A Ripple in the Pond~ Dark Times

Zero stopped his horse, unaware of any oddities in the village, save for that it was decimated. A hand on the hilt of his sword, he wandered into the village, cautious of every move. His mind reciting what he'd been taught, Keep your eyes moving, stay alert to every movement, even the wind. Listen, learn, watch, observe. Zero stayed consious of Risit behind him. Dismounting, Zero ducked inside a house that barely stood and reemerged, finding nothing inside.

 

Zero huffed, his anger still not quelled, "And what would a doctor have to say in the matter of royals? You give Penelope a many of strange potions that you say will help her get better and they never do. Where do you get them, one might wonder." Her narrowed his pale gray eyes at him, My duty is to protect this Kingdom. I will not allow people to go aruond shooting arrows at a prince, especially one who's going to be by my side when I am King. Edmund is a value to this Kingdom...and a brother I cherish very much." Walking away from Risit to search for any sign of where they might have gone, he called over his shoulder, "You might want to just return home. I've no need for a healer's opinion in tracking."

 

"What? You'd fight your own prince?" Zero drew his blade from the sheath at his hip and held it in one hand for the moment, "I speak not to my father, what would I gain from speaking to such a man as he. I will run this Kingdom my way and not my father's way." He hesitated on the subject of Penelope's suffering. Pen--my sister suffers because it is her destiny to suffer through life. It is not my will to have her suffer at such a young age, but what can I do but watch as my family suffers before me?" His anger burned brilliant and a slight hatred of Risit shone in his words. Taking a better grip on his blade, he held it before him, waiting calmly.

 

Zero allowed a small smile to spread across his lips, "Would you allow someone to shoot your brother and get away unscathed? I think not. I'm going to kill them all." His pride kept him from thanking Risit for protecting his back from the arrow. To think he could've ended up like his brother fueled more of his anger. "I take half, you take half? I'm trusting you're decent with that sword?" Keeping his eyes moving among the simple ten men, he almost felt disappointed at their small size.

 

Zero almost laughed. He was having more fun with someone he'd never spoken to more than a thank you or good morning. "And here I thought I was supposed to allow my elders to go first. Unless you're going to contradict me on that too. You're starting to sound like one of my teachers, healer." Zero did make the first strike. Clashing with the nearest theif, he knocked his legs out from under him and without thinking, drove his blade into the theif's throat. "May the Lord forgive your sins." he recited as always. Eventually the old habit of Penelope's would die from Zero's mind.

 

Zero watched Risit, he expected him to kill them, but as a healer, Zero knew otherwise. "They lack a lot of class if they've reduced themselves to theives." His voice was cold and his eyes glittering with hate. Zero knew better than to let hate and anger rule how he fought, but just for this moment, he wanted to let his rage fuel his actions. Fighting always had stirred his blood and he felt more alive than when he thought about being King.

 

A group of theives verus two... I wonder how this will turn out. The white haired Helena had broken off from her group and managed to find this burnt down town by following the smell of lingering smoke. With her magic she was blending in with the trees while also staying in their shadows. It wouldn't last long, her spell, so she was hoping that this fight will last longer. They were here to observe...but she also wished to interact with these two. Something about one seemed...off. The other, if her ears were not failing, was the prince. And not only that but one filled with so much rage. Surely he'd be useful.

 

Willow noticed when Helena had broken away. She followed her, silently observing over her shoulder and whispered like the wind in Helena's ear, "The prince? All the way out here from the protection of his castle? How...convenient." Her breath ruffled Helena's hair and she backed off slightly, keeping her icy eyes fixed on the Prince.

 

Zero glanced back at the last two of his half and lifted his blade up to catch their joint attack. He spotted a slightl glimmer under their arms behind them. Was that...an archer? Twirled and pushed the two into each other to tumble to the ground, his feet scuffed the ground as he narrowly avoided the arrow. The metal tip pinged off the shoulder of his armor and his sword, taking the forward momentum with it, sliced into the archer's gut. Sheathing his sword, Zero turned back to the two, having gathered themselves back up. "They say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Perhaps the same goes for idiot theives."

 

Helena titled her head in disappointment. So much for having claim on her plan to mess with him on her own. Oh wells, that was out of their job requirements anyway. "We should definetly follow these two..."

 

Willow chuckled lightly, "Oh? How come, just cause it's a prince and....some other wierdo out for a stroll? Or because you think the Prince is cute?" Willow was obviously joking...or was she voicing her own thoughts. To her, he was fiery and cold, and his looks weren't too shabby either. He was certainly attractive, but probably not her type for being the Prince of Blone.

 

"The one he's with..." Helena stated, ignoring her fellow appertiance's comment. "There's something about him... I get the same feeling about our master. They're different...but the same..."

 

Once he noticed the dissapearance of Helena and Willow following behind her. Rath sighed as he looked over at the direction of Blone. Having not given a specific time to actually return back to Turley, Rath followed the two and silently observed the two fight off the hoard of bandits. Unlike the other two beside, him his gaze was more focused on the elder of the two fighting than that of the prince. "That man should not be underestimated" Rath said quietly more to himself than to his allies