The Lost Artifact of Sira

Chapter 1 - Onward

A high elven kingdom reigns above the others.
A young girl boasts about working within the castle walls one day. Eyes roll, as she moves through her life. Confidence and pride at her toes, every step towards the kingdom.

One day, cheers come from her as she is given the role of a squire to a knight. The knight, being her childhood friend, treats her poorly through the first year of training.

Lyra does anything to make it up to the knight, knowing that his job means a lot to him, the same way she sees her own. Being naive to the way he treats her.

One day, upon the town, she roams and spots trouble. A hooded figure on the side of her eye, within an alley.

Lyra raises her brow in suspicion and follows after them.

After turning many corners, she finds herself within a room. Hands suddenly go over her mouth and is pressed hard.

Lyra, upon instinct, placed a punch toward their stomach. They fall back and groan.

Lyra jumps forward and grabs her sword but finds its stuck. Her eyebrows knit with frustration as she breaths nervously.

A sudden bang to the back of her head throws her unconscious. Being thrown to the ground, a liquid lays upon the floor as the hooded beings place it around the large empty room.

Within a flash of fire from their fingertips, they vanish, igniting the ground beneath Lyra.

Lyra opens her eyes. The fire circling around her.

"A-ah! N-no no!" Lyra panics and fumbles to the door, burning her feet as she makes an escape.

The fire makes its way all around the building and catches the attention of surrounding civilians.

Eyes lay upon Lyra as she falls out and sprints away in panic, heading back to the knights quarters.

Whispers emit as she runs through the crowd.

Finding herself in front of the kingdom, many people run out.

The knight, her childhood friend, runs out of the throne room.

Lyra starts to tremble. "H-hallow -I" She stutters before him.

"What the fuck did you do Lyra?!" He yelled, not helping her nerves what so ever.

"They- the Marksme-" She couldn't speak any words properly. Her mind races a billion words per second as she imagines everyone turning their backs to her. Her confidence, everything she strives for, crumbling before her.

"There are no marksmen! They're just a little game you thought would be fun so it can bring you attention. Well good fucking job! You're burning down the whole fucking village!" Hallow snapped and shoved her away. The hiss of his words brings her to a halt, a breaking point.

"That's what everyone thinks. But I saw them. They're real! Why do you think I would burn down the village!?" She brought her words together and argued, her heart hurting as she never argued with him before.

"Attention. All you ever want is attention. From the king." The knight shoves past her with no regret.

He stopped and looked back at her. "You are no longer my squire."

With that, he left her behind.

She swelled up with tears as she saw him run off into the distance, into the burning town.

"We'll just see about that." She frowned and let a tear or two fall. Her heart broken, she moves on. From her past and to the future.

The king. His word is everything, what will he think of her after this? Banish her maybe.

Her brave heart set on talking with the king, she comes into the kingdom yet is stopped by the guards. The king speaks frantically with a booming voice that echoes through the whole throne room as he debates his next strategy to combat the fire.

"Your majesty. The fire girl." The guards gripped on Lyra and grabbed the monarchs attention.

Word does spread fast.

The whole room became quiet as the King fumed with rage.

"King Iverson, I can explain." She protests and struggles with the guards grip.

"You will call the king your sire you wench!" A woman yelled across the room. Chatter stirred as they mumbled their agreement with the woman.

Lyra felt her stomach sink as the monarch raises his hand before him to quiet the room.

"You will no longer serve this kingdom." Iverson gritted his teeth.

"Sire! She caused the death of ten!" A guard spoke, making Lyra'a eyes widen.

"It wasn't me! It was the marks-" Lyra suddenly shouted but was interrupted with a fist into her stomach, making her lose her breath and stop talking.

"We all know the marksmen don't exist. You shall be sentenced to death at stake." The monarch spoke finally and walked off with his royal subject chuckling behind him.

Lyra pleaded for help as she was thrown into the dungeon beneath the kingdom.

"Please! My family! They -they want me to-" She has trembling nerves.

"Your family is dead." The cage was thrown shut, making her fall backward upon the damp ground.

Lyra lost it all within an hour. Her pride and confidence withered at her finger tips. Her title being of a murderer and a pyromaniac.

"I didn't do it." She repeated under her breath.

Defeated.