KGWrites

Coastal Road, Fallen Kingdom of Aldiron

It was a cold, almost wintery night. A perfect night for sorrow.

The fires blazed beneath the moonlight, lighting the city afire and spitting black smoke that choked the sky. The screams and sound of battle rang out across the silent fields around the city. Already though, the sounds were fading, becoming less frequent as the darkness spread across the rooftops.

Atop a small rise that looked out towards Aldiron, the princess of the kingdom watched as her home fell to ashes and blood. There were no more tears to shed from her emerald eyes, just a cold, unshakeable rage deep within her chest.

The sea wind blew her orange hair around her head, sweeping it back towards the palace atop the cliff, like a spirit trying to draw her back. Trying to get her to fight. But the fight couldn’t be won by staying. That was perhaps the hardest truth of it.

The princess turned her head to what she had come to the rise to take. A torn green banner, fluttering in the wind atop a fallen mile marker. The silver falcon upon it twisted and dove with the wind, flying high through the sky. Its wings were pointed where she needed to go, away from the ruin of her home, and onwards.

Reaching up, the princess reached her hand up to grasp the banner. Quickly, she tore it from its pole and brought it down to her chest. She folded it carefully and tucked it away in her pack before giving one last, longing, look back at the city.

“I’m coming back.” She promised the wind around her.

And then she lifted the cowl of the cloak she wore and turned to begin walking down the hill towards her waiting friends, putting the burning city to her back with an iron certainty.

This battle was done. But her fight? That was only just beginning.