1 Prologue

***

Rain drizzled heavily upon the city, creating large puddles around the street. People retreated back into their homes and buildings, escaping the frigid and damp air. They lit their fireplaces and boiled their kettles, ready to stay indoors the entire day. No one dared to leave the dry comfort of their homes, unless they absolutely had to be elsewhere. Unfortunately, not everyone had the luxury to stay indoors.

At the city gates, a nameless guard stood watch. Shivering on the spot, the guard quietly cursed his misfortune. Of all the times to be posted at the city's gates, it had to be on a wet morning like this. Apart from his uniform, which consisted of padded armour and a mail vest, he also had a long cloak, which was supposed to keep him warm and dry. Unfortunately, it just provided weight.

Cold and miserable, the guard quietly complained and wished that he was back at the tavern, in front of the fire, while enjoying a few mugs of ale. While he understood the importance of his duty, he could not shake off the desire for the comforts that the city offered. In his mind, he prayed for time to go faster, so that the next guard would take his shift, and he could head some place warmer.

Suddenly, he heard a sneeze, reminding him that he wasn't alone. Turning to his right, he found another guardsman sharing his misery. He had shared this post with this guard for a few months now, but never bothered learning his name. In a twisted sense, it brought the guard some comfort, knowing that someone else shared his plight.

Groaning slightly, the guard looked ahead. He stared at a long stone road that led to Stolz, the ruined kingdom of the north. So many interesting and bizarre stories had been told about the kingdom. According to these tales, Stolz was a small yet mighty kingdom filled with vast riches and land. It was also believed that kingdom's army stood on equal foot with the empire.

Then, one day, it was suddenly destroyed. No one knew how it happened. Apparently, some kind of calamity occurred, destroying the entire nation and its people. Now, only fiends and monsters occupied the territory, protecting the treasures and ruins that remained of the kingdom.

Such tales had always intrigued the guard. Ever since he was a boy, he hoped to go on grand adventures like many heroes of these tales; fighting monsters, gathering wealth, and perhaps meeting pretty dames. He had always pictured his life going towards such a direction, but instead, he found himself on guard duty, pretty much every day.

Suddenly, a cold breeze passed by, sending shivers down the guard's bone, forcing him back to reality.

Looking at the sky, the guard found grey clouds continuing to blot out the sun. While the weather appeared dim, he at least knew that midday had not yet even passed. He needed to do something to keep the boredom at bay.

"So ...," he then muttered to the other guardsman. "What do you think is in Stolz?"

"I don't know," the other guard plainly replied.

The guardsman grimaced at this lacklustre response. He did not expect his partner to jump with excitement, but he did at least expect something a bit more.

"Come now, don't you have any thoughts or stories?" he asked curiously, trying to press the topic. "From what I hear, a man can get rich from whatever he discovers there."

"From what I hear, a man can get killed from what he discovers there," the other guard snapped. "There may be a lot of goods to take, but there are a lot of dangers there as well."

"Only if you're careless," the guard retorted. "With the right sense, one can get in and out in one piece."

"You speak as if you've crossed over there before," the other guard remarked, raising a brow.

"Well... no," the guard coughed sheepishly, scratching his head. "But there ARE a lot of mercenaries who do come back whole and unsullied, like the Dragon Knight, the Sun Fury, and, who could forget, the Beast of the South."

"Those three are exceptional warriors," the other guard replied. "There aren't many like them. Just because they can endure those hardships doesn't mean everyone else can."

The guard scowled glumly and then groaned. "Have you not had any aspirations to go out there and make your fortune?"

"I have always wanted to make my fortune, but somewhere... safer...," the other guard's words began to slur, as his attention redirected to the distance. "What is that?"

A lonely figure appeared on the road, slowly approaching. At first, neither of the two guards could recognize this stranger, as the rain painted him as a blurry silhouette. However, as he approached, his identity became much clearer.

The stranger seemed to be some kind of warrior; a knight perhaps. He appeared to be in pretty bad shape, with his armour dented, and his cape drained of its colour and torn apart. Dirt and blood covered his face and clothes, as he limped with what appeared to be a splintered spear.

Eventually, he reached the front of the gates, where he met the two guards. He quietly glanced at them, and then at the city entrance. A weak smile formed on his face, before his legs gave in, and he crashed down on the ground.

Both guards rushed to his aid. They picked him up, and took him near the wall, where less rain fell.

"Hold a moment," the nameless guard uttered, taking a better look at the fallen warrior. "I have seen this man before. Yes, he is the mercenary Stephen Verse, carrier of the legendary Rosen Shield!"

The guard had seen this mercenary wander around the streets before, often accompanied by a company of his own warriors. While not as widely known as most other mercenaries, this Stephen Verse did make a name for himself, collecting both praise and ridicule from those around him.

"I do not see any shield on him," the other guard commented, inspecting the warrior. "All I see is this broken spear. Are you certain you're talking about the right man?"

The nameless guard grunted, eventually also realizing that this mercenary didn't have any other weapons with him. He could have easily been mistaken, but the guard recognized Stephen's face from anywhere.

"We can worry about that later," the guard grunted, his eyes then noticing the wounds and bruises around the mercenary. "Call for aid. This man is badly hurt."

His companion nodded, and rushed to get others to assist them. While he did, the nameless guard took a closer look at Stephen's injuries, noting the damage done to the breastplate. Parts of it had been dented and scratched, while a long mark had torn across the chest. Something managed to cut through metal, but what exactly would have this sort of power?

Slowly, Stephen regained a morsel of consciousness. Groaning weakly, he tried to keep his eyes open, as his whole body trembled. It didn't seem like he had all that much left in him. He would most likely lose consciousness again, any moment.

"Sir Verse, what happened?" the guard inquired.

"T-that place..." Stephen wheezed painfully. "It took everything from me... my friends, my sword... the Rosen Shield is gone..."

"W-what?" the guard stuttered with shock.

Suddenly, Stephen grabbed the guard by cloak. "That place is filled with evil!" he snarled madly, as his eyes gaped wide. "We should have never agreed to go there! We should never... have left home... I should have never left her..."

The last traces of energy left his body, causing Stephen to lose consciousness entirely; just in time for the other city guards to arrive at the scene.

They carried him off to shelter, while the first two guards stayed at the gates, to continue manning their post. They did not return to their duty immediately, however. For a while, the two of them watched the fallen warrior get carried off, wondering just what exactly happened to him.

"Do you still believe it is wise to search your fortune in Stolz?" his companion asked.

The nameless guard said nothing. He continued to stare, before turning back to his companion to reply, "Let's get back to our posts." Although he did not answer directly, a seed of hesitation had clearly been planted

within him.

Word eventually spread throughout the city. People whispered and chattered about Stephen Verse, and how he had returned from Stolz without either his companions, or his legendary shield. Many questioned and theorized what had happened to him in Stolz, as well as the whereabouts of his company and his shield.

Did Stephen's companions die, go missing, or even abandon him? Was his shield stolen, destroyed, or lost as well? No one could provide a concrete answer, just mere speculation and theory. Regardless, one thing was clear. Stephen Verse's career as a mercenary had officially come to an end.