The Chosen and the Marked

[The gifted woman, Lily, and the young swordfighter, Lyn: a strange pair on an unchartered adventure. To start their journey and to prepare for the long road ahead, they go to Bulgar, the commercial center of Sacae. Unbeknownst to Lyn, she will discover something that well alter her life forever.]

Chapter 1
Foot Steps of Fate


I spent the better part of an hour looking for Lyn, she had to be somewhere around here. This place wasn’t that big. Okay, it was enormous. I called out for her repeatedly; each time I got no response. I felt this weird hole in my chest tear open; I missed her already. I looked around at all the mud-brick buildings all over the place. I was quite lost.

“Lily!” I heard her call out; I whipped around towards the voice. “Over here!” she said. I ran over to her.

“Finally, I found you!” I exclaimed, hugging her. She laughed and hugged me back; it was surprisingly nice.

“This is Bulgar, the biggest city in all of Sacae, you know. Kinda hard to find someone in,” she pointed out.

“I noticed. We should purchase supplies for our—“ I started but was abruptly cut off by a green knight approaching.

“Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!” he exclaimed, gesturing to Lyn. I suppressed a growl I couldn’t even explain. Lyn rolled her eyes at him and turned to leave. “Wait, O fair and beauteous one! Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?” he implored of her, shaking his head to flurry his brown locks.

I fought back the urge to hit him with the pommel of my blade for talking that way to Lyn. She deserves so much more respect than that callow oaf is offering.

Lyn turned back around, her smile fake and her mood clipped. “Where are you from, sir knight, that speak so freely to a stranger?” she asked him in a sickly-sweet tone, though with an icy undercurrent.

“Ha! I thought you would never ask! I am from Lycia. I hail from the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire!” the attractive young man exclaimed.

“Shouldn’t that be ‘home to callow oafs with loose tongues’?” Lyn asked scathingly; turning away from him.

“Ooooh… You’re even lovelier when you’re cruel,” he said with a near-lewd undertone.

Lyn growled deep in her throat, grabbing my hand quickly, our fingers lacing automatically. “Let’s go, Lily. I’ve nothing more to say,”

I let her pull me along till we reached the gate, not to far from where she was accosted. “You okay, hon?” I asked her as we came to a stop by some horses that were blocking the gate.

“Men…I despise most of them…” Lyn said harshly. I hugged her to calm her down. Amidst the hug, I noticed that the horses matched the green knight and the red knight with him. I let out a slight growl. Lyn turned in my arms to see what it was and put the pieces together herself. “I despise them!” she exclaimed, breaking free of my hold and storming off.

Luckily I got there first and went up to them, “Excuse me! You’re blocking the road,” I told them, gesturing to their horses. “If you would be so kind as to—“ I was cut off by Lyn.

“Move your horses,” she said bluntly.

The handsome red knight with cropped, coppery hair made eye contact with Lyn. “Of course, milady. My apologies…”

“Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable,” Lyn told him.

“Hm? Pardon me, but… I feel we’ve me before,” the red knight said to her.

“I beg your pardon?” Lyn asked, actually curious.

“Hey! No fair, Kent! I saw her first!” the Green Knight said indignantly.

Lyn let out a sound of suppressed anger and turned away. “It seems there are no decent men among Lycia’s knights! Let’s go Lily! I’m out of patience!” Lyn exclaimed, grabbing my hand again and dragging me along, as per usual.

****

“Men like that just sicken me, Lily, I don’t know what else to say,” We made it outside and a ways away from town when Lyn turned back and noticed something. She got a panicked look and made eye contact with me, her panic hurt me to the core. “Run!!! We’re being pursued!”

We took off in a blaze and ran down into a gulley by town. “Could it be thouse knights from town?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “No…its bandits,” Lyn said.

I looked around and saw their positioning, we’d just been herded. “Oh, crap…”

A bandit stepped out from the brush and straightened up, flexing his axe arm. He started laughing maliciously. “Aren’t you the pretty one!” he exclaimed.

I drew my blade in response and summoned fire around it. With a quick motion I was in front of Lyn. “This is why I do it,” I told her.

The bandit ignored me. “Your name is Lyndis, is it not?” he asked her.

“What did you call me?” she asked him, visibly shaken. I growled and prepared a fireball to throw. “…Who are you?” she asked.

Seeing my moment, I launched it at him which he deflected with his axe. He started walking away into the thicket. “Such a waste, an absolute waste. The things I do for gold… Ah, well. Time to die, darlin’! C’mon out, boys!” He hollered over his shoulder,” He disappeared into the thicket.

The place covered with three more enemies, surrounding them. “Oh, no!” Lyn exclaimed, I put a comforting hand on her shoulder. There are more than we can handle…”

I shook her a bit and she looked at me. “Never give up, never surrender,” I told her, she nodded.

“Let’s do this,” Lyn said, drawing her blade, eyeing the oncoming enemies.

“Hey! There she is!” A voice called out, causing the bandit leader to come back out.

Kent and his partner, Sain, rode up quickly. “Whew… finally caught up…” Sain huffed out. He looked up and noticed the situation. “Hold! You there! What is your business?” Sain called out to the leader. “Such numbers against two girls? Cowards, every one of you!” he exclaimed.

Lyn and I looked at them confused, the fireball in my hand growing by the seconds. “You, you’re from—“ she started.

“We can discuss that later,” Kent said curtly. “It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it’s a fight they want, let them look to me!”

“Thank you, Sain, Kent. The four of us shall take them out just easily.” I say. “Take out the two behind us. You rode past them on your way in,” I stated.

“Oh, fair and beauteous one!” Sain exclaimed to me. I rolled my eyes, hands setting on their hips. “And…Lily is it? Allow me to show you the might of a knight of Lycia!” he vowed to me. I could feel Lyn’s searing glare in his direction. “Let me be the first to strike a blow in your honor!” he pleaded. My fireball grew with my anger till it was engulfing part of my arm.

“What do you know of honor, witless cur,” Lyn said scathingly. “She gave you your orders, now go!”

Sain rode off to catch up with Kent, obviously wounded by Lyn’s words. “Thank you, hon,” I said to her, smiling a dazzling smile. She smiled back radiantly.

The other two headed in to get us, including the leader. “Lyn, you take the leader, I’ll take the other thug,” I told her. I shot off my fireball towards my mark. The flames engulfed him and he fell dead on the spot.

“Can you do another one of those?” She asked me. I shook my head, my red tresses flowing back and forth. “Too exhausted?,” she supplied. I nodded. “Okay, we’ll take him together, sword-style, okay?”

She asked, just as he came up upon us. In a flash I parried his blow with my cutlass and Lyn ran him through with her katana. The leader growled. “Accursed knights, always tampering in other’s affairs…Blast…There was only…supposed to be a lone…girl…” he said before breathing his last. I didn’t like him, that’s for sure, but I couldn’t hate him. That would feel wrong to me. Hating a dead guy, no matter what he’s done, because now, thanks to me, he’s done.

Lyn hugged me tightly. “That’s the last of them! Fantastic work, Lily!” she praised, making me flush red. Lyn kissed my cheek. “Good job,” I must have turned even redder at that. I’m not used to praise.

We separated and turned to Kent and Sain. “Now, for you two knights of Lycia… what were you going to say?”

They told us how they have traveled from Caelin in Lycia in search of someone, Marquess Caelin’s daughter, Madelyn. Upon hearing that Lyndis’ parts were dead, but Lyndis remained alive, we decided to set out on quest to get to Caelin so Lyn could meet her old grandfather. We also learned of Lord Ludgren, the man wanting Lyn killed. A man I hate with a fiery passion at the thought, no one is going to do my Lyn harm.

****

Lyn and I were laying in the grass, looking up at the stars, hand in hand, like usual. A cold breeze came in and Lyn gave a mighty shiver, choosing then to curl up against me. “There, comfy now,” she told me, smiling. I smiled, too.

“I’m coming with you, y’know,” I told her, simply; stroking her hair. I felt her relax against me.

“Good, I don’t want it any other way…” She replied, kissing my shoulder.

We drifted off to sleep that night, not thinking of assassins or evil uncles or royalty or greater troubles.