Tales of An Escapade

First Chapter

The sound of continuous singing from her guardian had embedded itself into Ane's mind as a lullaby, slowly drifting through her mind. The large hills were spread out over grand pieces of land and as a child, Ane would always play around in the endless acres of the Hilltop.
  "Good morning, Ane."
  The voice behind Ane belonged to her best friend Elliot. The two were close and had been living together ever since Ane escaped her fate as a doomed. Elliot, holding a cup of steaming, strongly scented tea, sat down by the table on the terrace, in front of his friend.
  "It is a bright day," replied Ane. "Would you like to go into town to run errands?"
  "Of course," nodded Elliot.
   The town was in one of the valleys, not too far away. Ane, originally the future princess, had travelled all the way from the royal city to escape the throne. Many called her irresponsible, immature, weak, scared and all types of names that'd bring her down her ladder of maturity and bravery, but Ane knew better than that. She didn't just leave the throne for no reason. Unfortunately, very few acknowledged that fact.
   Her guardian Aris, Elliot's mother, was hanging up the dirty laundry at the back of the house whilst loudly singing, as usual. Every morning of the fifth day of the week, she'd do it. A certain structure was planted inside their minds. A routine which couldn't be simply broken out of laziness or dismay. It was something that Ane admired, since life in the royal palace consisted of action-reaction, really.
   Aris came from behind the house and she greeted Elliot with a firm kiss on his forehead. For a seventeen-year-old, Elliot was quite mothered. It's not that he disliked it since he was known to be an independent lad, but he just enjoyed the affection of somebody.
   When the sun was highest at the sky, Ane and Elliot had decided to visit town. People weren't quite so fond of Ane since they considered her a shame to the royal family, but Ane didn't really mind that.
   After buying supplies and some unnecessary accessories, Ane wanted to go into the local pub too for a drink or two. Elliot, who wasn't much of a drinker, still accepted the offer and he gladly paid for two ginger beers.
   There was a silence between the two. Not because they didn't know what to talk about, but because they never really had the mind-set of 'talking just because you can', so they rather remained in a comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts. However, at one point, something caught Ane's attention.
   "The royal city really needs their princess again," said a bulky man somewhere in the corner, strongly discussing politics with his mate over a third glass of beer.
   "I bet that she'd never come back," bellowed the other man. They were strongly southern. Maybe they were from the Southern Bay, and perhaps even from Iccarslot, their royal city. They used many flat tones, pronounced the 'r' in a funny, hearable way and they shortened their words without them needing to do so.
   "If she'd hear how bad the King is doing, she probably will. Where is that girl now anyways?"
   "I wouldn't bat an eye for her," shrugged the other man and he finished his beer.
Ane and Elliot shared a worried look and they both stood up and left simultaneously. Their road home was filled with busy talking about the King and how on earth they'd find out whether the rumours were actually true.
   "Aris!" shouted the princess as soon as they came back home. The woman appeared from behind the house and walked into the kitchen, where Elliot and Ane unloaded the groceries.
   "What is wrong?" asked Aris worriedly.
   "Have you heard any rumours lately when you went into town for work?" asked Elliot, putting the coffee beans in the cupboard.
   Aris seemed to think for a second, just staring at the wooden parquet, her hands on her hips. She then raised her chin and nodded sharply. While Aris went to sit down by the kitchen table, she gestured the two others to join her too.
   "Well," she began, "I have been hearing a lot about the King. Your father, Ane. He is apparently very ill and reigning over the kingdom is very hard for him now. Since you are an only child, he cannot rely on relatives apart from his brother. He might help him, but he is not sufficient for a kingdom."
   "That is all? He is sick?" frowned Ane a bit in disbelief.
   "Well, no. Jarco, the elf of both lands, has come to the kingdom to bring bad news too."
   "And that is?" mumbled Elliot impatiently.
   "Apparently the core of the darkness has been released once again. Demons have been set free."