The Return

Chapter 3

(This is an example of a store with a false front)

A loud banging sounded as Liesbeth shot out of bed, but her parents got to the door before her. As her father reached for the handle, a man's voice yelled,"Open your door in the name of his most royal highness, Lord Wilhelm Bastinn Otakar!" Just the mention of the man's name sent chills down the girl's spine. "Could it be a trial Papa," Liesbeth whispered. Her mother's eyes widened at the thought of a trial as she pulled her daughter close to her. "Don't worry little Beth, everything will be alright." That was when the man outside the door barked again. "Open the door now or we'll break it down!" The girl's father quickly opened the door to reveal three men before them. All three of them wore silver armor and black cloaks. Pressed into the armor was the seal of King Wilhelm, three drops of crimson blood. They symbolized the new reign of King Wilhelm and his two sons, Prince Lanzo and Prince Alfred. Before her father could stop them, the three soldiers pushed their way inside the tiny house. All of the houses in the village of Rij were tiny log cabins the were fenced in by the soldiers so no one could escape. The stores were simple building with false fronts painted blue or yellow. This was the only color that the lower neighborhood of Rij possessed. Girls were required to wear simple brown, knee length tunics with grey stockings and black boots that stopped at the ankle. Boys had to wear brown shirts with grey pants and the same ankle length boots. Girls went to school at till age 16 while boys stopped at age 14. Everyone worked in lumber yards or fields under heavy guard outside the gate, unless they possessed a special talent that the upper class found useful. If a family could scrape enough money together by the time one of their children turned 12, they could send their child to find work in the upper neighborhood. This was where all of the soldiers and their families lived in peace and comfort. This was how everyday life was for all villagers of Rij, lower and upper, until 5 months ago. That was when King Otakar required all planets of the Misk Galaxy to host Magic Trials against the common people. Magic in all Galaxies controlled by King Wilhelm were strictly against the law, being punishable by death. The King said that if people used their powers, it would stop the progress of everyday life and make people lazy. That was why everyone was forced to take pills that expelled any form of magic from their bodies. The pills were made by the king's head scientists. This thought rolled over in Liesbeth's mind as the soldiers looked around their simple home. A rocking chair sitting in front of the fireplace for Mama to do her sewing and other such crafts, a small stove in the corner with a wooden tub to bathe in and do the dishes, a long board that jutted out of the right wall with a bench on each side was the supper table, and finally, a small set of stairs that rested by the door so the family could get to the loft where they slept. This was all the girl had ever know during her 16 years of life, but when The Trials started, she had prepared herself to lose it all. The girl suddenly stumbled forward as one of the soldiers grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. "Are you Liesbeth Baarle," the man hissed at her. "Y-yes I am," she whimpered. The man then spun her around and tied her wrists behind her back. Lies began to struggle as she was forced out the front door with her parents on her heels. The man dead legged her as she fell to the freezing ground. "Why do they always have to make it difficult. They only end up suffering more," said the soldier. "Where are you taking my daughter," shouted Papa. But before the men could answer, the old church bell sounded its blood chilling call. Everyone in the village knew what this meant, it was time for a trial.

As Liesbeth was dragged along the muddy street by the soldiers, she studied the faces of the people as she passed. As the villagers realized who was being dragged along to the trial, the began to cry. Liesbeth and her family were well-liked people in the village. Liesbeth helped the local children with their studies because, despite having a school, many couldn't read. Her dream had always been to be the teacher of the simple one roomed schoolhouse. Mama would always try to make extra food on Sunday to give food to some of the orphans. Many people died in the village every year due to disease, hunger, an escape attempt gone wrong, or The Trials. Papa would always do local repairs. He would fix up the schoolhouse/church, local shops, houses, and barns. In other words, the Baarle's were model citizens. That was when a man stepped out of the shadows of his doorway. As he stepped into the street, his eyes went wide with fear and the girl was led away. "No. Anyone but her," the man whispered. As Liesbeth recognized the man that was standing there, she looking into his eyes and seemed to plead. Before he could call out to the girl, she was tossed into a cart was bound for the riverbank. Right behind the cart were the villagers. The wagon took off with a jolt and Beth fell backwards. She managed to sit herself up so she could get a last glance at her home and her life. Even though she wanted to look for her parents in the crowd, her eyes strayed to the handsome man the was consumed by the people. "This may be the last time I get to see him," Liesbeth whispered to herself. She took in his standard clothes, his height, his muscles, and then his face. The man's tanned skin went perfect with his brown curls and copper eyes. Just hiss yes eyes met hers, she was shoved to the ground of the wagon. "STAY DOWN," the man barked at her. "Goodbye old life, I'll miss you. You may have been hard, but you were good." As Liesbeth thought about her family and friends, the man's face came back to her. "I will miss you the most Griffin," she whispered as tears slowly dripped down her face.