Their Own Story

Chapter 2- An Excellent War

A mist prowled over the green hills. Everything was devoured in its white cover. It folded itself over windows like a gentle wake up call for the village's inhabitants. Lights soon lit up in every window. The village came to life. Carts wheeled down the cobblestone streets, the baker called to the butcher, and the blacksmith greeted the dressmaker. The sky above was clear and blue, though the mist remained stubbornly inside the village.

A single figure walked deliberately down the main street. Nobody called out to welcome them. They received only stares. This, of course, was normal for someone wearing an Excellent's uniform. The appearance of an Excellent should have been a good thing. They were the protectors of the people, but the population figured that an Excellent's visit meant that war was coming. No one in this small village could have prepared for what this particular Excellent's entrance would mean for them. War, was indeed upon them. 

The warrior didn't bother to share a glance with any of the village's inhabitants. Instead, it walked with it's head tilted toward the ground. It walked to the central courtyard of the village, and it climbed fluidly onto the proud fountain. The Excellent stood there, still as a statue, clearly waiting for the villagers. Most of them took their time getting to the fountain. They had a slight idea of what was about to happen.

The villagers shuffled together as near to the fountain as they dared. Some maintained a gleam of hope in their eyes, wistfully believing that the message the Excellent had come to share was better than everyone else believed. Eager apprehension hung tensely in the air, but still the Excellent had not spoken a word. 

"Get on with it!" a grumpy voice yelled from the midst of the crowd. The rest of the crowd fell still, and silent, all eyes staring at the warrior. 

The white uniform dress this Excellent wore made it clear that she was one of the female warriors.  Her head lifted slowly, the hood that had served to conceal the entirety of her face fell back slightly. The movement revealed her full lips. The lips curled into a smile and a few people in the front of the crowd stifled gasps of fear.

"Certainly, good sir," her voice was smooth and melodic, calming, but it also possessed a sense of waiting danger. It felt like a snake, coiled and waiting peacefully for an unaware passerby. As she spoke, she stepped off of the fountain wall. The crowd parted immediately, leaving a path directly to the man who had spoken.

Instead of cowering back into the crowd of people, the middle-aged man stood tall, though fear danced in his eyes. The Excellent stopped her strides merely a foot in front of him, her mouth was still curved into the unsettling smile, while the rest of her features were hidden by the shadows of her blood red hood. The heeled white boots she wore added to her height, ending two or three feet above the man.

Her hand struck out and grabbed him by his elbow. Suddenly, his legs were swinging in the air, he squeaked and grabbed at the warrior's arm, trying to free himself. Ignoring him as he struggled, the Excellent turned to address the rest of the crowd.

"You may have heard rumors that the War has ended," excited murmurs flood ed through the crowd, but the warrior didn't miss a beat, "These rumors are almost true." She set the squirming man back on the ground and walked back to her fountain stage. "The War is coming. Our Sights have informed us that this village will be the last battlefield."

"When?" a young voice asked timidly from the front.

"That is not known, but the battles have grown increasingly closer to your isolated village. Why, not two weeks ago, we fought in Tuyla." What had been murmurs changed into full blown yells.

"That's only a couple towns away!" someone cried out.

"Two weeks ago? I haven't heard of such a battle!" another one spat out indignantly.

"I'm not leaving my home. Stop the Rens before they get here!"

"I have an aunt in Tuyla! What happened? Is she okay?!"

"I'm moving to Garn!"

The female silently raised her hands, palms facing the crowd. All noise stopped.

"If you please, let me finish. You must all evacuate, effective immediately. Do not worry about your homes or possessions that you leave behind. You have my solemn word that everything will be as you left it."

The hungry mist finally made it's way into the square with the fountain. It slunk its way through the crowd and obscured the speaker from view. The villagers stumbled against each other, each confused and trying to figure out what they are supposed to do now. Bumps, turned into pushes without polite apologies. Pushes turned into punches. Soon, the confused crowd was fighting itself.

"Clear!" a powerful voice boomed and echoed inside the courtyard. The mist slowly began to leave the square. The villagers ceased their fighting and scrambled to their feet, ashamed. Two green lights appeared in the receding mist. Someone in the front of the crowd shrieked and passed out. 

The Excellent had pulled her hood completely from her face. Green flames flickered from her eyes. In her raven black hair were streaks of white. Each white strand signified a kill in battle. A few others in the crowd gasped. Collectively, the herd stepped back away from her. 

"Now that you are all listening again, the rest of my squad will be here in three days. You have until then to pack whatever belongings you are taking with you. Those without family to go to at this time will be sent to Welfrim. That is all." As she spoke, the flames died down and went out, leaving her eyes their normal golden hue. Before the crowd could begin complaining or questioning her, she hopped down from the fountain and walked calmly in the opposite direction from the villagers. 

She walked until the stones underneath her feet turned to soft grasses, flattened in places by the hooves of animals and the footprints of humans. The mist was here, and she knew it would keep her hidden from unwanted attention. Her knees hit the grass and her face fell into her hands. How terrible that had been! She had shown her face to the villagers. An Excellent coming to their town was already a horrid occurrence. Having her here? So much worse. 

She wasn't simply an Excellent warrior. She was the Excellent's secret weapon. It was no mystery to her what the common people thought of her. They thought she was a danger to them as well as their enemies. They also knew that her entering their tiny village meant that the War was much worse- and much closer than they had been told. 

The feeling she was so familiar with began to claw its way from her core and spread through her body. Soon, she felt nothing but emptiness. In her mind she repeated her mission.

Get civilians out. Destroy the Ren. Save your brother.

Get civilians out. Destroy the Ren. Save your brother.

Save your brother.

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A/N

Short chapter.. I know! I'm sorry! Once the plots of the books (which lead to the plot of the ACTUAL book) get goin, the chapters will get longer. Promise :3