Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Trevor

Trevor Karvine led his Guardian squad to the base of the red tower on the highest hill in the eastern Sandlands. They were called Fireteam Icestone, though most of them grew up in Aetherian's Sandlands. Trevor served as Icestone's Captain, wearing a suit of black power armor that covered every part of his body other than his head. His Lieutenant, Blake, an unusually tall girl with long, golden hair, wore gray armor. Trevor didn't remember the faces of Armin, Ned, and Logan, but he remembered that they wore blue armor. They sensed someone in great agony as they marched up the hill, and they were met with two Knights of House Redwald, the former High Lords of the Sandlands. Trevor remembered the faces of the Knights in red armor, both holding helmets at their sides that resembled terrifying flaming skulls, House Redwald's sigil. They were Ser Etgar Drumwind, the greatest southern sword, and Ser Edwin Larson, the Commander of the Redwald army. They were both armed with the long, black greatswords used by Orcish Rangers during the Second Great War twenty years ago, which were capable of inflicting cursed wounds that the Guardians' healing abilities couldn't heal. When Ser Etgar stuck his sword in the ground in front of him, both him and Edwin had grim looks on their faces.

"Captain," said Etgar.

"We looked for you in the Bronze Mountains," stated Trevor.

"We weren't there," said Ser Etgar.

"Your friend, Lord Morvain, would be dead if we had been," added Edwin.

"Ballard Redwald is dead," Trevor corrected. "Why weren't you there to protect your lord?"

"Our lord wanted us here," answered Etgar. Trevor heard a girl's scream from the tower behind the two Knights, and his squad could again sense the great pain from someone screaming in the tower. Ser Etgar and Ser Edwin didn't change their expressions, but Trevor could sense guilt from their minds. None were more loyal to their lord than the Knights that stood between Trevor and the tower, but they clearly didn't want anything to do with what Ballard Redwald was doing. Still, he needed to get in there.

"Where's my sister?" he demanded. The two Redwald Knights donned their burning skull helmets, then drew their black greatswords.

"I wish it wouldn't have come to this, Trevor," Ser Etgar said, hanging his head. "But now it begins." It was clear that the two Knights had no intention of letting Fireteam Icestone save Mercy, Trevor's twin sister, so they would have to die.

"No," Trevor denied. "Now it ends." Trevor ignited a lightsword with a blue, glowing blade, while Blake had a silver one. He couldn't remember what color blade the others had. The first one to charge at the two Knights was Blake, though her attack was parried by Ser Etgar before he cut her chest with his black greatsword, straight through her armor. As she bled on the ground, the rest of Fireteam Icestone clashed with the Redwald Knights. Trevor traded strikes with Ser Etgar, then the Knight struck his blade again with his greatsword, staggering Trevor to the side. While the rest of his squad was taking Ser Edwin, Trevor ran up behind him and stabbed his lightsword through the back. He went back to Ser Etgar as Edwin dropped to the ground, where him, Armin, Ned, and Logan surrounded the Knight with their lightswords out. Ser Etgar Drumwind was a big man, who was capable of using a greatsword only a foot shorter than he was as fast as he used a broadsword. As Fireteam Icestone attacked one after the other, Ser Etgar seemed rapid as he turned around and around, blocking every one of their attacks. After growing exhausted, Armin missed a parry, and was caught in the neck by Etgar's greatsword. He bled through his neck as he fell to the ground, then the Knight stabbed Ned through the chest, cutting straight through his armor. Etgar then staggered Trevor with another hard swing, and as Logan lunged, the Knight dragged his greatsword on the ground, then swung it upwards, launching Logan into the air, nearly cutting him in half, then he bled to death as he fell back to the ground. Ser Etgar then turned around to face Trevor. He had anger in his eyes as he looked to all of his dead friends, and Blake lying wounded on the ground, bleeding. It would end with Trevor's death or Etgar's, now. They both gripped their blades with both of their hands as they clashed with blazing speed. Every one of their strikes could have meant the other's death, until Ser Etgar knocked Trevor's lightsword from his hand. Trevor looked in terror as Etgar raised his black greatsword, about to end him. Right as the Knight was about to swing the huge blade, a silver, glowing blade stabbed him through the chest from behind. When Ser Etgar fell to the ground, dead, Blake was standing above him. Maybe that's why she's the only one of his squad whose face he really remembered. Another scream came from the tower as Blake fell to her knees.