Hidna: The Paladin Of Zerft

She gave an abrupt halt. So, it's them again. Hidna squinted. She thought they'd already left for their long journey to the east yesterday but she was wrong. “Do you think we're not going to be caught eavesdropping, My Lady?” Frēon worriedly ask in a low voice. “No, I don't think so,” she assured her companion. The two of them were about to sneak into the royal stable to get some horses for their stroll when she accidentally heard the king's voice talking to their paladin guests. Hidna knew it's not a good manners for a lady like her to listen in the conversation of the king and the adults, but she has a reason why she need to do it. She aught to know what are they discussing with. Believing that they didn't noticed her, Princess Hidna move closely to the pillar that's near to her and duck safely. She could hear faint voices from afar but something muffled the sounds sufficiently that she couldn't make out any words. But one thing Hidna was sure about the matter. War. The neighbouring land, the Kingdom of Kliar were been attacked by the balrogs headed by the evil wizard Jamnet. They kill all the royalties of the land and even took the entire food, money and important belongings of its people. They do this to make sure that the land couldn't fight back incase they want to make a revenge. The war was inevitable, they were sure about that. They sensed that they would be the next in the list of the murderous people of Dark Forest Fiarn if if they didn't do anything quickly. Hidna scrutinize again the adults talking to her father king. Then, without a warning the guy from her father's left look at her direction. Their eyes met. She froze. “Let's get out of here.” Her handmaiden grab her arm and run as fast as they could before the king notice them listening. They bolt straight towards the stable laughing nervously and bolt the door, leaving the startled stable lad outside. She was so close. “I thought were going to be caught.” the handmaiden pant. Her long brown hair tousled as they run. She tied it again. “Sorry.” Hidna said apologetically. She didn't want her half-daemon handmaiden to be scolded because of her mischief. Frēon was nice and sweet, and she knew her since she was a little girl. Frēon’s mother was a daemon and married to their trusted man and was also the handmaiden of her mother. “Would you like me to fix your hair, My Lady?” Camco asked her. “No, thanks. I can manage.” she decline and combed her elegant chestnut hair with her fingers. She braid it by herself and tied it with a black bandeau from a small bag that she always carry. She straightened the skirt of her black riding habit. “You take Black Crow and I'll ride on Raven.” she instructed. “And where are going today, My Lady?” Frēon asked. Hidna unbolted the door and opened it before answering her handmaid. The stable lad outside were no where to be seen, it went somewhere else to asked for some help to open the stable doors. “To the river near the south of the castle,” she chirpy reply and tuck the small jug and wrapped package into the bag at the back of her stallion sidesaddle. “But Princess, you're not allowed to go out far from the castle vicinity,” Camco was in deep trouble. They were warned by Prince Laxus that they shouldn't go beyond the palace vicinity because of the threats of the enemies. “Do you believe in my elder brother? It's just a heresy. Rubbish and nonsense stories made by those people who have nothing to do but to blubber.” Hidna mounted on her horse. “Since you're not comfortable to go to the river, let's go then to the meadow at the back of the castle.” Camco sighed in relief. At least they're not going to be far off from the castle. The guards could watch them afar. They were rumored of scattered attacks of the bandits and men of Jamnet at the boundary of their kingdom recently. They killed all the farmers that they met and burned their properties. They even takes along all of the peasants valuables and much worst: their female children and their wives, making the boundary of their land dangerous the female like them. The king calls all the different order of knights, rangers, mages, paladins, master builder and even the magical bards and their dancer partner from the distant lands to their kingdom to have an argument regarding this matter. The thoughts of having war makes them all shudder in great fear. Frēon mounted on her mare and have a short prayer for following the princess. ~*~ He watch her go. Leand didn't bother to tell the king that he saw his daughter spying on them. They were right about the princess, she was the most spirited girl in the palace. Hidna have a half-daemon companion so he recognize her easily. Leand smirked. The day if their arrival, he'd also notice her spying at them too. She was lively and energetic but have many flaws. Reckless and too bold, not much lady like. Too rascal and very loud. Very unfeminine. She's wearing a back riding habit and carries a small bag matching the color of her dress. Her hair was rich in chestnut color and seemed to be artificial, and it was unkept. As their gaze met earlier, he could easily tells the color of her eyes. Onyx. Her eyes makes her enthralling and elegant. But may be not, he pondered deeply. It only cause an oddity in her appearance. It much better and suit her if she have a grey eyes. Wait. What? Leand frowned. Why does he thought that she should have a grey eyes? Silly me. The princess must only be sixteen which makes him nine years senior in her age. Princess Hidna had a crush on him— Leandrex become stolid at that thought. “May be we can further discuss this matter when we return next season.” Lord Arnold said to the king which makes Leandrex thoughts brought back to the topic and glance at man talking. He's the head of their group. They're still not complete. The mages leaded by Lord Iveler from the Ages Kingdom was still not around as well as the druids from Gemna territory that headed by Lady Avary. After all, they still have to talk to the counselors if the kingdom of Zerft were really ready for war. King Dehnir breathed heavily. “I suppose I don't have the powers to rule over your decisions.” Their group was about to return in Calyxt yesterday but the king begged them to stay and wait for the missing Avatar. The land of Zerft was now nearing to its destruction, what took long for Ages and Gemna to send their order? Their silence only causing them to ignore the Zerft's plea. “If you could only wait more for them to talk the leagues of elders,” the king begged again. Hope never lose in his eyes. Lord Arnold released a ragged breath. “I'm sorry Your Majesty, but we can't wait that long.” He place his hand on the king's shoulder. It's been three weeks that they arrive in Zerft and ever since that, Ages and Gemna didn't send any reply. “We have duties and obligation left in our land.” “One more week, Your Excellency. And after one week and they still didn't respond and failed send their mages and druids, we'll immediately packs our things and go back home.” Out of the blue Leand retorted, making his fellow companion looked at him. He c****d his brow. Does he said something wrong? “Does I said something wrong?” he asked. “We are not yet ready for our long journey to go back to Calyxt. We still have to gather more food and other supplies to endure the long journey back home. And besides, her majesty Queen Marcy would understand our delay.” He was right and he always would. King Dehnir breathed evenly, he felt the thorns sticking to his chest was uprooted. He was given again another chance of hope. There's a chance he would win encased the car broke out. He wouldn't give up. He'll never forsaken the future of his people as well as his own children. The king looked at Paladin Leand, he has something in him that he couldn't ignore. He was a kind of a man a king must trust for his people and even his crown. A thought flashed in King Dehnir's mind. “Would you mind if I talked to you privately, Sir Leand?” “Not at all, Your Majesty.” Leand gave a curt bow. ~*~ “Hachoo!” Hidna sneezed. Why does she had a strange and nasty feeling that there's someone talking behind her back? She sneeze once again. Frēon asked, “My Lady, are you cold? Its getting cold here. Let's go back to the palace now.” The wind was starting to become cold. “I'm fine.” Hidna rubbed her nose and scowled at the notion of retuning. She don't like the rest idea of going back home so soon. “Someone must be cursing me right now. Hey, did I do anything to anyone recently?” “None sense! Who's that individual have the big guts to bad mouth the princess behind her back?” the handmaiden asked feeling amused. “Why, did you do something very bad to anyone recently?” The princess tried to recall. Then, she said innocently, “No one in particular.” The sun was above their heads but she can still feel the strange chill running down on her spine. She knew it, there's really someone bad mouthing her. “It's still early to go back home. Why don't we gather some flowers as a present to mother? I know she'll going to love it.” Hidna suggested when her stomach growled in protest. “Let's search for a shade so we can rest for a while and eat our provisions.” Frēon urged her horse eastward. The two of them search for a place to rest, the two of them found a shade of an old poplar tree not very far. They saddled their horses towards the tree and halt. They dismounted on their horses and tied its rein on the protruding roots of the old tree. Frēon takes the bundle from the saddle bag of Hidna's stallion. They sank at the dried leaves, not appearing to care about their seats. Hidna immediately fished the pastry and cheese and gobbled it in gusto like a hungry goblin. They're are not in the castle so it's okay to disregard for a while her noble lady's etiquette. For this moment, she's doing anything that she like and become free even just for a while. She watched Frēon bite her pastry with great feminine finesse. Her handmaid was exactly her opposite. The wind gently blew the dried leaves, then all of the sudden the handmaiden remember the castle guards that watching at them while ago was no where to be found. The two of them succumb to their stroll at the meadow that they forgot their three male companions. Sir Rollins strictly instructed them not to wander to far. They're lost, to make the matter worst: their escorts knights who accompanied them were no where to be seen. They are lost. Frēon become restless at this thought. She stopped eating her food at once. “What's the matter Frēon?” Hidna asked. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She was greatly astonished to the anxiousness of her friend. “We are lost in the sights of the knights.” ‘Oh great—’ Hidna grumpily thought. The knights who insisted to accompany them in their leisurely stroll on the meadow was lost in their eyes. Or it was them who were lost in the sight of the knights? Hidna gnawed her lower lip in disgust. The rumors of stray demon and bandits may be true after all. But she never believe it. “Okey. Lets looked for them.” The two ladies packed their half-eaten food and mounted on their horses, they begin looking for the missing companions. The three knights accompany them and all of them are missing. “Lets go over there and search there.” Hidna pointed over the groves of willow that they saw. She guessed the men might be there looking for them. The ladies headed the groves, the scape before them was not friendly in character; dark groves stretched over the hills as far as their eyes could see and an eternal smog hovered the place though never completely blocking the sun. The deadly silence was noticeable in the air as they entered the place. “Sir Rollins, are you here?” Hidna called the one of the knights. As far as she recall, Sir Rollins Badiver was the mentor of her big brother Laxus in his teenage years. He was skilled knight and joined the order of knighthood at the City of Minos. He was strict on his rules and even posses a golden heart. She remembered very well that he save a white rabbit that he accidentally found in the trap for a deer. He gave it to her, she nourished the poor animal and named it Joeblas. When the good knight learned their plan to saunter in the meadow, he insisted to accompany them. She can't refuse and say no to him. Hidna called again the missing knights. But still, none of them headed her call. “Perhaps they're not here.” Frēon edged her mare a few steps closer. “May be they returned to the palace unnoticed.” the girl masks the anxiousness of her voice. She makes her face normal despite the impending disaster. She must not frighten her ladyship no matter what. Well, a little bit too late. Hidna sensed that there's something wrong and becomes worried. “Leaving us in the meadow with out telling us? Those three would never do that!” The thought of something dreadful happened to them was making her shuddered in great fear. The princess jumped off her horse and hold its rein. She's determined to walk. “Let's go inside of these groves. I have this feeling that the three of them were inside.” Frēon was gripped with terror as she followed her stalwart lady. She can sensed a life in agony but she was not certain whether if it was an animal or a human being in pain. The handmaid mumbled a short and fast prayer, hoping that it was the former than the later. They went inside. “Sir Rollins, are you there? I beg you please answered us at once!” Still, there's no reply. Only the cold wind had answered Hidna's call. The two of them headed to the waist high bush and froze. The princess began to tremble and become aghast to what they've seen. Frēon force herself not to vomit the meal that they have eaten. The magnificent white horse of Sir Magnus, the one of the three knights with them while ago was lying on the ground. Fresh blood gushed to its wounds. The mare was gasping for its last and final breath. The body of the animal was teared terribly as if a ferocious creature attacked the poor horse. They can almost see the heart of the animal beating slower, its eyes opened wide in terror. The princess gaze then caught the unsheathed sword on the ground not far from the animal. Her eyes fixed on the young man lying next to the weapon. Both the two young ladies let out a shrill and anguish cry. The princess dashed to the man on the ground. Sir Magnus was there, bathed on his own blood and his stomach was teared. He's missing a liver. He's already dead. The merry young knight of her childhood was gone. Scratches was all over his body. Hidna pulled his head onto her lap. Just like his horse, Magnus eyes were opened in great terror, as if what he's seen was more terrifying than a monster. His mouth was agape and seemed he's about to scream. She hugged her friend tightly, her black clothes was soaked with blood. From there own, Hidna always wear a black clothes. The two ladies cried. She didn't have any inkling who's the monster behind this gruesome murder. Hidna grieved at the lost of her childhood friend. But where's the other two? It was a question for her that it's too difficult to answer. “My Lady, what shall we do?” Frēon was getting nervous on her horse. She have a hint who did this but her mind refuse its answer. The princess closed the eyes of the knight and gently put down her friend and get the unsheathed sword on the ground. “Remain on your horse Frēon, it's too late for us to retreat now.” Hidna sensed that they're not alone in the groves, she went to her horse and take the side saddle on its back and tied her handkerchief onto the stallion's leg. She stroke the back of the animal. The black stallion broke into run. Raven had a knowledge where to go. They will soon have an idea that there's something wrong why the horse went home without its rider and why there's a hanky tied on its leg. The two ladies left the site heavy hearted as the princess promised herself that she'll recollect his body as soon as they found the other two knights. Hidna and Camco reach the glade of the groves. The princess take more steps when a warm liquid drop in her cheek, she wiped it and frowned afterwards. It's not going to rain, doesn't it? Wait. Hidna suddenly froze. Rain drops doesn't have warm feeling against the skin and it wasn't sticky too. The princess immediately gaze at her hand to see the water droplet that she wiped. It's blood. She automatically looked up. The sight before them was unbearable to see. She tried to scream but there's no voice escaped from her mouth, it was Frēon who wailed piteously on her horse. They found the second knight. Dead. Sir Eldovon was hanging on the tree. His falchion was darted on his throat. Blood drip from the wound and fell straight to the princess' horror stricken face. Hidna was standing at the exact spot where the murderer were standing. Sir Eldovon looked at her accusingly. The accused looked was not for her but even though, it still stab her heart. It's all her fault. It will disturbed her to no end. The knight's horse was burned not away from the man and it was so gruesome that she had no words how to describe it. The poor animal probably was burned alive. Hidna dropped her blade into the ground and sagged near the weapon. Two hands clenched tightly on her lap. Tears continuously drop as she bowed her head. The realization was tormenting the princess to become mad. She lost two knights in just a single day. Hidna cried in great pain. She knew now who's hand did these. It was those creatures belonged to the Dark Forest Fiarn who had their hands at these. How could she able to tell to those families of dead knight that they're not coming back again? Hidna shriek in deep fury. She's mad at herself, mad at her being a wayward. She earned her lesson in a very hard way. Two soft hands touch her shoulder. Hidna looked over her shoulder. It was Frēon, soothing her to calm down. Are we going to die? Hidna asked herself. She hold the hilt of the sword tightly besides her. If there's someone who ought to pay all of this, it should be her. Hidna gathered her feet and wiped the tears in her eyes with the back of her hand. “Return to your horse. In case there something happened, you can escaped easily.” “No, I'm going to protect you.” Frēon object. From her boots, she pulled a dagger that she always stashed there. The handmaid released her horse despite the objection if her mistress, the two then began to wander deeper the groves to search for the last knight. Camco could still sensed the faint life that she sensed while ago before they went in the groves. Perhaps it was coming from the last knight Sir Rollins. Hope was starting to raise in Hidna's heart. Sir Rollins must be wounded but alive. A streak of noon beam becomes their guide in the gloomy groves to look for the missing knight. They saw him kneeling and clutching his wounded stomach, blood seeped through between his fingers. And he was not alone. He was with someone that they dread to see. Karyos the balrog, the right hand of Jamnet. Hidna clutched the hilt of her sword tightly. “Hello ladies,” the balrog greeted them politely as if he was acquainted with them long time ago. “Y-your Highness… you shouldn't looked for us…! R-run! S-saved your selves!” Sir Rollins rasped. His horse we're no where to be seen, but across the distance, they could see a saddle. He'd able to free his horse before he was beaten down by his enemies. “Pooh— rubbish. There's no threat for these two lovely and young ladies here.” Karyos chuckled and smile afterwards, showing the set of his white teeth. “As a matter of fact, I'm here to inform you that I'll going to take the princess as a woman for my boss, Jamnet.” “Never!” Hidna hissed. She raised her blade in on guard position like her elder brother do in his lesson. How dare that senile old man to threaten her like that! “Y-you ambitious sloth!” the knight blurted out in deep rage. He clinched the wound on his stomach. The balrog tricked them in to believing that they have the lady and her maid in the groves but they were wrong. Karyos cast a spell on them making his two companion engaged to fight to one another but he dispelled it. Karyos men do the rest of the job to crush them three. He's glad that the lady was safe but lady luck was not on his side, his happiness was only short lived after Princess Hidna brave the groves and looked for them. “Tutut~ let's say evil,”Karyos cooed and laughed merrily. “You know, my master is a vile and extremely wicked one. Tsk, I hate it when someone called him ambitious in my face.” he added emphasizing his point with his forefinger. He kicked the bleeding knight that besides him away from him. “Cures you!” Frēon screamed and charged at the balrog but before she could able to reach the demon, he said something under his breath and the ground started to shake terribly. The handmaiden stumble and fall on to the ground. Karyos snapped his fingers, four orcs and ettins appeared behind the groves of the willow and surrounded them all. “I was order to take the princess but I'm not in the mood to do so. Perhaps some other time again. I have still a matter to attend, let this eight handsome creatures be your playmates for the meantime. Tata~” Karyos wave his fingers, a white light appeared beside him. He vanished in an instant. He escaped. Hidna helped her friend to stand up immediately. “Hide at once and heal the knight.” she ordered. “I'll go and catch their attention away from you.” But before the handmaiden could utter her protest, Hidna already broke into run. She swung the sword at the unprepared orc that blocks her way. She gushed her arm afterward. Blood ooze in her wound and it traces her pale skin. The three remaining orcs and ettin would disregard her handmaiden and the wounded knight because they could smell the daemon blood that runs on her friend. And besides, they loved the smell of fresh blood and flesh, plus the fact that she beheaded their companion. Hidna run fast as she could towards to the brook that she heard based on the story of their maids during their break. She needs to buy more time for her friend to heal Sir Rollins and to hide their selves as well. Hidna reached the brook. According to those maids story, a whip made of the tail of sting ray was accidentally left here two months ago. That whip was said could defeat and wounded any creature from the darkness. She must get it. The lady's left arm started to ached fiercely. She was no good sword fighter or in what ever fight. She doesn't even have a knowledge on how to use a sword or even a bow because her parents were against about it. She's a lady surrounded by the maids and do what ever her whim. The ettins appeared on her front, she swung her weapon furiously, knocking one of them. The orcs appeared from her back, and then one of them thrashed its club at her. Hidna moves swiftly and spun around as she beat back the oncoming club. Clang! But due to the stinging pain on her left arm and lack of knowledge on how to hold the sword properly, the weapon from her hands flung away after it collides with the club. Her sword clattered uselessly to the ground. Her hands went numb all the way down to her arms. She was empty handed now. Hidna grit her teeth. The orc, after seeing this hits her abdomen and tossed her into the water, knocking her back at the big rock. Blood spluttered in her mouth. She was soaking wet when somebody grabbed the mass of her braided hair and little by little it pulled her up. The princess was pulled closed to her captor. Shirt smelled like a rotten meat, it seemed not washed eons ago. A warm tongue ran down on her face. It was an ettin, tasting her. With the energy that she left, Hidna forced herself to bite its tongue. The creature howled in great ire and Hidna was instantly tossed back to the water and this time, it's her dead and it dribbled down onto the rock. Her world become dark instantly when her hand landed on a smooth lump. It was the whip! The lady, who had been limp and thoroughly covered in wounds, returned to her senses instantly. She then force her fingers to curl around its handle. Courage raised in her heart. Hidna summoned all her strength, she compelled herself to sit but a heavy foot landed on her head to prevent her from doing the task. She whimpered in great pain as a feet pinned and ground her head onto the rock, she release the whip instantly from her grip and get a jagged pieces of broken stone and stabbed it on the orcs feet. These fools, they pass her to one another as they torment her. Did they think that she's just merely a push over? The orc that the princess stabbed on its feet growled in rage and kicked hard the princess away. Like its companion, apparently they never had been treated like this before. Hidna whimpered again in pain as more blood gushed in her wounds, this makes her becomes weaker and weaker in each passing moment. The ettin who's tongue that she bite off while ago also kicked her, making her gasped and catch her breath. The princess was losing consciousness and her vision began to faded in and out. “Ughh…….!” Another heavy foot trampled on her head again. Hidna thought she’d pass out from the pain yet once more. She was overcome by incredibly agony as soon as her senses returned. It was only natural that her entire body ached, but her head also hurt so badly that she thought it might split open. The ettin barks a terrifying laugh at the princess sorry state and it laughed more for its coming revenge. Soon helplessness threaten to consume her. Squeezing her eyes shut, Hidna let the numbness over her and waited her sentence to come. But that sentence never come. The creature that trampling her head tumbled on to the water lifeless. Somebody shot an arrow to her captor's her making it fall dead. A rescue comes for her aid. Hidna tried to focus her vision to see her savior but only she achieve was a blurry one. A man or a woman fighting the remaining orcs and ettin furiously. Based on the movement and hair style and clothing of her savior, she could tell that it is a man. The lady could hear grunts, groans and yelps of pain around her as the fight ensued. Her savior's hair dance in the air as he parries and attacks the enemies, it shine bright like a sun in the dusk. She must have met this man before as his silhouette was quite familiar to her. Oh! She must be out of her mind now because she fancy his hair. Hidna dryly chuckled, causing her organs to hurt crazily. Her vision switches to black and white to colored to grey. There were some peculiar peaceful moment because of silence in her surrounding. She could almost hear her heartbeat bests to fast rhythm then to slow one. She's even aware when she swore when she heard footfalls coming to her direction. Two booted foot halt before her. God, she was so tired. Sensing that she was safe, her eyes fluttered shut.