Switching Sides (Intro)

Traitor. A word that had been reverberating around the dark haired teenager’s mind ever since she had left her homeland. She felt as though it was being whispered from every corner, almost as though the word was written on her forehead. A ridiculous notion of course but one that she struggled to get out of her mind. There was no way back now and Mischa would never again stand in that cold and horrible country of her birth. It had taken her so long to see it for what it truly was but there were some things that just couldn’t fail to open one's eyes. Her family had been in raptures since the victory over Bellum but their only daughter had not shared an iota of their joy. She’d seen the exact scenes as they had but her reaction had been one of sickening repulsion. To see such a loss of life had shaken her to the core and that was the moment when she knew that what she’d been taught about all her life had been complete and utter horse shit. Her family were maniacs, believing in a regime that would only bring death and destruction to every corner of the world. Pergrande was not fighting to protect their own land, they were simply a war machine which desired to take everyone else’s. It was not a cause that she could believe in and that was when she’d vanished without a trace and on a path that she’d never imagined.

A long and winding path that had led her to the very doors of the Rune Knights themselves. She was about to perform an act that her family would no doubt consider to be a grave act of betrayal but surprisingly enough, that barely even registered with Mscha now. She’d had plenty of time to consider her options during her journey and more than enough to bolster and harden her resolve. The young woman had been training for years in order to fight for a cause that she believed in although she’d never thought that it would end up being the exact opposite one of which she’d expected it to be. She was going to throw it all in the face of Pergrande and do her damnedest to set things right, no matter what it took. Her homeland was a cancer, one that needed to be treated with aggression and forcefulness.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the young woman would push open the large door and enter the building, her eyes naturally glancing around as she headed towards the reception desk. Mischa attempted to force down any nerves she had but now that she was actually here, they were beginning to fester and not just because of the chance she’d be turned down either. She knew that there was bound to be a great deal of suspicion regarding her attempting to join and honestly, the teenager had no idea as to what the reaction would be to her request. She could end up in a prison cell for all she knew but that was a possibility that the brown eyed girl had considered. Better to rot in a prison cell then fight for a cause that she no longer believed in.

Once she reached the receptionist, the woman would look up at her. “May I help you?”

Mischa took a deep breath and answered honestly, knowing that this could all go south quite quickly. “My name is Mischa Amasova and I’d like to join the Rune Knights.” Her accent was a dead giveaway as to where she came from.

The receptionist paused for a moment before replying, her tone a touch more sharp. “Wait here a moment.”

The ball was well and truly out of her court now and with a nod, Mischa would stand aside to allow the receptionist to speak to those behind her.

(646 Words)

Following the Rune Knight who’d come to lead her away without a moment’s pause, Mischa couldn’t help but take another glance at her surroundings. It was a beautiful building and the impression it gave off couldn’t have been any different to those of her homeland. There was a cold and almost robotic vibe there and it was one of many things that the teenager was more than happy to see the back of. One wrong word could end up bringing a ton of trouble and she’d ended up in a spot of bother more than once for that very reason although when she thought about it now, she realised that it’d been down to one simple fact. The dark haired woman had never truly believed in the words of her nation and it had simply been her own way of trying to rebel. Well, now she could rebel in the most effective way possible by leaving all that crap behind.

Once she’d been left in what appeared to be an interview room of some kind, Mischa wasted no time in filling out the forms that she’d been handed, her right hand shooting back and forth across the pages. It was frankly a perfect way to help ease the nerves that were continuing to build up inside her and the fact that she hadn’t been thrown straight into a cell had done the world of her good for her. That alone gave her hope that perhaps there was a chance for her to start again and to use her talents for what they had meant to be used for. To protect those in need, not as a means to harm them. For a brief moment, an image of herself on the fields of war filled her mind, one where she’d completely given in to her own rage and anger, unleashing hell on those around her. It lasted no longer than that but enough for a shiver to travel down her spine. She knew all too well that if she’d remained in Pergrande, that could well have been her fate and what a sickening one it was.

Her thoughts were soon enough interrupted as the door opened again and a pair of Rune Knights entered, a woman followed by a man. Mischa was uncertain as to what was to happen next but much to her delight, the woman soon spoke in a kind tone, which did wonders for the defectors nerves. Her shoulders relaxed slightly and she felt rather more at ease. “Yes Ma'am, Mischa Amasova.” She replied in a respectful tone and as the woman approached her with an extended hand, introducing herself and the Director, Mischa outstretched her own and gladly shook the Field Marshal’s. “A pleasure to meet you both.” She briefly pondered about whether she should be so casual, given her situation but honesty was the way to go and her words were genuine.

Taking a seat opposite the Field Marshal, Mischa listened intently as both Rune Knights spoke. There was no hint of surprise in her body language as they spoke about their suspicions regarding her homeland. She’d made no effort to hide the fact and although it’d been suggested to her to perhaps alter her voice through magical means, the black haired woman had been adamant in not following that advice.

“I understand completely and it’s true that I come from Pergrande.” She answered honestly. “My family are as loyal to the flag as you could and every one of them would be willing to put their life on the line to aid the cause. Most of them are in the forces and I have no doubt that as soon as they realise that I’m gone, they’ll be hell bent on smashing my face in if they get the chance. I have no place among them anymore, I left it all behind.”

(646 Words)
(1292 Mischa WC)
(2313 TWC)

It was the question that she’d been expecting and yet despite knowing that, Mischa still found herself needing some time to put the answer into words.There were many moments during her life where she’d found herself asking why her family believed so strongly in the mantra of her nation. There was no room for debate with her parents nor her brothers and any attempt at doing so had usually ended up being rather brief. For years, the young woman had simply thought that there was something wrong with her, that she was just stupid for not being able to fully believe as her family did. She’d asked herself why multiple times and the answer never came. Still, despite her doubts, she’d signed up for the forces like her brothers and gone through the rigorous testing and training, in order to hopefully find what she’d thought had been missing.

The truth, however, came to her far more recently and as that memory flashed across her mind, she finally replied. “It was my family's reaction to the latest battle that caused me to realise that what I’d been training for wasn’t the defence of my country but simply the destruction of others. I’d always believed that it was defence that we were being trained for rather than blind war but I suppose that I’d just been naive all along. My own parents were jumping around for joy when the pictures of the battlefield were shown to the nation. It sickened me to my core and was the straw that broke the camel's back. It wasn’t just them though, it was the country as a whole. Everywhere I looked, men and women revelled in the destruction of so many innocent lives. I suppose I’ve never fully understood the hatred that Pergrande has for the magical world, as I’ve honestly not felt that same sense of loathing. I was always the one in my family to ask why we believed as we did.”

She paused briefly, her sunny disposition darkening just a touch. “After that, I couldn’t stomach even remaining in Pergrande, let alone fighting for them. My naive way of thinking was shattered and I felt nothing but guilt for even being attached to the country. I wanted out and that was what finally led me to leaving the country for good. I suppose that it was always going to be the result, now that I think back to the arguments that I used to have with my family. I’ll never fight for them again and will do everything in my power to defend the innocent from them. For now their target may be Bellum but sooner or later, they’ll want the rest of Earthland too. That’s what I’ve learned about them and I refuse to let it happen, even if it means that I lose my life. Better to die for a good cause then live fighting for a bad one.”

Briefly, Mischa glanced at both Serilda and Mythal, before finishing her answer. “I’ll follow whatever ground rules you lay down and will do whatever is necessary to prove my loyalty to the Rune Knights and Fiore as a whole.”

(528 Words)
(1820 Mischa WC)
(3223 TWC)