Ires Of Iron Coast

Chapter 1 - Fire At The Parade

For a decade, the kingdom of Iron Coast has been at war with its neighboring kingdom—the kingdom of Leneot. The war started, when Leneot's king Alneick attempted to invade the land of Iron coast and in the process murdered Iron Coast's firstborn prince and Heir, Prince Kreighton at just 10 years old. The Ironians called it the war of 2010.

Ten years later, the war ended. Crowds of Iron Coast Citizens flooded the streets with music, singing, and dancing. Not only have they won the war but once again the Iron Kingdom has emerged victorious from another attack by the Leneotians.

Amidst the crowd is an 18-year-old girl, known for her free spirit and kindhearted nature. She is called Ires.

Ires celebrating and being in her element erupted in uncontrollable laughter. She danced and twirled in the soldiers' arms in a carefree manner, losing herself in the melody. Becoming completely unaware of her surroundings, Ires bumped into a Mr. Bond type fellow in a dark suit, polished shoes, and slick blond hair.

"Watch it!" said the man sternly.

"Sorry—sorry! I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Ires.

Without saying a word in response, the man fades into the crowd. By the time Ires could turn around to see who it was, the man vanished. As she processes the situation, Ires' thoughts are interrupted by Jasper's pull. Jasper was one of the returned soldiers and a close childhood friend of Ires.

Jasper pulled Ires towards himself and said loud enough for her to hear.

"Yo, Ires! The Parade is passing through. You still wanna go?!" asked Jasper.

"Uhh... Yes?!" She said with a chuckle. So, Ires and Jasper joined the crowd in marching and singing. With excitement, they make their way to Streganna Palace to see the royal family greet the people and hear the king's speech.

In the midst of all the enthusiasm, a chariot was making its way through the crowds and heading for the palace gates. As the palace gates began to open some of the crowds got too excited and ran to get inside the gates. The people started pushing and shoving one another. Ires got mixed in with the crowd and got shoved inside the palace gates, along with another girl. In a failed attempt to make her way back to Jasper, Ires was shoved back inside the gates and hit her head on the palace garden statue. Ires fell unconscious.

"IRES! IRES! IRES!" Cries, Jasper.

As Jasper cried out for his friend Ires, the palace guards were pushing the crowd back out of the palace gates along with some people who continued trying to break through the gates.

"Wait! Please, my friend is still in there!" Jasper pleads with one of the guards.

"Sorry, fellow soldier, but that was everyone that was in there." Replied the soldier with a shrug.

"She hit her head against the statue and fell, please just look, she's still in there." He continues to plead, IRES!!" He cried

"Okay, fine!" Said the guard. The guard reluctantly went back to look for Ires because he noticed Jasper was a returned soldier who fought in the war.

Jasper waited as he tried to stand in place against the current of the crowd.

"Is that her? I found her wandering the palace." The guard asked. The soldier brought back the girl that was shoved through the gates with Ires.

"No!" Screamed Jasper in disappointment, "it's not her!"

"Well, no one else is in there! Now, move before you all lose your heads," said the guard stressfully.

The guards were stressed by the size of the crowds who got through the palace gates and were in a complete panic. With quick aggression they ushered out the crowds, fearing they would be seen by the king as incompetent.