"Break the cycle...". Those were the words inscribed on the necklace that a tall and powerful looking man held in his hands as he stood staunchly in one of the many marketplaces that were littered across the city of Rose Garden. These words rang out in the man's mind as he looked up at the clouds, the bustle of the day sounding off around him.
"E-Excuse me, but are you going to buy that?", the little old woman behind the vendor's table asked the giant of a man. The man gave the woman an embarrassed look as he looked down at the necklace once more. "A-Ah! I suppose so! How much is it?", he asked as he reached into his pocket to grab his wallet. The old woman gave him a gentle smile as she waved him off. "You can have it. I have so many more. Besides, it seems that it will be of more use with you. It's said that necklaces like that give good luck. You Rune Knights need all the luck you can get!", the woman ended with a wise chuckle.
The man gave the woman an appreciative look before he bowed to her. "Why thank you. But, I'm far past my prime in my age", the man said with his own chuckle. The old woman waved him off once more. "Don't sell yourself short! Us old folk are here to guide and protect the young ones so they can do the same one day!", the woman said she pointed out towards a little girl walking with her grandmother through the market. The man turned to look at them, to which he smiled warmly when the little girl took her grandmother's hand and gave it a squeeze.
Turning back to the shopkeeper, the man sighed with a warm undertone. "I suppose you're right. Do..you have someone to protect and guide?", he said as he looked to woman. She wore a painful smile on her face as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. My family was comprised of wizards, except for me. One after another, they all left this world. I am the only one left. But, I fill my time here, selling these good luck charms to people like you. I want to help in any little way I can", she said as she laid a hand on some of her trinkets. "Do you have someone to protect? Not as a Rune Knight, but personally?", the woman asked.
The man chuckled as he looked down to the necklace once more. "I suppose so... She's a good girl, just lost in this world we all call home", the man said as he looked to the clouds once more. The old woman chuckled once more as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, I'm sure she will be fine. Especially with someone like you guiding her", the woman said as she gave the man another smile. He returned it with a smile of his own as he bowed to her once more. "You certainly humble me, more than I ever could! Thank you for the gift. Have a nice day!", the man said as he began to walk away once more.
Break the cycle... I wonder if she can.
"Councilwoman Frost, Captain Aizen has returned!", a Rune Knight said to a woman sitting in a chair as she sipped from a lean bottle of wine. This woman, this Frost, she sat with her legs crossed and with a bored look on her face as she nodded to the man, her orange hair bobbing after her. "Today's the day...", the woman said as she looked down into her glass. The wine smoothed out quickly, allowing the woman to see her reflection.
Perfect.
Beauty, power, wealth, status. That is what defined Skylar Frost on the outside. On the inside? She was just a girl, a girl looking for her place. Many things, like her current position, were pushed onto her. But she took the job anyway for reasons that were very dear to her. Through the many days of hardships, seeing and hearing things that would bring down even the strongest of men, one man kept her going.
Captain Aizen.
She didn't love him. He was probably thirty years older than her. She at least didn't love him like that. She did love him like a second father. He was her Chief Bodyguard, the best of the best. He'd protected her from things she had never even knew were there. And now? He was retiring. Skylar looked down at her glass once more as footsteps could be heard echoing off the marble floor of her family's' estate in Rose Garden. To be honest, all the rich had a house in this city overflowing with magic. Though Skylar definitely wished it, she was not here for pleasure. It was business and duties calling for this woman.
Aizen stepped forth, breaking Skylar's silence as he spoke. "You know you musn't drink this early in the day, Miss Frost. It's bad for your health", the man picked. He was certainly no fool. And between asking one of his subordinates and seeing her for himself, he could tell that his retirement was weighing heavily on her. What a sweet girl... She waved him off and put her wine glass down as she looked towards him. The man tried giving her the same smile that he gave that vendorwoman a while ago, but she was having none of that. She was sad, but still as stubborn as ever.
"Now, now. Let's go over our assignment once more", the man said as he stood next to Skylar. The woman sighed before she closed her eyes and nodded. The man gave her closed eyes a look before he started to speak. "Recently, relations with the border principality of Veronica have become more and more strained. There have been rumors and reports that weapons are being built up inside the city, and that the Veronicans are preparing for war. Our assignment from the Chairman is that we travel to Veronica and prepare a peace treaty to ease the tension. Beforehand, however, we must stop at the Rune Knight installation in Rose Garden so you may meet your new Chief Bodyguard". At that point, Skylar's brow wrinkled. Aizen sighed as his resolve began to waver. "From there, we all will journey to Veronica. Do you need me to repeat anything, Miss Frost?", the man said as his back straightened. Skylar opened her eyes. "No", she said simply.
"Alright. Let us depart then".
"E-Excuse me, but are you going to buy that?", the little old woman behind the vendor's table asked the giant of a man. The man gave the woman an embarrassed look as he looked down at the necklace once more. "A-Ah! I suppose so! How much is it?", he asked as he reached into his pocket to grab his wallet. The old woman gave him a gentle smile as she waved him off. "You can have it. I have so many more. Besides, it seems that it will be of more use with you. It's said that necklaces like that give good luck. You Rune Knights need all the luck you can get!", the woman ended with a wise chuckle.
The man gave the woman an appreciative look before he bowed to her. "Why thank you. But, I'm far past my prime in my age", the man said with his own chuckle. The old woman waved him off once more. "Don't sell yourself short! Us old folk are here to guide and protect the young ones so they can do the same one day!", the woman said she pointed out towards a little girl walking with her grandmother through the market. The man turned to look at them, to which he smiled warmly when the little girl took her grandmother's hand and gave it a squeeze.
Turning back to the shopkeeper, the man sighed with a warm undertone. "I suppose you're right. Do..you have someone to protect and guide?", he said as he looked to woman. She wore a painful smile on her face as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. My family was comprised of wizards, except for me. One after another, they all left this world. I am the only one left. But, I fill my time here, selling these good luck charms to people like you. I want to help in any little way I can", she said as she laid a hand on some of her trinkets. "Do you have someone to protect? Not as a Rune Knight, but personally?", the woman asked.
The man chuckled as he looked down to the necklace once more. "I suppose so... She's a good girl, just lost in this world we all call home", the man said as he looked to the clouds once more. The old woman chuckled once more as she leaned back in her chair. "Well, I'm sure she will be fine. Especially with someone like you guiding her", the woman said as she gave the man another smile. He returned it with a smile of his own as he bowed to her once more. "You certainly humble me, more than I ever could! Thank you for the gift. Have a nice day!", the man said as he began to walk away once more.
Break the cycle... I wonder if she can.
"Councilwoman Frost, Captain Aizen has returned!", a Rune Knight said to a woman sitting in a chair as she sipped from a lean bottle of wine. This woman, this Frost, she sat with her legs crossed and with a bored look on her face as she nodded to the man, her orange hair bobbing after her. "Today's the day...", the woman said as she looked down into her glass. The wine smoothed out quickly, allowing the woman to see her reflection.
Perfect.
Beauty, power, wealth, status. That is what defined Skylar Frost on the outside. On the inside? She was just a girl, a girl looking for her place. Many things, like her current position, were pushed onto her. But she took the job anyway for reasons that were very dear to her. Through the many days of hardships, seeing and hearing things that would bring down even the strongest of men, one man kept her going.
Captain Aizen.
She didn't love him. He was probably thirty years older than her. She at least didn't love him like that. She did love him like a second father. He was her Chief Bodyguard, the best of the best. He'd protected her from things she had never even knew were there. And now? He was retiring. Skylar looked down at her glass once more as footsteps could be heard echoing off the marble floor of her family's' estate in Rose Garden. To be honest, all the rich had a house in this city overflowing with magic. Though Skylar definitely wished it, she was not here for pleasure. It was business and duties calling for this woman.
Aizen stepped forth, breaking Skylar's silence as he spoke. "You know you musn't drink this early in the day, Miss Frost. It's bad for your health", the man picked. He was certainly no fool. And between asking one of his subordinates and seeing her for himself, he could tell that his retirement was weighing heavily on her. What a sweet girl... She waved him off and put her wine glass down as she looked towards him. The man tried giving her the same smile that he gave that vendorwoman a while ago, but she was having none of that. She was sad, but still as stubborn as ever.
"Now, now. Let's go over our assignment once more", the man said as he stood next to Skylar. The woman sighed before she closed her eyes and nodded. The man gave her closed eyes a look before he started to speak. "Recently, relations with the border principality of Veronica have become more and more strained. There have been rumors and reports that weapons are being built up inside the city, and that the Veronicans are preparing for war. Our assignment from the Chairman is that we travel to Veronica and prepare a peace treaty to ease the tension. Beforehand, however, we must stop at the Rune Knight installation in Rose Garden so you may meet your new Chief Bodyguard". At that point, Skylar's brow wrinkled. Aizen sighed as his resolve began to waver. "From there, we all will journey to Veronica. Do you need me to repeat anything, Miss Frost?", the man said as his back straightened. Skylar opened her eyes. "No", she said simply.
"Alright. Let us depart then".