opened her door. It was her father's counselor, a man of advanced age and a full white beard. He was also wearing his silver shiny armor.

- Princess, we must hurry.

She knew, she just knew by the look in his eyes that he intended to take her somewhere safe. That would be her father's first instinct, to try and protect her, to keep her from being hurt, and to do so he sent his most trusted man. But she wouldn't have that.

Haruna was a warrior; she trained with the soldiers for years since she was little, she felt confident that she was already as good as most of the king's knights. Maybe she lacked the physical strength of the biggest of them, but she had all the skills and she moved faster than most of them. She knew she was a good asset to have in a battlefield, and she wasn't going to let her father make the wrong decision and keep her from fighting this time.

But on the other hand, she knew nothing about the situation. She had to see her father and find out exactly what was going on. She clenched her jaw. Maybe she could play along and pretend that she was going to follow her father's instructions for a while.

They ran through the stone corridors of the castle, passing by scared maids and other servants, and Haruna even bumped roughly on two of her aunts on the way, hitting one with her shield. The women were scandalized and screamed at her, but she never looked back.

Passing by the red tapestries and paintings of the legendary red bird that was the symbol of their kingdom, Haruna had a strange sensation. Her stomach made a strange movement and she felt empty; she had the unsettling feeling that she wasn't going to see those corridors again in a long time.

When they finally reached the usually heavily locked double door that Haruna knew led to the king's strategy chambers, it was open and there was a soldier posted in front of it. They entered, and in the huge circular room was the king, his hands down against the large stone table full of maps.