Harken Village

As we march towards the village of Monfort, I keep looking back at Karl. He is walking next to me, and he seems to be enjoying himself.

It is not hard to see why, since we have been walking for only two hours, and we have already passed several villages.

I take off my cloak, and set it down on the ground. I then pull off my backpack, and look inside. I see my sword strapped neatly inside, along with a few other items: a small pouch filled with coins, a change of clothes, and some bread.

I remove the dagger I carry at my waist, and place it in my backpack. Now that I think about it, this is probably the first time I have ever removed it.

I look around, and notice we are surrounded by an endless sea of black cloaks.

Each of them is carrying a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

I look back at Karl, and he gives me a quick wink.

He then turns his attention back to the road ahead, and begins speaking.

- "So, Kuro, have you figured out what it is you want?" He asks.

I furrow my brows, and look at Karl.

- "How did you know?" I ask.

Karl smiles, and answers my question.

- "You've been quiet all morning." He says. "You seem uneasy, and you're constantly looking back."

My heart races, and I feel like I am being watched. I look around, and see that Karl is right. Everyone around me is staring at me with their hoods pulled low over their heads. I know they must be talking about me, but I don't know what they are saying.

I turn back around, and see that we have arrived in a town. There are tents lining the streets, and I can see some people moving about in the shadows.

We continue past the town, and I see the land is beginning to open up. We are walking down a dirt path, and it leads to a wide field stretching out before us.

There are trees and bushes scattered throughout the field, and I start to pick out different types of plants and animals. It looks like there are a lot of animals in this area. Large herds of deer roam the fields, and numerous rabbits hop from one tree branch to another.

I look back up at the sky, and see the sun is starting to rise.

A loud crack rings out, and I hear a scream echo through the air. I look back at Karl, and see he has stopped in his tracks.

- "What was that?" I ask.

Karl looks at me, and motions towards the field.

- "Something's up there." He says.

I follow his gaze, and see several figures standing on top of a hill. I can see they are carrying bows and arrows. I see one of them wave his arm, and another person runs over to them.

Karl pulls out a spyglass, and looks through it. Then he puts it away, and begins walking towards the hill.

I follow him, and we climb onto the hill. As we get closer, I see the figure waving his arm is a man with a bow. The other one is a woman with long brown hair tied behind her head.

I see Karl kneel down, and place the spyglass against his eye. I can see what he is looking at, and it makes me sick to my stomach.

Several women are lying in the grass, with arrows sticking out of their backs. Their legs are missing, and their eyes are closed.

I look back at Karl, and I see he is looking at me. I nod my head, and he gets up and walks over to me.

- "Those people were farmers." He says. "They were trying to harvest crops this morning."

I look at the bodies, and see that they are not completely dead. Some of them twitch, and moan slightly.

- "Who killed them?" I ask.

Karl sighs, and looks at the bodies.

- "These people were not bandits, Kuro." He says. "This was an act of war."

I furrow my brows, and look back at Karl.

- "But who would kill these innocent people?" I ask.

Karl looks back at me, and his face grows serious.

- "I'm afraid we are about to find out."

I look down at the bodies, and I see there is a man holding a sword. A large battle has begun, and I see the man with the sword fighting off bandits.

Then I see a group of men rush towards one of the farms. One of them is carrying a shield and a sword, while the others are armed with bows and spears. The men with the weapons fire arrows into the fields, where several of the bandits are hiding.

The archers then retreat, and the men with the swords charge towards one of the houses.

The men with bows then return, and fire their arrows once more. This time, one of them hits one of the knights in the leg. He falls to the ground, and the other knight rushes over to help him.

The second knight swings his sword, and slashes it across the neck of the man with the shield. His head rolls off his shoulders, and the body tumbles to the ground.

I watch as the remaining soldiers fight off the rest of the bandits, and then I look back at the hill. There is a large group of men standing there, and I can see they are holding shields and swords. They are wearing shiny grey armour, and they are marching towards us.

I look at Karl, and see he is pointing at the group.

- "That's the army of Harken." He says.

I look up at the army, and see they are all carrying swords. Several of them are also carrying bows and quivers of arrows.

One of the men lifts his hand, and I see him motioning for his men to stop.

A large group of soldiers marches forward, and I see they are all armored. They have chainmail shirts, and helmets made of metal.

I can see a man dressed in white, and he is carrying a spear. He walks next to the army of Harken, and I can tell he is the leader.

As the army marches forward, I can see they are all carrying shields, and I can see the insignia on their chests.

I look back at Karl, and I see he is looking at me.

- "What do I do?" I ask.

Karl points at the man in white.

- "He is the commander of Harken." He says. "We must pass him in order to get to Monfort."

I look back at the man in white, and I see he is approaching me. I wait patiently for him to reach me, and I bow my head respectfully.

I hear the sound of metal clanking together, and I see a group of men walking up beside the man in white.

I look behind me, and see the knights have now joined the fight.

The army of Harken begins to move forward, and I see several of them raise their swords high into the air.

Suddenly, I hear a loud boom, and I see several clouds of dust rise up into the air. I see several men fall to the ground, and I see their bodies crumble to the ground. I see many of the soldiers in black take cover, while others run towards the fallen men.

I look up at the man in white, and he is staring at me.

- "Why are you here?" He asks.

I clear my throat before taking.

- "My name is Lucas Stolz. I am an advocate of the king." I tell a lie.

The man in white nods his head, and continues walking forward.

- "Follow me." He says.

I nod my head, and I follow him back into the field. I see several men helping the wounded knights, while the men with bows stand guard.

I slowly walk backwards, and I look back at Karl.

- "Are you sure we should be doing this?" I ask.

Karl doesn't answer, and keeps walking forward.

The man in white stops, and turns around. I see he is looking at me, and he points towards the army of Harken.

- "Monfort lies ahead, but the road to the capital will lead you through a small village called Coaltachin." He says. "Once there, you will need to find a way past the castle gates. If they are guarded, you may have to fight your way inside."

I glance back at the army of Harken, and I notice the men are still fighting.

- "Will you be able to hold them back?" I ask.

The man in white turns to me, and smiles.

- "I have more than enough men to ensure they cannot escape." He says.

I look back at Karl, and see he is watching the battle unfold. Once again, I hear the sound of metal clanging together, and I see several of the men in black fall to the ground.

The army of Harken continues towards us, and I see the men in chainmail shirts are carrying shields.

I look back at the commander of Harken, and I see he is smiling.

- "If you wish to leave, I won't stop you." He says. "However, if you stay, you will be safe from any harm."

I look down at the bodies that lay on the ground, and I see the knights are still fighting.

I look back up at the man in white, and I see he is looking at me.

- "You decide." He says.

I think for a moment, and I look over at Karl. The knights have taken a break, and they are tending to the wounded.

The soldiers with bows have withdrawn to the edge of the battlefield, and they are resting. The archers are busy reloading their weapons, so I can't see how many of them there are.

I look back at the man in white, and I see he is waiting.

I swallow hard, and I nod my head.

- "We will be leaving." I say.

- "Very well then, come with me." Says the man in white. "Welcome to the village of Monfort."