Chosen

Prologue

The sun was sinking by the time he got there. He had run his horse hard, and as he reached the castle gates the mare was slick with sweat and unable to continue. Dismounting swiftly, he dragged the horse forward until he was standing face to face with the guards.

They both stared at him with startled looks. He wore a dark green cloak that hid most of his face and body and at first they could not tell who was behind it. The man glared at them and said in an impatient voice, “It’s me you idiots! Step aside and let me through if you know what’s best for you.”

One of the guards frowned as he matched the voice with a face and muttered, “What brings you here, Sora? Our orders were to…” He fell silent as he saw the way Sora was looking at him.

“I can say that I don’t care what you were told… I’m here on official business.” When he saw their blank expressions he growled, “So let me through unless you wish to die along with the rest of us.”

Both the guards looked at each other with puzzled looks. They’re spears stayed where they were, held firmly in their hands. Sora growled at them and in one swift motion unsheathed his sword and split their spears where they crossed. And with that, he pushed past them… ignoring their stunned looks.

On the other side of the gates everything seemed normal. He called to a servant boy passing by, “Take my horse and see to it he gets fed and watered properly.” As he expected the boy nodded several times and took the reins from his hand. Sora examined the empty court yard with some disappointment. He had hoped it would be more heavily guarded and was surprised that the King had allowed those morons to keep watch. No wonder they haven’t seen them yet, he thought.

Noticing one of the Kings most trusted knights among a small group of talking men, Sora made his way toward them. He walked up to a man among the group with the broad sword at his side and the King’s symbol around his neck. They fell silent at his arrival and were staring at him with curiosity. Sora was perhaps a head shorted than the men and they most likely figured he was relatively unimportant. But what Sora had to say was vital information and they would all perish if he did not listen to what he had to say. Though he had a fairly good idea on how this would turn out, he had to try anyway.

He wasted no time introducing himself and instead got right to what he wanted to tell them. “Prepare for battle, get everyone ready. There’s a…”

“Now hold it right there… What’s the big idea? I follow the King’s orders, not yours.” He frowned, looking him up and down. “Come to think of it, I haven’t once seen you around here before. Why did the guards let you through?”

Sora sighed. “They didn’t.” he said shortly. “Look. I don’t wish to make trouble… but this is important and I need you to do as I tell you. I’m on my way up to see the King now, but you have to be ready to fight so that we’re not...”

A grin spread across his face and he said, “You’re going up to see the King? I don’t think so.” Sora saw him reach down for his sword, but made no move to stop him. Underneath the cloak his eye narrowed and his own hand reached for the hilt of his. The knight unsheathed his sword with one fluid motion, but it wasn’t fast enough. He flicked the sword in the direction of where Sora was standing, only to find it hit nothing but open air. He took a step forward as he lost his balance, and then went to turn around, trying to see where his target had gone.

“Don’t take another step.” Sora said quietly and then the Head Battlemaster became aware of the tip of a sword against his back. “Try to think of this logically. If you do not wish to die, then you will do as I tell you. Understand? Now, as I was trying to tell you, I was out scouting when I ran into a group of knights with Lorsan’s symbol. I brought it upon myself to follow them and, as it turns out, Lorsan has an army of about two thousand men heading our way as we speak.”