Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

As if by Name

Cansal was walking towards the training grounds with Davanos, squinting slightly in the sunlight that was shining warm and golden in the early morning. It had quickly become a routine between the two of them, even as the last couple of days had seen them both pulled into some meetings involving talks of war and alliance that dragged through the long daytime hours.

Sometimes they would talk, and other times, they would just fall into step with one another on the way to training, like had happened today. It had grown quickly into a companionship that was nearly as physical as it was emotional, as if their bodies found something right being near one another, even if they were trying to throw the other person into the ground or land a less than a nice blow on an unprotected side.

They were most of the way there when Davanos froze misstep and turned to look away from the palace, down along a garden path that led in the general direction of the city walls.

Cansal was about to ask what was going on when Davanos snapped his wings open and tossed him a glance. "Someone is trying to kill Darya, keep up."

Cansal cursed and wheeled, sprinting off in the direction that Davanos was flying, only able to keep up with the other man because it wasn't really that far away. It was only a brief moment before he heard the clashing of blades and yelling from other people himself, before he came around the corner, sprinting across the grass, his sword in his hand, though seeing that two Morningside Knights were standing off against a platoon of Rulin fighters, who had taken two Clairvalan guards to the ground and also surrounded a pained-looking Darya and a young girl.

Davanos was landing, also too late and more people were running in the same direction as him, from various points of the gardens. He saw Darya, swords out, gasping for breath and looking half-conscious, talking to a frightened looking teenage girl, who seemed to be trying to hide behind the woman, as well as protect her at the same time, which made an odd dynamic.

Even as he approached, he saw Darya's expression go stubborn as she sheathed her blades and shifted her stance to move between the Knights and the Rulin they were looking ready to battle with.

By the time Cansal reached the group, more Rulin had landed, including one he hadn't seen before, wearing general ranks, moving immediately to the young girl's side.

As Darya moved out of their protective circle, the Rulin Guard formed up around the young girl and the General stepped forward towards Sir Reynald as he ran up, looking ready to murder the man.

"Why were two of your men trying to kill her?" The unknown General snarled, causing Reynald to backpedal and glance at the two bleeding men on the ground.

Cansal saw Davanos shift ever so slightly into line with the Rulin.

He saw the Vayans land and do the same thing, as if getting ready to square off against the Clairvalans. Cansal frowned, pointedly sheathing his sword, and motioning to stop the approaching human guards. He needed less armed people here, not more, though he wasn't sure if a massacre could be prevented at this point.

"They're probably not Reynald's men." Darya gasped finally, stepping between the two groups, squaring herself off in front of the General and the Prince, apparently oblivious to the fact that blood was slowly seeping through the fabric of her shirt. She had opened at least a couple of her wounds, and he could hear her breath whistling slightly. "Treasa recognised them as Kethan's men, and they weren't very convincing guards. I don't even know if they understood who Sir Reynald was. They weren't expecting to see Treasa here, but whatever they were trying to do was trumped by trying to grab her."

The General watched her for a long moment, before nodding and relaxing then, enough to glance at the young girl, whom Cansal assumed was Treasa, who nodded to him, looking like she wanted to say more, but was wise enough to leave whatever was on her mind be.